Weekend Update {I'm a Half Marathon-er}

Hey y'all,

This past weekend was an exciting one! After months of training it was finally the weekend of the Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon. Friday was low key at work. I am in the middle of a large project so that kept me busy and it was Employee Appreciation Day for all UNC employees so it was filled with free food. Not a bad way to kick off the weekend. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing watching TLC's Brideday Friday.

Saturday after babysitting in the morning I set off for downtown Durham to pick up my race packet. After picking up the race bibs and exploring the expo I decided it was time to treat myself to a new pair of riding boots after my last pair bit the dust after four years.

 My baby sister, kDi, arrived that afternoon to run the race with me so we set out our clothes and then it was time to head to Village Pizza and Pasta in Pittsboro to carb load.

 We took our pasta back to my place and it was time to ice my shins while watching Beauty and the Beast. I mean, the best thing about racing might be the necessary carbs the night before. I mean, who doesn't love garlic knots and penne in a pink basil sauce. 

 At 5:20am the alarm went off as we got ready to head to downtown Durham before the race kicked off. Yep, it was an early start and we got there in plenty of time before the race start at 7:30am so we had to take selfies and pre-race pictures between checking our bags and stretching.

 All smiles before the race!

 A quick selfie in line to start the race!

The race was filled with hills and my baby sister trained on flat land so it went a little worse then expected. My ankle was having a lot of issues after the first few miles and both of our hips were not our friends by the end of the race. Towards the end of the race we walked a lot but we finished without any major injuries and I am actually not terribly sore today! YAY for completing 13.1 miles!

 After the race and being stretched out by Empower Fitness!

One of my small group leaders was even there to cheer us on (we had to grab a quick selfie)! Thank you Ginger! 

The rest of Sunday included showering, grabbing food, and then heading to my parent's house for naps and watching some Downton Abbey!

How was your weekend?

2 months to go

Hey y'all,

If you didn't know, this year I decided to finally work on my goal of running a half marathon and forced myself to sign up for one therefore I would actually train. I actually got my baby sister involved as well so together we will run our first half in exactly 2 MONTHS! To say it has been a journey is an understatement. I also have moved, been in a wedding, and tried to get my life back to a normal schedule all with NC Summer heat. 
 

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Here are some tips I have gathered through the interwebs/talking to people that have run half and full marathons and some of my own experience:

-find a training plan and stick to it. I found a running plan and love that the week day runs are on nights that I do not have prior commitments. I run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturday and my long runs are on Sundays. You can search for lots of plans on Pinterest but remember to be realistic. I am not a big runner so the 16-week plan fit the best for me. I actually found my plan on Runkeeper! Your half marathon race might even have a suggestion on running plans.

-get a running buddy or someone to keep you accountable. Having my baby sister also run with me is a huge help. We actually are on the same training plan and although she is two hours away from me we text each other about our runs to hold one another accountable. Also, both being on Runkeeper we can see how each of us is doing! If you don't have a sibling find a running group or club. You can check out local sport stores to see if they have groups or even your local gym can be a resource of people. I know here in the Triangle Fleet Feet stores have groups as well as the Jeff Galloway running group. My roommate has also been a great motivator and buddy who will go on runs with me at night!

-don't beat yourself up. It is okay to take a few days off. While it is best to be consistent if you have to miss a run or only run two miles instead of the planned four, it is okay. I view my first half as an accomplishment to just finish so while there is a time I would like to be under the experience is my goal. Any and all effort is good in my book!

-cute workout clothes are important. Anyway to motivate you to get out the door is important. Why not have neon sneakers that make you smile? I might also be loving a Nike tank that is pink with hot pink polka dots? There are so many cute options for every price point so check out places like Target, T.J. Maxx, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods, as well as Lululemon and Athleta.

-half the battle is getting to the gym. I personally pack my bag the night before and when I leave for work I toss it in my car. There are no excuses if I have all of my stuff considering I pass by my gym on my drive home to my apartment. If you have everything you need and it is a day to run you just have to do it. You never regret a workout.

-listen to your body. Rest days are so important in training and remembering to stretch and ice before and after runs is just as important as the run itself. I can have shin pain even with good shoes and inserts so the night before long runs I grab some bags of frozen peas and ice my shins while watching TV. It helps so much especially since my shin pain mainly comes from treadmill running. Also, incorporating some yoga helps to keep everything nice and loose for a great run. Here are some great moves I like to use:

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Pinterest has lots of great moves or check out a yoga class on your rest days.

-it is okay to have a dance party on the treadmill. I love listening to music while I run and my spotify playlist is always gaining new songs so some times I am jamming along with crazy dance moves while I run and that is ok. I also might have been singing along to Tangled and the Little Mermaid this Sunday thanks to ABC Family I was motivated to keep pushing on so I could get to Poor Unfortunate Souls. I ran my longest distance ever 8 miles!
 

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What are some of your tips for running? Any favorite songs to workout to?  

Wishlist Wednesday

Hey y'all, 

I cannot believe we are already halfway done with the week! Next week, classes start back on campus and I have no idea where the summer went. I hope you have all had a lovely start to your week and are excited for the weekend approaching. Since I am still working on getting back into the blogging world I thought I would just share a few items I am wishing for this week.

Wishlist Wednesday by postgradprep featuring black boots

boots/book/pajamas/pens/top/scarf

Hunter Rain Boots.  While the weather today has been beautiful, the past week or so has seen a lot of storms. I think some plain rain boots would work perfectly for traipsing on campus between the parking deck and my office. 

if i stay. The trailer to this movie already has me crying so I think I need to grab the book quickly and read it before hitting the movies next week.

PJ pants. I love my Old Navy pj pants and I think this cute teal and pink seahorse print needs to be added to my collection. I love that the ON pj pants are long enough and I order a large so that they have a nice loose fit.

Sharpie pens. I love this time of year when you hit Target and there are school supplies everywhere. I love these pens to color code my agenda and I am keeping the colors consistent with my old planner but who doesn't love a new pack of pens?

Nike Running Top. I am still in the process of training for a half marathon in October. Luckily, I recruited my sister to join in on the running. Who doesn't like punny running tops?

Lilly Pulitzer Riley Infinity Scarf. With fall around the corner I am looking at grabbing a few more scarves. I love scarf weather and a bright and patterned scarf makes a statement with any outfit. Plus, why not join in on the tassel trend?

What is currently on your lust list? Have you read the book if i stay?

Happy Birthday, B!

Hey y'all,

Today is my lovely roommate's Birthday! I am so grateful that we met our first year at Carolina and we are still close today. Together we love going on runs, watching TV together, eating lots of Homestyle Popcorn, taking trips to Aldi, or simply talking up a storm. B is the first person who made me cooked spinach that I will eat, constantly encourages me with verses from the Bible, and encourages me as I am training for my half marathon. I am so glad that we have been able to be roommates over the past year and we decided we wanted to keep living together so I am sure you will see more of her on this little blog space but in the mean time the only thing I can say is:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

5 on Friday

Hey y'all,

It's my first time for 5 on Friday and though the rainy weather makes me wish I was in my apartment, wrapped in a blanket, in my pjs reading we will have to get through the rest of the work day.


1. FALL IS COMING! Y'all don't understand that Fall and Spring have to be my favorite seasons. Between actually getting my hair under control (curly hair+humidty=disaster), cardigans, boots, falling leaves, jeans, candles, hot chocolate and Halloween who wouldn't want to spend their evenings with a cup of tea enjoying the fall leaves. What is really great is I already have a plan to head to the mountains for the first weekend in November!

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2. FOOTBALL. With Fall comes football and while I have already been to one Carolina game, one of the perks of my job is the occasional deal on seats. A few weeks ago one came out for the Miami game with upper level seats but this morning I was able to snag lower level seats near the 50 yard line for the UVA game with one of my co-workers for $20! It is eCs's first Carolina game at Kenan so I am excited plus, a few of my other co-workers have hopped on the deal including getting the seats behind us. 

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3. Running for the first time in forever happened. So this week, on the "absolute beginners guide to running a half-marathon" was the first week with actual running. I went to the gym Tuesday night and I did the 2min walk/1 min run for a mile with no extra stops. :) I am not a runner but a swimmer so it was a mini accomplishment for me since the last time I went running was back in May.

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4. Crafting this weekend. this weekend I promise to actually put things on the walls/craft for the new place. After living there for almost two months, it is time to make it perfect and cozy. I mean, after all we have had our first gathering with the Miss America viewing party.I think I will tackle the living room and dining room walls this weekend and I am still on the hunt for the perfect mirror and shelves for my bedroom.

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5. Wholly Guacamole Minis. If y'all don't know I crave guacamole a lot and it is weird to me since I am such a picky eater. These little guys allow me to have my craving in a proportioned size. I use Tostitos Simply Naked chips and it is the perfect snack. Speaking of green food, this week my roomie, rHm, cooked salmon, quinoa and spinach and it was delicious. Mom if you are reading this you know this is an accomplishment.

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I hope y'all had a great end to your week and have a fantastic weekend!

Weekend Update

Hey y'all,

Work has been pretty busy and all of those projects plus Vacation Bible School every night this week means I am going to go ahead and not promise lots of blogging. So, here is a mini update of my weekend.

Friday

Friday after work I headed to the grocery store to pick up some lettuce for salads and guacamole and came out with that and 3 pints of Hagan Daas (they were on sale). After unloading the groceries, having chips and guac and watching a few episodes of Gilmore Girls I began reading The Elite (The Selection Book 2). I was supposed to go to see Monsters University with my small group leader but her showing sold out before I had a chance to grab a ticket. So then around 8:30 I got a text from RH asking if I wanted to grab some fro-yo to celebrate the start of summer which I of course said yes to so we went to YOPO and talked for a few hours before saying goodbye since we were having to get up early in the morning for our 5k!

Saturday

Saturday morning began at 7am getting ready and heading to Raleigh with RH for the Color Vibe 5k! We thought the race began at 9 but it was 9:30 so we hung out and decided to throw our color before the race. We were in the second heat and ended up finishing around 45mins. I thought that wasn't bad since the race was on an equestrian farm so there were a lot of rocky path/hill things. After that we went to the photo-booth and headed to Taco Bell to celebrate. Yes, the guy at the drive through thought we were kind of crazy. 

Before the race

All Finished

I got home, showered (it all came out), read and then it was time for my preschoolers at church and church service (and I am much happier since they brought back the middle screen). I was pretty wiped after the long day so after church I went home and walked for 2 miles then went to bed.

Sunday

Sunday morning I finished the Elite, went to babysit like usual and then came home to cook meals for the week, watch the beginnings of Season 4 of Gilmore Girls and then hit the elliptical for 3 miles before going to bed.

What did you do this weekend?

Running a 5k

Hey y'all,

If you know me in real life you know that I am not the most athletic person and I am not a runner. When I was little you would find me either in the dance studio at a ballet class or in the pool for swim team. However, I have been really pushed to begin running and the only motivation to get me to it was to sign up for a race (and having one of my friends be my race partner). So I did it. As of this morning I will be running 3.1 miles in late June in Raleigh for the Color Vibe 5k!

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So I found this running plan on Pinterest that I am going to try and follow so I hope y'all keep me accountable and all of you runners feel free to chime in with lots of advice!

Are you a runner?

13 in 2013

Hey y'all,

For those of you that believe that world is ending tomorrow thanks to the Mayan calendar, I guess I will never accomplish any of these goals but, since I believe that we still have one full week left in the year I thought it was time to start thinking of goals for the coming year. Instead of resolutions I think goals are more attainable and I have all of you to keep my accountable!

So here we go:

1. Grow in my faith and my relationship with God. This is one of my goals every year and it is one that I feel can never really end. I have already bought my new devotional for the new year and I am really excited about starting it soon!
2. Read 113 books. I am such a bookworm that I know that I can accomplish this goal and the number thirteen makes it festive. Plus, my GoodReads account really needs some help since my to-read list is almost 300 books and I always love suggestions.
3. Try 113 new recipes. Another festive number but with living on my own I have gone to the staples of pasta a lot. Time to spice things up and with the help of Pinterest, cookbooks & TV shows like The Chew, I know that I can accomplish this! It breaks down to only 3 new recipes a week and I count desserts and side dishes in the number.
4. Run a half marathon. 13.1 miles see a trend yet? I need to get back into running and since running a half marathon is on my 30 before 30 I thought why not tackle it this year. We shall see how this all goes but I know that I can do it since I have set my mind to it!!
5. Lose 13lbs. I know I want to get back to eating healthy and I have gained back some weight since moving out of my parent's house so I need to get back to eating lots of veggies and not eating so much sweets (my office's love of baked goods doesn't help) but the goal is one pound a month at least. Completely reasonable especially with drinking more water and getting active again!
6. Craft 13 things. My pinterest has a million ideas and I need to take the time and complete some crafts and feel accomplished. Not to mention goal #10.
7. Meet 13 new people. It is tough to meet new people now that I work a normal schedule and spend my evenings at home catching up on TV and reading it is hard to expand your friend circle and meet new people especially since I still have friends in the area.
8. Keep a prayer journal for the entire year. This is one that I want to start and continue for years since I know that I would love to look back on days and see the power of prayer and the blessings bestowed on me by God.
9. Buy a car. This is not merely a goal but a reality. It is in my 30 before 30 but I know that my parent's blessed me with borrowing their car this year and I have to return it this summer. But I am excited for this financial adventure.
10. Finish decorating my place. I still have a long way to go including a trip to Ikea but I am excited to finish decorating my place and making it feel like home. Plus I love crafting and I know that some Pinterest crafts need to be completed to finish off my place.
11. Go two months without unneccesary spending. I am thinking March and April. This will help my budgeting and help with saving up for my new car!
12. Send out cards. Whether Birthday, Graduations, Weddings, Christmas, Thank Yous, etc. I want to get back to the tradition of sending cards and best wishes.
13. Have adventures. I am leaving this one up in the air but I think that my Kate Spade idiom bangle from last year says it all "loose yourself in a good book...add a twist...play your cards right...make sparks fly...be as curious as a cat"

What are your goals for the new year?

Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Friday Favorites

Hey y'all,
This is going to be a quick post because I am running into work in less than 2 hours! But I had a few favorites of the week I have been meaning to share and thought why not join in a link-up and meet new bloggers.
1. My Erin Condren Life Planner ARRIVES TODAY!It kills me that I might not be here the moment that the planner arrives since according to FedEx it is in NC but not in my hometown yet. I can't wait to fill it up.

My planner has my name on it but I decided a different colorway of pink and navy so I was excited to see this on the Erin Condren Pinterest Board. Now I know I made the right choice. (I also love that Bible verse.)

2. My new devotional series. Thanks to Allison at Just a Carolina Girl I discovered the wonderful team of women at She Reads Truth yesterday just in time to start the Prayer reading plan on YouVersion. I am going to be reading the Prayer and the Soul Detox plan at the same time. I already read for the first day last night and I loved the interaction on their blog/twitter. I loved the small groups I was apart of during college through my sorority so this is a large group of women focusing on faith through prayer. I can't wait to see what is going to happen over the next 21 days. 3. Scrapbooking. This past week I finally got in my last order from Shutterfly ( I had a coupon for 101 free prints!) so I have been working on my Senior year at UNC scrapbook. So far I am finally on my second semester since I have been debating over format and I need to print of a few more pictures and then it will be perfect. It has been a great way to reflect on all the good times and memories I made at Carolina especially over the last year.

The front page!

4. A new book!I finished Lauren Kate's Fallen by the other night. It was good but not amazing. For some reason it really dragged on to me. I am going to grab the second book but I don't know if I can finish the series if it doesn't capture me. However, I picked up Jill Mansell's rumor has it and I am LOVING IT! It is a cute British novel and I am only 50 pages into it so we shall see where it goes.

5. Babysitting.Last night I had the pleasure of taking care of my best friend's little sisters. They are so sweet and adorable and I literally had a blast watching Beauty and the Beast with them last night. They needed to watch it since they are in a theater summer camp and are performing Beauty and the Beast next week. They are going to be adorable plates and villagers in the angry mob of Gaston.  
6. The Color Run Running Plan.No I am not doing the Color Run in Charlotte. Who knows where I will be living in a few months but I found the running plan on Pinterest. As a not so big fan of running I found the plan really simple compared to the Couch-to-5K plans out there. It is easy to remember and you just need a watch. I am on week 2!

What are your Friday Favorites?Peace and Blessings,jDl

If you never go after what you want, you will never have it....

Hey y'all,

I no longer have college schedules of classes, meetings, exams, papers, and sorority events filling in my time and standing in my way so it is time to get in shape and I am going to start running again. Although I hate to run, I know that it is indeed good for me so why not. I personally love running outside but if need be I also love the elliptical and bike machines when watching a tv show. But besides telling myself to run I like finding some inspiration and figured I would share with all of y'all struggling/needing fitness inspiration before bikini season officially starts this summer.

Luckily I am an avid Pinterest-er and found some great examples/pins to help me in my fight for better health. :)

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This is an interval workout for beginners on the treadmill on incline 1

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I have a new playlist on my Ipod so it is time to be off! If you have any more inspiration please share in a comment below!

Off, off and away!
jDl