Monday, May 24, 2010

the progress.

remember this list?

22 things I want to do by the time I'm 22:
1. read the Bible in its entirety
2. run 500 miles in one year
3. go horseback riding
4. save $2500 for my future
5. become a 4.5 tennis player
6. collect all spare change for missions
7. cut down my closet/clothes
8. go to a Ben Folds concert
9. read 20 new books
10. find a new favorite band
11. go to a Frontier Ruckus concert (or 5)
12. grow my hair to the middle of my back
13. touch ground in 10 states
14. feel confident in a swimsuit

here's the rest:

15. collect pieces from garage sales/flea markets and transform them for my future home
16. continue taking piano lessons and perform for church
17. memorize a book of the Bible (longer than one chapter)
18. memorize that same book of the Bible in Spanish
19. ride a new rollercoaster with my hands up for every moment
20. teach JJ (my niece) how to play tennis
21. teach JJ how to speak 20 meaningful sentences/phrases in Spanish
22. plan my perfect wedding

the progress thus far:
1. i'm in 2nd samuel & done with psalm
2. i'm done with 23 miles, and quickly reclaiming my mileage. (so far behind)
3. i thought about it - does that count?
4. slowly, but surely it's gaining. i'll let you know when i hit $1000. (should be soon this summer.)
5. i'm teaching tennis this summer, looking for opportunities to play, and might join a women's league
6. i had forgotten about this one, which is weird since i did it last year.
7. a HUGE basket is waiting and ready to go to goodwill. :] (probably time to go shopping now, right?!)
8. i don't know when i will see Ben next.
9. 1 book down: The Borrowers
10. i'm working on this: i downloaded 50 or so new artists last weekend. the weepies aren't really new to me, but i do newly love them. i don't think this counts.
11. i recently gave up a chance to go see fruckus, but soon. but soon.
12. it's PAST my shoulders. and the more i don't do it, the longer it seems the next time.
13. still have only touched michigan. soon to change: montana & pennsylvania trips.
14. i'm getting more confident, still lack that complete security though.
15. i've found a dresser on craig's list for $20 that with a little touch-up paint turned into a BEAUT and i found a completely ugly gold mirror at a garage sale for $5 (that came with some sconces i haven't touched yet) and i painted it red - it's gorgeous now.
16. dukes (my aunt) is giving me lessons this summer and i will continue them in the fall. and danielle has agreed to play a duet with me in church.
17. i haven't started thinking, but i will soon.
18. same.
19. going to two parks in the next week. perfect opportunity.
20. spending some time with her this week, we'll make progress.
21. same.
22. dress: check. photographer: check. bridesmaids' dresses: almost. flowers: started.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

doing well.

sunday, monday, tuesday, yesterday (friday), and today (saturday) i ran. success.
thursday, yesterday, & today i ate healthy. success.

this new motivation (whatever it was) sure worked for me.
last night i went running just over 2 miles. came back, took a shower, then did an ab workout that got me sweaty again. :]

this morning i went running 2.5 miles, joined up with dukes (my aunt) and went walking for 2 miles. little did i know we were speed walking and she wanted to "try" running too. let's just say that little hour-long workout kicked my butt... in a great way.

favorite healthy snack lately: plain flavored rice cake (35 calories) with all-natural peanut butter (90 calories) with a little cinnamon&sugar (too few calories to count) on top or last night, i tried 1/4 of a banana (30 calories). delicious, nutritious, and some protein to go: 155 calories. yes please. :]

today's menu:
breakfast: go-lean crunch with yogurt, banana
lunch: chicken salad, corn on the cob, strawberry jello
dinner: who knows, maybe taco bell? i deserve it i think.

let me know how you're doing, little steps make a HUGE difference.
i'll have a big challenge for you all coming up next month sometime. remind me if i forget.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

he's gone.

i know this post is not on topic with the theme of my blog, but for my sake, i need to write it out.

today is wednesday... and thankfully it's almost over. only 3 more wednesdays until shaner is back in the US and back in my arms. he left today for china. i know - you are all saying: "but alyssa, you leave every summer for 3 months, this is only 3 weeks." but the thing is - i left when i left. i was the busy, distracted one. i was the one who sometimes (sorry) forgot about home for a second. and now i'm the one at home, anticipating with everything in me the arrival, and he just left a few hours ago.

what may be worse is our lack of ability to communicate. he is only promised one opportunity to have access to internet while he's gone. we are used to talking everyday about everything. i don't know what to do now when all i want to do is turn my head and tell him everything. when i want to pick up my phone and know he's going to answer. when i want to be able to reach out and hold his hand.

i know i'm being dramatic. that's what girls do. especially girls in love. i'm sorry. i will get better. but right now, i just want him home. for good. (and in reality God, i just want him safe, happy, and coming home soon.)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

breakfast with my Maker.

so i just read some of my posts from january and re-encouraged myself. this brought about 2 goals for myself to activate right now: 1) record my diet/foot eaten to remind myself that snacks & desserts do matter and that i do know how to eat healthily 2) read my Bible during the day. i've been putting it off until i go to bed, which is perfectly fine, i'm still incredibly consistent (for me at least) and loving reading, but i have just now remembered the greatness of eating lunch or breakfast with God. in john 21:12, Jesus says "come and eat breakfast." that's what i'm going to do RIGHT now, eat breakfast with my Maker. (then go for a run.)

Monday, May 17, 2010

so all of that was a big, fat lie.

i haven't re-started the rules. uggg. i hate my unmotivation. i want to be crazy fitness like i was in january. i'm starting to try again at least. yesterday and today i ran. that was nice.

i bought a yoga ball today, although it is for women that are taller than 6'3". whoops. i'll return it this afternoon and get a new one. terri (my future-mother-in-law) is going to show me all the tricks to do on it. she might also hand me down some extra weights so that i don't have to splurge on the weight set i want. the one i want is from target, it's $70 when it's not on sale, and it hasn't been on sale since just after christmas. but if i collect enough pairs of weights from other people, then i can just buy the sizes i'm missing. (although i would LOVE to have that set from target because it's soooo nice.)

after today, TODAY, i'm back on the rules. well starting right now really. i ate cheesecake a few hours ago, but it was good enough to call my last dessert for a while.

shane leaves on wednesday for china for 3 weeks, and while he's gone it's my goal to get back to 140. i'm around 146 right now, because i lost all my muscle weight and have been eating whatever the heck i want. so that's my goal, 3 weeks about being serious.

any encouragement? anyone in?

mileage: 13. (a LOT behind for my 500 goal)
bible point: starting 2 samuel & done with psalm

Saturday, May 1, 2010

may day

it's MAY. can you believe it? i'm not sure that i know if april ever showed up, let alone 30 days of it passed. good news about may: school is just two weeks from ending AND alyssa is back on the rules... the diet rules... the tough ones... the ones i'm hesitant to follow, but i know are good for me.

here's a repeat of those big guys: no eating after 9pm (this is earlier than before, but late enough for me to function on my busy schedule), no pop (it's been bad lately, i love me some shirley temples), 1 sweet per week (also lower than before, but i really want this), breaking rules only 2 times per month.

also, since tennis is over (for a few weeks now), my workout schedule is a little different... but i also have a crazy, busy schedule (per usual) for the next few weeks:
monday/wednesday/friday: 30 minutes of lifting, 30 minutes cardio
(p.s. - i haven't lifted since march, whoops.)
tuesday/thursday/saturday: minimum 40 minutes cardio.

in self magazine (my latest obsession since 2010), they have been talking a lot about making sure that you get enough workout time in each "sizzle zone" per week - here's the breakdown: 65 minutes of zone 1 (easy breezy training: casual/brisk walking, your-type of tennis, etc.), 80 minutes of zone 2 (moderate training: when you're working so hard you can only speak short sentences/i.e. running, my-type of tennis), and 65 minutes of zone 3 (hard working, killing it, out of control fast). i think during my workouts, i'm going to start trying for these zones to really burn off the fat.

as for some of my 22 by 22 goals: i'm already in 1 samuel & almost done with psalms (YAY, i think i am aloud to be really proud of myself on this one, i've never been so consistent with my Bible reading), my saving account is over $300 (another HUGE step for me - i'm telling you, 2010 is a good year to be alyssa eubank, i am changing in so many ways), my tennis game is already improving since season. i ended the season with a huge 3-set win, which was great for my confidence and ability to keep my position on the team. since then, i've found out that a heavier racket was the key to rule my game, so i'm in the process of buying two rackets that are a lot better for me as a player... 4.5 tennis player, here i come. i was supposed to be at a frontier ruckus concert right now, but that didn't happen. i still need all 5 before next april, i don't think that will be a problem. :] lastly - as for the 500 miles, i'm 10 in. i know, i know - that's not keeping up to pare with the average "just less than 2 per day", but i am really happy with this: on tuesday last week - i ran 4 miles straight. i never knew that i could do this, that i'm a runner. i just wanted to set out and do it, so i ran 2 miles away from my apartment so i'd have no excuse but to run the 2 miles back. and i did it! and i could have kept running! (my ankles were killing because i have REALLY old running shoes with a few too many miles on them.) but my legs, lungs, and heart wanted to keep on running and really find out just how much they could do. it felt... GREAT.

so that's all for now. i've already ate my 1 sweet for this week, since well, i forgot it was may. whoops. here's to a month of rules, of following them, and of really seeing results. keep me accountable, and please keep me encouraged. thanks for reading! :]