5K down -- 15K, here I come!

I did it! After telling myself I was going to participate in an organized run since practically highschool, I tackled it today -- 5K, without stopping. Okay, I know 5K is only 3.2 miles -- BUT, I proved to myself that I can do it, and it felt really good.

The boyfriend and I woke up early this morning, climbed into our running gear and headed to the site of the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. We had no idea what to expect, so we were absolutely shocked to see what a big event we had nonchalantly waltzed into -- thousands of women, men, children of all ages all dressed in pink to support such an important cause. Survivors, women without hair, families dedicating their walk to a lost loved one -- everything around us just spoke to what a truly awesome event this was. While we didn't really know it going into it, we were so happy to be there.

Did you know 1 out of 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime? That's a pretty scary stat. It made me realize -- even though no close loved ones in my life have been affected by the disease (knock on wood, please), I felt like I was running for simply women as a whole. No one deserves to have that scary stat hanging over their head. We're constantly under threat. And the only thing that can change that is increased awareness, funding for research, etc., so it was amazing to be a part of that effort today.

Long story short, we loved it. We're already planning our next run -- and this time, it'll be a 15K.

What's one bucket list item you've tackled lately?

Going green

I'm on a wellness kick. And right now, that includes a weird love for kale.

After needing a good detox following a night of drinking and rich food, I found this tempting green smoothie from Whole Living mag that includes kale, a green apple, banana and handful of fresh parsley. Knowing that kale is widely referred to as one of the top super foods out there, I gave it a try.

I know -- scary, right? That's what I thought, too until I tried it. It was absolutely delicious! 

the recipe --

• 1 cup coarsely chopped kale
• 1 green apple, coarsely chopped
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup (or a decent-sized handful) of fresh parsley

Combine kale, apple, banana, parsley and and about 2 cups of water (or a handful of ice) in a blender; blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Makes two servings. Nutrients per serving: 105 calories; 26 g carbs; 0 g fat; 2 g protein; 4 g fiber.

why kale?

If you haven't given this nutrient-packed veggie a try yet, you must -- the benefits make it worth chopping up and throwing into just about any dish you can. According to this recent article in Men's Fitness, kale is a great source of vitamin A and C, calcium and cancer-fighting phytonutrients. It's also high in carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been proven to prevent macular degeneration.

In a nutshell -- go green!

#14: Take a kickboxing class

One week ago today, I kicked, punched and jabbed my way through my very first kickboxing class (with the rooms, of course). When I left, I felt totally rejuvenated -- knees wobbly from over-worked muscles and arms jello-y with exhaustion -- the best post-workout feeling ever.

25 by 25, check! 

During the class, I felt totally fit. I kept my energy up and did every move full out. I looked to my left, my right, and saw other classmates getting tired -- but not me. I was determined to finish strong and perfect my upper-cut. I was one of maybe 10 women under the age of 30, and one of 15 that made it through the whole class without walking out. I felt good, and in shape.

The next day? Not so much. 

I woke up and literally couldn't move. Every step, every leg lift -- stepping into the shower, putting on my shoes, crossing my legs while drinking my coffee -- everything hurt. And it continued to hurt for the next three days.

But I'm proud to say I didn't let one tough workout knock me off my horse. I went back to the gym just two days later, and have continued to keep up my routine -- although I'll admit the last few days have been harder than normal. 

And I'm not stopping there. Tonight, kickboxing and I shall meet again. 

I'm cutting my excuses, and holding myself to my goals. I will be fit. I will feel healthy. I will be happy with my lifestyle. And I will not accept any less. 

It's hard to believe that something I struggled so much with just a few short months ago, I now feel like I'm close to having mastered. Sometimes, all you need is a push in the right direction.

What fears have you faced lately? What good things have you pushed yourself to do? 

Tailgate season, here we come!

Something else I love about fall? Tailgating. It's not that I'm a big sports fan, because practically the only thing I know about football is that a touchdown is worth seven points. I simply love the excitement behind the game -- the snacks, the excuse to drink on Sundays, etc. -- especially when its my Iowa Hawkeyes or the Bears.

In light of football season's upcoming debut Labor Day weekend, I've pulled together a few recipes I'm hoping to try this season as I entertain in my new apartment.

Football-shaped Pizza Pockets with Pepperoni (pin me!)

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Jalepeno Dipping Sauce (pin me!)

Sweet Potato Skins (pin me!)

Seven Layer Tostadas with Refried Beans & Guac (pin me!)  

White Pizza Dip with Grape Tomatoes & Fresh Basil (pin me!)

Bloomin' Onion Bread (pin me!)

For more yummy grub, check out my eat this board on Pinterest. Happy game'ing!

#3: Have a place to call my own

More than a month into my living at my new big-girl residence, I truly couldn't be happier. From new "gourmet" (ish) cooking adventures to diggin' new DIY inspiration, I'm really enjoying my independence and newfound feelings of adulthood. (And checking off my 25x25!)

For example, I totally made this grilled cheese the other day:

Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese

And the rooms, @laurlye, tackled this adorable chalkboard:

Mirror Turned Chalkboard

Plus, the two hours I save in my day every day from my current lack-of-commute doesn't hurt either. I'm heading to the gym more, catching up on my favorite T.V. shows, reading a new book -- it's amazing how much of a difference it makes!

If you followed me during my apartment search, you knew it wasn't easy. I had a lot of doubts and fears -- but I faced them, and went for it -- no regrets. But while I'd like to sit here and tell you it was a completely sunny experience, there's an unfortunate truth to my moving tale:

Our realtor was a psycho.

After being overly detail-oriented (given the PR professionals that we are) and being perceived as somewhat annoying by both our realtor and the condo owner's realtor, we thought we had all of our ducks in a row. We followed up multiple times, scrutinized any documents we signed and did as much as we possibly could to set ourselves up for success with this move.

Yet approximately three days before our move, we were told we couldn't move in for another week and that we would have to pay a $250 move-in and move-out fee.

WHAT?!

Long story short, here's what we learned:

• Ask questions about what you'll be required to set-up, pay, pick-up and organize prior to your move. Assume there is a move-in fee, and ask. Also assume you need to reserve a move-in time more than two weeks in advance, and ask. Your realtor will think you're annoying, but it'll be worth it when your move-in goes smoothly.
• Save all of your e-mail communication. You never know when the owner's realtor will acknowledge YOUR (psycho) realtor's poor communication, take your side, pull the $250 move-in fee out of your realtor's commission, and then your realtor will sue the owner's realtor -- and you'll be required to provide all of your e-mail communication. (True story.)

Regardless of the dramatic move, I'm loving my new residence. Lesson learned: go for it!

Dreaming of fall

Top things I'm looking forward to this fall? Changing leaves, my birthday (so much left to do on my 25x25 list!) and of course, scarves and boots.

Here are a few of my recent faves:

pin me

pin me

pin me

Are you dreaming of 50 degree weather and sunny days with bronzed leaves yet? (Clearly, I am.)

:-)

Guilty as charged

It's been a month. One month, since my last post.

It's not that my blog (a longtime passion and outlet for me) hasn't been on my mind -- it has. But as more and more time passed, I found I was ashamed to come back here -- to even let my browser wander to this familiar page every once in awhile.

I felt (and feel) like a failure.

You might think it's extreme, but it's really not, given this online space has long served as a public showcase of my work-life balance -- something I've consistently struggled with on and off since beginning my career in PR two years ago. These past few weeks, as my work to-do list piled higher, my hours at the office grew longer and I found myself laying awake at night thinking about the next morning's long list of tasks, I questioned myself.

What am I doing even trying to blog?

Nobody reads this anyway.

Should I just throw myself into my work and accept that's who I am?

Is it time aspiring in the real world came to an end?

After a long list of doubts, however, I found myself back here -- with an open template for a new post, wanting once again to publicly reflect on my 20-something journey. And I realized: even if just one other person reads this and identifies, I'll consider it a success. I'm not ready to give this up. I may not be perfect, but that's all part of the journey.

This sums it up well:

Here's what I'm learning:

• You're smarter than you think. Every time you second guess that e-mail you're about to send, just hit send and trust your judgment. You're going to be great, and the more you realize it, the more everyone else will, too.
• Everyone deserves a vacation. Yes, even you, bottom-of-the-barrel assistant, intern or whatever you might be. Outside of the office, everyone is equal -- and your personal life is no less important than your VP's. Put down your Blackberry and let yourself enjoy a fresh breath every now and then.
• Sympathy is overrated. How many times do you complain to someone after a day of hard work? For me, it's quite a bit. But what I'm finding is the days I truly feel better after a long day aren't the ones that end in me bitching and complaining, they're the ones that I leave my life at the office at the office -- coming home to discuss nothing about work at all, and enjoy the part of my life that isn't PR.

What are you learning about yourself professionally? How has your perception of work-life balance changed in the last year?

Personal trainer to me: "You're doing it all wrong"

I walked out of the gym today with my tail between my legs. I felt like I was having deja vu -- asking myself the, "I'm fit. Or am I?" question all over again.

As part of my new gym membership (which came along with the big move), I had the opportunity to sign up for a free personal training session -- aka a "fitness assessment." I was honestly pretty excited about it given I don't feel my work out routine is perfect, and I want to be sure I'm avoiding the dreaded fitness "plateau."

Little did I know I would be told, in essence, I couldn't be doing more wrong.

To start, I must shamefully admit I rang in a BMI of 23.9. Twenty-three-point-nine. Which I learned, on the scale of being fit, is close to fair -- with fair being 25, good being 22 and excellent being 19.

I quickly learned via my kind (NOT) trainer that I needed to be a 19.

How can this be? I visit the gym at least 3-4 times per week, eat a fairly healthy diet and am a decent dress size.

But as I've said before, you're not fit if you're in better shape than the person sitting next to you. And I learned that again the hard way today. After a rather embarrassing personal training session, I quickly found out that I'm just not. lean. enough. Me and cardio are best friends, but I'm admittedly scared of any weight training machines -- which apparently, shows in my physical state.

Who knew a BMI could break your heart?

But although I left today a bit embarrassed and disheartened, I'm sucking it up and getting back on the horse by heading back to the gym tomorrow morning before work. I'm going to face my fears and hit a weight machine for pretty much the first time ever by myself.

Stay tuned for (fingers crossed) a new and improved BMI soon!