While I Was Sleeping

Okay, so this happened awhile ago, but I'll post it for your entertainment.

So one night a couple weeks ago my friend had been trying to get a hold of me all day, but I had been at farewells and homecomings and such. So when I got home around 9:30, I sent her a text. However, only seconds after sending said text I fell completely asleep, like immediately into a R.E.M. cycle or something.

An hour later, my friend called me. I don't remember picking up the phone, but I remember being on the phone and I knew who it was. I told her that I couldn't talk because I had to set my alarm for every hour on the hour to wake up, as part of my triathlon training, of course. She later told me (because I didn't remember hearing her response) that she asked who said to do that and I simply said "someone important." Then I told her that I was sorry if I wasn't making any sense, for I'd already been asleep for an hour. Then she proceeded to say that I was drunk! Drunk! (What a friend right? jk B. :) ).

Anyway, that was the extent of our conversation. So note to all: if you call me after the sun goes down and I really don't make any sense, you probably caught me while I was sleeping. hehehe (totally cliche, I know, but I love it!)

Going Home

This weekend I finally went back down to Ephraim and visited my old friends and roommates! It was a much needed get-away, even though it was only for 24 hours. Kayla and I drove down together and it felt like I'd never left, like I was going home. And my roommates! I love them so much! And I've missed them way more than I realized! The three that were there all have boyfriends (and one fiancee) so I got to meet those boys, and I'm so happy for all of them! They are all so perfect for each other! :) We really had a blast though. We had muddy buddies, made dinner, got snow cremes!!! and then we stayed up until 3 am, later than I've stayed up this whole semester. haha. I was sad to leave, but I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to see them before school ends and we're all moved on. Good old Snow College! haha.

And Run

I have a new favorite song. It is quickly becoming my motto. (I know, I have a lot of mottos. haha)
"And Run" by He Is We
Listen to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IIp8f13POE
It's just great! :)
Listen, like, love. :)
Now, if you'll please excuse me, I've got to go and run! (Not literally, but like it says in the song, in case you didn't get that.)

Results! Results!

Well, the results are in. I went to the doctor on Monday and found out that I am Vitamin D deficient. So, I'm on a supplement, but here's to hoping that it will help solve the problem! :)

For training this week I decided to take it a little easier than pushing all the way. I just did the best that I could, but didn't want to push myself to exhaustion. I have my lower week next week and then hopefully after that I'll be all ready to go for the last 2 months of training. I'm almost at the height of my training times though. I'm almost there! :) Wahooo!!!!

I do have to say, over the past month or so, running has become my favorite part of training. I know, I never thought I'd say that either, but it's become so...I don't know, therapeutic in a way. When I go running, it's just me, my music and the road. And the wonderful thing about all this training is I have worked my body up to a point where I can just run and run, and I LOVE it! An hour of running now feels like half an hour used to.

I read a quote the other day, I don't remember who it was by, but it has sort of become my motto of the last week. "When life sometimes gets tough it's just an indication that your greatness is being tested. DON'T GIVE UP! Breathe and do something good for yourself. There is absolute joy on the other side. Also, don't forget to reach out and ask for help. You are worth it!" Ponder on that for a little bit- it's a good one. :)

Oh there's sunshine beautiful sunshine!

I should have posted this yesterday or the day before, but I couldn't because I was outside enjoying the beautiful SUNSHINE!!!!!
I put on some flip-flops, rolled up my pants (one day, and the other day I actually wore shorts!!!) and spent two glorious afternoons sitting outside.
Thursday afternoon I went home and played with my nieces. We played with bubbles, chased each other and played Ring Around the Rosie too many times. haha. But they loved being outside and it was a great afternoon. Friday I got some homework, a blanket and went and sat on the (very slanted) lawn outside my apartment. Then a wonderful girl from my ward walked by, saw me, and came and joined me on the grass to paint her nails. We had a great talk and just basked in the amazing glow that was that beautiful sun setting in the West.
Really, one of my greatest loves in this world is the first real warm day after winter. When it's warm enough outside that you don't need a jacket and you can feel spring and summer at the tips of your fingers, getting ever so close! I love feeling the sun on my skin and not hiding underneath big burly coats and sweaters. Sunshine...it's just happy. And it makes everyone be happier than they would be otherwise. :)
Come sunshine! Come and stay!

The training goes on!

Well, training this week was...interesting.
Monday and Tuesday were normal, just doing my thing, but Wednesday kinda threw me for a loop.
First of all, Wednesdays are my long bike rides. Let's just say they are not my favorite. Anyway, on Wednesday I was incredibly tired. I'm not sure why, but I really had no energy. Still, I put on my shoes and began pedaling away. I made it to about Canyon Glen park when I pretty much collapsed off my bike because I literally had no energy left. I had nothing left to give, and there was no way I could push myself any further.
Looking at the situation, I knew I couldn't keep going, but I didn't want to give up. Still, I made my way home and fell asleep on my parent's couch for a few hours. Now, my parents want me to go to the doctor because they think something is wrong. They said I've been way too tired way too often. The thing is, I've been really trying to make sure I'm not pushing myself beyond the limits. That's why I'm not taking too many classes, and that's why I didn't even try to get a job this semester. Still, with how drained I was, I couldn't argue with them. So, I'm going in for an appointment to see if I'm iron deficient or have issues with my thyroid because of all of the weight loss, but I'm really hoping for the best. I'm halfway through training. And yes, it is only going to get harder from this point on, but I am not going to give up! I won't!!!!
But other than that eventful day, nothing is different here. Same old, same old. One beautiful little fact that I shared with my sister's and friends who had Spring Break this week: I only have 5 weeks of school left!!! hahahahahaha!!! Just over a month, and then I am DONE!
(Although please pray for me this coming week, seeing as I have 3 tests).
Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day, night and coming week!

Happy Birthday David!

Here's a shout out to one of my best friends in the whole world!

Happy Birthday David!

He is such an amazing person, and I am so blessed to have him in my life and to have the blessing of calling him my friend. He is so smart, caring, considerate and hardworking. He is very loving and really likes to have deep discussions. haha. But he really is such a great friend.

I hope you had an amazing day David! You're the best and I love you tons!!!

Major Achievement

Well, training still continues to go well. It's crazy how much my body has changed since I started my training, but I LOVE it!

However, on Staurday, I had a major achievement (or I think it's an achievement :) ). Anyway, so it was just my normal Saturday long run, but I decided with the beautiful weather to run outside (FINALLY!!!!) And I ran from my apartment to my parent's house! That's over 6.5 miles!!!!

Although afterwards I was extremely tired and I just wonder how in the world people who run marathons or do iron mans can even have the strength to stand up, let alone not collapse on the ground and fall asleep right then and there. Haha.

And I know it might sound odd, but I'm excited to see the possible results this week on the scale! :)

Wow, anyone who is lacking a desire or is thinking about starting to exercise, I'm telling you, it's the greatest! It feels amazing! Please! Take some of my excitement and begin! Don't wait! Start now! Go! Now!

All thanks to my friend Em.

I love soccer. And I miss it SOOOO much! So I get my little fill of the glorious sport by watching soccer games. I know, it's not the same, but I don't think anyone would want to see me playing back on the field myself after 4 or 5 years of absense.

But my dear friend Emily surprised me this week. She got us tickets to the Real Salt Lake game on Tuesday. I was just excited to be there! And when we walked in, we had front row tickets!!!! It was AWESOME!!! There were tons of hispanics there who cheered the entire game (and I really do mean the entire game, like non-stop) and the crowd was almost, and at times more, entertaining than the game.

But really, look how close we were! And I'm pretty sure we were on TV every time there was a corner kick. haha.

It was so much fun and Real won!!! So thanks Emily. It was such an awesome night. :)

Incredible

I had the most amazing thing happen to me today. I was on my way home when I realized that my mom wouldn't even be at home, so instead I went to Walmart to go grocery shopping. Now, as you all know, for the past 20 months I have been working on eating healthier, and being in all of these nutrition and health classes this semester have only cemented in me the importance of a healthy diet. So I picked up my vegetables and beans and brown rice and almond milk and all of that yummy stuff.

Then I went to stand in the checkout line. And I don't know what was going on, but the people at the cash register were taking a long time, so I just was standing around (trying to remind myself once again to learn patience. haha) when the woman in front of me looked at the items I had waiting on the conveyor belt thing and said, "That looks a lot like the food that I usually buy." I told her that my nutrition classes were making me change what I eat. Then we got onto the topic of weight loss and she told me that she has lost over 100 pounds!!! That is so incredible!!! I told her that I had lost about 70 to this point and we proceeded from there to have about a 45-minute discussion about weight loss and helping people and reaching out.

But get this, it gets even better. As we were talking, she told me that she is starting her own weight loss blog program! She's getting it all started and is getting promotions from people and advertising and radio shows. She is just doing so much to get the word out about weight loss and that it doesn't have to be such a hard thing, like our society makes it seem. And guess what?! She wants to interview me for her radio show!!! She normally goes for those who have lost 100 pounds or more, but she says she would like to talk to me because I'm a student and am a different dynamic than she has used before.

Can I just tell you how excited I am?!!!!!!! This is such an incredible opportunity. I have been afraid to talk about my weight loss with other people because I felt ashamed that I was ever that way in the first place, but ever since I switched my major, I've taken on a completely different attitude. I want to talk about it. I want to be an inspiration to people. I want to help change people's lives! And meeting Becky Sampson (that's her name, sorry I forgot to put it in earlier) seems like the golden connection for me. We talked about life coaching and how I can get really involved with her and what she's doing and people on the site can choose what story and circumstance fits them best, and I can meet with people and give them love and support and help and guidance. HELLO!!!! THIS IS MY DREAM!!!!!! That is what I want to do with my life!

Becky and I said over and over again that God knows exactly what we need. She said that she overcame her weight by turning the issue over to God because she couldn't do it by herself, and then she said that she has been meeting people like me all over, and we both knew it was no coincidence! I don't believe coincidences exist. I, over the past hour, have kept thinking "This has got to be too good to be true. These things just don't happen." That's right. They don't. I honestly and truly believe that Heavenly Father had a hand in this. And it's so incredible to me that he would place us in exactly the same spot at the same time. I mean, I was headed home and she only came to buy milk and celery!

Ever since I changed my career path several months ago, I have seen what I wanted to do, had a vision of how I would help people and make their lives so much better, even saving lives (thanks to disease prevention). I just didn't know how to get there. But tonight I really think I found something! I really hope I did! :)

I know this is a really long post, but I'm just so in awe of what has happened tonight and SO excited at the prospects of what could happen! I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father who is aware of our needs and desires, and can see our potential. He wants us to succeed. He wants to help us help other people! This, my friends, is manifestation of that. :)