I started hating my long run.

I have been dreading my long runs. When I say dreading, I mean staying in bed for an hour before leaving in the morning because I just did not want to run. The air is so much heavier in Atlanta due to humidity, the hills are ridiculous compared to flat Texas, and it just does not seem as fun.

I have not cut my mileage short. No matter the weather or my personal disposition, I’ve pushed through each run, but it just hasn’t been the same. AL and I discussed it this weekend and we both do not recall this “long-run dread” last marathon training. I think it has a lot to do with the changes I mentioned above, but also the stress of moving, traveling, and starting new jobs/school. I am just mentally and physically exhausted.

In reality, I should be exhausted. I ran 44 miles the first 8 days of law school. This week, I’ll run 55 miles in 7 days, all while trying to finish unpacking and completing school activities. My body should be worn out and I should appreciate this, not complain about feeling tired.

My only goal in running yesterday was getting the miles in. I didn’t worry about pace, only surviving the miles. I started late in the day and was lucky to have nice weather. On the first hill, I was surprised at the strength in my legs and 15 miles later, I was still pushing up the hills. I’ll be honest, by mile 17, I was going pretty slow, but I DID IT!

It felt so good to have a decent long run. I came home feeling successful and relieved. The work I have been putting in IS paying off and my legs are getting stronger.

I spent the rest of the day in compression pants J Aaron made me cheesy grits and scrambled eggs for breakfast and I studied at Starbucks in the afternoon (I even walked there!)! My legs felt strong Monday morning and I am looking forward to my run on Tuesday. I’m confident that I will feel worried on Saturday morning when I start my run, but that is okay. I am getting stronger, even if the process is slow. 

Law School: I Survived the First Week

Hey all, I survived the first week of law school and am now happily starting the second week. The week of orientation was crazy and I was majorly overwhelmed for the first few days (more on that in a bit), but it seems a little bit better now, so I am back!

This week is full of classes, assignments, and meetings. I’m also trying to complete some online training for an interview position I will be working in this fall. To top it off, AL is still flying out on Monday and coming back on Friday – so much for living in the same city! I take him to the airport on Monday mornings, which means I wake up at 4:45am… it is a great start to the week ;)

AL and I had a fabulous weekend filled with yummy meals, long walks, and visits to the farmer’s market (of course!). On Sunday, we pulled 18 miles on our long run- YAY! I honestly didn’t know if I was going to survive the mileage just because the hills in Atlanta have been so rough on my legs. I want to cry when I run some days. Seriously.

This week, I am running:

M- Rest

T-5 miles

W-8 miles

Th-5 miles

F-yoga

S-19 miles

Eats:

M-Stuffed sweet potato with black beans & kale

T- Leftovers from the weekend (chicken, brown rice, okra & tomatoes) + drinks with the girls

W- Tomato soup & grilled cheese

Th- Pasta with veggies & chicken sausage

F - to be decided :) 

Have a fabulous week!

Hannah 

I've been missing!!

Hi everyone!

I went up to Wisconsin and went missing! I am so sorry for the silence. Here is what I have been up to:

1. A fabulous visit at home with my family. We went hiking, shopping, running, walking, touring - you name it! I had not been up north since last Thanksgiving, so it felt nice to see everyone.

2. Visits with friends! While in Wisconsin, I caught up with one of my best friends (we celebrated my 21st in Vegas together and have been inseparable since), and a friend I have known since nursery school. I was thrilled to visit with them and share stories from the summer.

3. Major shopping. Some how I came home with 4 new pairs of shoes. I have no clue how that happened... oops ;) You should have seen me try to get it all on the airplane.

4. The WISCONSIN STATE FAIR! Always an epic event; if you have never attended the state fair, you are missing out!

Huge corn is a "thing" at the fair....

5. Starting law school. I cannot believe it, but I started orientation on Monday and have been having a great time. I am really excited about classes starting next week and I finally ordered all my books. :) This is bittersweet because it means summer has officially ended, but I am excited non-the-less.

Have you marked the end of summer yet or are you still going strong? Any big plans for the last few weeks? 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Weekend review & a trip up north!

It's Monday! I can't believe the weekend is already over. Mine was amazing (more on that in a second), but right now in sitting at the airport. I woke up at 4:30 today so I could go to the airport with AL when he flew out for work. This means I was at the airport almost 3 hours early, BUT I got to ride the train and wait with AL. Worth it :)

This weekend started with a yummy homemade Friday dinner: chicken tacos with homemade tortillas  via the Lean Green Bean and peach cobbler, followed by an early night. AL and I left early for a 14 mile run on Saturday morning. Ohhh marathon training.

Legs propped up to drain after the run.

After the run, we had to quickly leave for Alabama for my dear friend's wedding. She had the most beautiful, elegant wedding! We had such a wonderful time, but I confess, I was tired as sore from the run and went to bed pretty early.

Funny story: on the way to the wedding, we were running late and I was stressing. Then I realized Alabama was in the central time zone and we gained an hope. Saved!

Check out these adorable glasses from the wedding. Mine was filled with sweet tea, of course :)

We spent the night in Alabama, had brunch with the wedding party, then drove home to pack and relax before our travels. Eventful and wonderful weekend!

This week I'm staying with family up north- my first visit since thanksgiving! I'm so excited! I'll be sure to take pictures of my adventures and eats at the state fair :) here's what I'm running this week:
T-4 miles
W- 7 miles
Th- 4 miles
F- rest
S - cross train
Sun- 16 miles

How are you spending these last weeks of summer? Any last minute vacations before school starts?

Xoxo,

Hannah

Meal Planning Project

I've been a quasi-meal planner for a while.

I usually pick a few dinners a week to try before I head to the grocery store, and then I try to avoid making mid-week shopping trips for additional ingredients. This helps me in two ways:
1. I save money by avoiding hump-day impulse buys.
2. I avoid wasting food because I clean out my refrigerator each week.

This plan does have some negative effects..... due to half-planning, I've ended up with some major repeat meals and weird combos when there was little in the kitchen.

I want to put a stop to the weird meals, but also continue to save food and money by planning. The new project? Roughly plan out everything for my Monday-Friday meals and snacks, leaving the weekend open for whatever strikes my fancy :)

I will:
- Plan my meals around in-season produce, focusing on what I can purchase locally and at a lower price. 
- Use store ads and coupons to plan my purchases, working around items that are on sale.
-Take an inventory of my pantry before I start planning, prioritizing the items I need to use before they perish. 

My planning sheet looks like this right now, though it may change slightly.

I've been working through this meal plan for a few days and enjoying the results. I saved $12 on my grocery trip by utilizing sale, in season, and store-promoted items (yay!), and I haven't had banana oatmeal for every breakfast ;) Check back to see how my challenge is going!

Do you plan your meals in advance?
How do you cut costs with grocery shopping?

x0x0, 

Hannah