Healthy Girl on the Run

Learning to be a Second Lieutenant - BOLC

2015-07-19T17:07:00.002-07:00

Few days for an update.... a month... it's all the same, right?! :|

For the past 5 weeks, I've been at Fort Sam Houston Joint Base San Antonio attending the Basic Officer Leadership Course!

My view from the hotel (at Fort Sam)

The temperature has rarely gone below 90 degrees and my days typically start around 4am and end (usually) by 5:30pm.

Trying to find some shade

I've learned a LOT while being here, but I have to say that the majority of what I learned has been outside of the designated class time and from things like advice from prior service members and reservists and also just from experience.

Some small "nuggets" and tips I've learned thus far:

Standing at attention requires a 45 degree angle between feet, with heels touching; scapula is retracted and hands are clasped in a fist (thumbs on the outside) [yes, this is required]
Rifle/weapon (never to be called a gun.. oops) is to be carried at "low ready" at all times [and must be carried everywhere with you like a 3rd arm... including the latrines - you could get attacked anywhere!]
When firing, jam the M16 into the soft muscular part above the pectoralis muscle - the soft tissue absorbs most of the recoil
Tucking in trousers to boots was much easier than trying to use the blousers (these never worked for me!)
The gas chamber sucks. Imagine feeling like you really, really want to breathe but your body is absolutely refusing

Me, smiling (somehow) after the gas chamber (not seen are the copious tears and snot covering my face)

Putting thick hair into a bun is much easier once it's braided (which was also a learning experience)

First the braid

Then the bun

Baby wipes are essential for days where there's no time to shower / the line is too long
Having a book to read in the field is CRUCIAL! I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have a book to read during the times we're waiting around for the next assignment
Learned to be patient ("hurry up and wait" is big in the Army and with 470 students and generally ~15 cadre, it's tough to get everyone in formation / doing the right thing

Arriving at Camp Bullis for Field Training

Our tents (30 people in each)

I have not eaten any of the MREs (meals-ready-to-eat) - by choice - a lot of the snacks in them have trans fats but more than that, I just don't find them overly appetizing.

MRE = Meal Ready to Eat. Opening it is like Christmas - you never know what you're going to get!

Instead, I brought beef jerky (yes has lots of sodium but considering I'm mostly replenishing with just water throughout the day, I need those extra electrolytes), roasted almonds and LOTS of chocolate-chip quest bars. Fortunately, we do have hot chow for breakfast and dinner and I've found both quite delicious! For breakfast, there's fruit (apples, bananas and oranges - but you have to be one of the early ones to get this cause they run out), eggs (have looked green/watery on occasion but it tastes just fine), bacon, oatmeal, and "coffee" aka dirty water (I drink it anyways), and for dinner: some form of spaghetti or meatballs or "mystery meat" with canned mixed veggies and a side salad).

Prepping for land navigation!

One thing I've noticed that's surprised me while being at Field Training is that it's hard to do physical training (PT) because the only time designated for it happens to be the same time that cell phone use is permitted, dinner is served, and showers are open. Also, it's at the end of a long day and the temperature is still in the 90s. Instead, I've been doing "mat" workouts using a hotel towel and doing that on the floor of the tent to do "7 minute workouts" (even got some of my cabin mates to join in!) but in terms of running, I've been saving that for when I'm home at Fort Sam on the weekends.

That's all for now! Hopefully won't be as long before I check in again!

Spring, is that you?

2015-03-11T10:43:00.001-07:00

Days like today (mind you, I'm here in Columbus, OH, but I know Boston is equally as warm), get me excited about the incoming warm weather and help forget about the past two months of arctic temperatures that we've had to endure. I'm excited not just because it means not having to briskly walk to school with a face mask and layers-on-layers of clothes, but also because it means longer hours of daytime, and more motivation to run outside!

I'm going to be running a half-marathon this Spring (either this one: TARC Half Marathon or one in mid-late May... any suggestions?) because it's nice to have something to train for!

Workout of the week:

Filthy Fifty
For time:
50 Box Jumps (24in box)
50 Jumping pull-ups (use a small box or step to start on)
50 Kettlebell (KB) swings (16kg; swing to parallel with the ground, not above the head)
50 Walking lunges
50 Knees to elbows (See Video - these are HARD so take breaks!)
50 Push press (30lbs)
50 Back extensions
50 Wallballs (14lbs)
50 Burpees
50 Double unders (or 100 normal jump ropes)

*Scaled version of this is "Dirty 30" with 30 reps instead of 50 of each exercise!

"I'd Rather do Burpees"

2015-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ever think you'd say the words: "I'd rather do burpees"? Well, after the workout we did this morning in UXF Tabata, that was just the case for a few brave souls.

The workout, designed by my fellow Coach, Brooks Dyer, consists of the following:
5 RFT, 24min time cap

20 jump squats
20 push-ups
20 TRX rows
20 power cleans
20 seesaw press

It's heavy on the upper body but such a great workout! I highly recommend it!

For the WORKOUT OF THE WEEK:
Doublet ladder: going from 1 --> 15 burpees while doing 15 --> 1 KB swings
So the sets look like this:
1 burpee, 15 KB swings
2 burpees, 14 KB swings
.... [+1 burpee, -1 KB swing]
14 burpees, 2 KB swings
15 burpees, 1 KB swing

In total, you'll end up doing 120 burpees and 120 KB swings!

Now, along with these awesome workouts above, I also want to take a second to review nutrition. Refueling after an intense workout is crucial!! While a lot of my clients and fellow workout enthusiasts have an individual goal of trying to lose a few pounds or drop a pant size, proper nutrition after stressing your muscles is not only going to HELP you lose weight and be healthy in the end, but it's also going to ensure efficient recovery for your muscles. There will be a variety of "experts" out there telling you that you must have "X number of grams of this-and-that exactly such and such minutes [made-up number...] after finishing your workout" and this isn't some hard-fast rule. Yes, it's important to replenish your muscles and body with water, electrolytes, protein and healthy fat and carbs soon after a workout, but that doesn't mean you need to buy into some ridiculous GNC product and consume it a set-time after. Just get home, make tuna+avocado with an apple on the side or have some greek yogurt (I like Fage 0% Plain because there is NO sugar!) with fresh berries (real sugar) and granola.

The worst thing you can do though? Is not eat because you think that it's going to help you lose weight. You're messing with your metabolism and not helping your fatigued muscles heal, which could lead to feeling overly sore the following day (for your next workout).

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!

Love Your Body

2015-02-13T05:27:00.003-08:00

With Valentine's day this weekend, and conveniently, the month of February is National Heart month, this week's workout is dedicated to keeping your body healthy and energized to protect on of the most important organs: your heart!

Make sure you spend enough time with some cardio (elliptical, treadmill, hiking, biking) before you do the weights portion of this workout. Increasing your heart rate while weight-lifting helps raise your resting metabolic rate: so your muscles continue burning fuel even while you're sitting at your office desk or watching TV on the couch at home. In order to achieve the maximum cardiovascular benefits from a workout (to prevent diseases like hypertension), you'll want to calculate the ideal HR (in bpm) range:

First, find your maximum HR (MHR) = 220 - Age
Your optimal cardiovascular range is [85%*MHR] on the low end, and MHR (minus about 5, you want a little buffer). When you're on the treadmill or elliptical, you can check your heart rate by holding on to the metal handles. Alternatively, there are some great fitness watches that not only track your mileage / time on a run but also, in real-time, track your heart rate.

Fitbit Surge $250

Workout:
21-18-15-12-9 (*must do every exercise listed below 21 times before starting the 18 reps, etc)

KB Clean and Press
Crossfit sit-ups
Box Jumps

No more snow!!

2015-02-04T09:03:00.002-08:00

So... who's done with winter?

Don't let all this snow and cold weather bring you down though, time for a great workout! And what better day to celebrate the Patriot's amazing Super Bowl win with a Pats-themed workout than the day of the Parade!

4x through (TB12 now has 4 rings):
28 OH Plate (45#, 25#) squats
24 Push-ups

Go for time. Feel free to do an additional 30-minute cardio workout afterwards (run, elliptical, bike, walk)

Blizzard Warning!!

2015-01-25T18:24:00.002-08:00

Finally, it's feeling like WINTER! With the upcoming arrival of (hopefully) up to 2-3 feet of snow, surely I'm not the only one excited to build a snowman... I'm especially excited because next weekend I'll be heading up to Killington to ski for the weekend with the rest of the first-year students and judging from the weather forecast, it's looking to be a perfect weekend for it.

This morning's workout was a super tough one, so great job to everyone who got through it! Here it is:

UXF Tabata (1/25/15):

Warm up

"Bring Sally Up" song ("Flower" by Moby) done with push ups
This is what we were re-creating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41N6bKO-NVI

Circuits: 1 min of each exercise; 2x through
Rope slams
Plank
16# medicine ball slam
Goblet squats w/ 10kg KB
25# plate to OH
Wall sit
Tricep dips on box
10kg KBS
TRX Row

Up the Ladder
10 20 30 40
Burpees, Sit ups, Lunges, Push ups

For the workout for THIS week: lucky number 33 (that's my lucky number)
33 of each exercise:
Burpees
Sit Ups
Box Jumps
Push Ups
Jump rope
Squat
Dips
Lunges

Short Post: Workout!

2015-01-18T04:37:00.002-08:00

Fun fact of the day: Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that “lack of exercise may be responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity.” Investigators “analyzed data from 334,000 men and women across Europe participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study.” The researchers “estimate that exercise equivalent to a 20-minute brisk walk each day – burning 90 to 110 calories – reduces the risk of premature death by as much as 30 percent when compared with no exercise.”

So unfortunately there won't be a long post this week as I have my final exam in medical neuroanatomy on Tuesday. Don't worry, I'll write again hopefully during the week this week after it's over!

Here's the workout for the week:

(Similar to "Murph")
FOR TIME
1 mile run
100 sit ups
200 push ups
300 squats
1 mile run

Quick and Healthy Snacks & Workout Music

2015-01-10T15:17:00.001-08:00

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend - just because it's cold that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a brisk walk with a friend or a jog to the gym!

One thing I find that really helps motivate me to "get up and go" or ensure I have a great workout is upbeat music. I know everyone has different music tastes (I do even within my everyday activities: I listen to country while I clean, classical while I study, and hip-hop/EDM while I workout) but sometimes there's that song or two that really revs you up... right now, mine is "Spaceman" by Hardwell.

The song doesn't have any lyrics but it was in my Boston Marathon playlist and it came on at mile 13.. when I was REALLY struggling and needed the extra push to keep going.

[Side note: As some of you may know, 13 miles is just around the half marathon point. Boston 2014 was my third full marathon, but before I'd ever even thought of running a full, I would finish a half and think, "how does anyone run twice this distance?!" I didn't even feel like it would be possible for my legs to run another mile. And this is where the importance of the mental aspect of running becomes just as apparent as the physical aspect. Let's say you head out today for a 5 mile run: when you hit that 4 mile mark, all your mind can think about is, "oh thank goodness, only one more mile to go and I'm done." But then, let's say, next week, you're aiming for 7 miles -- and you start out the run knowing that's your goal. At mile 4, your mind knows you have 3 miles left and is able to push your body those last three miles. By mentally preparing yourself throughout training to push BOTH your mind and body further, you can push through all the way to 26.2 miles. This is why it's critical to set goals and routines before you get to gym, so your mind doesn't convince your body to quit early.] Sorry... got off on a tangent there!

Question for you: What type of music do you all listen to when you workout?

On the nutritional front, I wanted to provide some ideas for quick and healthy snacks, especially for those "on the go" who might not have time to cook or prep.

Quest bars: 21g of protein, 1g of sugar - to make it a true "snack" you can eat it with some almonds and an apple to get the good carbs and fat to help digest the protein. My favorite flavor is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and you can buy it on Amazon for $25!
Fruit Smoothies: easy to make -> just add one banana, whey protein powder (I use the CVS Vanilla brand), frozen fruit, and almond milk... blend, and success!

Healthy salads from the grocery store (most places have these) are great meals since you can pick and choose your toppings and the vegetables and meats are fresh!

Finally, a WORKOUT!

This one is for time... and it's a LADDER workout (meaning you climb up the ladder, and descend all the way back down)

10-20-30-40-50-40-30-20-10

Burpees, Squats, Kettlebell (KB) swings, Sit ups

(So you'll do 10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 KB swings, and 10 sit ups, and then 20 of each, and so on)

Everything is better with a friend

2015-01-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

Studies have shown the exercising with a friend has many benefits:

Better accountability (you're not likely to skip a workout if you know your friend is counting on you being there)
Positive support (having a friend with you going through the same tough workout and motivating you to finish)
You're less likely to be bored and the time will pass more quickly with a friend going through the workout too
You can celebrate your successes together!

Having a friend as a workout partner boosts your self-confidence in showing you that you can complete the workout with a friend who is similar to you. Having more self-confidence improves the likelihood of adherence to an exercise program - so that you're less likely to quit!

I'm fortunate that my roommate, Clare, loves to run as much as I do - and we're both on the same schedule - which means morning runs before class is our way of waking up and getting in a good sweat! Clare is a bit of a faster runner than I am, which has benefited me in that I've shaved off a couple seconds of my normal 3-mile time by pushing myself to keep up with her over the past 6 months. But I also think I've helped Clare by being her running partner both through ensuring she wakes up for the workouts and also pacing the speed during our runs.

This is Clare! Running a 5k benefit I put on March 2014

Below are some past workouts I've done that I'm grateful to have been with a partner or team who's helped push me to the end:

Warrior Dash with some DePuy ladies (and siblings / friends)

Felice's first full marathon in SF where I ran the last 8 miles with her!

Fenway Spartan Sprint DePuy Synthes Team 2013

Providence Frosty 5k w/ New Bedford & Fall River Folks

Killington Spartan Beast 2013 w/ my girlfriend Emily!

Hanover 5k April 2014

My Mom and I at our FIRST FULL MARATHON at Disney (it was 3am so we were sleepy!)

Having friends and family participate in workouts with you has double the benefits: you both get in shape while getting to spend time with each other!

And finally, for YOUR next workout... a partner workout, one I did while in Miami last Spring on a beach... all you need is a friend and either a yard, park, basketball court, or (yes) a beach. Give yourself about 150-200ft of space between what we'll call Point A and Point B. Only one partner is to be working at any given time. You can split up the number of reps however you want (doesn't have to be even). For example, for 60 burpees (the first exercise), I could do 40 and my partner could do 20 --> just has to add up to 60!

Anything in PINK is something you both do to get from Point A to Point B; RED (or ORANGE) is what ONE PARTNER DOES AT A TIME at one location

Further explanation:

Wheel barrow = one partner has their hands on the ground and their partner is holding their legs and walking / running to point A (from Point B)
Jump Over Partner = the partner is kneeling on the ground with their hands on the ground. You jump from one side of them to the other (without kicking them in the back!)
Buddy Carry = carry your partner however you want from Point A to Point B
Frog Jumps = partner kneels down and you jump fully over them, kneeling down to let your partner do the same

New Year, New You

2014-12-31T08:20:00.002-08:00

As 2014 comes to a close, and 2015 begins (scary fun fact: the year 2030 will be just as far away from us as the year 2000), now is a time that many people set to make New Year's Resolutions -- it's a New Year, representing a blank slate, where you aim to re-create yourself as a better, healthier, happier, and more successful person. The first few days of the new year, people set off overly-confident and pseudo-determined to BE this new person...

However, a 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol of 3,000 people showed that, despite 52% of the study's participants being confident of success at the beginning of the study, 88% of these people FAILED. Additionally:

Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in a goal setting (i.e. "I want to lose a pound a week" vs. "I want to lose weight")
Women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from friends.

Part of the reason New Year's resolutions fail is because people expect them to be a fix-all solution, like any crazy diet fad that seems "too good to be true." Thanks to the post-holiday come-down from gifts, family, and SO MUCH food, people are propelled into the New Year with what seems like renewed motivation to begin the year anew as a form of a better person of themselves. But this is a misplaced determination. Because it is the new year, we generate these unrealistic expectations like "I'm going to lose weight" or "I'm going to quit smoking" yet we make no actual quantifiable goals to judge ourselves against. Not only this, but the goals we set in the New Year end up being the ultimate END goal as opposed to smaller sub-goals, which would help us reach a more realistic end goal.

For example: a 160 lb, 5'6" woman makes a New Year's resolution that she wants to be 120lbs. Great. Well, she'll probably start of strong, buying new workout clothes, getting rid of all of the unhealthy food in her cabinet, and purchasing a gym membership.

There are several issues with this case: first of all, she set a very unrealistic initial goal. By aiming to get to 120 lb, that goal is the only thing in her mind, and she didn't mention how she would prevent or prepare for set-backs. Let's say she had a really stressful week at work that week, didn't get a lot of sleep, and ate more than she planned -- she might gain a few pounds. But someone with just this unrealistic goal in her mind will see this small set-back as a complete failure, making it less likely that she'll continue attempting her goal. Also, she made a TON of changes at first with no real plan or timeline. As stated before, stressors like work, relationships, money weren't considered and stressors promote returning to what is known/normal (back to the beginning). If things are taken more slowly, i.e. first just removing the bad food from the house and starting from there, and then maybe adding the gym after the first month, and then trying to workout 3 times a week - the mind and body are both able to transition.

A goal needs a plan, and while the new year provides the jump start in "apparent" motivation to accomplish the goal... there really is no plan set in motion. So people get all gung-ho about this new goal, without even knowing how they're going to accomplish it, what ACTUAL outcomes they're looking to see, and the issues / obstacles that may come up along the way so they can best face them.

So this year, instead of making a New Year's resolution, take the first couple weeks of the new year to figure out what it is you really want, what you want to work for, and plan it out. Like any good project, the planning stage is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. The execution will come if the planning is done correctly. Figure out why you really want this change, things that might get in the way, small milestones to ensure and measure success. And once the planning is complete, make the changes slowly, one by one, like a transition. No longer will it be a new year's resolution, but a transformation into the new you thanks to proper planning.

Workout of the Day:

10 minute cardio warm-up

10-20-30-20-10 (of the following exercises)
Burpees
Squats
Sit ups
Box Jumps
Tricep Dips

Sunday Funday

2014-12-28T15:12:00.001-08:00

So I'm still in the middle of recovering from last week's wisdom teeth extraction: I had all four taken out and all of them were impacted. For those of you who've had this done, you know it's not an enjoyable experience. Three of them came out just fine, but one fractured as it was being removed (which tends to happen more with young adult / adult age patients since the bone hardens with age, making it easier to crack and break).

I was asleep during the entire procedure, and woke up with no pain, just lots of numbness... but less than 24 hours later and I was in a lot of pain. It's been 6 days since the procedure, and other than a small bruise on my lower cheek, my left side of my face (top and bottom) has nearly completely healed. The bottom right side, however, is still in a lot of pain :( making sleeping & eating more difficult, but also making it painful when I run or jump. Hopefully things will return back to normal by the time I'm in Boston so I can return to my weekly runs.

Had to share this funny cartoon I found:

Love the guy on the far left ;)

On a more positive note, while I've been home in Ohio, I've been lucky to enjoy the fabulous cooking of one miss V. Fowler aka Mom. Healthy meals can be delicious too :)

Amazing tenderloin roast (leftover from Christmas dinner) with what was left of a take-out salad from Rusty Bucket

Roasted veggies

Warm carrot ginger soup (w/ sweet potatoes): Perfect for a chilly day

Lastly, a fun workout routine:

Start with a 30 minute cardio base: run, walk, bike, elliptical, hike, whatever you'd like!

Then, 20 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
5 push ups
10 box jumps or step-ups
15 sit ups
*If you decide to do this workout, post how many rounds you got! I did 16.

Tips for Getting Back on Track

2014-12-26T14:34:00.001-08:00

I find that the times it's toughest to stay on track with exercise and healthy eating is when I veer off for just a few days: be it due to stress from school, busy times & a strict deadline at work, or just temptation around me to give in (hello, holidays!).

Now splurging on treats and having a few lazy days are OK… in moderation!

“Blah Blah Blah” moderation (you’re probably thinking, great, where is she going with this). When I first heard “moderation is key”, I was like, I don’t need moderation. Go big or go home! If I have too much to eat, I’ll just work out extra hard that day… or that it doesn’t really matter. But the second you think it’s fine to down an entire box of Wheat Thins or chow down on the full buffet-style pile of food that the restaurant tricks you into thinking is a portion… that’s when you lose. At some point during that time, you negated that you were no longer actually hungry, and not eating to nourish your body & mind, but just eating because the food was right there in front of you (not a good reason to eat it, FYI).

But moderation is possible. The food isn’t going to run off your plate and no one is going to come steal your treats – so no need to shove it in your mouth like it’s going out of style. Breathe. Be mindful. Take in the surroundings. Enjoy spending time with family and friends WHILE eating. There is no need to race each other to the finish only to realize you would have been perfectly happy and full a half a plate ago. When you’re not finished chewing your last bite and you’ve already prepped your fork with the next giant MOUND of food and putting that in your mouth, you’ve got a problem. At first, it takes a conscious effort to be like “ok, I’ve finished chewing and swallowing my food… let me drink a sip of water… oh let me tell Aunt May this story” and then all of the sudden, you’re not just eating to “finish what’s on the plate”, but eating to satiate yourself – to give yourself fuel for the day. Once you get to this point and realize that you don’t have to eat everything you’re served, and that it’s ok to have just a few bites of a dessert before you realize you’re full, THAT’S moderation!

But what do you do when you hit that point where you really veer off track? A couple suggestions:Re-prioritize your goals: What is it that you’re working for? Are you trying to get to that next promotion? Maybe with the added stress of working more hours to impress your boss, you need to incorporate more stress-release activities*, like yoga or boxing, so that you don’t take out your stress on the half-empty pint of Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer. Or are you trying to train for your next race (5k, 10k, half, full)? Find a running buddy or a local group that you can train with. Set small goals along the way til you reach the date of the race.

Start small (do a 10 minute workout, get the blood flowing); you don’t need to go into it like “crap, I just ate 2000 calories in that monstrous meal and now I need to be at the gym for 3+ hours” – that is just going to get your annoyed and possibly injured. Set small goals for yourself.
Find friends to help you / challenge you: Get a fitness tracker like FitBit** or JawBone and track your steps and workouts. You can even use an app called Pact to hold yourself accountable to working out or eating healthy (and get paid for it!). Make social meet-ups related to exercise: having running dates or weekly yoga sessions.
Get more sleep! Allowing your body to rest and recover will put you in the best possible position for the next day.
Eat when you’re hungry (are you hungry enough for an apple? Have an apple… if the answer is no? don’t eat)
DO NOT SKIP MEALS. You might try to justify skipping meals by saying “well I’m eating less calories so I’ll lose the weight”. Wrong. First, your body needs constant fuel to survive. By depriving it, your body will drop in blood sugar REALLY low, and then you’ll get angry, cranky, tired, and hungry, and you will crave that shitty food you’ve been trying to avoid. Either you’ll give in (and feel horrible) also leading to a BIG increase in blood sugar, which will confuse your body
Set time limits for tasks.
Put your workouts in your calendar

*When you’re stressed, it’s actually proven to de-stress you if you make time for exercise! While you might think you don’t have the time to exercise, and if you actually spend the time doing work then you won’t be as stressed if you take off to exercise, not true! Read this: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

**I personally have the FitBit Zip! If you have a FitBit, find me and challenge me to daily steps - I aim for +10k

Workout for those with little time:

Each of the following exercises, 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off

Squats

Plank

Lunges

Push ups

Mountain Climbers

Sit ups

Dips

Wall Sits

Burpees

Merry Christmas!

2014-12-25T11:47:00.004-08:00

(Nearly) A year has flown by since I last posted on this blog and so much has happened!

Quick Update: I ran the Boston Marathon in April, after having raised over $7,500 to support research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and finished in my second-best time of 4:34 (considering I was still recovering from a tensor fasciae latae strain, I was pretty happy about this!). I made it through the first 9 miles just fine, and then started feeling that all-too-familiar twitch in my hip. "Please, not yet..." I thought. By mile 18, it was excruciating, and I just hit Heartbreak Hill: 3 miles of constant uphill. I had to walk, which was disappointing, but seeing the Boston College students (followed by BU students) reminded me of the past years I'd spent cheering on the runners from that exact sideline, and helped me push through the last 5 miles.

My best friend, Ashley, got married in July and the wedding was absolutely beautiful! (Pictures below) I was honored to be a part of this special day and celebrate the love between her and Mike :)

I quit my job at DePuy Spine as a Product Development Engineer at the end of July to begin medical school at Boston University in August. I miss the people at work but I love learning and knowing that I'm working towards something I want to do for the rest of my life. First semester was definitely difficult, but survivable! It's crazy to think that I'm already 1/8 of an MD...

My first patent (hopefully not last!) was published in September - a fulcrum device meant for minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery to assist in applying better compression and generate more stability in the patient. You can look at it here, if you're interested!

I completed my second Vermont Spartan Beast up in Killington at the end of September, which proved to be much harder than last year. I made the mistake of not bringing any food or water on the trek, hoping that they would provide that to the racers along the way... not so much. I'm so grateful for the two people I encountered who gave me a "honey-stinger" waffle treat (that I swear, tasted like the best thing I'd ever eaten) and another one who gave me jelly beans at mile 12 (I had to ration them to myself every 5 minutes, taking as many bites as possible to spread out the time I was eating!) Despite these disadvantages, I still had a great time: there were some new obstacles, the course was different, and I finished in just over 7 hours (average time for females was 9 hours).

Also, while in school, I've been working as a part-time personal trainer (ACE Certified) at Boston Sports Club in the South End. I love working with clients who want to improve and get stronger and love knowing that I can help them achieve these goals! It's much like the results I'll want to see as a doctor - helping people get better and having this direct impact on people's lives.

I'm going to start posting more regularly (as regularly as school and work allow me!) and, although today's post was all updates of the past year, my future posts will include medical school fun facts, tips about training / running / working out and nutrition advice (especially for those who are constantly "on the run").

Comment if you have any suggestions for topics or questions for me!

Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and lots of time with friends, family and loved ones! Today, be grateful for those you have in your life!

Workout for Today:

Begin with 30 squats, 20 lunges, 1 minute plank

10 pushups (hand-release!)

24 bicep burners @5-10lbs (8 full bicep curls, 8 curls half-way up, 8 full bicep curls)

15 kettlebell clean & press (each arm; 4-6kg)

10 pushups (hand-release!)

15 tricep dips

15 rows on TRX

15 lateral raises (5-7.5lbs in each hand)

10 pushups

15 tricep dips

End with 30 squats, 20 lunges, 1 minute plank

Subzero Temps

2014-01-04T16:10:00.001-08:00

Today I participated in the first "Winter Wild" event at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, MA. The race started at 7am SHARP which meant a wake-up alarm at 4:30am... yikes. As I stepped out to my car, the absolutely frigid wind against my face and -12 degree weather should have deterred me but, as my friend Ashley told me (in an obviously loving-friend way), I'm crazy. :)

The race was so much fun - there were at least a hundred people there and I was so impressed to see at least 6 kids at the start excited to run a mile straight up the mountain. The hills were brutal. Every hill accomplished only led sight to the next one to tackle. See the map below:

The way down, however, was much more bearable. Not only was I able to actually start running, but the view for miles was absolutely stunning.

When I reached the finish, my eyes were nearly shut from the icicles that formed on my eyelashes... and it took a full 51 minutes to accomplish up-and-down the Wachusett mountain.

Food:
After the race, I had a creamy dutch chocolate Isagenix shake - a perfect post-workout refuel with 24g of protein and 240 calories

Lunch was a delicious oven-roasted turkey wrap with arugula and spicy dijon mustard wrap

Dinner was the same (boring, I know) but with sweet potatoes and eggplant on the side.

Fundraising has leveled out for the weekend but I am planning a 5K Run/Walk Benefit to happen hopefully in Southie (possibly in Quincy, otherwise) on March 22nd at 9am! Invite all of your friends and family!

New year, New goals!

2014-01-03T06:09:00.002-08:00

Hey all! It's been a LONG time since I last posted - but I'm back to share my newest challenge I've taken on... running the Boston Marathon!

I'm sure that everyone remembers the horrible tragedy that struck Boston last April, but this year is all about renewal and positivity. Even before last year's events, Boston is one of the top marathons for fan support: throughout all 26.2 miles, you're bound to have people filling the sidewalks cheering you on.* However, this year is going to be even MORE jam-packed with supporters! Just to show the world that we can come back stronger and more prominent than ever.

So I will be running with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) team on April 21, 2014** and I've pledged to raise $7,500 by May 31st (I know that's a lot of money!). But I'm confident that with the help of my colleagues, peers, social media, friends and family, that I can do it!

Fundraising Update: As of today, I've already raised $1,030 with 25 individual donations!!!! Thanks to everyone who has supported me!

Workout Today:

Shoveling the snow that Winter Storm Hercules dumped on my car
WFHW (Work-from-home workout):

5 rounds

15 burpees

30 lunges

1 min plank

30 squats

10 tricep tips

The best part about this workout is you don't need ANY equipment to do it - which is why it's a great "at-home" workout! Do the workout for time and then try it again next weekend to compare your times :)

Alright, that's all for today - hope everyone has a good snow day!

*As a side note, you don't always get this! My first marathon, the Disney World marathon last January, had 5 miles between each theme park, which correlated to 5 miles of empty road before getting to the next theme park where you'd finally get some cheers. This also happened to be my slowest pace - having pepole cheering you on makes all the difference.

** April 21, 2014 = 04/21/2014 .. the month and day have the same numbers used in the year! #mathnerd

Tuesday's post

2012-04-25T05:12:00.003-07:00

Spin class was a killer this morning – Carlos, from BHAC, really pushed us with sprints and hills. That being said, his music choice is awesome: modern songs make it more bearable. When spinning, 45 minutes feels like it's neverending, but when I’m asleep or watching TV, 45 minutes passes by so quickly. In order to not ease up on the workout, I tried to focus and be in the moment, telling myself to "keep going, it'll be over soon!" at each song, and before I knew it, it was 7am! Perfect timing for my drive to work.

TIRED!

BTW: an interesting exercise story: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-a-better-brain.html?_r=1

Post workout I had a banana in the car and then after getting to work, I tasted the banana maple oatmeal they have in the café.

If I make oatmeal at home, I’ll usually put fruit in it, but its frozen. Frozen fruit is not only cheaper and stays fresher longer, but some studies show it’s better for you because the fruit is frozen at its ripest, so it keeps in the antioxidants and health benefits. (http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/tips/is-frozen-fruit-as-healthy-as-fresh-fruit/; http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf990266t) Just make sure there’s no sugar added (it’ll say on the front) cause that’d be an unnecessary caloric additive. If you need to make the oatmeal sweeter, either buy the prepackaged Instant Oatmeal that’s flavored (I like Maple Brown Sugar or Cinnamon Swirl) or toss in some Splenda!

Want to save money on groceries? http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/budget2012?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=451231&utm_campaign=Nightly_2012-04-23%2021%3a30 I get daily emails from this site which tells me of local stores having deals. While daily emails can be overwhelming ,and sometimes I just delete them right away, it's nice to skim through and check for any household items I know I need -- and why not save a few $$? :)

For lunch, got a free ham and cheese wrap since my work offered a "Lunch and Learn" with Professor Eric Ledet from RPI on "New Technology for Orthopaedic Smart Implants" -- very interesting!

Happy Wednesday!

Wait, it's the end of April already?!

2012-04-23T15:28:00.001-07:00

It’s days like today, where I listen to the loud, thunderous rain slamming the rooftop of my office building that I don’t mind in the slightest having to be at work all day! For people like Greg however, who arrived just a little bit later than I did, I'm not sure he feels the same way...

To start off the work day, I gave out some of Ashley’s banana bread mini muffins at work, and huge compliments to her from my coworkers!! FYI: She apparently gets some of her tips from http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/ :)

Pre-workout food consisted of a banana, and then I did the Fitness "Tighten and Tone" workout in the May 2012 issue: The workout only took 30 minutes, and I could feel the burn as I was walking around the office for the rest of the day.

Also helping me through this miserable Monday (weather-wise... the rest of the day was ok!) was my instant coffee with sugar free vanilla syrup that I put in each cup, adding the perfect amount of flavor. You can buy a whole bottle for only $4 at Walmart and it's the perfect addition to coffee with 0 calories! Breakfast, which is perfectly filling, is the classic plain Greek yogurt with Fiber One Honey Sunshine cereal. After how successful my run went yesterday (which, by the way, I put up my medal and bib at work!) I'm thinking of signing up for the Hyannis (May 27), Providence (end of August) or Chicago half (September) – which should I do? any thoughts?

For lunch, my boss took me and my coworkers out to lunch at El Mariachi in Taunton center and I had the Cozumel Ensalada Camarones (Grilled shrimp salad with avocados and tomatoes)

I snacked on an apple and a lot of fat free cottage cheese before class, and then had dinner at work since I watched my class from here - so glad the semester will be ending next week! Hope you all had a wonderful Monday!!

Spring has Sprung... and Rain is here :(

2012-04-22T18:48:00.002-07:00

Time to start blogging again! It's been unbelievably long since I last wrote, and consequently, a lot has changed. But I've missed writing; and I want to get back to my healthy eating and more regular workouts, AND share all of it with my friends. It was really nice having a few close friends, who I didn't even know read my blog, tell me they missed my posts and wished I would write again soon.

Over the past two months, my eating habits completely changed from one bad end of the cycle to the other. In doing so, I realized balance and moderation is essential because in neither extreme situations was I satisfied. Now, I'm determined to get back to eating well: include proper portions of protein, fats and carbohydrates at every meal, and still allowing myself to indulge when I feel like it. In the meantime, I'm hoping my detailed trek to healthier, balanced eating, will coincide with spending less on food so I can save more!

Starting with this weekend, I went up to Ashley's house in Nashua for the night to celebrate her birthday with Alex Mary, Adanta, Katherine, and Dana. Ashley decorated with beautiful yellow homemade balloon balls (so Martha Stewart) and cute table settings from posts she found on Pinterest.

All the toppings you'd want on a normal taco, but SHRUNK to mouse sized!

We had taco mini bites as an appetizer, sweet potato gnocchi with a Gouda cheese sauce as the main course (note: dangerously filling and apparently a lot more cooking than Ash was hoping for), grilled vegetable kabobs on the side, and fruit with Nutella fondue as dessert. Making the night even sweeter, Ashley concocted a delicious drink of St. Germain, white wine, ginger ale, and grenadine... yum!

Sunday began with a hot bowl of cinnamon swirl instant oatmeal with raw almonds mixed in for the fiber and fat to start my day. Normally, I eat plain greek yogurts, but on mornings that I run, I eat oatmeal to keep me fueled throughout the race. Today, I did the BHAC 4th Annual 6k in Brockton! And, with a time of 30.00 (8.02 min/miles), I placed 1st in my age group, 3rd woman finisher overall, and 23rd finisher out of 155 :)

Lunch was a oven-roasted turkey wrap with spinach on a Flatout Wrap bread (http://www.flatoutbread.com/) with some carrots and Cedar's hummus on the side. Since I had to get a lot of work tone on campus today, snack was only a banana but then I treated myself to leftovers of Ashley's Friday night cooking for dinner - still JUST as delicious!

That's all for now - tomorrow I'm hoping to do a circuit of workout sets at the gym, perfect day for it too since the weather is supposed to remain rainy and cold :(

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Friday:

Workout: 5.5 mile run (in the rain)

Two nights ago, the family ventured over to Nordstrom… no, not for shopping, to grab a yummy dinner! Their Café Bistro has great menu items, ranging from their salads to pizzas (my sister’s favorite) and sandwiches. I’ve never had their desserts, but I’m sure they’re equally as well-made.

Nordstrom Cafe Bistro's "Chicken Artichoke and Goat Cheese Salad"

I got the grilled chicken and roasted artichoke with warm goat cheese salad, drizzled with light oil and vinegar dressing. Following dinner, we all went and saw MI4 – INCREDIBLE! Highly recommend it as Tom Cruise does an awesome job.

Saturday:

Workout: Attempted a work-out before dinner, but only managed to do some interval training (thank you Shaun for the circuit exercise ideas!) and was too tired to do my planned cardio on the elliptical. Oh well, days of rest are sometimes necessary.

Yesterday, I saw the most beautiful rainbow – had to take a picture, but it was by far one of the clearest rainbows I’ve ever seen – and in December? So strange!

Caught a beautiful rainbow

Lucy and I met with my Dad for brunch at a local café called “Grand Day Café.” I found it on Yelp, as it had many positive reviews, and was pleasantly surprised with the kindness of the servers and bottomless coffee. I only got a fruit bowl because I had already eaten my staple yogurt-blueberries-cereal breakfast, but my sister opted for chocolate chip pancakes, which were HUGE (she almost finished them!), and my dad got the breakfast burrito, which he said was great.

Fruit bowl out to brunch with my Dad

Rang in 2012 with my mom and sister – celebrating alcohol free, but enjoying ourselves nonetheless! We rent out “Our Idiot Brother,” got into our pj’s, and ate a delicious stir fry dinner followed by a sweet cereal dessert J

Mom's stir fry: my favorite

Dressed up as if we were going out, my sister and I had a mini-photoshoot to bring in some spirit for the end of 2011, and the beginning to a new, happy, and healthy year.

Me and Lucy!

While I don’t exactly have a resolution, my goals for 2012 include saving money, paying off a good portion of my student loans, and continuing to be happy and healthy. Do you have any resolutions?? J Now I’m off to run my first race of 2012: “runcbus 5k New Year’s Day run” – I’m hoping that people are too hungover from last night’s festivities to get out of bed and run outside, but I guess we’ll find out. I’ll report back how it goes!

Holiday break = time to update blog!

2011-12-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

Winter decorations at my grandparents community home: so beautiful

 I got home the Thursday before Christmas (thanks to a cancelled flight on Wednesday night) and will be here in Ohio until January 3rd! It's such a treat to come home for a long period of time where I can get some work I need to finish completed as well as spend quality time with my sibs.

Happy holidays!

We had a wonderful Christmas, and Santa was very generous with his stocking stuffing:

Merry Christmas!

My stocking!

I got a bluetooth headset (for driving), J. Crew slippers, workout clothes, a Pandora snowman charm, and some essential winter clothes. Everyone else loved their gifts too, and we had a great Christmas meal: roast tenderloin drizzled with Bernaise sauce, red potatoes, lots of green beans, and my brother made a cream cheese spice cake for dessert.

Speaking of dessert, Lucy and I made delicious Ghiradelli chocolate espresso cookies and homemade peanut butter banana fudge:

Nom.

We gave a couple to my Dad for Christmas and he loved them! Baking is fun, clean-up? Not so much... We also got our nails done on Friday and mine are red with a candy cane design on the ring finger:

Festive nails!

I've been running SO much since being home. Its nice having so much free time and the unusually warm weather for winter has made outdoor treks much more bearable. Theres a nice 5 mile loop that my mom and i did together 3 times this week. I also signed up for a New Year's Day 5k run with Lucy and Mom (hoping people will be too hungover to run and weíll win the prizes!). Lastly, in terms of fitness, I got a free 7 day trial at the Snap Fitness gym a walk-s away from my house so Iíve been going there every day this week while Lucy's at swim practice. One benefit I'm looking forward to is making use of the free 30 minute personal training session, and I'm meeting with Craig, who used to be an executive chef in New York, to get a handle on some good recipes and food to eat when endurance training.

And since I needed a new fitness goal to start training for in the spring semester, I signed up for the Hyannis half marathon at the end of February. I found out that both my aunt and uncle will be running the half too!

Food-wise, I went to the doctor to make sure my weight is within a healthy range and just for an annual check up. My BMI is 18.3 so I'm healthy but need to continue eating enough so I don't get a fracture while running. What I've been doing is just eating when I'm hungry, granted I eat mainly lean meats, veggies, lots of fruits, and whole grains, but once I'm back in Boston I'm going to meet with a nutritionist to devise an eating list and make sure that I'm getting the calories I need for the amount I'm working out.

As a final conclusion to this long blog post, I've got some pictures of the meals I've been making since being home, which have all been delicious, healthy and easy to make!

Baked salmon with steamed broccoli and green beans

Standard lunch: Dietz & Watson Cajun turkey with spinach and mustard on a 100% whole wheat Arnold's Sandwich Thin with a pickle, sliced McIntosh apple and Cinnmon Apple Spice tea



Breaded tilapia with steamed green beans

Leftover tilapia with a side salad drizzled with black beans and Mom's black bean soup

Made Lucy an egg & American cheese sandwich on a whole wheat english muffin - made a perfect brunch :)

Blended French Silk frappuchino with chocolate chips

Hope everyone is having a healthy and happy holiday break and I'm looking forward to posting more frequently now!

Letting loose a little

2011-11-12T04:04:00.001-08:00

Being so regimented, with my work schedule, to working out, and to what and when I eat, can have it's benefits! For example, I've managed to budget better over the past 6 months (partially thanks to websites like Mint.com - which I recommend for all my friends who want to know exactly where their $$ goes); and I am able to accomplish most of the things I set out to do because I have such a schedule. That being said, constantly being in control has sorttttt of put me in overdrive on how strict I am with sticking to my plan. So, with the required increase in miles as I prepare for the last bit of a climb before we taper off to the half, I'm trying to let myself RELAX a little more and just "go with it" (as Felice would say).

Thursday:
Workout: Jenny taught me how to use the TRX and kettleballs at work and then I finished my workout with a 3-mile treadmill run (thank you, rainy weather).

Fun food:

Lunch: See below, which I also had with a side of grapes!

Leftover stir-fried tofu with edamame, broccoli, carrots, and spinach served over a piece of whole wheat toast

For dinner I was boring and had a package of Smart Ones (like Lean Cuisine) because I was feeling lazy, but I treated myself to one of their Mocha Fudge Sundaes too :)

MMMM CHOCOLATE!

Friday:

Happy that it's almost the weekend! (Yes, I took the picture in my bathroom at work, haha)

Sweater (Old Navy); Shirt (Banana Republic), Jeggings (Guess)

Workout: Quick 3-mile lunch break run with Jenny outside! Finished with a foam roll to stretch out and then Jenny taught me some more core exercises using the stability ball :)

Food:

Went out on a DINNER DATE with... my roommate Felice! It was so nice! I can't believe this is the first time I've gone out to eat in Boston SINCE THE SUMMER! We went to Estragon down in the South End, because Felice wanted Tapas (which I'd never had) and this was highly rated on Yelp:

Roomie love!

We both treated ourselves to drinks, Felice got this Violet red wine, which was fruity but subtle, and I got Effewere (spelling!?) Apple beer, which was also really good! For our tapas, we got Espinacas a la Catalana (Sautéed Spinach, Pine Nuts, Golden Raisins), Pez Espada a la Vasca (Basque-Style Seared Swordfish Fillet, Guindilla Chiles, French Fries) and Mejillones (Steamed Mussels, Chorizo, Tomato,
Tarragon, Spanish White Wine)

Tapas!

For dessert, we went to J.P. Licks and got delicious ice cream!

Coffee chip and oatmeal cookie!

Saturday:

For a brisk Saturday morning, doing the 11-mile run was not on top of my list of things I really wanted to do, but training with Team Challenge made it SO much easier!

Minuteman National Park - 11 mile run!

After the run, Sarah, my mentor, and I went to Nourish, a cute little lunch place in Lexington Center and both got Vegetarian Chili and Sweet Beet and Feta Salad... mmmm

Unfortunately, the post turned out to be more pictures than actual "posting" but I promise my next one will be more of an update! Now I have to head off to school to get some homework done before I start procrastinating at my apartment!

Eventful weekend!

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

So much happened over the weekend that I apologize in advance for the long blog post!

Saturday:

I visited my grandparents for a very nice lunch (and coffee ice cream dessert!) and they gave me a brand new, white 16GB iPad2 as a combined graduation / Christmas present! (see below). I absolutely love it and know that it's going to help me organize & be more productive (and enjoy movies / magazines on plane rides home :) ). I need some good application suggestions though because there are way too many to search through...

My new iPad2 (thank you Gran and Granddad!)

After my big feast of a lunch, I drove down to Quincy to meet Team Challenge for our 10 mile loop on Quincy Shore Drive. It was an afternoon run, so the sun started to set while we were running. It was beautiful to watch but by the end I was glad to throw on some more layers!

Thanks to Coach Jenny for the awesome photo-skills; some of us girls of TC finishing our 10-mile run in Quincy

And, because I felt like I was coming down with a cold, I ended my Saturday night by painting my nails a fresh red glittery holiday color and cozying up to a nice movie & tea on the couch at home :)

Glittery Xmas red: hey, if Starbucks can get in the holiday spirit with their cups, so can I with my nails!

Sunday:
Despite feeling groggy from my cold medicine, and it being pretty chilly, I managed to get myself over to Cambridge for the 5K4Life Race for ALS and I got my fastest 5K time ever: 22:41! I felt so accomplished afterwards for pushing myself, and the extra speed kept me warm and I ended up feeling better post-run! I enjoyed a delicious turkey sandwich, courtesy of the race people, and tried Vita Coco water (which people can't stop raving about) and I didn't like it AT ALL. It's way too sweet and doesn't taste like anything special so I'm not trying that again.

Yummy Turkey sandwich and not-so-enjoyable Vita Coco water post-race in Cambridge

After a productive Sunday of catching up on schoolwork, I went over to Hugh's and cooked my mom's breaded chicken (using Pepperidge Farm Herb Crusted stuffing), steamed broccoli, and a little side salad. We watched "Homeland", which is a new show and is REALLY interesting!

Home-cooked breaded chicken tenderloin, steamed broccoli, and spinach & green pepper with feta cheese salad

Monday:

Pushed myself through a 4 mile run with Jenny from work, which was tough because I think I needed a rest day. My time was still under 9 min/miles but my legs felt like lead and the entire run I was praying it would be over soon... not the most fun feeling!

For dinner: :)

Spinach salad with cooked carrots, mushrooms, and black beans with whole wheat toast!

Tuesday:

Work outfit: Not my favorite, but it's supposed to be up to 67 today so I thought I'd celebrate with a skirt! I'm also wearing my new jewelry that I got from NY when I visited Jade w/ Ashley.

Also, spotted THIS at Walmart this morning and couldn't resist:

Yum... that's all for now folks!

Hello Mr. Nice Watch

2011-11-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a good title for this morning's blog, so I just chose the first song title on my "Running" playlist! Speaking of my iPod and songs, I need a wider variety of songs (or just more of them!) because I find that I quickly get bored on my runs when I can anticipate the next song or have heard it too many times.

By the way, despite Boston being notoriously known for bad weather and snow, we've been BLESSED (knock on wood that I'm not jinxing this) with beautiful sunshine for a looooonng time lately. Granted, I was in California in 80 degree sunny weather during the snowstorm last weekend, but still!

Beautiful Brighton!

P.S. Recently have been discovering that a lot more people than I expected actually read my blog and I feel honored but at the same time, now more pressure to make these posts interesting and worthwhile! I hope they are! In future blogs, I'll incorporate more details about cool recipes I try or outfits (that are cheap!)

Workouts

Thursday: I was crunched for time because I got outside half an hour later than I'd hoped, but this didn't deter my plans to get in 7 miles, and I did it in exactly 1 hour and 1 minute! Hooray! At the time it didn't feel this way, but afterwards I felt great and accomplished for not being overwhelmed by lack of time or the fact that it was chilly outside.

Friday: Pretty tired from the week's workouts and knowing I have a 10-mile training run today (Saturday) and a 5K tomorrow (Sunday), so I took it easy and did 30 minutes on the elliptical. Nothing big :)

Outfit for work on Friday:

Sweater: H&M $12.95

Shirt: Banana Republic Outlet $8ish

Boots: Forever 21 $35

Fundraising

Had a few more people both at work and peers of mine donate to my Active site, which is AWESOME! I'm inching towards that $3700 goal and I know that if I really push for reminding people and contacting as many people as possible, I can get there. It's a little intimidating to know that the deadline is November 16th and that I'll be responsible for the missing difference between what I've raised now and my goal; but fortunately, I can get refunded up until January 4th for any last-minute donations and late matching gifts that come in - so that leaves me with some more time.

Food

Thursday: Did the normal banana & Chobani with Uncle Sam Original Whole Grain cereal breakfast (it's become my staple - so easy to prepare; healthy, cheap and filling!); and it was SUSHI THURSDAY at work!!! Sushi Thursday only happens every first Thursday of the month, where they have chef's come in and prepare "fresh sushi." I purposely saved up my "Lunch on Me"'s (I had 3 of them, worth $5 each) just for this occasion! So I used two ($10) and got a big bowl of soup (Sweet and Sour Vegetable - it was incredibly spicy; tasted like a soup you'd get at an Asian restaurant -- so delicious), an apple, a bottle of Sprite Zero, and one roll (6 pieces) of Salmon and Avocado Sushi... all for $10! The other rolls were more mixes of sushi and sashimi, which still looked great, but were really expensive. I had the soup / apple for lunch and the sushi for dinner (see below for the remains... forgot to snap a photo before I ate it!)

Friday: Same breakfast (shocking!), and had a turkey with spinach, mushroom, and cucumber sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch. Now... DINNER! I met up with Ana Sofia at BU and she treated me to the most fabulous feast of a guest meal at Warren Towers!!! Oh, thank goodness I don't live on campus (and never really actually had a dining plan as a BU undergrad), because I'm pretty sure I'd gain 30lbs from just the quantity of food I'd consume. Picture 5 different, equally delicious stations of prepared foods, ranging from pizzas and calzones, to the vegan/vegetarian option, to omelettes, quesadillas, salads, sandwiches and a "comfort food" station. To go along with all of this, they have unlimited fruit, cereal, coffee, soda, and frozen yogurt. I. Was. In. HEAVEN. To make this a proper dining experience, we got there at 6:30pm, and didn't leave until 9:30pm. Yup, and, oh yeah, dining closes at 9pm... See below for detailed pictures of the delectable food I devoured and felt so completely ecstatic about eating :)

Fruit of the Vine and Polenta Vegan dish (Meal #1)

Mmm Cinnamon Toast Crunch! (x2 bowls... oops!) a nice finish to the wonderful feast

Tofu salad with chick peas, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, spinach, italian dressing AND salsa :) (Meal #2)

Needless to say, I underestimated the value of BU Dining. THANK YOU ANA SOFIA FOR THE NICE TREAT!

This week is FLYING

2011-11-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that catching up on work would make the days go by so quickly! First off, November is here – unbelievable how fast Fall is here and soon it’ll be winter (Starbucks holiday cups are out, makes me excited for egg nog and Christmas morning!). Along with the festive holidays comes the brisk and chilly weather – which, I was anxious about because I didn’t think I’d be motivated to run outside (and running more than 5 miles on the treadmill is depressing), but it turns out that the cold air is nice when you’re rushing through back roads. It’s actually really nice.

I did runs on Monday and Tuesday, and then switched it up and did Power Yoga at work yesterday with a 2-mile cool down. The yoga was great because I got some good stretching and breathing practicing in, which was perfect for a mid-week relaxation. Today I’m hoping to do between 6-8 miles with Jenny!

Got some quality time with friends this week too, which was great: Sassy and I had our Dexter ritual on Sunday, Hugh and I watched a new TV show Homeland and made pesto pasta (see below)

Pesto pasta and a side salad with feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressing!

and I had some sour skittles J and then Tricia and I FINALLY got to catch up and have a delicious chicken and black bean with veggie mixture over a bed of spinach salad mix topped with fresh avocado! (see below)

Picture doesn't do it justice! (Disclaimer: It looked better before being half eaten!!!)

We, naturally being sweet-toothed people, followed that up with equally tasty Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Froyo.

It’s so nice to spend time with the people who matter!

I’m looking for some tips on fundraising because I’m still a little ways away from my goal but I don’t know what other tools are out there to utilize to try and reach peers and colleagues who haven’t yet given. I think I’m going to try and put out flyers at the gym at my work and at Ingalls at BU. If anyone has any advice though, please leave a comment on this post – I’d really appreciate it! I only have 2 weeks left and could really use the donation-boost!

Also, I soooo badly wanted to wear this outfit to work (and so I did!) but they would have gone PERFECTLY with these shoes:

Comfort is much more important!

...I also would have died trying to walk anywhere in them :(

Quick weekend update!

2011-10-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a creature of habit, which is exactly why traveling (especially work trips) can derail any attempt at a regimented meal schedule or set of foods to eat!

Just got back from a weekend at the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers National Conference in Anaheim, CA, where our SHPE Boston Professional chapter got 2nd place for the Business Plan Proposal and brought back $2000 for our chapter!

Me, Clara, and Jeizel after our presentation to the National Board of SHPE Directors and BOEING

As exciting as it’s been to visit New York, Texas, and California over the course of the last 3 weekends,
it’s nice having all of the travel behind me. I warded off airport munchies temptations by bringing along books to read, but failed at portion-sizes when it came to meals: I think I was so excited to not have to be paying for the food that I would grab as much as I could fit on my plate! Haha, whoops.

Needless to say, I’ve enjoyed some delicious food over the past 3 weeks: from copious seafood appetizers
and a huge bowl of Red Mango frozen yogurt in Texas to Rainbow & Spicy Tuna rolls (see above!) with Tutti Fruti frozen yogurt and Coldstone Creamery Coffee Ice Cream in California. I've certainly enjoyed it!

Fortunately, my majority of travel is over for 2011. I have my trip home in 3 weeks for Thanksgiving,
which I couldn’t be more excited for (and of course I will be allowing myself to splurge because it’s a holiday and Pumpkin Pie & stuffing are DELICIOUS), then Las Vegas in December for my half marathon, and then finally home again for Christmas.

On a better note, I still managed to make my required runs for training for the half marathon. In New York, while visiting Jade in Brooklyn, I did a 7.5 mile long run around Prospect Park, while in Texas, I did a 4 mile Plano run (super-hot 80 degree weather!) and did an 11-mile run (in an hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!) in Boston the day after getting back from the trip. To finish it off, while in California, I did two 5 mile runs on
Thursday and Friday morning, around Disneyland park, and then yesterday morning I did a 10 mile loop by
doubling the 5-mile run. This was especially difficult because after one loop, I was already feeling it on my legs and it was a mental challenge to push myself to start a second loop when the left turn back into my hotel and to the Starbucks was a million times more tempting... but I did it! What worked for me was putting the thought of stopping my run early out of my mind for just long enough to distract myself and before I knew it, I was back in the zone.

Sunny Anaheim, California (on my long run!)

Now I'm back to a busy week at work - catching up on things from the past few weeks, getting ready for the end of the semester with school (can't believe it's almost over!) and trying to stay on top of SHPE and fundraising! Speaking of, I'm still a little ways away from my goal and have about $1000 left to raise (though I am waiting for some matching gifts from my company to come in so I'm not sure of the exact number) so if you haven't donated, pleaseeeee consider giving to: http://www.active.com/donate/NE11TCVEGAS/MFowler33

I'll try to update more frequently! It'll probably just be less detailed than ones like this!!