Week 2-DONE!

Just a short post saying that I have not fallen off the wagon yet! :) I finished Week Two of "Couch to 5k"! This week was a pleasant running week... the workouts were relatively easy and almost enjoyable. However, this next week requires alot more running and alot less walking but I'm determined to keep going and make it to the 5k!

Week One- CHECK!

One week down... 8 to go!

I'm really liking this running plan. I'm so surprised how a little change in my schedule can help me think more about my diet and health. I mean who wants to eat junk food when you've worked so hard to burn it off! And the running pays off on the scale as well... I lost 3 lbs this week (which is probably due to producing large amounts of sweat on Saturdays run... whew! it was hot!).

In other news, this weekend was Ross and I's 1st Anniversary! We had alot going on at church, but we managed to get away for a fun afternoon in Nashville... pics to come!

Couch to 5K

I'm a bad blogger.

Let's just get that out of the way.

But in efforts to be a better blogger and a healthier person... I have started the "Couch to 5K" program and want to blog my experiences with it as a sort of accountability!

For those who don't know, the "Couch to 5K" is a 9-week program to train beginner runners to being able to run a 5k through a 3-day/ a week workouts. Growing up in Bowling Green, I've always wanted to run the Medical Center Classic in October. So that's my goal... to be able to run (notice there is no time expectation... I may will be slow!) on October 31st!

I actually started the training on Sunday. During the first week, the schedule is to do a 25 minute workout consisting of a 5 minute warm-up, and then running 60 seconds, followed by a 90 second recovery walk and repeating. Thankfully, this workout was a piece of cake (maybe cake isn't the best word to use as I aim to lose weight!) easy for me!! I found myself wanting to run for longer than 60 seconds, which ended up making the workout 30 minutes. However, I'm not too naive about myself to know that the coming weeks of workouts are going to be much tougher!

I <3 Giveaways!

I've never had much luck with winning stuff....
but you better bet I'm gonna try!
There are some great giveaways this week at
LaurenNicoleGifts.blogspot.com, including these:























*Please excuse this shameless opportunity to get more entries into the giveaways* :)

Things I Love From This Week...

I thought I'd share just some of the little things that I love from this week...


PEDICURES!!! I feel that pedicures are my one guilty/ expensive pleasure in life (well, and J.Crew but that's another story!). My mom and I went and got pedicures just in case this warm weather keeps up and we'll be able to wear sandals anytime soon! (Another blessing... we got to use a 2 year expired gift certificate just because the ladies there are so nice to us!)










SPRING!! I've just about had enough of this winter. Cold, dreary weather makes me so sad, unless it's Christmas time. Last week, we got a few days of spring followed by snow. This week, I expected more winter, but we've actually gotten some spring! Still a little cool, but atleast it looks like spring with all the trees and flowers blooming. And it's still nice enough to go on walks!!




Yesterday was one of those where I knew I had alot to get done both a work and for seminary. I was really kind of dreading the day. I got home from work and tried to take quick power nap so I would be able to study the rest of the night. To my surprise, my wonderful husband walks in with a bouquet of my fav flowers! I'm a big fan of fresh flowers (gerber daisies- he finally remembered!) but our budget doesn't really allow for it, so it was such a surprise!

23

So it's January 21st, a day I'd like to call my birthday. :) I like birthdays alot... celebrating with family and friends, gifts, surprises, cake, and just the whole idea of someone's special day.

But here's my dilemma.

I have some sort of problem. You know the song "It's my party. I can cry if I want to..." That's my reality EVERY stinkin' year. I cry tears, lots of tears, every January 21st. I mean I'm talking back way back to elementary school. I remember years where I would have an all out bash and everything a girl could dream of having on a birthday and still... tears. From my 7th grade ice skating party where I hid my complex by creating mass drama among the teenage girls at my party to my sweet 16 surprise party where I busted my face in the midst of a mad game at the pinata, thus creating tears for days to come because of the massive bruise.

As I went to bed last night, I prepared myself. This is a new year. I'm supposed to be a big kid now, right? NO TEARS. I swore to myself that today would be just like any other day. Maybe if I convinced myself to forget what day it was, then I could be free of this yearly complex.

But here's my confession... I lost. I cried today. No reason. Not even sure why it happened. But the birthday bawling occurred.

I've tried to analyze why this happens. Maybe I am resisting change? Or maybe I just don't want to grow up? I still can't seem to find the real reason to this annual cryfest.

But there's hope for next year. I've always felt 24 would be my year. ;)

TAG!

So Sabrina tagged me, along with a comment about how I wouldn't do it. Thus, I have to prove her wrong!
7 Random/Weird Facts about Myself
1. So most friends have caught on to this... but my name is Natalie (Latin for "Christmas Day") and my middle name is Carol. Thus, Christmas Carol. I'm so glad this didn't get out til adulthood. :)
2. I hate replying. To phone calls, emails, Thank You's, etc. I just am so bad at it. Right now, I have a long list of people I need to reply to, yet I've found lame things to do (aka blogging) instead of replying. ahhh.
3. I love love love traveling. I've been on 4 of the 7 continents and want to go to all 7 in my lifetime. I dream about quick weekend roadtrips to fun places. BUT... I have lived in little ole Bowling Green, KY for all of my life (well i moved elsewhere in KY for a few months as an infant, but doesn't count). I find that random... such a homebody in reality but a vagabond in my dreams.
4. I worry much more than the average person. Like stupid, embarrassing things (like dropping your bra in a public place and being returned by random boy) haunt me forever. I don't know why but I just worry about the stupidest things, like I can change it.
5. As a kid (well more like highschooler), I was terrified of the school bus! Like I'm talking tears, many tears. When my parents wanted to punish me, they sent me on the bus. I still don't quite understand why I had such a fear...
6. Reality TV is my best friend. I've never been much a TV watcher, but especially this year as I married an all-out TV junkie, I am thankful for the revolution of reality TV. I couldn't stand cartoons as a kid and can't watch shows that sci-fi. Everyone loves "Lost", "24", "Harry Potter" movies... I need something real or I'm not interested at all!
7. I love reading blogs... of random people that are total strangers. Of course, I enjoy following the blogs of those I know. But I spend time reading blogs of missionaries overseas, whom I have never met, along with some hilarious women's blogs. So although I don't write on here much, I'm still very much a part of the blogging world. :)

So... here's the hard part. Tagging 7 other people. I know two people who read my blog and one of them tagged me. Alas, KRISTI- you're tagged! I expect hilarity and nothing less. :)