Happiness Project Update - Q1 2016 Status Check

It’s March and that means the end of Q1 2016.

I’m more than halfway through my second semester of #1Lhell. Which means I have another attempt at law school exams lurking in the not-to-distant future.



It also means I’ve learned a ton. I really have. It’s easy to minimalize how much you’re learning in law school because it’s all very details oriented. In the end, though, I’ve learned a lot about Torts, Contracts, Legal Writing (my least favorite class, surprisingly), Legal Research, and Property (one of my favorite classes – except for present estates and future interests because what evil demon thought that crap up!?!).

Anyway, in addition to school work I’ve had nearly three months to work on my happiness project. Here are some of my results so far:

January’s goal – Declutter
· I tackled the kitchen! I decluttered the cabinets and pantry. I even decluttered the fridge. I felt really good about accomplishing this task because I’ve been cooking more and more and needed my kitchen to be orderly. Of course, it’s now March and my kitchen is almost always in a state or clutter: dishes piled in the sink or drying on the counter, fruit bowl on the counter, etc. However, everything does have a place to go – I just fail at putting stuff away. It’s very peaceful when I get around to putting everything away.

· For example, I’ve been meal prepping. This means on Sunday I cook all the food for the entire week, package it up in serving size containers, and store it in the fridge. As you can imagine, I have a literal boat-load of tupperwear. Before the January deculttering I could never find enough lids. Now, however, I have all my meal prep containers in one area, stacked with their lids. All other containers are in another, separate, area and those lids are in a drawer. It’s so much easier to put away the meal prep containers when they are clean and to find clean containers when I need them. It’s fabulous.

· Now if I could just get back on top of keeping the dishes out of the sink and finishing meal prep on Sunday that would be great.

· I also failed at decluttering other spaces – didn’t get to my linen closets, the master bedroom, or the living room. I did declutter my closet but it exploded almost immediately into a huge, unwieldy mess. So I’m not counting that.


February’s goal – Be more present
· I pretty much failed at this goal. At least I failed at it during the month of February.

· I ambitiously sought to create no-phone-zones so I could be more present with my hubby. But every time I wanted to implement a no-phone-zone it seemed impossible. The first no-phone-zone I picked was the car. Seems easy, right? But then I needed directions or I needed to google the hours to some place. And when while I was doing that I would get a text from a friend at school or my sister. Then I would be texting and googling while my hubby drives….so it because pretty clear that the car was not a realistic no-phone-zone.

· Why not make the bedroom a no-phone-zone? My parents do. They charge their phones in the kitchen so they never have their phones in the bedroom. Seems easy enough. But my hubby and I use our phones more than our laptops. We are constantly searching things on our phones or checking the status of our amazon orders or browsing Pinterest (in my case). We do all of these things in bed before we turn off the light so the bedroom didn’t seem like a realistic no-phone-zone either. Moreover, I read my e-reader in bed a lot. And it didn’t seem fair that I should be able to read my books but Handsome Jack not be able to research the latest bike mod he likes one his phone. All things considered, the bedroom was not going to be a no-phone-zone.

· Jump ahead to March. My friends and I start a Fitbit step challenge that requires me to hit 10k steps a day. This led me to take walks with Handsome Jack after work or school. Our walks became the perfect no-phone-zones! We walk, enjoying the weather and each other. We talk and joke and are perfectly present. Sure, it’s a month late (March, not February) but better late than never.

March’s goal – Make time for friends
· Finally, I accomplished the vast majority of a goal on time! I coordinated with my gal pals to have a ‘girls weekend’ later this year. I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve been friends forever but seeing people face to face is always better than merely liking their status updates on Facebook.

· I also coordinated with both sides of my family to have family vacations later this summer!! This is a tradition that started a few years ago and has been one of my all-time favorites. Handsome Jack’s family get together will be at the beach (have I mentioned how much I love the ocean!?) and my family get together will be at the lake (are you sensing a theme here?).

· March hasn’t been all fun and games, however. Earlier this month I learned about the tragic and sudden passing of a dear friend. His death really threw me into a spiral. I started questioning everything. Why him and not me? Why him at all? Did he know how much he was loved? And even though I hadn’t seen him in years I knew he was out in the world, shining his brilliant light into someone else’s life. Now that he has passed the world seems a little less special. But I’m better for having known his kind heart. I’m better for having learned from his determined spirit. The more I focused on all we had together the more I realized the tragedy of his death is overshadowed, at least for me, in the miracle of having known him at all. Of all the people in all the world I was his friend and he was mine. We were close for years and he left an indelible mark on my heart. Isn’t that what this whole happiness project is about? Being present and grateful for all we have while we have it?

· I’ve been helping, in a small way, to plan my friends memorial. As a result I feel connected with friends from my past and I’m looking forward to celebrating my friends life (because he was awesome and loved). If I can help celebrate his awesomeness in any small way I knew I had to contribute. Although it’s sad, this memorial is another way I’m making time for friends.


That’s where I am in my happiness project. Progress, happiness, and some sadness (c’est la vie). I’m not always on schedule with my goals but if you’ve learned anything from my previous posts on goals (here and here) then you know that a little slippage is okay – to be expected even. So far I’m staying the course. I don’t believe I need to make any changes to my goals so far. And I’m really enjoying the 12 smaller goals. It seems more manageable than one or two overarching, yearlong goals. My only yearlong goal is my 5k goal (one race every month). Check out my race recaps for January, February, and March.

How are your goals coming along? How are you working to find your happiness?

Race Recap: Three Down, Nine To Go #12in12

Another month, another race in the books. And this race was the fastest yet!!

I signed up for a 1am, “Chasing the Moonlight” 5k on the day we set our clocks forward. I stupidly confused Spring-forward with Fall-back and thought that this 5k would be an ‘impossible’ race. I know there is a race called the “impossible 5k” which happens on the day we set our clocks back for Fall and the end result is that you have a negative time (impossible, right?).

But this wasn’t Fall-back, it was Spring-forward. So my hubby and I got up at 11:30 pm and drove over to the mall to get ready for the 1am start. As you might imagine, we were very tired.

The race had a tropical theme with tiki torches, potted palm trees, and steel drum music. Lots of people were dressed up for the event. Many people wore grass skirts or flowers around their neck. There was a long line to get your picture taken with the palm trees and tiki tourches so we headed over to the more important line - the line for the port-a-potties.

We also saw an adult running in a Pickachu costume and this terrifying raptor.

This beast stalked us while we waited in line for the bathroom.

Now, the race itself was a lot of fun. We ran a relatively flat loop of road that circled the mall. It was well lit in most sections by the parking lights. And periodically, around the loop, there was music (one DJ station and one steel drum station). The lighting and music kept the early morning run fun.

Now, my hubby and I are still not at our peek fitness levels. We are cross training like crazy but his busted ACL prevents him from putting a lot of miles on his legs. The elliptical bothers both of us because we tend to hyper extend our knees on that machine. So we’ve been training with our personal trainer at least twice a week, walking 2 -3 miles every day, and doing 20-30 mins of cardio on the stair master once or twice a week.

When it came time to run we were ready. He always goes out too fast, and this race was no different. We broke away and held a good pace for the first half mile. However, after that, I needed a walk break. Yes, we took walk breaks. But when we ran we ran pretty fast (for us).

We finished this 5k in 38.50.

That’s five minutes faster than the January race and two minutes faster than February’s race. Woot woot!

My hope is that I will be back to my top running form in the next several months. In 2008, when I was 6 miles a day (injury free!!) my goal was to get my 5k time under 30 mins. I would be lying if I said my goal this year is anything other than a sub 30 5k. I want it. But I’m older and heavier and injured. So I know it’s silly to shoot for something so hard. But I’m doing it anyway.

What’s that old saying? Shoot for the moon because if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars.

Have you run any races lately? Share your running stories here:

Race Recap: Two down, Ten More To Go #12in12

It's February and that means it's time for another 5k. Check out my quick recap of my January 5k here.

It's been chilly so I ran the race in full gear: running pants, long sleeves, gloves, hood, and three layers. The skies were blue and beautiful. It as just a little too chilly for me.

My hubby and my sister ran with me. Well, my sister ran for time while my hubby and I ran for fun (his knee is still jacked up and he hasn't had surgery yet so we are taking it easy).

Taking it easy doesn't mean we can't have fun.

School's off to a good start this semester. I'm definitely under less stress than last year. A lot of things could be contributing to my reduced stress:

1. I gave up coffee: I switched to tea so I'm not caffeine-free. More like reduced caffeine.

2. I listen to music when I read: I've been listening to zen-like message music (without words) while I read.

3. I'm working out again: my class schedule allows me more time at the gym which is always good.

4. I've been through this before: It's not a mystery anymore. I know what species of hell I'm in for.

Last month's happiness goals went fairly well. I'm heading into February with a positive attitude.


How are your goals coming along?

Race Recap: One Down, Eleven to go #12in12

Remember when I posted my goal of running more? Specifically, I want to run 12 5k's in 2016. Well, my first 5k of my 12 5k challenge is done!

It took a herculean effort to get to this first race. It wasn't far from home, actually, it was right up the street and had an eight am start time (not bad). All good.

I just wanted to be sleeping at home with my kitties....but, alas, I made this a goal so I was going to run this race!

Luckily it was barely cold that morning so Handsome Jack and I weren't completely miserable as we waited for the race.

There were less than 200 people running which was exciting. Sometimes a small, local race is just what you need.

We lined up at ten til eight and waited for the the starting gun...or, in this case, a guy yelling 'start.'

We jogged along pretty well in the early morning, winter mist. Not full-on rain but not fog either. I was happy to run down streets I hadn't explored before.

Then the fatigue hit. Around mile 1 I was feeling flat. My break from running really showed. My muscles didn't hurt or ache but I felt sluggish. My cardiovascular fitness just wasn't there.

Now, I should say Handsome Jack was running on a torn ACL. Yep, that's right, he tore his ACL last year and we are waiting for a surgery slot so he can get it fixed. So when we targeted this race we knew it would be a slow, run-walk, starter race.

And we did walk.

We finished the 5k in 41.20. Not my worst time but certainly not my best. It's reminiscent of my first ever 5k's back in 2008. Sigh. It's amazing how fast your fitness can go.

But you know what, it's okay. It's a starting place. I can only get faster from here.

It was a great start to my goal. One down, eleven more to go!
To help me keep focused on my goal of 12 5k's in 1 year (not necessarily one a month but not necessarily not one a month, you know) I signed up for the ilovetorun.org 100 days of miles challenge. Check it out here.

The challenge comes with a super cool medal. Can't wait to earn that bling.


After the race I got back into studying.

Have you run any races in January? Share your experiences here:

For the love of 5k's

The half marathon is my favorite distance. I’ve run a boat load of Half’s and even a few Full’s. There is an enlightenment that comes with pushing your body farther than you think possible.

But Half’s and Full’s aren’t the only way to have a fun, rewarding experience racing. Here are 5 reasons I love 5k’s:

1. They’re cheap – most of the time. Sure, a mud run is going to be pricier, but for the most part 5k’s are way cheaper than a Half or Full. Where a full might cost more than 100$ a 5k will likely be priced around 20-30$.

2. They’re fast (even if you aren’t) – I’m a fairly slow runner. I’m not qualifying for Boston anytime soon. Where a Half might take me 2.5-3 hours a 5k is going to take just over 30 mins. Don’t even get me started on my Full times (they’re long races at my pace. Check out some of my past times on my RunDisney page.

3. They’re friendly – Some Half’s and most Full’s take themselves pretty seriously. Those races are big deals so people’s attitudes can be prickly. I’ve seen people get elbowed, spit on, cussed at, and called a cheater by racers at Half’s and Full’s. I’ve never seen that behavior at a 5k. Most people are there for fun.

4. They require minimal training (if you are into that sort of thing) – Hard core running isn’t for everyone. I’m not even close to being hard core and I find it hard to fit training for long races into my life. A 5k is a great tune-up event. You can train or not train. You can set a goal or not set a goal. You can push hard or not push hard. The race it what you make of it and the distance is short enough to allow you to challenge yourself (or not).

5. They’re everywhere – 5k’s are offered all the time all over the place. Our local race calendar shows multiple 5k’s almost every weekend from now until winter. These little races pop up in just about any and every community. I like running races close to home but I also enjoy running through new areas.

I’ve got a race coming up this weekend and, you guessed it, it’s a 5k. I’m looking forward to having a blast on a cheap, fast, friendly, local 5k. And yes, I have been training.


Which distance is your favorite?

8 Tips for Running Injury Free

For many of us the running season is in full swing. Or, at least, the training season has begun. Woo hoo!

But with running season comes the constant plague shadowing every athlete (whether professional or not): injury. I know a lot of runners who have been sidelined with injury – including my myself and my hubby, Handsome Jack.

Staying injury free is even more important if you have complicating conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, or arthritis. Running injuries can lead to chronic pain and, potentially, even surgery. Just ask Handsome Jack, and his 4 knee surgeries,ugh.

So before we get neck deep in long runs and foam rollers I thought I'd share some tips on staying injury free. I’ve picked these up over the years and they help me. Keep in mind I’m not a doctor or health professional. I’m just your average fitness fanatic. Nothing here is meant to treat or cure pain or injury. Now, that being said, let’s dive into my 8 Tips For Running Injury Free:

1. Build slowly – I picked this tip up from the knowledgeable folks over at Runners World. If your aiming for a long race train by slowly increasing your mileage over several weeks. This allows your body to adjust to the pounding and helps you stay injury free.

2. Rest – yes you. You need to rest. And often. Take rest days just as seriously as any other training day. Your body needs time to heal. Activity, especially intense athletic training – causes tiny tears to form in your muscles. Your body needs rest in order to heal those tears. My stress fracture occurred because I didn’t allow myself enough rest. And if you don’t know, stress fractures are nasty little things you don't want. Don’t be like me – get your rest!

3. Cross train – Which, for most runners, cross training is a bad word. But it’s an absolute must. Early on in our running Handsome Jack suffered from ITB problems. The doctor told him the ITB problems were caused by an imbalance in his leg muscles. Essentially, his running muscles were too strong and his other leg muscles weren’t strong enough. He spent weeks in Physical Therapy building up a more balanced leg. Now we take cross training seriously and he’s been ITB pain free for years.

4. Don’t wait too long to see a doctor – Now, if you’re like me and generally healthy you probably don’t see a doctor on a regular basis. But if you are an athlete (which, as a runner – regardless of size, speed, or finishing time - you totally are) you should take your body seriously. If you are feeling persistent pain don’t ignore it. Go to the doctor sooner rather than later. Delaying could make your pain worse. Seeing your doctor early gives you the opportunity to adjust to avoid being sidelined. If the doctor order physical therapy take the therapy. Your body is the machine you use to live, work, and play. Don’t ignore the signals it’s sending or you could be sidelined for a long, frustrating recovery, and no one wants that. Worst case scenario you could find yourself suffering in a Zimmer persona malfunction issue, for example. This is a knee replacement device indicated for patients with severe knee pain. Unfortunately the device has been recalled due to a piece causing complications and has even sent patients back in for revision surgery. So please make sure you pay attention to your pain!

5. Take walk breaks when needed – When I first started running I thought I wasn’t a real runner if I took walk breaks. But the concept is ridiculous. If I’m running I’m a runner. I may not look like a runner or be as fast as another runner but I’m out there which means I’m a runner. Don’t be afraid to take walk breaks. I jammed my knee during a hiking trip two summers ago and it flares up and gets swollen from time to time (especially on long runs). I’ve had it looked at and there is no visible damage in there – so I returned to my running routine. But I listen to my knee. When it tells me to walk I walk. And you know what? I haven’t missed a race yet.

6. Eat to train – this is a big one. Eating is important to your overall health but its especially important for an athlete. Make sure you’re getting enough protein, fat, and carbs in your meals to provide your body with the fuel it needs to heal.

7. Ice and stretch – When I was in school I used to see the track kids walking out of the athletic training facility wrapped in bags of ice. Their shins, their knees, some hips and even feet would be wrapped in ice. Ice helps reduce inflammation after a workout. Use it. Some runners swear by ice baths. I haven’t tried that yet. However, I do ice my knees when they hurt and it’s a huge help. Also, stretch. Always always stretch. Now, there is debate about whether or not one should stretch before or after a workout. I don’t care. Just be sure you do. I’ve always heard long, flexible muscles are better and produce better results. Who knows if it’s true. But what I do know is that I always feel better after I stretch.

8. Don’t give up – if you are running with injuries or coming back from an injury it can feel horrible. Everything is hard on the way back to where you were. I get it. I feel ya bro. But don’t give up. Keep pushing forward. Even when you are sore and stiff. The best remedy to that soreness is working your muscles and flushing all that lactic acid out of there. Keep moving and you’ll not only prevent injuries but bounce back faster after an injury.

Those eight things have worked to keep me running for more than seven years. What works for you?

TBT: What I Love About Running

I'm happy to introduce a new feature on the blog: Throw Back Thursday featuring posts from my archives. You know, because sometimes there is a post I love so much I want to share it again. And sometimes the words I mash into sentences on this blog are relevant or thought provoking. Either way, throughout the year I will be dredging the archives for relevant posts and offering them up as TBT.

Today's post is special to me seeing as how my running season is over (sigh). I stumbled across this post (originally published in Oct 2008) while cleaning up some old (aka ancient) social media. It's simple and I really connected with the passion in it. So, today, for my first TBT, I want to share What I Love About Running:

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Today I was running my first 10k and somewhere around mile 5 I started counting the top 10 reasons why I love running.

10. I don't have to look pretty. I don't have to wear makeup or have cute hair. I can just sweat it out.

9. I get to see new places. I love running races in new parts of town...site seeing is fun.

8. Meeting new people. There is always some nice old guy and some crazy ladies to chat with...today I ran with a 90 year old man for about half a mile...he was great.

7. Competition. I love the little triumphs running provides.

6. Measurable goals. I can set goals that are actually attainable...I don't need to be a track star to feel good about my accomplishments.

5. You can be gross if you want to be. I wont lie...I giggled when I had to spit around mile 4. Where else can you just spit with no apologies? lol!

4. Reconnecting with your body. The human body is so amazing and is capable of great things.

3. Time to think. I like having time to zone out and just let my mind adventure.

2. Running gives me an excuse to rawk out to crazy music. My running mix currently includes the William Tell Overture, some Luda, Flo Rida, and crazy hip hop from Japan. Yeah buddy. That's right.

1. Its hard. Didn't someone say that if something was easy it wasn't worth while? Or hard things are great? Either way, running is wonderful because when you push yourself you grow.


What do you love about running?

Fitbit: helpful friend or negative nancy?

I got a shiny new toy for Christmas this year: a Fitbit.

It’s actually surprising that I didn’t get on this bandwagon sooner. I’m typically all about fitness gadgets (I may or may not have two Garmin watches, a foot pod, a heart rate monitor, and other techy stuff affiliated with fitness). So, I was thrilled to get it as a gift (kudos to my hubby for the great gift idea).

I’ve been using the cute little Fitbit for a while now and wanted to share my thoughts:

1. It’s eye-opening: I’m a runner. I like working out. I like when my muscles are sore and I tend to look forward to workouts (not always, but generally). I’m technically overweight for my height but I’m happy with the way my clothes fit and my general strength (I can move my furniture myself, etc.). So all things considered I would call myself ‘fit’. Sure, I could lose weight and eat better (couldn’t we all) but I’m capable and strong.

When I started getting my Fitbit stats I was BLOWN AWAY by how little activity I did on non-gym days. On days I go to the gym (generally only three days a week) I hit 10,000 steps no prob.

But on days when I don’t go to the gym I am seriously sedentary. On non-gym days I average 2,000 – 3,000 steps. That’s it. That’s not great.

I decided to change my habits (take more steps on non-gym days) based on the information Fitbit provided. Now, I’m not beating myself up over it or running every single day (recurring injury prevents it). But I’m making a conscious decision to walk more and so far so good....like this guy:

2. Tracking sleep is harder than I imagined: One of the things that sparked my interest about the Fitbit was its ability to track sleep. I was pretty confident that I was getting 7-8 hours a night but how many minutes of that sleep was restless? Inquiring minds (well, my mind) want to know.

Here’s the thing, tracking sleep requires that you remember to turn ‘sleep mode’ on before you zonk out. At first I did this no prob. But as the weeks wore on I forgot more than I remembered. So now my sleep data is incomplete (which bums me out).

What data I did collect was interesting. I was actually getting far less sleep than I thought (think 5 – 6 hrs instead of 7-8). No wonder I was tired every day.

3. Getting badges (Fitbit awards for achieving goals) is actually fun: My little brother described it best when he said, “so it’s like your life is an RPG and the Fitbit tells you when you level up?” YEEEEEESSSSS.

It is just like that. I love getting badges for achievements. And I love when it vibrates to let me know I’ve hit my step goal for the day. It’s actually pretty fun to use.

4. The web interface is better than the mobile interface: This bums me out. You can do so much more (and see so much more) on the full ‘web’ version of the app versus the mobile version.

Here’s the rub, I pretty much only use the mobile interface on my phone. I rarely think to log into my Fitbit profile on my laptop. So it’s a bit discouraging to have limited capabilities on the mobile side of things. Maybe this will improve over time (or as I learn more about the mobile side of the app).

Overall, I really enjoy using Fitbit.

I like to think of the Fitbit as my fitness CP. Sometimes I don't like what my Fitbit has to say but most of the time its feedback is hugely empowering. Too often, I think we default into believing we are doing ‘enough’ to stay healthy.

I know I certainly fell into that boat. So having new information on my habits helped me make better decisions. And, so far, Fitbit has been fun to use and unobtrusive.

I would definitely recommend Fitbit to someone interested in better understanding their current habits or looking to make changes.