2012 was a year that flew by.

Travel

I was able to go on a lot of trips this year.  TPWSNBN and I started out with an anniversary weekend to Williamsburg, Virginia. This place is really special to us, because we love the atmosphere the history and the relaxed feeling we have being there.  We always say we never stay long enough and always vow to stay longer the next time.  May be on of these times we’ll actually plan a longer trip.

We then ventured north to New York City for a day trip to meet a group of ladies that have been such an important part of my life for so long.

These women have been such an influence, such a positive outlook for me.  Even though the next picture is more like us anyways.

Then it was time to get a little crazy.  Lisa and I hopped on a Jet plane and went to the Dominican Republic for a long weekend.

It was a hilarious and relaxing weekend, and I am so happy that I had Lisa to (take care of me) and share this with.

Then it was off on TPWSNBN and my long vacation… London Calling…

We spent the week in London, falling in love with everything about it.  We took a day trip to Paris, and while we were more impressed with London the trip was amazing.

Needless to say this year was my year of travel.

Races

I ran a lot this year.

• March 17, 2012 – Rock n’ Roll USA Half Marathon – COMPLETED 02:28:47
• April 29, 2012 – 34th Annual Patriots Cup Corporate Challenge 8k – COMPLETED 00:49:36 – PR!!
• May 13, 2012 – Devotion to Children Mother’s Day 4 Miler – COMPLETED 00:43:36
• June 2, 2012 – Global Race For The Cure 5k – COMPLETED 00:32:23 – PR!!!
• September 30, 2012 – Cody’s Crew 5k Walk/Run – COMPLETED 00:37:50
• October 28, 2012 – Marine Corps Marathon – 10k portion – Registered – Course Map  – COMPLETED 01:07:55
• November 17, 2012 – Turkey Trot 10K – COMPLETED 01:04:35 – PR!!!
• December 1, 2012 – Annapolis Half Marathon – COMPLETED 02:19:55 – PR!!!
• December 31, 2012 – Bull Run Festival of Lights 5k – Registered

Graduate School 

I went back to school in the summer and began studying for certification exams.  This was something I hadn’t done in 5 years.  I relearned math.

I got into Grad School and I start January 22.

Final Thoughts

This year was a good one.  I didn’t make goal weight.  I didn’t get published.  Whatever.  I lived.  Look at this post.

I can’t wait for 2013.

Hey all.

Sorry I disappeared.  It’s so easy to not to do anything – including getting dressed or leaving the house – when you are on vacation.

• I’ve joined another tracking service for my food and exercise to go along side MyfitnessPal.com.  It’s called Lose It!  There is an app for your smart phone and a really user friendly system on their website.  I needed a shake up but I can’t afford to just join another weight loss program.  I am on day 1 and really liking it.
• My treadmill is making weird noises.  This annoys me.  I’ve put a request in for service and hopefully it can be fixed.  I can’t afford to buy a new one or join a gym, so I might end up being thrown to the outdoors. *Whine*

• Did everyone have a good holiday?  I had a nice Christmas and so far a very relaxing break.  New Years Eve will be fun.  Going out for a late dinner with TPWSNBN and Lisa at Zaytinya in Washington, DC.  Our seating is at 9:00pm so we are planning on heading down earlier to go sit at the bar first – just to make sure we get down there in time.  Metro it is.
• I am not sure if I am going to exercise today or tomorrow, most likely today and tomorrow I’ll do something, and then Monday is my last race of the year – the Bull Run Festival Of Lights 5k.  :-)
• So now I am going to figure out what we are going to do today…

WI: +1.2
Total Lost: -39.6
Emotion: Over it
Plan Forward: Do Better*

*How am I going to do better?

• I am going to weigh myself *officially* every other week.  With strength training now being a big part of my regime the water weight – which I can tell is a lot because man… I am chugging water but not getting rid of it and I feel water logged – is totally a factor.  I think this will also help me take my focus off of the number and more on the progress.  I plan on also doing this by….
• Taking measurements again!  I use to do this constantly, and stopped for some reason.  Myfitnesspal has  a place you can track these, so I plan on tracking these weekly *officially*.

• Weekly I’ll be posting the above table with my measurements, because I am coming the realization that my weight has nothing to do with how I look.  If I look smaller because of muscle building but my weight is the same or higher, why should I be upset?  Why should this arbitrary number on a scale define my happiness on week by week basis?  (Say’s the girl who has been with in the same 3 pounds for months – it’s justifying it to myself I guess.)
• If I have to fake it till I make it then so be it.  This week I got diet altering news, and while I obviously didn’t heed the word of the doctor this week, I know I need to now.
• I was told I have ‘Pre-Diabetes’.
  • Prediabetes is when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and may have some problems from diabetes already.
• So according to the American Diabetes Association, if I lose 10-15 pounds I should have better odds of the bad levels to go away and I’ll feel better about myself.  I know that I will be able to do this, I know that it won’t be easy, but I also know it’s attainable. I just have to work for it.
• My workout today is brought to you (and me) by CrossFitMamas:
  • 3 rounds, 15-12-and 9 reps, for time of:
    Thrusters, 20 lbs
    Walking lunges
    Push-upsIt will look like this:

    Round 1: 15 Thrusters, 15 Lunges, 15 Push-ups
    12 Thrusters, 12 Lunges, 12 Push-ups
    9 Thrusters, 9 Lunges, 9 Push-ups

    Rounds 2 & 3: repeat

Holy hell.

• I don’t have a barbell, so I’ll be doing this with dumb bells.
• Somehow.
• Someway.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

5 Positives

1. Today is my last in office day of the year!  I am working from home tomorrow because of Doggie Dental work and the fact that NO ONE will be in the office.
2. I actually did something with my hair today and I think it looks good.
3. Since I did my hair I had no time for eggs and sausage so I made myself a protein smoothie that is uber filling. Oof.
4. WE ARE SO CLOSE TO VACATION.  I can smell it.
5. My body seems to be rebounding more and more with every strength training workout.

• Yesterday became a rest day.  I didn’t get home till after 6:00pm, and I had to make meatballs and cook dinner along with straightening up the house and preparing things for today all in the span of 3 hours before I start winding down for bed.  I decided that I had worked out three days straight and could take one day off to start off strong again today.  Tonight’s workout will be 3.1 miles on the treadmill – may 3.5 depending on how I feel closer to the three miles.  My right ankle has been giving me grief as of late and I don’t want to give my ortho another reason to cut me open, so I am trying my darndest to listen to my body and not wreck it.  I also plan to start doing push ups (on my knees.)  (that’s what she said) with every workout.  Just 10.  Just to get stronger with it.
• Speaking of wreck – that is how I will be today with this pot luck.  HELLO FOOD PUSHERS.  I made turkey meatballs in a meat sauce.  I think next time I do this I should make 4 pounds as opposed to 2.  It looks pretty empty in my crock pot.  I plan on going for a few meatballs or other protein items, and then loading up on veggies.  Someone has to bring a salad.  THEY JUST HAVE TO.
• My weekend is gonna be fun! Friday night dinner with Lisa at Chopt, Saturday night with Kim and Edwin, and Sunday seeing the Hobbit with Adie and Danny!  Who knew I had such a bustling social life.  I didn’t!
• My one political portion of the post:

• I have this unrelenting desire to dye my hair blonde.  I don’t know why.  It keeps happening.  I keep thinking about it.  I think I might go for highlights, or would that be trashy?  SOMEONE ELSE (other than my sister or mom who will continue to try and talk me out of it.) MAKE THIS DECISION FOR ME.
• I think Lena Dunham and I would be best friends if she knew me.  We (at least her character on Girls) are neurotic and act the same way.  PLUS we both majored in English.  She lives in New York (I wish I did) and there is this awkwardness that we share.  Plus I want portions of her wardrobe
• Sometimes when my office mate’s phone rings I want to answer in a bubbly high pitched voice “Goodmorning/Afternoon!  (Insert Office Mate’s name) Office, this is Bethany, how can I help you?”  Since I feel pretty much like his secretary half the time.
• So if in fact tomorrow is the end of the world, I guess I should get a few things off my chest:
  • There are full on months, including races, where I have 110% felt that I hate running.  It goes away after a good run, but because I constantly compare myself to others, and the fact I am not running sub 10 minute miles all the time yet, I hate it.  I hate it because I can’t push myself.  But I love it, because I can forget everything while I am doing it.
  • I really only like Tuna as far as fish goes, and I really only like it seared very slightly, or raw entirely.
  • My dogs are my children and I treat them as such.  I wouldn’t leave a human child in the care while I ran errands, so why would I leave my dog.  Disagree with me?  That’s fine.  But I don’t want to hear the justifications of why you think it’s okay (A debate between me and another that has been going on for WEEKS.)
  • I really don’t like Red Meat that much.  A good streak is nice now and again… but too often and it loses it’s appeal.
• WHEW that’s better.
• Is it weird I have been at this company for almost 3 years, and I am just now signing up for my 401K?  Yeah what a waste, I know.
• Well that’s all I got.

xoxoxox

Five Positives

1. I’m still breathing
2. My coffee seems to be extra hot this morning somehow, so it will last long through my morning
3. I have today and tomorrow in the office and then I work from home on Friday
4. I may have screwed up yesterdays efforts of lowered carbs and no sugar but today I feel more secure in my choices
5. Less than a week till Christmas!

Yesterday I ended up having a piece of bread with peanut butter, 2 sugar cookies and mini york peppermint patty.  The cookies and the candy were “food pushed” on me, and while it’s my fault for consuming them, I have a new strategy of dealing with them. Every single time someone offers me something I know I can’t have, I will simply think about what my life will be like if I don’t make the change.  It happened last night at Starbucks when I was thinking of ordering my usual drink (Grande Skim Gingerbread Latte).  Instead I got the skinny mocha made with the less sugar option mocha.  It’s a start really.

We have a pot luck tomorrow at work, and I am bringing Turkey Meatballs in Marinara sauce – something I know I can eat – and I see from the list there will be salads and veggies and fruits.  I will have to stick to my willpower on this one.  There is nothing on that table that is worth the punishment of what will occur if I don’t change my ways.

I ran yesterday (3.1 miles) and then did 100 squats, 30 lunges each leg and 30 bridges.  I am really liking this strength/body weight training, if you couldn’t tell.  Haven’t seen results, but man I feel the soreness, so I know it’s working.  Or at least I can feel the fact I did something.  I think this whole strength training thing has to be balanced, because I am not giving up running.  Today, for instance, is all about arms, back, and core!

4 rounds/12 Reps Each

• Squat with Shoulder Press
• Dumb bell rows
• Bicep Curls
• Crunches with a Press
• Tricep kick backs
• Supermans
• Russian Twists
• :45 Plank
• Run 0.25 Miles

I have to have that running component to get my cardio in slightly each day.  It ends up being only about 10 minutes, which some would say is a valid warm up, I just parse it out throughout the workout.  I like running A LOT more this way.  (Says the girl who at one point thought a marathon would be possible… HAH).

The office is getting more and more empty by the day.  I think Friday barely anyone will actually be here to notice that I am working at home.  That’s fine by me.  I have been stockpiling items that need to get done (but not in a timely fashion) that I am saving up for Friday.  I’ll drop of the Blarney Dog for his teeth cleaning appointment, and then Head home to my “office” and set up shop with coffee and my water jug to get crackin’.

Meanwhile today I have a 5 hour meeting starting at 9:00am and then tomorrow I have another 4 hour meeting starting at 9:00am then I can start to check out mentally… Well may be.  We’ll see.  I am sure I’ll be worried about the project, the meetings, the etc… while I am away.  Much to the pain and dismay of TPWSNBN.

Have an INSANELY awesome day Loves!

xoxoxox

• I’d be much happier if it was Friday, frankly.
• I was able to donate blood yesterday so I didn’t workout.  I had a bit of a low day – actually the first one in a really long time where I was realllllllly low.  I hate those.  I totally have some sort of Seasonal Depression on top of my already diagnosed depression issues, so this time of year (especially around Christmas) gets bad.  You would think the happiest time of year.. but no.  
• Today’s Workout: 3.1 mile run with Ab intervals : 3 rounds of 10 crunches, 10 bicycles, 3 1 minute planks, 10 russian twists.  I am excited about it.  I am also loving this whole approach to strength training that I am doing.  I am looking forward to repeating my CrossFit at home workout tomorrow as well.
• My breakfast was uber filling – 2 eggs fried soft (this is my way of saying runny yolk) with English muffin and cream cheese.  I know I know.. English Muffin needs to leave my daily menu… eventually.  Baby steps.
• I am so ready for next semester to start.  I want to get this thing going so I can finish up and start teaching.
  • Ahhhhh.  Start Teaching…
• Funny enough the CrossFitMama’s workout of the day is also to run a 5k.  Lookie there.  I’m all about CrossFit – without actually doing CrossFit (You will never see me do a pull up – ever.  I will never be able to do that.  I am okay with this as well.  Except when I inevitably am hanging from a building ledge and have to pull myself up – then I will wish I had done pull ups.  Oh well, we all have to go sometime.)
• Speaking of death, do you ever think about the people Bond kills in his films.  Like the bystanders or extras?  Like will anyone ever find their bodies? Do they have families?  I am weird and fixate on these things.
• I really hate diet coke.  It is not nearly as good as PepsiMax – and while I realize I shouldn’t be drinking diet soda of any kind, I am not giving it up.  Get over it.  Just like I won’t give up bread products.  Sorry I’m not sorry.
• I had a weird dream last night that my parents gave my little sister the larger room of the house we were moving into that had a refrigerator and freezer in it.  I of course was pissed, and threw a temper tantrum.  Then I woke up.
• There is a coworker of mine who only eats produce from the particular season we are in and it has to be local.  She said she hasn’t had a banana in like 5 years.  I die.  I also try to eat bananas in front of her as much as possible. Because I am a bitch.
• I literally forgot I was dieting yesterday – at least that’s what it seemed like – I ate everything I could get my hands on.  It was kind of pathetic.  Today I am focusing on not doing that, and not having night snacks while watching TV or reading.  I am going to workout when I get home, and then cook dinner, and then hope upon hope I can stick to my plan.  It’s a simple one of “Don’t eat everything in sight”.  If I was on TV this would be easier.  If I had people constantly looking at me on the big screen I could diet more efficiently.  Plus I’d also have a chef and a personal trainer.
• Well I’m out for meetings for the remainder of the day!