On the Road Again

I've finally started running again and I love it. I recommend a website called www.runnerslog.com. My furthest distance so far is 10 miles, but eventually I would like to run a marathon, so I am going to be increasing that over time. I hit 30 miles this week in four days and feel great. I have lost 10 pounds since I started eating better and hitting the pavement. I have been surprised how quickly my body has adjusted to running again. I'd like to hit a 5K this summer to guage my progress.

Diet time

OK, so I have finally started the diet that I have long been delaying. I had begun to tip the scales at about 183 at the highest points. The days of my eating whatever I want and not gaining weight have ended. My goal is to get back to 165, the weight I was at when I got married.
Here is my method: I am using a free website called thedailyplate.com. I enter everything I eat into the website. It has a search tool where it will pull up the nutritional value of each item. It will total the calories, fat, carbs, etc and match it as a percentage to your daily goal. I am attempting to eat a balanced 2100 calories a day. I do this only on my work days (Tuesday through Friday). I also combine this with a tough 45 minute workout. On the days I am not working, I eat whatever I want, but I attempt to eat in moderation.
So far, the results have been great. In about two weeks, I have dropped down to 176. Time will tell if I can reach my goal and stick to the diet. Wish me luck!

A Cousin and a Brother (from another mother)

I went to Boston to visit my old mission buddy, Ben Clement, who is about half way through law school. My cousin, Holly King, was able to come over and hang out with us. We had a great time reliving old stories and eating Bulgarian food. We made "Schmokey" and Holly was able to experience the missionary favorite dish for the first time. It consists of drained ramen noodles, eggs, fried potatoes, onions, and topped off with plain yogurt. Combined with the right seasoning, it is awesome. We also had bread with Lyoutinitsa (vegetable spread) and cirene (Bulgarian Feta).

"What are you doing here?" That is the greeting that Holly and I have given each other since she was 10 years old. It started when I came over to her house to see her brother Ben and she gave me the snootiest look and whined, "What are you doing here?" It has continued ever since. We enjoyed catching up on family news and stories.

One Week In San Diego

I just spent one week in San Diego for a Air National Guard Budget Course. It was a great course and I am excited to take the knowledge back to my job. I am told that it usually takes about two years in my position before one becomes comfortable in the job. It is a bit overwhelming at times, but it was nice to network and find people who are willing to share information.

On our final day, we had to brief a mock Financial Management Board (FMB), which is a quarterly meeting of the base commander and the group commanders (Operations, Maintenance, Mission Support, and Medical). I will be attending my first real FMB this month, so this was a good practice run.

Passed out after three days of ice cream and late nights. I am ready for my family to come back.

A lone man...

Well, my wife left today for three weeks to go visit family in Arizona. What does this mean for me? A downward spiral of poor sleep and eating habits. I always end up staying up way too late. Eating becomes snacking because I don't want to take the time prepare a whole meal for one. I swear, I wasn't like this before I got married. I've just become dependant on having someone to balance me. I will enjoy being able to watch the shows that Lona hates, but on the other hand, no one will be there to predict the ending to Law & Order (Lona's favorite drama) with me. I win and lose. I have great plans on tackling projects that are too difficult with a two and half year old running around. This is a big plus for me. On the other hand, I won't get to come home every day and be greeted by a smiling little boy (sometimes scowling, but even that is cute). Again, I win and lose. I'm feeling a little under the weather and I believe this will ultimately save me, as my body will shut down at night and I will be unable to stay up to late. Hopefully, I will be able to conquer my list of tasks before I head to San Diego in a couple of weeks for a Air National Guard Budget course. Wish me luck...