Post #41 It has been 5 months since my last post

I feel compelled to post for one reason only - the dinner I made last night. I must document it so I can make it again.
It was a vegetable soup that I ended up thinking was so awesome I want to make it for dinner again tonight.

Ingredients

- half a small yellow onion
- sweet bell pepper (I used a large orange one)
- roma tomato
- can of Campbell's tomato soup
- kale

- cumin
- hot chili powder
- chili powder
- coriander
- onion powder
- red pepper flakes

1. Cube all veggies
2. In a medium/large pot simmer the onion, pepper, and tomato. No oil needed.
3. Once they are steaming, begin adding spices - to taste. I 100% did not measure the spices. I just shook, stirred, and tasted.
4. Add tomato soup, do not add water.
5. continue adding spices, stirring, and tasting until you are happy.
6. Stir in kale

BOOM

Dinner is done.
It was like a veggie chili/stew. It was so good.

Post #40 Mini Rant on Speed Shaming, plus some other stuff

Fitness

Today is the 2 year anniversary of when I started using a FitBit. The FitBit company sent me a Happy Anniversary E-card. I kind of wish they had also included some statistics on how the past two years have gone; how maybe days I hit my step count, how many miles I have logged, or at least my average daily step count. Regardless, two years of tracking my fitness with the FitBit.

In August, I will mark three years since I started running. I started the ZenLab's Couch to 5k app in mid August 2016. I don't use the ZenLab apps anymore, but they were very helpful for the first two years of my running journey.

I did a ten mile run on Saturday, and then Michael and I went to breakfast at a DC institution - Jimmy T's. I love it, they only take cash, but I love it, and I hope Michael and I can start going there regularly, maybe once a month or so. While we were there, there was some guy sitting behind me talking down about someone who did a 5k at 13+ min/mile pace. I was about to attack him!

I would never speed shame another runner, even if it is only a 5k. I do a little passive distance shaming, but speed shaming is something I cannot stand for. I finished my first marathon with at 17+ min/mile average pace. Sure I have come a LONG way since that March finish in Little Rock, but I am still a run/walker, and I truly believe if I can do it anyone can.

When it comes to running, I like to believe the only person I am competing against is myself. I am getting faster, and I can't compare myself to anyone else. I also need to keep in mind that my progress can be gradual. I am not going to wake up one morning and pound out a sub 30 minute 5k, that isn't me.

For me, my run:walk 1:1 pace is exactly what works. You know what else works for me, chicken and beer as my meal the night before a long run. Two weeks ago my 10 miler was only 5 miles long, this past week I had chicken and 4 beers the night before and my 10 miler left me feeling really good. I have another 10 miler this weekend.

My monthly 18 miler will be on the 22nd. I need to make sure I get out early for that one. I am flying to Santa Fe, NM the night of the 22nd - my flight leaves at 8 pm. I am looking forward to running in Santa Fe again, it will be interesting to see how I do in comparison to last year.

As of yesterday I weighed in at 144 pounds, I ate a bunch of candy today so I am not particularly happy with myself; old habits die hard.

Makeup

As of today I have used up $710.68 worth of product, that is 143 items. I have only purchased $220.41 worth of beauty products, this includes three shampoos and 3 conditioners that I will have purchased before the end of the year (I did "subscribe & save" on Amazon).

Post #39: Another long hiatus

Today is May 24, 2019, my last post was on June 1, 2018. It has been almost a year.

Erie Canal Half (5/19/19)

At one point I was pretty good about blogging fairly regularly. There is a part of me that wants to get back to that. Not for any useful reason, but I think blogging about my running, my makeup, and my career can be interesting to random people, or my future self.

Updates since my last post, using the last post as an outline:

I said I would try to be more consistent at blogging. Since it has been 8 days short of one year since I last posted I am gonna say that I failed miserably at that. Maybe I will do better this year.

Step Count

I did not make it to 100 days in a row with hitting my 10,000 steps per day. I made it over 50 days, but then failed. For the year of 2019, I have hit my 10,000 steps per day everyday except for (pause for counting) 16 days. That is 16 days out of 143 days I did NOT hit 10,000+ steps. I am pretty proud of myself for that.

Houston Half (1/20/19)

Running

I have also been running a lot more. I ran the Boilermaker 15k last July. I did the Houston Half Marathon in January. I did the Marine Corps 17.75k in March. Just this past Sunday I ran the Erie Canal Half Marathon. I run daily and actually feel pretty terrible when I don't run. I am training for the Marine Corp Marathon (Oct 27). I expect the majority of posts over the next 5 months will be about my marathon training.

Fitness/Health

I am also 40 pounds lighter than I was when I last posted. My last weigh in was at 147 pounds. For those of you doing the math, I am officially a healthy BMI. I am loving it, and I have lost enough weight where I have actually had to do a wardrobe refresh. I have spent over $200 in the past month or so on new clothes.

Wardrobe Refresh

Makeup

I stopped tracking my makeup use up and purchases last year, but I have been doing it this year. As of today I have used up (pause to check spreadsheet) $623.98 worth of product, that is 124 items. I have only purchased $137.65 worth of beauty products (44 items - 18 of which are eyeshadows in a palette), this includes face wash and hair care items too. I was able to resist the temptation of the Sephora VIB sale.

 Work/Career

The Boyfriend and Me at a baseball game

I am still trudging through the life that is Graduate School. More on that as information becomes available.

Other

Now for something completely different: I have a boyfriend, he is wonderful!

Well, back to writing and working on a presentation for my next conference.