Excitement!!

Okay, so I've been wanting a Garmin running watch with GPS functionality for a long time now. Last time I asked for one was right before PA school started (about 2 years ago) and then came the school-induced hiatus from running. Now that I'm back on track and I have a plan, I've decided to take the leap and make the investment.

I'm so excited! I just ordered my Garmin Forerunner 210. They have a bunch of really neat models, but after doing some research and reading some reviews (namely this one, http://www.dcrainmaker.com forerunner 210 review and this one http://www.dcrainmaker.com forerunner 405 review), I decided that the forerunner 210 more than meets my needs.

Check it out:

If you're at all interested in getting a sports watch for running, check out the links to the reviews I referenced above. They're really thorough and provide all the information you could possible need when deciding on what product to purchase.

You can get the Forerunner 210 with a heart rate monitor and foot pod - i didn't get either one (due to price), but I would really like the foot pod. It's for use when training indoors on a treadmill (yay for training in Midwest winters).

Anyway, I should get my lovely device tomorrow - which means I'll have it when I go to Miami next week. I'm really stoked about this because it means I can run to the marina near my parents' house, and wherever else, without having to map out my route ahead of time to ensure that I cover the correct mileage for my training plan. Sweet freedom!

Another piece of happiness: being back on a training plan means that I get to meet up with my old runner buddies at Lake of the Woods (LOW) this Saturday morning. It'll be like old times (except that Joanna won't be there). This also means that we will definitely be hitting up Panera for post-run sustenance. 

Next Friday I'll be taking exams for the end of my Surgery rotation. Weird, right? It's the end of my 7th rotation out of 9. I'm stressing a lot less because I've realized a few things: 

1) Test day will come. No use freaking out, because that won't postpone the inevitable.

2) I WILL pass my tests - there isn't really any other option for me.

3) I know more than I give myself credit for. Relax and breathe.

4) I will be home in Miami in 8 days. This is what those 4 days will look like for me:

My parents' amazing backyard

Tiki bar @ Islamorada

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and stays positive
-Damaris

Back on track

So, I've mentioned before that I put on a good chunk of weight during PA school. 18 pounds to be exact. Ugh.

On January 1st I started logging my calories with an app on my iPhone called MyFitnessPal. I love this app. It's helping to keep me accountable with my food intake and motivated with my workouts. I've been working out 4-5 times a week and sticking to 1250 calories a day. So far I've lost 7 pounds. :)

I also started running again in January. I started slow for a few weeks, but I just registered for the Illinois Half Marathon in Champaign, IL on 4/28/12. The last time I ran a race was Spring 2010, right before PA school started. I'm stoked to be on my way back to the pre-PA school me. 12 pounds to get to my goal weight of 125.

Here's a look at my training schedule for the next 9 weeks: I'll be running on Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays with long runs on Saturdays.

The Vibram Komodosport's I've been running in

        week ending   3-Mar      3,4,3 and 6 miles
        week ending   10-Mar    3,4,3 and 8 miles
        week ending   17-Mar    3,5,4 and 10 miles
        week ending   24-Mar    4,5,4 and 11 miles
        week ending   31-Mar    4,6,4 and 12 miles
        week ending   7-Apr       4,5,4 and 9 miles
        week ending   21-Apr     3,4,3 and 8 miles
        week ending   28-Apr    3,3,2 and RACE DAY!!!

Another piece of exciting information... I'll be home in Miami in < 9 days!!!! WooHooooo! I haven't been home since July of last year and I reeeeaaalllly need some sun on my skin and some sand between my toes. Can't wait to see my family and friends.

Back from Sunny Miami!

Hello all!!

It's been a little while since my last blog post. I just got back from sunny Florida late last night. We landed in St. Louis at 11pm and didn't get home to Mattoon until almost 2am. It was a long day. Justin and I had a fantastic time in Miami visiting family and friends and getting lots of sunshine. We even hit the Dade County Youth Fair and went shooting with my brother! But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll be posting pics over the next few days and telling you all about our trip.

Now, my family is amazing. Just thought I should put that out there. My brother picked us up from MIA. He came prepared with croquetas and drinks for both Justin and myself. A malta for me and a coke for Justin - he's never acquired the taste for malta. :) This was the perfect start to our vacation. We then went to see my beautiful niece and sister-in-law. It's amazing how much kids grow in such a short period of time. We saw Bella for Christmas, and we could see immediately how much she's grown and changed. She has 8 teeth and she's on the verge of walking all by herself!! Crazy. I still can't get over how beautiful she is. It's strange how she looks soo much like each of her parents. A perfect blend. :) After that Jason took us down south to mom & dad's house and they had Pollo Tropical waiting for us. To those of you who live in Miami, this isn't anything special. But when you live in the midwest and the only "Latin" food you can find is mexican food, Pollo Tropical is like ambrosia!

The next day I woke up early and ran 6 miles around the lake behind my parents' house. The sun was shining and there was an incredible breeze. The lake was reflecting the sun - I could NOT have been happier to run. After that, we spent all day lounging in the back yard. This is exactly what I imagine a vacation being. Relaxing in the sunshine by the pool with a good book and a bottle of water. I love that Justin reads just a much as I do, because this is something we can enjoy together.

Later that night we hit up Sgt. Peppers (my favorite sub shop) with some of my favorite people - Duy and Lissette! After that we got some ice cream from Coldstone Creamery and chatted all night. I really try to like that place, but it just doesn't blow my mind. I prefer Baskin Robbins - but I digress. All in all it was a pretty perfect day. ::contented sigh::

Here are some picture of my mom & dad's back yard. It's a little slice of heaven to me.