Taking Care of Yourself

It's been a while (months...) since I posted my last entry.  I have let work consume every minute of my day to the point where it's all I do now.  Yes, the assignment I'm working is just temporary.  I have zero intentions of making a career out of this, no matter how much I LOVE the challenge and the wealth of knowledge that surrounds me on a daily basis.  Like all my other rotations, I have taken every opportunity to learn and experience all I can during this short period of time - so I can both learn new things and grow in my career.  But with this, I have sacrificed many things that I used to hold close to my heart.  I haven't been spending as much time with my friends as I'd like, I barely see my dad (and I LIVE with him....), I don't get to snuggle with Riley as much as I'd like to, and more importantly, I have let my own well-being fall to the bottom of my priorities list.

I thought 2012 was going to full of sustainable, healthy living and activities.  I was supposed to run my first marathon, but I had to defer due to severe shin pain that I couldn't shake.  I did PR at both the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and the Parkway Classic (10 Miler) in April.  I didn't PR at the Army 10 Miler due to the aforementioned severe shin pain.  I had bought a LivingSocial deal for Bikram yoga.  I fell in love with it.  But due to work and the location of the Bikram studio being out of the way, I wasn't able to continue my practice.  Because I've let work consume my life, I have seen numbers on the scale that I never thought I'd ever see (unless I was pregnant).  I've struggled trying to lose each and every pound - but I relapse and the weight comes right back on.  I've succumbed to eating junk food because it's quick, easy, and satisfying.

I am putting my foot down today and making a change.  2013 will not be a repeat of 2012.  I WILL get back to my 2011 weight.  I WILL put my well being right back up on my list of top 10 priorities.  I WILL no longer neglect Riley and I WILL exercise him by taking him on those long hikes that he loves.  I WILL start making healthier choices when I eat out.  I WILL exercise at least 5 times a week.  I WILL run the Marine Corps Marathon this year - and train smart for it.  I WILL take a vacation.  I WON'T do work while I am on vacation.  I WILL do my darnest to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night (since I am realizing that I'm getting old and I cannot function on anything less than that).  I WILL be better at managing my time and WILL make time to see my friends.  I WILL hold myself accountable for taking care of myself and WILL document my journey on my blog.

I'm filling up 2013 with a bunch of races to make sure I stay active and I let myself fall into the "Not Taking Care of Yourself" trap.

2013 Race Schedule
March 23 - Marine Corps 17.75k (tentative)
April 7 - Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (confirmed)
April 28 - Nike Women's Half Marathon DC (confirmed)
Oct 27 - Marine Corps Marathon (confirmed - due to 2012 deferral)
Nov - Turkey Trot (tentative)

And to start my weight loss journey, I signed up for Run with Jess' Run Your A$$ Off Weight Loss Challenge through DietBet.

http://www.runwithjess.com/2012/12/weight-loss-challenge-starts-monday.html

You pay $10 to participate - your $10 goes into the pot of money that you have a chance of winning a share of.  You have 4 weeks to lose 4% of your starting weight.  If you lose at least 4%, then you get to split the pot of money with everyone else that lost at least 4% of their weight.  You have until midnight tonight to register (only $10) and get your weight registered.  The pot is up to $5000 as of right now!

Stay Beautiful Colorado

My heart hurts for those in Colorado, especially those in Colorado Springs.

Waldo Canyon Fire (June 2012)

As many of you may know, I just spent the last 10.5 months in Colorado Springs.  I moved almost 4 months ago.  The thought that something this tragic, of this magnitude, could devastate something so beautiful, so serene...boggles my mind.

Morning fog blanketing the west side of Colorado Springs (April 2011)



Just another gorgeous day at the dog park

My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the wildfires in both Colorado and Utah.  If I could be back in Colorado Springs right now, I would.  Even though I only spent 10.5 months there, it was a significant time in my life.  It was the first time I was ever really on my own, by myself.  I was happy to call Colorado Springs my home--and I hope to call Colorado my home some time in the future.  Colorado will always be beautiful.  I look forward to the day that Pike's Peak will be visible through all the smoke.

March Foodie Pen Pal Revealed!

I am happy to finally have the opportunity to reveal what I received this month from my Foodie Pen Pal!  This month my Foodie Pen Pal was the lovely Jessica over at My Healthy Passion.



I have to say, Jessica must have done her research when she made my box.  How did she know that dried mango and dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds are my absolute favorites?  Oh!  And I can't forget the ever so scrumptious chocolates she threw in there!  A wannabe Mounds bar?  YES PLEASE!!

This box was perfect for all the traveling I had to do this week.  The dried mango came in extra handy as a healthy airport snack.  I have to say that Trader Joe's disappointed me just a little in their dried mango.  They added sugar and mango juice (shouldn't the mangos already be juicy enough?).  I still think Peeled Snacks are the best out there--but if I'm ever in a pinch, I'll definitely pick these up from TJs.

Since starting my new job, I haven't created my snack stash yet.  But the peanut butter (with flaxmeal!  YUM!) has found itself a home in fridge at work.  I found myself scavanging for a sharper plastic knife to cut my apples with lat week so I could smother each and every slice with peanut butter.  YUM!

The dark chocolate pomegranate seeds can be summed up in one word...HEAVEN!  Each little seed is covered with the right amount of dark chocolate that it tastes simply amazing.  I had to hide the container in the bottom of my suitcase this week so I wouldn't eat it all in one sitting.

I have yet to try the Rosemary Crisps--but I'm sure those will be making their way in to my office very soon (and probably disappear just as quickly!)

 

Thank you Jessica!!!

If you're intersted in participating in The Lean Green Bean's Foodie Pen Pal program, read below for all the details.  Unfortuantely, I will be opting out next month because I have been so busy this past month moving, getting settled, traveling for work, getting up to speed with my new job, and trying to train for my two races in April.  But I know I will be back to participate in May!!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. There will be two separate lists so you'll be matched US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

 If you’re interested in participating for April, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You will also find contact information on that page for the UK branch of Foodie Penpals if you’re a blogger across the pond!

You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th!