Movin’ On Up!

Hello friends!!

I am writing to let you all know that I have made the leap and am now self-hosted!

For those of you who have email subscriptions, it should be a pretty seamless migration and you should continue to get emails as I publish posts. Those of you who follow through wordpress.com will still be able to see new posts in the reader, but will not receive email updates when a new post is made. If you want to be notified by email when a new post is up, head over to the new site (erinsinsidejob.com) and sign up for email notifications!

WordPress is in the process of transferring this current page, http://www.erinsidejob.com to the new url, which should be completed in less than 7 days. Don’t you love not getting an exact timeline? That means that once the transfer is complete, if you have bookmarked this lovely site and click on the original url, you should be redirected to the new one.

I am excited to have more creative control over my content and hopefully you will appreciate any improvements that happen to pop up. As always, thank you all so much for reading and if anyone has any issues during this migration, PLEASE let me know and I will fix it as soon as possible. Everything should go pretty smoothly, but I want to make sure that I keep our relationship going (wink wink).

Enjoy!

5 Reasons To Run With A Partner

Happy Friday everyone!

I wanted to take some time today to talk about the benefits of running with a partner. I was always against running with someone else, but my reasons for it were self centered and close minded (see yesterday’s post on perfectionism for example). I recently started running with a friend from work and have come to realize that there are a lot of benefits from it. For me, I enjoy a balance of solo running and partner running because I feel like I get different things from both options, but here are a few of the positives I have found lately:

1. Partners make a great accountability tool

It is very easy to wake up to a 6:30 am alarm and decide to turn it off. Having set a date and time to go running helps me get out of bed and show up to my commitments. Even if it isn’t first thing in the morning, having made any commitment to show up and run with a partner makes it harder to back out.

2. Your performance can improve

Since I end up rambling while I run with someone else, I spend less time combating the mental part of running. The mental is always the first part of running to tell me that I can’t keep going, I need to take a break, I’m going to die, etc. Being able to interact with someone else means that I’m not alone with my sneaky brain who wants to tell me to stop before my body does. I honestly stop paying attention and just run. This means that I am less likely to give up.

Running with someone who is your pace or better can also improve your performance. I have faster mile times when running with someone else than solo. Having someone else there helps me push myself to not give up and to keep up if I feel myself slowing down.

3. Partners are great for conversation

I have learned that I like to take my long runs with someone else. My shorter runs are fine solo and have a nice meditative feel to them. Once I start going longer distances, I can start getting bored and then start fixating on how much longer I have to go. That, in turn, leads my brain to start telling me to stop or wrap it up earlier.

When running with a partner, the time flies by because we are talking about whatever comes to mind. One of the fastest ways to get to know someone is to run with them. All there is to do is talk. I can tell you from experience that those hour plus runs fill up with all sorts of random conversation and you can learn a lot about someone else.

4. It is safer

This seems like a no brainer. I do a lot of running on a trail that stretches across Virginia. A lot of it is busy and near population, but some parts cut through the woods where there are not a lot of people around. There have been a couple of times when I haven’t paid enough attention to the time and have ended up running back in the dark. Another person can help if someone gets injured or attacked by zombies (although I don’t know how much help they can offer unless they have a shotgun. Zombies are vicious).

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5. Partners are great motivators

Closely tied to accountability and improving performance, a running partner is someone who helps support you in your goals and will help you believe in yourself. Both of you are working to improve your health by doing this activity, so of course your partner will be there to keep pushing you when you want to give up. They can also call you on your BS when you make excuses. A running partner is like your own little cheerleader, so listen to them!

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Thanks to anyone I have had the pleasure of running with; you make my life better!!

Question of the day: Do you ever run with a partner? What other reasons can you think of for doing it?

Progress Not Perfection

Hey guys!

I wanted to write for Amanda’s Thinking out Loud linkup since it is Thursday, but rather than a lot of random thoughts like I normally do, I only have one main one. It is a topic that I have brought up a number of times before on here, but it’s something that I continually struggle with. As time goes on I get more comfortable with the idea, but I have learned that life is an ebb and flow and while I may grasp and accept an idea one day, the next I may be struggling with it.

I am a serious perfectionist. Throughout my life this trait has served as an asset: successful in school, work, etc. Where it gets me into trouble is in accepting that I am a human being who makes mistakes.

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I had a bit of a freak out last week before my birthday. I started judging myself for all the things that I need to get done this year that aren’t done yet, questioning my career path and whether I should go back to school, my timeline for having kids, etc. All at once I decided that I had made all sorts of mistakes in life and that because of those I was some kind of failure. I had lost faith that everything I have gone through has happened for a reason and that everything will work out just the way it is supposed to for me.

I have an easier time these days forgiving myself for small mistakes like forgetting to pick something up at the store, but if I were to make a larger mistake, I would very quickly pick up the proverbial bat and have a good swing session with myself. I want to be able to accept myself as a flawed human being as we all are, but it is difficult.

I used to not like learning things from other people because I felt like it exposed the fact that I didn’t know everything. I would practice sports by myself until I felt like I was good at them because I didn’t want anyone seeing me in my learning stage. I didn’t want them to see me make mistakes. Trying to be perfect also means that I have a difficult time admitting when I am wrong. I will try to justify and rationalize my words or actions to avoid the acknowledgement that I may not know everything. Let’s just say it’s made for some drawn out arguments.

The more I demand perfection of myself, the more that I demand it from others and I lose compassion and empathy. It is unfair to both parties and it takes me away from developing and nurturing successful relationships. I find when I am more forgiving with myself, I am more forgiving and understanding of others and don’t set incredibly lofty standards that are often impossibly out of reach.

When I live in my perfectionism, I am not living in today. I am not enjoying the moment because I am obsessing about whether I said the right thing, did the right thing, etc. All we really have is today, so for this day I will stop setting unrealistic expectations of myself. I will miss too much of life if I wait to be perfect.

Question of the day: Do you have problems with perfectionism? How do you deal with it?

WIAW: Birthday Edition

Happy Wednesday!

This morning started with my second run of the week: a quick 3 miles around the neighborhood before work. Tomorrow is going to be my long run instead of Saturday, so I am waking up nice and early to knock out 8 miles. BAM.

I took a hiatus yesterday to have a birthday lunch with Carly (who is apparently taking over this blog). Today I am back full force with another What I Ate Wednesday. I wanted to highlight some of the meals from my birthday weekend and reminisce since I am so boring and repetitive throughout the work week. Check out Jenn’s blog to read more about WIAW and even link up yourself!

Breakfasts

Are always the same. Scrambled eggs and mushrooms and chocolate blueberry basil smoothie. Actually, on my birthday I made waffles and coated them in Earth Balance and maple syrup. GLUTEN FTW.

Lunches

Saturday we had lunch in MD with Neil’s parents at Cafe Nola, which came recommended from a coworker who lives there. This place was adorable and had multiple things that I would order. I settled on the portobello burger with BASIL aioli. I was so happy that the fruit cup they offered on the side contained fruit that I would eat. Most of the time they throw all sorts of melons in there which I hate. If you are ever in Frederick, MD, you should definitely check them out. They have food for all areas of the eating spectrum.

I also got a Ninja Turtle latte, which was hazelnut, caramel, and chocolate. They made their lattes with almond milk (upon request), so I was so happy that I was able to have one!!

Sunday I wanted to go to Panera for lunch for their Strawberry Chicken Poppyseed salad.

Dinner

Friday night I went to Outback with Neil, my sister, and my dad for dinner. I got this grilled chicken breast with vegetables and it was wonderfully seasoned (and heart shaped?).

Saturday night was spent at the farm, so I helped myself to a plate of the pot luck dinner: some kind of pulled pork/beef?, bean salad, and some blueberries.

I was saving room for my mom’s cake.

Sunday night we went to Chipotle and it was heavenly. I forget how good Chipotle is until I sit down and inhale my bowl in a manner of minutes.

After dinner, we went to see Transformers in IMAX 3D and I promptly inhaled a box of Milk Duds before the movie started. I haven’t had Milk Duds in years and they brought back lots of movie memories since that was really the only place I used to eat them.

I’ve been thinking about Chipotle since Sunday, so I think I need to get some more of that in my life again soon.

Question of the day: What have you been eating lately?

30th Birthday Weekend

Hello all! Today is the first day that I am writing to you as an official 30 year old. Oh. My.

I may have had a minor 1/3 life crisis last week involving thinking of everything that I have yet to do this year, everything that I have ever wanted to do for a career and am not doing right now, fixating on the one white hair I have, etc. You get the idea. I think I am doing better this week. Hey, at least I didn’t buy a new sports car. Wait, that doesn’t sound too bad.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here was mine (plus some days):

Thursday

As I mentioned last week, Thursday was mine and Neil’s one year wedding anniversary. We went to eat at the same restaurant we did following our low key courthouse ceremony.

We started off with a duck quesadilla because it sounded fancy. Notice Neil’s strategic ring placement.

I had the atomic crab cake which was full of all sorts of creamy dairy, but oh well, YOLO. It was delicious.

Neil had some kind of espresso marinated hen which was also delicious.

Friday

Work decided to celebrate my birthday on Friday, so I came in to find balloons tied to my chair and lots of cake. Since I am not a huge fan of cake, my boss got me a separate flourless chocolate cupcake that I am always raving about from Cupcakes Actually. So sweet! (I still had bites of cake anyway).

Notice that delicious almond butter in the background. I had brought that, cashew butter, and maple spiced pecan butter in the day before. Now people want to buy those too!

Saturday

Saturday started off with a 7 am 7 mile run with Carly. I feel like I may be turning into a morning person which freaks me out because when I used to have to wake up for high school I felt like it was the most severe form of punishment imaginable.

We stopped to help a turtle cross the trail. It didn’t want to hang out with us.

After our run, Carly surprised me with a blueberry, almond, and BASIL pie. She even made gluten free crust for me! She also mentioned that she put about 10 times the amount of basil that was required, but I would have it no other way. I loved it.

After our run, we drove to MD to have a birthday lunch with Neil’s parents. We ate in Frederick at a cafe that was recommended by a coworker who lives there. I’m saving all the deliciousness for Wednesday’s post.

After lunch, we headed back to VA to meet up with my mom and sister. My sweet sister gave me this card:

And this sweet sweatshirt:

We drove about 30 min to get to my friend’s dad’s farm, where they were having an event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a Civil War battle that was fought there. They had a bluegrass band, pick your own vegetables, and a potluck dinner. My friend’s birthday is the same as mine, so my mom made us a joint cake.

Unfortunately, it was sprinkling the whole time. We all still had a good time and stayed until the end.

We went back to our place and watched a new-to-me home video that my mom had uncovered. It was priceless.

I also came home to flowers from my dad:

Sunday

Sunday was pretty low key. I wanted to spend time on this blog working on some top secret things, so Neil helped me out because I am not as tech savvy as he is. We made waffles and then went to the pool for about an hour and a half. Carly met us there and she gave me ANOTHER present: tape for my knee! It’s nice to have PT friends.

That night Neil and I went to see Transformers 4 in IMAX and 3D. We decided to go crazy and eat all the sugar, so I ate an entire box of Milk Duds before it even started. Neil got some Sour Patch Kids and was super excited.