Nothing Wrong with a Nice, Cold Run

Everyone is complaining about the super chilly temperatures. I knew it would be cold, but I figured it would be a good opportunity to fit in a quick outdoor run - and I was right! I had to take my car to the shop after class today (according the the mechanic, it's "broken"...surprising, right?) and instead of walking back I figured, why not run? It was only about a mile, but I figured I'd take advantage of a solid running opportunity since I have to leave for work soon. I also figured it'd be important to start getting adjusted to running in colder weather. For anyone who isn't used to running outside in the cold, it can be tough getting used to the coughing and breathing difficulties that come with cold weather running. It's worth it when you feel that endorphin rush later though!

This isn't related to running, but I learned some really interesting facts about sleep today in Physiological Psychology! First, did you know dolphins sleep on one side of the brain at a time? How cool is that? I imagine it'd be a super efficient way to multi-task if humans could do it. The most interesting things I learned were about REM sleep though. I've always been fascinated with sleep and dreams, so this section of Physiological Psychology has been especially interesting to me. REM sleep, when you typically experience dreams, occurs at about the same time every night, in the early morning hours. So here's a scenario: you go out, party, drink some, get back around 3-4am and have to be up for work at 6am. Do you go to sleep or just pull an all nighter? If you've actually experienced this situation, you may have found that if you get a few hours of sleep it makes all the difference in how your body feels when you wake up. That's not necessarily because you got sleep (technically, you're still moderately sleep deprived), but because you experienced REM sleep. REM sleep deprivation is actually worse than sleep deprivation in general. So next time you wonder if you should just stay up all night, take advantage of those very few hours of sleep - your body and mind will thank you the next day.

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Sunday equals Game Day!

I really haven't posted since Monday? Really? I guess it makes sense; this week has been a blur to say the least. I've been looking forward to today all week though; 5 mile run, pumpkin pancakes, Ravens game, Next Iron Chef premiere and relaxation in general. I'm hoping the Ravens make up for their abysmal performance last Monday against the Jaguars. My Ravens will always have my heart, but I want to see them win! So I guess I should update on the happenings of last week, huh?

• I got my Merrel barefoot running shoes in the mail on Wednesday and they feel like a dream! I first ran 3 miles with them on Friday and it felt like I was running on air. Finally, after months of my feet feeling like they were close to amputation, the pain in my feet is subsiding. Now all I need is my new pair of work shoes and I should be set for a full recovery. 
• My latte detox has been going surprisingly well. I did go to Starbucks twice last week, but that's still a fifty percent reduction in lattes, so I'd classify it as a win. I think I can reward myself once in awhile, right?
• Looks like I'm getting a new car! I've been putting off this decision forever, but I think it's time. After my car decided to randomly die on me Monday (and was subsequently brought back to life for the millionth time), the windshield wipers stopped working on me yesterday while I was driving in a lovely snow/rain combination. I'd be surprised if I can get much of anything for my car at this point, but I'll take even a few hundred dollars, plus I have enough money saved up for a decent down payment. I'll hopefully get it week after next because I'm waiting for...drumroll please...
• A possible internship offer! I interviewed about two weeks ago for an unpaid spring internship with a staffing firm and I received an offer a few days ago - super exciting. However, I also applied for a paid Human Resources intern position on Tuesday night, Wednesday they called me for a phone interview, and Thursday I went in for a real interview! It went well and I'm really liking the company and the position, plus my hours would be ideal. I'd have evenings and weekends free, although I'd stay as a seasonal employee at my current job and work one weekend a month (anticipating car payments). My fingers are crossed that I'll get this offer; there are so many huge advantages to getting a paid internship (I can take 4 real classes next semester instead of 3, making money - obviously, and I don't have to stress over balancing an internship, work, and classes). 
• Hello last minute win by the Buckeyes last night! What an exciting end to the game! I still remember the tough loss to Wisconsin last year, but despite our NCAA struggles and drama, we pulled out a win.

I'm looking forward to this week because I should have less to stress me out! I'm not applying to any more internships, which is going to save me a huge amount of time (applying for jobs is a full time job!). And to all my followers, have a very happy Halloween! With all the insanity, I forgot it was Halloween weekend until Friday night when I had to work...that kind of reaction to Halloween is typical for me, but I still love seeing creative costumes!

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Cup of Joe

You may be wondering why I'm blogging at 8am (most likely you're not). My car wouldn't start this morning - what a lovely way to start off my Monday! Looks like I may need to start saving a little more money. Luckily, I already have a plan in place to start saving more money, thanks to a little decision I made yesterday.

It's time to cut back on Starbucks - seriously. I've been uber stressed the past week over my schedule for next semester, whether I'll be able to get a paid internship, and general senior year of college woes. So what do I do when I'm stressed? Drink sweet, sugary lattes of course! I've been working on cutting back on the cholesterol and now it's time to cut back on the sugar too.

Not only will cutting back to one Starbucks trip a week save me about seventy-eighty dollars a month (SAD, but I told you I was addicted), but it will save me about 300-500 calories a day. Yes, I've been known to go to Starbucks twice a day. Over the past week or so I've noticed that I've been gaining weight and while I could blame not working out 1-2 hours a day like I did over the summer, I really think it's the Starbucks.
Today I started off my Starbucks detox right, however. I drank a regular cup of coffee at home without the sugar containing French vanilla sweetener I usually add. From now on, when I'm craving something sweet I'll be making a smoothie, a soy chai tea latte, or just some regular coffee.

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For the Cure, the Survivors and Especially for my Mother

I tried to take a picture of the crowd with my Blackberry, but my phone died. No surprise there.

When I was fifteen, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. That was almost seven years ago now. It was kind of a blur and more than anything I think I was in denial. I was already going through my teenage rebellion phase - boys were priority number one, grades were priority sub-zero, and I distinctly remember people telling me "it's okay, you're just acting out because of your mother's cancer". I don't think I really understood the magnitude of cancer at that time though. It didn't truly hit me until my freshman year of college, specifically on the day I came back for a visit from Ohio and my father told me the doctors found something suspicious on my mother's mammogram.
My mother is a fighter; by some type of miracle whatever was on her mammogram that day disappeared. I've always known my mother to be a strong person, both emotionally and physically. Our time today at the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure showed me that she's even stronger than I previously thought. We arrived at the race super early, around 6am. The whole "West side Beltway during rush hour Monday through Friday" has made me incredibly aversive to any form of traffic, so I made us leave extra early. So worth it! We got our hands on all the free goodies and, while gloves would have been nice, the weather was absolutely beautiful.

While we were walking around waiting for the race to start, my mother actually talked about her battle with cancer. That doesn't happen very often. I could probably count on one hand the conversations we've had about it and they've all been fairly brief. Today though I felt like she really opened up about how difficult of an experience it was and I actually understood the gravity of it. I didn't know this seven years ago, but my mother's cancer was initially reported as Stage 4. Yes, Stage 4 as in "worst possible prognosis" Stage 4. I was shocked to hear that, but even more grateful that she made it through the struggle and she's still here with us today. 

Susan. G Komen and breast cancer awareness month have both played an important role in my life since my mother's cancer, but this year changed things even more for me. I've been so inspired by all the volunteers and survivors I've met and, of course, I'm especially inspired by my mother. It was the perfect day to celebrate all the progress made in breast cancer research and to raise money to fund even more progress in the future!

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Like it's Golden

WeHeartIt

 It's my belief that once you really know what it is you want, you're golden. I've always had the Rachel Berry problem (hello, Glee reference) of wanting things too much. The problem is I never really knew what I wanted. It never felt exactly right. Now I know exactly what I want though. I'm going to work for Under Armour one day - period. I've experienced a range of emotions upon this realization - excitement, the disappointment of knowing I still have progress to make, but mostly I've experienced a sense of determination and peace. Life is easier when you know what direction you want to go. I really feel like I'm on track and today I've been totally on track.

• I tried the RPM cycling class today! It was seriously great. The music really gets you through the hour workout even though it is tough. I slept in a bit so I'm going to run my 4 miles tomorrow. I couldn't help it; my bed was calling my name and it was oh so comfortable. Sometimes I think it's good to just enjoy sleep. I won't get to sleep in again until next Sunday, so it was worth it.
• I'm super proud of how well I've eaten today. Monitoring my cholesterol has already made a huge difference in how I feel. For breakfast I went to Panera for a coffee and the breakfast power sandwich. I'd recommend the breakfast power sandwich to anyone looking for a solid breakfast on the go. At 360 calories, it has ham, egg, and cheese and wheat bread - perfect. Lunch was a smoothie with frozen mixed berries, a banana, vanilla soy milk, vanilla soy protein, peanut butter and agave. And I just had some delicious salmon with pineapple salsa and broccoli.

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I'm Saving my Feet..Finally

What a stressful week it has been! I'm looking forward to 9:30 tonight when I get off though, since I should have a nice weekend ahead of me. Tomorrow I have a 4 mi run and RPM cycling class planned, but other than that I fully intend on getting some DVDs and just hanging out around the house and doing homework. I really need one day where I'm not running around all the day! Sunday is the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure and it's looking like it'll be a beautiful day! Anyway, I thought I'd catch you up on some of the craziness of this week.

• I just bought some new running shoes! I realized yesterday during Body Pump that I am in dire need of new shoes. I should have realized it when my feet started blistering severely, but it took the shoes literally not fitting my ankles correctly for me to actually get online and order a new pair. I ordered the Merrell Barefoot Pace Glove and got an awesome deal via Amazon. The reviews are fantastic and I cannot wait to wear them.
• Speaking of Body Pump, I'm thoroughly enjoyed the new release. It is way tougher than the release I tried a few weeks ago. The triceps section is hardcore and even the abs section is more intense. Even the biceps section, which is typically easy for me, is serious! I'm going to wait until I get my new shoes to go back so I'm not struggling, but I'm really excited!
• I dyed my hair red last week and I am in love with the color, but I don't think the color loves me. I've never had my dye wash out in the shower, but it did on Wednesday morning. I was horrified. There's still red in my hair, but I really need to find a great color shampoo to keep my hair vibrant.
• I swear it's like Verizon knows my contract is almost up and I plan on switching to AT&T. My Blackberry battery is seriously draining and it is so tempting to get a new battery or a new phone, but I will not succumb. Verizon and Blackberry are not getting any more of my money. I'll just turn my phone off when I'm in class or working, since I don't use it then anyway.
•  Yesterday Groupon posted an awesome deal for Metabody, a company that works with various gyms to help people find the right gyms and fitness classes. The deal is amazing - 30 classes for $20 and you have until April to use them! I didn't know if I wanted to go for it or not, since I initially wanted to do Crossfit next year. It's looking like I may be tight on money at least Spring semester though, so it will be a worthwhile purchase.

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Waka Waka!

Anyone who knows me knows that the ONLY thing I cared about last year was the World Cup in South Africa. Equally, anyone who knows me knows that I love Shakira. So it should be no surprise that "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is possibly one of my favorite songs.
It reminds me of the World Cup and yes that's a huge part of why I love it so much, but it also gets me through some tough workouts and, more importantly, some tough times. I have neglected this blog the past few days, not because I'm giving up on it, but because it's been a crazy and very stressful time. It's crunch time and I have a million things to accomplish! I'm making progress though and I find myself getting closer and closer to my goals. I may not get exactly what I want exactly when I want it, but I'm getting what I want.
Now although I haven't made enough time to post recently, I have made time to workout. I've also decided to get my running groove back. Between yoga, the elliptical and toning workouts running has been on the fitness backburner for awhile. I decided last weekend though that I am one hundred percent running the Baltimore Under Armour half-marathon next year and considering how I run now it's entirely conceivable I could run one in a few months, let alone in a year. I initially wanted to run the full marathon, but the hypochondriac in me is petrified that I have some type of undiagnosed heart defect that will cause me to collapse before the finish line. I guess I could always just go to the doctor and find out?
Anyway, here's my weekly workout schedule:

• Monday - 3 mi run
• Tuesday - rest
• Wednesday - 3 mi run
• Thurs - Body pump
• Fri - elliptical 30 mins
• Saturday - 4 mi run, RPM cycling class

The plan I'm doing now is super manageable, so no excuses!

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Drink Up!

Typically I drink water, coffee, the (all too occasional) Starbucks latte, and once in awhile a Stevia soda. Tea has great health benefits though and I'm finally starting to get into the tea craze. Why drink tea?

• 2 cups of tea could lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women. Other studies have shown that tea can reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
• Tea only contains half the caffeine of coffee! There are also plenty of tea varieties that have no caffeine at all.
• Studies have also indicated that green tea increases metabolism, always a plus. Drinking green tea is even inversely related to depressive symptoms!
• Interesting fact: studies have shown that adding milk to tea may detract from its health benefits. The casein in milk will block the molecules in tea that cause the arteries to relax. The healthiest teas, including green tea, aren't typically consumed with milk though and soy milk is always a good substitute.
• It's calming, aromatic, and delicious!

Transitioning from coffee to tea won't be an easy task and I'll most likely never make the full transition, but anything new and healthy is something I'm willing to try!

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Supplement your Health!

...with supplements, of course! Maybe I've been watching too much Dr. Oz when I don't have to work in the afternoons, but I've found a few new supplements I'm interested to try. As you can see, Omega 3 fish oil is my number one choice. I should have tried fish oil tablets a long while ago since Omega 3's are very beneficial for the heart as well as the skin and hair. There's also evidence supporting the claims that Omega 3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of cancer and lessen depression. However, make sure when buying Omega 3 fatty acids that the pill contains DHA and EPA, not just ALA. With so many options on the market it's tempting to go with the cheapest option sometimes. Research conducted with ALA fatty acids has not correlated with the positive findings from DHA and EPA.
I'm also looking to try black currant oil. Yet again, a Dr. Oz discovery: black currant oil is supposed to improve hair health and encourage hair growth. I'll try anything that makes that claim! The only problem is that it seems to be difficult to find. My job has an excellent selection of supplements, so I'll have to check there, since Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, and GNC don't carry it.
For anyone interested in hair growth and health, biotin is a great supplement to take. On its own, biotin is a relatively inexpensive option, but I've found through the hair, skin and nails vitamins that I've tried that biotin works best when taken in conjunction with silica, gelatin and horsetail.
I think supplements are a great way to improve health, but remember that they are not a substitute for getting enough calories or daily nutrients! My health has absolutely improved since I began taking supplements, but I've also maintained a rigorous exercise schedule and made sure to drink lots of water.

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Modern Family, BodyPump and that In-Between Stage

I'd like to begin this Saturday morning mixed up post with my favorite clip from Modern Family. This is a clip from the Pilot episode and possibly one of my favorite TV moments of all time. If you don't fall in love with Modern Family after watching the Pilot episode, maybe you should re-evaluate your life. I've also noticed through my Modern Family mini-marathons that I'm totally Alex. She said her biggest fear in life was getting a B - sounds far too accurate.
This morning I made it to the 7:30am BodyPump class at the gym and I definitely enjoyed it! The music is great and it really is a total body workout - you start with a warm-up and go through a full body circuit including squats, deadlifts, shoulders, triceps, back, biceps and abs. I took it a little easy with the weights, but I'm not used to working with barbells and I wanted to really get the moves and the form. I really felt (and still feel) the burn in my arms from the biceps and shoulder circuits. The high number of reps without breaks works the arms perfectly. I was only disappointed with the abs sections. After doing Ab Ripper X and Insanity abs regular sit-ups just don't do it for me anymore. I definitely plan on doing more Bodypump classes with my Groupon though and hopefully Monday I can try Bodyattack!
I'm just going to completely ignore any type of segue yet again and move on to my new topic of interest - stress and my skin. My skin has been breaking out like crazy and I know it's because of the stress: the stress of this in-between stage I am experiencing. I've been working so hard to do well in my job, perfect my resume, and get a great GPA and I really just want to see the fruits of my labor. I have a plan, so I'm not just floating along aimlessly. I actually have a best case scenario and worst case scenario plan, so I'm really not floating along aimlessly. It is taxing though, working so hard and not knowing how exactly things will turn out. The most surprising part of this, however, is what made me feel a little bit better. I went out to get skin cream and found myself, accidently, driving in the direction of my old job. I wasn't going to waste gas turning around, so I went inside to get what I needed. I saw very few familiar faces, but eventually I did see some of the people I used to supervise. Despite the fact that it's almost a year to the day that I left, they remembered me and said that they really missed me. It meant a lot to me that people still felt that way about me and I started to put things into perspective. Eventually I will still to see results, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

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Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Under Armour

As I've said, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is very important to me and it is great to see so many companies supporting the cause. However, more companies than you would like to think profit more off of Breast Cancer Awareness month than they help to support it. Just because something is pink does not mean many of the profits go to support finding a cure. (Don't even get me started on the Facebook "inside statuses" that are supposed to "raise awareness for breast cancer - I'll probably tackle that and the sexualization of breast cancer in another post).
I'm not wholly cynical about Breast Cancer Awareness month though. So with that said, there are some companies and products that are really doing great things to support finding a cure.

• Panera Bread
• Panera always supports the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as a sponsor, but over the last 10 years the sales of Pink Ribbon Bagel have helped Panera raise one million dollars to support local breast cancer support organizations. Plus the bagel has cherry chips, chocolate, cranberries, honey and brown sugar - what isn't to love?
• Under Armour
• Under Armour happens to be one of my favorite companies for many reasons, but their Power in Pink collection is, in my opinion, one of the best breast cancer awareness collections. I especially love that Under Armour honors survivors of breast cancer and the fight it takes to overcome to disease - it makes me think of my mother, who has fought hard to be in remission for almost seven years now.
• Sephora
• Sephora is currently carrying pink ribbon products from various brands, including Clinique, Stila and the Sephora collection. Proceeds from these products will go to help women living with cancer and breast cancer research.
• Nordstrom
• I especially like the Nordstrom Fits America campaign because it encourages women to get mammograms and be aware of the signs of breast cancer. Proceeds from bras bought go to the Susan G Komen foundation in addition to the $200,000 minimum contribution Nordstrom makes as a company.

Of course the option always exists to contribute directly to the breast cancer support or research organization of your choice. I know that it's easier to donate when you can buy something in return though and the above companies do a great job of providing products really help support the cause.

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Titles are Overrated

Basically, that's my way of saying that I don't have the creativity in me right now to come up with a creative title. It's okay though. What I have to say today is a bit of a mash-up of everything that's been going on in my life the past few days so there's no real theme involved.

• I'm learning HTML! How exciting! Right now my blog is just a basic Blogger template, but I really want to make it more personal and I don't want to pay someone to make my template when I know I can learn it myself. It won't be up tomorrow or anything, so don't get excited. I'll make my way though. I was inspired Monday when I went to a meeting for the internship of a lifetime. The recruiter kept mentioning to know your product and sell it and that if you really want something, you'll change in the right direction to get it. I'm proud of where I am right now, but there are ways I can step up my resume between now and February and I'm all over it.
• Speaking of internship of a lifetime and the job search in general, did you know 7 out of 10 employers reject employees based on social networking? That's pretty significant. Some of the reasons include: posting inappropriate photos or comments, posting comments about drinking or drugs, lying about qualifications, and posting negative comments about an employer. My Facebook is pretty private; I have few pictures posted, no one can post on my wall and only friends of friends and networks should be able to find me. My Twitter is now protected too, so hopefully I'm okay. I just Googled my name as well and turns out there's more qualified Angelas who pop up on the Internet way before I do. As far as this blog goes, I'm considering making some of my more personal posts private, although I think it's pretty clear by what I post that I don't exactly live a wild and crazy life. But if any of my followers have any tips, please let me know! The next year is a very pivotal moment in my life and I don't want social media interfere.
• Yesterday's Groupon was awesome! In case you don't subscribe to Groupon, the offer was either 10 Brick Bodies fitness classes for $12 or 20 classes for $19. The offer expires December 31, 2011 and I'm not one hundred percent sure I'd take 20 classes in the next few months, so I went with the 10 class offer. I'm really excited to try Bodypump, Bodyattack, Bodycombat and possibly some cycling classes. I usually like to sleep in a bit on my day off, which happens to be Saturday this week, but I may get up early to check it out!

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Mental Health Awareness Week

Happy October! I'm a day late, but I'm nonetheless happy that it's October. October happens to be my favorite month, even though right now it's extra cold and for the millionth week in a row, rainy outside. I love pumpkin, cozy cardigans, boots, football and the rapidly approaching holiday season, but October also has special meaning to me. It happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness month, which I of course will be posting about later in the month, but the first week of October is also Mental Health Awareness week. One of my favorite things about getting out of class early when I'm off from work is watching Dr Oz and Ellen - don't judge me. On Thursday, Leann Rimes was on the Ellen Degeneres show and the subject of eating disorders came up. Leann said that she does not have an eating disorder, but she feels a degree of responsibility for people who suffer from eating disorders and are stigmatized because they have them. I understood exactly what she meant by that comment.
Any mental health issue, whether it's depression, bulimia, addiction (be it alcohol, drug, gambling or sex), bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, tends to be a silent one. There's two major reasons for this: mental health issues often aren't regarded as true medical disorders and mental health disorders are often used as insults or verbal weapons.
If I've learned anything from Physiological Psychology and my struggles with depression, it's that neurotransmitters have a huge effect on the brain's function and, consequently, mental disorders and addictions. There's no need to get into the technical details, but because mental health issues are real medical concerns, they don't just "go away" and they often require medications to fully treat.
Even though I consider myself in recovery from my depression and eating disorder, it has never been an easy subject for me to discuss. Often when people hear depression they think "just get over it" or "cheer up", but I know that it isn't that easy. What is worse though is when people use the knowledge of a mental health issue against someone. I've confided in my issues to a few people, only to have it thrown back in my face. The very thing that really sent me to therapy was hearing from someone I thought was my friend that I would never be successful, that guys I liked had used me for sex, and that I was constantly feeling sorry for myself.
I can't say that I would just announce my struggles to a room full of strangers because I wouldn't. I'm not embarrassed of who I used to be though or what I have gone through to get through this point. If I had to choose between keeping my personal life private or helping even one person recognize that mental health issues are as valid as any medical concern, I would choose the latter in a heartbeat.

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