Under My Skin

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all looking forward to a fantastic, fun-filled, fall weekend.

On to today's post topic...

I really hate to be a Debbie-downer, and I really want to try to keep this blog as positive as possible. However, if I'm going to be honest, I've really let Ed get under my skin the past couple days.

Let me explain...

I knew this weekend would involve a lot of drinking and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It's one of my best friend's 21st Birthdays. This whole school year, I've only got out (to drink) a few times. I've gone through different stages in college and have had different attitudes towards drinking alcohol and the dreaded wasted calories that come along with it.

During the worst of my eating disorder, I never drank. It took too much energy and time and why would I dare waste precious calories on a drink? Ummm...because sometimes it's okay to let go and have fun Kristy!


When I finally truly started recovering from my eating disorder, I went out all the time. I loved the social aspect of going out and really wanted to prove to everyone and myself above all else that Ed did not have control of my life and that I knew how to have fun! Although I have a lot of fun memories from this time, I don't think I was being true to myself. Kristy doesn't like to spend all weekend either drinking or being hung over. Kristy likes to be active, productive, and do other fun stuff. 


This year, I probably go out on average every couple weeks. It's enough to keep my friends off my back....."Come on, you have to have a good time. It's your senior year. You only live once!", and it also gives me plenty of time to do other fun things with my friends (apple picking, movie nights, dinner dates, you name it. And, I hate to admit it, but it keeps Ed happy. If I only go out everyone in a while, there is no way I'll gain weight from the empty calories in alcohol.


So, what does this all have to do with this weekend? Well, I had been planning on going out Thursday (last night) and Saturday night to celebrate my friend's 21st birthday. Last week, though, I unexpectedly went out on a Thursday night. I also had a 9 mile run planned for the next morning.

Even though I drank a good amount, I managed to run not 9 but 10 miles! I told myself that I didn't need to do a long run this week because I have over a month until the half marathon, and I don't need to keep increasing my miles every week. My little legs deserve a rest!

Anyways, last night I did go out for my friend's birthday, and overall, I had a really good time. Here's some pictures from the night to prove it...

So what's the issue? Well, towards the end of the night, I started worrying about how long of a run I was going to do in the morning. I kept thinking thoughts like...

Maybe I can do 11 miles this time. I didn't think I could do 9 miles after drinking last week, and I did 10!


A long run will burn off the alcohol calories!


If I wasn't going out right now, I could go to bed early, eat a healthy and fueling breakfast and crank out a long run! Then I wouldn't have to worry about it next week. 


We were also out pretty late, and I was getting sort of hungry and also wanted to drink a little more. However, I heard Ed's nasty little voice...

It's after midnight, so no, you can't eat anything. 


You went out for dinner and ate a lot. You should not be hungry. 

In retrospect, I really wished I would have just lived in the "here and now" of last night. I really did have a good time, and I wouldn't have missed my friend's birthday for the world, but I'm just mad at myself for inviting Ed along.

This morning, I decided not to do a long run. Although Ed's voice was telling me that I should do a long run, so I don't have to worry about it next week and I could burn off all the alcohol calories, I listened to my body and did a quick five mile long. Truth be told, I could have run longer if my stomach hadn't acted out. I didn't use the bathroom before hand, so I had to go (if you know what I mean). Sorry if that's too much information.

When I initially finished my run, I thought I could have run longer. In other words, Ed started talking again. I told him to SHUT UP, though! I'm sick of his voice. After a long night out and little sleep, I shouldn't be expected to run 10 + miles just because I'm training for a half marathon. I did a longer run last week than I had to, I ran 6 days this last week, and I did a 5 and a 6 mile run this week. That's enough...plenty....I don't need to do a long run.

I know this post is kind of all over the place, but the last thing that has been bugging me is the thought of going out again on Saturday. Originally, I was going to force myself to go out both nights. However, I don't think this is the best idea. I have a busy weekend ahead of me, and I don't think I need to go out just to please my friends and spite Ed.

I went out last night.

Tonight, I'm going to a lovely overnight getaway at a ski lodge with my sorority. I'm so excited for this.

And, on Sunday, I'm going apple picking with a bunch of friends, am planning on going to a hot yoga class, have my weekly sorority meeting, and have homework to get done.

Quite simply, I think going out on Saturday would be more draining than empowering. Although I know Ed may play into this decision a little bit, I have plenty of other reasons not to go out. Also, I'm still going to go to my friend's party and enjoy seeing her and a lot of my other friends. I just don't need to drink and go to the bars until 2am after as well. If I really feel up for it on Saturday then so be it, but I'm not going to force myself to go.

Once again, I'm sorry if this post was all over the place or was kind of negative. I'm really working to shut Ed up and listen to the only voice I ever should.....my voice!

What are you up to this weekend? 
Do you ever feel guilty about drinking or not running when you "should"?
Don't you just love Fall? I sure do!

PDR and a Great Race!

Hello all,

I hope you all had a great weekend! I know I sure did.

Because I need to get to bed, I'm going to give you a quick rundown of my weekend.

Thursday night, I went out to dinner for a friend's birthday. I was planning on going home after, but at the very last minute, I decided to go out. Who am I? I never decide to do things last minute.

I did have a good time, though.

To be honest, one of the main reasons I didn't want to go out was because I had a 9 mile run on the schedule for Friday. I wanted to go to bed early, wake up early, fuel properly, digest a bit, and head out. When I decided to go out and drink, though, I figured I'd move my long run to Saturday. I didn't think I'd be able to run 9 miles on very little sleep with errr....a little bit of a hangover. At the same time, though, I didn't want to delay my run until Saturday and spend all of friday obsessing about the run and thinking about the alcohol calories. I've come a long way in recovery, but I admit it: I'm still very guilty of worrying about alcohol calories.

So what did I do?

I woke up naturally around 8 AM on Friday and decided to give the long run a shot. After inhaling a mini clif bar, straping on my fuel belt equipped with 8 oz of G2 and a GU gel, I set off.

And what happened?

I RAN 10 MILES! I was only scheduled to run 9 miles, but after the first few miles, I felt great and just wanted to keep going. It felt great. It also felt really good to realize that even though everything didn't go according to plan the night before, everything turned out A-OK!

Friday night, I spent the night with two of my favorite chicas watching this little gem:

Hands down, best movie ever! I cry at the end 

every time without fail. 

I slept in Saturday morning, and it felt wonderful. I ate breakfast, relaxed for a bit, and popped out for a 3 mile recovery run.

When I returned, I showered, and headed out with the madre for bagels and some shopping action. I got new shoes! My trusty Asics are going downhill fast.

After shoping with my mama, I quicky assembled a pb&j for dinner because I had to make a 7pm showing of the Lion King 3D! Two of my friends and I went, and it was so much fun. I loved this movie as a kid, and it's safe to say that I still do.

The Circle of Life!

After the movie, my friends and I got some necessary Ben and Jerry's!

Before going to bed last night, I decided to run a 4 mile run through a local apple orchard this morning. It was a last minute decision but a good one indeed!

This morning, I woke up, fueled up, and headed to the orchard with my mom.

How'd the race go?

I'm not going to lie....it was tough...super tough! It was hot, muddy, and the terrain was anything but flat. I didn't realize the race was a trail run. I felt really good for the first two miles, but I started fatigue quickly after that. There was a huge hill at the end and it took everything in me to make it up.

I seriously wanted to collapse when I finished. I was happy to find out later, though, that I finished 2nd in my age group! 2nd!?!? I'm really not a super fast runner, and usually place closer to the middle, so I was super happy with the result. I actually finished 20th out of over 80 people. Not bad....not bad at all. No wonder why I was so tired, I was really pushing myself!

After the race, I got to pick a bag of apples! Yay : )

After returning home, I refueled....


and then hit the books. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing homework.

Finally I hosted a dinner for my sorority and then attended a sorority weekend.

As you can see, I had an awesome weekend. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone by making a lot of last minute decisions and going with the flow. I had fun with friends, spent time with my mom, and accomplished two great running-related things!

How was your weekend?
How are you with last minute decisions?

Strange but true

Hello lovely bloggies!

Happy Hump Day to everyone!

Today, I wanted to share some of my weird food addictions with you all. Although I eat a relatively healthy and "normal" diet for the most part, my eats and food habits due veer to the strange side a bit.

So what strange foods am I lovin'?

Ketchup!

This is my go to condiment. I use it in massive quantities and put it on food that most people think ketchup doesn't really go with. 

Macaroni, salads with beans or a veggie burger mixed in, pasta, stir fries, pizza...no shame, no shame. 

Confession: I've actually brought a bottle of ketchup to a fancy pizza place before because I knew they didn't have any. Although I received some stares from people when I whipped the bottle out of my purse, it was definitely worth it. Ketchup makes pizza so much better!

Cinnamon

Oh my gosh! I love cinnamon. I put it on peanut butter and honey sandwiches, mix is in with greek yogurt, put it in coffee. I love the warm, spicy kick it gives to foods!

Peanut Butter

I could not live with out this gooey, sticky, deliciousness in a jar. It's safe to say that I eat at least three to four tablespoons of peanut butter a day. I mix it into oats and yogurt, put it in sandwiches and wraps, and  top bagels and toast with it. My pantry is filled with about ten jars of assorted brands and flavors. My favorites include Teddie's smooth and PB & Co. Mighty Maple....yumm!

Chocolate Calcium Chews

Okay, I know, I know....this is more of a supplement than a food, but I love chocolate calcium chews. I take the maximum dose--three per day because I love chewing the chocolate goodness!

Gum

Oh Lord, I chew an unhealthy amount of gum. I'm pretty sure I go through more than a pack a day : / I originally started chewing a lot of gum during the worst of my eating disorder. I would chew gum instead of eating to keep hunger at bay. Even though I eat enough food now and try to stick a healthy, well balanced diet, I can't kick the gum habit. My mouth is just always looking for something to do. I would love any tips you all have to start chewing less gum. 

Truvia/Artificial Sweeteners

This is another food (if you can consider it that) I consume too much of. I always mix truvia into greek yogurt. I also sweeten my iced coffee with a few too many splenda packets. I know this stuff isn't good for you, but it is another habit I can't seem to let go of. 

Spinach

No, I'm not related to Popeye the Sailor, but I sure do love my leafy greens! I love spinach as a base in my salads, as a filler in my sandwich, and as an extra in my pasta. However, I'm not so sure I'll ever jump on the green monster bandwagon. I'm just really picky about not drinking my vegetables. I have mad respect for all of you that drink them daily, though!

There you have it--all my strange food addictions...some healthy....others eerrrr...not so much. 

Before I go, I just wanted to share with you all that I spent all weekend with my sorority doing formal recruitment. We acquired twenty lovely ladies I can now call sisters!! I'll leave you with some pictures from the weekend: )

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of all our lovely new ladies : (

What are your strange food addictions?

Do you have any tips to kick a chewing gum habit?

Just a Quick Pop-in!

Hey Everybody! Happy, happy Friday!

I'm sorry I've been absent from the blog-world lately. I've just been super busy with classes and sorority recruitment.

I just wanted to say hi to all of you lovely ladies this beautiful (but chilly!) Fall morning and say hi!

I just got back from an 8 mile run! Endorphins are running right now : )

Now, I'm off to work with the kiddos at the after school program for the afternoon.

Then I'll be spending my evening with the sorority for night two of formal recruitment!!

Two thumbs up and a dorky smile for a great 8 mile run. Finished in 

about an hour and 10 minutes, which is pretty fast for me. Note, I'm not

that fast of a runner. Only about a month and a half until the half marathon!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

What are your takes on the Fall weather? Personally, I think Fall is beautiful, but I hate to see summer go. : (
What are you up to this weekend? My weekend is packed with formal recruitment activities!

Who Am I?

First off, I want to take a moment to remember everyone who lost their lives 10 years ago in this terrible attack, 9-11. God bless all of those who lost their lives and all of the families who lost loved ones. You will never be forgotten.

Now, on to today's post.

Who am I?


I'm a runner.

I'm a daughter.

I'm a food lover.

I'm a friend.

And a nutella lover : )

I'm a sister.

I'm a proud mama...well, kind of.

I'm a student.

I'm a preservice teacher.

I'm a goofball. 

I'm a camp counselor and now an assistant director. 

I'm Kristy!

If Ed or any other circumstance in your life has you feeling down or just feeling like you don't measure up, just think about who you are and all the wonderful things you do. 

Now tell me...WHO ARE YOU?!?!? I'm sure you're awesome in every way : )

Help

Help!

I'm trapped under a pile of books and can't get out!

'nough said? I'm a little bogged down at the moment with classes, READING, sorority stuff, and half marathon training.

On a positive noted, I had a lovely night out with my ladies this past weekend.

I'm second to the left! So many lovely ladies : )

A real post is coming soon. I promise!

Tell me something happy!

Accomplished

Happy Friday everyone!

I woke up bright and early this morning and had an amazing breakfast. I was too hungry to take a picture. Sorry about that....oops. Let's just say, it combined peanut butter, fresh strawberries and a 'nanner, greek yogurt and chocolate in the form of a vitatop.

Anyways, after digesting a bit, I set out to accomplish what I have been anticipating/worrying about/ dreading all week. What????....you may ask. A 7 mile run. My training plan had me scheduled to do a 7 mile run on Sunday, but I'm going to be super busy all weekend with sorority stuff, so I knew it would be best to knock the run off my list this morning while I had time.

To sum it up, it was awesome. I've run this distance before. Actually my PDR is 10 miles, but I haven't run over 6 miles in a few months. Yes, my legs felt a bit tight at points and conquering hills were a little bit of a challenge, but running/half marathon training is supposed to be challenging. I need to just trust my training plan and have more confidence in myself and not worry about my long runs. I know I can do them!

Bumper sticker on the back of my car served as

inspiration for my run this morning 

Now, I'm off to shower because, well...I like my friends, and if I stopped showering, I think they'd all start to disappear out of my lives. Just kidding, but I do really need to shower. I'm a sweaty mess.

Then I'm off to do some last minute shopping for formal recruitment (we are required to wear certain outfits for certain nights of recruitments, so we look unified and put together) with some friends. Then we are going to devour these bad boys.....

Boy, do I love bagels! Carbs don't scare me!

Afterwards, I'm off to work and then I'll be spending the evening with my lovely sorority sisters, prepping for formal recruitment, which is coming up in less than two weeks!

Love these ladies!

I'm not sure what I'll be doing afterwards.

Maybe, I'll take it easy, head home, and watch a movie....

Maybe, I'll go out for ice cream with some of my favorite chicas...

Maybe, I'll spend the night out on the town with some friends...

Only time will tell. I'm not going to waste my time and decide what I'm going to do  "have to do" now. Instead, I'm going to wait and see how I feel and what comes up.
Enjoy your fridays ladies (and gentleman)!

Do you ever doubt your ability to run long distances if you are a runner? How do you overcome this? 
Tell me what fun plans you have for the weekend!

Busy Bee!

Hey everyone!

Sorry for my disappearance. I have just been so busy with school this week, I have no time to breathe blog. I promise to update you all on my super exciting life as soon as I have some time on my hands. This week, I'm super busy because I'm not only starting classes and working in the afternoons, but my weekend is also jam packed with sorority stuff to prep for sorority recruitment.

I can't wait to share with you!
Happy Thursday Night! It's almost Friday!

Tell me something happy!