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2013: A Whirlwind Change Filled Year

Like many bloggers, I figured I would do a 2013 recap with my favorite blog posts, highlights from the year, running statistics and more. Well, today is December 31st and each time, including today, that I’ve started typing the post I become overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. 138 

2013 was not the year we ever expected or planned.

There are moments when this fact stresses me out more than you could imagine. Right now our life is in such a constant limbo that we can barely plan anything more than big visits from friends and family. I can’t tell you the last time I tracked a workout in Daily Mile. Before this vacation in Savannah neither of us had felt rested in months. I think our bodies were telling us something loud and clear by sacking both of us with bronchitis smack in the middle of the holidays.

In 2014, we need to ensure we stay healthy during this crazy time in our life, both mentally and physically.

As I look back on 2013 I can say that it was an incredible year filled with family and friends who supported us more than we could have ever imagined as we packed up our life in New York City and started creating a life for ourselves in London and Geneva. Our family members continue to be our biggest supporters while our friends, both new and old, have been incredible in helping us make sure we have fun along the way. We watched my 30th birthday video, which my sister in law Meg made as a birthday gift, with Bo’s parents the other night and I will never cease to be amazed how lucky we are for the people in our life. Our new friends in Geneva and London have helped us get to know these foreign cities from a locals perspective and ensured that we never felt alone. ashley first day of workI saw 15 different major cities and 7 different countries ranging from Tampa to Istanbul.  I ran fewer races than the past couple of years due to our move and not having the New York Road Runners weekly races. I had a fun marathon experience in Hartford but that was made more memorable by the people and organizers than my marathon performance. My most memorable race was the New York City Half Marathon which was incredible both for the strong and fun training I had with Bo and the race day PR through my favorite city in the world. Professionally, my role is more challenging than ever before.  Working with people from all cultures has been a great learning opportunity. I have so much I want to accomplish in the coming months that I am excited to return to the office on January 6th after more than 15 days vacation. That is an awesome feeling to have even though I’ve enjoyed every second of disconnection while in Savannah.

I laugh at even setting resolutions or goals for 2014 as who knows what is in store for us. But, I do know a few things about the coming year.

  • I know that I want the Berlin Marathon to be my strongest yet and am ready to put in the effort.
  • I want to use Daily Mile every day so even though I won’t be running the number of races I have previously, I can at least track my training miles and workouts.
  • We will see even more countries this year than last year as we already have a trip planned for the first 8 months of the year.
  • Focusing on each other and our quality time together will need to continue to be a focus to ensure that our relationship continues to grow.
  • I want to continue setting up our Geneva kitchen and understanding the grocery stores so I feel more well equipped for cooking both on weeknights and weekends. 502 So now that 2013 has come to a close, I am thankful for our support network which includes family, friends and blog readers near and far. I have no idea what next year will hold but I know I’m ready for it. 2014 shall be an epic year and I can’t wait!
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Rethink Your Day with the Polar Loop

DISCLOSURE: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Polar. All of the opinions on my new Polar Loop are my own.

When I arrived in Savannah on December 20th I had great plans for my vacation. My mom and I were going to work out each day together whether in their home gym or during long walks on the beach. While I love winter and know that I will certainly get my fill of snow and cold weather this year living in Geneva, I was excited to enjoy quite a few warm weather workouts while home. In fact, I packed two pairs of shorts and tank tops especially for glorious, sweat filled runs in Savannah. In my head when Bo and I arrived in New York City for New Years Eve festivities I would be bursting with healthy energy and tan skin.

The box which greeted me under the tree upon our arrival would further support this healthy visit in Savannah as my friends at Fitfluential sent me the new Polar Loop and H7 Heart Rate monitor to track my fitness as part of the Rethink Your Day Campaign.004 (2)Unfortunately wicked cold viruses and bronchitis got in my way between December 24th and December 30th absolutely no physical activity took place other than testing how much my lungs could expand when I coughed or walking to fill up my water bottle. Being sick takes lethargic to an entirely different level.

Yesterday was the first day that I was able to enjoy my Polar Loop and now that it is around my wrist, I’m loving it! 045As obesity is the number one difference I noticed between Switzerland and the US during this trip, I am more motivated than ever to ensure Bo and I both stay healthy in 2014. The Polar Loop is a bracelet you can wear 24 hours a day to track your movements including sitting, walking, running, lying down time and more. In order to make wearing it easier the Loop itself is fully waterproof. The black color and non-descript style makes it something I can wear daily with workout clothes and business clothing alike. While I’m sure some of my European friends will ask what it is as the Loop and other fitness tracking devices are not very common in Europe, I barely notice it even when I’m typing.  1032The loop features the time, number of steps taken, calories burned, and a movement status indicator which looks like a treadmill track. As you progress towards your movement goal for the day the loop progresses towards the “finish line.”  In addition, once you download the Polar Flow app on your smart phone the Polar Loop syncs automatically to update you on sitting time, activity and more! I love that you can go as in depth as you want with the Loop app spending hours comparing each days activity levels or even sleeping time and eventually even compare months. I can’t wait to see how the Polar Loop computes my skiing activity in January!    1034

As I have a job which keeps me at my desk or sitting in meetings most of the day, squeezing in movement whenever possible is important. Yesterday just after setting up my Polar Loop my phone vibrated and the Polar Flow app told me it was time to get moving!  That was the only motivation we needed to head to the beach for a long walk.  I strapped on the Polar H7 heart rate monitor so I could get a better overall understanding of my activity as it also syncs with the Loop and Polar Flow app. I think being able to integrate and study heart rates is a huge advantage over some other trackers.  1004 1010 1013We both loved being able to see our steps and calories burned during the walk while not having to worry about fumbling with getting satellite reception on a Garmin or MapMyRun. While I know that my Garmin will still be my tracking source for running, this is a great option for everyday health.

The one issue I have with the Polar Loop is the work that it takes for someone to alter the Loop itself before you can start using it. It is great that Polar made an item which can be personally fit to each person’s wrist so it fits perfectly BUT making the alterations is not easy. While you can use kitchen scissors to trim the ends, in my cold medicine stupor I threw the box out before taking out the tool needed to take the pin in and out. Luckily Christmas tree hooks work well in a bind but regardless it was still a challenging process before the Loop was fastened around my wrist. 1030

The Loop retails for $109.95 and the Polar H7 Bluetooth Heart Rate Sensor retails for $85.00. But don’t just trust my review, check out more information on both these products on the Polar website.

Would I spend $200? I would definitely spend my own money on this item for either myself or as a gift for my mom. I think that this is a perfect health and wellness tool for someone who is looking to either get fit in 2014 or stay fit. It’s a great way to motivate people to rethink their day and take a few extra steps by parking further away or choosing the stairs over the elevator!

DISCLOSURE: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Polar.  All of the opinions on my new Polar Loop are my own

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Shrimp and Kale Low Country Soup Recipe

I hope you and yours have had a wonderful weekend thus far. I’m finally starting to feel a little bit better though I’m far from 100%. This morning after sleeping for twelve hours, my mom and I found ourselves in the kitchen staring into an over packed refrigerator. The past few nights we’ve returned home with leftovers from each meal. Without time to catch up on any of this food we risked having a lot of it go bad today. A girl who loves her seafood, I decided to salvage the Low Country Boil leftovers first!

On the 26th my brother Ryan, hosted everyone at his home for an oyster roast and Low Country Boil. This was a new tradition for our family but hopefully one that will continue for years to follow as everyone had a blast laughing around the fire while shucking oysters and sipping cold beers. 104 100 101 I looked at the two containers of shrimp, potatoes and sausage trying to figure out what I could make when my mom suggested I try my hand at a soup. She figured that with half our family feeling under the weather it would be the perfect dinner. I always love a challenge so I quickly searched our refrigerator and pantry for ingredients before grabbing the cookbook and getting to work. I decided to start the soup with a French mirepoix base to give it flavor before layering in the additional ingredients. A French mirepoix is a trio of aromatic vegetables – onions, carrots and celery, sautéed or used raw as the flavor base for many soups.

This soup is a healthy yet hearty combination of proteins and vegetables that result in a “stick to your bones” soup that is bursting with shrimp flavor.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did this evening! It is the perfect way to use some leftovers in your refrigerator this winter.

Shrimp and Kale Low Country SoupShrimp and Kale Low Country Soup Recipe

Serves: 4  – Preparation Time: 15 minutes -  Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1/2 cup chopped carrots

-1/2 cup chopped celery

-1 cup chopped onions (sweet onions preferred)

-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock depending on flavor preference

-1 Bay Leaf

-1 tablespoon parsley

-1 teaspoon Garlic Gold or other preferred seasoning

-2 cups chopped kale

-1 pound of cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp

-1 cooked Kielbasa sausage cut into bit size pieces (can use any type of sausage)

– 5 small new potatoes, cooked and quartered

-1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed

-1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half,  fat free half and half, or milk

130 Directions

1. Combine carrots, celery, onions and olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low once the onions begin to brown and the vegetables soften.

2. Pour broth and kale over the softened vegetables and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce to a low simmer and stir in herbs before simmering for 15 minutes while partially covered.

4. Stir in sausage, shrimp, potatoes and drained white beans before simmering for 5 more minutes. Taste for flavor and add any additional seasonings.

5. Stir in cream and allow to simmer on low for 5 final minutes before removing from heat. Serve while warm and garnish with either a drizzle of sherry wine or a few sprigs of kale for added color.

6. Enjoy!

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