30 Day Challenge

Here is a topic that I rarely ever talk about or discuss: diet and exercise. I'm not a subscriber to any sort of plan or method, and not because I don't believe that they work. (Although if I'm going to be completely honest I do think some of it is brainwashing) Luckily, I've been blessed with two things that have aided in not ever having to go on a diet : good genetics and athleticism. I've been an athlete since I was 6. I played softball until I was 12 then switched to soccer, started basketball, volleyball, dropped volleyball and basketball and took up tennis and kept soccer in HS and in college kept playing tennis and took up running. I also grew up with a health nut of a mom and did not experience Taco Bell until junior high. So while I have never been on Atkins or South Beach or Weight Watchers, I understand that some people need the structure, guidance and knowledge of others to help them get in shape and learn better nutrition. So where am I going with all this?

As you all know I've been traveling a lot, and with traveling comes more meals out and less exercise. I do my best to keep it healthy when I'm on the road but sometimes you just don't have a whole lot of options. So after many weekends on the go I've been feeling a little out of sorts and out of shape with my traveling diet and lack of exercise. Enter my very own 30 Day Challenge. I came up with a workout schedule for 30 days that includes a combination of running, strength training, cross training and rest days. So far I'm right on track and it hasn't been too terrible, although at the start of my 4 mile run yesterday I thought I was doomed. In true runners fashion though the endorphins kicked in eventually and my runners high carried me through. Also I'm hoping this challenge will get me to the gym more often. Since, you know, I pay for a membership and all but rarely ever go there.

So join me in a 30 Day Challenge and really test yourself. I promise you can do it, and it doesn't even have to involve running if you're not a runner! Substitute it for cycling, dance, power walking whatever suits you as long as you're moving. I've decided to start doing twitter updates to hold myself accountable so I'm less likely to fall off the wagon.

Parting questions: Have any of you tried and program or method before? What ones worked and what ones didn't? Also does anyone have any tips for eating healthy while traveling? I'll take them :)

Cheers!

Marisa

Home Sweet Home

For the first time in a month neither Drew nor I will be getting in a car and traveling this weekend. I'm looking forward to it but at the same time am bummed since that means I won't be seeing Drew. :( I think we've been spoiled over the last month getting to spend so much time together. This past weekend was an absolute blast as we attended our very first wedding together, with a bunch of old friends. Many beers were had, much dancing was done, and hopefully there are very few pictures of it as I'm sure I was anything but graceful. To add to the wedding festivities already happening, we learned our good friends had gotten engaged that weekend. Something was definitely in the air that weekend and I'm pretty sure it was love :)

(via)

I picked that photo because Drew holds my hand always and I LOVE IT. Which reminds me of a story I forgot to tell when we were in Duluth. We were walking down the street to go get some lunch and are approaching a mom carrying her young daughter. 

Kid: Mommy look! They're walking together! (meaning holding hands)

Mom: They are because they love each other.

Kid: YAYYY!!!!!!

I wish I could send that kid a card. It made my life :)

Have you had enough of the love fest going on over here? Yes? Okay lets talk golf and beer.

Tomorrow is my company golf outing which means it's time for the annual dragging of my golf clubs out of the basement. Yes I have clubs, but no I cannot golf for shit. But I'm da bomb at drinking beers and driving a golf cart. And really, what else is there to golf? If you don't follow me on twitter you should probably start as tomorrow will be a tweet fest of my amazing beer drinking golfing abilities. 

So follow me @marisa84 and stay tuned. I'm setting my sights high and hoping to win the shortest drive prize. Wish me luck!

Cheers

Marisa

I'm alive, I swear

Just trying to get my life back together from being on the road for so long. I promise a complete update tomorrow. Crazy amazing things going on right now. Basically right now I feel like Kate:

(Image via we heart it)

Beautiful, fabulous and completely loved. :)

Kate Middleton Cheers 4 Life,

Marisa

You keep alive a moment at a time...

Okay seriously Walk by the Foo Fighters has been on repeat non-stop up in here. Neighbors probably love it. But that line has always been my fav, because isn't it the truth? I used to be the queen of overreacting EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE NOW!!!! Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Some obstacle has been tossed in your path and you immediately lose focus on all the other things around you because you HAVE to fix this right now and then that's when you can't breathe, the shakes set in and food? Wait people are supposed to eat daily? Yeah that's how I used to live my life, one "crisis" to the next. Spending hours upon hours agonizing over a  seemingly impossible task or problem, thinking of how I'm going to fail and my life will end and I'll have no friends because who would be friends with a loser like me. This wasn't in the "plan" of how my life was supposed to go. It wasn't until my life did "end" that I actually was able to stop this behavior. Yes despite all the trepidation last year caused me I was faced with two options: I could continue with this self deprecating, anxiety ridden, emotionally damaging way of dealing with my life or, I could muster up the courage to face things head on, rationally, logically and without fear of an apocalyptic failure. 

Obviously I choose the latter option. Sure I still panic initially when I receive a huge blow whether it be emotionally or financially ( please see here) but now instead of letting that panic get the better of me for days or weeks I can take a deep breath, focus and evaluate. And still eat lunch too. Which is always awesome, because I love lunch. 

I'm not perfect. I'll be the first to admit that. There are certain times (ahem) a month that I can't control myself. Despite my best efforts I resort to talking to myself like a parent trying to rationalize with a 5 year old:

26 year old me: This is not acceptable. This is not how adults act.

5 year old me: But he didn't text me back and it's been 15 MINUTES! Whyyy????????

26 year old me: Because we are all adults and have jobs and other responsibilities we can't always reply to texts as quickly as we'd like.

5 year old me: No, no I think he's mad at me. I should call him. Right? Yeah I'll send another text then call. Maybe I should IM first...yeah IM, text, then call....

26 year old me: Dear God there is no hope.

Yes this is the conversation that takes place in my head with whatever minute event that is going on. Bestie didn't IM today at work, Boss didn't  say goodbye when he left, My cat didn't meow at me when I walked in the door. Does anyone else get as frustrated as me when this happens? It's like I know I'm being totally irrational but I Just. Can't. Stop. Please tell me I'm not alone.

Anyway moral of this story being, when big tasks seem overwhelming and daunting, take a step back, evaluate and plan the course of action best for you. Because as much as we'd all like to have our lives planned out for the next 5 to 10 years, when something goes awry and throws a wrench in those plans the turmoil it causes can make us miss some pretty amazing things going on around us.I'll be honest long distance relationship was not on the list of things I wanted to do in life. However I wouldn't trade it now for the world. It was the best leap of faith I've ever made. Had I listened to my first initial panic like, what if it snows so much in the winter we can't see each other? Seriously? It was July why would I be worrying about snow? But had I listened to that craziness, I'd be missing out on so much awesome right now. So friends, remember don't panic, breathe and take a step back. Stop worrying about the what ifs down the road and remember to just live a moment at a time.

Cheers,

Marisa

Hit it hard every yard for ISU!!!!

Oh hey. Remember me? The girl who's been traveling non stop for the last couple of weeks, yeah thats me. 'Bout time for a GD update. So here it is. I survived camping. AND I actually had fun! Tettegouche State Park was absolutely beautiful and the weather could not have been more perfect nor could my company be any better :)

(Camping essentials...I still don't know what half of it is)

We pitched a tent, made a fire and I called upon my gathering skills and collected twigs for the fire while Drew was in charge of the food. Also I think it goes without saying that we gorged ourselves on S'mores. I forgot how awesome they are.

(Campsite view of Lake Superior)

In the morning we got to watch the sunrise over the lake while eating oatmeal and drinking our coffee. Then something happened that made my entire camping trip. While eating breakfast I looked down over the bluff to see not one but FOUR river otters playing about in the lake. For an animal lover like myself it was the best morning ever.

So moral of the story being if you can get yourself to Tettegouche in the fall because it's absolutely amazing even if you're not the biggest camper.....yet.

So what the heck is with the post title. My Iowa friends know...some may be cheering along...some may be crying in their beers still. This past weekend was the BIGGEST weekend in football in Iowa. The Iowa vs Iowa State game. Iowa is considered the powerhouse football team in the state. Big Ten blah blah blah. However the game was held in Ames this year and of course we were up there at 6:30am cracking open a cold one and cheering on our alma mater. It was an INTENSE game with not one but THREE overtimes with the Cyclones coming out victorious. Seriously I never enjoyed seeing so many faces in so much misery as I did at the bar when Iowa State scored the winning touchdown. The Iowa fans were being particularly rude and well typical Iowa douchebags so it made it all the more amazing. I also may have gotten angry and threw an empty beer can into the crowd at one point. Whatever they were jerks. Anyways, from what I can recall it was a great day and all I need to remember is that the Cyclones won and Iowa City can suck it.

How about everyone else? Any other football victories this weekend? Anyone else throw some beer cans at douchebags?

Cyclone Cheers!

Marisa