I officially entered the Western States 100 lottery today. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but for what result I’m not sure…

Am I ready to run a 100 mile race?

We shall see

Some people make New Year’s Resolutions. I, make birthday goals. This usually is something like, “I will get organized by the time I’m 22,” or “I’ll make my first million by 25.” Ha. Well, since I’m nearing the big 3-0 (next year), I’m trying to knock out this years goal with a bang so I can move on to the Big Goal for next year. (My big 3-0 goal is to become financially independent. Essentially, I’m cutting myself off by then. Thank God I have another year for that!)

Today is November 7th, which is 21 days until my birthday. ((Gentle reminder friends and family!)) My goal this year has been to become a healthier eater. Specifically, I wanted to eat more for health reasons rather than just to lose weight. I’d say I’ve done pretty well but it the midst of my busy life I have some crazy days where only chocolate and ice cream can make things better.

My goal for the next 21 days is to eat as healthfully as I can and to maintain portion control, which is SO hard for me. They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. So, I’m using the next 21 days to wean myself off of crappy/unhealthy food! Of course, my birthday is after Thanksgiving. So… I’m giving myself a little leeway on that day! But just a little

Speaking of my birthday, my only wish is that my cake this year is half as awesome as it was last year:

It’s been a looong time since I’ve posted. Life has been super-exciting, but not much has been running-related.

Not to say that I haven’t been running. I have been assisting the head coach of a cross country team, and man, some of those kids are amazing! It’s been a great adventure, but alas, I’m itching to get back to some running for myself.

So, I signed up for my first 50k since August. I have a feeling I’m gonna be a little rusty! My speed has gone up but my mileage has gone waaaay down, so we shall see if my body bounces back.

Before I start posting about my new running adventures, here’s a little snapshot of the cool things that have been happening in other areas of my life.

-I have been student teaching for over two months and I am loving it. I was very nervous about how teaching would turn out since I’m a pretty shy person but it has been a great experience for me. Between teaching and coaching I’ve gained a little confidence and feel like I can actually help kids learn. It has been keeping me busy, but so far it’s been worth every second. 

-Tony and I moved to a house.

My parents actually bought it for us. Before you call me a spoiled brat (which would only be half true), they didn’t buy it and give to us. They bought it with us in mind. We are paying rent and utilities, and the hope is that one day we’ll both land jobs in the area and will be able to buy it from my parents. We are really enjoying our newfound space but are a little overwhelmed with how much work goes in to living/owning a home! *Sigh* First world problems huh.

-My dad won the Nobel prize in Chemistry.

While this has little to do with me, it has changed my family forever. I am enormously proud of my father and my mother (who has been a huge reason for my father’s success). My dad is the most hard working and humble person in the world, and he has forever been my role model. There has been such a flurry of activity surrounding him in the recent weeks and it has been surreal the amount of attention he is getting. We will travel to Sweden in December which is going to be an amazing experience.

Between moving, teaching, taking classes, and attending various events, life has been crazy for lack of a more creative word. In fact, I feel speechless half the time because my life has taken a 180 from where I was 6 months ago. All the changes have been overwhelming, but in a good way. And I’m looking forward to getting back to running as a way to manage stress, and reconnect with nature. I could use some grounding.

Since I’ve been blogging less I never take self-photos anymore so I’ll leave you with the one self-pic I’ve taken since my last post.

Beer cheese and brats. What more could a girl want?