Lasts Survey

Okay, how is it the last Sunday of March? Where in the world has the time gone? I apologize for not checking back in with you guys yesterday after my half marathon, but I was movin' and groovin' ever since my mom and I made it home from Lost Pines. Well, not really, considering I went up to the MAC and tanned by the pool for about an hour, but after that, I was out and about running all kinds of errands. And when I got home, all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch March Madness.

So, let's back up a little bit. My mom and I arrived at Lost Pines right around 6:30pm. We checked into our room, made ourselves comfortable, and while my mom turned on basketball, I walked around the grounds a little bit. Though I have been to Lost Pines before, I wanted to check out the starting and finish line, and just spend some time outside, as it was a beautiful evening.

The race wasn't scheduled to start until 7:30am, and because I was literally three minutes away from the starting line, I didn't have to wake up until just after 6:00am. That's later than when I wake up for school! So though it was still early, it was later than I usually wake up, both on a school day and on a race day, so I can't even complain about the early hour. It was a crisp, cool morning, and while I was a little chilly at first in just shorts and a tank top, that outfit proved to be just perfect during the race.

This race, y'all, was one of my favorites. I know, I say that after every race, but I couldn't have picked a better day for a 13.1 mile run. Though I'd venture to say the hills are even more prevalent than they are in Austin, something was so different about this race. I didn't start questioning my thought process until mile 11, but at this point I was weaving through the golf course, feeling as though I was at my grandfather's old house in Indian Wells, California. Somehow I made it to the finish line. And while it wasn't my fastest half marathon, finishing a very hilly course in under two hours, after taking almost three weeks off from running, is not something to scoff at. And, I finished 3rd in my age group! I give all the credit to KT Tape for getting me through this one!

Zooma truly puts on a great race, and I am so glad that I got to be a part of it. I love running the huge, popular races, but I also really enjoyed running this smaller, more intimate race. It never felt crowded, and I ran with some of the same women throughout the entire race. Zooma, you did your Texas race well, and I am already checking out the other Zooma race destinations. And Lost Pines, you hosted wonderfully, and I am already itching for a return trip. You exude "Texas" with your very real longhorns and abundance of bluebonnets, and I thoroughly enjoyed my 13 hilly miles.

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Last food you ate:
A couple of cuties. I go through those things like crazy these days!

Last beverage you drank:

Water, of course! I don’t like soft drinks, or juice, really, so if it’s not a glass of wine or a fruity cocktail, it’s surely just water.

Last workout you did:

Yesterday’s half marathon. Does that count as a workout? And I’ll probably find the time today to squeeze in a short swim, as it will not only stretch out my sore muscles, but it will also get my mind off of tomorrow. Which we won’t even go into right now.

Last thing you pinned:

Ha, I feel like I’m being called out on this one, because, whoops, I probably spend too much time on Pinterest, but the last thing I pinned was a picture of the cherry blossoms in Bonn, Germany. Wanderlust.

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Last blog you visited:
I actually hadn't consciously visited a blog recently, but this question inspired me to pay a visit to Julie's blog, Peanut Butter Fingers. 

Last tweet you sent: 
I retweeted this photo of Dwight Howard, James Harden, and Kevin McHale laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. I have been to this tomb, and it is extremely moving. So, to see some of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen paying this tribute to the soldiers who have fought for our country.

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Last place you visited:

Bastrop? Is that even considered a vacation? I kind of feel like it is because we stayed at Lost Pines Resort, which, if you haven’t been, rocks. But in less than two weeks I’ll be exploring San Francisco like a local with four of my best friends. And I cannot waiiiiiit!

Last time you did ab work:

I actually can’t remember the last time I did concentrated ab work, but I have incorporated core exercises into both this circuit workout and this circuit workout.

Last show you watched:

Does March Madness count as a show? Because that’s what was on TV all of yesterday. And I don't hate it.

Unfortunately, I had Arizona in my Final Four (Source)

Last thing you baked:

I baked some chewy chocolate chunk cookies last Sunday evening, just because I was in complete denial about the fact that I had to go back to school after a week of total relaxation. My parents enjoyed that procrastination strategy!

Last thing you Instagrammed:

A picture of me crossing the finish line of yesterday's half marathon. Shout out to my mom's iPhone 3 for capturing this gem.

Last item on your to-do list today:

Watch Duke make it to the Final Four. Go Blue Devils!

Have a great Sunday! I'll see you guys once I am F-R-E-E from the wrath of the STAAR test. Say an extra prayer for my kiddos, because Lord knows they need it!

Why I Run

Happy Monday! I don't know about you guys, but I am absolutely exhausted. I woke up at 4:40am so that I could get in a swim before school, because finding a lane at the MAC on a weekday afternoon is almost impossible. So obviously my morning started out on the earlier side. I got to school around 6:45am and I didn't stop moving until 11:45am. I, along with two other English I teachers, administered a Mock STAAR to our students, and though we had already spent a significant amount of time setting up tables for our 200ish students, this morning was a nonstop whirlwind of setting up dividers, gathering dictionaries and thesauri, and getting kids signed in and situated. Once they had actually begun the test, we had to walk around and keep the students on task, pass dictionaries and thesauri from one student to the other, and basically cater to their every need. They aren't allowed to leave their seats without permission, so even if they needed a tissue, we had to go to them. I got my exercise, that is for sure! And shout out to my mom for coming up to help administer the exam. You know she loved being back at her alma mater! 

Cardinals

I have not yet graded any of their exams, but in just walking around I was so proud of the way they behaved during the exam. They appeared to be taking it seriously, utilizing strategies we had discussed in class, and I have high hopes for their scores. I hope it gave them a little bit of confidence in the way they will perform on the actual STAAR exam, but all I know is that simply administering the exam wore me out, so I can only imagine how they must have felt after taking it. Which is why my afternoon classes had movie day. Teacher of the Year, am I right? Hey, it was a well-deserved movie.

Why I Run

Ever since my freshman year of college, when I was no longer playing volleyball and needed something to keep me in shape, I have been running. That is no secret, and though there have been months of ... less mileage ... I have stayed pretty consistent with it. I ran at least one half marathon each year of college, and I am constantly looking for new marathons to cross off my list (typically a destination race, if I'm being honest).

Nike Women's Marathon 2013

While perusing Pinterest (this has become an all-too-common phrase on the blog these days), I have come across different mantras describing why people run. I have read a couple of articles that highlight different reasons people run, and I wanted to join in on the fun. With another half marathon coming up, today seemed like the perfect time to do just that!

1. Running started out as something to do so that I wouldn't gain that freshman 15. And believe me, I was terrified of that phenomenon. And while it is certainly a great way to stay slim, quite frankly, distance training can often make you gain weight. But I run because it makes me feel good. No matter the distance, there's no better feeling than the one that follows a run. But I won't lie, I do love how it makes my legs look.

2. I love running for the fact that it can be done absolutely anywhere. For someone who loves both traveling and exercise, running is the best of both worlds. It doesn't matter if the place I'm staying has a gym, because running is always an option. And what's better is that running in a new city can help you to discover some of the city's most hidden gems. Sometimes, getting lost can be a good thing.

Running our way through Barcelona

3. Running has given me a no-excuses mental toughness. It's 36 degrees with a drizzle in the air? (Yes, I realize to some of you Northerners, that's nothing.) Those miles aren't going to log themselves. You've already run 12 hilly miles through the streets of Austin? Here's one more for good measure. If I can do that, I can do anything.

Miracle Mile, anyone?

4. I am not a yoga person. Nor will I probably ever be a yoga person. And it's not because I don't love a good stretch, rather, my mind is often moving much faster than my body. I'm not much of a meditative person, but I am a thinker, and running gives me that much-needed time to think. As someone who has to be "on" all day, those 45 minutes I spend running help me to escape everything else I've had to deal with that day and just go.

5. Building off of that, running is cheaper than therapy. It releases frustration, stress, fear, anger, insecurity, and makes me feel confident, secure, strong, and fearless. And though running may be cheaper than therapy, it's still up in the air as to whether race fees are.

But it all evens out when you get a Tiffany necklace at the end, right?

6. I love the running community. I love meeting and chatting with new people at the starting line of races, making an instant connection because we realize that we're all a little bit (or a lot) crazy.

7. Running gives me energy. Call me crazy, but I love waking up at 4:45 in the morning to get in a run before school. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I go to school with more energy than I would have if I had slept in that extra hour. I feel focused and productive and ready to conquer the world (or at least my to-do list).

8. Ever since I can remember I've been a competitive person. I won't lie, I'm still a little bit bitter over the loss to Cinco Ranch my senior year that would have sent us to state. Even when I play pick-up volleyball with my friends, I still find myself playing competitively. Running is no exception. Not every run is going to be a PR, but I love pushing myself to the limit and realizing that some days are going to be tougher than others. Which is very true of life, as well.

9. I run because I can. I take my health for granted each and every day of my life. But every day I should be thanking God that I have two healthy legs that allow me to conquer these crazy miles. Heck, I should be thankful they allow me to run even one mile! There are so many people who can't run, for whatever reason, and not taking advantage of this incredible gift He has given me would almost be a crime.

One of my favorite running views

10. Most of all, running brings me joy. In a way that I can't seem to put into words. I think Holden Caulfield, the main character in one of my all-time favorite books, Catcher in the Rye, said it best when he said, "I don't even know what I was running for - I guess I just felt like it." Because sometimes I don't know why I'm running, but I'm in in for the long run.

Insert "running"

Were you inspired to lace up your running shoes? Or do you just think I'm a little more crazy than you thought I was before? Regardless, enjoy the rest of your Monday!

What I'm Into Now

I’ll admit that I have not been keeping up very well with some of my most favorite blogs. I just haven’t had the time to sit down and read them! Or I have used my time in other ways, I suppose! Actually, I think it’s the fact that I felt so bad about neglecting my blog that I wanted to pretend others were doing the same. But I did run across this little survey on both Peanut Butter Finger’s blog and Carrots ‘n’ Cake’s blog, so I decided I had better do it too!. You know I love a good survey!

What I'm Into Now

Celebrity on Instagram

I am probably the least celebrity-invested person that I know. I’m interested in celebrity gossip when it’s told to me, but I won’t ever seek it out. After all of that, I’m sure it surprises you to learn that I don’t actually follow any celebrities on Instagram. But one of my favorite pseudo-celebs to follow on Instagram is the 365ThingsAustin account. I may not live in Austin anymore, but I love staying up on what big events are taking place, new restaurants that are hitting the scene, and you already know I'm a sucker for a Town Lake sunset or sunrise. 

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Friend on Instagram

I have some very talented friends on Instagram. Whether it's with an artsy picture or a clever caption, checking my Instagram feed is always entertaining. So, this one is a toughie! But I really love people who post fun and colorful pictures of food, so I'm going to give this award to Claire Hogan. Though she is a Houston native, and a graduate of Memorial High School, I did not meet her until my sophomore year at SRD. She never fails to impress me with her photography skills, and I've learned of more than a few hidden gems via her Instagram page.

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Cocktail

I will typically pass on the wine when offered, but I absolutely L O V E champagne, which is always dangerous because that stuff will get ya. And if you gave me straight orange juice, I would turn up my nose. So maybe my love of champagne cancels out my dislike for orange juice. Whoops. So when Dylan and I went to brunch a couple of weeks ago when I was in Austin, I just couldn’t pass on the $2 mimosa option.

Food Indulgence

Frozen yogurt. Always. Except lately I’ve probably had too much dark chocolate per day (is there even such a thing?). I’m a huge fan of these Bark Thins – they have made a Things I’m Loving Friday appearance – and one of their current flavors is Pumpkin Flax Seed and I just cannot get enough.

Beauty Product

I don’t typically wear a lot of make-up, but I have found the one brand of mascara that I will forever purchase and wear - Benefit They're Real! Mascara. It might sound too good to be true, but this mascara lengthens, thickens, and volumizes my eyelashes. You don’t have to apply a million coats, and I never have to deal with clumps. It’s a little bit more expensive than my old pink and green tube from Walgreens, but it’s worth every penny.

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Way to Wind Down

Ever since redoing my room (which I haven’t even updated you guys on!), I love being in there. So I, and embarrassing as this is to admit, love lounging on my bed, listening to music, and either perusing Pinterest or catching up on all of the BuzzFeed quizzes I miss throughout the week. A really beneficial use of my time, I know. But at least I get some good recipes out of it! I would normally read a book, but I haven’t found a book that has really piqued my interest. Any suggestions are very welcome!

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Piece of Jewelry

I used to wear her old, one-dollar turquoise triangle ring, but I unfortunately lost that one during a trip to the gym. My mom was doing some organizing one day, and came across an old, old ring that Granny used to wear. She thought it was a retired piece from James Avery, and she was right! She let me have it, and the only time I take it off is when I swim.

And on that note, I'm off to complete a PiYo certification class at the MAC all day from 9am to 5pm. I didn't read about this on her blog, but I saw it via PBFinger's Instagram account (I'm all about Insta on this post!), and just out of curiosity, I looked up certifications coming up near me. As luck would have it, the only one taking place within 100 miles of me happened to be at my home gym. It was meant to be. I have taken a few PiYo - a combination of pilates and yoga - classes before, and I absolutely loved them. They challenge my body in a way that I absolutely don't do enough on my own, but I still feel like I get a good workout. So why not learn how to teach it? I'll be sure to come back with a full report on how the certification class goes. It's sure be a long, but successful, day!

Last Semester, Best Semester

Well everyone, this is it. Tomorrow I leave to go back to Austin to finish up my final semester at the best university in the entire world.

If you have been reading my blog with any regularity, you know that I will be completing the student teaching portion of my degree this final semester. I will be at Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD, and I will be working with a 10th grade English class - either Pre-AP or on-level. I'm going to be very honest with you guys, the thought that I'm going to be student teaching makes me feel giddy and excited one minute, and then it makes me feel completely terrified the next. What have I gotten myself into? At the age of 21 (almost 22!), I absolutely cannot be qualified to stand up in front of a bunch of teenagers and try to instill a little bit of knowledge into their brains. The only thing I know is being a student, and now you want me to be the one teaching students of my own?

But at the same time, I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in the third grade. I have had some incredible, fantastic, wonderful, and inspiring teachers throughout my school career, and there aren't enough positive adjectives on this earth to describe them and what they have done to get me to where I am today. To think that I am going to get to join the ranks of Ms. Rosso (now Mrs. McGee), Mrs. Cate, Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Griffin, Mr. Avis, Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Riddle, Coach Adcock, Mr. Stadler (S-T-A-D-L-E-R for all you Memorial Middle School Eagles), and so many more, makes my heart happy. I love high school kids, and I hope to not only have a positive influence over them, but to equip them to be good citizens in this crazy world that happens outside of the school setting.

This semester is going to be busy, stressful, and almost certainly a roller coaster ride full of both hills and valleys. And I love this little blog of mine, and I am so thankful for all of you who so faithfully read it. I may outwardly blush when someone tells me that they love my blog, but inwardly I'm grinning like an idiot. And while I initially thought I would take a "blog hiatus" for the semester, I just can't bring myself to do it. Writing is an outlet for me, as is exercise, so I think this blog is going to be necessary in order to keep me sane. So, my posts may not be very regular. And I probably won't hit my 10-posts-a-month goal. I might be posting in the wee hours of the morning, but I hope you all will continue to check in with me from time to time. I will do my best to keep posting workouts (and there are sure to be some fast and effective workouts taking place, as time will be of the essence) and both healthy and delicious recipes for you guys.

And all I know is that I'm glad I'm not going into this alone.

Clinging to Philippians 4:13

And with that, I'll leave you with a few quotes from my "inspiration" board on Pinterest. Hopefully you will find them as encouraging as I do.

Here's to making my last semester the best semester. And don't worry, I'll try to have a little bit of fun along the way! I'll check in with you guys tomorrow - probably from Austin. Have a great night!

Compilation

Today was my first full day of being "unemployed," and I am not going to lie and tell you that it didn't feel great. I absolutely love SRD, and I am so thankful for all that they have done for me - from shaping my college career when I lived there my freshman year, selecting me to be a resident assistant alongside eight wonderful ladies, and for allowing me to work there this summer. It really is the perfect job, and though I complained about it a lot some toward the end, I truly loved being able to tell people about how much SRD means to me when they call and ask questions, or when they come in for a tour. That being said, a day full of whatever the heck I wanted to do was wonderful, too.

So let's back up to yesterday and go from there. After work, I went for a swim over at Gregory Gym - my first in a while - and followed that up with a bit of room and closet organization, as well as a bike ride through campus to the capitol.

I am going home Thursday afternoon until probably Tuesday afternoon, so I want to make sure that I have everything in order to start school again on Wednesday. I picked up my textbooks, bought my notebooks, organized my desk area, and I feel as though I am mostly ready to go. We'll see how I feel come next Tuesday night, though!

After my bike ride, I set out to cross a Pinterest recipe off of my list - hummus crusted chicken. It is a surprisingly easy dish, and it tastes as good as it looks. I do have one reminder for you - remember to thaw your chicken out completely, or be looking at 15-20 more minutes in the oven. Not that that happened to me or anything.

Anyway, I used red roasted pepper hummus to coat the chicken, but be sure to pick out your favorite flavor of hummus if you choose to make this dish, as it will have your own personal touch to it when you pull it out of the oven. My only complaint about this dish is that the chicken to veggie ratio is a bit off, so I would be sure to add either one more zucchini or squash to the dish. Other than that, though, it tastes delicious, and I ate my second helping of it tonight for dinner. But more on that in a minute.

Breakfast & Workout

Breakfast this morning was another one of my Pinterest recipes - a peach raspberry smoothie. I woke up around 7:45am, headed to Town Lake for a morning walk, and when I returned to the Clubhouse, I was more than ready for something cold and refreshing. Into the blender went:

• 1 ripe banana
• Frozen peaches
• Frozen berries
• 3/4 cup (flax) milk
• 1 cup spinach
• Sprinkle of chia seeds

I think due to the especially frozen peaches, this smoothie was pretty difficult to blend at first, but it ended up at just the perfect consistency. I poured it into my latest purchase (because I couldn't resist purchasing this mug even though I don't drink coffee) from Paper Source, and drank every last drop while Katie ate her daily dose of morning oats. We ran (get it?) into one another at Town Lake, and I ended up running the last six or so minutes with her. Though I don't normally run with other people, Katie and I keep a pretty similar pace, so I welcomed the company this morning.

After finishing my smoothie, I got back in my car for a 10am Body Pump class at the gym. I really liked the class today, though the bicep track nearly killed me. To end our track, we did 24 bicep curls, which doesn't seem like very many until you've already been doing them for three minutes. The instructor had us complete some tracks from older releases, and while I haven't been the biggest fan of the latest squat and lunge tracks, I really liked what we did today. Sometimes all you need is a little variety.

I came home to shower, though I am not entirely sure why, as no less than an hour and a half later Dylan and I walked to a little park by his house to play tennis. I am quick to admit that I am no tennis star, but we had a lot of fun, and we ended up playing for a little over two hours. Dylan actually used to play tennis, so he coached me as best he could, and I will say that there was at least a tiny bit of improvement by the end of our tennis session. My serves were pretty good, anyway. And due to the fact that we played in the very middle of the day, and the fact that I neglected to apply even one spray of sunscreen, I am currently living with the repercussion of a really cute sports bra tan line. Having skin that tans easily is both a blessing and a curse, I guess.

After tennis, I set out to pick up my textbooks and make a quick trip to the grocery store because I just finished baking approximately 72 cookies. I have no real reason behind my baking extravaganza except the fact that I felt like baking cookies to give to other people. My brother in Oklahoma, Amira in Louisiana, and anyone else who might enjoy some candy-stuffed cookies.

Dinner

Dinner came together in a flash, thanks to a recipe that serves four. I did mention that the veggies were lacking in the chicken to veggie ratio, so I cooked up some broccoli to add to the mix, and I enjoyed round two of my hummus crusted chicken. And it was just as good the second time around.

And that, my friends and faithful followers, is a description of Kelli's perfect summer day. I'm worn out, so curling up with a book is probably next on the agenda. I hope your Tuesday has been just as much fun!

Recipe Thursday

Because I don't have much else to share with you today, and I've been spending more time than I should be on Pinterest (blame it on my eight-hour work shifts), I decided to round up a list of recipes that I have recently pinned, that I want to try before the summer is over. I tend to lean more toward desserts than actual meals, but I am hoping that putting this out there for the world to see will inspire me to give each of these recipes a try throughout the course of the next two weeks.

Breakfast

• Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

• Peach Raspberry Smoothie

Lunch / Dinner

• Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• Southwest Quinoa Burgers

• Hummus-Crusted Chicken

Dessert

• Giant Double Chocolate Cookies

• New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie

And now it's back to work for me. Have a great Thursday!