Niki's Neverending Adventure

Today concludes my 2nd week of training and so far so good!! This next week I step it up to 5 runs and only 2 rest/ cross training days. I hope it’s not too tough!! I’m nervous about running 4 days in a row, because that’s how it works out with my schedule. Anyway, onto this weeks runs:

Monday: strength training/ walking

Tuesday: 6 mile long run @ 10:35 min/ mile pace

Wednesday: strength training/ walking

Thursday: Speed work- 5-4-3-2-1 Fartleck Run, 4 miles total

Friday: 4 miles @ 10:06 min/ mile pace

Saturday: off

Sunday: 4 miles @ 9:37 min/ mile pace!!

Total: 18 miles

On to the specifics of today’s 4 miler. I was planning on running the same route as I did for Fridays 4 miler but my plans changed. I ended up staying at my parent’s house last night so I ran a very similar route by their house. Same amount and type of hills, so I felt I could compare the 2 runs pretty equally. But I really pushed it and ran at a 9:37 min/ mile pace! I am so happy about this!! It is so awesome to FINALLY be seeing some improvement in my pace! Here’s my splits:

Mile 1: 10:07

Mile 2: 9:45

Mile 3: 9:33

Mile 4: 9:01

Yay for negative splits! I actually ran this run 2:01  FASTER than Friday’s run! Amazing what a rest day before your run can do!! Ya’ll, I am really just so happy with myself about how I am improving! This is what makes me love to go out and run!! Can’t wait for this weeks training!!

Onto school stuff… Tomorrow is the BIG Anatomy test over half the book! I have been studying ALL weekend :( After studying for 7 hours today, I had to call it quits because my brain was on overload. It’s just so much stuff that I don’t think I would ever feel like I knew it all no matter how much I studied it! Luckily the test isn’t until 2pm tomorrow so I will have time to look over it in the morning. I am SO busy this week and just can’t wait for it to be over with! Not only busy with school stuff, but I have a couple social events to go to and my bestie, Jaime, is coming into town Friday so I have to get as much school stuff done as I can and still get the house clean! Plus, I have a Pharmacology test this week also! Literally, I don’t know how it’s going to all get done. I am dreading the start of the week tomorrow…

On a happier note, I have been waiting all week for these babies to look like this because I had a special recipe I wanted to try!!

Ever since Kristin posted this Chocolate Banana Bread recipe, I knew I had to try it! And it is heaven! Look how yummy it looks!

And, it tastes 10X better than it looks! Ya’ll must make this ASAP!!

Well I think that’s all I have for now. I am heading to bed early so I can catch up on my sleep! I am hoping lots of sleep= doing really good on my test! Wish me luck!

Posted in: on Sunday, August 30, 2009 at at 8:57 PM 7 comments    

Blog awards are so fun!! I received this award from the lovely Jennifer at The LaJeunesse Family.

She is such a beautiful, God loving woman, and devoted wife and is so inspirational! She also has the cutest most precious nephews!! I totally admire you girl:)

So I have to give this award to 15 blogs that I think are WONDERFUL! So here they are and why:

1. Kristin @ IowaGirlEats : I absolutely LOVE her blog! She has the best recipes and is such a healthy, fun woman!! She has a lot of great exercise tips and is very motivational. Also, on Thursdays she does a 3 question Thursday that is super fun!

2. Kristin @ ChasRunner: She is such a dedicated runner!! I love following her through all of her training! She just finished a relay in Colorado with 11 other runners that was totally hardcore! Definitely go check her recaps out!!

3. Niki @ CrossCountrySquared: This girl is awesome, not only because she has my name but because she is super fit and is a triathlete!! I don’t think I could ever keep up with her but I would love to try! Keep it up girl!!

4. Lauren @ Walk with me on this journey called life: She is such a sweet, caring, wonderful, woman who truly loves God!! She has such a strong faith that I really admire I strive to live up to! Can’t wait to officially meet you girl! Although, I feel like I’ve know you forever!!

5. Allison @ GreenDogWine: I actually found her blog after she was my partner for The Simple Life Challenge! And boy am I glad I found her! She is incredibly witty and funny and always gives you a good laugh while reading! Not to mention the cutest pics of her doggie, Lando!! I think Lando and Sadie would be great friends!

6. Stacey @ I’d Rather Be Running: I love her blog because she is so real! She doesn’t sugar coat stuff that’s going on with her and I can totally relate! Plus she’s an awesome runner and super healthy eater!!

7. Megan @ Meganerdruns: Megan is super motivational with running! She just signed up for her first marathon! Looking forward to cheering her on during her training!! Plus, I can totally relate to her trying to fit school in with everything else in life!!

8. Erin @ Mommy on the run… : Erin is one of my long time friends since high school and has a beautiful family! She has such a strong faith and I strive to be more like her! She is also a runner and is running her first 5k in 2 weeks! Yay!!

9. Susan @ Nurse on the run: I have a lot in common with Susan, she is also a nurse and runner! Although, she is a SUPER speedy runner completely opposite of me!! I love her blog because it is a good balance between her nursing stories and her running! And I love being amazed at how fast she is!

10. Melissa @ SweetMelissa : She is just what her blog name says she is, Sweet Melissa!! Although I’ve never met her in person, I know we would be GREAT friends!! Love reading about her kids at school and all the other aspects of her life! Plus she lives in the same town as me!!

11. Whitney @ That Girl & Her Pug: She is hilarious! Seriously ya’ll! Has me laughing out loud every day!! Plus, gotta give a shout out to another Memphis girl!! Can’t wait for out bloggy dinner soon!!

12. RunningLaur @ When I get a little run, run, run… : Great runner, and I totally give her props for running in that desert heat!! She is also another one who is super motivational :)

13. Amy @ Will Run for Fun : Fastest runner I “know”! Literally! Anyone who can run 6:xx miles is amazing in my book!! She is also super sweet and very encouraging :)

14. Kristen @ Will Run for Wine : She is a super strong woman! And I don’t mean just physically!! I totally admire her kick butt attitude! She is also another amazing runner!

15. MP @ I Run Like A Girl : She is a super awesome triathlete!! I love reading about all her races! If only I could have abs like her… :)

Whew! I’m finally done with that! Been working on it for 2 days but it was fun!!

I totally studied ALL day and still feel like I need to study so much more for my test Monday. I guess since my test is over 434 pages, literally half the book, I will never know it all! Haha, that is way too much Anatomy!! Well needless to say, I will be busting my butt studying tomorrow also! Better get to bed!

Posted in: on Saturday, August 29, 2009 at at 10:11 PM 11 comments    

So glad it's Friday, although I am spending my whole weekend studying for my HUGE anatomy test Monday. And when I say HUGE, I mean like half of the book HUGE! Probably 400 pages worth:( But I gotta do what I gotta do, right?!?

On to my run for the day... I did a 4 miler this morning before school. It was dark when I headed out and didn't start to lighten up until halfway thru my run!! I can sense fall coming!! I expected to have tired legs from my speed work yesterday, but I surprisingly felt GREAT! I ended up running 4 miles at a 10:06 pace, which is pretty good for me! Check out these mile splits, if it wasn't for the 1st mile my average pace would have been a lot faster! Guess it takes a little while for me to warm up or I was still asleep that first mile:)

Mile 1: 11:03
Mile 2: 10:15
Mile 3: 10:03
Mile 4: 9:07

I was really pushing hard that last mile! I am scheduled for another 4 miles Sunday so I am going to try to push it even harder than today! Kinda excited about it:) This is my last week of 4 running days and starting next week it's 5 running days a week from now on until the half marathon, Dec 5th! I hope I can do it!!

Well I gotta jet, I'm at my parents house and they are calling me for dinner! Chicken Enchiladas! Holy Yum!!

Posted in: on Friday, August 28, 2009 at at 6:46 PM 2 comments    

I sat down to write this post and couldn’t remember what day of the week it was for the life of me… yikes! Not a good sign! Haha, moving on…

I had a great run this morning! On the schedule for today was speed work, 4 miles. So I warmed up and then did a fartleck run called a 5-4-3-2-1. Basically you run hard for 5 mins, then slower/recovery for 3 mins, then hard for 4 mins, then slower/recovery for 3 mins, and so on. I used 3 mins as my recovery each time and it was still tough! But I completed all 4 miles of it:) I really love speed work, oh and by the way, I did this on the treadmill this morning. I like doing my speed work on the treadmill, so much easier, plus I get to sleep in and not worry how hot it will be when I run!

Last night I made Brown Sugar Rubbed Salmon for dinner and it was delish!! Erin, your recipe is awesome! Al loved it just as much as I did! I will definitely be making this again!! If you want the recipe, it’s in yesterday’s post. I am too lazy to go find it again!

On to the wedding question of the day… Where did ya’ll register at or where do you think would be a good place to register at? I’m open to all suggestions:) Hope ya’ll have a great night!

Posted in: on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at at 6:32 PM 10 comments    

I am thinking of making a wedding website so my guests could get all the info about the wedding event! I could also include my registry on there and our story:) I am needing to do this soon so I can put the website on the Save The Dates! What do ya’ll think?? Good or bad idea?? Now, if I do it, where to make the website… I know you can make one on theknot.com but I was wondering if ya’ll knew of any other sites that let you make FREE wedding websites?

I don’t really have much else to say. No running today, it was a walking/strength training day and nothing really to say about that. Same old, same old.

I am totally mentally drained from school right now which is why I probably can’t think of anything fun to write about! School is sucking the life out of me! Haha, not really but it’s just neverending and sometimes that really weighs on you! Oh well, I’m just gonna have to get used to it because I just started the program! Don’t worry, all my classmates feel the same. I think it’s because we had a killer hard test Monday and it’s all gotten us down, not to mention we still don’t have our grades to know how bad we did! Oh school…

Well I’m making a yummy dinner tonight that will hopefully put me in a better mood! I am making Brown Sugar Rubbed Salmon from Erin’s recipe! I am also making broccoli and brown rice to go along with it. And a glass of wine will most definitely be in there too!! I will let ya’ll know how it was tomorrow!

Posted in: on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at at 6:56 PM 8 comments    

Thanks for everyone who replied to me about sending out Save the Dates! I agree with Kristen, that since it is a destination wedding I do need to send them out, especially to the people I really want to come!! And thanks to Melissa, I found some super cute ones at VistaPrint for super cheap!! So problem solved:) I think we will probably go with this one:

Obviously it would be our wedding info where all the name and address stuff is but I think it’s cute and very beachy!! What do ya’ll think? Al liked this one the best so this is probably what we will go with. And did I mention, only $12.99 for 25 magnets?!?! What a steal!!

I will try to find a picture of the PERFECT wedding invitations I found, I forgot the designer so I have to ask my mom!! The funny thing is, my mom is more of the budget enforcer than my dad! He’s like “oh, whatever you want…”!! I didn’t think he would be like that! Haha. But of course my mom keeps us on budget:)

On to my runs… Yesterday was an off day and I walked about 3.25 miles and did some strength training. Today was my long run day and I decided to tackle that 6 hilly mile route at my parents house.. and I did!! The weather was awesome again this morning, 60 degrees when I headed out. I felt really good the majority of this run!! The last 2 miles I had this man running behind me and I didn’t want him to pass me so I kept speeding up! And he never passed! I ended up running an average pace of 10:35 min/mile for the entire 6 miles!! I am super happy with that! Last week, same route, I ran 11:13 min/ mile! I am super stoked that I am back into the 10’s today!! My calves are a little crampy now so I am going to continue to stretch but I am so happy with this run!!

Jumping onto another topic… Check out this super huge watermelon Al brought me from his grandpa’s garden!

You should have seen me trying to cut this thing! I could barely pick it up!! So now I have tons of watermelon to eat and it’s super juicy and sweet! YUM!! Anyone have any good recipes that use watermelon??

Sorry this is so long but I keep thinking of things to write about!! So I have an announcement to make… We finally booked the ceremony and reception venue!! Yay! We decided to go with The Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Resort. We got a great price on it and it allows me to have my ceremony on the beach and reception on the terrace, all at the same place!! I am super excited!! If you click here, there are tons of pics of ceremonies and receptions where I will be having mine! I can’t wait!!

Well I think that’s enough for now, I am off to lunch with an old friend who I haven’t seen in ages and then back to study/read for the rest of the day! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day:)

Posted in: on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at at 11:16 AM 5 comments    

The first week of this plan has been really good! I did all my runs without too much trouble! Here is a recap of this week:

Mon- strength training/walking
Tues- 4 miles total- 6X400 with warm up and cool down
Wed- strength training/ walking
Thursday- 6 miles
Friday- 3 miles
Saturday- off/ walking
Sunday- 4 miles
Total- 17 miles

This next week is the last week of 4 running days and then I step it up to 5 running days for the remainder of my training! Bring it on!!

Todays run was awesome!! I set out about 6:20 and the weather was AMAZING!! It had to be in the low 60's! Loving that slight chill in the air!! I did 4 hilly miles in 39:56!! Yep, that's right, a 9:57 pace!! I am usually so much slower than that and I am totally relating this awesome run to the drop in temps! Looking forward to some more cooler temps and faster runs to come!!

After church, my mom and I went to Swoozies to check out some wedding invitations and save the dates to get pricing ideas!! Who knew invitations were so expensive!! The ones I feLl in love with are going to be like $800!! Crazy!! Not sure if it will fit into my budget or not:( But they were perfect, simple with my exact colors (yellow and blue) and looked cute and beachy! I love them and am hoping I can get them!! I am still wanting to send out magnet save the dates but not sure now if I will get to, if these invitations take up all my "paper product" budget. Guess it's up to mom and dad!! Do I really need save the dates?? What do ya'll think??

Posted in: on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at at 5:24 PM 9 comments    

That’s right, I am baking again!! This time I am making Blueberry Muffins!! I got this Stoneyfield recipe from Caitlin’s blog earlier this week and knew I just had to try them!! The recipe is healthier than most muffin recipes and you could also use half whole wheat flour if you wanted! I used regular flour because I don’t have whole wheat right now. Here’s how they turned out:

 

They are busting out of the muffin tin! Don’t they look delish?!? I haven’t tried one yet, am planning on having one for dessert tonight, so I will let ya’ll know how they are later! But, I’m sure they’re fab!!

Sadie also wanted to make a picture debut today so here she is!

This is her in the backyard, resting in the shade! She has been outside almost all day because the weather is so nice here!! I hope it stays like this!!

Today is an off day from running so I did a lot of walking! I took Sadie on a 1 mile walk and then walk/studied on the treadmill for 2.5 miles! I was almost sad that today was a rest day when I walked outside this morning and felt the slightest chill in the air! All I could think was, PERFECT RUNNING WEATHER! It better be like this tomorrow morning when I have a run planned!!

Tonight is another lazy night. I rented the movie The Knowing with Nicholas Cage in it.

Anyone ever seen it? It looks good, but a little freaky! Hope I don’t scare myself too bad! Well, I hope everyone is having a great Saturday!!

Posted in: on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at at 5:32 PM 5 comments    

Ya’ll are probably wondering about the title of this post right?? Well last night was my first time at BUNKO and it was the most fun time ever!! We all have/ had at one time worked at the same hospital called LeBonheur, so we decided that it wasn’t going to be called just plain old Bunko anymore. It is now LeBunko! (LeBonheur + Bunko= LeBunko). Haha we’re silly, I know! So this is going to be a monthly thing and I already can’t wait until next month’s game!! I didn’t win any money but next time I will have my game face on! Haha. Here is a group picture from last night.

We have our hands like that in the back because the point of the game is to roll sixes, hence throwin some sixes! Haha, remember I am from Memphis! Anyway it was a blast!!

On to other things… I had a 3 mile recovery run this morning that went fine. My legs were dead but I expected them to be since I did a hilly 6 miler yesterday. I started running at 5:45 so I could get it in before class and the first half of my run was in the dark! Scary, I know! Actually, I wasn’t scared at all! There were tons of street lights once I got out of my neighborhood so I think I am officially starting to get over my fear of running in the dark!!

I’m having a lazy relaxing night tonight! Just me and Sadie:) I currently am in my PJ’s trying to decide what to have for dinner… pizza or pasta?? I also have a bottle of wine waiting to be opened! And since tomorrow is an off day from running, I don’t have to worry about the wine affecting my run:) I also have some Big Brother and Real World episodes to catch up on. Looking forward to lounging in front of the TV! I am currently addicted to pizza. I want it for every meal, well except breakfast. Every time I think of what I want to eat, all I can think about is pizza! Wonder why?? So that’s probably what I will end up having tonight! Ha! Are there any foods ya’ll are addicted to?? Too bad mine isn’t like veggies or something healthier since pizza isn’t that healthy!

Posted in: on Friday, August 21, 2009 at at 7:17 PM 5 comments    

Sorry for being MIA yesterday, just got busy!! So I will do 2 days worth of posts in one!!

Yesterday:
I spent most of the day in class and studying. It was an off day for running so I did a 25 minute strength routine and about 3 miles of walking, between taking Sadie on a walk and walk/studying on the treadmill. Al came over and we just spent some quality time together. He also spent some quality time getting Sadie super revved up before bed, gotta love that... Overall, a pretty uneventful day!!

Today, so far:
I got up at 5:15am and headed out to my parents house to do my long run before it started to rain. I did 6 hilly miles and it was MUCH better than my 6 miler this past Sunday(I ran the same route, which is killer!!) I walked a few times but still kept a normal long run pace for me! Yay!! After I finished, my mom and I took the dogs for a quick walk and then it started to rain when we got back. So glad I got all my outdoor activities in before the rain!! The rest of the day includes studying for my test that maybe is tomorrow and maybe is Monday. You would think I would know by now seeing as it may be tomorrow but whatev. I've learned to be flexible and I will be prepared either way. I also have class this afternoon and then a fun filled BUNCO evening with some friends from my old work!! I have never played BUNCO but it sounds fun! Any excuse to get together with the girls!! Has anyone else ever played Bunco? I remember my parents were in a big Bunco group and played all the time when I was little. I'm super excited!!

I am happy it's almost the weekend!! Anyone have anything fun going on today? I am actually kind of enjoying the rainy weather. Super relaxing:)

Posted in: on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at at 10:39 AM 5 comments    

I literally studied and read for class for 7 hours today! Talk about exhausting!! And I still have tons more to do. There just isn’t enough time in the day!!

I did get in my running though!! Speed work was on the plan today, so that’s what I did. I really like doing my speed work on the treadmill, gasp!! I know right? But I don’t get too bored because I am constantly switching the pace up plus I keep a steady pace and don’t go too fast or too slow and there aren’t any hills!! If I had a track around here, that would be different, but since I don’t, the treadmill will have to do!! I did 6X400 with a 90 sec recovery, plus warm-up and cool down for a total of 4 miles. Speed workouts always wear me out but in a good way! I was definitely able to finish this without struggling at all. I also took Sadie for a 1 mile walk and tonight went on a really nice 1.5 mile walk with Erin. The weather was actually really nice! There was a great breeze from the storm coming in!! Great conversation too:)

I want to share something that I really love. Now, I know many of your are Starbucks lovers like me and now I am so excited to be able to make my favorite drink at home!! I worked at Starbucks for 3 years starting when I was in high school so I have probably tried every drink possible! Haha. But my ALL TIME favorite is a Tall Nonfat No Water Chai Latte. So delicious!! If you have never had one, try it! It’s only 140 calories for the tall. Anyway, I found the Tazo Chai base that we used when I worked there at the grocery store the other day!!

All you do is mix half chai and half milk and heat it up! Delicious!! I may or may not have had 2 of these today!!

I love Chai tea!!

What is your favorite thing to get at Starbucks?? I also really like the Pumpkin Spice Latte when it comes into season! It’s more of a splurge though!!

Posted in: on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at at 10:03 PM 7 comments    

Hey everyone! Hope ya’ll had a GREAT Monday!! Mine was mostly taken over with studying, I have another anesthesia test on Friday, not to mention tons of reading for other classes! I finished up the rough draft of my half marathon training plan yesterday, thanks to my dad’s help. He used to be a runner too, before he injured his ankles, so I appreciate his help!! I think it’s a killer plan and is going to be tough, but will definitely have me ready to race come December 5th! I have myself doing 5 runs a week on my training plan so this week and next I am building up to running 5 days a week. I am excited to get started training!!! Today was a walking/ strength training day and I did just that! I walked about 2.75 miles total (outside with Sadie and inside on the treadmill while studying) and did a 25 min strength routine. I think my arms are gonna be sore tomorrow!!

I LOVE to bake and decided today that it is definitely my stress reliever. Call me Izzy Stevens if you must, but it really is a great way for me to just relax and stop thinking about all my stressful school and life stuff!! So I was definitely in need of baking after the awful cadaver lab tonight. So I got to thinking… What can I do with these??

3 very over ripe bananas… I think Banana Bread was calling my name so that is just what I made!! Plus I had all the ingredients on hand! Gotta love that!!

It smells delish and I am going to try it right after this post!! I love warm, moist banana bread! YUM!!

I also wanted to share the new collar I bought Sadie, since hers broke this weekend.

I got this collar from Target and I love it! It is orange and white polka dots!! Perfect for supporting UT football since that is where I go to school now! Go Vols!! Sadie is definitely ready for football season :)

Do ya’ll like college football? What’s your favorite team?

I went to college at The University of Memphis so I cheer for them even though they aren’t very good at football, but basketball is another story!! I guess I will cheer for UT this year also, since I go there now!! And I also have cheered for Ohio State my whole life, because that’s where my dad went! Love me some college football!!

Posted in: on Monday, August 17, 2009 at at 9:35 PM 6 comments    

So I am trying out a new layout. What do ya'll think? Be honest! I really like that pic of Sadie at the top!!

Posted in: on Sunday, August 16, 2009 at at 10:15 PM 10 comments    

I've officially declared all Sundays "No School Sundays"!! I need at least one day a week off from school and studying, otherwise I will go insane!! Haha.

I decided to spend the night at my parents house last night so I could get up and do a 6 miler before church. Since it's starting to get lighter later in the mornings, I set my alarm for 6am so I wouldn't be running in the dark!! The only bad thing about this is that although it's getting lighter later in the morning, the temps are still remaining the same (crazy hot!). So, the later I start, the hotter it is. Anyway, it was the usual hotness and humidity today and luckily the sun didn't fully come out until my last mile or so. This run sucked. I knew it would from the moment I woke up. I just didn't have that drive to run today and my runs usually suck when I don't feel like running. Plus, I have been feeling extra tired lately, no doubt due to this cold I'm fighting. I ran most of the 1st 4 miles and did a little more walking the last 2 miles but I did complete the full hilly 6 miles. However, if I could have found a phone, I would have called someone to come get me. And believe me, I was debating on asking every person I saw for a phone! Haha. The run was going THAT bad. Since I am still fighting this cold, it was extra hard to breathe and now I have this gross cough that makes it a little difficult to run and breathe while coughing. So basically I was having issues getting my breath and then I felt my asthma coming on so I had to back off a little and start taking walk breaks, which I hate doing. But I am glad I finished even though I had to take walk breaks. I will say though, my tummy didn't feel as yucky as it normally does after these longer runs, so I'm sure the walking helped a bit with that!! Just glad it's over!

I'm sure another reason my run wasn't good was because I've been pretty inconsistent with running the last coupe of weeks and especially this week. And for me, one of the major things that helps me improve my running is consistency. So, I am planning on running at least 4 times this next week and from now on, and making out a training plan to follow. I really do like the idea of the FIRST plan but I think I need at least 4 days of running so I am going to attempt to create my own plan based on a couple different plans I like. So, if anyone wants to throw out some good tips for creating your own plan, specific runs that have worked for them, or any other good ideas to include into my training plan I would love to hear them!! And for those of you who don't know, this will be a training pan for a half marathon in December.

I have had a fairly lazy day today, besides running. I went to church, then came home and went to Target with my mom and have being hanging out at my parents house for the rest of the day. My mom and I did make Brownies from scratch that smell delish! Can't wait to try them!! Oh, and the pound cake I made the other day was a SMASHING success!! Al loved it! Yay!! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!! Wish the weekends would last longer!! :)

Posted in: on at at 3:18 PM 2 comments    

Hey everyone!! I am so glad it's Friday, although I still have class Sat morning:( Hope ya'll are having a good day!! Ok, onto why the title of my post is called Stupid Alarm Clock...

So, I had panned to run this morning, just 3 or 4 miles since I am still trying to kick this cold's butt. I set my alarm for 5:30, which would give me JUST enough time to run, shower, get ready, eat breakfast, and get to class on time without a moment to spare. *Key thing here... I KNOW I SET MY ALARM, FOR A FACT*. Well of course, it didn't go off this morning :( I was awakened by my dog Sadie around 6 am and was pissed that I overslept and didn't have time for a run. Boo. So I've felt lazy all day. At least I made it to school on time!! The major part that sucks is that I have class even earlier tomorrow morning which makes it impossible for me to run in the morning and get to class on time, unless I want to wake up at 4am and that just isn't happening! 5 am is the earliest I rise, EVER! Haha. And there is no way I am running after the morning in this heat and humidity, I would die. I hope this doesn't come across as wimpy but I am just a morning runner and when I can't run in the morning, I just wait for the next day. So basically I can't run again until Sunday and that seems far away. Sorry for being such a complainer! Haha, my days just feel off when I don't run and I have had a inconsistent week of running.

Onto another topic, my mom and I went to see The Time Travelers Wife this afternoon. It was really good! I definitely recommend it. I thought it would be more of a tearjerker, but I didn't cry once! It did have sad parts though, just not enough to make me cry which usually isn't a lot!!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Any fun things going on for ya'll?

Posted in: on Friday, August 14, 2009 at at 5:16 PM 2 comments    

The allergies that I had a week ago have now turned into a full blown cold. Stuffiness, congestion, plugged ears, and coughing up some pretty nasty stuff is no fun! I had planned on getting up early and going for a 7 miler this morning, but when my alarm went off I didn’t feel so hot. Not to mention, my quads are crazy sore from the lunges I did 2 days ago!! Like, it hurts to walk and sit down sore! I told myself, only do light leg work because you want to run in 2 days, and I thought I did light leg work! Haha, embarrassing!! Needless to say, I decided I needed rest more than I needed a 7 miler, so I went back to sleep until about 7am. I feel definitely more refreshed but still kinda yucky. I also feel guilty now for not running barely at all this week:( Blah. Hopefully I will feel better and can get a run in, in the next few days. I just feel so tired!

I did get out for a nice, slow walk with Sadie. It felt kinda nice outside with the breeze but I’m sure it’s still going to be SUPER hot today! I also did a mini ab session in between my Anatomy reading. I had 150+ pages of textbook to read by Saturday and I am down to 15 more pages left! That’s a ton of reading I did today and yesterday!

I am currently waiting on a pound cake to come out of the oven. Al has this LOVE of plain pound cake and brought me his grandma’s recipe a while back. Well, something must have been written down wrong on that recipe because I tried it twice, and each time it overflowed in the oven! So I researched it and figured out it was probably 2 tsp of baking powder and not 2 TBSP! Haha, no wonder it was overflowing!! So I changed it up a little bit this time and so far so good! Hopefully it turns out yummy!!

On the wedding front, I think we have narrowed the venue down and hopefully if the date is available we will book it! I will let ya’ll in on which one it is when I know for sure!! Hope everyone has a great Thursday! Can’t wait for the weekend!!

Posted in: on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at at 12:18 PM 6 comments    

I am very happy to report that my AC is back up and running!! Some fan thing was broken and it was fixed for free! Gotta love a home warranty!

I have been studying for my Chemistry test, that is tomorrow, all day today:( So boring!! I got out of the house around 10:45 and took Sadie on a nice mile long walk. The weather is actually a little cooler today, with all the clouds and chance of rain I hope we get (just so I don’t have to water! Haha). I got home and did a totally random 25 minute strength workout! I did a bunch of plyometrics too so my heart was pounding!! I think 25 minutes seems to be my max of time for a strength routine before I get bored with it. You would think I have ADD with the way I get bored so easily!! I always do abs last, no particular reason why, but I am always ready to be finished so I half way do my abs. So my plan for next time is to do abs first so I really work them good!! After that, I finished up with a 25 minute walk (1.5 miles) on the treadmill while studying. I think I am actually about to go do more treadmill walking/studying! Kinda changes it up a bit!

I am happy to report I did well on my first anesthesia exam!! I hope I can keep it up! I am always really nervous for the first test in each class because you really don’t know what to expect!! So I still have my first chemistry test (tomorrow!!) and my first anatomy test later in the month to be nervous about!!

I am excited to watch Big Brother tonight! I always get sucked into that show!! I am hoping to be able to walk with Erin again tonight if the weather cooperates!! I hope everyone has a fabulous evening!!

Posted in: on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at at 4:07 PM 6 comments    

Today is the day! My first Anesthesia test! Wish me luck!! It’s not until 12pm so I have been studying some this morning so it will be fresh in my brain:) Unfortunately after the test, I have class, and then I have to go be grossed out in the cadaver lab. Not looking forward to that.

I felt extra tired this morning. My alarm went off at 5:45 and I laid in bed until 6:30!! I finally made myself get up and go run but my legs were feeling sluggish too so I just did 3 miles. I went pretty slow compared to yesterday, about a 10:40 pace I think. It was already so hot and humid at 6:30 in the morning. YUCK! I am so ready for fall weather!! My run was pretty uneventful. There were a ton of people out because today is the first day of school and my parents live right by the elementary and high school. After my run my mom and I took the dogs for a walk. Sadie loves to walk. Every time I get home from running she sits at the door and waits for me because she knows it’s her turn to go! Haha

Well, I’m in for a long day. Hope everyone has a good Monday!

Posted in: on Monday, August 10, 2009 at at 10:12 AM 6 comments    

Hey ya’ll!! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I have been MIA because I was in Nashville visiting my best friend Jaime and her daughter! We had a blast, just hanging out and catching up. Of course we did some shopping! I found a pair of nice khaki pants at the Banana Republic Outlet for $25! Gotta love that!

So, I am back to reality… Long day of school tomorrow and a test. I have been doing a lot of studying this afternoon. I hope I do well, this test is over a ton of names and dates on the history of anesthesia. Talk about some memorizing!!

I don’t think I should ever go out of town again because every time I do, I come home to something broken in my house. Today I can home to a broken AC. Blah. Luckily I have my parents house to stay at and luckily I have a home warranty! So they are supposed to come fix it Tuesday so it looks like I am staying at the parents house for a few days!!

I got some new running shoes today! Finally! I was in desperate need of them. I have literally had my current running shoes for about a year, I know, that’s awful. They had holes in the inside liner from where my toes had been rubbing! Haha. I always rotate between Mizunos and Asics and since the Asics had a better price today, that’s what I went with!! I got the Asics Gel Nimbus 10. Check them out, they are pretty:)

Of course I had to take them out for a test drive so since it was 100+ degrees I decided 2 miles would be sufficient!! It was a nice, hot run at a 9:25 pace. I’m happy with that!! I like them so far, definitely need to be broken in though. I will be taking my old shoes on my long runs this week and using the new ones for shorter runs until they get broken in. New shoes are so fun!!

I think I’ve decided to skip out on soccer this season. It’s just so expensive (over $100) and I am so busy with school I just think it would be better to concentrate on school. Plus I am busy with planning a wedding too! And I’m sure my fiancé would like to see me once in a while! Ha! I just feel like I would have way too much on my plate but I feel bad not playing, like I’m letting my team down. I have to make my decision by tomorrow but I’m almost sure I’m not going to.

Well, I know this post was kinda random but I had a lot of things to talk about! I have a ton of blogs to catch up on and need to get to bed early so I can get up for an early run before school! Hope everyone has a great night!!

Posted in: on Sunday, August 9, 2009 at at 8:54 PM 4 comments    

Friday is finally here and I am so excited!! I am going to an early lunch with my friend/bridesmaid Katie at Panera, then I'm off to Nashvegas to visit Jaime/ matron of honor for the weekend!! It will be so nice to just visit and not think about school for a few days! Unfortunately, when I get back, school starts to get crazy with tests, projects, and presentations:( So this is my last weekend this semester to really enjoy!!

No running today, it's a rest day!! My legs don't feel very sore today which makes me happy!! Allergies are still bothering me, blah. Not sure how much I will get to blog this weekend so I may be MIA but it is for a good reason! I will be having a blast with my BFF!! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!

Posted in: on Friday, August 7, 2009 at at 9:25 AM 6 comments    

I had a wonderful 7 miler this morning!! I finally broke over the 6 miler mark! Wasn’t sure if this day was ever going to come! Haha. The weather was really nice, not too hot yet since I went out early, cloudy, but it was pretty humid! I drove about 30 minutes from my house to an area with lots of paved trails so I could do my run there. I decided I would try to eat something before my run to see how my tummy did. I had 1/2 slick ww bread and a spread of PB on it about an hour before my run and my tummy seemed to do fine with that! Finally, I found something to eat before my long runs!! My run itself was pretty uneventful, I did have a deer right next to me at one point, like literally and arms length away! It wasn’t even scared! Just stood there and stared at me as I ran by. Too bad I didn’t have my camera. It felt so good to finish these 7 miles! Check out this picture of my ponytail! It was so humid that it just went poof and was in a ball on knots by the time I was finished!!

I took Sadie on a walk when I got home but we had to cut it short because I was starving!! I made the BEST Green Monster to date!!

It had:

1/2 container of blueberry Oikos yougurt

water- didn’t really measure

1 tbsp PB

2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 frozen banana

5-6 frozen mango chunks

I think the mangos really kicked it up a notch! It was the yummiest, smoothest  Green Monster I’ve ever made!!

I have a long day at school today, blah, but then tomorrow am having lunch with my friend/bridesmaid Katie and then heading to Nashville to see Jaime! Can’t wait! Better go start studying!!!

Posted in: on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at at 9:14 AM 4 comments    

Blah!! After all this rain we have been having, I guess everything has decided to bloom again and sent my allergies through the roof! I have had the worst headache in the back of my head, achy shoulders, a tickle in my throat that makes me cough, and am congested. Well, I’m hoping it’s just allergies! I know it could be worse, at least it’s not keeping me from doing things!!

Anyway, last night I had a fun walk with Erin. It was great to catch up and get some exercise at the same time!! Today I kind of had some sporadic workouts. I got up before class this morning and did a short 12 minute strength routine. Then I walked and studies on the treadmill this afternoon for 30 minutes. And after that I took Sadie for a 1 mile walk. Man is it hot outside! Probably should have waited until the sun went down but she was itching to get out of the house!!

I have a BIG test week next week and have been studying like crazy! I am trying to get a lot accomplished this week because I am going to visit my best friend/ matron of honor Jaime this weekend!! She just moved to Nashville so I am making a quick trip to see her over the weekend since my classes are cancelled!! I can’t wait! We just realized it’s been over 1 1/2 years since we saw each other last! That is WAY too long!! Can’t wait for Friday to get here!!

Tomorrow is a run day so hopefully my allergies won’t be so bad! Hope everyone has a GREAT rest of the day!

Posted in: on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at at 4:53 PM 4 comments    

My runs have sure been sucking lately!! Ugh. I got up at 6 this morning and headed out from my parents house (I stayed there last night because we were up late doing wedding stuff). I was feeling lazy, tired, and yucky from allergies so I just decided to do a short run. Well at 0.4 miles I was ready to be done but I made myself run 2 miles. Blah. I hate that I am in a running funk! I need something to kick my butt into gear, possibly a fun 5k to make me into it again! I will have to look for one. The bad thing is I have class most Saturday mornings so that makes it hard to find a local 5k, but I will look!

Today I am laying out at my parent's house and studying! At least I can get some color while I study!! We got a lot accomplished on the wedding front yesterday. Sadly, it is looking like the Hilton is going to be MUCHO expensive so I am still waiting to hear more about the Santa Rosa Golf and Beach resort before I make a final decision!! But I did find some cakes, flowers, and photographers I like!! Don't worry, I will share once I make specific decisions!! This week I am going to ask the girl's to be my bridesmaids/ matron of honor! Can't wait! I am hoping to get a lot of studying done this week so I can go visit my best friend Jaime, on Saturday, who just moved to Nashville! We have been friends since like 6th grade! I am so glad she's super close because now I can make a day trip to see her and vice versa! Yay!! Well I hope ya'll have a wonderful day!!

Posted in: on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at at 9:01 AM 10 comments    

As my title says, mowing the grass must be considered cross training! I was out there for over an hour mowing, edging, and sweeping in the 100 degree heat!! Really got my heart pumping and got me super sweaty!! Needless to say, my jungle of a yard is now nicely manicured:)

Meet my new dish washer!!

Sadie loves to help clean the dirty dishes!! Once she hears me pop the dish washer open, she is right there with me! Luckily, she knows how to distinguish between clean and dirty dishes!!

No running today, just a nice walk with Sadie and mowing the grass. I’m going to run tomorrow but haven’t decided if I should do my long run for the week since I just ran long yesterday, or if I should do more of a tempoish run. I would rather do my long run because I don’t know exactly what my schedule will be like the rest of the week but we’ll see.

My mom has taken control of the wedding planning, thank goodness! She has been on the phone and internet all day researching and finding out all kinds of pricing info. Now she just needs me to pick out stuff I would like to have so she can get a more accurate price. I am so not into this! Ha! I’m the worst at making decisions! All I’m interested in is my dress:) Glad I have her to pick up my slack!! I am headed over to her house now to look at flowers and cakes on the internet. Wohoo! Hopefully we will have the location set in stone VERY soon and I will let ya’ll in on it!!

Posted in: on Monday, August 3, 2009 at at 3:15 PM 9 comments    

Hello everyone!! Hope ya’ll are having a wonderful weekend! Mine has been pretty good as well. I didn’t post yesterday, because, well, there was nothing to post about!! I literally got up, went to school, did school work, and cooked dinner for me and Al. Nothing exciting there!! I did get to spend time with my love though:)

Today I was a lot busier!!! I got up super early before church and did my long run for the week. 6 hilly miles. It was tough, guess I shouldn’t have not done my long runs for the past couple weeks. Really throws my running off. I was slow and it was brutal but I managed to run all 6 miles! I got home and have been battling tummy issues all day. Blah. Guess I pushed myself a little too hard! I feel like I’m stuck at 6 miles. It’s SO frustrating! I need to start increasing my mileage but 6 still seems so hard!

After my run I got ready and went to church. After the service, my mom and I talked wedding and went to Swoozies to look at Save The Date cards!! I totally found some I like! Loving the magnet idea!! Anyone use Save The Dates for their weddings??

I came home and found Al grilling some hamburgers! YUM!! They were super good and we have some chocolate strawberry cake for dessert too!! Now I’m off to watch Big Brother!

Posted in: on Sunday, August 2, 2009 at at 7:38 PM 8 comments