My Experience with the COVID-19 Vaccine

So first, let me start by saying I feel extremely grateful to have been in the first round of recipients. Working in the clinic setting I thought I would have been in a second or maybe even in a third wave of recipients but with the possibility that it will become necessary to deploy ambulatory RNs into the hospital in the event of worsening COVID surging I was able to get both vaccinations at early dates. I feel for those healthcare workers who have been on the frontlines from the beginning yet still unable to receive it at this time even though they are the fighting hands, day in and day out, aiding in saving lives of so many who have become infected with this awful illness. My hope is that all healthcare workers and non healthcare workers will have it in the coming weeks to months so we can all start to feel at least a little protected as we attempt to return to normalcy.

Vaccination #1 – Saturday, December 19, 2020. 10:00AM

Initially, I felt fine. My arm a little sore – to be expected, a sharp object was just jabbed into it. I came home from receiving my vaccination and went about life as normal. Tyler and I went for a walk, ate lunch, cleaned house… honestly a pretty normal Saturday.

Then somewhere around 4pm, I was wiped out!! I felt like a train hit me. We had just gotten back from our walk about 30min prior to and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. By 4:30, I couldn’t fight the urge to fall asleep any more and climbed into bed. I slept harder than I have ever slept for 2 straight hours. By the time I woke up, my arm HURT. I actually only woke up because I rolled over onto that arm and the pain woke me. I stayed awake for a few hours then returned to bed by 9pm and called it a night.

The next morning I was a little groggy and had a dull headache. By the 24hr mark I was okay, minus my arm. The arm pain started to fade by the 48hr mark and was completely gone by Tuesday when I woke up.

Vaccination #2 – Thursday, January 7, 2020, 10:00AM

Just like the first one, initially I felt okay. I had the vaccine, waited my 15min then headed back to work (at home) for the rest of the day. The first few hours were business as usual, then it hit me like a ton of bricks…

Around 2:00 the headache started, just a dull annoying headache but nothing seemed to make it go away. I tried Tylenol, caffeine, and extra water – my usual cure for all headaches. By 4:00, the chills set in. I felt like I was freezing in my 70 degree home with sweats and a blanket on. By 6:00, I was full on miserable. My head was pounding, my body ached, I was shivering like I was in the Arctic in a bikini, and my arm felt like it was rammed by a bull running full speed. I took another dose of Tylenol at about 8:30 and went to bed to try and sleep off the misery.

The next morning, the headache and just general feeling of brain fog were still present as well as the body aches. I was able to go into work and complete my day but boy do I wish I had it off so I could have slept off the rest of the misery. By about noon, the brain fog and headache did begin to lift and by around 4:00/5:00 the body aches were diminishing. Again, this night, I was in bed by around 8:30pm but thankfully, I only needed to take one dose of Tylenol all day.

The following morning, my symptoms were almost completely gone. A dull headache and a sore arm were my only remaining side effects. The headache went away by the end of the day and the sore arm gone by the end of day Monday.

All in all, even though I did experience side effects, I feel so blessed to have had the vaccine and I feel that it was well worth all the discomfort I felt in the days follow receiving it. I know there is still so much unknown about the vaccine and honestly the virus itself but I feel like it is a great step towards us at least attempting to return to normalcy.

If you have had the vaccine already, please share your experience below. And if you have not received it yet and have questions, please reach out. I would love to answer any questions that I can or at least help direct you to a credible site for further information.

xo, Kathryn

*disclaimer* This post reflects my personal experience with being administered the Pfizer vaccine. You may or may not have the same experience.

All or Nothing

How is it possible that we can go from going 500mph, firing on all cylinders, 100% of the time to these periods of nothing?! Its an odd feeling, and currently, thats the state I am in. I am trying to effectively navigate it but honestly, it almost seems like more of a struggle than the 500mph I am used to. So how am I embracing it….

First, sleep! Yes, I am still working the night shift but that is only 1-2 nights a week right now so I am 100% allowing myself to recover from each shift. This has been an incredible change of pace and honestly is making the night shift a little more bearable.

Number two, friends! All those people I neglected the past 6months, I am making an effort to see and it has been fantastic. I have loved reconnecting and just enjoying the ability to really embrace conversation that during times of chaos doesn’t happen.

Three, my house is finally getting some MUCH NEEDED love! I feel like it has been neglected since I moved in nearly three years ago since I started nursing school almost immediately after purchasing my home. I have been cleaning out and redecorating and it feels so good (even if it is still a work in progress).

Four, I am actually working out again! I have been running (alone and with friends…hey more connection!), lots of long walks with some of my favorite podcasts, and going to core power yoga several times a week.

Five, cooking real meals! This is strange but I have to give all the love to Trader Joes, with this extra time, it is allowing to actually get back in the kitchen without it feeling like such a chore.

And last but not least, six. I am back out there dating!!! Yes, you heard that right. Over

the last few weeks I have gone on some great dates and I am really enjoying putting myself back out there. Just like the free time thing, this is also strange but I am ready to fully embrace it…. and I promise, no more long distance relationships for me!

So to close, the past 6 month have brought a lot of change in my life for both the good and the bad. I have had the highs of graduating nursing school and passing my boards to the lows of losing my grandma and so much in between. But regardless of these highs and lows, it has brought me to this 5 week period of “free time.” Time I am not sure how to use, but I am trying to take advantage of as I know I will probably never have these days again.

Leave a comment below and tell me how you use your free time!

Raw Generation Protein Cleanse

A couple weeks ago I gave my first “juice cleanse” a try. Being as I had never done one before I was a little nervous so I did a lot of research before landing on this particular cleanse. I had no idea there were so many out there! Seriously, it took a while to pick the right one for me and I highly suggest you do your research to pick the right one for you if it is something you’re interested in.

Here is why I picked the Raw Generation Protein Cleanse:

PRE-MADE, ready to go, no work on my part! Sounds lazy but I am a woman on the move. I already have to schedule sleep in my planner so I didn’t want to now have to take to the cutting board and blender for hours a day. Plus this made it easy to take multiple juices with me.
Throughout the day you are getting to mix things up, there are three true juices and three that are more like protein shakes. Unlike traditional juicing I had multiple flavors throughout my day.
This cleanse actually had calories. Each day was about 950 calories. A lot of the other cleanses I looked at only had about 400-500 calories per day. I don’t know about you but that is not nearly enough for me.
I didn’t have to give up caffeine. The cleanse allows for black tea or coffee.
If you need a crunch, raw veggies are allowed.
Options! They had a 3, 5, and 7 day cleanse option. I ended up opting for the 5 day cleanse but bought shakes for 7 so I could taper off.
They can be bought through Amazon Prime (let’s be real, the deal was sealed when I found this out)

How it went:

Fantastic! My goal was 5 days but I ended up doing a 4 day cleanse and tapered day 5 and 6. I was never once hungry (except the time I left my last juice of the day at home and ended up working till almost midnight…so my fault!), ended up with a bunch more energy, lost 5.8lbs and several inches around my lower abdomen, and overall just felt much much better. I feel like it gave my gut the kick start it needed after all the junk I had been eating ((and no, I did not spend all 5 days in the bathroom 😉 )). Also, another added perk, it MADE me drink water. I hate water but with this cleanse since I wasn’t eating a bunch of snacks, I filled that snack void with water. Finally, the best part, it actually tasted good! I really really liked 4 of the 6 and the other two were still good, just not my favorites.

Overall Impression: A+!! I will definitely be doing it again in the future and would highly recommend this cleanse to anyone, but especially to someone taking on their first cleanse.

Once a Runner…{maybe} Always a Runner

Since high school I have always been able to call myself a runner but then that nursing school thing came along and remember how I mentioned I am the most unhealthy I have ever been in yesterday’s post, well now running is a struggle! Before now (read last 6months) I have trained for marathons and ironman triathlons. I even managed to push through a few races at the beginning of nursing school but in reality, they were weak races and I struggled through them. Nursing school takes a lot out of me! It’s an excuse but also the truth! Training runs get cut short and are sometimes cut out all together and sleep and nutrition are at an all time low. I’m not going to lie, I HATE IT!! I like being a runner.

So what to do about it… Pout, whine, cry?! Well, that’s what I want to do but since that’s getting me nowhere, I have had to start at ground zero! Seriously 1 and 2 mile runs make up the majority of my miles these days. They are slow and almost always include a walk somewhere in the middle. This is brutal! Coming from the girl where a 10mile run was a quick jaunt in the park to this is right up there with heart breaking.

It makes me want to stomp my feet and melt into a puddle. Running has always been an identity of mine and now I feel like I am failing that part of who I am.

So for real… what to do about it?! I want my runner girl identity back! My lost stride needs to return!

My initial thought is to sign up for a half marathon this summer while I am out of school and make that my focus. I will still be busy with work but not nearly as busy as I am when I am working and going school. My thought is this will help me create that healthy routine again and if I can create that routine, I will be better able to carry it through my last semester of school. Maybe even set a goal for another half marathon late in the semester so I HAVE to keep it going?

Please comment with advice below if you have experience with STARTING ALL OVER! Help a former and one day future runner girl (again) out!!

Nursing School in a Nutshell

Imagine yourself on fire, juggling chainsaws, running from a T-Rex, and pulling a sled of giant, squealing cats all at once on about 3hrs of sleep and an energy drink in hand…that is about how I would describe nursing school.

Needless to say, it has been one of the most stressful times of my life and has lead me to a point of being the least healthy version of myself…which I find quite comical as we are always being taught about “how to be healthy” and “how to advocate for our patient’s health.”

All this chaos and stress stems from the very first day you step on campus when you get the initial lecture, that is then constantly reiterated by all instructors to follow, that says “You’re holding someone’s life in your hands with every decision you make” and that “Everything you will learn over these 2-3years will be important for your career as a nurse.” For me, this has stuck and has added a whole extra layer to the stress. This time I am not going to school just to get a job, I am going to school to have a career making peoples lives better and if not better, at least more comfortable. That’s a pretty big concept to wrap your mind around if you ask me.

To bring that back to nursing school, that statement means each and every time you go to class it requires all of your focus and attention so that you can learn to be the best nurse possible. You will stay up all night studying for the exams where 4 of the 5 answers are correct and doing patient research into the wee hours of the morning so the next morning you can spit off a list of meds and what they are used for and your plan of care with all the interventions you could possibly find just so that you will be allowed on the unit to try and be the best advocate for that patient’s health that day.

All of these things take up much of your time, so try to add a job or a family or even just a coffee date with a friend in there and quick bites to eat and energy drinks are sure to come your way. Anything that will allow you to keep pushing though to the finish line. So forget about your hours of fancy meal prep each week and the time spent exercising, those will come back when you finish (or when you finally catch your stride in the program) and set your focus on the finish line. A line that truthfully is a bit imaginary as when you graduate you still have not earned the title of “Nurse.” So don’t let up on the studying because your tassel had turned, your boards exam is yet to come. It is not until the word PASS comes across your screen and your name is on the state registry do you get to place those two sacred letters, RN, behind your name. That is when you are officially a “Nurse!”

The stress is unreal but the outcome will be surreal! So, happy studying my fellow nursing students, we will make eventually!

11months later…

So its been almost exactly 11months since I last posted and I cant lie, I have missed writing A LOT! Life has been insane through these past 11months [hints the lack of posts] and I’ll be totally honest, although I have completed an Ironman 70.3, a full Ironman, and a handful of road races scattered in during that time, I have totally fallen off the “healthy” wagon. But before I get too far ahead of myself let me back up and catch you up on life….

April 2016… I got settled into my new home. The rooms were set up, pictures hung on the wall, life got in order. Things were good. The job for center director at Jenny Craig was coming available and I was the top candidate for the job.

May… Baby Brother (aka Alex) graduated from Appalachian State University. The entire family made a mountain weekend out of it. Also, I finished the crazy interview process with Jenny Craig and got the job as Center Director!

June… I started in my new role at Jenny Craig. Something I had worked hard for and unfortunately had fallen short of in the past when it had come available. The new role was hectic and crazy and I even had to hire someone in my first few weeks on the job to fill my old role. It was a big learning curve. I completed Raleigh 70.3 AND this month I met an amazing man on Tinder and we quickly hit things off (spoiler alert, he’s still putting with me !!).

July… Things are on the up! I got late acceptance into nursing school at my first choice school. I had applied back in November when I came up short on securing the center director role previously. I had been patiently waiting with fingers crossed for acceptance into the schools I had applied to yet time and time again I had been waitlisted so just as I had almost given up hope, I received the call that I was going to be attending Carolinas College of Health Sciences. Seeing as nursing had been something I had wanted to do for a while I was now more eager than ever to get that next degree…and just in time before many of my classes from my previous degree expired.

On a sad note, my furry brother, King Chase, whose health had been failing for a while passed away this month. This brought many tears to our family but to have him go to doggy heaven while we all held him to his very last breath was the best way it could have possibly happened. Truthfully, for as “dumb” as we all thought he was at times he may have been the smartest in the family… after all he waited till all four of us were home to make his final send off.

August/September… Nursing school got real! Everyone warns you it’s tough but dang, it is like 947,923,872,039,237 times harder than I had ever imagined. I was spending what seemed like every evening in the library or in some classroom and plenty of early mornings up and at the books too. Caffeine became a must, eating on the go happened way too often, and I felt like I was just barely making it by taking my three classes and still working as Jenny Craig’s center director (40hrs a week). Dave (Tinder Man) was a saint, even this early on in our relationship he was able to calm me down and bring my spiraling out of orbit head back to my shoulders where it belonged. Through this crazy schedule, we still made time for trips back and forth to see each other and saw some pretty views from the tops of the mountains we hiked. Oh I forgot to mention, curve ball, Dave lives in Atlanta! A 4hr drive from me!! Thank goodness for text messages and FaceTime. Also during this time I had a roommate with a furry friend move in with me in my new home.

October… Ironman North Carolina. To say I was ready and trained for this race would be one of the biggest lies I could tell. Yes I had put in a lot of miles but I was’t anywhere close to being ready for a race of this magnitude. 140.6miles is no joke and my training had been sporadic and inconsistent at best. With many miles coming from trainer rides while watching lectures I wasn’t near where I needed to be. So although I was bummed the hurricane flooded part of the course cutting 56miles out of the race it was probably for the best for me. All that is to say, I was still exhausted with the race I completed and happy to be announced as an Ironman once again. Following this race, a job change came about. Through the crazy of August and September, I squeezed in a job interview at one of the local hospitals for a night shift CNA role. Boy I had no idea what was about to come my way. Things started slow but quickly progressed at the hospital… Also this month Dave and I made a quick weekend trip to NY to visit some of his friends and family and a trip to Asheville to hike with another couple he has known for many years.

November… I am in full swing of school and working night shift as a CNA. If I thought caffeine was a must before I was crazy because now I felt new kinds of exhaustion that I had never felt before. Going straight to class following 12hr shift was both physically and mentally draining. I seriously had to schedule in sleep amongst my studies and work. Forget about exercise and eating right…I guess you could say I went into survival mode. Fast food, energy drinks, and car naps became a regular thing. My body hated me but this was just how it was going to be. And, to top it off, things started to become rocky with the roommate making home a less than peaceful place to be. Thank goodness for thanksgiving break to give me a little breather, a chance to run a local 10k, and to make the trip to see Dave and his family down in Atlanta.

December… Final exams followed by a much needed break! Dave and I got to visit each other a fair amount and I did a lot of sleeping when I was off from work. I was finally starting to feel like myself again. And added bonus, all grades came back and I had officially passed my first full semester of nursing school. This month I also had the reality that hospitals never close and someone has to be there around the clock to take care of the patients. I was assigned to work Christmas night. I think this was harder on mom than it was me but nonetheless, it was eye opening into the career I am embarking on. The year rounded out with a fun trip to Atlanta to ring in the New Year.

January 2017… January 1 Dave and I celebrated 6months of being together and I enjoyed my last couple weeks of break before the crazy school work combo hit hard again. We made a weekend trip to Helen, GA where we played in the snow and enjoyed the quiet town just before my classes started. By this point to say my roommate situation was rocky would be an understatement. Things became downright hostile. I hated going home and rarely could get any sleep when I was there. Thankfully she moved out this month and my life has since gone back to being much more peaceful.

February… More of the same, Dave keeps me grounded and we made several weekend trips to see one another, school is insane, and working nights, although I am starting to figure it out is still kicking my booty! Healthy eating and living has gone out the window just as it had the previous semester and training for my upcoming marathon was a distant thought. I was struggling to keep afloat.

March…Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay afloat enough in my first intermediate nursing class. I fell below the bar and will have to retake the course in a later semester. Thankfully spring break followed my disaster course and allowed me a full week to clear my head. During this time I traveled to Atlanta for a long weekend and even took 2 full days to myself {can you say Netflix binge?!}. I am now finishing out this semester with just two classes, anatomy and physiology two and psychology. I will pick back up with my nursing classes this summer. Aside from school, Dave and I ran the Georgia Marathon this past weekend. Not my fastest time but without a doubt my most enjoyable one. Crossing the finish line hand in hand will be a lasting memory for me.

And now we are up to date! I look forward to writing more in the coming weeks! 🙂

A to Z Survey

Hey y’all! I hope you are doing great and had a happy and relaxing 4th of July weekend! I was able to spend a few days on the lake with friends and family. It was the perfect “stay-cation.” Anyways, I am sure you have noticed by my lack of posts, I have been in quite the blogging rut lately. I have tried putting together posts recently and ehh they just fell short so here I am today to give it another try with an A to Z survey all about me….

A – Age: 24

B – Biggest Fear: It’s a toss up between the dark and spiders.

C – Favorite Color: Pink

D – Drink You Last Had: Diet Coke….it’s Monday, I needed my caffeine.

E – Everyday Routine: wake up super early, train a couple personal training clients at the Y, go to work at jenny craig, workout, make dinner / watch TV / surf the internet, journal, go to bed.

F – Favorite Food: Umm…this changes by the day but I am currently loving all the fresh fruits… berries and watermelon especially.

G – Grossest Recently Memory: While out on the boat this weekend, we tied up with a bunch of other boats and one of the guys from another boat who had recently been in a motorcycle accident and had road rash gashes all over him was swimming in the nasty water without covering them….make it worse…I accidentally bumped into one of the big open wounds!!! YUCK!!

H – Hometown: Born in Charlotte, NC, raised in Alpharetta, GA, started college in Rock Hill, SC, finished college in Raleigh, NC, currently living in Charlotte, NC.

I – Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Butter Pecan

J – Jealous of: People who can go with the flow and be totally happy without having any plan. I just don’t get it!?!?!

K – Kindest Person I know: My mom. I don’t think I have ever met someone who didn’t immediately love her. She has a heart of gold.

L – Longest Relationship: 3 years.

M – Middle Name: Elizabeth

N – Next Race: I am racing a local sprint triathlon this coming weekend.

O – One Wish: Health and Happiness always.

P – Next Purchase: A new computer. I currently have a MacBook Pro and it is on its last leg. Anyone have suggestions for my next one?

Q – Question You’re Always Asked: I have a few frequent questions…..”What should I eat?” “What kind of workout should I be doing?” and “If X body part hurts, what’s wrong with it and how do I fix it?”

R – Reason to Smile: Seeing clients hit to goals and milestones on a daily basis.

S – Siblings: I have two brothers….. one (human) younger brother named Alex and one (canine) bother named Chase.

T – Time You Woke Up: 4:45am.

U – Underwear Color: Tan.

V – Next Vacation: Cozumel, Mexico for my Ironman at the end of November!!

W – Last Workout: 60min trainer (indoor bike) ride and foam rolling.

X – Number of X-Rays: Yikes! Too many to count!

Y – Your biggest weakness: Putting others before myself. I am known for making sure everyone else is taken care of before I take care of myself.

Z – Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Play along with me in the comments and let me know a little bit about you! Have a great Monday!

Ten Things Tuesday

Hey y’all! I hope you are all doing well and this week is off to a great start! Things are busy as usual over here but I can’t complain, thats the way I tend to like it. For today’s post, I am going to take you though a few recent favorites / what I have been up to over the past several weeks….

1. Bullet Journaling….have you heard of it?? I am in love with it! I read about it on Haley’s Blog a while ago but have really just gotten into it and it is great. A quick overview of it… Start the very first page with an index. Then on your next two page spread, label the left page with the Month and down the left side of the page write the dates. On this page you write your major events for the month. On the right page of that same two page spread label it tasks / goals you want / need to accomplish that month. Turn the page to your next two page spread. Here I start my week. The first thing I do is a week at a glance. In this section, I put my weekly workouts, personal training clients, and work schedule. Then you start with the individual days. Within the individual days an open circle represents an event, a bullet point represents a note, and an open box represents a task to be accomplished that day. I love it because there is no set amount of space you have per day and it is easy to keep up with everything day to day.

My first two page spread. Monthly calendar and Tasks / Goals page.

2. Long distance relationships….THEY ARE HARD! I love Dylan but dang it is tough. I definitely value the time we have together but I am certainly struggling not to plan out every second we are together and then not to plan when to see each other again when we are apart. I will say thank goodness for FaceTime though cause it allows us to have an “in person” conversation most nights which is amazing. Something about getting to see his face makes it seem like we aren’t apart quite so much. Any of you who have done the distance thing before, do you have any suggestions?

3. It’s my favorite time of the year…. lake days are in full swing now!! I am so lucky to live so close to the lake and I am taking full advantage of it nearly every weekend. My most recent favorite lake activity is wake surfing. And as lame as this is, I think it is because it doesn’t make your entire body hurt the next day and falls aren’t painful at all haha (does this make me sound old?!)!

4. Speaking of the lake, ironman training is coming along. I just did a mile long open water swim this past Friday and it felt great. Biking and running are getting there as well. A lot of miles are being logged on the trainer and treadmill but I figure that is better than nothing and hitting the pavement in the dark isn’t my best bet. I have also adjusted my training schedule to where I am only (for the time being) doing one workout a day with a mid week rest day. I was getting really frustrated not having the time (or energy) to get in double workouts most days of the week like previously planned so now that I have taken some of the stress off of myself each of my workouts seem to be of much better quality and I am enjoying them more.

5. Smoothie season! Y’all can thank Dylan for this one….here is my current favorite smoothie recipe:

1 – 2 large spoonfuls of vanilla greek yogurt
1 Banana
1 cup (ish) Frozen Berries
1/2 cup (ish) Frozen pineapple
1 tbs chia seeds
1 cup (ish) orange juice

Sorry for the “ish” I am not much for the whole measuring thing.

6. So I am not much of a movie buff but a couple weeks ago I finally watched Gone Girl and it was AMAZING! I didn’t have super high expectations going in so needless to say I was blown away. I think I need to watch it again to catch onto all the little details though. The main character was cray – cray! I have to give the writers props for coming up with her and the all the little twists and turns throughout the movie. Who else has seen it? What’d you think?

7. Finding what makes you happy. So as y’all know my days seem to be planned to the millisecond with work, training, and other commitments which can be great but can also be exhausting. Yesterday though, I finally had the realization that I was building my own coffin at the rate I was going as I was forgetting about the most important thing in life, myself and my personal happiness. This got me thinking about all the things that make me happy. Here is the list of things I came up with:

Playing soccer <— even made time and did this today!
Blogging <— look at me, two “happys” in one day!
Serving Others
Playing Recreational Sports….has anyone joined any of the adult leagues around the South Charlotte area? Thoughts? Suggestions?
Running with friends….I got on meet-up today so hopefully I will get connected with a running group or two in the area soon.
Being outside…hiking, paddle boarding, running, biking, and even just taking a nap in the sun.
Reading a good book (in the sun of course)…any suggestions? I tend to like something that is kind of educational. I really enjoy learning 🙂

What makes you happy? What is your go to stress buster activity?

8. Target swimwear is on point this year. I got a few bathing suits from there this year and I am loving them! They are cute and stay in place well…. Such a great combo!!

9. I am thinking about changing up my hair style…. I just can’t decide, long or short?? I’m ready for a change but not sure what exactly I want to do. What’s your opinion?

10. “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that – that is what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself” – Amy Poehler

I love this quote. Personally it makes me think about what I am doing with my life and brings a few questions to mind… Am I being complacent? Am I taking appropriate risks? Am I putting myself out there to be successful? What am I capable of that I haven’t found out yet? I feel like it is always good to keep questioning what you’ve got going on. I feel like this helps you to keep growing as a person.

So there are my 10 things…feel free to play along in the comments with what you’re loving and what is new with you as well as answer a few of the questions throughout this post.

Have a great week!

Treading Water

Hello Hello! Happy Monday y’all! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and your Monday has gotten off to a great start. I had a great weekend. It kicked off Friday with an early visit from Dylan and an afternoon at the Wells Fargo golf tournament. Saturday morning started out bright and early at work before driving south to a good family friend’s wedding. How cool is this y’all…she wore the same dress as her grandmother and mother did many year before just made slight alterations. After the wedding Dylan and I headed to the lake for a little paddle boarding before he hit the road for Greenville and I back home to Charlotte. Upon arriving home, my long lost running girlfriend, Kimberly, showed up at my door. We had a great time, stayed up late chatting then in the morning went for a 5mi run before playing on the lake till the she had to hop on the train to head home. It was great getting to catch up with Kimberly and just get to discuss life with someone who knows me almost as well as I know myself. She has seen me go through ups and downs and has been there every step as I try to figure out my future. So that where today’s post comes from….

As Kimberly and I talked, it seems as if we are both “treading water.” Sometimes it is with great success and our heads are far out of the water and other times it is just as if we are about an inch above the surface and hanging on for dear life. We are both at about the one year mark into the professional world and still running with our heads cut off like we did in college; trying to juggle holding down a full time job, long commutes, maintaining relationships of the past, creating new relationships in new cities, keeping up with training, and finding the balance of family and fun. It seems like the days are never ending and free moments are few and far in between.

This state of “Treading Water” is something no one ever told me I’d be doing immediately out of college. I thought I would land the perfect job, marry the love of my life immediately after graduation, and be settled into a city with close friends. I never thought I would be working two jobs and would meet my boyfriend and roommate online. I could have never ever imagined it would be this difficult to meet new people and that I would work so many hours for such a little paycheck.

And this isn’t to say I’m not happy….in fact I am very happy. I have learned more about myself in the last year and a half than I have learned about myself my entire life. I have had to grow up… paying my own rent and bills and insurance and being 100% in charge of myself. Your early 20s are a time in your life of great change. It’s almost like you’re the awkward middle schooler again. One day you’re on top of the world and the next day you’re knocked right back down to the bottom to learn a new lesson yet again. Bosses expect that you know the lay of the land but really you’re like Bambi fumbling around to get your bearings and stand on your own feet.

So if I were to tell a new college graduate what life will be like in the year to two years following college, I would say be prepared “tread.” You’re going to have to pay your dues, be flexible, take opportunities when they present themselves, be patient, and work your butt off.

Have a great Monday y’all!

Hey, Yes I am Slacking….

Hey Hey Hey! Man I am a slacker… a post every 20days, I can do better than that….well maybe. Regardless of if I am slacking, thats how things go these days. I am busy from before the sun rises till long after it sets most days and exhausted every free second I have in between. So here is the run down of whats been going on these last 20 days:

Easter weekend was spent in Boone with my family and Dylan. We watched a little baseball, dyed some easter eggs, I kicked butt at the Easter egg hunt, Dylan made a delicious baked apple french toast, and we hiked Grandfather Mountain.

Work is busy as ever, we are growing leaps and bounds at Jenny Craig…thank you Time! They published a study reporting that Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers were the top two most effective ways to lose and keep the pounds off.
Rock ‘n’ Roll half Marathon was great. Thanks Kathryn and Coop for being such gracious hosts. Dylan and I ran a 1:48:34 and 1:48:35…guess who won between the two of us?! ….Yep, you guessed it, THIS GIRL! haha thanks for being a gentlemen Dylan. It was a tough course, and we were both a little disappointed by the event festivities both on the course and after but overall we were happy to have run a good race and I am sure we will sign-up for another race together sometime soon.

My other job is growing immensely as well. After a very slow start, I now have 1 – 2 personal training clients everyday, Monday – Friday, at the Y. And as I mentioned before I am helping coach alongside two amazing women the triathlon team. Check out this awesome post practice team selfie!

Now that the 31Day Detox is done, man I have had some yummy foods! I might have even slipped up and over did it on the sugar in that first week but I am on track again now. Not a stringent diet I am following but back to my variety in all things, moderation in all things approach I typically have.

this couldn’t possibly be kilwins amazing praline ice cream…. 😉

Ironman training is up and running, I have felt exhausted these last couple weeks but I think I have a better plan this week and was (finally) able to catch up on a little rest this weekend so I am ready to get after training this week. Nearly 11hrs of swimming, biking, running, and strength training scheduled for this week.

Living in Charlotte has opened up so many more opportunities to see family. I get to see my parents and grandma on nearly a weekly basis and when out of town guest pop in to stay with my parents, I get to see them too. I am loving this aspect of living in Charlotte. It was great visiting with my aunt and cousin at the beginning of the month.
The lake is open! Starting last weekend, the lake is open for business…well for play! After Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, Dylan and I headed to the lake for a little R&R so we thought. We ended up jumping out behind the boat for some wake boarding and surfing then this weekend a little kayaking and paddle boarding. Chase even jumped in on the fun this past weekend!

I think thats about it for me! Work, train, eat, and play! I guess I can’t complain. So what about you, how are things going on your end, what have you been up to?

Have a great week!