Training Archives -

June 8, 2015

Tonsillitis

Good morning! How was your weekend?! Mine turned out extremely busy, but a lot of fun and very informative. Let’s back up to recap very briefly what the past two weeks have looked like though – I had my wisdom teeth out which you all know, I thought I would heal a lot quicker than I did, I had to leave work very early one day because of the pain, I was practically in tears over my dinner one night because I couldn’t even take five bites of it and was miserable, then I finally started feeling better, only to be hit with tonsillitis literally that same day! That is finally behind me and I’m starting to feel like my old self again – I’ve been eating REAL FOOD!

I still have some holes in the back of my mouth from wisdom teeth, but they no longer hurt and I’ve gotten use to keeping them clean. Crossing my fingers they close up this week. So far I’ve had zero infection, hooray! Also, I’m slowly starting to feel like this dumb palette expander is part of my actual mouth, so I’m learning to ignore it’s awkwardness when I eat. Since that has practically been my life the past few weeks, looks like you’re all caught up! Now on to the weekend!

Friday night we had a company event at the Mississippi Brave’s Game. It was a lot of fun and very chill – we had 2 suites with food & drinks and enjoyed watching the game. It was getting late though and I had to be up super early for a drive to Tupelo so I could go to an Arbonne training. This was my first Arbonne training and it came at the perfect time. I haven’t done much with Arbonne yet because of everything going on in my mouth, so I’ve been trying to stay connected to events we have going on to stay motivated so when I was ready to start having my own parties and presentations, then I could! I’m excited to say that I have my very first party this week, so hopefully it goes well because I’ll be doing it on my own which makes me a bit nervous!

We had a long day of wonderful speakers, everyone did such a great job and really provided solid information that I felt I could use when it was over along with excellent motivation and encouragement to get me up and going! They shared a lot of great quotes, but I really liked the one above. Setbacks are inevitable, not just in multilevel marketing companies, but in life. Although I’m extremely terrified of rejection and I do NOT want to be on people’s “call screening” list, I know that this quote is going to help me through a lot of setbacks and it’s going to propel me to do the things that are not so fun with Arbonne. Arbonne has been unbelievably fun so far – the people I meet are loving, kind, encouraging, and supportive, the events are fun, uplifting, and motivating, the products are absolutely perfect for my life and provide such a large variety, that you’re bound to find something you love, but with everything, there is a negative or a not-so-fun part of the job and 99% of the time in Multilevel Marketing – it’s the ask!

The things I have to remember though are this: 1) I have a longer list of goals than I do of fears in this business, so I can’t give up on my goals because they’re way too big and way too important to me. 2) I have products that are beneficial to others so I shouldn’t be afraid to share that. And 3) This opportunity was given to me for a reason and even though it can be hard at times, I also know it will be rewarding – I trust that it will be rewarding.

Here are a few other quotes I enjoyed throughout training:

“Duplication is key, the best copy cat wins.” I love that they encourage using what others have already done and they don’t get bent out of shape or offended. It makes working this business so much easier for the newbies out there and it gives us all the opportunity to be better and do better!
“God does great things through surrendered people.” Another thing I’m thankful for with Arbonne is the Christian based community I’m surrounded with. I have not been going to church for the past few months and I’ve been wanting to get plugged back in, but just haven’t done it yet. I definitely think God brought me to Arbonne when I needed it most and although I was terrified to sign up as a consultant, I do believe I surrendered to a calling and my prayer is that it’s beneficial to those around me and that I’m able to help a lot of people through it.
“You can’t worry and trust at the same time!” So so true. A beautiful reminder for daily living!
“Work more on yourself than you do on your business every day.” They also encourage self-improvement which is something I have always been passionate about. I love that this business is not all about the money, but it’s about empowering others and improving lifestyles for the better!
“Formal education will make you a living, but self education will make you a fortune.” I’m sure you’ve heard the stories of millionaire’s who either didn’t have a degree or got turned out thousands of times before someone said yes to their million dollar idea! Good food for thought right here, education doesn’t just stop at high school or college or with your masters.

I cannot explain how great this training was for me, I’m just so thankful I had the chance to be there! Lindsey and I talked about Arbonne the entire way home and again, it was all very uplifting and encouraging!

I got home really late Saturday and had been going non-stop all weekend, so I was looking forward to a more relaxing Sunday – I spent time reading a Liane Moriarty book (If you haven’t read her – do it!) while sipping on my coffee. I worked on my personal goals and making a list of things I’d like to read or watch for self-improvement. I cleaned my room and purchased new bed sheets. I did laundry. And just like that, the weekend came to a close.

I can’t wait to share about my very quick, but very wonderful trip to New Orleans last week! Now that I’m feeling way better, I am actually up for blogging again – which for a little while there I wasn’t sure I’d ever be up for anything again! haha

Questions for the day:

What was your favorite quote and why?
What did you do this weekend?
What is an organization or group of people that you’re a part of that is a constant encouragement and motivator in your life?

March 12, 2015

Running Update + 21 Day Challenge

Happy Thursday! I hope each of you are having a fantastic week and if you’re traveling for work or Spring Break, I hope your travels are safe and fun!

Back in October, I signed up for the Mercedes Marathon. I was excited to finally commit to my first full marathon. In December, when I was visiting Nick’s brother in Florida, I started having some intense knee pain. I went to a Chiropractor and a Knee Orthopedic Surgeon with no relief. I stopped running altogether and even doing a 1/4 mile caused me to limp. The Chiropractor helped straighten up my back issues which has created major relief in sleeping and life in general, but even when I would run, there was still pain. I finally decided that I couldn’t run the marathon, so Nick graciously stepped up in my place and ran his first full marathon. My next decision was to change shoes. I figured since it wasn’t my IT band and it wasn’t any other major issue, then it must be my shoes. My right knee has always been weak since I injured it as a Senior in Highschool, but I don’t believe it’s weakness was the major problem. I’m still working to strengthen my knee and build it up to support a long steady run, but I purchased some new shoes a few weeks ago. I haven’t had much of a chance to run lately, but I did a 2.3 mile run in Jamaica and I did a 1.86 mile run last night.

When I was in the midst of my pain and injury, doing a 1/4 mile felt exhausting and frustrating and overwhelming. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Being able to run almost 2 miles is rewarding now! I’m so glad the new shoes are working out. I’m still taking it slow and steady and if I feel any discomfort, I slow down to walk.

Yesterday after work, I went straight to the park for a run. I completed 1.86 miles with little to no pain. My knee felt uncomfortable from time to time, but again, I know it still needs some strengthening. I would slow to a walk for a minute, then get back to running. I’m happy to say that today I woke up without lingering knee pain. Before I would run a small amount and my knee would ache for a whole 24 hours afterwards. Not this time!! I’m happy to say that I’m on my way back to running consistently and I already have the Disney Princess 2016 in my sights. Nick’s sister-in-law, Kathryn, will be running that race with me and it will be her first half marathon!

I went with Mizuno’s this time. I haven’t been impressed with my last Newton’s so I wanted something new. So far so good. Also, these capri leggings… Sam’s Club!! They’re my favorite pair of workout pants right now – excellent compression, comfortable, stylish, thick, and they have a small key pocket on the top band. They were only $14. Seriously!? Me, Nick’s sister, and his sister-in-law all got a pair when we were in Florida over Christmas. I think they’ve been just as impressed with these leggings.

After my run, I headed to the gym so I could do some strengthening on my knee, but realized that it was a few minutes before the Pilates Reformer class, so I checked the schedule and saw an open spot available, so I went to the class for an over all toning workout plus solid core work.

21 Day Challenge!

Again, surprise surprise, I’m going for another challenge. I’m pretty sure I would be extra fat and lazy if I didn’t challenge myself because my mind and body want to be fat and lazy half the time I feel like. Do you ever feel that way?! I can’t discipline myself to wake up and go to the gym and if there are free donuts in the office kitchen, I’m probably having 1 or 2, okay 2. So I have to create challenges for myself. Nick loves them just as much as I do. There are a lot of times where we challenge each other and the winner gets a prize from the loser. This is just my own personal challenge though.

Eat Engine 2 / Health Starts Here Approved for 21 days. There is some minor flexibility in this – if I can’t get the correct tortilla shells or if I have some left over veggie meat that contains oil in it, then I’ll incorporate it in my meal. This is to save money. For the most part though, I’m 100% in this. I went grocery shopping last night and spent way too much money, except I got a ton of things that are great for me and got me extremely excited for eating right again – so I guess it’s entirely worth it. I also took advantage of buying in bulk. When you buy in bulk at Whole Foods, you get 10% off. I stocked up on Garbonzo beans (for hummus), Red Kidney Beans (for chili), and Pinto Beans (for a quick dinner w/ cornbread). All of these are the no salt added kind. I’m very pleased with my overall purchases last night and I can assure you, I will not be eating out for the next week.

I was starving for dinner, but had a plum to curb my hunger so I could think through what I wanted to make.

This was a delicious plum y’all.

For dinner, I made chili – which has become my go to recipe because you basically just dump everything in and wait. I saute onions first with the spices (cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder), then toss in diced tomatoes and red kidney beans. I’ll usually throw in some frozen corn too. I made my favorite whole wheat corn muffins to pair it with. I’ll also use these for pinto beans.

The other part of this challenge is working out. I have to work out 5 days/week for at least an hour. If I can stick to the Whole Foods diet and work out 5 times per week for an hour, then I’m treating myself to a fitness band/watch. I really want a fitbit to keep track of my steps, but I want it to include a heart rate monitor. I also want a GPS watch though, so either way – I’m getting one or the other. I’m thinking the fit bit first since I’m not heavily running yet, but then this summer, I’ll figure out another challenge to get me the GPS watch.

Are you challenging yourself right now?
What running shoes are you using at the moment? What are your likes/dislikes of that particular brand?
What is your go-to weeknight dinner?

January 15, 2015

The terrible awful day + A Marathon Training Update!

Howdy! We have finally hit Thursday and can I just say… man am I ready for Friday! This week has beaten me down, y’all!

Today I’ll be giving you a quick marathon training update, but first let’s talk about my breakfast this morning & what the past few days have looked like. Breakfast was a slice of cinnamon raisin ezekial bread + peanut butter, a grapefruit (only half pictured), and a warm cup of coffee with almond milk & cinnamon. I’m sure plenty of you are freezing your legs off up North, but I must say IT’S COLD IN THE SOUTH! The past few weeks have been brutal!

I’ve been on the Engine 2 Diet for 3 total days now and today is my fourth. I think I came in expecting that this diet would make everything right with the world quickly – that was not the case for me. It seems to have worked for our wonderful Healthy Eating Specialist, Mary Lindsey, though haha because she was a ball full of energy at our morning run yesterday! My story has not been the same. I have felt bogged down at work this week, it’s a combination of a lot of things I believe, but I came in Monday feeling like I was in control and by the time I left, I felt like I had zero control over every item on my desk! I kept thinking I’d catch up Tuesday… I’d catch up Wednesday… well dang it, I better catch up today! I can’t keep up like this! There is no telling what I’ve forgotten to do in the past 3 days – I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough when bombs start exploding in the office. Needless to say, who has two thumbs and is ready for the weekend? THIS GIRL.

One piece of the very large bad day puzzle was my food yesterday. Breakfast and Lunch both kind of failed on me. I made oatmeal, it turned out gross. I made a potato, I overcooked it in the microwave and it was no good. On top of my lack of food and my craziness at work (including a break down of tears at my desk), let’s add some fuel to the fire…..

My morning Java Jog run. It’s supposed to be the highlight of my week. I get to see 2 sweet friends who are constantly fun & encouraging to be around and I get a free cup of coffee! Well I had gone to the Chiropractor the day before and he asked me to continue with my normal schedule so we could see what issues I was having, so I joined in on Java Jog after missing a few weeks. Started out okay, but by the end I was walking and in so much pain. To top it off, my knee and leg hurt pretty much the rest of the day. This leads me to my marathon training update.

MARATHON TRAINING UPDATE

It’s about a 99% chance that I will not be doing a marathon in February considering the fact that I can’t manage a 3 mile run without intense pain at the moment. I have a greater chance of knocking it down to a half marathon if I can get rid of the pain. With my current diet and the base of running I’ve built, I feel fairly confident that I could manage a half marathon again even with my lack of training. If I can’t fix my knee in time then I will not be running on Feb. 22nd. I will continue going to my Chiropractor because heck, even if he can’t fix my running knee problem, your girl over here has some major back, knee, & feet issues. I have scheduled an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon and hope to get some X-rays to make sure nothing is torn, but I’m leaning towards the bad news based on my run from yesterday. I’ll give you another update after my Ortho appointment next Friday!

So after the terrible awful day I had… I finally had some things bring my spirits up and end the night on a good note.

1. My passport arrived in the mail! I’ll be going to Jamaica at the end of February for a trip completely paid for by my office! I’m taking my cousin with me and it’s going to be one big girls trip with snorkeling, scuba diving, workouts on the beach, laying out by the pool, swimming up to a bar for drinks, butler service, and eating way too much food!

2. I made some Engine 2 Diet approved cookies and they turned out great! I also ate 5 of them last night while watching Friends and sitting by the fire. I vowed to do absolutely nothing last night but relax! It was well deserved and much needed.

3. Nick announced that Fast & Furious 7 will be coming out the day after my birthday (although I read somewhere it was April 3rd…) and that is being mixed into my birthday plans!!!!!! I am obsessed with these movies and I’m SO THRILLED about it coming out near my birthday! I can’t wait to see it, although I’ll miss the full on Paul Walker. The funny part is.. I literally looked up the movie and saw April 3rd. I was in the midst of texting Nick about it when he text me! Clearly we’re big fans!

4. Although this didn’t happen last night, it happened yesterday and brightened my day. Nick’s sister-in-law, Kathryn, asked if I could do lunch with her and baby Cade when they come visit in February. Of course my answer was a big fat YES! I just got excited to know that I’ll be seeing them in a few short weeks!

Ok, now I’m off to finish getting ready for work, I’ll be praying for a productive day on my way in with little to no stress or at least the ability to manage the stress well, and I hope each and every one of you have a great day as well!

What are your workout suggestions that do not involve high impact or running? I can’t keep waiting on my run to start back! – I have Jamaica to get ready for.
What do you do when you need to unwind and relax?

I find that eating & vegging out on the couch make me feel better. Probably not the right answer haha. Luckily this time it was with healthy cookies and not processed store bought cookies or chips!

Tonsillitis

Running Update + 21 Day Challenge

The terrible awful day + A Marathon Training Update!

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