Ten by 30: THE END

Welp, I'll be 30 in two days, folks.  It's been a marvelous year, and even though I didn't exactly accomplish everything I set out to do--I got a hell of a lot done, people.  I'm a die-hard goal setter, and as long as I have goals, I'll live an amazing life.  I love pushing myself to my limits (in a good way), and the experiences that come with that are... incomparable.  Here's a recap:



1)  Create--and regularly update--a blog.  Yeah, sure, I did that.  I may not have blogged every day or week, but I did serve up *almost* one entry per month.  That's good nuff for me.
2)  Be more social.  Definitely!  I embraced my awkwardness instead of allowing it to cripple me.  I went out more, had people over more, and even ran with a running group.   I also went on a couple of group trips.
3)  Paint more often.  Nope, not really.  But I managed to eek out a sketch or two.
4)  Do the Warrior Dash.  Totally!!!  I did the Dash in Maryland in May with my hubby and a few of his friends.  I had a blast and can't wait to sign up for next year!
5)  Train for and complete a 10K.  Sure did!  I trained for several weeks and ran the Run4Shelter Race in Chestertown, MD in September.  It was hard and I didn't run the entire time, but it was a great start for me.  Half-marathon, here I come!
6)  Wear a bikini.  Check!  I hired an amazing virtual trainer in April and lost 10 pounds over the course of a few months.  I certainly did sport my kini at the beach with my family this summer.  And halfway through Insanity, I wore it again in October during a trip to the lake. 
7) Design and construct a wearable garment from scratch.  Didn't get to that, but I definitely want to reach this goal next year.
8)  Sell stuff on Etsy.  No dice, but also planning this for next year.  I'm getting my ducks in a row as I type this.
9) Grow my biggest fro ever.  I'll say YES.  Because my fro is still on the grow, baby.  Every pic I take is the "biggest fro ever."  Can't wait to see how much bigger it is next year.
10)  Take a birthday trip.  The trip didn't happen this year, but I love to travel and plan to see many places before I die. :)

I don't really want to think about the things I didn't do.  Though I did try to make this blog into more than it was, I'm thrilled with everything I DID accomplish. 60% ain't bad at all!  I'll take it.  And I'm already setting goals for next year.  ;)

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And then I hired a personal trainer...

By the time I finished my last workout program,  I was ready to try something new.  One of my friends on Facebook was friends with The Get in Shape Girl, and I admit--I did a little Facebook creeping to find out what she was all about.  I perused her website, which is an excellent resource for exercise tutorials and clean recipes.  I read her personal story, and how she struggled with her weight until she eventually did something about it.  She became a personal trainer, and a bikini competitior.  I was totally inspired by her story and was excited to discover that she offered virtual training.  I had always wanted to work with a trainer, but couldn't justify the expense.  I had no idea how much it would cost, so I decided not to entertain the idea at all.

One day, the GISG (as she will now and evermore be deemed as I do not feel like typing the whole name out) advertised a special on virtual training--just $30 a month, plus a free copy of her Bikini Competitors' Cookbook.  How could I resist such a deal?  I signed up that very same day.  She asked me questions about my workouts and diet, and checks in with me regularly.  I often feel like she is right here with me.  The workouts are challenging without consuming too much time, and I can do them at home or at the gym at work.  She even customized my routine so that I can train for the Warrior Dash (which is next weekend---eek!).  She's an awesome motivator, and I'm so glad I made the investment.  I have the accountability I need to keep me straight.  I'm eating cleaner and better than I ever have, and I'm confident that I will reach my goal.  Like, this year, finally.

In the past month, I've lost about 5 pounds.  I've gained much better eating habits.  I'm excited about working out again.  I'm ready to challenge myself, pushing to my limits.  In fact, the GISG just released a bikini workout plan that [I'm definitely going to grab, and] I'm sure will pair well with her cookbook.

Speaking of recipes, I'm working on some new stuff so stay tuned... :)