We're Going to Reboot!

♥Juicing♥
Last night Andrew showed some interest in my juicing when I was making up my juices for today. He was watching me make them, I explained what was going in them and the process and he told me this morning that he'd like to do a reboot with me just not as dramatic. I said that was fantastic and wanted to know what changed his mind. He told me that he's noticed such a change in me (the way I act, feel, look, energy, etc.) and he is wanting to see how it makes him feel. I'm so excited! He doesn't need to do it for weight loss since he is already thin, so he is going to do 3 juices a day on top of eating light meals. Our grocery trip tonight is going to be oodles and oodles of produce!
I am really looking forward to juicing once the Farmer's Market opens in May. I will be able to buy so much locally grown stuff at a wonderful price.
Andrew has also given his stamp of approval for me to get a Breville Juicer once our taxes come back. So excited! I can give mom's back to her then so she can start using it again if she wants to.
Our juices for the upcoming week are:

• Joe's Mean Green - celery, cucumber, ginger, green apple, kale, lemon
• Little Greens - celery, green apple, kiwi
• Carrot Apple Ginger - Carrot, red apple, ginger
• Green Apple - Green Apple, kiwi, spinach
• Go-To Green - Green Apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach
• Green Lemonade - Green Apple, spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, lemon

I LOVE the green juices. They are my favorite. I feel the best and most full after I drink those so I based our week around the greens and threw in the Carrot Apple Ginger to have a bit of something different. Andrew really likes the juices with carrots. 

I will post on Monday, or maybe tomorrow if I'm bored, about how much we spend on the produce for the week (seven days of juice) and how much it breaks down to per day. I like to prove to people that buying produce does not cost as much as you'd think. All of the produce is going to make 50 juices. FIFTY. 4 a day for me and 3 a day for Andrew and 1 leftover. 

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Half Marathon Training Day....???:
Blah. When I looked outside this morning you know what I saw? I bet you can't guess..... SNOW!!!! I think I am going to have to finally break down and get the damn Planet Fitness membership for $10. Technically if Andrew wants to join too it is going to be $20/month. I just don't know if he'll have the same interest to go. We'll see.

After Chamber Orchestra last night I didn't feel like doing anything and Thursday is a rest day anyway. See! I followed the plan! Ha!
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Measurements:
Now we all know from my previous post that I am down 5 pounds since juicing. I haven't been on the scale since that weigh in so I don't know if I am down further or not. What I do know is I took my measurements this morning and I have lost an inch everywhere except my arms. So, my bust, waist, hips and thighs are down an inch in less than a week. I'll take it! I really do want to try and focus more on what is happening to me physically in measurement aspects instead of focusing on that damn number on the scale. (Even though it's been good lately too). When I talked to Linda last night at my appointment I kind of told her the same thing. Her and I are really making progress and I am more aware of myself and my behaviors than I have ever been in my entire life. Working with Linda has been amazing and I cannot wait to continue sessions with her to see how much farther I am going to go!
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Weekend Plans:
What does everyone have going on this weekend?
My plans are to be lazy, do homework, do my quiz on Saturday for Economics, and play SimCity.

Yup. My awesome plans. Obviously the Super Bowl is Sunday but since the weather is so crappy we probably will not be going anywhere. We'll just snuggle the dogs and stay warm at home.

Why?

Why is it so freaking COLD?! I don't care if you're tired of hearing about me ranting about weather and how cold it is. It is cold. I am uncomfortable all day long because I feel like I cannot warm up to save my life. I dress appropriately, have my gloves, scarf and stocking cap when I go outside and even now sitting here at my desk I have a space heater pointed at me, I'm wearing a hoodie over my clothes, and I can barely feel my fingers.
Go away freezing temperatures. I would be so much happier if you'd at least get up into the 30º range!! I see people standing outside waiting for the bus every morning and feel so bad for them.
#midwestproblems
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Half Marathon Training Day 17:
Running... that thing I'm supposed to be doing, right? I did not do four miles last night. Andrew and I had carpooled yesterday (in an attempt to save money on gas) and after he picked me up we went to CVS to get our bag of drugs (haha) that have been ready for a few days and then headed home. I was hungry. Not "OMG STARVING" hungry... but my stomach was letting me know that I really did need some nutrition so I decided to make dinner. Then after dinner I cleaned up, made more juices, and then read. School is starting to really pick up with the reading assignments and I feel a lot of my time will be spent reading at night. A treadmill would come in super handy right now......

I'm weighing the pros and cons of using UIS's Athletic Center for $5 a visit or just joining Planet Fitness for $10/month. Seriously, in the grand scheme of things $10/month is not going to bankrupt us. If I go to UIS twice a month... that's....... $10!! So, I could get a full gym membership and use it twice a month for the same price of just driving all the way out to UIS a couple of times. Planet Fitness is seriously one block from my apartment. I could walk there. UIS is about a 20 minute drive from my apartment. Planet Fitness only charges $1 to sign up and you can cancel at any time, no cost. It would cost me $11 to join again (we were members before).
I think Planet Fitness wins...

Thank you all for letting me work that out with you.
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Foodie Food:
Yesterday I was a rockstar. I've actually been a rockstar since Saturday when I started juicing. That is still going really well. I have 3 different juices made up in my fridge right now. I like them after they've sat in the fridge for a day or so. They are nice and chilled and the flavor is wondefabulous. For dinner I had salmon (Andrew had a ribeye), brown rice and broccoli and couldn't finish it all. My stomach must be shrinking because I was stuffed very quickly. Which leaves plenty of delicious leftovers! I had an evening snack of air popped popcorn. Yum, yum!
This morning I had a Go-To-Green and then as a snack had the Carrot Apple Ginger. Both were delicious and filling. My stomach started to growl around 10:00 which is why I drank the second juice so early. It did the trick though. I'm not hungry anymore.

Today's Menu:
B: Go-To-Green: Apples, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Spinach
S: Carrot Apple Ginger (self explanatory)
L: Bean soup, brocooli
S: Brown Rice
D: TBD
Activity: Run 3-4 miles

We have lots of leftovers so I will throw something quick together for both Andrew and I since he has school tonight and will leave around 5:30.
The bean soup I brought today is from a package I got from Country Market when we went on Sunday. It was just a bag full of all kinds of beans: kidney, white, black, lentil, black-eyed, split peas, etc. It also had a seasoning packet and I added diced tomato, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper and a little onion. It took almost 3 hours to cook (because they were dried beans) and the entire time it was cooking it smelled amazing. Today will be my first day having it and I am excited! It made 5 servings. I froze some and left some out to eat this week.
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Not much else to update. School is going well, Andrew is liking his class, juicing is going fabulously, I still feel fantastic, and I'm very happy. I'm very much looking forward to the future right now.
Oh! And I did a trial run of our 2013 Taxes on Turbo Tax (still missing Andrew's W-2 from ABSS) but I am happy with the numbers and what we will most likely be getting back as a refund. Woohoo!
I'm going to use some to pay off my surgery I had in August...... but then I think I will splurge for the $150 juicer.... with Andrew's approval of course.

I ♥ Juice

Yeah, this whole juicing thing is marvelous. Again, I am not doing the fast or the reboot where I only drink juice for so many days at a time. I am just adding juice into my daily food intake. I just love it. I love everything about it. I love shopping for the produce, I love making the juice, I love drinking it, I love how I feel, I love my energy levels, I love how my skin looks, I love how my hair feels... I just LOVE it.
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Weigh In:
Got on the scale this morning, it had been awhile, and I was very pleased with what I saw. Since juicing I am down five pounds. That is fabulous.

Since Juicing:
Weigh In: -5
Total Lost: 5
Left to Lose: 96.4

I've lost a total of 8.6 but that 5 pounds was lost since Saturday. I am not going to have an official weigh in day so to speak. I am just going to jump on the scale every 5-10 days and see what happens. Again, I am not obsessing over that number. It was just an added bonus to how wonderful I have been feeling!
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Foodie Food:
Yesterday went really well and I was surprised at how not hungry I was during the day while I was at work. Usually my problem at work is that we are slow in the winter and there isn't a whole lot to keep my mind occupied. I can only do so much homework and so much reading before I get a little antsy. That is usually when I want to snack because it gives me something to do. Yesterday after my morning Mean Green Juice I didn't eat anything until 11:30 and I had half of a protein bar and some cucumber slices. Then I drank my second juice at 1:00. I got a little hungry again around 3:00 and ate the other half of my protein bar. Once I got home, I made up a quick dinner for Andrew since he has class on Monday nights and then cooked myself my Yellow Fin Tuna Steak and some quinoa. I ate that and had more of a fruit based juice with my dinner as a dessert type drink. It was the Australian Gold which has pineapple, yellow pepper, ginger and lemon. It had the consistency of orange juice and really all I could taste was pineapple with a hint of lemon. It was so good. After I cleaned up the dishes I made a few more juices for the next few days:

• Bloody Mary - tomatoes, parsley, basil, zucchini, celery, carrot, sea salt, and red peppers
• Brooklyn Heights - Cranberries, oranges, and pineapple
• Carrot Apple Ginger - Carrots, apples, and ginger (duh)
• Green Tart - Green apples, kale, and lemon

This morning I had green tart (so good and refreshing) and later in the morning I am having one of my Bloody Marys. I took a sip of the other two I made as well and holy mother of goodness I am going to love the Brooklyn Heights and Carrot Apple Ginger. After I am done testing a lot of the juices I am basically going to stick to my favorites to make things a lot easier on me. I am just having so much fun trying the different combinations!

Today's Menu:

B: Green Tart juice, coffee

S: Bloody Mary juice

L: Jar Salad loaded with veggies and chia seeds

S: 1/2 or full Quest Bar (if hungry)

D: Salmon, brown rice and Brooklyn Heights juice

Activity: 4 miles

I gotta do my 4 miles somewhere.... outside would be horrid but it could be done..... I've got plenty of winter gear.... *whimper*

Could be worse.... could be worse.... could be worse.... 

I just have to keep telling myself that.

It is going to be a LONG winter

I have made myself accept the fact that it is going to be a long, cold, windy winter. Last night the gusts of wind were so bad poor Walter was being blown over. No joke. A gust would come up and he'd fall right over.... so I guess I shouldn't be shocked that after no accidents for the longest time, he pooped on the floor. I can't be mad at him.... kind of hard to squat to poop when you're constantly being blown over. It does put a damper on my training schedule but I am running when I can and I am going to look into some other options when the weather is too horrid to run outside.
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Half Marathon Training Day 14:
Andrew and I went out yesterday for a quick little run since we knew the weather was about to take a turn for the worse. We did 2.5 miles at an easy pace which I was surprised to see was my fastest yet!

We averaged about 14:42/mile but my best pace was 10:00/mile! Look at that! On Day 8 my average pace was 15:31/mile. I've been reading the book Chi Running, thanks to my cousin Amber, and must say that reading that book has helped my form and basically made me a bit faster! Also, absolutely NO SHIN SPLINTS!! Thanks Amber!

Since I ran yesterday and that was supposed to be a rest day I might make tonight a rest day. I am going to see how the day plays out (work, homework, home things, etc.) and go from there. If I do end up going, I will do an easy 3 miles. Tomorrow will for sure be 4 miles. 

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Foodie Food:
I finally watched the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead by Joe Cross and think he is on to something with this whole juicing thing. Now, I am not going to do a fast or reboot like they do in the documentary. What I am doing is supplementing my food intake with (mostly) organic, homemade juices to see how my body feels. I have been having 3 juices a day since Saturday and holy cow do I feel good. On top of doing the juice I am eating small meals 3 times a day because I find that is the only time I am hungry. Saturday I had juice for breakfast, juice and a small bowl of tofu and noodles for lunch, and then juice, a bowl of soup and a couple of crab cakes for dinner (Andrew and I went out to eat). That is ALL I ate. I was really shocked that I felt so full and satisfied for the entire day.
*TMI ALERT*
If you decide you want to juice, you WILL spend your first morning/mid afternoon on the toilet while your body expels almost everything in your bowels. I'm not trying to be gross. I am being honest. I honestly did not think I had that much garbage in my system. It isn't painful, it isn't like being sick, you just get cleaned out. Have some baby wipes handy for the softer touch of wiping. May I also suggest some Poo~Pourri?
*END ALERT*
I do not have a juicer but mom and dad were kind enough to let me borrow theirs for awhile. I want to buy one with our tax refund money. The one I found is only $46.00 and gets amazing reviews. They have nicer ones, like the one he uses in the documentary, but I don't want to pay $150 for a juicer right now. The $50 one works just fine.

Joe Cross also has an iPhone app called 101 Juice Recipes. It is a recipe guide and it is amazing. That is what I use to make my juices. They have all been delicious. I have not been disappointed yet. So far I've had a Bloody Mary juice, Joe's Mean Green (probably one of my favs), Kickin' Cucumber Melon (with jalapenos!), Little Green, and Green Apple. All have a mix of bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, honeydew, green apples, kiwi, ginger, lemon, lime, kale, spinach, parsley, and zucchini. This morning's breakfast was a Mean Green and boy was it tasty and filling!

Lots of produce in my fridge and two mean greens already made up! (Each juice makes two servings)

Went to Country Market yesterday and stocked up on some beautiful fruits and veggies! What I have in the fridge and what you see here will make me 16 juices and last me until Saturday. It is about $35 worth of produce and it will last me 6 days. About $6.00 a day and I get to have 3 juices(meals) per day. So for those of you that think "Ugh! Produce is so expensive, I can't do that!" Um, yes.... yes you can. Buy produce that is in season or find sales/best deals and quit buying processed garbage. THAT is expensive. 

Mom's juicer after I just made my mean greens. I use the grocery bag to catch the excess stuff (I call it fruit and veggie paste) and then it is super easy clean up! The thing is really easy to wash too. It comes apart so easily and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is kind of fun! 

And to the "Won't I get hungry?" question. I had my mean green this morning and am now having a small cup of coffee. I am not hungry. Not in the slightest. I will probably get hungry around 11:30 or so and I will eat a greek yogurt or some cut up veggies I have for a snack. Then I'll drink my second juice around 12:30 and eat something small, small salad or some tofu stir fry I made up, and then I usually don't get hungry again until 5:00. I'll have another juice with my dinner which is usually a protein and a grain. Tonight will be a tuna steak I got from Country Market and tri-color quinoa. Then I'll be done for the day. 

I have not craved sweets AT ALL since I started juicing. Not once. Last night I had a tiny bowl of ice cream and didn't really feel any kind of satisfaction that I used to from eating it. I also don't crave salty things like I used to.... it is weird that I don't have cravings. When I'm hungry I just want to make something clean and healthy.... 

I just feel really, really good. 

Oh, and on a side note, the skin on my face is incredibly soft right now too. I think that is a mixture of the juice as well as switching to my Purity face wash by Philosophy and Hope in a Jar.

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Cuteness of the Day:

"What do you mean this bed isn't big enough for me?" 

Mia, my mom's dog. She is so cute and so funny. I just love her personality so much! 

Have a wonderful Monday everyone!!!

Jimmy John's is a Wonderful Place

We decided to order Jimmy John's today at the office. The one we order from is freaky fast. No joke. I place the order and less than 15 minutes later it is here. That's pretty impressive since they're not that close to us. My vegetarian sandwich (no mayo) and thinny chips are going to be delish!
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I want to thank all of you for your kind words yesterday on my post. There are some that gave me comments on Facebook, some comments on here, and some texts. I appreciate each and every one of you for your love and support. It really does mean the world to me. I love you all. Some of you I've never met, some of you live close and some of you are far away... but I still love you all like you're my family. *muah*
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Foodie Food:
I'm not counting or doing anything this week. I'm just eating when I'm actually hungry and eating as healthy as I can with what I have to work with at home. I feel good. I don't know what my weight is doing because I'm avoiding the scale this week as well. I just know that it feels good to not stress about it all. I'm still being mindful but allowing myself more freedom and less of a panic if my "plan" doesn't go as expected.

Today's Menu:
B: McDonald's Oatmeal, pineapple mango smoothie and coffee
S: Nada
L: Jimmy John's
S: Cucumber slices
D: TBD

We are going to Taylorville tonight to see my dad since he is home now and mom is making dinner. It is a roast so I will eat the sides and maybe pack my own salad or something. I still have some jar salads left. I get to go see Linda tonight before we head out and I am happy about that. I haven't seen her in awhile because one of our sessions was snowed out and then she went on vacation! It'll be nice to get back into the groove of talking to her again.
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I don't have much else to update folks. I'm loving chamber orchestra (even after only 1 rehearsal), I picked up a part time job for the next three weeks for some extra money (only Mon & Wed night while Andrew is in class), and school is going well so far. There's a lot going on!

I don't have any updates on my training because I've had to tweek my schedule quite a bit but will get back to that very soon. I promise!

I Don't Want to

I don't want to count calories.
I don't want to count points.
I don't want to have to worry about every miniscule piece of food I put in my mouth.
I don't want to look at food and gain weight.
I don't want to smell food and gain weight.
I don't want to live my whole life wondering if I'll ever be thin again.
I don't want to not know what I want in life.
I don't want to have kids.
I don't want to not have kids.
I don't want to worry about how others see me.
I don't want to be treated like a fat person. Yes, we do get treated differently than thin people.

I took a picture of my jeans that I used to wear all of the time in 2010 - 2011. And then I took a picture of the pair of jeans I wear now.

I hate it. I don't want to wear the big jeans anymore. I want to wear my stylish, super flattering size 10 jeans from Express. 

What do I want? 

I want to eat clean, healthy foods while still following a pescetarian lifestyle. I've felt so good lately. 

I want to not worry about everything I eat causing me some kind of depression or downward spiral.

I want to enjoy food, not have it control me. 

I want to figure out what my passions are and hopefully going back to UIS will help me in that endeavor.

I want to decide if I do want kids or not. I'm just so torn. 

I want to be treated like the smart, personable, funny, talented person that I am without my weight being an issue. 

I want to run faster. 

I want to run farther.

I want to wear ridiculous high heels and not have my feet hurt as much as they do if I wear them now. 

I want to be able to shop like I used to. I just grabbed a M or size 10 and was good to go. No thought, no dressing room. 

I want to walk proud, stand tall, have the confidence I know that is in me. 

My weight and my size control all of these things. They really do. It may seem silly to some, but it really is the truth. When I was thinner I was happier, more confident, took more chances, had more fun, went out more.... I was a brighter version of myself. Right now I'm dimmed. I am a dim light ready to be burnt out and I need to replace that bulb so it shines bright once more. 

Tired of this Weather

I'm tired of the snow and freezing temperatures. The wind this morning was awful and we once again had a little bit of snow accumulation inside the apartment. Boo!
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Half Marathon Training Day 8:
So I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon and it took forever to be seen. My doctor was out so I had to do a walk-in appointment which is fine because I understand that people with appointments get to go ahead of me but my goodness. I got to see a NP and she told me I had Angular Cheilitus. Blech. It is from one of my inhalers that I will be terrified to touch from this day forward. Ha! Anyway, I was so mad when she told me that the cream she was prescribing would take awhile to get rid of it (not her fault) and I cried on the way home. It hurts and it has spread. Mostly on the right side of my mouth and there is nothing you can do for the pain of it. It dries, it cracks, it bleeds. I can only use the medication cream she gave me 3 times a day. Not a happy camper.
Instead of getting home, flopping down on the couch, eating, and feeling sorry for myself; I changed into my running clothes and ran out the door.
The run was perfect weather wise and aerobically. HOWEVER, it would figure that yesterday would be the day I get a painful shin splint in my left leg. I was so mad because I actually felt like I could run about 10 miles without stopping.

I didn't do the full three miles and it was slower than I would have liked. However, I did what I could and during that last stretch towards home I knew I needed to call it quits or seriously injure myself. Still glad I went, just wish my leg would have not hated me. 

I am supposed to do another three miles tonight but it is only 8º and windy as hell. I probably will have to swap rest days again. 

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Foodie Food:

Yesterday was almost too good to be true. I stayed within my daily points allowance AND earned 10APs. I felt fine too. I wasn't super hungry for anything weird and enjoyed The Wizard of Oz with the Rifftrax with Andrew while munching on some air popped popcorn. Great night! 

Today's Menu:

B: 2 HB eggs, coffee with creamer

S: String Cheese, 3 clementines

L: Jar salad, a few leftover mashed potatoes, broccoli, dark chocolate

S: Pineapple Greek Yogurt

D: TBD

Activity: Rest Day (I think) if not... 3 miles

I don't know what to do for dinner yet. I'll basically get home, ask Andrew what he's hungry for, and whip something up.

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Other Stuff:

School officially started today. I spent $130 last night buying/renting digital copies of my school books because having them on my Kindle makes life SO much easier. This will be a lot different from the online universities that I am used to but I am excited. Especially because in my school email inbox today there was a Campus Announcements email that said if you wanted to join the music program you didn't have to audition! You just have to show up to whichever ensemble you want to be a part of. So, I'm thinking of going to the Thursday night Chamber Orchestra rehearsal and seeing what it is all about!

For those of you that don't know, I've played the violin for 20 years and it is something that I miss very much. Especially since a couple of years ago I bought a violin from the 1930's and had it restored and it has the most rich and beautiful sound ever. I kind of want Andrew to go with me (because he's played the trombone since he was 4) and it would be neat to do it with him!

FAFSA WHAT?!

For the very first time in my adult life I qualify for a Pell Grant. I almost pissed myself. I have gotten my two degrees that I have on cash plans or school loans never getting any assistance from the government because I had a job, no kids, and was responsible. However, apparently they think Andrew and I are poor enough now to need assistance and I get some. Woo!

I hadn't announced it yet, but I am going back to finish my Bachelor's in Business Administration. I am going to University of Illinois Springfield in their online program because that is the learning environment that I enjoy the most. It is hard, but I've earned two degrees already doing on line school and I will finish the Bachelor's as well. Not to mention that UIS is about $25,000 cheaper than the other online schools I attended.

So, as of tomorrow I am a full time student and the University of Illinois at Springfield and will have my BA in less than 2 years. What will I do after that? No freaking clue. Ha!
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Half Marathon Training Days 6, 7 & 8:
Day 6 - Friday - I did my cross training this day
Day 7 - 4 mile run
Day 8 - Rest Day

I've been switching up the schedule a little to make it more convenient for me. Long run days will be easier on Saturday so I have flopped those two days around. I just did some circuit training on Friday, reps of weights, planks, push ups, etc.

I had asked Andrew if he wanted to do the 4 miles with me and he said sure. I told him it was cold and might snow. He said OK. I think he regretted that decision but I am forever grateful that he went because by the last mile we were cold and covered from head to toe in snow and he was making me laugh so hard! I had a blast all because of him.

This is when the snow had just started and was barely coming down. It was a blizzard about 5 minutes after I took this. That's Andrew ahead of me.

See the snow starting to accumulate on my hat? That was nothing. I didn't dare take my phone out to snap more pictures though in fear of it getting too wet. 

Our pace was slower because of the slick conditions! Stupid snow! 

I enjoyed my rest day too. Rest days are very nice. 

Tonight's schedule has me set for a 3 mile run. The conditions look good as of right now but that doesn't mean that they won't take a turn for the worse by the time I get home. That's usually my luck. 

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Foodie Food

My weekend food wasn't too bad. The only thing that was probably not the greatest was the champagne and sparkling wine that I drank while playing Cards Against Humanity with my family. 

I did not end up going to the SRRC event with Christpher McDougall because of a family emergency which is why I ended up in Taylorville. I won't go into detail but mom and I were about to drive to North Carolina to get my dad but the situation has worked itself out and he'll be taking a bus home tomorrow and be home Wednesday night. We just ended up hanging out with my family until Sunday afternoon and then came home. 

I did food prep yesterday. Lots of jar salads and quinoa all ready to go for the week. Yum!

Today's Menu:

B: 2 HB eggs, coffee

S: String Cheese

L: Jar Salad, quinoa and a couple pieces of dark chocolate

S: Pineapple Greek Yogurt

D: Tilapia, mashed potatoes, broccoli

Activity: 3 miles 

I will be leaving work today to go to the doctor so that afternoon snack might not happen. I have developed a little outbreak of thrush on the corners of my mouth (OUCH) and need to go get a cream for it. I have an inhaler that lists thrush as a side effect and I'm not a happy camper. My skin keeps splitting and bleeding and it hurts like a bitch. 

I alway get the weird mouth things. Canker sores, cold sores, chapped lips, thrush..... aren't I lucky?

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Cuteness:

He was shivering like crazy so I had to put him in a sweater of Caesar's and he was so stinking cute in it. I don't want that dog to get any bigger. I love him this size! Of course, he's only 5 months old so he's got more growing up to do... 

I don't really have any other news. Running is going well, Andrew starts school Wednesday and I start tomorrow. We are going to have one busy household! Full of homework and studying. Oh the exciting lives we lead. 

Training Day 4

 Friday Weigh In:

Woohoo. You're all going to roll your eyes because I am once again back to counting points with WW. I just need it in my life. Whether I do bad or good with it.... it is something that I am not ready to fully let go of yet. I did cancel ActiveLink though and paid for 3 months of the plan so that I won't come due again for payment until Andrew is almost done with school. Therefore, it will not hinder my budget at all! 

Weigh In: -4.3

Total Lost: 4.3

Pounds to Lose: 98.7

Inches Lost: 0

So there you have it. Friday weigh in, back to WW, and tracking Activity manually. 

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Half Marathon Training Day 4 & Progress:

So, the powers that be that made it snow also allowed over 40º temperatures in the afternoon that melted majority of the snow. It still left moisture on some of the roads/sidewalks but it wasn't as bad as it was when I first woke up. Therefore as soon as I got home from work I said hi to the hubs and the dogs, changed my clothes and headed out for my 3 miles. It was good! The wind wasn't bad at all, the temp was actually decent (for an outdoor run) and I customized my route around the bad patches of slick spots because I didn't take my Yaktrax and even though it was a boring route (back and forth basically) I still enjoyed myself. I've been reading this book: 

and it has helped with my breathing during my runs. Last night I never felt out of breath. Plus, I'm already faster than I was when I started:

Last Night's Run

Tuesday's Run

My average mile on Tuesday was 16:20. I've already bumped that down to 15:00. I am so excited to get back to a sub 10:00 mile. Tonight is a 4 mile run. Once again we got snow overnight but I was looking at the sidewalks as I drove to work and I think by the time I get home they should be OK. I might take the Yaktrax tonight just in case. I can always take them off if I find I don't need them. 

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Foodie Food:

Yesterday was good and last night's dinner was fun. Aldi has started selling thin pizza crusts with the sauce included and Andrew and I decided to make our own pizzas. 

(the beer was mine too.... 7PP... Worth it.)

My pizza had orange bell peppers, garlic and mushrooms. We bought the Fit&Active brand of cheese too. I didn't take pictures of them once they were done because I was hungry from my run and just wanted to dig in. They were really good! I then had some popcorn while we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Love that movie. 

Today's Menu:

B: Baked PB&J Oatmeal Bars, coffee

S: String Cheese, Banana

L: Subway 6" Veggie Delight flatbread, orange bell peppers, dark chocolate covered almonds, diet cherry pepsi

S: 2 HB Eggs

D: Tilapia, homemade mashed potatoes, broccoli

Activity: 4 mile run

This weekend will be food prep. I plan on making more jar salads and cutting up the produce that I bought Wednesday night. This time I want to add some cooked quinoa in with the salads for a little extra filling. 

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Weekend Plans:

I am a Springfield Road Runners Club member and on Saturday night they are having their annual meeting and Christopher McDougall will be the guest speaker! I'm so excited! If you don't know who he is, he wrote this wonderful book that I have read multiple times:

Love, love, LOVE this book. I am so excited to hear him speak and meet with him during the event. There will be dinner, dancing and karaoke as the night progresses as well. (Also free beer and wine.) It was $50 for Andrew and I to register to go, however, I told him to think about how much it would cost if he and I went to have dinner somewhere (each getting at least 1 drink) and then went to a movie. We'd spend well over $50. 

I'd love to get my book autographed BUT, I only have the Kindle edition and the Kindle audio edition. I think I will just have my picture taken with him. So excited. 

What are your weekend plans? 

Why Can't It Be Friday?

I woke up this morning with that feeling of "why is it only Thursday?!!?" I'm tired. I am really tired today. I kind of get this way towards the end of the week. My "oomph" is gone. My get up and go got up and left... and all those other silly sayings.
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Half Marathon Training Day 3:
Yesterday's run did not happen. *gasp* See, I've already stopped following the program. Ha! No, yesterday when I got home from work my husband was in the bedroom and he wasn't looking so good. He isn't sick, he just had a really bad day with a really shitty customer who thinks she knows more about pianos than my husband... who has been tuning and repairing pianos for over 10 years. He wanted me to stay home so he'd have someone to talk to and this crazy woman called again and bitched at Andrew's voice mail about how her piano was in pieces all over her house... blah blah blah... when Andrew clearly explained that they would be back out tomorrow to finish up the repairs and get it put back together. Now, the work he is doing on it should be about $250. However, this woman will get away with only paying $70 because she's being a twat. Pardon my language. I tell Andrew all of the time that no matter what line of work you are in, those people will always exist to make your life a living hell. He is a wonderful piano tuner and people request him all of the time. One stupid person doesn't dictate how good of a job he does. But I digress....

I stayed home with him, made some pasta for dinner and then we headed out to the grocery store. Once we got home and unloaded everything and I boiled up my eggs and made PB&J Oatmeal Bars, I was tired and ready to throw in the towel. It was almost 9:00 anyway. We finished watching Half-Blood Prince with the Rifftrax and then went to bed.

The schedule said that today was supposed to be a rest day but I will be doing my 3 miles tonight instead. I just swaped my days. However, the forces that be are punishing me for not running yesterday because when we woke up this morning there was about 3 inches of snow covering the ground. *grumble* Lesson learned. Looks like I will need the Yaktrax tonight.
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Foodie Food:
I just.... I just don't know. I haven't been tracking, I haven't been counting, I haven't been thinking about it. I am ignoring the fact that I should be doing SOMETHING. It isn't like I'm eating things that are terrible or binge eating... I'm just not being fully aware of what I'm doing. That needs to stop or I'm going to be right back to square 1.

Today's Menu:
B: Special K chocolate delight cereal with milk, coffee
S: String Cheese, natural almond and fruit bar
L: Jar salad with 2 HB eggs, dark chocolate square
S: PB&J Oatmeal Bar
D: Homemade pizza with lots of veggies
Activity: 3 mile run

I guess it is that time of year where I start to get frumpy. The cold, overcast, snowy, icy, no sunshine, dark at 4:30 days start to really get you down after awhile.

I need to move somewhere tropical.

I Keep Dreaming About Spiders

Seriously! What the hell is wrong with me? I swear almost every night I dream about spiders. I HATE SPIDERS. I am your typical girl. I see a spider the size of a tiny stud earring and I flip out and scream for my husband to kill it or the cat to come eat it. I.Don't.Like.Spiders. Yes, I will kill them if no one else is around or the cats find it more interesting to play with it than eat it; but it is your classic grab the biggest item I can, stand as far away as I can and throw said heavy object on the spider and squeal if I miss and it moves.
I cannot figure out why I keep dreaming about them and it is making me mad... because then I wake up and think one is on me. I don't dream about small ones either, I dream about spiders that are as big as my hand. *shudder*
According to dream studies or whatever, to dream of spiders is good fortune or good luck.... why does it have to be spiders though!?
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New Shoes & Half Marathon Training Day 2:
Well, I took the Mizuno shoes back and swapped them out for Brooks Ghost.

Love them! It was like night and day. I put them on as soon as I got home and wore them around the apartment while I did laundry and cleaned up the kitchen. I told Andrew that I couldn't believe the difference. I think Brooks might be my number two favorite running shoe next to Asics. Plus the price point was what I was looking for too. Can't beat that! These were $109.99 but if you are a returning customer you get 10% off your shoe purchase. I also got 20% off some nice Asics running socks. 

Day two was another 3 mile run (there will be a lot of these) and I had planned on going to the fitness center because the wind was horrid last night. Well, we went around 6:30 thinking that most people would be done from their after work exercise and be eating dinner. Nope. The fitness center was packed and both treadmills were being used. I was so upset. We have like 6 bikes, 2 elliptical machines and 2 treadmills. Really? How about... less bikes. More treadmills. Andrew suggested we wait but I said no. I was ready to work out NOW and get it over with so I sucked it up and went to do it outside. 

HOLY RED FACE!

It was cold, the wind was terrible when it wasn't at my back - but I did my 3 miles damn it. 

As you can see, I got faster each mile. I kept getting colder... and colder.... and wanted to get it done as quickly as possible. LOL. I walked quite a bit because I was against the wind for a lot of it. 

Tonight is another 3 mile run and I'm just going to do it outside as soon as I get home from work. Tonight I'll be better prepared for it, dressed correctly and have my face slathered with Vaseline. (It helps keep my face from getting chapped.)

All in all, it was a decent run (I felt good minus the wind) and the shoes were fantastic. Very happy with my purchase. 

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Foodie Food:

Yesterday went well. I had some popcorn after I ran because I was really hungry and I also had hot tea because I was cold from the inside out. I hate that kind of a chill. I did go to Schnuck's to get Salmon for both Andrew and I. I baked that and made my organic tricolor quinoa and broccoli. It was a fantastic, super filling dinner. 

The quinoa was amazing. I got it from Nuts.com. Here is the link. You get a TON of it and a very little goes a long way. I only cooked 1/2 c. dry quinoa and I'm going to get 3 servings out of it. It will take me a very long time to eat all of it. I want to cook it up ahead of time and add it to my jar salads. I cooked mine in vegetable broth for a little added flavor. 

Today's Menu:

B: Asiago cheese bagel with organic cream cheese and smoked salmon, coffee

S: Nada - breakfast was super filling and a once in awhile kind of treat

L: Tomato, 2 bean and quinoa chili, cottage cheese, dried strawberries

S: Clementines with a little power mix

D: This is up in the air again. I might have a jar salad after my run. 

Activity: 3 mile run

Andrew and I are going to the grocery store tonight after my run and dinner. Obviously we don't want to go to the store hungry! So, I will finally be able to plan better. The chili I am having for lunch is seriously the weirdest concotion of things I threw in my mini crock pot. I took a can of diced tomatoes, added 1/4 c. of white beans and 1/4 c. red beans, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. After that cooked for a few hours, I added in the already cooked quinoa. Ta-da! A weird chili!!

See what happens when you get down to the bare minimum in your fridge/pantry? Creativity!!! 

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Puppy Updates:
Yesterday Walter got neutered, had a hernia fixed on his belly and got his dew claws removed. Poor little guy is miserable right now. Plus, he is in the cone of shame:

I feel so bad for him because he's got the little casts on his paws (that can come off today though), the cone and his belly is sore and I'm sure it itches. He will lay down to sleep and then after a half an hour or so he jerks awake and whimpers. My heart just breaks for him. We had to get up at 4:30 in the morning too and let him outside because he was crying at the side of the bed. He has to be in the cone for 10 days. It is going to be an interesting 10 days. 

Caesar also got a hair cut yesterday and is super handsome:

Look, he is even posing. Vain old man that he is. 

I love my shih-tzus.

I think they're my dog of choice for life. ♥♥♥

New Shoes & A Birchbox

I have a feeling my next couple of months are going to go by in a blur. One, because the older I get the faster time goes by and two, because when you're training for a long distance race you eat, sleep, work, run. Your life is mapped out around your running schedule and yesterday just flew by.
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Half Marathon Training Day 1 & New Shoes:

These are my old shoes. I bought these in 2011. They are the Asics Cumulus 12. Not only are they from 2011 but the Cumulus is now up to 15... I'm kind of behind the times. I have worn these shoes so much and it is probably terrible that I continued to run in them. You can see how worn and stretched out they are. We went to the Springfield Running Center last night and I tried on the Cumulus 15. Super comfortable. I have never been disappointed in my Asics. This is the third pair I have owned. However, we were shopping on a budget and I didn't want to pay $115 for my shoes. I asked the girl if there was a comparable neutral shoe that I could try and she had me try these:

These are a Mizuno shoe. Now, I have only ever run in Asics so I knew these would be a different experience for me. While walking around the store in them they felt pretty good. I liked how light they were and the way that they fit my foot. The girl told me to test them out on a treadmill because if I didn't like them I could exchange them. These also had a much prettier price tag of $84. So, I got these, got my Garmin footpod hooked up and set out to run on the treadmill. 

HOLY HEEL PAIN. 

One mile into the run I noticed that both my heels were feeling bad. This is a pain I have never experienced before in all of my years of running. I slowed down to a walk to see how that felt and pretty soon the discomfort went away. I bumped the speed back up and started running again. About mile 2.25 I noticed some more discomfort and slowed back down to a walk. I finished the 3 miles by running the last 0.5 miles and then Andrew and I went back home. My right foot hurt on the outer side. Not unbearable but not comfortable. I then took my shoes off. 

Pain. Instant pain. Again, nothing that was excruciating or "OMG I HAVE AN INJURY" type pain but it is something I have never experienced in my life. 

After talking with my wonderful cousin Amber about my experience with them, (she is my running go to person because she knows so much!) she told me to swap them out. 

I am going to go back to the Running Center tonight to see if they have some Brooks I can try. She suggested that those might be more comparable to the Asics I am used to. If not... I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get the Cumulus. I'm not going to run half marathons in shoes that I "settle" for. I want to be confident in my shoe choice and since I don't want to harm my body... it will be money well spent. 

Tonight will be another 3 mile run in different shoes! 

To be continued....

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January Birchbox:

I won't spend too much time talking about this but I am super happy with what the January box had to offer! 

Nail Rock: Green Sequin - the UK brand's two-step system for the world's brightest disco-ball mani

Juicy Couture: Viva La Juicy - wild berries flirt with mandarin and soft floral notes for a scent that's fun and happy (omg it smells AMAZING)

Inika: Mineral Eye Shadow, Silver - Packed with certified-organic ingredients, these natural pigments stay vibrant for hours. 

Burt's Bees Day Lotion with Clary Sage - this was a bonus! It makes my hands feel super soft and the smell is nice. Not too strong. 

Beauty Protector: Protect & Detangle - best-selling elixir that locks in color, protects from heat damage, and adds silkiness

The only two I haven't tried yet are the beauty protector (wore my hair up today) and the eye shadow. I don't usually experiment with eye shadow during the week. That is a weekend type adventure. 

BLING

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Foodie Food:

Yesterday I did alright. I probably had too many carbs for dinner but sometimes you just gotta have spaghetti. I only made 4 oz (dry) so we each had a cup of pasta with spinach sauce and homemade garlic bread. The only other thing I ate yesterday was some popcorn after the run. Oh, and I slept like a baby last night. I fell asleep quickly and woke up before my alarm and I was actually refreshed feeling. Thanks exercise! 

Today's Menu:

B: 1 c. corn flakes, 1 c. milk, coffee

S: Clementines, string cheese

L: Salad in a jar, leftover mashed sweet potatoes

S: Cauliflower

D: TBD. I might run to Schnuks and pick up 2 salmon fillets for Andrew and I. I am trying not to do a full grocery trip until this weekend but we may have to buckle down and do it tomorrow night. We are getting desperate. 

Activity: 3 Mile Run

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I have been avoiding the scale recently because I'm trying not to obsess over a number. I do need to decide when I am going to weigh in though and start doing more consistent (weekly) weigh ins, measurements and pictures. Especially now since I'll be running 4 days a week. Saturday's are usually the easiest to do all of those things but the problem is that sometimes I'm out of town. Once I figure out a day I will start blogging my progress on here more frequently. 

Happy Monday!

Well hello my darlings. I did not feel like blogging on Friday. I don't know if I was feeling lazy or what... I guess I was already in weekend mode and was ready for some relaxation with Andrew and my family. Andrew and I left for Taylorville on Friday after I got off of work. We took the dogs down to go stay with mom. I got lucky and got to see my dad as well before he left to get on a bus to go to North Carolina. Dad drives a truck now so he is all over the place! We spent the weekend sipping delicious champagne, visiting with friends, eating delicious food and watching lots of Rifftrax. It was a fabulous weekend.
P.S.  This is what happenes when you turn on the uncensored version of the "Blurred Lines" video. Oh, and don't mind the holes in my brother's socks..... He kept telling me that his foot was watching me....

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Organization:
I've been taking some time out of my weekends to do some much needed cleaning and organizing. Stuff has a tendency to just pile up higher and higher and it frustrates me so much because I hate clutter. This weekend I attacked the top of the fridge, our cabinet next to the kitchen, my running gear basket and my jewelry. I also deep cleaned the litter box and got their area all nice and fresh. I didn't take pictures of everything I did but once I was done I felt so much better. I did take a picture of the top of my dresser though:

I was one of those people that had so much jewelry stockpiled and didn't even realize how bad it was or that it was missing pieces. I threw away a lot of single earrings, necklaces that looked as though they had been sitting in dirt for years and stuff that I just didn't really have interest in anymore (and was still kind of icky). Now it looks a lot better and I'm able to find my favoirte pieces easier. I really wish I would have had a before picture to show you. It wasn't pretty. I feel so much better once I de-clutter an area of the apartment. The bathroom closet and countertop was done a previous weekend, I took care of the desk/file cabinet area and now I only have a couple other things I want to do. Yay for cleaning!
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Food:

Saturday night we were kidnapped by my wonderful friend Heather and her husband and daughter and we went to eat at Kiku. I got the hibachi scallops but started off my meal with a simple but amazingly delicious salmon sushi roll. Om nom nom.











I didn't eat the best foods this weekend but I also didn't over indluge or snack in between meals. This is still such a HUGE thing for me. I have always been a snacker and it feels wonderful to be able to control that better now. I love it.
Friday night mom made chicken and rice in the crock pot. Since I knew what she was making ahead of time I packed my own salad and had that instead. Saturday we had China Pavillion and mom and I split the lunch portion of shrimp fried rice. It was the perfect amount of food. Then, as you see, Saturday night was hibachi and my scallops were amazing. I couldn't eat them all and shared the deliciousness with the people we went with. That night I also had some champagne and wine with mom, some yummy Pinot Noir and Barefoot Brut.
Sunday I made a big breakfast for everyone: eggs, bacon, tater tots, toast, coffee and OJ. I ate eggs, toast and some tater tots. Lunch was super simple. Mom made a huge pot of ramen (lol) and we ate that. I didn't have very much but it was delicious. For dinner, back at home, I made tilapia, mashed sweet potatoes and spinach.
All in all the weekend wasn't that bad. I got to indulge in the things I wanted in smaller portions and didn't feel guilty about anything.

Today's Menu:
B: English muffin, boca pizza burger with a slice of light cheese and ketchup, coffee
S: Clementines, string cheese
L: 1 slice of thin crust cheese pizza, salad in a jar, strawberries
S: 1/4 c. black beans and 1/2 c. rice
D: Spaghetti with a little sauce and spinach
Activity: 3 mile run/walk

Today starts half marathon training which is why I am having black beans and rice for a snack. I need the energy to burn. I think the weather knew I was starting today too because it is supposed to be 45º or so and all of the snow is gone. Perfect! Andrew is also going with me. I told him that if he did this program with me then I was going to make him run the half. He just gave me a look that suggested I was nuts.
I charged up my Garmin and my bluetooth headphones last night so everything will be ready to go when I get home from work. I'm going to map out a 3 mile loop for us to do just around the apartment so that way we don't have to fight with traffic or crossing any busy intersections.
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Nothing much else to update folks! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and that the start of the week is treating you right!

Because We Needed More Snow....

GAH! When I took the dogs out this morning I could have cried. Freaking snow. We don't need any more. Please stop. The roads are bad enough and people continue to drive like idiots. Please.Stop.
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Food & Stuff:
I did more healthy meal prep last night (while shoving pizza down my gullet) and I have lots of cut up veggies and more salads in jars!

 I have six more of them. This is a great way to use up any veggies you might have hanging around in the fridge that you haven't done anything with and need to eat before they go bad. Mine have carrots, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber and cauliflower.
Here is the dressing I make:
1/3 c. EVOO
1/3 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1/3 c. Water
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Shake to mix & shake before using

Super easy and delicious. I use 2 T. for each salad and of course, that is what goes in first. I know it is 2P+ on WW because it is a WW recipe. I haven't built it in my calorie builder yet on my fitness pal so I'm not sure how many calories. However, I haven't been tracking *gasp* I know, BUT I feel really good, I'm not eating many snacks inbetween  meals and I'm really paying attention to when I am actually hungry. It is kind of a nice change not having to fret over every calorie/point I put into my body. I'm focusing on portion control still and eating clean, fresh, non processed foods as much as I can.
I decided to try out a Pescatarian Lifestyle awhile back and it has been going so well. I did have a couple of ham rolls on December 25 (because my dad makes AWESOME ham rolls) but other than that I have been meat free; minus seafood/shellfish. What is the most amazing to me is that I don't miss it. I don't crave it. I'm still getting plenty of protein in other ways and I really just feel good.

Today's Menu:
B: Overnight Banana Cream Pie Oats, coffee with peppermint mocha creamer
S: String Cheese, mint tea
L: Jar Salad, 1 slice of thin crust cheese pizza
S: Cauliflower with hummus
D: Tilapia, sweet potato, broccoli

I love overnight oats. I love not having to think about breakfast. I grab the jar and go. I'm currently eating my oats right now and they are amazing. I have found that I like oatmeal made with almond milk. I don't use anything else for my oats now. Almond milk is perfect for when you're cooking oats on the stove too because it doesn't burn like regular milk does.
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Nuts.com
Has anyone else ever ordered from Nuts.com? I absolutely love this website. The customer service is some of the best I've ever experienced, the product is amazing and the packaging is brilliant! Today I ordered:

Organic Chia Seeds (I am almost out!)
Organic Tricolor Quinoa 
Sample Size Dried Strawberries
Sample Size Power Mix
Sample Size Veggie Chips

I am very excited to get everything. It should be here by Tuesday. I love dried strawberries and haven't had them in a very long time. I want to see if I like these and how I can incorporate them into a snack and if it would be worth it to get a bigger bag. I am also super excited to try the Quinoa because I have never had the tricolor before.

So, if you haven't been to nuts.com before... check it out!
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Activity & Training Schedule:
Training starts on Sunday! Well, technically Monday since Sunday is a rest day. I am getting irritated with my foot because my arthritis is still being a pain. I don't know if it is the cold weather or what but it is starting to get on my nerves. I have been taking my pills to help with the discomfort and I am extremely thankful for this product:

This stuff is absolutely amazing. I roll it on the tops of my feet every night before bed and it feels so good and helps with the pain. Even better? It's super cheap and lasts a very long time. Avon for the win!

I'm just nervous that the pain will get worse once I start training but I know that I have run races before and done OK with what discomfort and pain there has been. I just need to tell myself that if it gets too bad then I need to scale back.