2015 has been wonderful. I moved in with my boyfriend and his brother. We got a dog. I ran 4 half-marathons and my first marathon. I started working in a different lab group at work. I did my first powerlifting meet. We attended a TON of weddings. I went to Tampa, FL for the first time. I went to Disney for my 3rd time. We took a trip to Connecticut and Boston, Mass(both for my first time).
I didn't pay off my student loans...and I'll be saying that for at least another 10 New Year's Eves. I did not lose the weight I had planned on losing...I actually managed to maintain it from Dec. 31,2014 to today. However, I know that I am stronger, and it's likely that less of my weight is fat. I increased my squat,bench,and deadlift total from 385lbs to 630lbs, and that was with taking some time off to train for the marathon. I'll have my next Bod Pod done on January 9th. I was sitting at 31% BF in April, so we'll see what a little under 9 months has done for me...that brings me to some goals and my to-do list for 2016...Not making resolutions because everyone knows we stick to them for a few weeks and then forget about it. I like to make goals.
-Lift in at least 1 USAPL-sanctioned meet in the 72kg class
-Decrease my bodyfat to 16%
-Increase my total to 765
-Travel to at least 1 new destination
-Be a better friend
Welp...there they are. There are probably more that I can't think of right now, but these are on my mind right now.
Here's to a new year!! Time to make some memories!!
Bring it on, 2016!
Hoping this year brings everyone lots of happiness and laughter,
Ashley
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Where are you, Spring??
Well, at least it hasn't been more than 3 months since my last post...I'm making great strides in the "remembering to write a blog post" department. Not so much in the weight loss department, though! I've started back on the downward slope toward my goal again, but didn't lose much in February like I had hoped. Part of that is likely not working at it as hard as I could be, but I'm hoping that perhaps I am turning some fat mass into muscle mass. Pretty certain that I suffer from "I can't just eat one cookie" syndrome. I broke my Lenten promise of not eating "bad" food yesterday, and continued today because there were a TON of cookies left at the apartment. Time to get back to it tomorrow.
Currently, I'm drinking an orange-blackberry-strawberry smoothie to try to make myself feel a little better about the amount of crappy food I have eaten in the past two days. Really, just the amount of delicious cookies I have eaten. So much for starting March off on a good foot!! But, the important thing to remember is that tomorrow is a new day, and I can start back on the good path tomorrow. I've already told Josh not to let me skip out on my morning routine of waking up to head to the gym before work. I skipped my long run this weekend, too, even though it was technically slated to be a 3.1, I was going to do 9 miles. But, it's not the end of the world. I'll run my miles like normal this week, and get my long run in for next weekend. A little nervous about how I'm going to do at this half in Xenia in April, as I'm likely going to be nowhere near my first half time, but just gotta get back to the plan and remember that ultimately, it's about finishing the race, not about the time.
My strength training hasn't been quite as consistent in the past week, so this week should change that. I also need to start figuring out a schedule to follow for my marathon training. I desparately want to keep building muscle with strength training, but I also realize that I need to be very dedicated to my training if I want to finish this marathon in November. I'm still trying to believe that I actually signed up to run a marathon this year, considering how much this winter has deterred me from running outside. I cannot wait until this weather finally breaks and I enjoy being outside again.
The other day, I was thinking about how many wonderful people are in my life, and how many wonderful opportunities that are waiting to be explored. Right now, although I am incredibly happy with my relationships, I would say that I'm not satisfied with where I am in terms of a career or where I am in terms of my physical being. In the past year, I've discovered that we have to learn to be happy instead of content. Some might argue that they could be one in the same, but I think there's a big difference. I could say that I'm content, but there's always a voice in the back of my head telling me that I can push harder and that my full potential is still looming in the distance. Whether it be in terms of body image, career aspirations, or even in terms of spirituality, I think there's always something I can be doing to better myself. You might be thinking that I need to practice more self love or that I shouldn't be so hard on myself, but I think that if we want to reach goals, we have to be honest with ourselves. With that said, I don't sit around looking in the mirror, pointing out all of the flaws I see. I set goals for myself, and I work at them. I "fall off the wagon" here and there, but the ultimate goal is always set. I feel incredibly lucky to have found a relationship with a man that supports me in my pursuit of the goals I have set for myself, and that we can serve as accountability partners(or binging partners, in the case of this weekend). He loves me for who I am as a whole, and wants me to reach my goals because he knows that will make me happy. I hope that everyone can find the person in their life, whether it's a friend or significant other, sibling, or even a parent, who pushes them to reach their goals, even when it means a little tough love.
Another week starts tomorrow, and I'm ready to charge into it with a great attitude and make some progress in the gym. The Arnold Sports Festival is next weekend, and I'm looking forward to 3 days of free protein samples and lots of muscle-y people walking around motivating me to keep up my work in the weight room. Hope everyone has a great month, as there's no way I can promise I'll write another post until April.
All the love and laughter,
Ashley
Currently, I'm drinking an orange-blackberry-strawberry smoothie to try to make myself feel a little better about the amount of crappy food I have eaten in the past two days. Really, just the amount of delicious cookies I have eaten. So much for starting March off on a good foot!! But, the important thing to remember is that tomorrow is a new day, and I can start back on the good path tomorrow. I've already told Josh not to let me skip out on my morning routine of waking up to head to the gym before work. I skipped my long run this weekend, too, even though it was technically slated to be a 3.1, I was going to do 9 miles. But, it's not the end of the world. I'll run my miles like normal this week, and get my long run in for next weekend. A little nervous about how I'm going to do at this half in Xenia in April, as I'm likely going to be nowhere near my first half time, but just gotta get back to the plan and remember that ultimately, it's about finishing the race, not about the time.
My strength training hasn't been quite as consistent in the past week, so this week should change that. I also need to start figuring out a schedule to follow for my marathon training. I desparately want to keep building muscle with strength training, but I also realize that I need to be very dedicated to my training if I want to finish this marathon in November. I'm still trying to believe that I actually signed up to run a marathon this year, considering how much this winter has deterred me from running outside. I cannot wait until this weather finally breaks and I enjoy being outside again.
The other day, I was thinking about how many wonderful people are in my life, and how many wonderful opportunities that are waiting to be explored. Right now, although I am incredibly happy with my relationships, I would say that I'm not satisfied with where I am in terms of a career or where I am in terms of my physical being. In the past year, I've discovered that we have to learn to be happy instead of content. Some might argue that they could be one in the same, but I think there's a big difference. I could say that I'm content, but there's always a voice in the back of my head telling me that I can push harder and that my full potential is still looming in the distance. Whether it be in terms of body image, career aspirations, or even in terms of spirituality, I think there's always something I can be doing to better myself. You might be thinking that I need to practice more self love or that I shouldn't be so hard on myself, but I think that if we want to reach goals, we have to be honest with ourselves. With that said, I don't sit around looking in the mirror, pointing out all of the flaws I see. I set goals for myself, and I work at them. I "fall off the wagon" here and there, but the ultimate goal is always set. I feel incredibly lucky to have found a relationship with a man that supports me in my pursuit of the goals I have set for myself, and that we can serve as accountability partners(or binging partners, in the case of this weekend). He loves me for who I am as a whole, and wants me to reach my goals because he knows that will make me happy. I hope that everyone can find the person in their life, whether it's a friend or significant other, sibling, or even a parent, who pushes them to reach their goals, even when it means a little tough love.
Another week starts tomorrow, and I'm ready to charge into it with a great attitude and make some progress in the gym. The Arnold Sports Festival is next weekend, and I'm looking forward to 3 days of free protein samples and lots of muscle-y people walking around motivating me to keep up my work in the weight room. Hope everyone has a great month, as there's no way I can promise I'll write another post until April.
All the love and laughter,
Ashley
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
2014-A Year in Review
I’m writing a post to look back on my year, and all of the changes that have occurred. If you asked me in December 2013 where I would be in a year, my prediction would have been WAY off. When I left Ohio to attend East Carolina University in 2007, I just KNEW I would never be found living in Ohio again…boy, I was wrong on that account, too.
January was an interesting month for me…I was interviewing
for positions in NC and Ohio, and really pushing to stay in North Carolina so
that I could stay close to my boyfriend and because I knew that all of my
family was going to be living there at some point in the year. Much to my
dismay, the job in Ohio at Nationwide Children’s was the job I was offered, and
I took it because I was ready(and needed) to work. So, I accepted the offer,
and off to Columbus I went in February!
February, I moved to Columbus, and started work the very
next Monday. I loved the hospital as soon as I saw it, and it’s a great place
to work. I also went to my first Columbus Running Club Turtle Thursday run. I
wanted to branch out and meet some more people, and I knew that if I was going
to run a half marathon in October, that I had better get running! This was
probably one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I have met so many
more people as a result of becoming part of the Columbus running culture. I
also lucked out with a great co-worker, and two great supervisors at my new
job. They were all super-welcoming, and my co-worker and I quickly became pals.
In March, my parents came to visit from Cleveland, we
celebrated my Dad’s 63rd birthday, and I ran my first 5 miles,
non-stop, at Turtle Thursday. March was kind of a slow month for me aside from
those events.
April was my boyfriend’s first visit to Columbus, my first
Clippers game, my first 5 mile race(which I finished in under 53 minutes), and
the first time in a LONG time that I was able to go to Chardon for the Maple
Festival!
May was Raquel’s bachelorette party at Middle Bass Island
and Put-In-Bay. We had an absolute blast! I am so glad that I was in Ohio to be
able to help Raquel celebrate and prepare for her wedding!! May was also the
Memorial Tournament, and it was cool to spend some quality time with my Dad watching
some after I finished volunteering. It was hot, but it was a good experience!
June was my 25th birthday, a quarter of a century…I
can’t believe I’m already that old! To celebrate, my parents and I went to see
Dave Matthews Band at Blossom, my 12th DMB show! It was a great
time, though I’m not sure my parents were so thrilled. June was also Raquel and
Ben’s wedding in Geneva, where we had a blast dancing the night away, and spent
some quality time with Kelsey!!
July was kind of a crazy month for me. I spent the 4th
of July in North Carolina, visiting my boyfriend, and got to spend some time
with friends. Not long after that, my boyfriend of nearly 5 years broke up with
me, and I was pretty heartbroken. I didn’t want it to end, but I think we both
knew for a while that it was headed that direction, it was just a matter of
when. Looking back on it now, I’m thankful that he ended it when he did, and am
thankful that we could both agree to be friends. Two weeks after we broke up, I
flew down to North Carolina again, where I spent the weekend with my good
friends, Lauren and Jackson, and also went to see Dave Matthews Band in VA Beach
with them and my now, ex-boyfriend. I went into it with the mindset that I was going
to have a good time, and that recent events weren’t going to change that. I am
SO glad that I went, and that we were able to have such a great time at my 13th
DMB show. The next day, I spent the day at Lauren’s family’s pool with Lauren
and our friend, Jamie, and it was so nice to kick back with the girls and enjoy
the beautiful North Carolina sunshine!
July was also the
same month that I decided not to mope about ending a long relationship, so I
started using Tinder. I figured that it could be a fun way to meet new people,
and maybe get a few dates out of it, too. I quickly became enthralled with the
conversations that I was having, and after one awkward meet up at the rib fest
with a guy too young for me(thankfully, Olivia was with me, so I had a reason
to bail), I decided that maybe I wouldn’t be going on too many dates. However,
as a result of perhaps a few too many alcoholic beverages combined with Tinder,
I agreed to a date with a guy I had been talking to, and my life quickly changed.
This guy chose a restaurant not far from where I lived, and I thought “Well,
that’s thoughtful, not making me drive too far. I’ll go for an hour or two, and
then see what happens.” So, he met me at the door, and 4 hours later, the
restaurant was closing, and we finally left…but I still didn’t know what was
going on with this new guy.
August proved to be great! I hung out with this guy a bunch,
and slowly I began to realize that he wasn’t just “some guy”. I went to North
Carolina to visit my parents, since they moved at the end of July, and spent
the week visiting the pool, catching up with friends, and ended the week by
attending Katherine and Dan’s wedding, what a fun time!! At the end of August,
it was official, I had a new boyfriend. Life is awesome.
September brought lots of Ohio State football watching,
meeting Josh’s family, going to my first real country concert(Jason Aldean and
Florida Georgia Line), and going to Amanda and Zach’s wedding with Josh as my
date. I never thought I would truly jump on the OSU bandwagon, but…here I am.
In October, I ran my first half-marathon, the Nationwide
Children’s Hospital Columbus Half-Marathon,
and finished in 2:18:12, well below my goal of 2:30! It felt GREAT! And,
to make it even better, my friend Megan from NC came to run the race! October
was also full of Buckeye football watching, and we celebrated Halloween on
Middle Bass Island with Victoria, Sean, Raquel, and Ben. Josh and I dressed up
as chicken and broccoli, and had a great time! I also joined a gym close to my
work in October, and started adding weight lifting to my exercise regimen. Josh
started giving me workouts to do every day, and I was hooked!
November was…more football, spending my first Thanksgiving
in Columbus with Josh, and going to Steubenville with Josh to visit his family
and hang out with friends. I met some of his friends from high school at an
OSU-Michigan watch party, and had fun stuffing my face with food and laughing
non-stop. Josh’s friends are just as crazy(probably crazier) than my friends!
December has been great, too. I attended my first Blue
Jackets game(or Penguins game, if I’m being pulled over to the dark side…), and
am getting ready to spend my first Christmas in the South since I was in
elementary school. I’m excited to see my family, but also very sad to be
missing the annual Giomuso Christmas Eve party, and sad that I won’t see any of
my extended family, either. Next year, I’m pushing for a Cleveland
Christmas!!!!! Watching A Christmas Story marathon on TBS just won’t be the
same this year.
Overall, 2014 has been a year of ups and downs, but I would
say for the most part, it’s been dominated by the ups. I have started a journey
toward a healthier me, and have realized that life is too short to spend our
time being unhappy. If you’re not happy with a situation or you’re not
satisfied with where you are in life, make a change! This goes for work,
relationships, or yourself.
I am so thankful for all of the experiences that 2014 has
brought me, and I cannot wait to see what 2015 brings! I hope that everyone
takes time to reflect on the past year, and gets to ring in 2015 with people
that they love. 2015 will be what you make of it. Take all of the positives and
all of the negatives, and use them to grow and learn, and make yourself the
best person you can be.
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and
Healthy 2015!
Much love,
Ashley
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
A lot can change in 5ish months...
Well, yet again...I'm sitting here in awe at the ways that God works in my life. Since the last time I updated my blog in May, I have completed 6 races(5Ks to my first half-marathon), watched a 5 year relationship come to an end, experienced the thrill and fun of using a dating app(surprisingly not as crazy as it seems), and managed to find a boyfriend here in Ohio that has made me love living here again.
If you had asked me months ago how I was liking it here, I likely would have said that it was nice, and the people are nice, but my only goal was moving back to North Carolina. It makes seeing my family more difficult, especially since everyone in my immediate family now lives down there, but that's what plane tickets are for, right?
Aside from work being a little slow for the past few weeks, I can honestly say that I am the happiest that I have been in a long time, and am finally pushing myself to achieve goals that I have wanted to work toward for years. I ran the Nationwide Children's Columbus Half-Marathon on October 19th, and I'm already scheming for 2015 races. My overall goal was to run it in 2 hours and 30 minutes, and I managed to go it in 2:18:12, so I was thrilled! My next BIG goal is to run a marathon in 2015. I was going to do the Columbus Marathon next October, but have decided on the Akron full at the end of September. In the meantime, I'm running my first Thanksgiving Day race here in Columbus, and have multiple smaller races, and at least 2 half-marathons on my list.
Fitness goals are ramping up, and Josh is doing his best to push me in the right direction. I joined a new gym that opened up near work, so I have been making it a habit to go there to get strength training done. So far, I've done 3 workouts that Josh has given me, and they aren't easy, but I feel good about it. I'm hoping to do a Pump and Run 5K in March, so that means benching 70% of my weight as many times as I can before running the 5K, which means I have a lot of work to do!! I think that the hardest part of trying to get stronger and build lean muscle is trying to eat the right foods and stay away from eating "cheat" meals on the regular.
I'm really looking forward to all of the fun that the holiday season is going to bring, and believe it or not, I'm excited for some of this cold weather. It makes for excellent running conditions(until roads get icy), and cold weather is always an excellent excuse to snuggle up on the couch with blankets, a hoodie, a warm bowl of chili, and some CHRISTMAS movies!! I'm looking forward to seeing what Columbus has to offer this time of year, and I can't wait to make some more memories in Buckeyeland.
Happy (almost) Halloween!
Lots of love and laughter,
Ashley
Oh and...GO PIRATES!!!
If you had asked me months ago how I was liking it here, I likely would have said that it was nice, and the people are nice, but my only goal was moving back to North Carolina. It makes seeing my family more difficult, especially since everyone in my immediate family now lives down there, but that's what plane tickets are for, right?
Aside from work being a little slow for the past few weeks, I can honestly say that I am the happiest that I have been in a long time, and am finally pushing myself to achieve goals that I have wanted to work toward for years. I ran the Nationwide Children's Columbus Half-Marathon on October 19th, and I'm already scheming for 2015 races. My overall goal was to run it in 2 hours and 30 minutes, and I managed to go it in 2:18:12, so I was thrilled! My next BIG goal is to run a marathon in 2015. I was going to do the Columbus Marathon next October, but have decided on the Akron full at the end of September. In the meantime, I'm running my first Thanksgiving Day race here in Columbus, and have multiple smaller races, and at least 2 half-marathons on my list.
Fitness goals are ramping up, and Josh is doing his best to push me in the right direction. I joined a new gym that opened up near work, so I have been making it a habit to go there to get strength training done. So far, I've done 3 workouts that Josh has given me, and they aren't easy, but I feel good about it. I'm hoping to do a Pump and Run 5K in March, so that means benching 70% of my weight as many times as I can before running the 5K, which means I have a lot of work to do!! I think that the hardest part of trying to get stronger and build lean muscle is trying to eat the right foods and stay away from eating "cheat" meals on the regular.
I'm really looking forward to all of the fun that the holiday season is going to bring, and believe it or not, I'm excited for some of this cold weather. It makes for excellent running conditions(until roads get icy), and cold weather is always an excellent excuse to snuggle up on the couch with blankets, a hoodie, a warm bowl of chili, and some CHRISTMAS movies!! I'm looking forward to seeing what Columbus has to offer this time of year, and I can't wait to make some more memories in Buckeyeland.
Happy (almost) Halloween!
Lots of love and laughter,
Ashley
Oh and...GO PIRATES!!!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Sometimes, you just gotta run...
And by sometimes, I mean always!!
If someone had come up to me in high school and told me that I would become an endurance runner, I would have laughed in their face. My, how things have changed! OK, well, I wouldn't classify myself as an endurance runner just yet, but I'm on my way!
After I accepted my job in Columbus, I decided that this was going to be my chance to make a change and finally achieve a goal I've been wanting to accomplish. I was going to run a half-marathon. For a few years, I have thrown the idea around and made attempts at sticking to a running routine, with many fails. So, I finally decided that I would sign up for the Nationwide Children's Columbus Half-Marathon. This happens on October 19th, and I knew that almost 8 months would be more than plenty of time to train if I would just stick to my guns and do it.
I signed up, and immediately went to the web in search of places to run and what trails might be near by. Little did I know that I was moving to Columbus, which evidently has an area code of 6-run-4.
I came upon Columbus Running Club's website and decided to go ahead and sign up for a profile. After browsing their site, I found a group named "Turtle Thursday Group Runners", which sounded perfect for me, as I am and always have been a slower runner.
So, I showed up at the meeting spot my first Thursday in town, and was greeted by a group of friendly people who were decked out in cold running gear and excited to be running. I didn't know what to expect, but I had a good feeling about it based on their smiles and laughing...oh, and the fact that they start every run(or almost every one) with a selfie!
I set out with the group on the trail, and not long into our first mile of running, I realized that I was incredibly out of shape, and probably started out way too fast if I was going to make it for three miles. Also, it was already starting to get dark, and being a new runner(or not really a runner at all), I had no headlamp or glowpack to keep me visible. Luckily, one of the guys(and the token male for the evening) stayed back to run with me at a pace slower than any turtle, that's for sure. I was incredibly embarrassed to be so out of shape and had NO idea I'd be running with half-marathoners, marathoners, and even ULTRA runners. He explained that they try not to leave anyone behind when they're running, and that everyone is at different paces and endurance levels. That night, I ran 3.1 miles(that's a 5K), and it took me 39 minutes, and it probably would have taken me longer if it weren't for Stu's encouragement and company.
After running, I learned that the group often goes to dinner and sometimes for ice cream. I was a little apprehensive at first, but shoot...I had just moved, and I didn't really want to go eat dinner by myself at home.We had yummy food and I enjoyed listening to the group's conversations about running, children and their craziness, and really, just kind of initially meeting everyone.
So...I went back the next week...and haven't missed a Thursday since.
They've even convinced me that it's FUN to get up and run at 4:30 and 5:00AM...I've only done it twice so far, but I think I'll be joining them more often. Just over 2 months since my first Turtle Thursday, I ran 6 miles in just over an hour, and there's no way I would have made this progress without the inspiration, encouragement, and help(and by help, I mean dragging me along) from Jamie, Laurie, Annette, Stu, Angela, and the entire bale(that's a group of turtles...yes, I looked it up) that runs on Thursdays(and now sometimes also on Mondays...or Wednesdays).
It feels incredible to be making progress in my fitness and weight loss goals(I've lost 10 pounds since my move!), and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. I am so thankful that I have found such a friendly and welcoming group of people that all share a common interest in running, and I can't wait to celebrate more running successes with food and of course, Jeni's!
Now, I just need a hydration belt, new running shoes, a Garmin watch, and Laurie says I need to get out of the cotton shirts...THEN I'll be on my way! No one ever told me how expensive it is to be a runner!!
In any case...
It feels good to have finally found the push I need to accomplish a long-time goal, and I think maybe, just maybe, I am becoming a runner...for life.
Until next time,
Ashley
If someone had come up to me in high school and told me that I would become an endurance runner, I would have laughed in their face. My, how things have changed! OK, well, I wouldn't classify myself as an endurance runner just yet, but I'm on my way!
After I accepted my job in Columbus, I decided that this was going to be my chance to make a change and finally achieve a goal I've been wanting to accomplish. I was going to run a half-marathon. For a few years, I have thrown the idea around and made attempts at sticking to a running routine, with many fails. So, I finally decided that I would sign up for the Nationwide Children's Columbus Half-Marathon. This happens on October 19th, and I knew that almost 8 months would be more than plenty of time to train if I would just stick to my guns and do it.
I signed up, and immediately went to the web in search of places to run and what trails might be near by. Little did I know that I was moving to Columbus, which evidently has an area code of 6-run-4.
I came upon Columbus Running Club's website and decided to go ahead and sign up for a profile. After browsing their site, I found a group named "Turtle Thursday Group Runners", which sounded perfect for me, as I am and always have been a slower runner.
So, I showed up at the meeting spot my first Thursday in town, and was greeted by a group of friendly people who were decked out in cold running gear and excited to be running. I didn't know what to expect, but I had a good feeling about it based on their smiles and laughing...oh, and the fact that they start every run(or almost every one) with a selfie!
I set out with the group on the trail, and not long into our first mile of running, I realized that I was incredibly out of shape, and probably started out way too fast if I was going to make it for three miles. Also, it was already starting to get dark, and being a new runner(or not really a runner at all), I had no headlamp or glowpack to keep me visible. Luckily, one of the guys(and the token male for the evening) stayed back to run with me at a pace slower than any turtle, that's for sure. I was incredibly embarrassed to be so out of shape and had NO idea I'd be running with half-marathoners, marathoners, and even ULTRA runners. He explained that they try not to leave anyone behind when they're running, and that everyone is at different paces and endurance levels. That night, I ran 3.1 miles(that's a 5K), and it took me 39 minutes, and it probably would have taken me longer if it weren't for Stu's encouragement and company.
After running, I learned that the group often goes to dinner and sometimes for ice cream. I was a little apprehensive at first, but shoot...I had just moved, and I didn't really want to go eat dinner by myself at home.We had yummy food and I enjoyed listening to the group's conversations about running, children and their craziness, and really, just kind of initially meeting everyone.
So...I went back the next week...and haven't missed a Thursday since.
They've even convinced me that it's FUN to get up and run at 4:30 and 5:00AM...I've only done it twice so far, but I think I'll be joining them more often. Just over 2 months since my first Turtle Thursday, I ran 6 miles in just over an hour, and there's no way I would have made this progress without the inspiration, encouragement, and help(and by help, I mean dragging me along) from Jamie, Laurie, Annette, Stu, Angela, and the entire bale(that's a group of turtles...yes, I looked it up) that runs on Thursdays(and now sometimes also on Mondays...or Wednesdays).
It feels incredible to be making progress in my fitness and weight loss goals(I've lost 10 pounds since my move!), and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. I am so thankful that I have found such a friendly and welcoming group of people that all share a common interest in running, and I can't wait to celebrate more running successes with food and of course, Jeni's!
Now, I just need a hydration belt, new running shoes, a Garmin watch, and Laurie says I need to get out of the cotton shirts...THEN I'll be on my way! No one ever told me how expensive it is to be a runner!!
In any case...
It feels good to have finally found the push I need to accomplish a long-time goal, and I think maybe, just maybe, I am becoming a runner...for life.
Until next time,
Ashley
 |
| Post 5-mile run with Laurie on a Turtle Thursday |
Wow, things have changed!
So, I haven't posted in over 6 months. A LOT has happened and changed since October!
-My boyfriend's sister got married in November. Good times were had by all.
-My boyfriend spent Christmas with me in Ohio for the first time in the 5 Christmas seasons we had been together. It was so nice to actually be together with him for Christmas.
-We spent New Year's with some of our good pals in NC, and had a delicious dinner with yummy appetizers.
-In January, I became an aunt for the second time. This time, to a little girl, Georgia, and she is ADORABLE.
-In February, my life got flipped upside down! I FINALLY accepted a job...in COLUMBUS, OH. I never thought that I would be back above the Mason-Dixon, but here I am! The end of January into February until I moved was filled with a lot of different emotions. I wanted to be happy that I finally secured a job, but it meant leaving my boyfriend of 4 1/2 years behind, and quite frankly, that was devastating. He was pretty upset, too, but we came to an agreement that we'd try to make it work, and just see where it goes.
-He came to stay with me for Easter weekend, and it was GREAT to finally see him after two months of being apart. It's not easy, but this summer will bring lots of traveling to NC for weddings and DMB and BEACH, all of which involve spending time with him.
-I moved in on a Saturday and started my job on that next Monday! I might be crazy, but it has turned out to be great so far! I'm working in research, which is exactly what I wanted more experience in, and I'm hoping to go on for that PhD in the next couple of years.
-As a result of moving to Columbus and not knowing more people than I could count on one hand, I decided to check out a running group that I found on Columbus Running Club's website...
My next post is totally dedicated to running, so I won't get into that here.
Anyway, aside from being 8 hours away from my boyfriend, and 6 1/2 hours from my brother's family...life is treating me pretty well. I'm incredibly thankful for these crazy changes and all of the ups and downs that I've been through thus far. I can't wait to see what's next.
Until next time...
-Ashley
-My boyfriend's sister got married in November. Good times were had by all.
-My boyfriend spent Christmas with me in Ohio for the first time in the 5 Christmas seasons we had been together. It was so nice to actually be together with him for Christmas.
-We spent New Year's with some of our good pals in NC, and had a delicious dinner with yummy appetizers.
-In January, I became an aunt for the second time. This time, to a little girl, Georgia, and she is ADORABLE.
-In February, my life got flipped upside down! I FINALLY accepted a job...in COLUMBUS, OH. I never thought that I would be back above the Mason-Dixon, but here I am! The end of January into February until I moved was filled with a lot of different emotions. I wanted to be happy that I finally secured a job, but it meant leaving my boyfriend of 4 1/2 years behind, and quite frankly, that was devastating. He was pretty upset, too, but we came to an agreement that we'd try to make it work, and just see where it goes.
-He came to stay with me for Easter weekend, and it was GREAT to finally see him after two months of being apart. It's not easy, but this summer will bring lots of traveling to NC for weddings and DMB and BEACH, all of which involve spending time with him.
-I moved in on a Saturday and started my job on that next Monday! I might be crazy, but it has turned out to be great so far! I'm working in research, which is exactly what I wanted more experience in, and I'm hoping to go on for that PhD in the next couple of years.
-As a result of moving to Columbus and not knowing more people than I could count on one hand, I decided to check out a running group that I found on Columbus Running Club's website...
My next post is totally dedicated to running, so I won't get into that here.
Anyway, aside from being 8 hours away from my boyfriend, and 6 1/2 hours from my brother's family...life is treating me pretty well. I'm incredibly thankful for these crazy changes and all of the ups and downs that I've been through thus far. I can't wait to see what's next.
Until next time...
-Ashley
Monday, October 28, 2013
This is Halloween, this is Halloween....
I'm currently watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, thus this blog post's title. I know, it's been a week and a half since the last post. I've discovered that maybe I don't like writing daily. The good news is that I HAVE been applying to jobs like crazy, so hopefully I'll get one of those in the near future. The other good news is that my healthier eating and exercise efforts are actually starting to pay off, and I'm starting to see the change. I slacked off on Saturday because we went to the fair, and naturally, I had to have french fries and a funnel cake. Unfortunately, my boyfriend does not eat either of these foods, so I ended up eating a lot more than I should have. And honestly, I wasn't overcome with the normal satisfaction that I used to get when I would eat those foods. This tells me that I'm making progress in my lifestyle change...though, I still wanted an ice cream sundae yesterday, and THAT was actually pleasing. I have become addicted to exercise, and I'm loving it. I feel guilty when I don't go running, even if I do a workout inside, so it's a good thing that I have UnderArmor for when it actually gets cold enough to need it. Hopefully we can skip the snow down here and I won't need to worry about wet shoes!
Speaking of snow, they already had snow at home, and that just reaffirms my decision not to move back there...I can't deal with that. However, it will be nice to go back for Christmas. Hopefully there's a white one this year!
Also, can I just say that I'm really not a big fan of Halloween. I don't get excited about costumes and dressing up anymore. I'll always love the Halloween movies, though.
Also, can I just say that I'm really not a big fan of Halloween. I don't get excited about costumes and dressing up anymore. I'll always love the Halloween movies, though.
In other news, my boyfriend's sister gets married on Saturday, so there's lots of wedding preparation going on, especially getting last minute details settled this week! Hoping that the little warm snap we're having stays through to Saturday and there's nice weather! Pictures from that to follow...
Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!!
-Ashley
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