tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29920914284082458602024-02-01T22:13:02.512-05:00Run with PerseveranceFocusing on Faith, Fitness, and Food--Hebrews 12:1-2Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.comBlogger576125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-16977836398947282542016-02-09T06:00:00.000-05:002016-02-09T06:00:18.019-05:00Lessons Learned on Saturday's RunIn less than two weeks, I'll be running the Glass Slipper Challenge (a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday) during runDisney's Princess Half Marathon weekend! As I mentioned yesterday, I haven't done a very good job of exercising lately, which means that I haven't done a good job of sticking to my training plan. <br />
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Knowing that, I've just been focused on getting in <i>some</i> of my training runs and not beating myself up over ones that I've missed. I've consistently gotten in 2 runs each week, but completing my long runs on the weekends has been hard. Increasing my mileage means being gone for a longer amount of time. That's been hard to do when I want to use my weekend time to play with my baby girl!<br />
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Well, on Saturday, I did get in one of my long runs, and I learned a lot about running and about myself doing so.<br />
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<b>-It's so much easier to run in cooler weather!</b><br />
After running in the year-round humidity and heat of Florida for 3 years, it was SO NICE to run in 45-50 degree weather! It was easier to breathe, and I was able to maintain a much faster pace than I'm used to on long runs.<br />
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<b>-Just getting out and doing it makes me feel so much better.</b><br />
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One reason I've missed so many long runs is that I put them off for later in the day. With an infant, things get more and more unpredictable later in the day, and that often means my long runs don't happen. Well, on Saturday, I <i>almost</i> put it off again, but once M went down for her morning nap, I got dressed and went out the door right away. I felt so, so great after running and getting it done! I need to remember that feeling and make my long runs a priority early in the day on my weekends!<br />
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-<b>I <i>can</i> be strong mentally throughout my run!</b><br />
Running is such a mental sport, and normally I'm not good at keeping a strong mentality throughout my run. However, I was ON mentally Saturday, and it's crazy how much easier the run was! I focused on the music, I set goals for my run/walk intervals and stuck to them, and I pushed myself to finish strong. Seeing that ability in myself made me feel really good about my upcoming races, since finishing strong has always been tough for me.<br />
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<b>-I ran my fastest 4-6 mile run EVER on my RunKeeper app.</b><br />
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Everything just came together, and Saturday's run was actually my fastest run of this distance since I've been tracking them with RunKeeper! I was also really excited to see my mile splits.<br />
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A sub-10:00 pace and my fastest split for the last 0.3 miles of my run? Go, me!!<br />
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My success with Saturday's long run gives me hope for my next half marathon training cycle. If I'm having that kind of success with inconsistent training, then just think of what I can do when I fully stick to my plan! For now, though, I'll be tapering until the Glass Slipper Challenge and adjusting my goals for the two races based on my inconsistent training.<br />
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.mcmmamaruns.com/" target="_blank">Erika</a>, <a href="http://noguiltlife.com/" target="_blank">Patty</a>, and <a href="http://marciashealthyslice.com/" target="_blank">Marcia</a> for Tuesdays on the Run!<br />
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<a href="http://mcmmamaruns.com/" title="Tuesdays on the Run"><img alt="Tuesdays on the Run" src="http://mcmmamaruns.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tor-box-6.jpg" height="320" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Question for you: What's a lesson you've learned from a recent run?</b></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-539814379596802162016-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:002016-02-08T06:00:14.278-05:00Coming Out of My RutWell, hey, everyone! Long time, no see! It seems the calendar turned 2016, and I just forgot all about blogging.<br />
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Truth be told, I've been in a bit of a health, fitness, and faith rut pretty much since the beginning of 2015. Between the third trimester of my pregnancy, having M, moving, adjusting to life as a mom, and going back to teaching at a new school, I really wasn't focused on myself. I was just focused on doing what needed to be done to take care of my family and things for work. <br />
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I don't know that I'd call it postpartum depression, but I just wasn't taking care of myself, especially in the areas of healthy eating, fitness, and my faith. Considering that's what this blog is about, I really haven't had much to say on here! I didn't want this blog to just turn in to me talking about M, so I figured silence was better than "fluff" posts.<br />
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The good news is that I believe I'm coming out of that rut! I'm realizing that if I can't take care of myself, then I'm not going to be able to give 100% to <i>any</i> aspect of my life, which will ultimately hurt <i>every</i> aspect of my life. I also want to set a good example for M as she grows up, and the woman I was this past year is not who I want her to become.<br />
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With that, I will be back to blogging! My goal will be to post 3 times a week, though I will hopefully increase that to 4 times a week before the year is out. I want to ensure that my posts are quality, though, so some weeks I may not reach that goal. <br />
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This week, however, I will have 4 posts for you (including this one). Check back tomorrow where I'll be sharing about my runs from this weekend!<br />
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<b>Question for you: How has your year started off?</b><br />
Hopefully in less of a rut than mine has!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-84759058849463150932016-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:002016-01-02T06:00:26.632-05:002015 Goals: Year-End ReflectionAt the beginning of each year, I like to set goals for myself. I did just that in <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/01/goals-for-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a> and reflected on those goals after each quarter of the year.<br />
<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/03/2015-goals-quarter-year-check-in.html" target="_blank">Quarter Year Check-in</a><br />
<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/07/2015-goals-mid-year-check-in.html" target="_blank">Mid-year Check-in</a><br />
<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-goals-three-quarter-year-check-in.html" target="_blank">Three-Quarter Year Check-in</a><br />
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It was tough to set those goals, not knowing what life would be like once Baby Fish joined us. I tried to set goals that I thought would be attainable, so let's take a look and see how I did overall!<br />
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<b>1. Memorize 24 verses of Scripture through the Siesta Scripture Memory Team.</b><br />
<b>Grade: F</b><br />
I only selected 4 verses and memorized 3 of them. Once I slipped up on the 4th verse, it just all went downhill from there. After reflecting on my goals each quarter, I planned to get back on this and just never did.<br />
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I have no reasoning for why this didn't happen. It just didn't because I stopped making it a priority. I hate that I did that, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. The Living Proof Ministries community does this each odd year, so maybe I'll try it again in 2017.<br />
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<b>2. Be the mother God would have me to be.</b><br />
<b>Grade: A for effort</b><br />
This one is hard to grade. I guess I'd need God to give me a report card on this one! However, I am putting being a mother first and am prayerful about it. So, I'm going to give myself an A for the effort. I hope that effort translates into being the mother God would have me to be! <br />
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I do know that I am thoroughly enjoying being a mother. I never imagined all of the things that come with being a mother, but it is truly a great feeling watching Baby Fish grow each day. She's so cool!<br />
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<b>3. Run the Richmond Marathon in November (or PR in a fall half marathon if not).</b><br />
<b>Grade: D+</b><br />
I did not run the Richmond Marathon, nor did I run a fall half marathon. However, I'm giving myself a D+ because I was flexible with this goal, as I wanted to be. Baby Fish was my priority, and I needed to spend the fall focusing on adjusting to life as a mom over committing to training for a race. So, I'm giving myself some credit for adjusting this goal, even though I did not meet either part of it.<br />
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I did race 2 10Ks this year, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm hoping to commit to training more in 2016 so that I can possibly meet the goal of the Richmond Marathon this November!</div>
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<b>4. Take care of daily chores first.</b><br />
<b>Grade: B-</b><br />
I did not do this at the beginning of the year (third trimester laziness hit me hard!), but I did start doing it after Baby Fish arrived. I have done a much better job of taking care of things before I get sucked in to relaxing each day, and it has made me happier overall. I plan to continue focusing on this in 2016!<br />
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<b>5. Meal plan to ensure healthy eating and save money.</b><br />
<b>Grade: C</b><br />
Again, this didn't happen at the beginning of the year, but I did much better with this during the second half of the year. I'm giving myself a C because we didn't always stick with the meal plan, meaning that sometimes we wasted some produce I planned on using. I really don't like wasting food, so moving into 2016, I want to actually stick with the meal plan so that doesn't happen.<br />
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Looking at my grades on my goals, it seems that I "failed" at meeting my goals overall. However, I did make progress toward each of them (except my first goal), especially in the second half of the year. Once I adjusted to my "new normal", I really did do a better job working toward (most of) these goals, so I won't count these a failure.<br />
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I do hope that I will be much more successful overall with my 2016 goals, though!<br />
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<b>Question for you: Did you set 2015 goals? If so, how did you do with them?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-50878296646264486562016-01-01T12:06:00.001-05:002016-01-01T12:06:33.818-05:00Highlights from 2015Happy New Year! I hope that 2016 is off to a great start for you and your family.<br />
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Before I completely shift my focus on to the new year, I wanted to take a moment to look back on 2015. It was quite a big year in our lives! Let's look back at some of the highlights of 2015:<br />
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<b>Baby showers!</b><br />
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In preparation for Baby Fish's arrival, several groups of co-workers, friends, and family showered us with love! I am so appreciative for their love and support. It meant (and still means!) so much to me to have such great people in my life.<br />
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<b>Joe's graduation from chiropractic school!</b><br />
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He did it! Joe finished school and became a doctor on March 27th. I originally wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it to the graduation (my due date was March 29th), but thankfully I was there to celebrate this huge accomplishment wit him! I'm so proud of him for finishing school, finding a job so quickly, and transitioning into the "real world" with ease and success so far!<br />
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<b>Baby Fish's birth on April 7th!</b><br />
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After waiting about 9 days past her due date, Baby Fish finally joined us! It was so exciting to finally know that she's a girl, and she is such a blessing in our lives!<br />
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<b>Moving back to Georgia!</b><br />
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It was just 11 days after Baby Fish's birth, but we packed up our life in Florida and moved to south Georgia for Joe's job. I'm happy to be back in Georgia, and we are adjusting well to our new area.<br />
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<b>Running the Peachtree Road Race</b><br />
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This July 4th tradition in Atlanta is a race that holds a special place in my heart. I'm so happy that I was able to run it just 2 months postpartum! It rained the whole time, but I was so excited to cross that finish line.<br />
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<b>Starting a new job back in the classroom teaching high school math.</b><br />
I've really enjoyed being back in the classroom! I missed teaching and having my own group of students, so I've had a lot of fun this semester. It was a little bit of a rocky start, but I'm ready to have an even better second semester!<br />
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<b>Lots of visitors...</b><br />
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<b>...and a few trips!</b><br />
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Between people coming to help with Baby Fish and traveling for some fun events (a few days at the springs, Richmond, Atlanta, and the beach), we've seen a lot of our favorite people! It's been fun introducing Baby Fish to everyone, as well as having people come see our new home in southern Georgia. We love it!<br />
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<b>But, most importantly, we've had so much fun learning to be parents and watching Baby Fish grow!</b><br />
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She really is the biggest highlight of 2015! Her arrival in our lives in April certainly changed our lives in the best way possible. She is such a fun little baby, and we are enjoying watching her grow, change, and learn each and every day. What a blessing she is!<br />
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Wow, quite a year! With everything that happened in 2015, I'm really excited to see what 2016 has in store for us. It's sure to be a good one!<br />
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Tomorrow, I'll share a reflection of my 2015 goals, and next week I'll be sharing my 2016 goals! Have a great New Year's Day!<br />
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<b>Question for you: What's a highlight of 2015 for you?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-44929727787082990862015-12-30T11:39:00.003-05:002015-12-30T11:39:43.142-05:00Christmas 2015: Baby Fish's first Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Hey, everyone! I've been living up winter break from school to the fullest--getting things done around the house, traveling for Christmas, and enjoying time with my family!! Now that things have settled after a great Christmas holiday, let's recap what we did!</div>
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First, I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We wish you a Happy New Year, as well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Christmas card photo</td></tr>
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I spent last Monday through Wednesday getting my last-minute shopping done, as well as hanging out with this little girl.</div>
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I dropped her off at day care for a few hours each day, which made shopping and errand-running A LOT easier. I missed being with her all day, though!</div>
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On Christmas Eve, we woke up and got ready to head to the airport to fly up to Virginia for Christmas at my grandparents' house. My mom called as they were leaving the house, saying that our flight was delayed about two hours. </div>
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We hung around the house and continued to check the flight status as our plane got further and further delayed before Delta ultimately cancelled it. Certainly not ideal! When I called to try and change our flight, we weren't able to get anything until Christmas day, since the issue was bad weather in Atlanta. Needless to say, we were frustrated and disappointed, but the customer service agents I spoke with were very helpful in getting us booked to leave as soon as possible. Thank you, Delta customer service!</div>
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Our change in travel plans meant that we spent Christmas Eve day watching Christmas movies on TV. In the evening, I cooked a beef tenderloin roast (yum!) and we attended Christmas Eve service at our church.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve dinner</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loved the candle holder!</td></tr>
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When we got home from church, we opened our stockings. Baby Fish loved looking into the stocking to see if there was anything else!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieW8WGnVUzyP5ou0NfxdegX3PRQ5VHOBzL-uhLdvhslv6VdYw8iOCmjwKhMEmXz8cHsj1JuFd6Mhrij7aWDZdgYibnD5p9g_OnJrXmMtOrII1EfJmipDqhEHeFWDDybL7JZAnDgUoa9w/s640/blogger-image-369933640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieW8WGnVUzyP5ou0NfxdegX3PRQ5VHOBzL-uhLdvhslv6VdYw8iOCmjwKhMEmXz8cHsj1JuFd6Mhrij7aWDZdgYibnD5p9g_OnJrXmMtOrII1EfJmipDqhEHeFWDDybL7JZAnDgUoa9w/s320/blogger-image-369933640.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her first stocking</td></tr>
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By the way, Baby Fish's name is Meredith (in case you couldn't tell from her stocking and her shirt in the first picture)! I'll keep calling her Baby Fish on the blog though ;)<br />
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Pablo the cat even got a present, and he loved it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting in his little cube</td></tr>
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Christmas Day was spent driving to Jacksonville for our flight, flying to Atlanta, and getting delayed for about 3 hours in Atlanta before we finally made it to my grandparents' house! I don't think I've ever been so happy to arrive somewhere!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTgbXlc61ugFCebyTl_7ul7Vsgbs3uZwNJ2lRD-KhOmScXufBhWkqoej3BzsxZnvMFwZilfjdaMiiOpn8Vo4TlelGborSUv6NxgdZv5IvcHexp8wZhr1j-YBlTjYJqqXuTINyGE-lkHY/s640/blogger-image-1398718759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTgbXlc61ugFCebyTl_7ul7Vsgbs3uZwNJ2lRD-KhOmScXufBhWkqoej3BzsxZnvMFwZilfjdaMiiOpn8Vo4TlelGborSUv6NxgdZv5IvcHexp8wZhr1j-YBlTjYJqqXuTINyGE-lkHY/s320/blogger-image-1398718759.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
That evening, we ate dinner together with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, my aunt and uncle, and my grandparents.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So tired after a long day of travel</td></tr>
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Then, we opened presents! Baby Fish wasn't much for tearing the wrapping paper, but she did enjoy playing with everything BUT her gifts. Silly girl!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper, galore!</td></tr>
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The next day, we went over to my dad's mom's house and had our Christmas celebration over there. It was great to see my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins play with our little girl. I was enjoying the time so much, I forgot to take pictures!<br />
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We went back over to my mom's parents' house and spent the evening watching the Virginia Tech bowl game. It was our head coach Frank Beamer's last game, so it was quite emotional to watch! Luckily, the Hokies pulled out a victory and everyone was happy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lciWgElTY4BKu8yBsXEzPND1J-nbYryoz4_VCYDDhOESfBmhUMNzJ1Zi6K-9Kg8HV1MOWhn-DmDkbvqol4d9JtlyiodpCf_PupqFMvgBbsS2hEux2YLfbSuc8-fpZjZqH-NnLPJcWiY/s640/blogger-image-673734218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lciWgElTY4BKu8yBsXEzPND1J-nbYryoz4_VCYDDhOESfBmhUMNzJ1Zi6K-9Kg8HV1MOWhn-DmDkbvqol4d9JtlyiodpCf_PupqFMvgBbsS2hEux2YLfbSuc8-fpZjZqH-NnLPJcWiY/s320/blogger-image-673734218.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Hokies!</td></tr>
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Fun fact: I was born the year that Frank Beamer started coaching at VT, and Baby Fish was born before his last year. I love that when my mom took the picture above, Frank Beamer just happened to be on the screen!<br />
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On the 27th, we flew back to Jacksonville before driving to Joe's grandparents' house to spend some time with his family. It was so fun to watch all of the little ones together!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9t-r1Wca0vYb5DGXdxIuk8NY2KRCz_CrZoxTVxJOlIcDGI2ZmW2yZ_OECELf9aSV0hXfk1sleST8nCYDsA0y2ooM2eCqs7456x9Loy5PCQMKjEEE-5XziVU_xGjjJnvAT-XPZE5ebXLE/s640/blogger-image-1474763639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9t-r1Wca0vYb5DGXdxIuk8NY2KRCz_CrZoxTVxJOlIcDGI2ZmW2yZ_OECELf9aSV0hXfk1sleST8nCYDsA0y2ooM2eCqs7456x9Loy5PCQMKjEEE-5XziVU_xGjjJnvAT-XPZE5ebXLE/s320/blogger-image-1474763639.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with her cousin</td></tr>
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We enjoyed catching up with his aunts, uncles, cousins, and brother that we haven't seen in a while!<br />
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Since then, Baby Fish and I have been hanging out at home during the day while Joe goes to work. It's kind of nice to be home for the week with very little to do!<br />
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I hope you had a great Christmas with your family. I'll be back tomorrow with a reflection of the year 2015, as well as check-in with my goals for the year!<br />
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<b>Question for you: How did you spend Christmas this year?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-64757764823791893502015-12-16T06:00:00.000-05:002015-12-16T06:00:16.166-05:00Turkey Trot 10K Race RecapSince I started running and blogging back in September of 2012 (has it really been that long?!), I've <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/p/races.html" target="_blank">recapped each race</a> I've run (well, almost all of them). I haven't run that many races in 2015 thanks to having a baby, but I did complete one race recently that I have yet to recap! <br />
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On Thanksgiving morning, I ran my first Turkey Trot race! I love that these races have popped up all over the country to encourage people to get moving first thing on a day dedicated to eating lots of delicious food. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPWUrYV5puF6aDzKZocpMdASqa8XKhn7ZOBKJXkxmtq1qtFFArD44u5fDXG0rmv5FP6NvhTAWSlC4dPQpXtiZLZbPdy5QUFID5AO41KTDSVEpUsD4iXo9SdQF0X4ZYIis0f3wHhK5tRo/s640/blogger-image-1936208405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPWUrYV5puF6aDzKZocpMdASqa8XKhn7ZOBKJXkxmtq1qtFFArD44u5fDXG0rmv5FP6NvhTAWSlC4dPQpXtiZLZbPdy5QUFID5AO41KTDSVEpUsD4iXo9SdQF0X4ZYIis0f3wHhK5tRo/s640/blogger-image-1936208405.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign welcoming runners on race morning</td></tr>
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We were in Gainesville with Joe's family for Thanksgiving this year, so I signed up for their Turkey Trot 10K. The race is run on the campus of Tacachale, a residential facility for mentally handicapped people, and the proceeds of the race went to support their work. Exercise for a good cause? Sounds good to me!<br />
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The course was a mixture of trails, grass, and roads, which made things a bit challenging. I am not much of a trail runner, so navigating the tree roots and soft ground slowed me down a little bit.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering one of the trail sections</td></tr>
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One thing's for sure, though, such a course kept me from getting bored! I was constantly on my toes and wasn't paying too much attention to my distance or time. It made the race seem to go by faster!<br />
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I ran/walked the race, since it was my longest run since the <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/07/peachtree-road-race-recap.html" target="_blank">Peachtree Road Race</a> in July. I felt pretty strong throughout the whole race and seemed to be making good time. I had splits around 10:30-11:00 pace at first, but I wound up slowing down in the last two miles.<br />
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Because the course wound through some trails, there were not that many water stops. I wish they had them a little closer together or provided that information beforehand so that I could have brought my handheld water bottle along.<br />
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Overall, though, I was able to finish strong! For a lack of training for this distance, I was pretty pleased with how I did during this race.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aEDQP7RpZvQCQXguG5E7kvHTUgiW2lNRZ1W36radscpHk5mR8XYgvwXAckTrP1_JjBDTCWwI8cLfGncJcgnlz29NAriu5XyW2vmL5ayxjjzfVV1WCXpa3SWDI4518wU0OZloaF8tSFA/s640/blogger-image-227030534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aEDQP7RpZvQCQXguG5E7kvHTUgiW2lNRZ1W36radscpHk5mR8XYgvwXAckTrP1_JjBDTCWwI8cLfGncJcgnlz29NAriu5XyW2vmL5ayxjjzfVV1WCXpa3SWDI4518wU0OZloaF8tSFA/s320/blogger-image-227030534.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish Line Selfie</td></tr>
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My time, according to my RunKeeper app was:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAgcgUNuuD1DVSLUV8s3IO9kQKPongwT6JW6CYmu_ZDGn-qK6-PAeI-xHc08rlbdlyYqO2JoeXEPPaETjW4Pa1uY5el9sTlb-JXq-a9ldGesGlAoOzzoO32ytZFGdqLR-wCEygFgmSr0/s640/blogger-image-422905638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAgcgUNuuD1DVSLUV8s3IO9kQKPongwT6JW6CYmu_ZDGn-qK6-PAeI-xHc08rlbdlyYqO2JoeXEPPaETjW4Pa1uY5el9sTlb-JXq-a9ldGesGlAoOzzoO32ytZFGdqLR-wCEygFgmSr0/s320/blogger-image-422905638.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My RunKeepr stats</td></tr>
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Just a few seconds slower than my Peachtree time. Considering the terrain I was navigating, I'm pretty pleased with this time. I thought to myself that if it was a complete road race, I could have easily shaved off 2-3 minutes, which would have been really good for me!<br />
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This race has me excited to keep training for the Glass Slipper Challenge in February! Based on these results with little training, I think that I can continue to push myself to increase my speed at the 10K distance (and beyond!).<br />
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(Check out <a href="http://tinyurl.com/gl22gyb" target="_blank">yesterday's post</a> for a review of MealEnders and enter my giveaway to win yourself 4 packages!)<br />
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<b>Question for you: Did you run a Turkey Trot race this year? What are your thoughts on running on trails?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-76017256032094765822015-12-14T23:04:00.004-05:002015-12-15T14:20:59.466-05:00Time for #FitHolidays with MealEnders! (Review + GIVEAWAY)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<i>Disclaimer: Through my status as a Sweat Pink Ambassador through Fit Approach, I received MealEnders in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i></div>
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Confession: I have a hard time with self-control when it comes to food cravings. When I get a taste for something, I have to have it, often to the point of over-indulgence. I'm also a serial bored-eater, particularly when I get home from work in the afternoons and over the weekends.</div>
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I'm working on changing my mindset when it comes to food, which is a bit of a process. That's why when I heard about <a href="http://www.mealenders.com/" target="_blank">MealEnders</a>, I jumped at the chance to try them! </div>
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<a href="http://www.mealenders.com/" target="_blank">MealEnders </a>is a brand of signaling lozenges designed to curb over-eating and teach portion control. The company designed these lozenges using a combination of behavioral psychology and sensory science.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70VEM5AqQy3pgWuV_T4Oyxbk7cLaSuRR_eXkekMAxshUFbsXOnU5RlVbYULnafz_vzFTw17WzThKPgIhwab4ocXte1_k8o8WB4AMmAILw_FHDMGDypp8l7In0QcNRJ6C-nw5uZepn_HU/s640/blogger-image--1832120618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70VEM5AqQy3pgWuV_T4Oyxbk7cLaSuRR_eXkekMAxshUFbsXOnU5RlVbYULnafz_vzFTw17WzThKPgIhwab4ocXte1_k8o8WB4AMmAILw_FHDMGDypp8l7In0QcNRJ6C-nw5uZepn_HU/s320/blogger-image--1832120618.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The four tasty flavors of MealEnders</td></tr>
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Each MealEnders lozenge contains two components: the outer sweet layer provides a dose of "dessert" associated with the end of the meal, and the inner core engages the trigeminal nerve (which senses taste) to cleanse the palate with long-lasting cooling sensations.<br />
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Simply suck on one MealEnders lozenge when you know you've eaten enough but are having trouble stopping. The lozenge is designed to occupy your mouth during the 20 minutes it takes your stomach to signal to your brain that it's full.</div>
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As the holidays approached, I knew I needed something to help myself avoid over-indulging. My sweet tooth is in overdrive during the holidays, so I was interested to see if MealEnders would actually work. </div>
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I tried my first MealEnders after dinner one night when I really wanted some dessert. Each flavor is sweet at first, which definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. Then, as I finished letting the lozenge dissolve, I realized that I really wasn't hungry anymore and focused on things other than eating.</div>
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I also used MealEnders in the afternoons. Once I ate my afternoon snack, I had a MealEnders lozenge to prevent myself from eating just because I was bored. Worked like a charm!</div>
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While I'm sure there is a mental component to this product, I was really pleased with how much they helped me reduce my over- and bored-eating. It was just what I needed as I work to break myself of these bad habits. </div>
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Plus, the flavors are delicious! When I originally saw the four flavors, I thought Mocha and Chocolate Mint would be my favorites.</div>
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After trying all four, though, I actually the Cinnamon and Citrus flavors! All of the outer layers have a great sweet taste, though. The inner core tastes a little different in each of them, so just be aware of that once the outer layer is gone.</div>
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Are you interested in trying <a href="http://www.mealenders.com/" target="_blank">MealEnders </a>for yourself to help you have #FitHolidays? Here are two options for you:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Purchase <a href="http://www.mealenders.com/" target="_blank">MealEnders </a>from their website! Enter the code "FitHolidays20" at checkout for 20% off your purchase!</li>
<li>WIN four packages of MealEnders (one package of each flavor)! MealEnders is offering this to one lucky Run with Perseverance reader. Simply enter the giveaway using <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a2e26f962/?" target="_blank">this Rafflecopter widget</a> before 11:59 PM on Friday, December 18th.</li>
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<i>Giveaway is open to US residents only. </i><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5b6263; font-family: 'PT Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">One prize per person. If you win this giveaway, and have already won another prize from MealEnders through another blog, please disclose that you have already won so I can choose another winner.</em><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5b6263; font-family: 'PT Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"> </em><i>Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, December 18th.</i></div>
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<em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5b6263; font-family: 'PT Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Question for you: What strategies do you use to prevent over-indulging or bored-eating?</b></em></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-42828000449288560632015-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:002015-12-14T06:00:04.051-05:00Meal/Workout Plan 12/14<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Hey guys! How's everyone doing? We had a pretty fun weekend attending a wedding and visiting Joe's mom!</div>
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The wedding was just south of Tampa, FL so we got enjoy some beautiful December weather in Florida!</div>
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The wedding was so nice, and we all enjoyed catching up with some friends from Joe's chiropractic school. Baby Fish also seemed to enjoy her very first wedding!</div>
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On our way back home, we stopped through Gainesville and visited with Joe's mom before coming home on Sunday. While in Gainesville, I got some baby snuggles that were just awesome.</div>
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Gotta enjoy them while I can!<br />
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<b>Meal/Workout Plan 12/14</b><br />
It's hard to get back in to the work week after a great weekend like we had, but here we are on Monday once again. As I normally (try to) do, I wanted to share my meal and workout plan for this week! I've found that when I actually do this, I'm much more likely to stick to it.<br />
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So, here are my planned dinners and workouts for each day:<br />
<b>Monday</b>: Broccoli-stuffed Chicken / Strength workout (probably the Dirty 30 workout from 21 Day Fix)<br />
<b>Tuesday</b>: Chicken 'n Dumplings / 3 miles of speedwork<br />
<b>Wednesday</b>: Take-out from our favorite Mexican restaurant / rest day<br />
<b>Thursday</b>: Grilled Salmon and veggies / 3 miles<br />
<b>Friday</b>: <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2014/03/southwestern-quinoa.html" target="_blank">Southwestern Qunioa </a>/ rest day<br />
<b>Saturday</b>: Dinner Out / BodyPUMP + 1.5 miles<br />
<b>Sunday</b>: /6 miles<br />
Breakfasts for the week will be oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter. Lunches will be a salad topped with veggies, black beans, and quinoa (sides of fruit and yogurt).<br />
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I'm in the middle of training for the Princess Half Marathon in February, so it's really important for me to get in my scheduled runs! My training has been a bit sporadic, but I'm making a commitment to myself starting this week to stick to it so that I can be confident for my first postpartum half marathon!<br />
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<b>Question for you: What's your healthy meal plan this week? What are your planned workouts?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-13480854061374452622015-11-30T05:44:00.002-05:002015-11-30T05:44:25.788-05:00And then we got food poisoning...Hi, everyone! Anyone else feel like it's so much harder to go back to work on the Monday after a holiday weekend? I know I'm feeling that this morning!<br />
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I planned to set myself up for a great week on Sunday by food prepping, getting ahead on school work, decorating for Christmas, and getting my normal Monday blog post ready...</div>
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...and then we got food poisoning. Yuck!</div>
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Needless to say, none of that happened yesterday! In fact, not much of anything happened other than napping and taking turns entertaining Baby Fish. Thankfully, both Joe and I were able to stomach some food at dinner time and are good to go today!</div>
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Oh, and having a baby while both parents are sick is QUITE the challenge. We are lucky that Baby Fish took lots of naps on Sunday! Otherwise, I'm not sure how we would have done it.</div>
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I'll be back at the blogging tomorrow to share a fun way to motivate yourself on runs this holiday season!</div>
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<b>Question for you: Have you ever had food poisoning?</b></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-75522657388927713982015-11-28T09:33:00.002-05:002015-11-28T09:33:23.809-05:00Thanksgiving Survey<div>
Hi everyone! I hope that all of my American readers had a very happy Thanksgiving on Thursday.</div>
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We enjoyed our day with Joe's side of the family. I think Baby Fish likes Thanksgiving, too! Especially when I give her little tastes of sweet potato casserole.</div>
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I saw this survey on <a href="http://www.pbfingers.com/" target="_blank">Julie's</a> blog and thought it'd be a good way to round out this Thanksgiving week. I love reading about how people celebrate the holidays, so I thought I'd share a little about what we do for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Favorite Thanksgiving food item?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">My favorite Thanksgiving food item overall is my Mama Gen's creamed potatoes. Think mashed potatoes but melt-in-your-mouth smooth! In general, though, it's a tie between stuffing and sweet potato casserole.</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>What is one of your favorite Thanksgiving memories?</b></span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our football game from 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I love my family's traditional older siblings vs younger siblings mid-afternoon football game! The best one was probably the year my brother and I kept trying to tackle each other (the game is two-hand-touch). So much fun!</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Do you go to a movie on Thanksgiving?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Not usually. </span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Any Thanksgiving foods that you do not like?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Cranberry sauce. I'm sure I'd like the taste, but the appearance has kept me from trying it!</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>How do you feel about stores interrupting Thanksgiving now by starting their sales on Thanksgiving day?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I am NOT a fan. In fact, I turned down an offer to go shopping yesterday because I would not support the stores being open on Thanksgiving. The early Friday morning was bad enough for the workers, let them just enjoy their Thanksgiving!</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Do you hit up the sales on Thursday/Black Friday or do you avoid them like the plague?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Generally avoid them. If I shop on Black Friday, it's later in the day.</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Do you typically run a race on Thanksgiving or go on a run on your own or take the day off?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">My normal activity is a football game when we do Thanksgiving with my family, but this year I did a 10K Turkey Trot! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Full recap next week!</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Do you prefer a big get together for the holiday or to keep it small?</b></span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies on Joe's side of the family-2013</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I prefer a big gathering of all the family. That's what we did growing up, so if we don't have that, it feels lonely to me!</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>What is your food assignment for this year? Are you in charge of the whole thing or are you going out to eat?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We brought store-bought pies and I made the sweet potato casserole this year. Both were a hit!</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>What time do you typically eat Thanksgiving dinner?</b></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">With my side of the family, we do Thanksgiving lunch around noon with my dad's side then Thanksgiving dinner around 5 with my mom's side. Lots of eating! With Joe's side, we normally do "dinner" around 1:00.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>Question for you: Your turn! Answer one of the questions above about your Thanksgiving traditions!</b></span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-39542789053511396592015-11-23T09:08:00.000-05:002015-11-23T09:10:24.144-05:00Life Lately 11/23/15Hey hey, everyone! How's it going? It's been quite a while since I've regularly blogged, so let's quickly catch up, shall we?<br />
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-<b>This fall has been busy, busy, busy (as always)! </b>I absolutely love everything going on in the fall, but we've sure had a busy one around here! We took a trip to Athens, GA in late September,</div>
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had visitors in early October for Baby Fish's baptism,</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNjCVU31Ydxtc9dGoNJPiq_p9LzEAbCUZPsTDYxKLB_gtXFKxht7wogUSoa_Id5fCvyKTdRIIFq4o25L-6V6w-qLWnSHoQ1cl1rMoaCBdsRCVhUGiJ3Es_bslK4_53RZ-r9DIa-DYo5o/s640/blogger-image-1664121960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNjCVU31Ydxtc9dGoNJPiq_p9LzEAbCUZPsTDYxKLB_gtXFKxht7wogUSoa_Id5fCvyKTdRIIFq4o25L-6V6w-qLWnSHoQ1cl1rMoaCBdsRCVhUGiJ3Es_bslK4_53RZ-r9DIa-DYo5o/s320/blogger-image-1664121960.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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attended quite a few high school football games on Friday nights,</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my co-worker Erika</td></tr>
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traveled to Gainesville for our friends Chris and Taylor's wedding,</div>
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got dressed up for Halloween,</div>
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went up to Richmond for my 10-year high school reunion and to see Kristie, Joe, and their baby!!,</div>
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and my mom came down for a visit.</div>
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Phew!! Busy, busy! But lots of fun, of course. Things aren't slowing down any time soon, either, with Thanksgiving travels next weekend, and then all of the Christmas excitement! Maybe we'll rest a little in January?</div>
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-<b>Having a child and teaching is a lot harder than I imagined.</b> I knew that going back to work after having Baby Fish would be hard, but I was NOT prepared for just how different and challenging it is!</div>
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When I come home now, all I want to do is hang out with Baby Fish after not seeing her all day. Then, after she goes to bed, I have chores to do and preparations for the next day (bottles, lunch packing, etc.). Once all of that gets done, it's right around my bedtime! I don't have much relaxing time, much less time for any grading or lesson planning. </div>
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At first, it was really affecting my job. I wasn't getting my lesson plans done until the night before, and grading took over a week sometimes! Thankfully, I finally feel like I've gotten more efficient with my home/family responsibilities and can get some school stuff done in the evening. It sure has taken a little bit to get there, though!</div>
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Side note: I do all of this with my wonderful husband, and I feel like I'm running around crazy. This makes me have<i> <b>mad respect</b></i> for all the single parents out there! How y'all do it and keep it all together, I have no idea. You really are super heroes!</div>
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-<b>We're in the process of buying a house!</b> Looking at houses is taking up our evenings now, and we sure have looked at a bunch of them! I think we're finally honing in on what we want, so hopefully this process will be over soon. It's taken a little longer to find one than I expected, but as our realtor said, it's a big decision and a lot of money to invest, so we should take as long as we need!</div>
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-<b>I <i>finally</i> joined a gym and have a gym buddy. </b>One of my coworkers and I got a buy one-get one membership together and have been going to some gym classes together. She's also a new mom, so we're doing a good job keeping each other accountable! It feels great to be back in the gym and working out again. <br />
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I'm also now in training for the runDisney Glass Slipper Challenge in February! I haven't done such a good job keeping up with my training plan, but I have at least gotten in about 2 runs a week over the last two weeks. </div>
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Aaaaaand I think we're all caught up! I should be back on the blog tomorrow and Wednesday before enjoying Thanksgiving with family.<br />
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Have a great Monday!<br />
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<b>Question for you: What have you been up to during my blogging break?</b></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-70454239708130086202015-11-06T06:00:00.000-05:002015-11-11T12:07:47.557-05:00Hemp Hearts Review + GIVEAWAY!<i>Disclaimer: I was sent one package of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts in exchange for an honest review as a Sweat Pink Ambassador. All opinions are my own.</i><br />
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What do you use to add nutritional value and staying power to your meals? There are a lot of different ways to do this, but a common answer is increase your protein. In my mind, I hear that and think "add meat", but there are a lot of other ways to add protein to a meal. One of those things is using seeds or nuts. I recently was sent Hemp Hearts (aka raw shelled hemp seeds) from <a href="http://www.manitobaharvest.com/">Manitoba Harvest</a> to try, and they were a fantastic way to add nutrition and staying power to my meals!<br />
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I decided to try this product at all three meals to see how versatile they are. Spoiler alert: they were easy to incorporate and added value to all three meals!<br />
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<b>At Breakfast</b><br />
I first tried my Hemp Hearts during breakfast time. I topped my morning oatmeal with a sprinkle of hemp hearts in addition to my normal peanut butter and really enjoyed it!<br />
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They didn't change the taste, but they really did add to the staying power of my oatmeal, keeping me full for an additional hour. After I first tried it, I've been using them at breakfast time ever since.<br />
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<b>At Lunch </b><br />
Next up, I decided to incorporate Hemp Hearts into my lunches. I started packing salads to take to school for lunch, and I added a sprinkle of hemp hearts for a week.<br />
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They added a slight crunch to my salad, which was a nice change of texture. It also added staying power to my lunch. Without changing anything else about what I packed, and I wouldn't need to eat my afternoon snack until I got home when I used Hemp Hearts on my salad.<br />
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<b>At Dinner</b><br />
I needed some inspiration for how to use Hemp Hearts during dinner, so I turned to the <a href="http://www.manitobaharvest.com/">Manitoba Harvest</a> website. They have <a href="http://manitobaharvest.com/recipes.html">some great recipes</a> that incorporate Hemp Hearts into every meal or snack possible! <br />
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The verdict on Hemp Hearts: I love them! This is definitely a product I would use in the future, particularly because of the staying power they add to each meal. As a teacher and a breastfeeding mom, I need my meals to fill me up as much as possible.<br />
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And now it's YOUR turn to try Hemp Hearts! The people at Manitoba Harvest are gracious enough to offer one package of Hemp Hearts to one lucky reader. All you need to do is enter to win below:<br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="a2e26f961" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a2e26f961/" id="rcwidget_5432lh78" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></u></span><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></u></span><br />
<em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5b6263; font-family: 'PT Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Giveaway ends at midnight on 11/15. One prize per person. If you win this giveaway, and have already won another prize from Manitoba Harvest through another blog, please disclose that you have already won so we can choose another winner. </em><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Question for you: Have you tried Hemp Hearts before? What do you add to your meals for added health benefits and staying power?</b></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-55908061492847240872015-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:002015-11-04T06:00:08.283-05:002015 Goals: Three-Quarter-Year Check-InHey, everyone! Long time, no talk! I've been busy with life and getting our routine down. Now that things are finally in a groove, I'm starting to add "extra" things (like blogging) back in to the schedule. Plus, I've missed y'all!<br />
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I'll do a catch-up post here soon, but for now, let's reflect on my <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/01/goals-for-2015.html" target="_blank">2015 goals</a>. Believe it or not, we are in the second to last month of 2015! I started reflected on them at the end of September, but never finished this post. So, let's talk about progress toward those goals today! Better late than never, right?.<br />
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<b>1. Memorize 24 verses of Scripture through the <a href="http://blog.lproof.org/2014/12/siesta-scripture-memory-team-2015-instructions-and-spiral-information.html" target="_blank">Siesta Scripture Memory Team</a>.</b><br />
Unfortunately, I have not made this goal a priority since mid-February. However, I'm not going to give up for the rest of the year! I'm going to commit to keeping up with this goal for the remainder of the year. While I may not memorize 24 verses of Scripture over the year, I can still equip myself with about 12 verses this year!<br />
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<b>2. Be the mother God would have me be.</b><br />
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I sure do pray that I am being the mom that God will have me be! I know for sure that being Baby Fish's mom is definitely my #1 priority right now, and I have really adjusted my daily activities to reflect that. It has taken some time, but I really feel like we are in a groove with getting things done and still having fun together!<br />
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She's definitely a blessing to us, and I am so thankful that I am her mother!<br />
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<b>3. Run the Richmond Marathon in November*.</b><br />
Well, I haven't been talking about marathon training on the blog, so I think this one is pretty obvious: I decided not to sign up for the Richmond Marathon this year. I wasn't keeping up with my running when it was time to start training, so I knew that properly training for my first marathon was probably not going to happen.<br />
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I also have not signed up for a fall half marathon, which is probably a really good thing after falling and spraining my foot. My running focus for the rest of the year is going to be training for the runDisney Glass Slipper Challenge during Princess Half Marathon weekend in February.<br />
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I started my training plan last week and will focus on sticking to that plan for the rest of the year.<br />
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<b>4. Take care of daily chores first.</b><br />
While they may not be the very first thing I take care of every single day, I am <i>definitely</i> getting chores done around the house! I usually get them done while Baby Fish naps when we get home and after she goes to bed at night. I'm definitely doing well at meeting this goal!<br />
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<b>5. Meal Plan to ensure healthy eating and saving money.</b><b><br /></b>
Since school started at the beginning of August, I've been doing a really good job of this! I'll make a rough plan of what we'll eat during the week and grocery shop according to those plans. It's made making dinner each day <i>so</i> much easier because I know exactly what I'll be making and am able to prepare for it beforehand. It's also helped us use up the perishable items before they go bad, which makes me happy because we aren't wasting food or money! <br />
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Overall, I'd say doing well with 3 of my 5 goals for the year is doing pretty good, considering all of the life changes this year has brought. Making progress toward those 3 goals will hep me be able to focus on the other two, which are goals that pretty much put me first,, for the rest of the year.<br />
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<b>Question for you: What are your goals for the rest of the year?</b></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-18961488556669212292015-10-02T06:00:00.000-04:002015-10-02T06:00:04.147-04:00Friday Five: Favorite Fitness BloggersTo say I've been lacking in the fitness-related posts (or any other type of post, for that matter) lately is an understatement! I have, however, continued to read my favorite fitness blogs while I've been on my maternity leave/getting back in the groove hiatus.<br />
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Today's <a href="http://eatprayrundc.com/friday-five-link/" target="_blank">Friday Five</a> topic is Favorite Fitness Bloggers, so I thought I'd share mine with you! <br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D" http:="" linkup.jpg="" target="”_blank”" uploads="" wp-content="" www.marontherun.com=""><img src="http://www.marontherun.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/DC_linkup.jpg" /></a></div>
While I read many more fitness blogs, I chose these five bloggers because of how awesome they are. They're all so different, too! Hopefully today's post will introduce you to some new fitness bloggers that will also strike a chord with you!<br />
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Julie from <a href="http://www.pbfingers.com/" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Fingers</a><br />
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Julie's blog was one of the first fitness blogs I started reading and ultimately inspired me to start my own! Her commitment to and consistency of working out has always impressed and motivated me. She also posts great workouts that meet a wide variety of needs (treadmill, at home, cardio, lifting, etc.)! Julie just had her first child about 3 months after I did, so I'm hoping that her return to fitness will help me get my butt back to the gym (literally and figuratively!).<br />
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Annette from <a href="http://www.enjoyyourhealthylife.com/" target="_blank">Enjoy Your Healthy Life</a><br />
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Annette is another great influence in my fitness journey, as she is also consistently working out and super positive about it! She is a Les Mills instructor and shares some great reviews of the program releases, which I love reading after taking the classes myself. Another thing I love about Annette's blog is her posts about faith and family. Her faith in God is so evident, and I love that she is a positive light for Him while also sharing about her health and fitness journey. She's also just had a baby (her second), and I've used her blog posts as references quite often while preparing for and dealing with Baby Fish thus far.<br />
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Kathryn from <a href="http://www.dancingtorunning.com/" target="_blank">From Dancing to Running</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dancingtorunning.com/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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Kathryn's blog is a favorite of mine because of her focus on running. What drew me in to her blog is that we were at a very similar running pace. I loved reading about her training, because it was so relatable! Since then, she's done an excellent job of training and increasing her pace, and it's been great proof of what can happen if I were to stay as committed to my training! Fun fact: Kathryn is also pregnant with her first baby and has kept up with her running while pregnant! You go, girl!<br />
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Chelsea from <a href="http://www.chelseaeatstreats.com/" target="_blank">Chelsea Eats Treats</a><br />
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Not all the blogs I read feature new or soon-to-be moms! Chelsea is a 20-something living in DC who does a great job of keeping her fitness routine fun and interesting. She's always trying out new workouts that sound like so much fun. I love reading her reviews of these workouts, as well as seeing how well she balances her healthy living with plenty of fun, as well. Something that makes her blog unique is all the travel she does. I enjoy living vicariously through her travel reviews (and watching how she stays active all over the world, as well!).<br />
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Erika from <a href="http://www.mcmmamaruns.com/" target="_blank">MCM Mama Runs</a><br />
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Erika writes another running blog that I love! Her goal is to run a half marathon in every state, and it's fun watching her meet that goal! I also appreciate her honesty and willingness to admit defeat. Life gets in the way of fitness and running, and I love that Erika shares everything with her readers--the good, the bad, and the ugly.<br />
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I have to say thank you to three other ladies that also have pretty awesome fitness blogs (<a href="http://www.eatprayrundc.com/" target="_blank">Courtney</a>, <a href="http://www.marontherun.com/" target="_blank">Mar</a>, and <a href="http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia</a>) for the Friday Five link-up!<br />
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<b>Question for you: What are your favorite fitness blogs? What do you like about them?</b><br />
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Hope you have a great weekend, everyone! People on the East Coast, please stay safe with all the rain and the possibility of Hurricane Joaquin!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-42538483717807084932015-09-29T06:00:00.000-04:002015-09-29T06:00:02.085-04:00Getting My (Healthy) Groove Back: RunningOver the next few weeks, I'll be doing a series of posts detailing how I'm getting myself back on track health and fitness wise. Between having a baby, moving, school starting, and an injury, I've really fallen off the healthy wagon. I finally feel like I'm back in the groove, so I wanted to share what I've done to get myself to that point.<br />
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Today we're going to talk about getting my (healthy) groove back in the area of.... running!<br />
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Truthfully, I'm not <i>fully</i> back in the running groove. In fact, my last run was a short 2 mile run on August 3rd!<br />
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Why haven't I been running? Well, the big thing hindering me from running lately was falling and spraining my foot back at the beginning of August.<br />
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Honestly, I've <i>wanted</i> to run, but it was painful just to walk from my house to the car to get to work. It was painful to stand and teach. It was painful to walk in my classroom. Shoot, it was painful walking the 30 steps into the baby's room to get her when she'd wake up at night! So, as much as I wanted to run, I knew I needed to take it easy once I got home.<br />
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And take it easy I have. For about a month after my injury, I didn't do much on my feet other than getting around. Around the beginning of September, I was finally able to walk a little more with no pain. I started walking Tequila as far as I could until my foot started hurting. Then, I started walking a little bit further as my foot got better. Two weekends ago, I was able to walk about 2 miles with no pain at all!<br />
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Now, just under 2 months since my injury, I'm finally feeling back to normal enough to attempt a run this week. I'm going to strive for 2 miles, running the first mile then using run/walk intervals during the second. I don't want to re-injure it, so I will be listening to my body to see what I'll be able to do! Slow and steady will certainly win the race here.<br />
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Over the last two months, I've learned a pretty valuable lesson. <b>The quickest way to get back into your running groove after an injury is to <i>rest</i>!</b> If I hadn't taken it easy then slowly worked in more activity, I doubt my foot would feel healed at this point.<br />
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<i>So, what's next?</i><br />
Well, I'm hoping that a run this week will go well enough to sign up for a 5K at the end of October. I also need to begin training for the <a href="http://www.rundisney.com/" target="_blank">runDisney</a> Princess Half Marathon weekend 2016, where I will be running the Glass Slipper Challenge (10K on Saturday, half marathon on Sunday)! Having these goals, as well as my desire to get back out there pounding the pavement, should help keep me on track with scheduled runs!<br />
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(I'm linking up today with <a href="http://www.mcmmamaruns.com/" target="_blank">Erika</a>, <a href="http://www.runthegreatwidesomewhere.com/" target="_blank">April</a>, and <a href="http://www.noguiltlife.com/" target="_blank">Patty</a> for Tuesdays on the Run!)<br />
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<a href="http://mcmmamaruns.com/" title="Tuesdays on the Run"><img alt="Tuesdays on the Run" src="http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/mcmmama/Tuesdays-on-the-run.jpg?t=1405021212" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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<b>Question for you: How do you get back in your running groove after an injury?</b><br />
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Stay tuned for the next installment of Getting My (Healthy) Groove Back series...Healthy Eating!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-35438289020200917252015-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:002015-09-28T06:00:04.322-04:00Meal Plan Monday + Training Log 9/28Hey, guys! Long time, no talk! <br />
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It seems that any time I try to get a post ready, I never wind up actually publishing it for one reason or another. This girl may have a little bit of something to do with that!<br />
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I'm hoping to do a better job of that from here on out. I'll do a catching up post later this week, but for now, let's get in to my normal Monday post: my meal and workout plan for the week!<br />
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<b>Meal/Workout Plan 9/28-10/4</b><br />
<b>Monday</b>-Blackened Tilapia-I found a recipe on the back of the bag of frozen tilapia filets for blackening the fish. This is my favorite way to order fish at a restaurant, so I want to try it out on my own! We'll have fresh field peas (from a local farmer!) on the side.<br />
<b>Tuesday</b>-<a href="https://maeganblinka.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/crockpot-apple-chicken-with-sweet-potatoes/" target="_blank">Crock Pot Apple Chicken and Sweet Potatoes</a>-I keep putting this on the meal plan then never making it. It is happening this week, for sure! I'll probably serve steamed broccoli with it.<br />
<b>Wednesday</b>-out for Mexican food<br />
<b>Thursday</b>-<a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/03/cheeseburger-casserole.html" target="_blank">Cheeseburger Casserole</a>-I actually made this for dinner on Sunday night, but the recipe makes enough for us to make two meals out of it! <br />
<b>Friday-Sunday</b>-meals in Virginia!-we are heading up to my grandparents' houses this weekend for some family time (and a Virginia Tech game), so I look forward to spending time with them!<br />
<b>Workouts</b>-I'm doing the <a href="http://www.teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/piyo-workout" target="_blank">Piyo</a> program, so I'll be following their plan for the workouts. These low-impact workouts seem easy but really are no joke!<br />
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<b>Training Log 9/21-9/27</b><br />
I started following the <a href="http://www.teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/piyo-workout" target="_blank">Piyo</a> program last week. My <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/08/friday-five-catching-up.html" target="_blank">foot is still recovering</a> from the sprain, so a low-impact workout program is perfect for me! Also, these DVDs are about 25-35 minutes long, so I can easily fit them in during Baby Fish's afternoon nap. Let's see how I did with the plan vs. what I actually did:<br />
<u>Monday</u>-Piyo Define: Lower Body<br />
<u>Tuesday</u>-Piyo Define: Upper Body<br />
<u>Wednesday</u>-Piyo Sweat</div>
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<u>Thursday</u>-planned rest day<br />
<u>Friday</u>-<strike>Piyo Define: Lower Body</strike> unplanned rest day<br />
<u>Saturday</u>-<strike>Piyo Define: Upper Body </strike>lazy day<br />
<u>Sunday</u>-Piyo Sweat<br />
Not perfect, but hey, 4 workouts in a week is a drastic improvement from what I've been doing. And I'm striving for progress, not perfection!<br />
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<b>Question for you: What's on your meal plan? What did your workouts look like last week?\</b><br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-26318987943222519222015-09-09T06:00:00.000-04:002015-09-09T06:00:09.476-04:00Baby Fish: 4 Month UpdateBeing behind on blogging means I'm behind on Baby Fish updates! She actually turned 5 months old on Monday, but I've had her 4-month post ready for a while. For my sake, I'm going to publish it today. I want to be able to read these back someday, and missing a month would just be a shame!<br />
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So, without further ado, let's look at how Baby Fish handled her 4th month of life!<br />
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Baby Fish's 4th month of life was another jam-packed month. We started on vacation with my family,<br />
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to enjoying our last few days with me as a stay-at-home mom,<br />
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to starting day care,<br />
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and adjusting to me going back to work.<br />
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She is such a happy, go-with-the-flow, outgoing baby that we are so so blessed with!!<br />
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<b>Measurements</b>:<br />
Height: 25.75 inches (90th percentile)<br />
Weight: 15.2 pounds (75th percentile)<br />
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<b>Eat</b><br />
Eating is still going well for Baby Fish! She is still being breast fed, but also drinks bottles of breast milk while at day care. <br />
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I was so nervous about her eating at day care, since we hadn't gotten her to take more than 2 ounces from a bottle before taking her. I knew that she would eventually drink out of one when she was hungry enough, and now she sucks them down!<br />
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We also do rice cereal once every three days and have gotten the go-ahead for stage 1 baby food at her 4-month appointment!<br />
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She takes the rice cereal much better than before. She actually sucks on the spoon rather than having to dump it in her mouth, so hopefully the same will happen soon with the baby food.<br />
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<b>Sleep</b><br />
She is still a pro-sleeper! She sleeps through the night, and we actually have to wake her up to get her ready for day care during the week!<br />
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She does not take very long naps at day care, which means that she takes about an hour nap in the early evening and is ready for bed early. <br />
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It makes me sad that we don't get to hang out with her as long, but it has led to her falling asleep on me more, which I love!<br />
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<b>Play</b><br />
She finally enjoys tummy time!<br />
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She is able to roll to her tummy now, and I think this independent little girl likes that much better than being turned on her tummy! </div>
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She is starting to reach for toys, and she has so much fun while on the play mat. She's also started grabbing her feet like the "happy baby" yoga pose!</div>
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She's still such a fun little girl, and we have a great time playing with her!</div>
<br />
<b>Baby Fish Likes:</b><br />
-Putting her hands/everything in her mouth<br />
-Tummy time<br />
-Day care<br />
-Snuggling after day care<br />
-Watching TV with daddy<br />
-Napping in bed with us<br />
-Screaming/squealing/babbling<br />
-Trying to do things herself</div>
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-Looking around<br />
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<b>Baby Fish Doesn't Like:</b><br />
-Having a dirty diaper while on her tummy<br />
-Being held in one way for too long<br />
-Being "forced" to do something</div>
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-Being tired</div>
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-Eating a bottle while I'm around </div>
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<br />
Baby girl, you are so much fun and have made me going back to work both really hard and really easy. I miss hanging out with you all day every day, but you having an easy time adjusting has made it easier for me, too. Daddy and I love you more and more each day, as if we ever thought that was possible!</div>
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Previous updates:<br />
<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/07/baby-fish-3-month-update.html" target="_blank">3 Months</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsBuT20vHSDkkeBp2Eg3SKe4a3ql-DTqWCTPzzCSMmyoccQOTnowPJ8EL_Qv74NevY-1InmYSM5p_bPtxsl_6Peraad3ed48Kocl9YplH1Okphl8DVDuCCodDcoiuNzWnSUNKqVBvUqk/s1600/blogger-image--469484299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsBuT20vHSDkkeBp2Eg3SKe4a3ql-DTqWCTPzzCSMmyoccQOTnowPJ8EL_Qv74NevY-1InmYSM5p_bPtxsl_6Peraad3ed48Kocl9YplH1Okphl8DVDuCCodDcoiuNzWnSUNKqVBvUqk/s200/blogger-image--469484299.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/06/baby-fish-2-month-update.html" target="_blank">2 Months</a><br />
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<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/05/baby-fish-1-month-update.html" target="_blank">1 Month</a><br />
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I'll be sharing her 5 month update next week on the blog! Thanks for letting me share this with you. If you can't tell, I love this little girl and love to talk about her :)</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-90299147358392445782015-09-08T18:22:00.001-04:002015-09-08T18:22:33.850-04:00Meal Plan Monday + Training Log 9/7Hey, y'all! Remember me (and Baby Fish)?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQf2W2sTg6FQJSrj1oU3UJfF1HYZV6pYtnwLhW8UGEFbshYpto6vAYvVjwIB-VMz0GhcuvDxuVlGmQtYmaXiEtWmAoiF-KaLtyvW8tuQ4U7JazypDS7Revlgl5s1-asbiAHCIzHb3Rys/s640/blogger-image--719988462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQf2W2sTg6FQJSrj1oU3UJfF1HYZV6pYtnwLhW8UGEFbshYpto6vAYvVjwIB-VMz0GhcuvDxuVlGmQtYmaXiEtWmAoiF-KaLtyvW8tuQ4U7JazypDS7Revlgl5s1-asbiAHCIzHb3Rys/s320/blogger-image--719988462.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I used to blog around here every now and then. I know I mentioned this before, but with all the transitions I've been going through with getting back to work, many things have taken a back seat. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPkEWb9WLrAh3REOgQPEPPaNYuvwBuIVku-NPQ5A1361h3GDe6D4gGMr69mHSmZpaun3DqM2TIGY_vO46KG783jHLBgXaesGm9mzFxfjvzWqrKLv3ss6Pn1-5F-nMFgDnfomV8D2yNg8/s640/blogger-image-2105439751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPkEWb9WLrAh3REOgQPEPPaNYuvwBuIVku-NPQ5A1361h3GDe6D4gGMr69mHSmZpaun3DqM2TIGY_vO46KG783jHLBgXaesGm9mzFxfjvzWqrKLv3ss6Pn1-5F-nMFgDnfomV8D2yNg8/s320/blogger-image-2105439751.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm finally feeling on top of things and in my groove both at home and at work, so I'm going to make more of an effort to come around here more frequently! I don't want to promise a regular posting schedule, since my family and work are going to take precedence. But, I will say that I'm going to come around here more often than once every three weeks :)<br />
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So, since this is my first post of the week, let's just jump right in to what I normally post on Mondays--Meal Plan Monday and my Training Log!<br />
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I have been doing a much better job of meal planning and food prep, and it's made things so much easier around the house. Knowing exactly what we're having for dinner and ensuring that have the ingredients on hand and ready is one less thing I have to worry about!<br />
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Breakfasts will be oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter and a Shakeology shake.</div>
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Lunches will be a quinoa bowl with black beans, salsa, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and half an avocado.</div>
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Here's what dinners will look like:<br />
<u>Monday</u>-<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2013/08/lemon-pepper-chicken.html" target="_blank">Lemon Pepper Chicken</a>-a quick and easy meal, with a side of steamed broccoli!<br />
<u>Tuesday</u>-<a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2013/01/slow-cooker-jambalaya-cardiostrength.html" target="_blank">Crock Pot Jambalaya</a>-This is one of our favorite meals, and the crock pot makes it easy to get to the fitness group I like to go on Tuesday evenings.<br />
<u>Wednesday</u>-out for Mexican-There are great specials at our favorite Mexican place on Wednesdays, so that's our normal Wednesday meal!<br />
<u>Thursday</u>-<a href="http://www.oldhousetonewhome.net/2014/05/grilled-fish-tostadas-21-day-fix-recipe.html" target="_blank">Grilled Fish Tostadas</a>-We made these about a month ago, and they're so good. Easy to make, easy clean-up, and they're healthy.<br />
<u>Friday</u>-Wedding in Philly!-I'm heading to Philadelphia for a wedding, so Friday's dinner will be there celebrating Brynn and Lionel's wedding with a bunch of my friends :)<br />
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<b>Training Log 8/31-9/6</b><br />
I've still been taking it easy following my foot/ankle sprain from 3 weeks ago. I did, however, get in a few light workouts and am feeling good about it!<br />
Monday-rest day<br />
Tuesday-Mommy Fitness Group-walked a mile + arm workout<br />
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Wednesday-rest day<br />
Thursday-0.75 mile walk<br />
Friday-rest day<br />
Saturday-rest day<br />
Sunday-1 mile walk<br />
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I'm hoping that this week, I can start using nap time as a workout time. I have some low-impact at-home workout DVDs that I want to take advantage of while my foot continues to heal. I'm also hoping to get back to running soon, though I still have some recovery ahead of me.<br />
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<b>Question for you: Did you miss me? What's on your meal plan?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-41370017653317971642015-08-26T06:00:00.000-04:002015-08-26T06:00:00.136-04:00WIAW #57: What I've Eaten Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey, strangers! Long time, no see! We have two things to thank for that: <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/08/friday-five-catching-up.html" target="_blank">my foot/ankle sprain</a> has pretty much sidelined me from working out. I've just now been able to go for walks since Monday after about ten days of no activity at all. </div>
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We can also continue to blame my lack of blogging on my transition back into the working world. Real talk: it's tough. I feel like I'm going, going, going all the time at school, and then going, going, going at home. I love it all, of course, but I just need to learn how to balance it all, as well as take some time for myself to relax (or, you know, eat and drink enough water!).</div>
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Hopefully when I find that balance (which will be in no more than two weeks--I'm setting a goal!), I can attend to the blog a little more. I'll post when I can, but just know that home > school > blog right now!</div>
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Let's catch up a little more by looking at what I've been eating lately.</div>
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I'm linking up with other bloggers for <a href="http://peasandcrayons.com/wiaw" target="_blank">What I Ate Wednesday</a>! Thanks, <a href="http://www.peasandcrayons.com/" target="_blank">Jenn</a>, for creating this phenomenon and for the link-up!</div>
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<b>Breakfasts</b></div>
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My breakfasts lately have been two-parters. First, I'll have a bowl of oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter mixed in while feeding Baby Fish. On the way to work, I'll drink Shakeology for some added protein and nutrition to get me through until lunch.</div>
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<b>Lunches</b></div>
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My lunches have been a mix of sandwiches, salads, and leftovers. Basically, whatever I have in the house that's easy to throw together the night before (or quickly in the morning). I also usually have a piece of fruit and baby carrots on the side or as a post-lunch snack. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Afternoon Snacks</b></span></b></div>
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Much to the demise of my healthy eating (and my wallet!), I've been stopping somewhere for a sweet treat in the afternoon. I'll either go by at a local donut shop or coffee shop for a drink and a sweet snack. It's how I've been dealing with my stress, but it's not making me feel good.</div>
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This week, I set a goal to <i>not</i> make this stop in the afternoon, and I've been successful so far this week! I'm eating a Greek yogurt before leaving school, which seems to satisfy the sweet tooth without being too bad for me.</div>
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<b>Dinners</b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fS7D3Ty-IW92ky1DnJx9TaL4Z1A3Iv3-YmSmaNpL6f0nFkccth35zuecJNR5il6JKeh8qBzv_WUBAKKluHwwhineinjMjDBhHc71S8GVfYGFCAIzMkgsP56v9-UPTHcxxyOh9_wcpl0/s640/blogger-image--1747720876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fS7D3Ty-IW92ky1DnJx9TaL4Z1A3Iv3-YmSmaNpL6f0nFkccth35zuecJNR5il6JKeh8qBzv_WUBAKKluHwwhineinjMjDBhHc71S8GVfYGFCAIzMkgsP56v9-UPTHcxxyOh9_wcpl0/s200/blogger-image--1747720876.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8IJUgkxgfDCohhr6KvFGIngR6SD3-bSOgz-uV8KiVmReOktjpV_oJnuB6KTxvArT3wotLK0P6ai7VpiatXCgNrt4mlbtm5ciPsKlmdWfdjtFTdmYezteOZgm-tFfDChdTfjqs2iDJdY/s640/blogger-image--2040811540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8IJUgkxgfDCohhr6KvFGIngR6SD3-bSOgz-uV8KiVmReOktjpV_oJnuB6KTxvArT3wotLK0P6ai7VpiatXCgNrt4mlbtm5ciPsKlmdWfdjtFTdmYezteOZgm-tFfDChdTfjqs2iDJdY/s200/blogger-image--2040811540.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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I've been doing well with meal planning for the last three weeks, which also includes trying some new recipes! Our dinners usually include a lean meat and a vegetable, and I feel like we've had some really healthy meals overall. Meal planning has made the evenings less stressful, since I already know what I'm making and have everything on hand already. Easy peasy--just have to cook!<br />
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So, that's what I've been eating! I know that I need to include a morning snack and make my afternoon snack more healthy. Those are the goals for the next week to get back in to that habit.<br />
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<b>Question for you: What have you eaten lately?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-53721339968449542642015-08-14T06:00:00.000-04:002015-08-14T06:00:08.571-04:00Friday Five: Catching Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, hey, everyone! I've been away from the blog thanks to school starting. It's been a bit of an adjustment to working with a baby AND going back in to the classroom! </div>
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So let's take some time to catch up from the week! Here are five things that have been going on since we talked last:</div>
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<b>1. I injured myself last night.</b></div>
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Starting off on a sad note, I somehow fell walking out of my house and did something to my foot. Fortunately, I don't believe it's broken, but according to my husband and the PT he works with, it's a hematoma. And it's painful. Let me tell you, work today and caring for a 4-month old is going to be interesting with my funny limp!</div>
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<b>2. Monday's dinner was the epitome of fresh seafood!</b></div>
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Joe was at a bachelor party last weekend in Key West, which included some lobstering! He brought 4 lobster tails back, and we cooked them up on Monday night for dinner. They were fresh and delicious!! I love fresh foods, and getting seafood over the summer that was caught ourselves (like scallops last year) is always a great treat for dinner.<br />
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<b>3. I discovered a new donut shop nearby. And it's dangerous.</b><br />
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Y'all, Daylight Donuts is near our house and they have a red velvet donut. It's so, so good. I've gone back two other times to buy them, they're that good! Yum yum!<br />
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<b>4. Baby Fish had her first bite of baby food!</b><br />
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At her 4-month appointment on Monday, the doctor said to go ahead and try stage 1 baby food with her. We decided to try squash first and started it on Wednesday night. She ate a few bites but was over it pretty quickly. Tequila was obviously interested in what we were doing, though!<br />
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<b>5. Going back to work has been fairly simple with a happy baby.</b></div>
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Baby Fish's happy and go-with-the-flow disposition has made the transition back to work relatively easy! It's still quite an adjustment going back to the classroom, having work to bring home, and most importantly, having a child to care for. She's such an easy-going baby that it's made things much easier on me!! She's doing great at day care and really soaks in all the time we have together when we get home. It's going well so far!<br />
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I'm hoping to be back to a more regular posting schedule next week, but we will see! (My baby > my job > the blog in the priorities list) Hope y'all have a good weekend! <br />
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Linking up with Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for Friday Five!<br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-83646684205587923792015-08-05T06:00:00.000-04:002015-08-05T06:00:01.357-04:00WIAW #56: Back to Work/School<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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What, it's Wednesday already?!? That means that the students start back tomorrow! Crazy that my 6th year of teaching is just about to begin! Things have been quite busy for me since pre-planning started last Thursday, and it's quite an adjustment having a baby to come home to now. I love it, though, and will certainly adjust to everything soon!</div>
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(Side note: Why are we starting on a Thursday?? It's really messing with my head!)</div>
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Anyway, let's get on to some What I Ate Wednesday fun!</div>
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I'm linking up with <a href="http://www.peasandcrayons.com/" target="_blank">Jenn</a> to share with you most of my meals from diner on Monday and all of Tuesday! I'm working hard to follow <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/08/meal-plan-monday-training-log-83.html" target="_blank">my meal plan</a> (as well as <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/06/wiaw-54-21-day-fix.html" target="_blank">the 21 Day Fix diet</a>), and so far everything is going well. Check out with other bloggers are eating over at <a href="http://www.peasandcrayons.com/" target="_blank">Peas and Crayons</a>!</div>
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<b>Monday Dinner</b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I just had to share a picture of Monday's dinner because I feel like it turned out rather nice-looking (especially for me)!</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.oldhousetonewhome.net/2014/05/grilled-fish-tostadas-21-day-fix-recipe.html" target="_blank">Grilled fish tostadas</a> were on the menu, and I think they turned out well. Joe seemed to enjoy them, too, so it was a dinner win all around!<br />
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<b>Tuesday Breakfast</b><br />
I followed my meal plan and had a bowl of oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter mixed in. Simple, yet tasty!<br />
21DF containers: 1 yellow, 1 tsp<br />
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<b>Morning Snack</b></div>
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This is a recycled photo, but my morning snack was pineapple Chobani Greek yogurt with some oats mixed in. Another simple snack that was pretty filling</div>
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21DF containers: 1 red, 0.5 yellow, 0.5 purple</div>
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<b>Lunch</b></div>
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I went home for lunch and made myself a salad topped with orange peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I scarfed that down while finished up my dinner preparations in the crock pot, then I ate a fruit cup of pineapple.</div>
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Before I headed back to school, I mixed up my Shakeology with coffee, almond milk, and a little vanilla extract. It was the perfect way to have a "treat" in the afternoon that was actually healthy!<br />
21DF containers: 2 green, 0.5 purple, 1 red<br />
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<b>Afternoon Snack</b><br />
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I left my planned afternoon snack at school, so I grabbed this protein granola bar before heading off to my workout. Not exactly on the meal plan, but it did a good job of holding me over until dinner!</div>
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21DF container: I'm counting it as 1 yellow, 2 tsp</div>
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<b>Dinner</b></div>
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I planned to make stuffed peppers in the crock pot so that I could go to my exercise group without delaying our meal. I followed <a href="http://therecipecritic.com/2014/09/slow-cooker-stuffed-bell-peppers/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, and they turned out great!</div>
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There were also leftovers, so we are good to go for dinner later in the week. Score!</div>
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21 DF containers: 2 green, 2 red, 1 blue, 0.5 yellow (rice mixed in)</div>
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21DF Container Totals: 4/4 green, 4/4 red, 3/3 yellow, 1/3 purple, 1/1 blue, 0/1 orange, 3/4 tsp</div>
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I'm lacking in the purple (fruit), so I'm going to work on that today!</div>
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<b>Workout</b></div>
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I finally was able to attend the mommy fitness group at the park just up the street from our house! We walked a lap on the track, did 2 rounds of a core circuit, walked another lap, then did 2 more rounds of the core exercises. It was a good workout, but it was also a relaxed environment and a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to continuing to attend every Tuesday evening.</div>
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I'm really pleased with my day of eats, as well as the fact that I am staying on my meal plan so far!</div>
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<b>Question for you: Do you meal plan or follow a specific diet?</b></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-27712423243807266332015-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:002015-08-03T06:00:08.540-04:00Meal Plan Monday + Training Log 8/3Hey, everyone! I know it's been a little bit since I've posted, but life just got in the way. I was busy last week enjoying my last few days as a stay-at-home mom before pre-planning started in Thursday!<br />
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My lack of posting (and at times, a lack of a desire to post) got me to thinking about the blog and what to do about it. I've been a little uninterested in blogging lately and think I figured out why!<br />
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I feel as though I've gotten away from my true purpose of starting this blog, which is sharing my pursuit of healthy food, fitness, and faith. So, I did some reflecting and have some ideas for how I'm going to get back to that!<br />
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The first starts today; instead of a weekend recap and training log post every Monday, I'm going to share my meal and workout plan for the coming week and log my training from the previous week. Of course, I will still share some items from our weekends, but I don't want the sole focus of a weekly post to not focus on one of the food, fitness, or faith categories. <br />
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So, let's dive right in to this week's Meal Plan Monday and Training Log!!<br />
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<b>Meal/Workout Plan 8/3-8/9</b><br />
After two failed attempts, I'm planning to fully commit to another round of the 21 Day Fix. I feel like having a more set schedule with work/day care, I know when I can fit in the daily 30-minute workouts and will commit to getting them done. My workout plan is to complete the workouts as prescribed by the 21DF, while adding in 2 mid-week runs and 1 long run on Sunday.<br />
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I also plan to follow the 21DF meal plan and have already prepped my food for the week! Breakfasts will be oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter and a piece of fruit. Lunches will be a salad with varied toppings, or leftovers from dinner. Dinners will look like this:<br />
<u>Monday</u>-<a href="http://www.oldhousetonewhome.net/2014/05/grilled-fish-tostadas-21-day-fix-recipe.html" target="_blank">Grilled Fish Tostadas</a><br />
<u>Tuesday</u>-Stuffed Peppers<br />
<u>Wednesday</u>-<a href="https://maeganblinka.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/crockpot-apple-chicken-with-sweet-potatoes/" target="_blank">Crockpot Apple Chicken with Sweet Potatoes</a><br />
<u>Thursday</u>-Leftovers<br />
<u>Friday</u>-Quinoa bowl with chicken and veggies<br />
<u>Saturday</u>-Takeout<br />
<u>Sunday</u>-Leftovers<br />
I'm looking forward to the new recipes I'll be trying on Monday and Wednesday. They sound delicious and fit in perfectly to the 21DF diet plan!<br />
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<b>Training Log 7/27-8/2</b><br />
This week was not a good one on the workout front. In fact, aside from walks on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they were non-existent! I'm hoping that I'll have a lot more to share in next week's training log.<br />
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<b>Question for you: What's your meal plan for the week? Share a recipe that you're excited to try!</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-83189553040714603772015-07-27T09:20:00.001-04:002015-07-27T09:20:53.012-04:00Last Weekend Before the School Year + Training Log 7/27Good morning! How's your Monday going so far? I decided to take it easy this morning, since I only have three days before having to go back to work. I'm slightly freaking out, but I'm trying to soak in these days with Baby Fish as much as possible.<br />
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That being said, let's jump on in to a recap of this weekend and my training log for the week!<br />
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<b>Friday</b><br />
Joe was off from work, so I'm starting my weekend on Friday :) Baby Fish and I would up sleeping in until 10 am (big deal, y'all!--after a 7am feeding). Joe was already awake when we got up, so the three of us hung around. It's so much fun to have Joe at home and playing with us! We also took care of some chores, including moving all of my teaching stuff into my new classroom.<br />
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Pre-planning for the new school year starts on Thursday of this week, and I wanted to make sure everything was moved in before that started. I was really thankful to have the help, too! <br />
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After a little more hang-out time at home, Joe went down to Gainesville for a friend's birthday. Baby Fish and I decided to spend the evening at home after 10 days of being away for vacation! We just played on the play mat and caught up on the DVR before an early bedtime for both of us!<br />
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<b>Saturday</b><br />
We woke up a little bit earlier on Saturday, but Baby Fish, Tequila, and I took advantage of that by going for a walk! We went about 1.5 miles, and I kept thinking while we walked what a great way that was to start the day.<br />
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The rest of the morning and afternoon was low-key with some play time, nap time, and more DVR-clearing. Joe got back around 6, and we spent the evening watching all of the Sharknado movies. If you haven't seen them...oh my! The movies are quite ridiculous, but it was a fun way to spend our Saturday night.<br />
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<b>Sunday</b><br />
For church on Sunday, we drove up to go with Joe's grandparents. We put Baby Fish in the nursery at church for the first time in preparation of her going to day care later this week. I think it went great fro what the nursery volunteer said. Good stuff! Afterward, we went to lunch and spent some time catching up with Joe's grandparents. It was great to see them, since Baby Fish and I hadn't been up to see them in about a month!<br />
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When we got home, the rest of the day was spent hanging around the house, a short walk in the park, going for a run, and watching some TV in the evening. It was a pretty low-key but fun day all around!<br />
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<b>Training Log 7/20-7/27</b><br />
I'll be honest and say that this week was quite a lazy one on the workout/training front. Despite being a part of a 21 Day Fix challenge group, I've made a lot of excuses to avoid workouts.<br />
Monday-rest/travel day<br />
Tuesday-Upper Fix DVD<br />
Wednesday-lazy day<br />
Thursday-lazy day<br />
Friday-lazy day<br />
Saturday-1.5 mile walk<br />
Sunday-2.25 mile run</div>
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I go back to work on Thursday of this week, so I'm hoping that having a more set schedule will help me schedule in my workouts and actually get them in. <br />
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<b>Question for you: What'd you do this weekend? Have you seen any of the Sharknado movies? What were your workouts like this week?</b></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-1992727275215819672015-07-23T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-23T06:00:02.846-04:00God is like the Ocean...Last week, after a day on the beach, I had a really interesting train of thought while showering off the sunscreen and sand. (I've always done my best thinking while in the shower!) I was reflecting on the day, and thanking God for his beautiful creation by listing things I'd seen on the beach.<br />
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Well, doing so got me thinking: the ocean has <i>so many </i>of the same characteristics as God!</div>
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When I was growing up, I remember my mom posting a list she got in Sunday School of similes for God on the refrigerator, things like "God is like Coke...He's the real thing!" But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the ocean is the <i>perfect</i> simile for God in many, many ways!</div>
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<b>God is like the ocean...we'll never fully understand the depths.</b></div>
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In the same way we'll never experience the full depth of the ocean, we will never fully understand God while we are here on this earth. One thing I think we as humans have trouble with is that God does not reveal everything about Himself to us. It makes us doubt Him and struggle to have faith in Him. The ocean is the same way--we can't see exactly what we're getting in to when we go in. It requires a lot of faith and trust in the unknown. </div>
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God isn't going to reveal His whole self to us. Heck, we might not even fully know Him when we get to Heaven, since even the seraphim cover their faces in the presence of God (Isaiah 6:2)! But, it requires us to trust in Him and take a leap of faith in living a life for Him.</div>
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<i>God also said to Moses, "I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them." </i></div>
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<i>Exodus 6:2-3</i></div>
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<b>God is like the ocean...powerful and mighty!</b></div>
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I think this goes without saying, but the ocean is a very powerful (and dangerous) place! There are strong waves, rip currents, wild animals, etc. that are a lot stronger than we are. When we go in to the ocean, we really do put ourselves in its mercy when it comes to all of those things. In the same way, God is all-powerful, and we are at His mercy in our lives. He gives us free will, but ultimately He has the power to rule over the universe and all of His creation.</div>
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<i>"Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit"</i></div>
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<i>Psalm 147:5</i></div>
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<b>God is like the ocean...full of life.</b></div>
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The ocean is full of animals, so many that we could never count! God brings us life in the same way. Living out His calling on our lives is what will truly fulfill us. Living in Him is what will gives us a full life!</div>
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<i>"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10</i></div>
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<b>God is like the ocean...peaceful and relaxing.</b></div>
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I don't know about you, but I'm at peace when I'm near a body of water! There's nothing quite like sitting on the beach with your feet at the water's edge, listening to the waves come crashing down then recede.</div>
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God is the same way. If you fully rely on Him and rest in Him, He will bring you peace. I am a worrier, but honestly, the times that I have turned a situation over to God to deal with, I have never felt more calm or at peace. Being in Him is hard work, but it really can bring the best relaxation and peace you've ever experienced!</div>
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<i>"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"</i></div>
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<i>John 14:27</i></div>
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Side note: While I was thinking about this, the praise song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_2qG22SPwU" target="_blank">Your Love Never Fails</a>" came to my mind. Well, when we went to church on Sunday, guess what was one of the songs the band played during worship? Yup! "Your Love Never Fails!" I LOVE it when I see evidence of God speaking to me :)</div>
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<b>Question for you: What simile for God can you think of?</b></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992091428408245860.post-69803286383938464262015-07-21T11:20:00.002-04:002015-07-21T11:20:39.457-04:00Tuesdays on the Run: Chiropractic Treatment for RunnersAs you know if you've been reading for a while, <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2015/03/joe-graduation-day.html" target="_blank">my husband just spent 3 years in chiropractic school</a> and is now a practicing chiropractor!<br />
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That's why today's <a href="http://mcmmamaruns.com/tuesday-link-up/" target="_blank">Tuesdays on the Run</a> topic is so important to me--alternative treatments for runners!<br />
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<a href="http://mcmmamaruns.com/" title="Tuesdays on the Run"><img alt="Tuesdays on the Run" src="http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/mcmmama/Tuesdays-on-the-run.jpg?t=1405021212" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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I'm linking up today with <a href="http://www.mcmmamaruns.com/" target="_blank">Erika</a>, <a href="http://www.noguiltlife.com/" target="_blank">Patty</a>, and <a href="http://www.runthegreatwidesomewhere.com/" target="_blank">April</a> to talk about why chiropractic care is so great for runners, especially in treating running injuries!<br />
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<b>Chiropractors treat more than just the spine and neck.</b><br />
There's a saying that chiropractors are "crackin' necks and gettin' checks." Well, until I watched Joe go through chiropractic school, I had no idea that chiropractors can do SO MUCH MORE than that! <br />
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When I started running, I had some pain behind my knee. Joe suggested I go to the student clinic to get checked out. I was skeptical, since I was having <i>knee</i> pain, but I went anyway. If nothing else, I figured I could help one of his friends get in her numbers for graduation at the clinic.<br />
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I shared <a href="http://amycvt.blogspot.com/2013/04/first-chiropractic-experience.html" target="_blank">all about this experience</a> before, so I won't go back through all of it now. Long story short: my knee pain was fixed! Chiropractors have <i>lots</i> of different techniques to use for just about all parts of the body. If you're having an issue in an area of the body, call a chiropractic office and see if they are able to treat those area. Sports chiropractors, in particular, do so much more than just neck and back adjustments!<br />
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<b>There are so many treatments that a chiropractor can do!</b><br />
Chiropractors do so much more than adjustments. For my knee pain, I received the <a href="http://www.grastontechnique.com/" target="_blank">Graston treatment</a>. I've also received the <a href="http://www.activerelease.com/" target="_blank">Active Release Techniques (ART)</a> to help address muscle pain in numerous areas. That's the great thing about chiropractors-there are just so many things they can do. <br />
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<b>Chiropractors find the source of pain and work to correct that.</b><br />
Another issue I've had is IT Band issues. After telling my chiropractor about those, she ran me through a series of exercises and determined that I had some hip instability that caused those issues. She gave me some exercises to do to correct that instability, and I have to say that it REALLY helped! When I do those hip strengthening exercises, I do not have any IT band pain!<br />
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I love that my chiropractor looked for the source of my pain and helped correct that instead of just treat me and send me on my way. It's so important to correct any issues to prevent further injuries, and most chiropractors look to do that. Specifically for runners, correcting these issues can really help with your running form.<br />
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If you are interested in trying chiropractic care, call different doctors and speak with them about what they do. Tell them about your issues or what you're interested in gaining from care, and they will tell you what they will and won't do! Chiropractors are so, so diverse in their practice, so it's important to find the one that's right for you.<br />
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<b>Question for you: Have you ever seen a chiropractor? What forms of alternative medicine have you used?</b>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612710941779840311noreply@blogger.com1