Gym Hiatus, Over

I got back into the gym yesterday after having been out for more than two full weeks due to our family lake-cation and then my first week of work plus Bible School last week. I was anticipating a difficult run, but I surprised myself by not only powering through 3.2 miles in 34 minutes, but breaking my PTR for a 5k! I wish that in real life, my body kept me at the steady pace the treadmill does… But I guess that’s part of the “fun” in the challenge of competing in races.

I am not above the post-workout sweaty selfie. I guess I’m not above not having friends, either…

Today, I was able to get in 28 laps in the 25-meter pool before the teenage lifeguards up on their high-horses blew their whistles with all their might, acting like the British were coming over a few rumbles of thunder. Swimming is my favorite form of cross-training, and probably the only sport at which I’ve ever felt I was good.

I’m not nearly on the pace of my half-marathon training schedule that I’d like to be. However, my goal for June was to feel relatively comfortable running six miles at a pop; goal accomplished! My goal for July, then, was to feel comfortable running nine miles at a time. Not only am I nowhere near feeling comfortable with such a distance, I have never run as far! I’m hoping to get back on track with my training as soon as possible, though comfortability with nine miles in the next two weeks is probably not feasible.

Neither my half buddy, Lauren, nor I has maintained our training schedules as strictly as we would have liked to, and we’ll readily admit it. I’m glad that we’ve agreed to move our half back at least until October, which will give us more time to train, to save money, and to prepare ourselves mentally for the challenge which lies ahead. Neither of us wants to lose sight of the goal we set four months ago, but we also don’t want to pay good money to be unprepared for something that could potentially cause us injury. Kudos to all you working moms out there who train for marathons year-round; I have the ultimate respect for you and how much dedication it must take to be so disciplined!

In other news, I had a revelation recently. Pretty much up til now, I’ve blogged when I had “something to say.” I try not to post vapid,  empty material that isn’t worthy of anyone’s time. Not every post needs to be pithy or tug at your heartstrings, either. I just want to strike a balance. It occurred to me, though, that plenty of my favorite bloggers write something simple every day (or almost every day) in an attempt to give readers a window in their everyday lives. I’ve decided that as long as time allows, that’s the kind of blog I want to maintain. Here’s to making an effort at blogging as often as possible to keep you updated on what I do day-to-day! 🙂

P.S. Is there anything in particular you’d like to see on SWASOV? I’m happy to oblige!

You Want Me to Make WHAT?!

First of all, let me just say that the reason I haven’t been blogging as regularly doesn’t have much to do with my cruise; it’s writer’s block! I don’t have much to write about because so much of what I’m working on (Practicum, schoolwork, Internship placement, wedding biz) is confidential (or stuff I’ve written about far too often to even be considered “often.”)

Plus, if I’m being totally honest with myself — and with you guys — I’ve fallen off the healthy-living bandwagon a bit and I’m feeling a little disgruntled. I’m working my way back on, but there isn’t exactly a novel there. If you’re still reading, thanks for sticking with me!

Now, for today’s topic…

Ian is holding me down and forcing asking me to create a bracket for the college basketball championships. In case I’ve never mentioned it before, I am no sports aficionado. I know this much about sports:

Yeah. That much.

It’s not that I’m one of those hair-twirled-around-the-finger, gum-snapping, dumb-on-purpose (or-just-dumb-no-one-is-really-sure) girls. It’s that for the most part, sports simply do not interest me.

I actually know a fair amount about basketball. I played (not well, I might add) for a number of years in elementary school and middle school. I’ve been attending University of Richmond games with my dad since I was a toddler. I went to a number of games to support my Longwood Lancers, plus Ian and I continue to support Hampden-Sydney basketball.

But honestly, if it ain’t live, I don’t care. That’s why this bracket business is annoying.

If there’s one thing I hate more than watching sports on TV, it’s being left out of something that everyone else is doing. Yes, I’m five. 

This begs the age-old question, “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you jump off, too?”

Well, in the case of the college basketball bracket bridge-jumping, then yes.

So tonight, while I’m cozied up on my couch rewatching season 2 of Pretty Little Liars and smiling into my Healthy Choice Greek froyo, I’ll be completing this %&$#@ bracket.

You’re welcome, honey.

P.S. Have you ever created a sports bracket before? 

Surrendering (And How It Wasn’t as Bad as I Thought It Would Be)

“Mama said there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this, Mama said…”

Okay, I’m done. I’m no songster, anyway. The lyrics just floated through my brain and seemed so appropriate for today’s post 😉

I’m not usually one of those women who willingly admits she can’t do something. Actually, I’m more of one of those I-Am-Woman-Hear-Me-Roar types.

I always try to be straight with you, so I’ll be straight right now – the mixture of activities taking place in my life right now is stressful, and at times, overwhelming. I am completing my Practicum experience, attempting to solidify summer employment, working on securing an Internship site for the next academic year, planning a wedding, trying to fit in regular exercise, and managing my apartment as well as daily living tasks and weekly schoolwork. Whew!

[Please note: I am in no way trying to insinuate that my life is any busier or more action-packed than anyone else’s; in fact, I am trying not to play the comparison game these days. I’m simply stating that my life is chaotic in my world.]

That being said, sometimes I need a little assistance balancing everything. After weeks of debating and weighing the pros and cons, I decided to seek counseling at the college’s counseling center.

I thought I would waltz right in, flash my college ID, and get started discussing stress with one of the counselors. Come to find out, my college’s counseling center requires a record of a recent physical and immunization records, as well as a completed student medical information form before the counselors can see any student—even a graduate student. Hence why I made a trip to Richmond in the middle of the week for a physical.

As I was texting Ian about my difficulty in even establishing an appointment, he said something to me that resonated deeply because it is such a prime controversy in this country right now: This is a ridiculous amount of hoops. I wish it were this difficult to buy a weapon. (That’s a different topic for a different day.)

You might be asking yourself, why would you choose to see a college counseling center when there are “real” counselors all over the place? The answer is, for three reasons. Primarily, the college counseling center is close, and there is no waiting list for new clients. Second, it is a free service afforded to all students, graduate and undergraduate. Private counseling practices can be very pricey. Third, and perhaps most difficult to admit, I don’t hold a particularly positive view of college counseling centers. I say “real” counselors in quotes because the counselors at colleges are real counselors—they have experience and training, and many of them graduated from programs similar or identical to mine. They are often stereotyped as either young, hot-off-the-press graduates with little or no experience in the issues experienced by college students who “don’t really help you,” or antiquated older men who live to prescribe medication. In reality, they are rarely either of these undesirables. Hey, after completing 60 credit hours post-Bachelor’s degree and 700 hours of experience, I won’t appreciate it too much if future prospective clients don’t think of me as a “real” counselor! I’m making the best attempt I know how at overcoming my mental stigma against seeing a counselor on a college campus.

So, here I am, ready to see a counselor for the first time since I was fifteen… and still waiting for the results of my physical to arrive. I kind of doubt the counseling center will turn me away if my blood sugar is too low or my cholesterol is too high. I just want to talk to somebody about my freaking stress level!

Someone asked me recently, “Can’t you use some of the techniques you’ve been taught for helping clients deal with stress?” Well, yes and no. That task is easier said than done. It’s kind of like talking to your best friend about what’s bothering you over and over and receiving the same answer each time, and then finally breathing a sigh of relief when you gain a fresh perspective from talking to someone else about what’s bothering you. Yes, I can apply what I’ve learned to my own life, but I think a fresh perspective is just what I need right now.

For example, my meltdown a few weeks ago was actually not the result of stress over floral arrangements or photographers’ prices or cupcake flavors; it was the result of cumulative stress. Since said meltdown, I’m happy to report that my stress level has been reduced significantly 😉

Again, I’ll be straight with you – it’s not easy admitting to people that you need help managing life stressors that others seem to balance with such ease and grace. When I worry about what people might assume when I tell them I’m seeking counseling, I try to remember that each person has unique stressors in his or her life, each person possesses different coping mechanisms, and each person experiences a different outcome as the result of the stressors and the ways they deal with them.

For the first time in my life, I’m looking forward to the ways counseling can benefit my personal life, let alone my career. Stress can be a difficult animal to harness and subdue, and I’m looking forward to letting someone else help me take the reins for a bit. As always, updates to follow!

I’m off to the gym to sweat out a little stress 😉

Question: How do you cope with life stressors?

My Personal “Hunger Games”

Maybe I live an insanely blah life, or maybe I tend to enjoy things that other people loathe, but perhaps the only thing I like one of my favorite things about starting a new semester is renewing myself from the inside out.

Last semester, I wrote about my near-constant hunger. I consulted my doctor and had bloodwork done, but I only experienced relief for about two months. Of all of the factors we discussed that could have been contributing to my hunger, my doctor and I never discussed whether I was eating enough of the right stuff. For example, I know my diet is full of leafy green veggies, water, fresh fruit, and a variety of bright colors… but I don’t know whether I’m consuming enough healthy carbs or sufficient protein.

At the beginning of this semester, in order to combat my baffling hunger, I’ve decided to keep a log of the (measurable) carbohydrates, total fat, and protein I’m consuming during the week. Being that I’m not a registered dietician, nor am I in the habit of driving myself insane, by “measurable” I mean that raw, fresh, and whole foods will not be included (unless they are supplied with a label) — because I don’t want to measure the number of raspberries on my cereal or Google the nutrition info for one-third of a cucumber. This also means that I won’t count meals eaten out (which are typically on the weekend, anyway).

I am NOT counting calories. I hate the idea of a restrictive diet; I prefer to make an attempt at eating as many whole, fresh foods as possible to strive for balance. Sometimes, I eat what I want when I want to eat it. C’est la vie. I’m not going to get my panties in a wad over a cookie or a Diet Coke.

I am also NOT turning this exercise into one of my myriad “challenges.” I do not intend to alter the foods I normally eat to fool myself into believing my carb/fat/protein consumption is sufficient or over-and-above. I’m simply making a record so I can ascertain whether my consumption is compatible with my RDV and my level of exercise.

Not because I think you’re on the edge of your seat biting your nails with anticipation, but because blogging is an easy way to hold myself accountable, I’ll be reporting back with stats!

Here’s to (hopefully) solving my hunger woes, and to being one step closer to a fitter, more nutrition-oriented me! 😉

Could there be a cuter way to take notes?!

[Edited to add: Today I consumed 164g carbohydrates, 39g protein, and 8g fat. Low on all counts.]

Groupon + Cupcake-Tasting

This afternoon, my wonderful mother surprised me by bringing home a half-dozen Carytown Cupcakes! Maybe it was because she knows I have an insatiable sweet tooth, maybe it’s because she thought I might like a sweet treat after my power-walk and doing a trillion loads of laundry, or maybe she was just being my mom 😉 Either way, her surprise totally hit the spot! We split a cookie dough cupcake after lunch. Full disclosure: we’ll probably split another one after dinner.

She selected red velvet, carrot, cookie dough, raspberry lemonade (vice-versa cake and frosting), and an adorable Hershey-bar-adorned flavor she can’t remember for us to taste-test. Ian and I haven’t made any decisions regarding cupcakes vs. a traditional cake for the wedding, but hey, I’ll taste-test anything that has the word “cake” in it.

Part of the reason she splurged on Carytown Cupcakes was due to Groupon. She had been hoarding holding on to some sort of fantastic deal I didn’t know about, and she decided to use it for the greater good… (a.k.a. me). She got 6 cupcakes, normally priced at $16 for a half-dozen, for just eight bucks!

Another reason is because we got caught up looking at bakery websites last night — Carytown Cupcakes, Sweetly Smitten, Ukrop’s Bakery, Baker’s Kitchen, Pearl’s Cupcake Shoppe… — until well after our bedtimes. I gotta say, all of the promos, offers, packages, and decisions (decisions, decisions!) are overwhelming. Maybe my taste buds can help me choose, eh? [Sorry, honey, but this is one taste-test I’ll be conducting without you.]

Thankfully for Ian and me, a lot of the research I’ve done indicates that most bakeries will schedule tasting consultations with couples and let them sample several flavors gratis. [Guess I’ll have to kick up my workout regimen…] We’ve scheduled one such consultation for next month, and I am beyond excited! Right now, I feel like things are still in the “discussion” phase, and with the advent of upcoming appointments, I feel like we’ll transition into the “planning” phase.

I hope you all have a *sweet* evening, my blends!

Disclaimer: I don’t promise that the blog won’t be flooded with far-too-much wedding-planning info, but I do promise that the blog won’t be all wedding, all the time. I’m just really excited to share everything with you!