Here’s my race schedule:

February 26- Disney’s Princess Half Marathon (I ran it in 2010)

March 3- Gasparilla 15K in Tampa

March 18- NYC Half Marathon (also ran this in 2010)

The Princess Half actually falls on the day I should be running 12 miles, and the Gasparilla 15K falls on the day I should be running 9, so it all worked out perfectly!

What’s your race schedule like for the next few months?

RECAP:

ACTIVITY:

Ran a total of 10 miles and not one single walk break!

Earned 28 Activity Points and didn’t use any.

FOOD:

Used all of my 49 weekly allowance points.

NON-SCALE VICTORIES:

Like I said above, I ran 10 miles total this week without walking. I was able to complete a 4-mile run without walking. This is HUGE for me, the girl who used the Galloway (run/walk) method for so long.

RESULTS:

Lost 2 pounds this week for a total of 4.4 pounds lost.

THINGS TO WORK ON THIS WEEK:

• Drink more water
• Increase mileage to 5 miles with no walk breaks.
• Eat less frozen meals and more meals from scratch.

PHOTO FROM THE WEEK:

Last week’s recap:

ACTIVITY:

6 miles ran

1 yoga class

21 Activity Points earned. Zero used.

FOOD:

Used 26 of the 49 Weekly Points Allowance

NON-SCALE VICTORY:

I am now able to run 3 miles without stopping to take walk breaks! I fully intend on running the NYC Half Marathon without any walk breaks.

WEIGHT LOST: 2.4 pounds

THINGS TO WORK ON THIS WEEK:

• Drink more water
• Do not eat a big dinner the night before weigh-in
• Increase mileage to 4 miles without walk breaks

PHOTO FROM THIS WEEK:

Miscellaneous pictures of me a few months ago at the same weight…

Here’s to another successful week!

Be there or be square.

Some scenes from yesterday’s race…

Healthy Ashley! Running a marathon 3 months post-pelvic fracture= such an accomplishment!

83 days until I can register for the 2013 WDW Marathon!

Speaking of running, if you’re in the Orlando area and looking for a run club, lululemon is starting a run club. If you’re interested, email me at runeatdatesleep@gmail.com for the details.

1. Complete the WDW Marathon- CHECK!

2. Read more- CHECK! I treated myself with a Kindle and read a few classics, the first book of the Hunger Games, and a few silly romance novels. My brother has now loaned me his collection of Harry Potter books.

3. Drink more water- semi-check. I need to work harder on this.

4. Run 1000 miles in 2011- Not a check. 279 miles were run in 2011 instead. I’m not making any excuses for this.

5. Buy my first home- Not a check. But it was a “blessing”, if you will. I wouldn’t have ended up in Orlando had I purchased a home in Delaware.

6. Get back in to my size 10 pants- Not quite. I don’t think I lost (or gained) any weight overall in 2011. I’m not making excuses for this either.

7. Continue to strive for a balance between work and home. – For the most part, CHECK! I’m learning to separate my work life from my home life. I made this goal because I used to work in an actual office and stay there until 10pm sometimes. I now work at home and try to “leave work” by 6pm to enjoy my evenings. I don’t really check emails after I decide to leave my home office for the day. I do need to make more time for cleaning the house on a more consistent basis.

I was hoping to have my goals for 2012 completed before writing this post, but to no avail.

I rather enjoyed my New Year’s Day this year, despite it actually not feeling like a new year whatsoever. I spent the morning with Molly and then headed to the Mall at Millenia because I picked up a shift at the lululemon store (I work at a different store). But before I started my shift, I enjoyed a delicious lunch at Panera. I have an addiction to that place.

It was so awesome spending the afternoon/early evening with the ladies at lululemon! It’s a brand new store, and they offer free classes on Sunday mornings. Check out their Facebook page for upcoming events!

Since I’d be passing Whole Foods on the way home, I decided to indulge in their hot food bar and load up on their macaroni and cheese. Slightly obsessed! And they carry my favorite tea, Honest Tea Moroccan Mint Green Tea.

Molly spent her day laying on my luggage. I think she’s secretly letting me know she fits in the bag so I don’t leave her behind next time I fly home.

How did you spend your New Year’s Day?

I might not have completed it in the time I should have, but hey, I completed it, and that’s all that matters (to me, anyways).

In February, I was ready to settle down semi-permanently in Delaware and put an offer on a beautiful home. After two failed attempts to purchase my first home, I took it as a sign that maybe I didn’t belong in Delaware. After an enlightening conversation with my parents, I made the decision to move to Celebration, Florida, a town I had been wanting to live in since I was 19.

On July 2, the moving truck, my Jeep, myself, and my parents made the 1000-mile trek to Florida.

I spent the majority of July feeling homesick, but things quickly turned around when I purchased a Disney World annual pass and joined a running group.

In September, I began marathon training and was offered a part-time job at lululemon.

Joining the lululemon family has drastically changed my life. The day I joined the team, I gained 20 new best friends. They all honestly and genuinely care about me, and we all enjoy helping each other achieve our goals. It’s unlike any job I’ve ever had, and I can’t imagine my life without lululemon.

In October, I completed my fourth half-marathon, Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon.

In November, I turned 30 and celebrated with Alison by hitting all 4 Disney World parks in one day.

I also adopted the sweetest beagle there ever was! If you’re my Facebook friend, I’m sure you’re tired of me posting her pictures, but here’s a few more!

All professional pictures were done by Paw Prints Charming.

Molly’s has filled a piece of my heart I didn’t know was missing. She makes my house a home. She loves me unconditionally and gives me little nose nudges when we both need the affection.

This year has been absolutely life-changing. I completed a full marathon and my fourth half-marathon. I’m living in one of the most beautiful towns in the country. I continue to work with my amazing family for our mortgage company, and I’m lucky enough to work at home and be with Molly all day long. lululemon has helped me develop myself professionally and personally and has inspired me to go after the goals I set for myself, no matter how challenging or impossible they may seem. And Molly provides me with so much joy and love. I have friends and family who love me and always support me in every decision I make. While I used to think that a husband and children would complete me, I think my life is pretty darn perfect the way it is. The rest is icing on the cake.

I simply cannot wait to see what 2012 brings!

I entered the lottery last year, and unfortunately, I didn’t get in. However, I got in this year!!!

Now, I had to back out of the 2012 WDW Marathon because of a knee issue and plantar fasciitis, but I’m determined to get myself healed and trained properly for New York. I will PR again.

Coming soon- 2012 goals and a look back at 2011.

How are you ringing in the New Year? I’m hoping to go to a Disney park for fireworks with Alison. Crossing our fingers the parks don’t close due to capacity. I’m usually down for a quiet night in watching a movie on NYE, but this year will be different!

I’m waiting for some additional photos to be edited, and I’ll be sharing them here soon.

I can’t believe how well we’ve both adjusted. We know how to communicate with each other now, and I’ve curbed most of her constant barking. I never had a dog when I was a child, so this was a huge step for me and a very huge learning experience.

She had to have surgery on her ears a week ago in order to resection her ear canals. If the surgery wasn’t done, she would completely lose her hearing, and she could possibly get a fatal infection. She spent one night at the animal hospital, and it only took that one night for me to realize I had completely fallen in love with Molly. I missed hearing her snore. I missed knowing she was at my feet under my desk as I worked. My home felt empty. I think we were both equally excited when she came home.

In other news, my parents graciously paid for my plane ticket to fly home for Christmas. I was starting to get really sad that I’d be spending the holidays without family, but this quickly lifted my spirits. Unfortunately, Molly will need to be boarded, and Disney’s kennel is all booked up for the holidays. Does anyone in the Orlando area have a recommendation for a kennel?

This was undoubtedly the largest 5K I’ve ever been a part of. There were 5000 pre-registrants, and I don’t even know how many registered on the day of the race. It was a crowded race the whole time, to say the least. The course circled around Lake Eola, and most of the run was on cobblestone roads, which were still filled with parked cars. There was lots of bottle-necking, and many of us tried to run on the sidewalks to eliminate the need to run on the cobblestone. I stuck to the sidewalks, but this is also where people came to pull off and walk right in front of me. (I wore the cutest lululemon running outfit, and I totally forgot to take a picture of myself all day!)

Despite not running for over a month, I felt extremely strong throughout the whole race and only needed a few, very quick walk breaks. I think knowing my lululemon friends were in the race with me really inspired me.

Splits

Mile 1- 10:57

Mile 2- 11:27

Mile 3- 11:29

The last 1.6 (I guess my sidewalk weaving made the course “long”)- 1:40 … a 10:02 pace

Total- 35:33

I’m extremely proud of my time (it’s one of my better times), and it give me the motivation I needed to rethink signing up for the WDW Marathon. Unfortunately, my plantar fasciitis came barreling back, and I had a hard time walking after a while after the race.

Right after the race, we all got together at Laura’s house for a pumpkin-filled breakfast! What a way to start Thanksgiving morning, right?

We started with pumpkin white mocha hot chocolate made with coconut milk. Absolutely delicious!

There were pumpkin scones…

Mimosas…

Pumpkin beer bread, eggs, pumpkin pancakes, and fruit.

And of course, we all sat around and watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Although my family is a thousand miles away, I’m so thankful to have my Florida “family” here. They made the day so special!

Did you run a Turkey Trot this year?