New blog!

Hello all!

I'm officially closing down this blog and starting a new one that falls more in line with my personal and freelance goals. Don't worry, I'll still be writing! And if I ever run again, I'll write about that, too. :)

Here's the new site: http://lovelylittlesdesign.wordpress.com/

I hope you all continue to follow me there.

TTFN! (Ta-ta for now!)

Halfway + Gender Update

Tomorrow we will be 20 weeks into this whole shebang!

I feel like the face on the right is my, "This might as well
be happening" face.

As many of you know, we found out we're having a little girl! We're both really excited. It was a big shock, because we swore we were having a little boy. I had an early sonogram and I sweeear I saw tiny baby junk. But we were mistaken! And now, we plan for a tiny lady instead of a tiny gentleman.

We also found out that we were actually two weeks behind our expected due date, so everything got pushed back.

Most of my nausea has subsided, now the symptoms deal more with the increased size. I'm mostly wondering where in the HELL we're going to put the rest of her. I have definitely provided baby girl's sanctuary with a few inches of extra padding in the form of ice cream and anything containing a carb. An Otterbox of baby protection. So we shall see how everything pans out.

I can definitely say that I've "popped." There's no question as to whether or not I'm pregnant. My belly is pretty "out there."

Also...I can't stop talking about it. I keep trying to NOT to post on social media about it everyday. It's super hard.

Like now, I have nothing else to talk about.

BABIES!

5 Pregnancy Symptoms I Didn't Know About

18 weeks!

Being pregnant is nothing like you see in the movies. Popular culture failed to adequately prepare me for this circus. I was prepared for nausea and swollen ankles, but not this symphony of oddness. Here are five awesome side-effects from this beautiful life-creation process that I was completely unprepared for:

1. Saliva. You get a LOT of it. It's called ptyalism or sialorrhea and doctors don't really know why it happens. Maybe because you're producing more, or you're swallowing less. I constantly feel the need to spit and whenever I eat anything, I get this GROSS taste in my mouth. I blame the saliva. It's like it takes the bowl of cereal you just ate and twists the flavors around into this disgusting harmony to which your tastebuds dance. It's no fun, and I mainline gum and mints because of it.

2. Hiccups. I get them at least once a day, sometimes twice. And they're not the cute little I-had-too-much-champagne hiccups. Oh no. They're powerhouses that leave me gasping and cause Scott to yell down from upstairs asking if I'm OK. I think they're the result of the fact that I won't let myself burp. Because if I burp I risk the I-just-threw-up-in-my-mouth-a-little thing. Therefore, I'm swallowing extra air. Hence, hiccups.

The swing. It taunts me.

3. Hair growth. Yes, IT IS EXACTLY AS GROSS AS IT SOUNDS. It's like Chewbacca and Sasquatch joined forces all over my legs. I shave in the morning and by the evening, a fine coating of fur has already sprouted. My legs and underarms get 5 o'clock shadow. And I live at the beach. It's obnoxious.

4. Dreams. Holy Moly. It's like I close my eyes and all of the T.V. networks mesh together to create one big mega show of weirdness. I think the dream where I was a ninja who beat up Rihanna is my favorite so far. Apparently this happens to us preggos because we spend less sleep time in the REM sleep cycle, and more time tossing and turning. Therefore our sleep isn't as deep and we remember our dreams.

5. Sense of Smell. I can smell anything now. Everything. Even when I don't want to. Scott calls it my "spidey sense." He can go to work, eat something for lunch, come home that evening, and I'll immediately be like, "What did you eat?" Scott made bacon-wrapped scallops the other day and I had to shutter myself in the bedroom because I thought I was going to pass out from the smell. It's intense.

I hope someone somewhere can learn from my experience. ;)

We're at 18+ weeks now, and the belly is starting to really ride out there. I could eat Jello and Gogurt all day long and I cry at the drop of a hat.

We scored this sweet swing/bouncer at a garage sale last weekend and it's now sitting in the living room. Staring at me. A constant reminder that there's a baby coming.

Baby on Board

Well people....schiz just got real. Ok technically it's been "real" for over four months now, but you hear me.

That's right, I'm pregnant. Knocked up. In a delicate condition. My eggo is preggo. We're expecting. I've got a bun in the oven. I'm in the family way. 

I could go all day.

I hope this cuts me just a weee bit of slack when it comes to the non-workouts. No slack? Oh hush.

Before anyone asks: yes it was planned. I will say that we didn't think it would happen quite as quickly as it did, but as Scott says: "One shot, one kill." 

I found out when I was staying with my parents before I flew over to Hawaii. I took a test, thinking it would be negative, and lo and behold...is that...a plus sign? It was! I immediately did what I'm sure many women do when they see a positive pregnancy test: I started hyperventilating.

I've had a doctor's appointment and heard the train-like heartbeat of our little one. I, of course, cried right there on the table. We're due mid-June and I have a sonogram at the end of this month to find out the gender and hopefully get a more solid due date.

Me after hefting four months of baby up
Diamond Head! Sweaty and frizzy
and awesome.

So here we are...pregs in Hawaii. The good part? It's warm so I don't have to worry about slipping on ice or wearing long sleeves. The bad part? I'm in a bathing suit at least once a week and I have to keep shaving my legs. No post-marriage winter fur for this mama. Plus the warm weather and my raging hormones make everything grow super fast. My legs get a 5 o'clock shadow.

I've been promising people that I would blog about pregnancy and pregnancy symptoms. Because, let's face it, it's NOT like you see in the movies. Or at least it isn't for me. ;)

Stay tuned!

Aloha + Apologies

It happened again. I stopped blogging for awhile. And by "awhile," I mean "over two months."

I'm so sorry! A LOT has been happening. Hear me out, then we can discuss my penance.

Since we last talked, Scott came home from his summer away at school and we spent a month hanging out. Then we packed him up and shipped him out to Hawaii.

Gunner and I then packed out of the apartment, said goodbye to our friends, and stayed with my parents for two weeks. Then WE flew to Hawaii.

The flight was long but uneventful. And Gunner came through it no worse for wear. 

Side note: I will say that seeing my tanned-thin husband walking toward me at the baggage claim definitely made me a little weak at the knees. While I was in Virginia stress-eating, he was swimming and surfing. Yowza. It was all I could do not to cry as I waddled over to him and gave him a hug.

As far as housing goes, we got L.U.C.K.Y. I spent months researching rentals and houses around Oahu. Looking at neighborhoods and rent. I knew we were going to be paying a lot for a little. I'd also seen that housing on Schofield was hit or miss. If you were offered new housing, it was awesome. If it was old housing, it wasn't. Aside from that, the waiting list for housing usually takes months.

I asked Scott to swing by the housing office on the off-chance that there was something available and there was! We're in a three bedroom duplex with a fenced yard in new housing. It's amazing.

Now if we could just get our fuuuurniture. That would be greeeeat. (Said in the Office Space boss voice.)

This makes almost four weeks of sleeping on an air mattress and sitting on a plastic-covered couch. Needless to say, we're so ready for that shipment! The other morning I saw a truck pull up behind our house with crates and I got so excited thinking our shipment had come. Nope, it was the neighbors packing out.

Anywho, I was thinking this blog could take on more of a day-to-day theme, instead of a fitness theme. I think the name, Girl Meets Mile, still fits. I've definitely met my share of miles traveling out here and I know that every day I meet more and more. Miles of road, miles of beach, miles of people, miles of life, etc. (Too corny?)

Oops + Food Photos

I completely dropped off the blog for a month again. I know it impacts everyone's lives, and that it's not just about me. And I apologize.

Ha! Kidding, I know this is relatively unimportant in the general scheme of most people's lives. :)

So...updates. Scott is home, so the eating has commenced. I've managed to still go to at least a few of my spin/gym classes, but it's a lot harder to keep on track when you come home to pumpkin beer and dinner every night. ;)

Side note: spin has been a lot harder to get into lately. The classes book up crazy early, and we all know I won't get out of bed unless my name is on a list somewhere.

I called yesterday at like 3 p.m. to sign up for this morning's class. When I got to the gym, I saw that I had just barely made the cut for class! My name was like..three from the bottom. Sheesh.

Regardless, it was an awesome class. Alyssa was all pumped up from her weekend of excess (she told us she did shots last night...I have NO idea how she was functioning) and made us all work harder. I think I burnt close to 600 calories in the 45 minute class.

Also, Mandy and I wore the same workout top, so that was awesome as well.

I'm actually going to try to go to Nancy's class on Wednesday...I hope I can last the whole time without back-talking.


And now, here's a few photos of the food we've been shoving down our gullets lately:

Pesto, salami and arugula pizza.

Our new popper recipe.

Pumpkin beer and puppy snuggles.

We're big cheese plate people.

First pepperoni bread of the season!

Nothing Weekend + My Fitness Pal

Ah, the weekend. It's so funny how life changes. When you're young and you have an uneventful weekend, you're all "ugh, we didn't do ANYTHING this weekend."

When you're almost 30 and you have an uneventful weekend it's "I didn't do ANYTHING!"

Here's a better picture of the bed!

That's sort of how my weekend went! It's the first weekend since Scott's been gone that I haven't booked myself solid. I went to two spin classes, took Gunner to the dog park, picked up a STEAL at the thrift store, went grocery shopping, made our parent wedding albums, vacuumed out the car and had lunches and dinners with some long lost lady friends! I had a bit of a depression slump Sunday where I watched Disney movies and cried on the phone to the hubs (he took it like a champ), but otherwise it was so nice to be able to watch Law & Order and Sex and the City marathons and sit around in my PJs.

I did make one big change this weekend. Usually, I try to track my activity and food via Weight Watchers. I calculate points for food and exercise and generally try not to live like a jackass. Sometimes I track, sometimes I don't. I'm generally unenthusiastic about it. Apparently you have to actively participate in tracking to lose any weight. I know...who knew?

Here's the whole headboard!

On Friday my friend Aimee came over for dinner. (Stick with me. I know it's a random segue, but I do have a point.) And when I saw her my jaw dropped. She's melting away before my eyes! Every time I see her she's lost more weight. I finally asked her what she had been doing this weekend and she told me she just tracks her calories.

She said it so nonchalantly like she was commenting on the weather. Like, "Oh, it's raining."

So of COURSE I pelted her with questions. What app? How do you do it? Is it hard? How much does it cost?

Aimee told me she uses My Fitness Pal (MFP), a free app. She tracks what she eats, and her activity, and it calculates her daily allowance, etc.

I decided to give it a try. Saturday I downloaded MFP and started tracking calories. I added in what I ate, and calculated the calories I burned at spin (which was a LOT).

Thrift store find. I scored it for $12, marked down from
$36. This crate is usually upwards of $200. We need
it for Gunner's flight to Hawaii. I'm already giving him
treats when he goes in it to get him acclimated.

And it was so fun! For some reason, tracking calories just makes more sense to my brain than tracking points does. Usually I have to check labels for carbs, fiber, protein, etc. But calories is so much more simple. One number. Entered in. Boom.

Also, I've always been suspicious of how much WW penalizes you for certain things. Like alcohol. Or cereal. A 60 calorie beer is roughly the same amount as a regular beer. It's cray. And a non-fat bowl of cereal is as much as some higher-fat breakfasts. 

I canceled my WW account and am now using MFP. I put myself on a faster track, so I'm allotted 1,200 calories a day - and then whatever I burn when working out gets added to that number. It definitely inspires me to get my rear to the gym so I can earn some cals. :)

Also, as a side note, it's official: I'm obsessed with spin. I went to class Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday was a 30 minute ride, Saturday was 60 (which is insanity) and Sunday was 45. I tried to go this morning, but I was too late with the call-in and the class was already full. Boo!

Here's hoping I can get into kickboxing this evening!

Spin + Tacos + Bed

Happy Friday!

My spin instructor, Alyssa, read my blog posts and then friended me on Facebook to tell me how much she liked them! It's not a big deal (it's a big deal) and I'm not getting too excited (I'm so excited). It's not like I'm famous or anything (yes I am) and I'll try to stay humble (I'm awesome).

Black Bean Tacos. I used this recipe. I've made them
twice in two weeks. They're that good. Yum.

Today was the first day back in the saddle in a week. As most of you know, Gunner and I headed down to South Carolina to visit daddy over the weekend, and I came back Monday feeling sick. I took Tuesday off to recover and was sluggish on Wednesday. Yesterday I was...just being lazy. It happens. The key is to forgive yourself. ;)

Side note: last night I made these black bean tacos you see pictured to the right. It's black beans, spices and onion. Then you essentially make your own taco shells in a cast iron skillet. It's amazing.

SO! Spin this morning was hard, as to be expected. Mandy and I kept looking at each other like, "what is happening?!"

We did a lot of hovers today. A hover is when you push back on your bike and hover your rear directly over the seat without touching while lowering your upper body so you're almost face-planting on the handlebars. You keep peddling at a higher tension. It's like a squat on the bike. They're my favorite!

Here's a fuzzy photo of the headboard on the bed.
It's a tufted headboard in grey linen with nail
head accents on the wings. Lovely.

My hamstrings have been really sore all week from putting together our new bed on Monday night. When I got home from SC, I showered and went directly to the travel office on base to book our flights for Hawaii. What ended up happening was I sat in the chair for three hours before they told me the October travel dates weren't up yet.

I then went home and walked directly into our bedroom, dropped my purse by the bed, kicked off my shoes, climbed in and then slept for three hours. I should have known I was getting a bug.

After my nap I woke up refreshed! And remembered our bed had been delivered on Friday. I went to start putting it together and was shocked by how heavy everything was. I spent the next two hours lifting with my legs.

And for any wives out there who have put together heavy furniture while their husbands are away: you're awesome.

Today, I'll leave you with my favorite Alyssa quote from this morning:

"Smile! It burns more calories! Or...wait, are you gritting your teeth?"

Alien Frittata Scramble

I don't usually post food recipes, it's mostly the Instagram photos of what I'm eating. You can feel free to follow my feed, it's just photos of food and the dog. No really, just food and the dog. If you want photos of babies or interesting photo angles...look elsewhere. Food and dogs. Got it? Let's move on.

What were we talking about? Oh! I don't usually post recipes. But I'm going to do one today!

So a little background on this: I'm heading out for the weekend and there are leftovers in the fridge.

Last night, as part of dinner, I used fresh corn, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and cumin to make a tex-mex salad. This morning, I wanted to use it up so I did what you do when you have veggies you need to use.

I made a fritatta.

Or, well, I tried to make one. It ended up being a scramble. A damn good one.

Alien Frittata Scramble

2 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup leftover veggies
1 oz. reduced fat cheddar (shredded or sliced really thin)
Pam (the spray, not your co-worker)

Spray a small  pan with non-stick spray. Add veggies, and saute until warm, about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, crack two eggs in a bowl. Add milk. Whisk.

After the veggies are cooked, add the egg mixture.

If you can keep it as a frittata, then let the egg cook and don't stir. If you're like me and don't like brown eggs, stir it.

Once the eggs have cooked, add cheese and let it melt.

And boom! Egg scramble that looks like an alien landscape.

New Friends + The 80s

My husband will tell you that I love making new friends. I like meeting new people. If I sell you something on Craig's List and we get along, I'll text you and say, "Let's hang out." If I meet you at a friend's bachelorette party, if you're sitting in front of me at a Nat's game, if your husband is friends with my husband...you get the idea.

Which is why it's no surprise I'm making friends at my spin classes! This morning it was Mandy. We bonded over how much of a bummer it is when someone takes your "usual" bike. Spin class is a lot like the family dinner table. Everyone has their unofficial assigned seat. You don't switch, you just don't. But then one night your parents have dinner guests...and you lose your seat. Today it was this older guy who isn't usually in class. Oh well, pay it forward mister.

Anywho, Mandy and I chatted over our mutual dislike for Nancy and our love for our usual bikes. And then, at the end of class, she brought me a wipe for my bike. It was sweet. I said "have a good day" in the parking lot after class. She asked my name. I asked hers. And we're gonna live happily ever after!

Super stoked about my new spin buddy!

Today was class with Alyssa, my favorite, and it was an 80s dance party. Since I'm working from home today, I was able to stay for the full class! Those last few songs were a beast. It's almost the weekend, and boy did she made us work for it.

And now, an early release workday and then Gunner and I are off to see the Wizard! Well, we're off to see Scott, but you get the idea. :)

The Nancy

When I was younger, my three brothers and I spent our summers entertaining ourselves. Summer mornings my mom would say, "inside or out?" and we would pick if we wanted to play inside or outside. (Running in and out of the house wasn't allowed!). Most of the time, we played outside, making tree forts or riding our bikes. But sometimes we played inside.

One of the inside-games was called "the floor is lava." It's what you would think: you can't touch the floor because it's a bubbling pool of molten volcano lava. We would all climb on a couch or other piece of furniture and pretend that if we touched the floor we would burn to death. It was a blast.

Little did I know this childhood game would prepare me for spin class with Nancy in my adult life. There's no couch, there's a stationary bike. And there's no carpet, there's the handle bars of the bike.

This morning's smoothie! Plain, nonfat
greek yogurt, blueberries, a banana,
some milk, vanilla, and Truvia. It broke
the blender but it was delicious!

And you're not allowed to touch them. The handles must be lava. Nancy doesn't like when you touch them, unless it's a finger for balance. I get that you're not supposed to lean on them so you can work your core, but a fingertip doesn't provide much balance.

I'm not sure if I've ever introduced you all to Nancy. We've talked about Alyssa and how I adore her. Her classes are always packed (I've actually wasn't able to get into one b/c it was at capacity), her music is loud and her "woo"s are cheery.

If Alyssa is the Disney princess, Nancy is the villain. Think Ursula, Maleficent, or the queen with the mirror.

She's small in stature, but packed with muscle. And she wields class like a drill sergeant. She will mock your form, harp on you for resting, and is generally a bugger.

I called early to reserve a seat in Nancy's class and was put on the list. When I stopped by the front desk to get my pass, which usually says a number around 12, I was handed pass #1.

"Am I the only one?"

"No, there are three people signed up. But there will probably be walk-ins."

"No there won't. It's Nancy."

Don't get me wrong, I've taken a spin class with Nancy before. I knew what I was getting into. I just didn't know I'd be one of three people getting into it.


I tried my best to do exactly what Nancy was asking. I didn't touch the handlebars, except for a finger. I kept my back straight, I tried to do the impossible "triple time" while standing. (I'm convinced "triple time" is the Sasquatch of spin. People know a person who knows a person who's done it.)

Overall it was a good class. I left sweating with no water left in my bottle. But I think maybe I'll just stick with Monday and Friday spin with Alyssa. I went to spin on Monday, I just forgot to blog about it. My bad!

Squats + Pregatron

What the weather? I think Mother Nature had a few too many margaritas last night and messed with the thermostat. It was cooold outside this morning at 5:15 a.m. Goosebump cold. Glad-I'm-not-wearing-a-tank-top cold.

Many of you know that Thursday is Body Pump (BP) day. This morning I decided to get to the gym early so I could run before class. I haven't done cardio this week. I know, I know, bad Stephanie.

Dinner last night. Zucchini-noodle spinach lasagna. Yum.

I had time for one mile -- which worked out b/c I didn't want to run much further than that. Ran the mile, then walked upstairs for class.

I know we've talked about the fact that the usual BP lady left sometime while we were in Jamaica. Without even telling me. I know! Rude. I digress. What we haven't talked about is the new Thursday morning lady.

She's no woo girl. She's pleasant enough, and does a good job of keeping up with class, but there's no "woo." That may be due to the fact that she's apparently super pregnant. She said she would probably stop working in October. And that last time she was teaching classes until two weeks before she gave birth but that it was OK because "the birth wasn't that hard."

Two things struck me. One, this chick is like...six months along. Two, she's a BAMF. Enough said.

So Pregatron (That's my new favorite word for pregnant ladies. Like Megatron but...with child.) led us through the new release. A new release happens every six weeks or so, where they change up the routines so people don't get bored. If you ask me, they get gradually harder.

Since Scott has been away, I've been turning down the
covers for Gunner early in the evening. Once he puts
himself to bed, I come in and tuck him in. We're what
you would call "co-dependent."

This new release includes 6:30 of weighted squats. You heard me right. It's five minutes, plus another minute, plus another 30 seconds. Do you know what it feels like to do squats with a bar on your shoulders for the better part of ten minutes? Because I do. And I'd rather I didn't. I was sweating on the floor and seriously considering the possibility that I might pass out when we finally stopped.

Pregasaurus didn't miss a beat. Rawr.

The rest of class didn't get any better. My triceps are still numb from all of the dips we did. Yowsa.

After class, my arms and legs were useless limbs. So much so that getting my soaked sports bra up over my head was a cause for concern this morning. The first few attempts were like waves gently lapping against a shore. Lots of repetition, but not a lot happening. My arms weren't really doing anything.

I started to panic a little and was mentally going through my options to get out of said sports bra. I'd settled on "I'll just shower with it on" when I was finally able to summon superhuman strength to get it off. I know sports bras are tight for a reason, but maybe I'll just start wearing tanks to BP. There's not really much jumping around, so I could sacrifice support during class for ease-of-removal after class.

And now that you know this, you can't unknow it. Happy Thursday.

Farming + "Woo" Girls

As many of you know, I grew up in a place called "Nokesville." The name pretty much says it all. Think cow fields, corn stalks and farm land. We drove on unlined back roads to a high school that was surrounded by livestock. Get the picture?

Because of this, I know more about farming than the average 20-something.

One of the things I know about is crop rotation. The basic premise is this: farmers will plant a certain crop in a field one year, then they will rotate another crop into that field the next year. The idea here is that different crops take different nutrients from the soil, so rotating what is planted extends the fertility time for that area.

Every few years, farmers will let their fields return to nature so they can "restock" the nutrition of the soil. You essentially don't plant anything or do any work on the field, you just let it be. It's called letting your field "fallow."

And this is exactly what I've done with my body since the wedding. I've let it fallow.  

Don't be fooled. Those bigger plates are only
5 pounds each. They just look impressive.

As with any field that's been returned to nature, it takes some hard work to get it back into shape. I got started this week.

Three spin classes and a Body Pump (BP) class later, I'm having trouble walking, my back is killing me, and I have never been more hydrated. I also have more energy and my clothes are starting to get to a place where we could possibly say they're starting to "fit" again.

Yesterday was my first day back to BP since I went into the gym in early June and found my usual early class cancelled. Knowing my muscles were mush, I used super light weights and took it a little easy. But my legs are still on fire.

This morning I took my third spin class this week, and Alyssa -- my peppy instructor -- had us do weights on the bike. Seeing as to how I'm already so sore, I had no problem picking up 3-pound hand weights and carrying them to my bike like a boss.

The great thing about Alyssa is that class is fun. Like really fun. Like party-on-your-bike fun. She has great music and tells us little anecdotes about her life. It's a blast, and I laugh almost every class. I call her a "woo" girl, because that's what Alyssa says about 20 times a class -- and because I'm a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother. Today, I wrote down a few quotes after class because I wanted to start remembering them to share with you all:

Alyssa: You know, "woo" is pretty much the right response in any situation.

 And another one...

Spinner at a random point in the class: "WOO!"
Alyssa: That's what I was thinking!

Oblivion

Sometimes I amaze myself with my ability to be oblivious to things around me. I don't notice things like road signs (Lane Ending is a big one) or walk signals (I'll stand there for at least two circuits of the walk/stop cycle) and I will leave the house with my fly down on any given day. Oblivion is my specialty. My dad calls it "la la" land. Whatever you call it, it's classic Stephanie.

This week's "oh" moment was when I started going back to the gym. Monday morning I grumbled my way out of the apartment and into the gym, only to be stopped by the manager saying I needed a "Cycle Pass" for that morning's spin class, and oh did I call to make a reservation?

Huh?

So I followed him to the front desk, signed my name, and was given a plastic-covered pass. As I rolled my eyes at this new Fitness First policy, I took a picture of the pass to share on the blog. I even started mentally writing what I would say about this silly new policy at my gym.

See that logo there? Yep.

Spin class was great. Alyssa was the instructor and she's your classic "woo" girl. Bright, peppy, and full of sunshine at 6 a.m. Which she manages to pull off in an adorable, non-annoying way. You're just so happy that she's so happy.

Then Wednesday morning rolled around. I woke up at 5:30, opened my Fitness First app, clicked the "Reserve a Bike" button and reserved my seat like a good girl. I came into the gym and the manager handed me my pass. I went to class, sweat everything, and went back to the front desk where I had this conversation:

Me: "Did I do my reservation correctly?"
Manager: "No, I just knew you were here for spin."
Me: "Oh, I reserved it through the gym app. Does that not work?"
Manager: "The Gold's Gym app?"
Me: "...what? This is Fitness First."
Manager: "Not anymore."
Me: "Did the sign outside change?"
Manager: "No, but all these did."

I looked around. The signs all said "Gold's Gym" -- and not small desk-top signs, HUGE person-sized signs. In bright yellow. Everywhere. That I had been walking by all week. Then the manager pointed to the pass in my hand, which I had taken a photo of on Monday, and even it said Gold's Gym on it.

For a full 45 seconds I was convinced that I had somehow gone to the wrong gym. Nevermind the fact that my gym is across the street from our apartment and I had walked there so the likelihood that I had somehow wandered into another gym was slim. It was like the Twilight Zone. How did the gyms get switched while I was working out??

After almost a full minute of standing in shock, the manager took pity on me and explained that Gold's Gym had taken over Fitness First.

So my gym is now a Gold's Gym. And at Gold's you have to reserve classes within an hour of the class. And the Fitness First app doesn't work b/c that gym isn't there anymore. And I need to pay more attention in life.

No write.

I so totally and completely don't feel like writing today. I went to spin this morning, and then walked for 45 minutes over lunch. I'm pretty sure all of the blood has been drained from my brain. Stephanie no want to write.

Even though I have tons of anecdotes to share from this morning.

Another time, perhaps.

Big News!

No, I'm not pregnant. Although that's the first thing people think when I say, "I have big news!" I guess that's one of the hidden gems of being married.

As many of you know, Scott and I have been anxiously waiting to hear where we will be stationed when Scott returns from school in September. I now have an answer.

The envelope, please.

Gunner already has his bags packed and his
Hawaiian shirt on!

And the award goes to...HAWAII! Yep, you read that correctly. We're getting stationed in paradise. On O'ahu to be exact. It's half exciting, half terrifying. I'm ready for the adventure, but sad to leave my family and friends behind. Also, my job. I love my job and I have this nagging fear that I'll be working at the island Target or something. Not that it's not a great job. I just love my social media/Web/Design/Communications mash I've got going on right now.

So, Scott got all signed out of Ft. Myer and left for South Carolina yesterday. Which, by the way, is unexpectedly crippling. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I was laying on my couch wallowing for my self-allotted 12-hour pity party yesterday. Two months is a lot, that's all I'm saying.

And now, since this is a fitness blog, let's chat about my workouts.

.....

Hear that? That's the sound of no workouts. What can I say? I've been spending every free moment with the hubs.

But now that he's gone, I've got to start getting Hawaii-ready. Because, you know, I'll be in a bathing suit 365 days a year for the next few years. Bazinga!

Three Miles: Mine!

Welp folks, I did it. I'm back up to three miles. It's three miles of pain and whining, but it's three miles. We judge by distance, not by amount of tears needed to accomplish it.

Friday Co-worker-Emily and I hit the trail for three miles. Mostly because we had noodle bowls for lunch and knew we wouldn't be able to look ourselves in the faces if we didn't get a decent run in. So I ran while Emily talked - which I've discovered is the PERFECT combination for me. This way, I can focus on breathing while the other person is forced to talk while breathing heavily - thus slowing down their pace and making things generally easier for me.

It's simple math.

So we did three miles and felt like crap. Yesterday we did two miles - mostly b/c I couldn't do much more. Because I ate ALL OF THE THINGS this weekend. Seriously. Everything. You name it, it went down my gullet. Is that ice cream? Done. Tater tots? History. Jaleo tapas? Destroyed.

Everything. I should have been put in nutrition jail.

But all good things must come to an end. Here I am, at my desk drinking water and munching lettuce. Yum.

In other news, brother dear saw the post meant for him last week. You know, the one in response to him telling me the blog wasn't exciting enough?

His response:

"Just saw the updated blog, NICE WORK! That piece with fireworks and danger, what a classic. Now, that, I will keep coming back for."

Good Hair Day

Run: 2 miles
Time: ?
Mood: Sticky

With humidity hovering around 80 percent, my coworker Emily and I decided to hit the trail. And boy was it heavy out. It was one of those afternoons where you can see the air -- visibly oppressive.

We ran a mile out, then did the better part of a half-mile back. Then it was a walk-run combo for the last half mile because one of us was having shin pain (me) and needed to walk.

But on the UP side, my hairdo held throughout the entire run. I told Emily it would, and it did.

Yesterday morning I got up late -- something we've been doing lately since Scott doesn't have to be to work at 0530 anymore -- and I just brushed my hair back and pinned each side behind my ears. It reminded me of Peggy's hair in Mad Men. And it just stayed like that all day.

Even after two miles on the trail in the heat. Why is she talking about her hair? Because it's my blog. And I'll talk about my hair if I want to.

This took like 20 takes to capture me not looking like
a drowned, sweaty rat. Smile!

And notice the bright blue sportsbra under a neon yellow running tank. I don't want to just want to be seen on the trail, I want to be SEEN on the trail.

First Summer Run!

Run: 2 miles
Time: 26?
Mood: Schweaty

Tired face = duck face.

I know, I know, I know. It's a 13 split. And it's awful. And I couldn't believe we had gone that slowly, but we totally did. It was hot, we were dehydrated, and I had eaten buffalo wings. Not exactly the best formula to be belting out stellar splits.

But hey, we ran.

I went running with my coworker on the trail after work. And we were going to stop a little after a mile, but I said I'd be embarassed to blog about anything less than a mile and a half, so we ran to 1.5, then kept going to 2.

It was hot (did I mention that?), my calves were so tight (probably b/c we were shuffling) and my sides hurt - leave me alone. But two miles is two miles. I'll take it!

Then I came home and hubs and I ate dinner on the porch, which was lovely. Coconut chicken, a beggar's portion of tortellini and green beans. Nom.

For David

My brother says my blog hasn't been exciting enough lately.

So...some fireworks!

Shazam! Kaprow! Excitement! Maybe a little bit of danger! Bazing! Don't stand too close! Pow!