September Workout Log

9/1 - Ran 2.56 miles
9/2 - Ran 2.15 miles
9/3 - Wii "Just Dance" 30 minutes
9/4 - Walked 2.03 miles (with hubby and dog)
9/5 - Wii "Just Dance" 30 minutes
9/6 - Walked 1.05 miles (in the heat with 100+ lbs of bad dogs...harder than it sounds)
9/7 - Didn't get a workout in
9/8 - Ran 3.15 miles
9/9 - Ran 3.2 miles
9/10 - Ran 2.5 miles
9/13 - 20 minutes cardio
9/18 - Ran 2.02 miles
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9/19-9/30 - Runner's hiatus (initially due to a foot injury, which then turned into laziness)
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Total mileage for the month - 15.06 mi.

Getting Back in Shape!

Over the past year or so, I've been really unhappy with my body and weight.  I've kind of become one of those people who complain about how I look, but then I don't really do anything to fix it.  It's become somewhat of a trend for me to hop on the "My Fitness Pal" bandwagon for a couple weeks or so, then let it go for a few months.  In doing this, I've never really made enough of a commitment to see any results.

I decided I'm over that.  

I recently committed to doing a marathon relay with some coworkers on October 20th.  I'm really determined to do a good job because I'm on a team with people who are all better runners than I am.  To help get myself into shape, I've set a goal for myself.  During the month of September, I'm going to try to exercise in some form EVERYDAY.  I know that life gets busy, so I'm going to define "exercise" as some type of physical activity for 20 minutes or more: walking, running, exercise videos, etc.  

To hold myself accountable, I'm going to keep a log of my exercise on this blog.  Here's what I've done so far:

8/26 - Walk with dog and hubby 3 miles

8/28 - Walk with dog and hubby 1.88 miles

8/30 - Walk/Run with dog and hubby 3 miles

9/1 - Ran 2.56 miles

9/2 - Ran 2.15 miles

Total mileage for the week - 12.59 miles

Hoping I can keep this up!  I'm thinking it's time to buy some new shoes!

Waddell and Reed Marathon Relay

A coworker of mine recently sent out an email to our staff asking if anyone was interested in doing a marathon relay with her in October.  I've always wanted to participate in a marathon but know that I don't have what it takes to run the full 26.2 miles.  So, a marathon relay would be perfect for me!

http://www.waddellandreedkansascitymarathon.org/race-info-team-relay.php

I'm probably in the worst shape of my life right now, so I'm thinking this will be good motivation for me to get back into running/exercising.  I'm running one of the shorter legs (4 miles), so it shouldn't be too bad.

I've already paid and committed, so there's no backing out now!  I'm going to be "Kickin' Asphalt" in T minus 48 days!

101 in 1,001 - The End

So it turns out, my 101 deadline came and I never did do anything else since my last post.  So I ended up accomplishing 61 of the items on my list.  This means I have 40 things that I didn't do.  One of those was to donate $5 to charity for every item not accomplished.  I still plan on doing this (so really, there's only 39 items not accomplished), but because of my financial situation, it will have to happen over time.

So, I've decided within the next year, little by little, I will donate $195 to a variety of charities that mean something to me.  I will definitely donate to the Alzheimer's Foundation in honor of my grandmother who passed away this year.  I also hope to support some local non-profit organizations that some of my friends work for.  

In the meantime, despite the deadline being up, hopefully I can still knock some of these items off my list.

101 in 1,001....time is running out!

Back in 2009, I posted a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in the next 1,001 days. My 1,001 days will be up in less than a week.  Looking back on my list, I realized there was a lot on there that I never accomplished.  I'm currently standing at 61/101 accomplished tasks, however with almost a week left, I plan on knocking a few more things off my list.  Allow me to comment on what I have left:

• Visit my grandparents - I was lucky enough to get to see both my grandparents on the Taylor side before my grandma passed away.  However, having this on my list helped me to realize that I haven't seen my Grandma Thornhill once in the last 1,001 days.  That deeply saddens me and makes me realize that I need to make a trip out to Hillsboro to see her.
• Get a brother or sister for the pup - I don't feel bad about this one.  If we were to get another dog, it would be for selfish reasons, and not for her to have a companion.  The truth is, she hates other dogs and would not appreciate a canine sibling.
• Stay at a Bed & Breakfast - I wish we could have done this, but it's something we can aim for in the future.
• Sing karaoke with my husband - Perhaps someday...if he's really drunk!
• Make out in the rain - We should have done this on the float trip! 
• Go on a walk with my husband and dog every month - This was a good goal, but was hard to do when weather got bad.  And the truth is...we got busy.  And lazy. 
• Make a baby/Do a weekly photo documentation of pregancy - This one makes me really sad, but it turns out I did everything in my power to make it happen.  Hopefully someday...
• Go to the dentist twice a year - I ALMOST made this one.  I haven't been yet this year.  Whoops!
• Run 10K/Marathon relay - I would LOVE to get back into running and do both of these.
• Be able to do 50 push ups - I didn't ever really try to do this one.  But I should!
• Try on wedding dress every anniversary - This was a fun thought, but honestly, I just never remembered to do it.  Also, I'm now about 15 lbs heavier than I was the day we got married.  Whoops...sorry James!
• Volunteer at food drive or homeless shelter - My friend Lisa and I had actually scheduled to do this this summer with the kids we nanny.  Sadly, the only day that would work was the day my kiddos were on vacation (and I had to teach summer school).  I'd still like to do it sometime.  Perhaps next summer with the girls!
• Travel outside of US - We actually got to do a bit of traveling, but didn't get to leave the country.  Maybe for our 5 year anniversary we can take a big trip?
• Visit cousins in Florida - I SO need to do this!!!
• Go on a trip over Spring Break - Didn't happen, but NEXT Spring Break, I will be going to Chicago for my friend Diane's bachelorette party!
• Visit a National Park - Well maybe if my parents would have invited me to go to Yellowstone with them....
• Go through stuff at old house - Ugh, this is something I know I need to do, but I seriously dread it!
• Go on a strenuous hike - Hopefully we can get out to Colorado soon and hike up a mountain!
• Blog once a month - I'm SO mad at myself for this one.  I blogged every single month, except for the month of June 2012.  I actually started a blog that month, but never finished it.  Grr...so close!
• Ride a horse - I still really want to do this.  It's been way too long...
• Go skiing - Perhaps we can knock this one off the list along with the "strenuous hike".
• Go snorkeling - Gotta do it!
• Finish Harry Potter series - Perhaps next summer...
• Read all David Sedaris' books - I blame 50 Shades of Gray for this not happening.
• Bake an apple pie from scratch - Yum...but I have to wait for this fall or winter.

The following are items that I didn't do, but I'm going to try to accomplish a few of them within the next week.  Wish me luck!

• Go to Gate's BBQ
• Write a letter to an old friend
• Cook something on the grill
• Clean out my inbox
• Share a recipe with at least 10 people
• Write something and share it with someone
• Write a song
• Go fishing
• Go on a bike ride
• Win big at the casino
• Go to the shooting range
• Buy khakis that actually fit
• Put together a puzzle every year
• Donate $5 to a charity for every item not accomplished

I've decided, I AM going to do the donation thing.  I'd like to donate some to the Alzheimer's Association in memory of my grandma who passed away earlier this summer.  I also have a few girlfriends that work for non-profit organizations that I would love to contribute to.

In addition, I would like to extend my deadline on this list another 1,001 days and see what else I can cross off.  So, on May 14, 2015, we'll see where we're at on everything!  Until then...

A Note to the General Public:

A Note to the General Public:  It is rude to ask someone when they are going to have kids.  Chances are, it's none of your business.  So, don't do it.

That is all.

Return of the Sunday Morning Brunch Tradition

A couple years ago, James and I, along with a few of our friends started doing a weekly Sunday Morning Brunch. I think it all started when one of our friends had a bit too much to drink and ended up spending the night at our house. The next morning, we got up and all had biscuits and gravy together. She then felt like she owed us, so the next weekend, she had us (and a couple others) over to her house for breakfast. Then, it just kind of became a tradition. We didn't do it EVERY week, but we were doing it on a somewhat frequent basis....and I really enjoyed it.

Then for whatever reason (probably everyone being busy, or maybe the fact that we live further away now) we stopped doing it. A couple nights ago, James and I decided we should start it back up. So, this morning we had a couple friends over for Belgian waffles, bacon, and fruit. It was really fun...and gave me an excuse to get up early and clean up the house!

Now, who's hosting next time???