Jillian Michael's Get Ripped in 30 - Week 1 Update

With the holidays over and 2012 plans in the works, I knew that I definitely needed to start getting back into shape.

It's not so much that there's a big race coming up.  Other than a half or a 5K here and there, I don't have any major race plans soon.  And now that I'm temporarily unemployed, I don't intend to sign up for many races right now.

But I don't want to let myself get too out of shape.  At a minimum, I want to be able to run a half marathon at any time.

Plus, I'm going skiing in a few weeks.  I've only gone twice, and on my first trip 10 years ago I never left the bunny slope.  I got confident on green slopes when I went last year, but I'm hoping to work up to blues this time.  I figure it'll be easier on me if I'm back in a bit better shape.

So I've started running more regularly again, and it feels great!  I am always glad for the breaks I take because I believe they really do help me avoid burnout.  I pick up from a break and remember all the reasons why I love to run and the way it makes me feel.

When I realized that going on the ski trip would mean putting on a swimsuit in front of my boyfriend to hang out in the hot tub at the cabin, I knew I needed to also work on toning up a bit.  Running definitely keeps me trim, and without it my love handles had made a bit more of an appearance than I cared for...  on the recommendation of my sister, I bought Jillian Michael's Get Ripped in 30 DVD at Target (it was like $10).

I had bought her Shred DVD a few years ago, but I never really liked it that much.  I wouldn't have bought this one if I hadn't seen how toned my sister's tummy was.. she swore it was from this DVD.

The concept in Get Ripped is similar to that in her Shred workout... 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs three times.  The main difference is that there are 4 workouts (each about 25 minutes with a warmup and cool down) - one for each week.  You do each move for 30 seconds, and they never repeat in the other weeks' workouts. 

I've done week 1 (I purposefully started 4 weeks out from the ski trip), and I can tell a tiny difference.  When I did the first workout the first day, I thought I was going to die.  Now, I'm still super sweaty at the end, but I can manage to do everything in its entirety.  (So I'm a little nervous about moving on to week 2.)  I don't see a ton of difference in my body yet, but I can definitely feel myself getting stronger.

I'm also getting back to running three days a week, so I'm sure the combination will help me trim up.. even if I'm not in marathon training mode.

Of course, I know diet matters as well.  I've been trying to limit my coke intake to one a week (this is what I'd been doing for almost 2 years, but I always cheat a bit during the holidays), and I'm mostly drinking water.  I LOVE dessert (another thing I splurge on over the holidays), but I've been limiting the sweets to just little treats here and there (I will never give them up).  I'm mostly just trying to make sure I don't overeat, making good choices when I eat, and allowing myself to splurge and eat something I want even if I know it's not super healthy.  You only live once, right?

So we'll see how this goes... nothing can stop me from looking ghostly white in my swimsuit, even if I do get as toned as I would like.  I'm not about to go to a tanning bed.  Everyone will just have to make do. HA.

Time for Something New

As of Friday afternoon, I am unemployed.

It's a bit scary on one hand... I'm not super excited about not having an income.  More than that, I'm not lazy.  It's hard to not have a job to go to where I need to use my brain and work hard, etc.  Sure, it's a little nice that I didn't have to get up early and that I have spent the morning running errands and then having lunch with the boy.  But I'm not going to be content with being unemployed for very long.

On the other hand, it is kind of exciting.  I think it was time for a change.  I'm really looking forward to being able to focus my time on figuring out what is out there and what I want to do next.

I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but I'm smart... I work really hard... and I do things well.  I know that I'll be able to find something new sooner than later, and I'm hopeful it's going to be a job I truly love.

Meanwhile, I am so thankful for my family and friends.  Everyone has been so supportive, and I've already got some leads on some potential jobs.  (So if you know of anything in Nashville, dear reader, please let me know!)

I've definitely been experiencing a mix of emotions about the matter, but I'm feeling pretty optimistic.  One chapter has ended, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the next chapter holds.

Planning for 2012

I've been thinking some over the past few days about what I am planning for 2012.  I have also spent a lot of time going through everything in my place... reorganizing things to work better for me and getting rid of a ton of stuff I no longer need or use.  It feels good to start the year with my home in order.

As I think about the coming year, I feel like it's full of promise and possibilities.  It seems that time goes by so quickly, but going to Disney World about a year ago feels forever ago.  I know there's really no way to know what this year holds, but there are a few things I want to plan for this year.

Running - I've decided that I want to run this year for the fun of running.  I definitely think it is still a passion, but I don't think I care right now about PRs. That doesn't mean I'd turn any down or that I won't try for one here and there, but I don't think I'll be training hard for any specific time in any specific distance.  I may change my mind later in the year, but for the next few months in particular I want to run, be fit, and have fun.

Relationships - I want to do my best to fully engage with all of the people that I care about in my life.  I think that I am very relationship-oriented and that I am a pretty good friend, but I know that in 2011 there were some times when I was having a hard time and felt liked I needed my friends more than what I was giving to them.  I know that's what friends are for, and I'm thankful for the ways they were there for me on the days when I felt a little dissatisfied with life.  BUT.  I think 2012 is going to be a good year, and I hope that entails having a ton of fun with them.  I want to take road trips, run races, and have game nights.  I want to meet for coffee or grab a bite to eat or exchange long emails about life.  I really want to connect with everyone that matters to me in a way that is unique to our relationship.

Travel and Adventure - I want to continue to travel and go to new places.  I am still brainstorming on what all this will include, but I know for sure that I'm going on a ski trip next month and then to New Orleans for the first time ever in March. I'll also be heading up to Canada in June for one of my best friend's wedding. But I hope to plan a few more trips and find many other adventures this year, and I'm down with some of them being more local or weekend type adventures.  I know there's a lot in a close radius to Nashville that I haven't done that could be fun.

I do have some other specific goals and plans for the next six months that I'm choosing not to share publicly right now, but when I achieve them I'll definitely fill you in! (Or if you're really curious, just ask... I'm more willing to share on a one-on-one type basis.)

I think it's going to be a good year.  I love how January 1 always brings with it a feeling of a fresh start.  I'm very optimistic in general, but I just have a good feeling.  2011 seemed to be a hard year for a lot of people I know, and I really believe 2012 is going to bring us all many blessings!

Happy new year!

Final 101 in 1001 Post

My 101 in 1001 list isn't supposed to end until February 8, but I've decided to call it.  I've pretty much done everything or made plans to do the things that still matter to me. and some of the items on the list turned out to not be something important to me like I thought when I first made it.

I'm pleased with the things I've accomplished, and many of the items were less measurable things that I just wanted to stay on top of throughout the process... and not necessarily something I'd mark off as being done.

Overall, this really helped me to try to make sure I did some of the things I've wanted to do.  I'm still going to tackle a few more things on the list in 2012 - just not necessarily by the deadline.

I have a few days to myself here at the start of 2012, and I plan to use it to start thinking through what I want to do this year.  I also plan to clean out stuff that's hidden in drawers and closets and get rid of anything I no longer want or need.  It's nice to do this once a year or so, and I feel like it's time.  What better way to start a new year than to get rid of old stuff that is now just clutter?

I've got some trips brewing and some ideas of things I want to do later in the year.  I have some personal goals I'm thinking on, some of which are more personal and won't be shared here.

One that I will go on and share? It's time to get back to running.  I took some time off in December for a much needed break, but now I'm just feeling lazy.  I ran about 5.5 yesterday morning to close out the year, and I'm looking forward to getting back on track with regular runs.  I think I may even talk the boy into running a half with me here soon!

Hope everyone's 2012 is off to amazing start!

Goodbye 2011

I have a confession... I haven't really been doing a lot of reflection on 2011 or resolution making for 2012 just yet.  Maybe it's because time seems to be flying by lately, and I just haven't had time to think much about it.

Regardless, I have to admit that it's been a mostly good year... but I also look back on 2011 as being a hard year.  Nonetheless, I feel like the year is ending on a positive note, and I'm looking forward to 2012.  It HAS to be a better year.

I did some fun stuff and some not so fun stuff this year...

In January, I ran the Goofy Challenge in Disney World.

I met a boy.  The boy went on to not be THE boy, but I consider him a good friend now after all that transpired this year.

I got to see my two best friends in Chicago in April.

I ran some other races.

I ran the Ragnar Relay from Madison, WI to Chicago in June and had an absolute blast.

I spent a week on the beach in Florida with my family and got to see the Harry Potter Wizarding World at Universal Studios.

I saw my two best friends again in Chicago when I went to run the marathon in October.

I ran the Flying Monkey Marathon again.

I met a boy, one that is causing me to feel pretty freaking lucky... I'm looking forward to seeing how things go there.

I have made some plans for some trips and races in early 2012.

And along the way, I've found myself surrounded by some of the most amazing people in my life.  I am so thankful that I've had friends and family support me along the way this year... people to be excited with me and have fun with me, people to be there in the moments that weren't as fun, etc.

I have a lot to be thankful for from this year, especially the new friendships I've made and the ones I've deepened over the course of the year.

There have definitely been some high points and low points over this year.  I'm hoping for some positive changes in 2012, and I definitely want to have a lot of fun. I have a feeling that there will be many more high points than low points this year.  I sure hope so anyways!

So in the words of The Counting Crows, "and there's reason to believe that maybe this year will be better than the last.."

A Very Merry Christmas

I hope that everyone has had a very merry Christmas this year!

It's definitely been a busy Christmas season for me... it seems like something was going on every day between all of the family gatherings, my sister's graduation, parties, and shopping.

Just before Christmas, the boy and I went to a tacky Christmas party.  Definitely a ton of fun!

On Christmas Eve, I insisted on my friend Erin joining us for dinner.  We had an awesome meal and enjoyed a quiet evening in with the family and our neighbors.  I plan on celebrating New Year's Eve with this girl, too!

Christmas ended up being a really nice day.  I had taken Tucker home with me to my parent's house, and he enjoyed running around with their two cats and playing with all the wrapping paper.

Dexter in particular found Christmas to be exhausting....

My sister and I are definitely spoiled, and we both got some nice presents.

I got to see the boy for a little bit before he heads out of town on a family vacation (excited for him, but also jealous!)

All in all, it was a pretty great Christmas season this year.  I ended up with some cool paintings of famous sights in Nashville that I can't wait to hang, and I also got a nice little collection of Vera Bradley items that will come in handy.

I love giving presents, and I think that all of my friends and family really loved their gifts this year.  It's always so fun for me to watch them open them.

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas!  I'm looking forward to a few days off work and celebrating 2012.  I know it's going to be a good year.  I'll have to start making some plans for some trips and races soon to tell you about!

Race Report: Santa Hustle Half Marathon

This weekend, I went with my two girlfriends Jenny and Andrea to run the Santa Hustle Half Marathon in Sevierville.  I haven't been to Gatlinburg in a few years, so I knew it'd be a fun weekend trip.  We headed out on Friday and found that our hotel room was quite nice.  We had opted to not stay at the Wilderness Lodge where the race was being held in an effort to save some change.  We made a good choice.

On Saturday, we went to get our race packets.  We were super excited about our Santa hat, beard and shirt.  It was going to be a blast to run in them the next day!

Then, we drove into Gatlinburg and had brunch at The Log Cabin.  They have amazing blackberry crepes.

We wandered around Gatlinburg for a while and checked out all of the little shops.  It was pretty cold, and I have been having some sinus issues.  I can't say I was in the mood to shop, but it was fun to roam around and hang out with the girls... and taking some photos.

We visited a cat store in Pigeon Forge that I remember going to a few years ago.  This sweet little cat climbed right in my lap when I knelt down to pet her!

We hit up the outlets, and I did buy a sweater at Banana Republic.  We grabbed a yummy dinner at Johnny Carina's before heading to our hotel to watch a movie and crash.

The next morning we donned our Santa apparel and met up with Andrea's sister who was running the 5K.

Everyone was wearing the Santa items so we took off in a sea of red!  Before long, we came to the first candy stop!

There were several candy and cookie stops along the race course in addition to the normal water/Gatorade/Gu stops.  No complaints here.  I even found a guy with a box of tissues once.  Since I still had a stuffy nose, I was excited about this!

We all agreed there was no reason to push ourselves.  We wanted to just run and have fun.  All three of us ran together and chatted for the first 5 miles or so.  The course was an out and back, and while there were a few long inclines, it really wasn't as hilly as I thought it might be.

Andrea and I ran the rest of the race together, talking and taking in the sights of Sevierville/Pigeon Forge... sights like this one...

The race actually went by pretty fast, and we crossed the finish line in 2:15:52.  I'll take that considering I haven't really been running much lately.

The medal had Santa on it!

All in all, it was a pretty fun event.  It's definitely the kind of race that I think is best to do with friends just for fun.  It was a great reason to get away to the Smokies and have some girl time for the weekend, too!

My 5th Annual Christmas Party

On Friday night, I held my fifth annual Christmas party for all of my friends.  This is my second year to do it in my apartment, and unfortunately I just don't have room here for the giant tree I bought when I lived in a house.  I was doing good to fit the 20 guests in my place. :)

It's always so much fun to get everyone together for a bit before the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.

We sat around and laughed and talked for most of the evening over our snacks and drinks.

We hung out a lot in the kitchen where all of the food was hanging out...

Oh yeah... there was a keg.  This is the first time I've ever had one at my party.  Everyone also brought some awesome snacks for sharing.

All night I kept saying how I should really have everyone over more than just once a year.  We all got to talking about having regular game nights starting soon.

One day, I hope to be able to have the kind of party where I take care of everything and have an awesome presentation instead of having to cram everyone and everything in my little apartment and ask everyone to bring something.

But for now?  This is pretty awesome.  I love being able to get everyone together!

101 in 1001 Update

I honestly think I'm going to abandon the list soon... I've done pretty much everything I still care about or have plans to do the few that I still care about... things have just changed since I made the list, and I have decided I'm ok with that. So we'll see!

2. Run at least eight marathons -Well, I hit number 8 this month when I ran in the Flying Monkey Marathon.  Good times!


8. Get a massage (or other special reward!) after every completed marathon - I didn't really feel I deserved too much since this wasn't much of a race for me (more of a training run), but I did treat myself to a little shopping.

39. Learn more about how to start a business - I read several books last month and continued to check out some stuff to get some more knowledge. I'm definitely just brainstorming right now.

45. Give money to people who are fundraising at least 4 times a year - I love being able to support people and their causes.


68. Go to three concerts per year - I went to see Lady Antebellum at the Ryman.  It was awesome.

95. Watch one new movie per month, minimum - This month I watched season 5 of Dexter.  It's not a movie, but I say a season of tv counts.

96. Read one book per month, minimum - I read a book that a friend told me about called Why Men Marry Bitches.  It's bascially about how at the end of the day, guys really want a girl who is independent and not one to just go along with everyone he says and does.  It's been a nice reminder that I'm single because I won't settle for anyone who doesn't love me for me.

Race Report: BoroDash 4-Miler

On Thanksgiving, I headed to Murfreesboro to run in the BoroDash 4-Miler.  I ran in the Boulevard Bolt for the past 5 Thanksgivings, but after reaching my goal of sub-40 last year I decided to retire from that event and try something new.

I've never run a 4-miler, so it would be an automatic PR for me.  I knew going into it to not have high expectations as my legs were still tired from the marathon that Sunday.

It was cloudy and cool, but I stayed pretty warm as I ran.  My legs definitely felt like lead and I was running slower at the end than I was at the beginning, but I had a strong finish. 

I ultimately clocked a 34:46, meaning an 8:42 average pace.  I was really surprised I did even that well!

Surprisingly, everyone got a medal!

I went home and convinced my parents that we should go have breakfast at Waffle House before I enjoyed a nice nap.

Later that night, I felt like I had definitely earned my Thanksgiving dinner!