This weekend was a doozy in a GREAT way.

Remember how I mentioned that I’ll be doing a 5K every month until the end of the year? Well, 5K number one happened bright and early Saturday morning, and it was fantastic. Fall was in the air, the weather was perfect and cool, the course was beautiful, and I got to run alongside my sweet mom (until she left me in her dust).

I can’t help but feel so proud of her for the way she has taken her running to the next level. She’s beat me in every race we’ve run, and I love it! She is a perfect example of how well you can do if you put your heart into it and really commit to running. I need to take a page from her book and get way more serious (and consistent) with my training - she’s proof that it pays off!

After the 5k, we hit an antique mall and then headed home to nap before our second adventure of the day…tattoos!

Believe it, friends! Mom and I have been talking for over a year about getting these tattoos, and on Saturday night, along with my little brother, we did it! The fantastic guys at Hot Stuff Tattoo in West Asheville were kind enough to work us into their schedule, and we are all thrilled with the results (although Mom was a little peeved that it hurt so much more than she expected…somebody told her it would feel like getting an itch scratched, which is obviously not true).

The anchor is in honor of my Grandaddy, my mom’s dad, who is a Navy vet. You can read more about him (and his wisdom) here. The daisy is in honor of my mom’s mom, Grandmother Daisy. You can read about her in this post from before my wedding.  Mom and I got the tattoo the exact same size in the exact same place - just above the right ankle. Daniel went all out and got the tattoo about 3x as big on his chest. I think it’s pretty special to share such a permanent “heirloom” with my mom and brother - and I think it says a lot about how fantastic my family is, if I do say so myself.

It was a fantastic, busy, exciting, and exhausting weekend spent with the family I know I am so blessed to have.

What did you do this weekend?

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hopicecream:

Inspired by one of our employees who has a sibling with Autism, we hope to have 50 people join Team Hop Ice Cream ($25 donation) for the Autism Society of North Carolina’s annual Run/Walk for Autism! By participating (even if you do not plan on being at the event) you will receive a special Free Hop T-shirt with Scoops the 5K Hedgehog (Pictured)! Any an all help (even if it simply reblogging) is truly appreciated!

Our goal is to raise $1250+ for the Autism Society of North Carolina…

We ran our second 5K!
I actually ran most of this one, and Mom knocked it out of the park (AGAIN).

She did make it a point not to run off and leave me, which I appreciated. Josh, on the other hand, bet me earlier this month that he could finish a 5K in under 30 minutes without training, and he left me in his dust in an effort to win our bet.

He won. He clocked in at under 29 minutes, winning the 20-29 year old category and the date night of his choice with me. We’re planning on an Asheville Tourists game. He’s being a very gracious winner.

Mom and I finished in the 38 minute range, which I think is respectable. There was one RIDICULOUSLY tough hill in the middle of the course, which I walked up, but I ran way more than last time. Baby steps! I’m still relishing the feeling that comes with being able to run at all. This time last year, I was attending races for work and feeling jealous of all the people who could participate. I truly thought that, because of lupus, I would never be able to get out there and run…and now, here I am, two races down and getting better each time. I’m thrilled, and I’m going to keep going until I know for sure that I can’t anymore.

I can’t get over my Mom becoming a runner. She runs every day now! She went for six miles yesterday, which just blows my mind. She’s my hero and my inspiration. We’re going to start training for our first HALF MARATHON soon!

Original Article

So… I finished my first ever 5K!

I didn’t run the whole thing, and I was very angry at myself for that. Then I got past the anger and vowed to train harder and do better next time. And then I signed up for next time! Which brings me to update number two…

My Mom and I will be running the PB&J 5K in Hendersonville, NC on May 7th.

We’re very excited. Mom was so inspirational at our first race. She powered through with speed and determination - to be honest, she left me in her dust! This time, though, I’ll be able to catch up to her and finish this race RUNNING.

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March was more in like a lamb and out like a lion, but it’s out either way which means it’s time to move to APRIL.

In keeping with the theme of my life lately, March zoomed on by before I even realized it was halfway over. It was a great month while it was here, though. I managed to complete two of my March goals (using my new markerboard and training for my 5k).  The others, well, there’s always April! (Clearly I’m great at this personal goals thing. Clearly.)

In April, I would like to:

-Run my first 5k! AAAAAHHH! I can’t believe it’s already here, but it is! I’m hitting the road with my mom, aunt, and grandma on April 9 in Rock Hill, SC. I’m very nervous. Root for me!

-continue to follow the Weight Watchers plan on my path to better health.

-Cook at least one new recipe a week. Blog about this recipe each TUESDAY. I’m giving myself a day in hopes of holding myself accountable!

-Step up my #ukulelewednesday game! Practice for longer in order to play the songs better. That’s just common sense.

-Follow up on my ideas for personal branding and continue to develop a solid concept. I came up with a really exciting idea on the plane back from Tallahassee. I think I’ve finally got a concept worth going with, which is exciting, especially since this project has been a to-do since the beginning of 2011.

- Draw and doodle more. Because it’s fun!

-Make time to read the newspaper once a week. With coffee. And quiet. This is a biggie. I’m falling back into the habit of sleeping until the very last minute, dashing to work, eating breakfast and lunch at my desk…I have to make time to read and learn and absorb as much of the “outside world” as I can.

Was March your month? Will April be, too? If you set goals, leave your link in the comments! I’d love to read what you’re working on.

Calendar image via Christiane Engel

Original Article

So, as you may remember, I’m training for my very first ever 5K! My training has been more physical activity than I’ve had in a long time, but I feel great. I’ve been using dailymile and Nike+ to track my progress, and I just can’t even tell you how exciting it is for me to see that I’m actually doing this. Making it happen. Running a 5K.

Today’s workout was to start with speedwalking 1.5 miles, then three reps of run 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes, then walk another 1.5 miles. I clocked a total of 5 miles, and I didn’t stop running during any of my reps, and I feel jubilant. I can’t TELL you the last time I ran 5 minutes without stopping (not counting today).

That’s my Nike+ mini - when I don’t run, she gets bored and plays with a paddleball and tells me she wishes she was running. But when I do run, she does all these funny little poses and dances and stretches and jumps - it sounds like the silliest thing in the world, but I’m almost equally motivated to run by the thought of being healthy and the thought of seeing this little animated avatar run around the screen and jump over hurdles.

For some reason, little animated avatars of myself really resonate with me - the Wii is another great example. I can’t tell you how awesome I felt the first time my Wii Fit told me “That’s Normal!” when I weighed in. If you’ve never been shamed by a Wii Fit, then you don’t know the humiliation you feel when your little Mii gets all fat and the music goes all out of key and the chimey little voice declares “That’s Overweight!” — but I’ll tell you, it’s a terrible feeling. I’ll take triumphant little versions of myself any day…which is why I’ll be back on the treadmill tomorrow!

Do you think I’m ridiculous? What motivates you to get healthy and stay that way?

Original Article

So on Saturday night, my friend Jennifer took me to see RENT! at the Asheville Community Theatre, and it was great! I mean, right, it wasn’t Broadway…but what a show. I told Jennifer that whenever I listen to the soundtrack, I’m inspired to do all the things I dream of - be a writer, be a singer, audition for a musical, be a painter…maybe even be a runner?

On Sunday, I did something crazy. I committed to run my first ever 5K. My mom, aunt, and sweet husband will all be with me, and I can’t wait. This has been a goal of mine for years, and this is the first time I’ve had the chutzpah to actually commit to a city, state, and date. On April 9 (in SIX WEEKS) in my hometown of Rock Hill, SC, I’m running the first of what will hopefully be many races in my life. And I can’t wait!

Tonight, I started the six-week training program I found on the Fitness Magazine website, and I feel great. I came home and had half a rainbow trout filet, an egg, and a piece of whole wheat toast, I rubbed my sore feet and I brushed my hair…and I was suddenly completely sure of the fact that I can do this.

Who’s with me?

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