Running

I was never a runner. To be honest, I'm still not. When I think of a runner, I think of someone who can run a 5K as a warmup, and then follow up with a briskly paced marathon. I am not that person.

Up until a couple of months ago, I couldn't run more than a few steps... and it was only in situations where my life depended on it. Not that I was ever in a life-threatening running scenario, but if I had been, I'd most likely have been dead where I stood.

I was a lazy 30-something. I failed to acknowledge that my metabolism from my 20's was slowing down, and that vacuuming and walking up one flight of stairs at the office weren't really adequate workouts. I could see in photos of myself that I was getting heavier. Then I started having mornings where I couldn't find anything to wear because nothing fit. Then I stepped on the scale...

...then I decided to run.

I downloaded some running apps, including a Couch to 5K one. I scanned through the various training runs over the 8-week span of the app and laughed to myself about how that is totally not going to ever happen for me. Run for a full 5 minute interval? Ha! Yeah, okay. I'll be lucky to not break a sweat tying my shoes.

It was a slow start. I aggravated an old injury in my knee pretty badly in the beginning, and had to rest it for what seemed like an eternity. After some recuperation, and getting fit for proper running shoes at Luke's Locker, I was back at it. I learned that I have Achilles' tendons that get really angry when I run, so my progress through the C25K app has been slow. I try to run every third day, giving my pathetically weak body two days rest in-between.

I've finally reached week 6 of 8, and this morning I did something I never in a million years thought I'd ever be able to do. I got up and ran 2 full miles without even stopping to walk. Two. Full. Miles. That might not seem like a huge accomplishment, but remember, I was never a runner. I was the girl who deserved a medal for the excuses I came up with to get out of running a mile during physical fitness testing in school.

And you know what? I enjoyed it. When I loaded up my app and saw "Run 2 miles (or 20 minutes)" I may have panicked and had a moment of "Oh yeah right," but I did it. I freaking did it. Sure, each mile took me 11 minutes to run, which I'm sure is laughable to most runners, but for me it was a huge accomplishment.

Did I also mention that in addition to my satisfying sense of achievement I also have jeans that I can no longer wear because they're too large? ...because I totally do. I can also fit into my "skinny" jeans, but they're also quickly heading towards the "too big" pile in my closet. In addition, my thyroid meds that kept getting increased to higher and higher dosages? They've been reduced twice, since my body actually has it's own metabolism again. Take that, every doctor who told me that exercise wouldn't make a difference with my thyroid disease.

So what's the point of this post? I don't really know. I kind of wanted to just pat myself on the back for what I've accomplished so far. My goal is to run a 5K without dying before reaching the finish line, so I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting there. So if you're reading this and thinking, "Yeah, that's great, but there is NO way I could ever do it," guess what? You can. If I can get my ass up off of the couch and go for a run, anyone can. No matter how slow and pathetic you feel when you start out, keep going. Always, keep going.

David's Tea

 

I have to quickly post about my newfound obsession... David's Tea. My dear friend Amie, who runs Off-Beat Charm, turned me on to these teas and now I can't stop!

 

This was my first sampling of their teas. I purchased two mugs, and Amie hand-picked a lovely sampling of several tea flavors that she thought I would enjoy ...and I certainly did! I don't think there is one tea flavor, that I've tried so far, that I've disliked. My absolute favorite so far is Queen of Tarts. I liked it so much that I placed an order for more before I even finished the sample. It's tart, it's sweet, it's bright red, and it's great iced or hot.

 

I'm usually not at a loss for words when it comes to most topics, but I am with this tea. It's just good. Any flavor, any variety... it's good. Try it. I am in no way benefitting from this endorsement, I simply wanted to spread the word about David's Tea. I do plan on trying to create some tea-infused recipes, so keep this post as a mental reference for the future.

 

If you've tried David's Tea before, leave me a comment and let me know your favorite flavor!

 

Incredibly Simple Summer Desserts

 

Do these look complicated to you? ...because they're not. Not. At. All. For these desserts, presentation really is everything. I made my ingredients from scratch, but if you're in a rush, your ingredients don't even have to be homemade!

 

What you need:

 

• Mason jars, with lids (I used 1 dozen of the smallish ones)
• Your favorite sheet cake
• Pudding, flavor of choice
• Whipped cream
• Fresh fruit, diced

 

What you do:

 

Slice your sheet cake in half horizontally, making it into two thin layers. With a biscuit cutter, or another mason jar, start cutting jar-sized circles into each cake layer. You will need two cake circles per jar.

 

Once circles are cut, place one cake circle at the bottom of each jar. Press it down firmly to eliminate air pockets, but do not crush it. Add layers of the remaining ingredients in this order: pudding, diced fruit, whipped cream, cake circle #2, pudding. Top with remaining diced fruit and/or whipped cream.

 

That's it! Screw those lids on, pop the jars in the fridge, and you're all set. All of the cuteness, for half of the effort.

 

Enjoy!

 

Less isn't More

Over the past year I've taken less photos, written less blog posts, and crafted less. The craft part was due to my studio being ruined and gutted at the end of August thanks to a leak. That's been repaired, so what is the other issue? My computer...

 

To give myself some credit, I did manage to keep a PC alive for nearly 10 years. It survived multiple moves, even one across the country, and was rarely updated. Obviously, programs started failing, my photoshop didn't run smoothly, and editing pictures just sucked. It discouraged me from both taking pictures and blogging.

 

Well, that's an issue no longer. I now have this 27" beauty as part of my creative arsenal.

 

 

So, no more excuses! It's time to get back in touch with my crative side...