More Importantly

Sometimes there are more important things than eating your vegetables.
...than getting your workout in
...than lifting weights 3 times per week
...than PR'ing

Also, there are more important things than eating the biggest slice of pizza.
...than making an easy dinner over a fulfilling one
...than being comfortable
...than feeling average


Last night, after a volleyball game, I asked a good friend if she wanted to go get ice cream. Normally I save "super fun candy filled" ice cream for the weekend, but I wanted to go and I knew we would have fun.

Guess what?

I didn't feel guilty. I enjoyed my ice cream and even more I enjoyed the time I spent with my friend. We talked about life, we laughed like old hens, and we shared where we wanted to be in 6 months.

Other times, when I eat foods that are not in the 'healthy' category I feel guilt, which takes away from enjoying them. This can be a common battle, but not an easy one to win. Food should never be an enemy. It fuels our bodies and it can bring excitement to meals. 

So, there are times that ice cream with a friend will trump counting calories or a lower body fat percentage...but remember there are times that ice cream is not worth it and a walk instead will more than suffice. YOU are the best judge of you.

Have a spOOky sweet day! :)

Saturday Shop Girls

Our game (all day beach volleyball tournament!) is postponed for now because of flooding, so why not post what I was going to do tomorrow? 

These are some of the ladies in the shop that I dressed on Friday. [Will post full labels by tomorrow].

Enjoy!

 Evan Picone dress.

  Guess crop top; XXI denim

Free People knit dress

Psssst!

Here is a sneak peek of two new posts to come...
1- A Dee-Double-Licious pasta recipe with a homemade yogurt ranch & four cheese tomato sauce
AND

2- How to dress vintage with today's current brands, I hope you are excited, I am!

 

 

 

 

Shew- Another round of volleyball tonight...I really think I could play everyday, just if I didn't dive so much and end up with those ugly bruises ;)

 

xoxo

Why I Run

Why do I run?

This is a loaded question, because let me tell you, some days I hate it. Some days I do not want to go, I just want to stay in bed and watch Hulu or eat a half pound (or two) of grapes and snuggle with my puppy. OR I do the whole "well the dishes need to get done," or even better "I have homework..." HA, like that should stop me, we all know I procrastinate anyways (not encouraging this though, please).

So, then you wonder, why does this crazy girl run then if it bugs her so much? The positives outweigh the negatives I make up :)

-I love the strength it gives my muscles and my body as a whole
-I really enjoy having goals, i.e. a faster pace, longer distances, training for races
-The endurance from running seeps into all other physical activities in your life (um, volleyball!)
-The feeling of overcoming something that once seemed impossible
-Getting to eat more carbs and frozen yogurt ;)
-The time I get to myself to think, pray, and just relax and clear my mind
-The sights and sounds I am able to experience (My last run I saw 10 beautiful deer!)
-All the awesome people you meet through blogs, websites, races, ect. that are helpful and encouraging
-The pretty nifty running gear I save up for...just got new Brooks Ravenna's
-The tight feeling in my chest that becomes a healthy pulse when I get my pace down
-Running with friends and enjoying seeing them accomplish their goals also
-Learning from more experienced runners who are happy to rub it in how much faster they are, haha
-The major stretch you get from using ALL your muscle groups when running
-Sprinting as fast as I can while feeling like I will die...but I never do
-Fitting into clothes better after a run
-The feeling during an awesome run that makes you feel like you could do anything...and even the feeling during a hard run knowing that you will not quit

Why do YOU run?

xoxo

Early Spring Break

So, I had bronchitis. I forgot how much of a bully it can be. And, I have to be honest with you...my last run was LAST Monday (the 8 miler). I did yoga one day and walked here and there, but I really just took off a week+

Milk chocolate and yellow cupcake
with cream cheese frosting topped
 with dark chocolate chunk and a blueberry.

I struggled with this, not only did I miss the activity, but I was anxious about losing my momentum, speed and distance work, and my overall fitness (especially with those extra few lbs. hanging out after I told them to leave the party). Therefore, later today, I am going to make my triumphant huffing and puffing return to the gym. There is some ice outside so I am not going to chance that (plus I do not want the cold to mess up my chest again). I went by a "rule" or guideline I heard once from a runner..."If you are sick above the throat, like congestion, it will be quicker and safer to jump back into training, but if your infection is in the chest area then give it the time it needs to recover." Whether or not this is true, I somewhat followed it. My husband, who I always listen to and never give attitude....also strongly advised me to just relax, rest, and take off as much as I needed. Therefore, I probably sat around too much, ate too much fun food, and thought too much about feeling guilty. My lesson to you: do not go this route. Yes, I am on spring break and I do want to indulge some, but I  also don't want to feel that nagging guilt either. That is why I say eat your cravings in due time, when you know you will enjoy them, no restriction just smart choices...and a few iffy ones here and there.

I am going to start slowly back in with my running, probably just a slow paced (9+ min/mile) 3 miles, some incline walking, and then about 15-20 minutes between the elliptical and stair-climber. I have two volleyball games later tonight so I don't think I will be lifting legs or arms today as I know I will be sore from the non-usage.

I hope you listen to your body, what it needs, and when to let it rest...and when to push it! Happy training, xoxo.

Volleyball and Unecessaries

My favorites, of course, Misty May Treanor and Kerry Walsh.
Look how ripped these ladies are! C'mon!

Tonight is the start of our spring volleyball season! We are still team "Set to Kill" which has been our title for years now...we are only violent on the court ;) Thus, this is fair warning that posts may include volleyball updates. I believe we play a 6-8 week season with a few weeks of play-offs...I may have to double check that. I am hoping to play intramural vb again (we made it to the finals last semester), but we will see, shew whee, never can have enough volleyball. Wish us luck!

Also, a few days ago I bought a nice scale. It was sharp, included body fat percentage calculation, BMI, and hydration totals. Along with this came Allison weighing herself 3-4 times a day which is anything but healthy.

Like I mentioned before, I have gained about 5-6 lbs. even though my diet and exercise amounts have not changed (give or take a smidge per week). Instead of fretting or obsessing about it I am returning the scale. I will still weigh myself weekly (yes, ONE time per week Allison) at the gym, but I promised Jake that if I got too weird about the scale then we would take it back. Instead, we are going to use that money for an iTunes gift card to get some new music to workout to! Much better idea right? Some people can face the scale all the time and do it like a champ, I am not there yet. I know that I can lose it (my mind I mean) quickly, so I am purging this materialistic view for now and getting myself back into determination mode. I have been sick, and still am getting over it, but that does not mean I should give up completely on my health- so today I vow to get back on that train and chug along.

xoxo