Training Mode is On

Seriously, being in "training" is just about the best feeling in the world. I have been telling people since Spring Break that I am in training mode for my 5K because it makes me feel like I sound cool. 

In all honesty though, I have really pushed the pace on my interval runs and really began focusing on speed with my outdoor runs and trying to find the right balance. Sometimes I will go way to fast in my first mile (helloooo 8 minute mile last week), then be so exhausted at about mile 2.5 that I just D-I-E and contemplate whether it's even worth finishing the last mile or so of my run. Ugh. Lucky for me, the race is mostly flat, save a few small hills which is nothing not only compared to my hilly campus (it's called Hill City for a reason folks) but also in comparison to my crazy first race. 

Even though I really began training a couple of weeks ago, I didn't consider it to be legit training until I did my first "training run" with Deana at the gym on Sunday. Now it's official. Now I'm getting pumped. And nervous, but not nearly as much as last time. I'm excited to have someone there with me and someone to train with this time around!

Side note: I have never been much of a sweet tooth until these past 2 months. Now it's like my sweet tooth is back with a vengeance for restricting it so much when I was shedding the el-bees. I want everything Oreo, all the time. I had Oreo fro-yo on Friday and an Oreo milkshake Saturday (which was easily the most delicious milkshake of all time). I didn't even like oreos that much until a few weeks ago. And donuts. Wow, I did miss those. I also had one on Saturday and one on Sunday as well as a mountain of chocolate that one of my friends force fed lovingly offered me last night. 
Good thing I eat more balanced during the week. Better yet, good thing I run!

And I'll leave you with some pretty pictures of Virginia in the spring. Since these pictures were taken, a good six inches of snow was dumped on the ground. Bipolar weather, I tell you. 

This is literally the morning after the other pictures...snow falling as I get my coffee and donut fix. Sweet.

Catching up

It's been awhile! Between difficult classes, work, and normal day-to-day stuff, this semester has really gotten away from me. I hit the halfway point a couple of weeks ago and I can't even believe that the year is almost over. But, I do intend to be more intentional about updating this little corner of my world. 

Not too much has changed. I love love love my new job at the Career Center. I get to talk to people all day, which is pretty awesome. This includes talking to students that are just as confused about what direction to go in their life as I was when I changed majors a year and a half ago. Plus I work with some pretty fun people. I also got to work at my job back home during Spring Break. Boy did I miss everyone! 

And of course there's the insane amount of schoolwork I feel like I'm always doing and time set aside for friends. It's been really fun, but I have definitely missed blogging and keeping ya'll in the loop on life.


I have kept up with my running, working more on speed than distance as I prepare for my first 5K (!!!) two weeks from this weekend. I'm really excited about it! I wanted to wait until it was a little warmer out because of how my lungs reacted at the last race. So, April 6 I will be running the Point of Honor 5K. It's all about raising awareness for organ donation and that is something I really believe in because it has affected multiple generations of my family. My friend Deana has been training with the Couch to 5K program and is going to run the race as well! It's all super exciting stuff and I can't wait!

At my dad's surprise party over break

Spring Break was definitely a test on eating balanced at home. Aside from various surprise parties, it was mostly how normal day-to-day life will be this summer so I wanted to try to eat how I would eat then. Of course I ate way more junk than I was planning on (namely, donuts) but that's okay. It's a learning process. I made smoothies for breakfast like I do here, experimented with muffin recipes, put spinach on my pizza (not half bad!) and was intentional about picking a lower calorie meal that tastes good and will fill me up when eating out. When I weighed myself in after break, I was about the same as before so I am feeling more confident in how this summer will play out.  

And that brings me to maintenance mode. I can proudly say I have maintained the same weight (aside from some normal fluctuations here and there) since January 23rd! Almost 2 months! I have a "healthy range" for maintenance but honestly I haven't even had to depend on that because for whatever reason I can eat as much or little as I want and not gain/lose anything. I'm not complaining though! Sure I haven't made it to "goal" but I'm only a couple of pounds off, so I am content. And so incredibly proud. I see some of my friends making changes because of me and at the end of the day, that's what makes me the happiest: helping others realize their goals as well.