No Settling

David and I have ended our almost four year relationship.

Yes, it is sad to see something I've worked so hard on. But don't be sad for me at all.

Over the past year I've been making changes that liberate me and pursuing things I'm passionate about. I've been running marathons and going after new career options. I've become a yogi and committed to a vegan diet.

The one thing that hadn't caught up was my relationship. Being with David was never bad, but I've known for a while that we just aren't right for each other. There were things I needed and wasn't getting, but it was comfortable so I stayed.

Then I had a telling conversation when I was getting my hair cut Thursday. I suddenly spoke the things I'd been feeling for so long. Hearing those things come out of my mouth proved to me that I only had one choice.

David was on the same page with me. We love each other as people, but we know we're just not right for each other. We both deserve so much more.

It was definitely a sad day, but I had this odd sense of peace within. I know we made the right decision and there is no questioning it. Now that I've let go of this stagnant part of my life I can pursue even better things for myself.

It feels amazing to know that I can now get everything I want.

No more settling... in any part of my life.

Mellow Saturday

I’ve got to make this snappy because my alarm is going off in just over 5 hours! I’m meeting Megan and Caitlin for the Breakaway to Sugarloaf Metric Century ride! I’ve got everything packed (including my fuel to consume during the run) for my early morning. Once I hit publish I am heading to bed!

I’m slightly nervous for this race. The distance doesn’t scare me as riding long and fast comes somewhat easy to me (biking is much easier for me than running!)… it’s the fact that I’ve only used my clipless pedals for one 7 mi. ride! I’ll be okay. No falling for me :)

The English muffin with AB is back! This morning I had it with iced decaf Tazo chai. I like to keep a big batch of iced tea in the fridge to enjoy through the week.

I worked a long day at lululemon today. Toward the beginning of my shift I tried my second Kardea Nutrition bar- the lemon ginger flavor. Amaaaazing! I promise I’ll give a detailed review with the next bar!

I snacked on an orange and an apple.

Lunch was unbelievably satisfying. I had Sweet Shepherd’s Pie with steamed carrots leftover from last night. It was so sweet and savory and warm and filling all at the same time. Perfect lunch!!

A few hours before heading home I had some baby carrots with Cedar’s hummus. On the drive home I had an unpictured granola bar. Obviously I hate driving hungry!

I had been looking forward to my run all day and was bummed when I realized I’d have to cut it down from 7 miles to 3 in interest of time. Luckily David agreed to run with me so the run worked out. We ran 3.2 miles in 31 minutes.

We had to cut the run short because we had a dinner date planned for Mellow Mushroom.

We shared their homemade hummus and pita to start.

For my entree I ordered a vegan (no butter or cheese) veggie pizza… which was pretty funny since David ordered the Mighty Meaty pizza. LOL. Mellow Mushroom has the most amazing crust- and a great atmosphere and beer selection- but their toppings could improve. The veggies don’t have any flavoring and are all raw. I always pour on the garlic salt and pepper to spice things up a bit!

Still, it was a nice pre-race date with David. It seems we’ve been so busy lately that we don’t get to just sit down and talk.

I’ll see you after the metric- my first bike race!

V-Day Fun

How hot is my Valentine?! Smokin’ before our dinner at Ichiban in Downtown Orlando tonight!

The last time we visited Ichiban was last Valentine’s Day. We talk about it all the time, so it was nice to finally return!

We began with tasty salads with ginger dressing. Perfect!

Their sushi is out of this world delicious. We had to share the Avocado Roll. I used about 1/2 that wasabi :)

I ordered a veggie/tofu stir-fry. I had to request them to make it without butter. It was good! The veggies were flavorful but light.

The meal came with white rice. I ate mine with some soy sauce!

It was a great date :)

This morning began with cards and gifts!

A homemade card… (I always call David my Love Bug… cheesy, I know :)

David loves yellow cake with cream cheese icing. I searched all over until Dee from Twitter was amazing enough to send me recipes for just what I needed!

Both recipes were from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Buy it. This cake was phenomenal!

So what did my omni/anti-vegan boyfriend think of the recipe? He thinks the cake was a little “sticky,” but otherwise pretty good. I thought the cake was freaking amazing.

After over-indulging on cake we made the drive to Blue Spring State Park- which is apparently an award-winning park! I’ve been wanting to visit since I first saw it on Katy’s blog a while back.

Can you spot the manatees in the photo above?!

It was a perfect Valentine’s Day!

Was your “holiday” as centered around food as mine? What was the best thing you ate on V-day?

Eating Out and a New Addition

 

David left for a work trip early Friday morning. He’ll be gone until late Christmas Eve :-/ Before every work trip he takes me out for a special dinner.. it’s a nice way to spend time together- and he likes to eat good food before heading out since he never knows what to expect with the cuisine of the country he’s visiting!

This time it was Seasons 52… “A Fresh Dining Experience That Celebrates Living Well”

We ordered the Rosemary and Parmesan Cheese Crispbread- half with no cheese. My half came up as a giant plain cracker!

For my entree I had the Winter Market Vegetable Plate with cranberry almond tabbouleh, Bosc pears, butternut squash and grilled tofu. Yum! I could definitely eat this every day! Each item on the plate had it’s own delicious flavor and texture. Mmmmmm…

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Yesterday I went to lunch with a great group of local bloggers: Meghann, Caitlin, Lindsey, & Ryan. We went to my favorite- Infusion Tea! I couldn’t help but order my favorite- 1/2 tempeh chili with 1/2 Milton Salad and mint iced tea. A perfect lunch!

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In other news I am really excited to announce Dixie might have another dog to play with! My dad’s dog, Sabrina, is going to live with us starting after Christmas. Sabrina is so smart and so fun!  Dixie loves her, so I’m excited to see how another dog changes the dynamics. If you’re counting we will be 2 humans, 2 dogs and 2 cats!

Telling Twelve

The Run

You might remember Friday I ran my long run of 14 miles. It was a scheduled, temporary decrease in long-run-mileage in the middle of 18- and 20-mile long runs. A short mid-week run of 5 miles was planned for Sunday or Monday.

So… Saturday (Halloween) I was talking to David’s dad Steve about marathons and the thrill of running. He has run multiple marathons including Disney and New York- and he’s running Disney with me this January! Every time we get together we talk for hours about running and every time it gets me itching to tie up my laces and run far!

Long story short, Saturday at dinner I invited myself to tag along on his 13-mile long run the next morning. I didn’t plan on going the whole distance or keeping up with him (he runs faster than I do and doesn’t walk at all), but I thought I’d at least get my short run in.

My alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. Sunday after a late-night Halloween party. Soon after we were out running.

He told me to lead- that we could slow down or turn around at any point. I usually run for 7 minutes and walk for 1 when completing a longer distance. Not this run.

We ran 12 miles at about a 10:10 pace all the way through! I finished as strong as I started- even after running 14 miles two days before!

I’ve said before that I believe every run is a part of my marathon. On this run I proved to myself that I don’t have to walk at all to run strong. It felt amazing.

Dixie

If you aren’t obsessed with dogs or having something against canine violence, scroll to the food pictures now!

I love these photos of Dixie and her new friends at the dog park! I take Dixie to the dog park as often as possible so she can socialize with all sorts of other dogs. She’s one well-rounded puppy :) 

Mellow Mushroom!

Last night David and I had a date at Mellow Mushroom. David is now in love with this place for all the different beers they have on tap! He enjoyed a Purple Haze last night. I stuck with H2O :)

We sat on the patio outside for a change…

I ordered the 10-inch Mega Veggie pizza pizza with no cheese or butter. It was fantastic! (I ate 1/2 last night and 1/2 for breakfast this morning :)

What was the best thing you ate this weekend? Was it candy?!