Happy New Year!

This post is sort of a New Year's tradition. Every year I take a look at how I did the past 365 days, whether or not I met my goals, and set new goals for the upcoming year.

Here we go!

Miles Run in 2010: 231
Miles Biked in 2010: 263
Miles Swam in 2010: 6.5 miles

Total Number of Workouts in 2010: 114 (only two more than last year!)

How I did on the goals I set at the beginning of the year...

Run more than 210 miles: I passed this goal by 21 miles. It's not a ton, but I've been slowly adding mileage year after year, so I'm pretty proud of this.

Complete an Olympic triathlon: I did that back in August. Yay! It was a rough race, but I survived, and had a pretty decent time to boot!

Run a 10K in under 58 minutes: I never actually ran a 10k race this year. I had the 10k during my olympic triathlon, but it was a disaster and I ended up walking a lot of it... so I'd rather not count that one. Maybe next year for this goal.

Average 17.5 mph biking in a race: I accomplished this goal at my last triathlon of the year (where I also got my first AG medal). I put new road tires on Reagan... so hopefully 2011 will be even faster!

Lose 20 pounds: Oh boy. I don't even want to address this one. Here have been my weights on January 1st for the past 3 years...

January 1, 2009: 152 lbs
January 1, 2010: 163 lbs
January 1, 2011: 170 lbs

So essentially, I've been slowly gaining weight every year since I started doing triathlons (what?!). That's totally counter-productive. But I'm working on this.

Goals for 2011:

• Run more than 280 miles.
• Do an olympic triathlon in under 3:49.
• Run a 5K under 28:00.
• Average 18.5 mph biking in a race.
• Weigh 155 or less by next January 1st.
  

Happy New Year everyone! Go sleep off your hangovers and get your butt in gear for 2011!

Picking a Race

I mentioned last week that I was trying to decide which race to do next. It was between a Local 5-Miler and a Thanksgiving 5K.

Well, the 5-Miler is on Sunday, and I still haven't been working out (eek!), so that's a no-go.

But the 5K is in 6 weeks. That's the perfect amount of time to get my butt in gear and strive for a PR. I haven't done a 5K since April of 2009, and I have definitely gotten faster since then... so a PR is not at all out of the question.

So I'll be running the Chester County Turkey Trot 5K.


It takes place at 8am on Thanksgiving Day in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and the cost is a reasonable $20. Why Pennyslvania? Ryan and I will be there spending the holiday with his family. I think his dad is even considering running the race too (which is good, because I don't want to be the only weirdo out there on Thanksgiving Day running in the cold)!

It looks like a trip to the Y is in order.

Turning 25

I turned 25 last month.

It's time for my quarter-life crisis. What if I want to be a zoologist instead of work in TV? What if I want to drive a Ferrari instead of an SUV? What if I want to live in Italy instead of Indiana?

Yeah... none of that. I hardly noticed when the clock rolled over and I was suddenly 25 years old. Meh. I can rent a car now (cue the sarcasitic "woooo").

But what was awesome about turning 25, is that a bunch of people came over to help me celebrate with poker, flip cup, and beer pong.

Half the crew, gearing up for another round of Flip Cup

Plus! I received a lot of awesome triathlon-related gifts!

Ryan wrapped his presents in Christmas paper...

What could it be?


A Garmin Forerunner 305!


I was very excited to take it out for a test-run. I wore it while Ryan and I walked Maggie around the block. I "oooed" and "ahhed" at it's fanciness.

As I mentioned in my last race report, it was absolutely instrumental in helping me stay under 11 minute-miles during the run-portion of my triathlon.

I love you, Garmin. Let's never part.

But with new-found heart rate knowledge came a lot of heartache (okay... that was totally over dramatic, but I had to give you a little tease so you'll come back for more, right?!)

Stay tuned for the story of my beating heart...

He Proposed

Well, how can I leave anyone in suspense with a title like that?

Ryan and I are engaged. He proposed Saturday afternoon... dropped down to one knee right in the middle of our shopping trip at IKEA!

I totally thought he was joking. a) I had NO idea this was coming. I mean... I knew EVENTUALLY, but not any time soon. And b) it was IKEA!

I thought maybe he had found someone's ring on the floor, and picked it up jokingly like "marry me!" or something. It took me at least a full minute to realize he was serious.

Right after I said "yes".

What's funny is when I see that picture, all I see is the fact that I haven't showered. He and I had just spent 4 hours in the car driving from Indiana to my parents' house in Illinois. When we finally got there, I said, "Wow, I'm gross. I think I smell." Ryan said, "Well, maybe you should go shower." And I replied, "Nah... I'll shower before church... after we get back from IKEA."

D'OH!

Oh well... he tried. And the smelly girlfriend became the smelly fiance.


He totally ruined our shopping trip. We were on a major roll and had a list of things to buy for our new place, but after the proposal, my brain stopped working. I was just wandering the store in shock. I even left our list of what to buy back at where he had asked (right in the middle of the Marketplace, in case you're wondering!).

Here are some pictures of the ring for all you ladies out there (guys... go get a snack or something)...




We went to church Saturday evening, followed by dinner with my mom. Then back home to make phone calls and go to bed early (not like anyone could sleep after something like that!).

On Sunday, a bunch of my family came over for Easter. We had a big dinner and a big easter egg hunt (even though there was only one child under the age of 21).


The first thing everyone asks is "have you set a date?" No we haven't set a date! We just got engaged TWO days ago! Plus, before we can set a date, we first need to figure out what state we'll have it in.

Goodbye, Decade!

Wow, I've only blogged once in December. And I completely missed Christmas. Woops. Well, Merry belated Christmas everyone! (Training loot I scored: running shorts, 2 water bottles, a hat, 2 pair of running socks, and a gift card towards aero bars!)

December is over... and with that, 2009 is over, along with this wacky decade.

Miles Run in 2009: 183.6
Miles Biked in 2009: 217.4
Miles Swam in 2009: 3.9 miles

Total Number of Workouts in 2009: 112

Notes: I passed my goal in miles run by 13.6 miles. Phew, that was close! However, I passed 2008's total by a whopping 85 miles. Hurray! I biked 80 fewer miles this year than last, and I only swam half as far as last year. Ouch. But it's okay, because I was really concentrating on improving my running this year... which I definitely feel I did!

How did I do on the rest of my goals? Technically, I DID get my sprint time below 1:35, but mainly because the bike course was 2 or 3 miles shorter than a typical course. I did NOT get my 5K time below 27 minutes, but I only ran 1 of them (without much training, mind you). And lastly, do I weigh less now than at the beginning of the year....?

HA! In fact, I weigh ELEVEN pounds more, which brings me to my next bit...

Ryan and I are engaging in a friendly weight loss wager. This is how it's going down:

• On Saturday, January 2nd, he and I will conduct our official weigh-in.
• We then have 8 consecutive weeks to lose as much weight as possible.
• We are allowed to weigh ourselves during the process, but we may not share our progress with each other.
  
• After 4 weeks (the halfway point), we will have one official weigh-in to gauge how it's going.
• Then, on Saturday, February 27th, we will conduct the final weigh-in.
• The person who has lost the largest percentage of weight wins.

The Prize: The person who loses has to cook dinner from scratch for the winner. They also will be in charge of taking Maggie out for an entire week. I'm sure there will be other prizes added as the competition grows, but this is it for now.

My goal for the competition is to lose at least 8 lbs. Bring it, Ryan!

But it doesn't end there. Because THIS is the year that I cut the crap... figuratively, and literally cut the CRAP out of my diet. Plus, I'm going to try to make working out a routine. It shouldn't just be for when I'm training for a race... it should be ALWAYS. At least 4 days a week. So my ultimate goal for 2010 is to lose 20 pounds. Do you think I can do it?

Other goals for 2010:

• Run more than 210 miles.
• Complete an olympic-distance triathlon.
• Run a 10K in under 58 minutes.
• Average 17.5 mph biking in a race.

And I don't want to put this one on the goal list, because I'm not sure it's really possible right now... but I MAY possibly consider trying for a half marathon this year. SHHH! You didn't hear that from me!

So Happy New Year everyone! Drink a lot, eat a lot, take a cab, then sleep a lot. It all starts in 2010!

I'm About to Make You Jealous

While you were all dealing with snow and frigid temperatures, I was in sunny, 80-degree Maui!

Here is the photographic summary:

Watching the sunrise on top of a volcano...


Then we biked down the volcano...


A glimpse of the beach by our hotel...


Watching surfers...


Royal Lahaina Luau...


Going on a whale-watching tour...


View of Maui from the boat...


Whale!


Last night in Hawaii...


Beautiful sunset...


So I succeeded, right? You're all totally cursing the past week you spent trudging through the snow and going to work every morning like total suckers.

Overall, it was an awesome vacation. We did a lot of laying around in the sun. I'm rocking a nice tan and an extra 5 lbs.

But today, it's back to work (NOOOOOOOooooooooo!!!!). I need to get back to the Y soon (perhaps tomorrow), so I can reverse this 5 lb gain as quickly as possible. Only 11 days til Christmas. I actually get Christmas OFF this year, so I'm totally excited!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Of course, I'm at work. The TV business is so much fun.

Maggie and I are hanging out by ourselves this weekend cause Ryan flew home to be with his family. So here is the game plan:

Thursday: Do nothing. Work. Drink wine.
I'm trying to ignore the fact that one year ago, I wrote on my blog "It's been 2 years since I've had a real Thanksgiving. Maybe next year." Woops. Well, definitely not THIS year... so maybe NEXT year. Although, this year does top last year (corn and 2 biscuits during my 30 minute dinner break) because our News Director brought in dinner for all of us. I just finished my turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls. Perhaps it's time for some pumpkin pie.

Friday: Unpack Christmas decorations. Decorate!
This is one of my favorite days of the year. I love spending all day listening to Christmas music and breaking out all the decor. The difference from last year being that I now have a larger and nicer apartment to fill with Christmas cheer!

Saturday: Buy everyone's Christmas gifts.
Due to our upcoming Hawaiian vacation, and the fact that I work a lot of nights, this weekend appears to be the best (only) time to do all my Christmas shopping. I'm avoiding Friday's madness cause I would like to keep my limbs and sanity, thank you. I've only bought one gift so far, so I have a long day of shopping ahead of me.

Sunday: Ryan will be home!

I hope everyone is home and enjoying family and food. I'm not upset about spending today at work, because I get Christmas day off for the first time since college. That, and I'll be on a beach in Maui in only 9 days! Be jealous!

P.S. My Dad and Brother ran a 5k this morning. My Dad PRed, of course, with an awesome time (don't remember exactly... but somewhere in the 25:00s). So congrats to them! I'm trying to will my toe to heal quickly so I can get back to running ASAP.

TGIF Photo Friday

It's a little late, but I here are my photos!

They are obviously from Halloween.



My college roommates came to visit...



We got ridiculous...



Good times had by all.

Speaking of good times, I'm going to write a REAL post... tommorrow! I bet you're all just peeing yourself with excitement.

Get ready!

TGIF Photo Friday

I can't believe it's been a week since I've posted.

To answer all your questions (well... question, singular, since you all asked the same thing), this is what we bought Ryan's niece for her 3rd birthday:



It's a Fisher Price digital camera. HOW COOL IS THAT? Ok, maybe I'm a little over-excited, but I didn't have a camera when I was her age... much less a DIGITAL one! It's waterproof and practically indestructible (perfect for a toddler). I'm pretty sure she liked it. She immediately took a bunch of photos of all of us. Although, her aim needs a little practice.

We had a great whirlwind weekend on the east coast. It's crazy that Ryan and I have been dating for 1 1/2 years, but I had only ever met his parents.

It goes without saying, however, that I didn't track my calories while we were away. But I got rolling again when we returned, and I'm a WHOPPING 1/2 lb down. (I'll pause for your Oooos and Ahhhs...)

We are going on ANOTHER trip this weekend... this time down to Cincinnati for my college roommate's wedding. And because Maggie is on medication, and because we feel guilty boarding her, she will be coming too! Yay!

Training? What's that? There are 2 weeks and 2 days until my final triathlon of the season, and I've been lazy (or busy? Yeah... I'll go with busy). I've only worked out 4 times since my last triathlon almost 3 weeks ago.

So, I really don't smell any super duper PRs or anything. I'll just aim for finishing in one piece and not hating myself.

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! See you on Tuesday!

A Bloody Good Run

I hadn't run since last Wednesday. With these longer-than-usual runs every week, it's been taking me longer than usual in between to recover.

So yesterday morning, I ran 6 miles. Every time I add more distance to my run, I get increasingly nervous that I might not finish.

Well, it turned out to be an extremely difficult run, mentally. It was warm and windy. At my 3-mile turnaround, my hip began to hurt. Each mile went slower than the previous. I REALLY wanted to stop. I wouldn't even allow myself to stop for water because I didn't think I would be able to coerce myself to start up again.

But I pushed through. I've become pretty good at that over the past year. Walking is no longer an option. Ever.

And it's a good thing I finished, because my time was an impressive 1:03. To put that into perspective, I finished last week's run (1/2 a mile shorter) a minute SLOWER. I would like to say again that I am a crazy unpredictable runner!

So I'm happy with my time, and I'm feeling less anxious about next week's race. I'll try to get in a 6.5 mile run this week, but I won't freak out if I don't.

As for my issue from last week, I used a large square bandaid that seemed to work well. So my mole held up through all 6 miles...

... but my toe did not.



Ewwwwww!

_________________________

On a different note, happy belated Mothers Day everyone! It was actually my parents' anniversary yesterday too, so yay for that!

We're doing a family dinner in Chicago tonight in honor of Mothers Day and my mom's birthday last week. Then I'm doing lunch with my grandparents tomorrow, followed by a dentist appointment (bleh) with my uncle. Overall, LOTS of family time!

TGIF Photo Friday

(Theme courtesy Nikemom.)

Today I present you with proof that I have indeed been packing. These photos are actually a few days old, which means I've gotten even MORE done since then (and my place is no longer a mess).







I need to run today. I'm thinking 3 miles (I'm so far off my schedule that I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing). Everyone have a good weekend, and Happy Mothers Day to all the ladies!

Running and a 2-Hour Easter

I completed four workouts in the past week. That's pretty good compared to what I was averaging in March.

My training plan had me run 3 1/2 miles on Thursday and Saturday. I was supposed to run an easy 2 miles today, but it was 28 degrees and raining. I don't do rain.

But, as for my 3 1/2 miles... the one on Saturday was much better. I completed the distance 3:30 faster than I had on Thursday. I have NO idea why I do this. You'd think a runner like myself would be able to keep a consistant pace day-to-day. Apparently not. I just never know if it's going to be a 9 min/mile day, or a 12 min/mile day.

On schedule for tomorrow is a... (wait for it)... TRACK WORKOUT. Wow. I haven't done one of those since... well... track. We'll see if the weather cooperates.

__________________________

Yesterday was Easter (duh). Even though I had to work (of course), I was able to drive down to my aunt's house in the morning, and hang out with family for 2 hours. It's hard to justify a 4 hour round-trip drive for only 2 hours being there, but I havn't spent a holiday with my family in TWO YEARS. It was nice to see them.

All of my cousins are too old for egg hunts, with the exception of one. She is 3 1/2. And since it's been 2 years since I've done a family holiday, it's obvious that I haven't gotten to see her much.




Kids grow up so fast. Especially when you don't see them every day. Last time I saw her, she wasn't even talking!

I know it's been a while, but I will post my next Food Challenge post sometime over the next couple days. Happy Easter, everyone!

V-Day

I've received a lot of Valentine's Day cards. I think I've gotten more Valentine's Day cards than I got Christmas cards in December!


(this isn't all of them)

However, my boyfriend is mostly to thank for that, because a whopping FIVE cards are from him! I also got one from a friend, one from my parents, and one from my grandparents (thanks, thanks, and thanks!).

This has always been a weird holiday for me. I've always been either single, in a long distance relationship, or dating someone who didn't care ("Vale-what?"). So while most couples are out to dinner with their valentine's right now, I'm working, and my boyfriend is at home in PA.

I hope you all do something special tonight (even if it's just drink an entire bottle of wine by yourself). Happy Valentine's Day!

TGIF Photo Friday

(Theme Courtesy Nikemom.)

It's a very important day today... it's Friday the 13th! This has always been a BIG holiday with my friends and I.

I have a friend who I've known since preschool. Friday the 13th was always celebrated with a campout in her backyard. We would buy a bunch of junk food and rent a bunch of scary movies and watch them on a portable TV.

As the years went on, the tradition grew to include more and more people. Here's us the summer before our senior year in High School...




(Yes, the blonde with the sunglasses is me. Yes, it's my natural hair color.)

So I hope everyone does something super spooky today! This is a HOLIDAY, people! And if you miss this one, there is another one next month!

Happy New Year!

Went out with coworkers last night. Drank too much. Had to take a taxi back to the bar this morning to get my car. A little hungover.

By far the scariest moment of my day was listening to the cab driver talk about all the times he's driven drunk. Ummmm.....

On that FUN note, I hope everyone has a memorable and SAFE 2009!

What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Ran a 5K and a Triathlon!

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I had any last year. I already made mine for this year.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A dog and more money in savings (I think those are contradictory).

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving a long distance relationship for 9+ months, losing 12 lbs, finishing my first triathlon.

What was your biggest failure?
Eating junk food, complaining too much.

What was the best thing you bought?
My bike, Reagan!

Where did most of your money go?
Rent and food.

What song will always remind you of 2008?
"So What" by Pink and "Shake It" by Metro Station

Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier... I had just gone through a really bad breakup and I was living in Nowhere, Wisconsin.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner, but I don't know how much.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer... I don't make enough money to live on, so I had to dip into savings.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Going out with friends, Biking.

How did you spend the holidays?
Working.

Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes.

What was your favorite TV program?
The Office.

What was your favorite film of this year?
Sex and the City.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Ryan was here. We went to the bar with some coworkers. I was 23.

What kept you sane?
More like "who"... my mom and Ryan, who listen to me whine.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
All you really need to be a triathlete is willpower.

TGIF Photo Friday

It's me on Christmas morning... ready to eat breakfast and open presents!



(theme courtesy nikemom)

I hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas! I am super sad it's over (and I really hate the thought of having to take down all my decorations).

So, I Hear it's Christmas

Because of this joyous holiday, there will be NO working out and NO calorie counting today. I didn't even weigh myself this morning!

I'm already back at work. I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

My First Christmas

Well, not my first Christmas in the "Baby's First Christmas" sense. But my holiday season has been split into 2 Christmas's... one with my boyfriend, and one with my family.

Ryan flew in on Monday and probably gagged when he saw how festive my apartment was.

But that feeling was most likely replaced with joy when he saw all the presents under my tree, and a stocking with his (metaphorical) name on it.

We had 2 days filled with holiday activities.

First, we decorated a gingerbread house while listening to Christmas music.



All that candy...



Whenever I made a mistake, I ate it. (*Foreshadowing*)



Ryan was a very meticulous worker.



The gingerbread construction company even nominated him as union president.



Our house turned out super cute, of course.



It even had a little Ryan and Kelly peeking out the windows...



That night, we watched "Charlie Brown" and exchanged gifts. He got a travel organizer, the Office Season 2, and framed photos from D.C. I got 2 seasons of the Simpsons, Fight Club, and a Weezer CD.

We went to dinner at Applebees. (*foreshadowing*)

On Tuesday, we cooked our holiday feast (I really liked the word "feast" last week).

My mom had bought us a turkey breast as the main dish.



Except, she had accidentally bought one that was cajun-flavored.



Oh well.



We had potatoes that were boiled and mashed...




We had a strawberry cheesecake for dessert...



Our timing was a little off. The turkey was done before we had started the rolls or the corn.




But finally it was time to eat.



And eat we did! (*foreshadowing*)




The next morning, I woke up and had gained 2 pounds. Ouch.

Not that two pounds is a LOT, but I had finally passed my 10-pound mark, and would've liked to stay there.

But you know what? It wasn't my fault. It was CHRISTMAS'S fault. Because Christmas forced delicious mashed potatoes and gravy and cheesecake and candy and wine and rolls down my throat. FORCED, I tell you.

So I start up again tomorrow. I have 5 1/2 pounds left until I reach my goal, so I need to start stepping up my game. I will do some sort of workout tomorrow (I still have 2.7 miles to run for this year, but with THESE temperatures,



I'm lucky if I even get out of bed in the morning.)