changes

Well there has been a lot of changes. Last time I updated I was still training for my half marathon, went to a wedding, Vegas and camped.

Well my half marathon went terribly (for me at least). When I was training, I was running under 9 minutes miles even on my really long runs. For the half marathon, I averaged almost 12 minutes miles. Why you ask? well, first off, it was freezing cold that morning. I don't think my body was used to running in the cold like that. Secondly, the terrain that I was running on was much different than what I was training on. I trained on pretty much small gravel and dirt roads with the occasional paved road. The terrain for the half was on larger gravel and paved roads which I think affected my ankles/calves. Thirdly, I drank poweraid and water at the stations and I normally don't/can't drink anything while running because it makes me sick. Honestly, I was doing great until mile 9 and then it went downhill....FAST. I was running my 9 minute miles and was feeling good and strong. Then something happened after mile 9. My legs just no longer wanted to run or move. It was an uphill battle from mile 9 to the finish line. At one point, I even thought about quitting but I knew I just had to finish and I couldn't stop. The worst part for me was literally being passed by all those people I had passed during the first 9 miles. After I pushed through the finish line sprinting (literally the last effort I could muster), I collapsed on the other side & immediately started stretching while my friend Kate cheered me on and took pictures of me.

I then had to drive 30 minutes home and when I got home, my legs were so tired, I could barely walk to the door. I actually hoped that Bella would break out of her kennel and come and carry me off to bed haha.

Next up, I announced I'm moving back to Portland. I plan on finishing up my degree while working a part time job. Not really sure what will happen with my life, but I am A-OK with that! My last day at work is the 29th and I will be heading out on my adventure around the 1st or 2nd.


Then I leave for New York on the 8th to visit this guy:

That's Kevin (if you don't know). He has been my constant best guy friend since high school. He's been there for me through it all!
Then from new york, i'll fly to Ohio to visit my moms side of the family and my sister. I cannot wait! After hanging out in Ohio for a couple of days, sissy and I will drive to Florida to visit my grandma (dad's mom) and go to Disney World. Lordy I love Disney World, even if it costs me an arm and a leg to get in. Then we will drive back after a couple of days and I will fly back to Portland on October 2nd.

Then possibly a trip to Vegas! Yes, another trip to Vegas. I swear, I've gone to Vegas in the past year than most people ever will in their whole lives. My bestie Jenn and her BF will be celebrating his bday there!

Hopefully, at some point, I'll find a job and get back to school! Right now, my main goal is to enjoy my life back in Portland and get back on track with my life there.

While I'm extremely sad to say good bye to this Alaskan Adventure, I know that my time here was not wasted or unused.

over and out,
Nic

A little of this and a little of that

Well, half marathon training has been going pretty smoothly. I've found that I can't do what is  EXACTLY on the schedule I posted, but I do re-arrange and make the most workouts possible I can. and some days, I just need to be a lazy bum. Like last Sunday when I was supposed to run 8 miles. I think I was only awake for 5 hours of my day and it was glllorrrrious! So needless to say, running was just not going to happen that day and I was totally okay with that. I'll just be skipping right along to those 9 miles I'm supposed to do this Sunday. Other things have gotten in the way of training, like this:

Kate & Stefan's Wedding

 

Going to and dancing my booty off in vegas (hey dancing is a work out!). I'd do a whole post on Vegas, but you know what they say, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" :)

and rafting/camping with my little family

Would I give up any of those moments for a stupid run? absolutely not! With all this running I've been doing, I've had plenty of time to reflect on my life and where its heading. Should be interesting :) Anyways, just wanted to check in and give a quick update. I've found I actually enjoy longer runs than shorter ones. My life is consumed by the almighty school and learning. Trying to keep up on my domestic life (hello dog hair tufts that have been floating around the floors for a day *okay I lied, it had been a week since I swept* & dirty dishes in the sink). Attempting to hang out with old friends while making new friends *why did it take two years to get my own group of friends?! WHY?* Well that's the life update as of current! I'm off work to go be LAZY! aka water my garden, play with the dog, maybe make raspberry jam, pick fireweed for jelly and make dinner :)

Hugs & Luvs,

Nic

13.1 miles

Since I can remember, I've always wanted to run a marathon. I mean, its just kinda plain bad ass to run 26.2 miles! plus, can we talk about the will power to make yourself run that many miles?! Its absolutely crazy. And since I'm not quite crazy enough (yet) to do a full marathon. I'm starting to train for my first half with the thought that if I don't die doing a half, I can do a full marathon!

totally need this shirt while I run!

I've never been a big long distance runner so this will be interesting for me. I think the farthest i've ever ran was 6 miles so i'll have to double that plus a little to get to my half marathon finish line. Normally, I have time goals I want to meet if I am doing a race, but for this half, I just want to finish and do the best I can! So far, I'm on week two of my schedule and I've only missed one work out and that was because I was extremely hung over and was only awake for 5 hours of my day. can we say c-l-a-s-s-y? I ran 4 miles on Sunday and I felt pretty good for most of it, except for at almost mile 2, I was on a path and there was apparently bees. And of course my luck, they followed poor Bella and I for the rest of the 2 miles home. I thought I could out smart the bees and run as fast as I could and they would get lost in my dust...yea that did not happen. They happily floated around Bella and I as if my speed was no big deal. I was sprinting so hard that I started gagging and had to walk while feeling like at any moment I was going to get stung. Not to mention, I probably looked like a crazy person to anyone driving by. I was swatting, flinching, sprinting/walking, tripping over myself and bella while cars were driving by. Yikes!

Anyways, upon further ado, here is my training schedule:

I made some adjustments for when I will be in Vegas and I know I'll make a couple more adjustments along the way. Its just something for me to work off of and that I have a "schedule".

and I just found this plain funny. This is much more "me" than running a half marathon. What can I say? I love me some cupcakes!!!

Hugs & Luvs,

Nicki

Lust & Love

All of the things im currently lusting over!

 Love the gold!

Gold Bracelet

 more gold and oh so pretty red

Red Bracelet

 Seriously NEED this one. I'm still accepting late birthday presents :)

Bangle

 I bought these with my parents birthday money (by the way, shipping cost me my first born child) and they were too big so I returned them for a smaller size. I just got an email saying they are out of my size in that color :( and I can choose a new pair. BOOO i want these ones

Fuchsia Toms

 Since my fuchsia loves are not available in my size, I wanted these. No such luck again. TOMS, you are really starting to get on my nerves. I got a purple pair which are cute, just not as cute as these two!!

Herringbone TOMS

Here is my list of loving it items:


Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub
Love this stuff! I just keep it in the shower and scrub my face with it every other day. It smells like christmas on my face. and my face is baby butt smooth afterwards.Those two things alone make me love this!


Alba Gardenia Conditioner
Random note: Gardenia is my favorite scent. This is so amazing. Why not have your hair smell like gardenia?! plus it makes my hair super soft.

 

Alba Passion Fruit Body Wash

I must smell like a hawaii after all the fragrant stuff I use in the shower. This smells so good! Not a huge lather type of body wash, but it gets me so fresh and so clean clean.

TOMS  Stitch Out

These are the ones I got after both the previous wants were sold out. I have to admit, I love them so. They are definitely worth the hype. Plus I feel good spending a retarded amount of money on the shipping because a child in need got a free pair of shoes out of the deal :)

And thats pretty much all folks! Lusts & Loves. I'll be posting in a couple of days about my training schedule for, wait get this, a half marathon! yes i did just say that :)

hugs & luvs

Nicki

Have you seen my motivation?

The past couple of months, i've just felt off. Not in a horrible medical way or I'm super depressed kind of way. Just that I can't seem to find the motivation to get everything done and that maybe I'm kinda lazy (true story!). I read a running blog (http://devonrunning.tumblr.com/) when I have nothing to do at work and this chick makes me look like a lazy bum. Seriously, she means business! I read one of her posts about all of the things she did in a day and afterwards I felt very inadequate and lazy. Granted, her life is fairly different from mine. I'm trying to balance work, school, being a good gf, being a good friend and trying to please myself. It's not like I go home from work and sit on the couch for the rest of the night. I go home and do more work and I don't ever feel like I'm ahead or even caught up on the things I need to do. here is an example of what I did Monday & tuesday of last week:

Monday:

6:20 AM: Woke up 
6:25 AM: Cooked breakfast for Erich
6:40 AM: Showered
6:55 AM: Got ready for work
7:30 AM: Went to work
1:00 PM: Worked out on lunch
5:00 PM: Came home
5:20 PM: Did dishes
6:00 PM: Cooked dinner, ate & cleaned up dishes
7:30 PM: Studied for an hour
8:30 PM: Played fetch with the dog outside
9:00 PM: Got ready for bed
9:30 PM: Read my school book
10:00 PM: Lights out

Tuesday:

6:00 AM: Showered
6:20 AM: Make breakfast for Erich
6:30 AM: Blow dry & straighten/curl hair
6:45 AM: Jump on the bed and wake erich up and tell the dog to give him kisses
7:00 AM: finish getting ready for work
7:30 AM: leave to go to work
1:00 PM: walked on lunch
2:00 PM: back to work
5:00 PM: leave work to go run errands
5:45 PM: arrive early to class so I can get a parking spot
6:00 - 9:00 PM: class
9:15 PM: drive home and attempt to catch the last bit of New Girl
9:45 PM: get ready for bed
10:00 PM: lights out

and that has been my life for the past couple of months. never a real break to just sit a read a book I want to read. never enough time do some crafts. never enough time to actually finish my craft/office/guest bedroom. I'm honestly so relieved to be done from school and I'm hoping my motivation can "reset" itself because for the next week I am FREE! Free from school and on tuesday the 15th, I will be here:

My favorite city on earth, hugging my favorite (and only) parents and laughing/drinking/shopping/sleep overing with my favorite best friends (you know who you are). I am beyond excited to slow down and enjoy all of my favorites for 4.5 days. Seriously, I am so excited I want to do a jig, yell from the rooftops, spin in circles and do flying leaps all over. I am THAT excited and that is how bad I NEED this!

to kick of celebration of freedom for a week, I will be celebrating with copious amounts of beer and maybe a hot dog or two *please do not mention me trying to loose/maintain my new weight or i might have to give you a swift kick where the sun don't shine*.

Cheers to drinking my weight in beer and resetting my motivation in my favorite city with my favorite people!

Nic

Nothing like..

nothing like...homemade lasagna

nothing like...finally seeing the Hunger Games after being obsessed since you read the books

nothing like...homemade peanut butter rolo cookies

nothing like...lacking motivation and then suddenly finding it

nothing like...some Aqua (yes barbie girl band) to make you smile

nothing like...Jelly 2 dying

nothing like...seeing your dog so happy to see her daddy

nothing like...crawling into a warm bed

nothing like...making your monthly budget at work when you still have 10 days left

nothing like...kicking the sh*t out of spring cleaning.

nothing like...realizing the lack of sun does affect me (mainly motivation) :(

nothing like...feeling disappointed I can't fit everything into my day.

nothing like...volleyball tournament!

nothing like...pizza bites for dinner. so yummy! (i'll post the recipe this week)

nothing like...getting out of class early and going to listen to a seminar for some extra credit points in.

nothing like...getting flirted with by two different guys in one day. puts a little extra shake and shimmy in my step

nothing like...the show New Girl. seriously cannot get enough of it (and either can erich!)

nothing like...starting my tomato plants! homemade salsa here i come

nothing like...trying to replicate my favorite meal in Portland, Montage's Old Mac.

nothing like...the sun roof open, windows down, shades on and shimming and shaking to the beat of the music

nothing like...hearing erich happy with his part time dentistry job at an actual dentists office.

I've got another post coming up early next week about my motivation and how I suddenly found it!

Hugs & Luvs,
Nicki

Advice for me, myself and I

Get up when my alarm sounds off (so much easier said than done). Maybe even get up and do an early work out :)

Spend more quality time studying. I'm at the point where I know what I can skimp on in each class and I don't get as much out of the class this way.

Do something nice and special for Erich every day. I want him to know how much I love him every single day whether that is by leaving him a note or making him breakfast.

Make sure to ALWAYS kick butt at work. I don't NEED to read through my whole list of blogs EVERY day!

Always be polite and thankful. Enough said.

Be generous to people you are care about. This can be simple and free or elaborate and expensive.

Run more! You want to do that half marathon this summer. TRAIN for it! no backing out!

Have more patience, especially with people you dislike *hint hint* work people.

Save more money. You don't really need any more shoes or jeans starting after I find the perfect pair of nude wedges :)

Volunteer. You have always wanted to do this and there's never a better time than now.

Watch less TV and don't be upset when you miss your favorite show. Life will go on :)

Compliment others. I love when I get compliments so I'm sure others do to.

Stop swearing!! oh my this will be a hard one. I work around mechanics who have some of the dirtiest mouths EVER.

Give myself a reward. Sometimes I don't give myself "me" time and I need me time.

Reject gossip. I always listen to the gossip and that is just not what I want to be about. So I will be turning down the drama talk from now on :)

sometimes in life, you just need a reminder of the things you should be doing.

hugs & luvs,
Nicki