What Has Your Blog Done For You?

Today was a long day. The last eight days have been a bit of a nightmare for many reasons. It’s been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, work is going to be crazy between now and the National Sales Meeting (May 23-28 in Vegas), and I haven’t run since Sunday. This week my workout schedule looks like this:

Monday: Spin

Tuesday: Oversleep for morning spin but do evening body pump (holy squats!)

Wednesday: Spin (The Wednesday night Lululemon Run Club was cancelled due to the random thunderstorm)

Thursday: NONE Woke up and my quads were still so sore from the squats in Body Pump on Tuesday that I decided 12 more hours of rest would make them feel better.  I planned on a great six mile run tonight after work but alas, I just left the office and it’s 8:45 and Bo and I have a TON of packing to do.

My body is missing running. I feel like some of this funk that i’m in may be related. I wish there was a way to run and spin on the same day. Maybe, since our new apartment is 3 blocks from the gym versus a subway and walk, we’ll be able to run before spin. I think i’d feel better even putting in 2 miles before each spin class. We haven’t decided if we’ll continue going to 44th and Lex for Dave’s classes or only go to one of his classes per week and enjoy our closer more convenient Equinox locations the rest of the week. I’m excited about this locations class schedule and one of their spin instructors- Eric. His mom was one of my mentors while I was at UGA! How random?! I love small world coincidences like this!

After the stress of this weekend’s move is over I think it’s time for a good ol’ fashion challenge. Stress and Ashley seem to equal an evil cycle. Stress leads to worse eating, more processed foods, less grocery shopping, less productivity due to low energy, less evening workouts, worse sleep, which leads to less effective morning workouts…which all leads to the feeling of blek. 🙂 I feel like my stress is getting the best of me right now which I don’t like at all! I have too many great things coming up:

April 30th or May 1st: Housewarming Party (NYC blogger meetup at my new casa?)

May 7th-9th: Impromptu Rudolph family reunion in South Bend due to recent events (I have to find some silver lining in this whole situation)

May 11-13th: Cincinnati for business and a chance to catch up with my maid of honor Amy

May 22nd: Brooklyn Half Marathon (The NYC runners are dropping like flies out there due to injuries! Let me know if you’re doing it as I’d love to meet up with some folks)

May 23-28th: National Meeting in Las Vegas

May 28th-June 1st: Ryan and Amy (MOH) in NYC for Memorial Day weekend along with Bo’s parents

Like I said, I have too many fun things coming up to let stress get the best of me. In order to start smiling a bit more and overcoming this stress, I thought i’d take a page from Quinn’s book and focus on the positive things in life including

What my blog has done for me lately…

I typed my first blog entry almost a year ago  Um, okay somehow I totally missed my “blogiversary” which was on April 1st. Oops! I think this happened since I don’t feel like i’ve been blogging for a full year since I took a hiatus July through December.

But, blogging has lead me to the following beliefs:

Oranges and almond butter are the perfect pre-run fuel!

Granola is best when baked in applesauce not oil!

Calcium in the form of chocolate is the perfect daily treat!

NYC is filled with friendly people and blogging/Foodbuzz has helped me meet many of them! Thanks!

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Group Shot Gridiron 4 Mile

Running with others is more fun than running alone. (Jesse, Meghann, me, and Dori!)

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The NYC food scene is AS incredible as critics make it seem.

Even the most meat loving guys love a vegan restaurant as long as the food is delicious and flavorful!

My daily posts, while not as witty or creative as some other bloggers, is the perfect outlet for my writing bug.

I can run a distance longer than 13 miles!

With proper training and a support system, training for a marathon isn’t scary or impossibly but EXCITING! I’m so blessed that Bo will be that training partner and support system for me this year..even if he looks goofy as heck with his Bondi Band headband! 🙂

Due to the amazing amount we tent to have in common, fellow food and fitness bloggers make great friends! You will even plan trips and races just to ensure you get to see each other.  Meghan, Leslie, and I all decided we had to see each other and therefore decided the North Face Endurance Challenge in DC was the perfect venue!

Green monsters are the most delicious way to get in some of  your daily greens and vitamins!

All I can say is thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for coming back after my hiatus. Thank you for the support. Thank you for helping me live a happy, healthier life!

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What I’m Wearing Today

My friend Grace features this daily on her blog and thought it would make a fun addition! 🙂 Enjoy! I primarily wear Banana Republic and JCrew pieces to work each day as they pair perfectly, are functional, and have really improved their style ante over the past few years. If you’re looking for a deal JCrew has one of the best outlets I’ve visited, outside of Kate Spade and Theory. Don’t forget to enter my Yoplait giveaway! I’ll pick a winner tomorrow morning!

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Joining the Glee Clan…

I’m not sure where I’ve been for the last few years but until tonight, Bo nor I had ever watched even a minute of Glee.

After this week’s constant Twitter chatter regarding Glee and the episode I went on a hunt to find Season 1 Episode 1. I searched Hulu and other websites but couldn’t find the first episode. I didn’t look on Netflix as I assumed the wait time would be at least a few weeks. Luckily, before I headed over to iTunes to download the episode Bo told me he had received the wonderful email news:

Glee: Season 1: Vol. 1: Disc 2

Arriving on or around: Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010

Knowing that this little red envelope would be waiting for me in our mailbox kept me excited and smiling all day. Today was a grueling day of meetings straight from 9am to 5pm. After sitting quietly in meetings all I wanted to do was get home and sing out along to Glee! Even though I have no artistic abilities at all I am an appreciator. And hey, without appreciators there wouldn’t be a reason for the artists, would there?

Bo and I picked up quick and easy salads on our way home from our new apartment. We had to drop off a few things before the big move on Friday. We gave Organique 

a second try after Saturday’s epic fail. We loved the food Saturday but the service was absolutely horrible! Tonight I went with the safe and simple choice- salad. Organique features far more toppings than the average NYC salad place including sauteed onions, balsamic portabello mushrooms, and lentils! Tonight I went with an Asian theme and made a huge salad filled with:
-romaine
-lentils
-portabello mushrooms
-sauteed onions
-carrots
-edamame
-organic ginger soy dressing

The flavors were perfect and EXACTLY what I was craving. I love that by mixing a new dressing with everyday salad ingredients you can give the vegetables a whole new flavor. Okay, that was a bit obvious, but you know what I mean. Hopefully, after these few stressful weeks are done I can get back to cooking healthy meals on Sunday so we don’t have to pick up takeout on weeknights.

I’m cutting this one short to head over to the sofa and catch the first episode of Glee. Here’s to hoping Bo likes it too!

Don’t forget to click here to enter my Yoplait Giveaway!


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