Is it just me, or has there been a huge increase in seat belt commercials?  Who isn’t wearing their seat belt these  days?  I don’t get it.  It’s like that joke about why do we need toilet paper commercials – who doesn’t use this?!

The last few days the Dopey Challenge has been on my mind a lot.  The images range from crossing the finish line of the marathon/last race triumphantly, to recovering in some Pro Compression socks by the pool to an all out melt down around mile 8 of the marathon while cursing the day I signed up for this ridiculous feat.

Hmmm… it’s still months away.  I’m already nervous.  I’m completely screwed.  I realized last night as I was laying in bed I will probably have a freak out each month leading up until the middle of December when it will be happening more often.  I’ve read over a few things about Dopey and some people think it will be tougher than running a 50 mile race because it’s stretched over four days.  So my legs will tighten up and then be expected to move again the next day.  Interesting.

BUT, all of this warped anxiety has had the whole, “MUST TRAIN” effect.  This is a positive.  This was also how I felt about tackling my first half marathon.  I still don’t understand it but I was more nervous for my half marathon than I was for the full.  Maybe because it was my first real long distance race.  Who knows.  I did stick with a training plan for that and ran a nice 2:04, which remains my half PR to this day.  Without even meaning to, I did speed training (with my running mates), long runs and tempo runs.  My training plan for Dopey includes all of this along with some cross training.

I do feel building this foundation is a good set up for training.  Get this, said training plan starts in the middle of June.  This feels absolutely crazy to me but I am also anxious to start.  I want to be on the road with this puppy.  I am thinking this will help calm my nerves when I am actually working on it.  Or I’ll simply be more neurotic than normal!

And some new running gear came in the mail today!  Wahoo!  I ordered a new sports bra (I bought one from a cheaper place and low and behold I bought the wrong one.  Once again, I didn’t follow my own advice!)  I also got a pair of long Rogas from Oiselle.  I found them on sale last week and I am super excited to try them out.  In fact, BOTH packages arrived today and I was so pumped I broke out some robot dance moves.  And then did this:

I could watch this all day

Moving on to a different topic without any type of functional transition… I really enjoy the Hungry Runner Girl’s blog.  I appreciate her upbeat attitude and the times when I have sent her an e-mail her responses were very genuine and kind.  I was reading the other day and realized that at every meal she has some kind of fruit or veggie.  I am all for fruits and veggies but I forget to add them to my meals.

I die… I also need to get some watermelon

I’ve been working on doing this as well.  Breakfast is easy because I am a banana consuming freak.  Lunch I seem to struggle a bit with and might need to start hitting up the cafeteria more so I can utilize their salad bar.  For dinner, I’ve started to work on eating a smaller portion of the main course (or just one serving – I know, the HORROR) and then having some fruit with it too.  It also seems to be easier during the summer and hopefully I can make it a habit.  Exciting stuff people!

I had an early morning meeting and needed to get a few things ready for it.  So, I actually got out of bed and did some burpees, butterfly sit-ups, planks, some other ab thingy and push-ups.  It didn’t take too long but it definitely woke me up further.  I have no idea if this will become a habit but I can see the appeal.  Yesterday was rest from running and coming home from work and not having to think about an impending work out was nice.

This weekend, I completely failed my breasts.  I’m not kidding.  I totally disregarded my advice from Monday.  I ran on Sunday evening at 8:30 pm when it had finally cooled to a nice breezy 83*.  I had been rearranging my furniture all day and I didn’t feel like changing from my older/slightly too small sports bra and didn’t think it would be that much of an issue for a short run.  Oh silly, silly Amy!  Once again, HEED MY ADVICE!  I did get the run finished though, despite the heat (and chaffing).  I was also wearing the white t-shirt that I had on all day and by the end of the run, it was a disaster.  My vacuum cleaner exploded a bit earlier in the day, moving the furniture, an unfortunate incident with a very squirty orange and then the run.  I probably should simply burn the shirt!

yep… this is how it went

Other than that, I rested up on Saturday.  I got 4 runs in this past week!  I am very proud of myself.  My “getting my sh*# together” plan is working!  The apt overhaul is also underway.  I moved all of the furniture around yesterday and I’ve created some distinguished living spaces.  I now have a living room that is separated from the kitchen by my couch and a shelf (acting as a couch table).  There are a few tight-ish traffic spots but overall, it really adds to the illusion of space.  Pics coming soon!

There is still more to do.  Organizing, throwing away, giving away and selling some of my stuff.  A friend is helping with the selling part so all I have to do is take pictures and she will take care of the rest.  Funny enough, I can now see the changes coming together so it doesn’t feel as daunting and I am more interested in putting forth the effort.  Thankfully, when I moved everything around, it ended up looking like the image in my head – YAY!  Midway through, I was thinking I was going to have to move everything back or it wasn’t going to fit.  Needless to say, I did a little jig!

Oh my gosh… I’m a bit gif crazy – see ya later alligator

After last week’s rant, I realized I have a giant opinion on running with bigger breasts.  I also realized I might have some decent information to pass along to other women who are trying to figure out how to “lock and load” and run with a little less, ahem… bounce in their steps.  Here are my rules and advice for running with a larger chest.

1)  Buy a good running bra:  I cannot emphasis this enough.  Go to a running store and ask for some suggestions.  Swallow the embarrassment and find out from a salesperson which ones are best sellers or get positive reviews from other runners.  Then grab a giant handful.  Yes, you will need to try several on so give yourself some time.  I always grab the band size that I wear in an everyday bra along with one size bigger.  Then I also pick up a cup size smaller than what I wear in an everyday bra along with the same size and even one size bigger.  I take different brands and styles.  See what I mean?  This process takes some time.

this is the racer back moving comfort bra – I really like it

2)  Try these babies out!  In the dressing room, jump up and down, run in place, bend over – whatever you need to do to attempt seeing how this bra will perform.  And face the mirror.  It’s important to evaluate how much bounce is happening and if when you are jumping your breasts are spilling out the top or if there is too much jiggle.

3)  Small, medium and large are not sizes!  The best bras for larger chests will be an actual cup size.  I used to attempt to get the ones in a small/medium/large and I realized quickly these were not very supportive.  They also have bras that are “uni-boob” style, more individual cups and underwire/no underwire.  I have asked which are better and again it comes down to fit and what you prefer.  At this point, I really like the “uni-boob” style because it feels like I am more supported and compressed.

4) Fit is important!  Moving Comfort has a great guide to a better fitting sports bra.  They give solid tips and even say it isn’t their brand that fits best, no worries.  Find the right bra for YOU.  Two of the tips I found most important were: A) if the bra band slips/sits high on your back (in an arc) then the band is TOO LOOSE.  B) if you are spilling out the top or the sides the cup size is too small.

5)  Be prepared to drop some cash.  I agree it’s a bit unfair… the sports bra industry has us over a barrel.  We need the support and we are going to pay for it.  However, I consider it an investment.  I want to support my chest/body.  Also, there is a lot of design and engineering that goes into creating these bras so I am willing (although at times begrudgingly) to pay for it.

6)  Tank tops with a built-in bra are not for us!  Okay, they are for us but not by themselves – we still need a sports bra.  I do like the added support of a built-in bra but I have seen women running in JUST this that really need added support.

7)  I haven’t found Target, Old Navy to be very supportive.  I know this is annoying because it’s easy to pick these up but they just don’t have all of the bells and whistles necessary for good support IMHO.

8)  Bodyglide is your friend!  Let’s face it – when you are bigger busted, your boobs can rub together or underneath and this chaffing is very rude.  I do think separating sports bras probably help with this and might be something I look into in the future.  But I don’t think this will ever take the place of anti-chaff cream so I am a Bodyglide woman.

yep, it happened more than once

9)  If you don’t pay attention to fit or are wearing a size too small or too big bad things can happen.

this was horrifying

Trust me – I yelped so loud in the shower, I am surprised my family didn’t hear me in WA.  The thing is, I didn’t even feel this happening when I was running.  And I didn’t pay attention to #1 on the list and was just too embarrassed to buy a bigger cup size bra so I wore one that I still sort of fit into.  Big mistake.  Diaper rash creams and Bodyglide were two of the best solutions I found to healing the above nastiness.  Neosporin did not work for me – it seemed to keep it too wet.  Also, it took a few days before I could even wear a real bra so learn this lesson through my mistake!!

10)  Fluctuating even 7-10lbs can put you in a different size.  I did not realize this hence the unfortunate incident above.  If it fits it must be okay!  Well this mindset is simply not true.  I read this somewhere and when I got the bigger size I was shocked to see how much better it felt and supported me on the run.

11)  Punch people in the face – Yep, people are going to honk their horn, drive by you slower (creepers), or heckle you while you are running.  Why?  Well, I have no idea why they think is appropriate – maybe they think of it as a compliment?  I don’t have a solution for this one except carry on with your run and try to ignore it.  Or get a BIG dog.  I plan on doing this someday.  And I will teach it commands in German because this sounds scary even if I am telling the dog to run up and give the mean person a kiss!

12)  Smaller chested women still need a sports bra!  Granted, I don’t know as much on this subject however, I do have eyes and all too often I see women not wearing a sports bra at all or not wearing one that seems to be helping.  Hello!  Think of your body!  Think of your future body!  I’ve heard GREAT things about the “Handful” bra and this is where Target/Old Navy ones might be possible.  But plenty of the big name running folks have good sports bras as well.  Invest!

original handful bra

13)  I don’t put any of my bras in the dryer – I air dry all of my sports bras (and regular ones) and make sure I don’t add fabric softener to these loads.  The fabric softener makes them less sweat absorbent/wicking.  Also, I usually only wear a sports bra twice – sometimes less if I am super sweaty – before I wash them.

14)  Once you find the right bra for you, you can look for a cheaper source – since I know which sports bras work well for me, I can order them from Running Warehouse and pay a lot less money for them.  Or Moving Comfort (and other brands) will have super sales where I stock up.  HOWEVER!  If #10 is even a possibility DON’T stock up!  I went ahead and bought a different style of bra because they were on sale and thought this was why I had horrible chaffing.  Turns out it I was wearing the wrong size.  Bummer.  Now, I have bras for when my chest shrinks a bit but until then they are sitting on the shelf.

Those might be all the tips I have right now.  If you made it through this whole post, Congrats!  Honestly, as a female, I think it’s really important to take care of our breasts.  There are a bunch of science-y articles that talk about mass, force and all of the physics about the impact of running on our breasts.  And I know there are better articles out there on finding the best sports bra but this is a decent list, if I do say so myself!

1.  I saw this on pinterest

“Amy, what the heck is THIS?!”  Well, it’s a deceased bird that has been hollowed out, stuffed by a taxidermist and then used as a jewelery holder.  You know, because this is natural and not serial killer-ish at all.

2.  I traveled far and wide to an IKEA and Trader Joe’s on Monday with a great friend.  We had such a wonderful time!  We spent 5 hours in IKEA and sat in every couch, chair, love seat – whatever, you can possibly imagine.  We also filled her car to the brim.  It was a really good day filled with fun, good conversation and good shopping.  Another smart move was I made a list ahead of time so I didn’t impulse buy – big deal for this gal.

add shopping to this and it’s even more rejuvenating

3.  Oiselle is having a sale.  20% off all of their sale items.  I’ve wanted to try their long Roga shorts for a while because legend has it they don’t ride up.  Shorts that ride up drive me over the edge so these are appealing to me.  They should be shipped soon and then I will report back!

4.  I found this nifty article on pinterest from Runner’s World as well

The 25 Golden Rules of Running
While these may not be groundbreaking, I love reading about running.  Not to mention, many of these are great reminders.

5.  Speaking of reading about running, I bought the book, Timeless Running Wisdom the other day.  I went to our local running store, Gazelle Sports looking for a giftie for a friend.  Of course as is my style, I bought myself something too!!  The book was on sale so that’s a plus.  Oh and for my friend, I got him a Tiger Tail – he has started a training program and this puppy has brought me much relief.

it even has 5 stars on amazon

6.  I ran on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday so far this week.  This is the most I have run in months.  And I am not doing that blogger thing where it sounds dramatic but we all know it isn’t true.  Nope, this is the truth.  I’ve kept them all around 2.5 or 3 miles and am concentrating on building my foundation.  I also haven’t been wearing my garmin.  I don’t want to get caught up in “oh my paces are slow – woe is me”.  When I first started running I didn’t even know garmins existed and I did fine.  When Dopey training starts in a few weeks I will certainly wear it but until then I’m going “naked”.

7.  A dear friend – well, she is more like family, posted this on facebook and I love it

8.  My new favorite meal is two scrambled eggs, a baked potato all topped with cheese.  Oh my goodness!  This is so tasty!  I had it for 6 days in a row and the only reason I didn’t eat it Friday was because I didn’t have enough time.  I’ve been eating it for lunch (I eat a little later in the day) and it keeps me full for hours.

9.  Speaking of food obsessions, Chobani has some new flavors of their Flip yogurt line.  Today I had the peach flavored yogurt with dark chocolate bits and pistachios.  YUM!  I was a bit hesitant because I wasn’t sure how the chocolate would blend with the peach flavor but I shouldn’t have worried.  They also have a fiber rich blueberry with walnuts and flax seeds that I hadn’t seen before.  One of my co-workers bought the coconut, dark chocolate and almond flavor because I won’t shut up about how good it is.  She ate it today and then we spent at least 5 minutes talking about how fabulous it is – and filling!  Chobani – you should hire me, I’m totally kicking up the sales here in Kalamazoo!

oh my goodness – I didn’t know this flavor existed! must.find.soon.

10.  A friend also sent me this gif – it cracks me up

love it!

11.  SkinnyRunner had a really informative post the other day about race fuel.  She mentioned the next day that in the comments were also some solid ideas so if you are looking for fuel ideas I suggest checking it out.  One idea she shared is make a pb&j sandwich and cut it up in small pieces for easy access while running.  In both marathons this year, I was STARVING around mile 16 or 17.  I had gels, which I took but I was still really hungry.  Other ideas you all may have on fueling?

12.  Pro Compression has a sweet deal!  40% off of all socks with a $60 minimum after purchase (after discount).  The code is MAY1 – I am going to order two pairs of socks and a set of sleeves, all in purple.  Epilepsy awareness!  I’ll be wearing these during the DopeyChallenge.  These are my favorite compression socks because they aren’t too short (length wise) on my feet.  My brother-in-law loves his.  He is a crossfit coach and uses them for recovery often.

13.  Do any of you watch New Girl?  Seriously, Nick Miller can KISS!  Oh my!  Everyone deserves to be kissed like this!

there was another amazing kiss this past week but no pics… yet

14.  Have any of you seen the ProActive commercial where it shows people trying all of the home remedies that you see on pinterest?  It’s actually fairly humorous (it’s not on youtube – sorry!).  The thing is, I DO want to try some of the home remedies I’ve seen on there!

15.  I had a brilliant realization the other day… I should hydrate during the day BEFORE I go for a run!  Sometimes my brilliance cannot be stopped.  Since staying hydrated can also ward off migraines, I am have increased my water consumption and also adding Nuun to one bottle of water a day.  Yesterday I did this and I was able to control a pending headache all day without meds.  Today I didn’t do this and the headache made progress.  It is crazy how much dehydration can effect your body not to mention your performance.  Here is an informative article

BONUS!  I just got a kick out of this!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

But running is a damn good way of dealing with it.  Especially since I originally attempted to deal with it by eating two handfuls of Trader Joe’s deliciousness and it just didn’t work.  Pity, since eating these was a lot more fun then hauling my ass around in the heat.

they have a golden wrapper because they are so amazing and only gold is strong enough to contain them

Anyway, here are my list of gripes:

1.  My boobs and bum are a size bigger than they used to be… there is a whole lot of jiggling and bouncing going on and it’s embarrassing.  It makes me very self-conscious.

2.  I’m slow as molasses right now.  And huffing and puffing just to get through a few miles.  Boo.  I knew getting back in shape would be tough and clawing my way back from a mental “injury” is hard because there is nothing physically wrong with me.  So then I just turn on the internal angry monologue…

3.  I went on a date last week and it didn’t go as well as I had hoped.  Or rather there wasn’t that “spark”.  Then I felt badly because I knew I was comparing him to a couple of other guys I’ve dated and that isn’t fair.  But still… WHERE IS HE ALREADY?!

4.  I had some epilepsy issues last Friday.  I hate this.

I saw this yesterday and decided to embrace this philosophy

Sorry for the language but seriously, there is nothing I can do about the above except keep pushing forward.  My boobs and bum are only going to get smaller if I keep running.  Same thing with getting back in shape and getting faster.  As far as the dudes/dating world… well, I don’t have an answer for that one.  Apparently, I am going to end up alone with 10 cats who are going to eat my face off when I die in my apt and no one knows.  Maybe I should start collecting the cats now.

yep, this is how it will start

I did call my doctor after much prodding from my dear friends.  I was hoping it would just go away on its own (denial at it’s finest).  Turns out my doctor thinks it’s more related to my migraines so this is a plus.  I do have to stay on some old meds for a few more weeks (or possibly long-term) but if it means not having dizzy spells then I will adjust.

I told you there was whining ahead!  When I got back from the run I did feel better.  Maybe not completely soul-cleansing but I was a lot less hateful, which does everybody good – including me.  And I had an epiphany about how to arrange my apt in between feeling sorry for myself so there’s that, too.

Oh and then I got mad at Mary Poppins.  Because you know, this is completely normal.  Seriously though – I snap my fingers all the time and the mess stays put!  What happened to jumping back to its rightful place?!  And what about this spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down business?!  When I was transitioning these last two and half months, I stuffed myself with sugar and guess what?  It didn’t help!  Lies, Mary Friggin’ Poppins, LIES!

ADDED:  This afternoon I had a meeting and it was highly entertaining.  I laughed… a lot.  It helped with my stabbiness attitude, too!

So, I know this is where I get it – the ability to see the big picture but not always so good at getting it accomplished.  Whatever.  That’s what baby steps are for.  Here is what “operation get my sh*t together” looks like.

1.  Get my car fixed – DONE!  Haha, yes, I made this number one so I could mark it off!  I am thrilled to have my wheels back.  FREEDOM!  Not to mention, caring about my car – the poor thing needed some love and attention.

bug play date

2.  Turn my health around – Thankfully, I am feeling better everyday from the whole med switch debacle.  Holy cannoli, did that ever suck.  But now that I only have two more days (YAY!!  TWO MORE DAYS) of the old meds and no more additions, I am ready to embrace good health – emotional and physical!  Get this, I am even starting to feel better from the icky cold/cough!  During the weekend I made a plan(!) of how to do this.  Here is the secret ingredient – I am just going to.  I knew sitting on my arse would become more of a habit as the time went on and this is exactly what has happened.  It’s time to get back into shape and enjoy some endorphins.  It’s time to feel good about myself again.  So, one action step I’m taking is I am not allowing myself to turn on the tv until after 7 pm.  Not to mention, now I KNOW just how bad I could feel and recognize how GOOD I actually do feel.  Time to take advantage of good health while I have it!

3.  Revamp my apt – new furniture pick up is TODAY!  Wahooo!!  I am really excited.

4.  Embracing the positive – once again, my recent negativity is linked to #2.  However, negative thinking is also habitual and I need to retrain my brain a bit to see and pay attention to the positive.  I’m certainly ready to embrace a kinder inner monologue!

5.  Blogging – this puppy needs some TLC as well!  I’ve added a couple of headings – the epilepsy one as well as some contact info.  I couldn’t remember how to do this so it took me ages to figure it out again!  I’m currently working on one for my apt makeover since I love it when other people do this.  I am constantly looking for ways to decorate a small space so maybe it will  benefit others.  Not to mention, my posts have been pushed off now and I’ve missed this outlet.  And my bloggy friends!

There go!  None of these are really overwhelming goals or anything but they are avenues of taking control of my life rather than feeling so reactive to things.

With that in mind, I’ve made yet another adult decision:  I’m dropping down from the 25k this upcoming weekend, to the 10k.  It’s a smart move for me.  I could probably gut out the 15 miles but then I would be in recovery mode for a couple of weeks since I’m not ready for the distance.  I would risk possible injury.  I would feel down on myself for not properly training.  I wouldn’t be happy with my time.  The list continues.  But a 10k is managable for me and even though it won’t be my speediest, it will be fun.  And I will be able to walk afterward.

With this in mind, I am thinking about the Dopey training plan now.  I know – who am I?!  But some of the training plans I have seen get up and running (ugh, what a terrible pun!) in July so it’s not too far away.  Then I found a training plan that is 30 weeks long.

Whew!  I found this training plan on RunningDownaDream23′sBlog.  Here it is:

http://runningdownadream23.com/2013/04/12/dopey-challenge-novice-training-program/

There is also a intermediate version but it contains significant more mileage and I am not sure I am ready to take that on in the next few months.  I’ve linked it here in case you want to view it.  There are special instructions that I did not copy and paste here so please know, there is more information.

What I like about this one is the cross-training but still builds in a lot of miles.  I also like how this would feel more like an actual lifestyle rather than a training plan.  Does that make sense?  Maybe I am fooling myself but as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fan of denial.

I doubt my journey will be this idealistic but one can dream!

Not to mention, I swore I would never be as ill-prepared as I was for the Disney World marathon.  And guess what?  I haven’t been – you know why?  I haven’t raced since then!  Not on purpose mind you, but now I’ve noticed I’m gun-shy.  It’s easier for me to think of a reason not to race rather than to race.  I want to reverse this mindset!  Which means getting my arse out there.  I have no idea if I can follow a training plan but I am going to try my best.  Naturally, I’ll keep you posted!

1.  My car is FIXED!

Yes, this is exactly how I feel!  I started to feel pretty trapped being immobile and having to depend on others for a ride.  Don’t get me wrong – my friends were very kind but I was feeling very mooch-like.  Now I shall own this city in my wee little bug!

2.  Last week I went to Target to find my favorite Chobani yogurt – the one I am obsessed with.  Unfortunately, some other folks beat me to it and they were all sold out.  My heart hurt a little.  Now that my car is fixed I will search the city until I am triumphant!

3.  Considering my recent blog post and several tweets, it seems that my obsession with yogurt was much easier to cultivate than my obsession with running.

4.  I am going to buy this medal hanger

it’s from etsy but currently sold out – boo!

5.  My dear Grandma sent me a box last week!  There was this adorable pillow and clock.  The clock is a pinky-orange and is JUST the thing to spark my color revolution in my apt!

6.  Then I found these new curtains!  Wahoo!

7.  Craigslist… Anyone a fan?  I can’t tell if I am or not.  I found a really cute couch and chaise (two separate pieces) that look almost new.  But then I wondered – will I get murdered?  Bed bugs?  My awesome friend Kara has a couch for me to purchase so if the other falls through I will be going this route.  I am very grateful to have friends that don’t have bed bugs and won’t murder me.  Thankfully, when I went to look at the above couch and chaise I was neither murdered nor did I contract bed bugs.  And I bought the furniture!  I am such an adult!

8.  Still sickly but I think I am on the mend.  I can’t seem to kick the  fever though.  I was supposed to run a 1/2 this weekend but since I barely walk from my office to my apt without wheezing I decided against it.  I know, another adult decision.

9.  This makes me laugh much harder than it should.  But I can’t help it!

10.  Since I’ve perused craigslist quite a bit as well as a local “trade/sell” page on facebook, I’ve realized it’s time I sell some of my stuff.  I mean, I have an extra table in storage, a king size down comforter that is brand new (I bought the wrong size), a pair of shoes I’ve never worn, a pair of boots I’ve barely worn – the list continues.  I’m also going to sell my current kitchen table (I think).  I’ve been warming to the idea for the last few days and this weekend I’m starting to put it into action.

11.  Yesterday when I took my car in I was a bit hopped up on cold medicine.  Not the best choice… this was illustrated further when I ran over a decorative log at the car fix-it place.  Why yes, this was embarrassing.

12.  I hope I have a kid like this someday

13.  My dear friend brought me flowers during my sicky days!

14.  I am going to attempt these… they are some exercises to get rid of “saddlebags”

15.

can’t hurt, right?

I know, too cute right?

My head splitting in two and a cough has made for a rough few days but I’m keeping my chin up – painkillers help with this.  Just wanted to check in and share this cutey sloth and the below humor

get it together babies!

Here is my yogurt story…

Remember when I did that really silly “detox”?  I never wrote up my review of it because it was a ridiculous thing to do.  I regret it.  It was really bad for me (people kept asking me if I was okay because I was so out of it) and clearly, my body required more fuel to function.  Anyway, on the yogurt day I ran out to grab some and bought a store brand – Spartan, if anyone lives near a place that sells it.  Wow!  I was really impressed!  Calorie count is about average – 100 calories per cup.

hmmm – just a slight obsession

That’s not the notable part though.  It is grade A TASTY!  It’s very smooth and has great flavor.  My favorite is the Boston Creme Pie.  Yep, a match made in the heavens for this woman!

Next, I was trolling through Target before the cleanse disaster and came upon a Chobani flavor – vanilla with chocolate chunks.  It’s geared toward kids (or at least the packaging seems like it) but I’m a fan of chocolate and thought I would try it.  YUM!  I typically save it for some kind of dessert and put in a few more chocolate chips to up the ratio.  This is always a good decision.  And considering I get the munchies like mad in the evenings, this is a solid/filling solution for me.

Then last week I found it

I may have to personally lobby to have this on all the shelves in America!

You can’t hear it but there is a chorus of unicorns and babies singing for this yogurt.  Chobani again (no, they haven’t asked me to review – these opinions are based on the fact that I want you to try this business!) comes through.  This one is coconut yogurt and then a little cup of toasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks to mix in it.  All kidding aside, I am wild about these flavors.  I really appreciate the taste and actually it is decently filling.  I had one about an hour before a run – I had brunch earlier so this was sort of lunch, and I didn’t notice being hungry until mile 4.5.  I am mildly concerned because I found it on sale for a $1 at Target but haven’t found it at any other stores.  I am really hoping they aren’t phasing it out – I would be upset!  If they do, then maybe Chobani can just make a coconut flavored yogurt?

The other kind of yogurt isn’t really worth noting except to say it’s in there chillin’ (I know, a really horrible pun!).  I have a vanilla greek yogurt for baking purposes.  I definitely go through food obsessions, as I am sure you can tell, and yogurt is #1 on the list right now.

Onto running!

I know, you are probably surprised!  So in just a little under two weeks I have a 1/2 marathon.  The week after that I have a 25k.  Yesterday I realized the furthest I have consistently ran in the last  two months is 4.5 (ish) miles.  Remember how I swore I was going to make running my obsession?  Well, turns out when you are spending as much time as possible in giant sweats, it’s hard to develop an obsession that requires movement.  So Sunday I hit the pavement.

I played a mind game by first going to the track and doing two miles and then heading out to my normal 4 mile loop.  This was quite handy and I shall employ further mind games with myself in future training!  6 miles later two thoughts were loud and clear:

1.  Hmmm… I’m tired… and a bit sore

2.  Heck, if I can do 6, I can do 13!!!!

A runner friend and I were talking about how lackluster our training has been.  He is running the same race I am in two weeks and he picked his running back up on Saturday.  We commiserated about how dumb we are but then assured each other that we can totally do it. <—- false confidence is a cornerstone of our running!

The run was some good head-clearing time though.  First of all, it was an absolutely beautiful day outside – quintessential spring!  Second, a bit of a mid-mid life crisis hit me this weekend.  While those feelings haven’t gone away (and really aren’t anything new as of late), after I got out of my apartment, got some fresh air and a few endorphins those feelings felt more manageable.

Lastly, I got a card from dad in the mail yesterday.  I’m not going to go into a lot of sappy detail but it was an amazing boost!  Thanks Dad!!!