Hey remember that time I ran a marathon for fun? Yeah, sometimes reminding myself of it blows my mind a little.

Sorry I’m not sorry my blog has become all about fitness and healthy stuff. I’m sort of this contradiction of a person who loves loves loves high fashion and also is crazy about exercise and health/nutrition/fitspo things. I know I’m growing up and my interests are developing more clearly, but that doesn’t make it any easier feeling like I’m beginning to change.

So what now? All I know is that I feel the exact same in high heels and chic dresses as I do in Norts and sports bras. Content, comfortable, and confident. Sometimes blissfully happy, but not always. Neither side of my life grants me 100% good times. I can feel just as insecure and self-conscious and utterly un-confident in skimpy running clothes as when I dress to impress. So I’m not ruling anything out, yet. Let’s not think of this as a change, or as a departure from one interest to seek out something radically different. Let’s just think of it as being well rounded.

Oh my god. I wish I would have taken a photo of this before I downed it. This photo is from the recipe I adapted on Eat.Run.Do Yoga. It’s amazing and one of my best healthy snack/lunch creations, so I must must must share it.

Okay, so it tastes sinfully good. Like “OMG I’m such a lard ass I can’t stop drinking this and it can’t be good for me” good. But it’s actually CRAZZZZY healthy. Here’s the original recipe, and below is my adaptation (single lady style, a little more modifications):

Makes about 3 cups worth of heaven - a really nice, filling lunch shake for me.

• 1 sandwich size bag of ice cubes — crushed to make it easier on the blender.
• approx. 1/5 container of Nasoya silken tofu
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 6 oz Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
• approx. 1 tablespoon Splenda (add to taste)
• approx. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I started with 1 teaspoon and added more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (again, started with 1 teaspoon then kept adding)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• dash of allspice

Add all to the blender and mix thoroughly. I paused a bunch of times to taste test and added more spices or Spenda as needed. Afterwards, I poured it into a glass and set it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm it back up a bit. When I drank it, I drizzled a little honey on top (because I go through honey like water) and mixed it in. Delish, delish, delish! Enjoy!

Plugged into caloriecount.com, here’s the approximate nutritional breakdown:

Nutrition Facts

Vitamin A 389%•Vitamin C 9%Calcium 38%•Iron 20%

Pretty much dying.

Ran another 5K race this morning and I’m pleased/not pleased with the results.

Pros: 2nd place female, 1st place female in age group 20-29. Went hard the whole way.

Cons: ASTHMA, 85% HUMIDITY IN 85º WEATHER, DIDN’T PR.

So I knew this course backwards and forwards. Not only have I raced it several times before in years past, but I run modified versions of it during several training runs. It’s mostly flat, just two small hills and not many turns - very fast, very straightforward. I felt that after last week’s PR and first sub-20, on a course I was unfamiliar with and had crazy hills, there would be no excuse for not doing even better this week.

Well, I was wrong. It was crazy humid and hot, and I have allergic and exercise induced asthma. Not fun. Not fun at all. I was wheezing up a storm, and by the end I both literally could not catch my breath AND felt like I was going to vomit. This weather can leave, thanks.

I still finished with a good time - 20:39 - and placed. But despite the much different circumstances this time around, I still am annoyed that I ran 50 seconds slower than last week and was beat by an older woman by nearly two minutes. Ugh. I am never satisfied.

My race buddy @caseycourogen (Taken with instagram)

Oh hey derr.

Realized I never uploaded a picture post-race day last week. I’m busy busy right now with work and running (another 5K on Monday, realllllly want to place, so I’m super anxious) and all the end of the school year things with my sisters. In the meantime, enjoy.

terralfirma:

muscle-bones:

tiny-but-feisty:

perfectionistbodyandsoul:

all the stupid girls on my team.
half of them aren’t even taking a week off after season. idiots. love em, but idiots. 

i hate to admit it but this is me right now. lol

Me constantly.

^

Guilty as charged.

My pumped up kicks have arrived!!!! So excited to run like a BAMF in these! (Taken with instagram)

Coming in for the win and PR - 19:49! - at the Capital Area Girls on the Run 5K on Saturday, May 19th. Happy Birthday to me!

Fresh strawberries with homemade whole wheat shortcake, modified from Chocolate Covered Katie (I used Splenda, unsweetened applesauce, and unsweetened vanilla almond breeze) - http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/04/29/single-lady-cupcake-for-the-royal-wedding/ (Taken with instagram)

So my plans to run the Radnor ABC 5K tomorrow for my birthday had to be scrapped. My cousin, who I was going to stay with and spend the day with, is really sick and we had to call off the weekend.

Instead, I ran the Capital Area Girls on the Run 5K today. If I can’t race on my birthday birthday, I might as well do it the day before. And, I figured, sure, I’m out $18 for the other race, but it’s going to a good cause, and the race fee for this one is towards something good, too.

Girls on the Run is such a great program I would love to volunteer with if I ever find time during the school year, when they run it. They’re all about empowering young girls and teaching them self-respect and healthy lifestyle through running. After I finished, I hung around the end and cheered for everyone else, including almost all the girls in the program who started five minutes behind the first wave of runners. Cheering for them and talking to some of them later was such a great experience; I would love to inspire them and help them find a love for running comparable to mine.

Anyway, I PR-ed by about 2:35. INSANE. It was a super hilly course - unexpectedly so. Plus this week I was trying to rest my hip, and only ran 4 miles on a treadmill on Tuesday, then 5 yesterday. I was hoping to PR (my previous best was 22:25 - on a flat course!), but didn’t know if I could. On the way out, my dad mentioned that with the training, I could easily sub-20 and I laughed. Until today, I thought “NO WAY.”

I was dying on some of the hills, but I went out strong for once and ended up about a minute ahead of the #2 female and #5 overall behind me. It was such an unexpected treat to turn the corner and see the finish line just yards ahead and the clock reading 19:XX. “I HAVE TO SUB-20!” I thought, and sprinted with the most I could. Official time is 19:49 and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Yay yay yay yay!!!!! Best birthday present ever! Now off to buy new shoes - how I did it in my TOTALLY SHOT pair, I have no clue.

runnersbliss:

runningtothefinish:

healthybuddha:

I love this commercial from Under Armour and redefining women athletes; it’s such a wonderful idea and message. Take it back.

this is amazing.

such a wonderful commercial!

I love everything about this.

This year - this semester, especially - has gone by so quickly. On one hand, thank god it’s over. On the other, I’m not quite ready to go.

Almost all semester I was like “I want to leave here as soon as humanly possible. I don’t want to hang around any longer than I have to.”

But the last week or so, just wandering around New York, kicking it and doing what I want to do, has been so great. Not having class to stress me out and feeling like I have few obligations other than doing what makes me happy and what I feel like doing is the best. It seems that things always look up and New York becomes so romantic and magical just when I’m about to leave. Whyyyy. I sort of wish I at least had the rest of this weekend to explore and have fun, but alas, I do not.

The parents and Casey are on their way now. We’re taking Casey to Dylan’s Candy Bar, then hopefully roam and maybe go to Central Park, if there’s time. I’m so excited for them to get here - not because I’m excited to leave, but because I want to show them around the city I love and have fun.

Anyways. Three down, one to go. But now, summer.