Friday Favorite - Plant Nanny

I blame Twitter for this app. I honestly do. As anyone who knows me in real life will know, I live off Diet Coke. It's not uncommon for me to have to go find a Diet to get ride of a migraine or just because I'm getting antsy and want one. I'm officially addicted. Like hardcore addicted. If I forget one with my work lunch then I'll dash over to the gas station next store to grab a fountain Diet, my budget bates this. Consequently, I also don't drink a lot of water because I live off Diet Coke. This is a bit of a problem when I go to work out.

So when I started seeing some Twitter accounts complain about how they feel pressure to drink water during the day so the plants don't die I knew I had to give it a shot. Which I now deeply regret.....

I have my Plant Nanny set to my WiiFit weight and Regular as my activity level. I picked Regular because working at a desk job means I sit most of the day. My daily activity doesn't compare to someone on their feet all day, every day so I figured Regular fit better than Active. The third option for Activity Level is Sedentary which I know I don't qualify for. Once you select your weight and activity level the app tells you how much water you need to drink. My water level is currently 74 oz which is way more than I typically drink in a day. Another feature of the app is Drinking Reminders which will send you alerts throughout the day reminding you to drink. I've currently got my reminders set at every 4 hours, which I honestly disregard because I ignore every alert my phone sends.

You set your water bottle level and can set multiples in case you switch between glasses throughout the day. I currently have an 8oz glass and a 24oz glass because those are the two sizes I typically drink from during the day. Adding a new glass is as simple as tapping your screen a few times and is easy enough to do on the go. As you drink you press the screen on the water icon for a few moments and it records your drink. The more you drink, the more your plant grows! Once the plant matures your can plant it in your garden and select a new seed to start.

My little Devil's Ivy in Plant Nanny

Overall, I like using Plant Nanny to track my water intake. The app isn't complicated or annoying, but is still motivating. I have noticed myself making an effort to drink more simply because I want to get a whole garden of different plants. I actually get up in the morning and start drinking water as opposed to finding whatever juice or sweet drink I have in the fridge! Plus my caffeine consumption is much lower than it has been in years, I've gotten really good at only having a Diet Coke with my lunch as opposed to several times a day.

I would highly recommend downloading Plant Nanny to anyone who is looking to drink more water during the day!
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I once again failed to get myself up this morning for an early run. So I set my daily plan for a run after I was done working with Cupid.

My whole "don't snack at work" thing is going super well....

When I got to the barn after work it was extremely hot out and Cupid had already been turned out. As always she was wonderful about coming up to me but it was clear that she would rather stay outside to graze. I got her groomed and as I was putting the saddle on I realized that I really didn't want to ride but I knew I had to work with her since she was being super willing. I ended up doing a groundwork session which we haven't done in awhile. I asked her to walk over a saddle pad on the ground, which caused no reaction even when I picked it up, shook it around, and threw it on her back and neck. She stepped up on a step with very little encouragement, then backed off it without questioning me. Then we went into the arena and worked on our walking, trotting, backing up, and lateral movements in hand. She was amazing about respecting my space and listening to me. When we were trotting she happily followed me over a small cross rail then backed up between some poles on the ground. I am extremely proud that she remembered our work from a few weeks ago!

Once I got home I changed for my run and headed out, after first figuring out plans for tomorrow with my mom. My plan was to run to a school near my house and do some speed work. The first segment of my run was .59 miles and I maintained a 10'10" pace without feeling too winded. When I got to the school I set my water down, stretched, then started my "speed" work.

Fitbit stats from my run to the school

I started at the nearest island then jogged on the right side to the second island, between the second and third I sprinted, then I jogged to the fourth, from the fourth I walked around the island then did the same in reverse. I was able to do 5 of these which hit my goal of 10 sprints today! From there I picked up my water, stretched, then jogged home using the long way for a total of 2.21 miles. My fitbit recorded the run as a 11'11" pace which I don't think is too shabby!

My parking lot for speed work

On my run I stopped at my mailbox and as I was getting my mail noticed a little cat. He was super friendly and followed me to my house with some encouragement, but didn't want the food I offered him. After sitting with him for a bit, because he wouldn't let me pick him up to bring him inside, he dashed away into some bushes. I posted him on the Nextdoor app for my neighborhood but everyone seems to think he's an outdoor cat that belongs to a neighbor. I honestly don't know what I'll do if I see him again, it kills me to see a cat like this outside. He's too friendly to not have a family.

The little kitty I tried making friends with

Well, I did great at my morning training run!

5:30am. My alarm goes off. I peek outside and see it's still dark. Roll over and go back to sleep for another hour. This whole getting back into running and dedicating myself to training is going super well! On one hand I need to suck it up and go run despite the darkness, on the other hand I should probably get my community gym card activated and go use the fitness centers. If it wasn't the rainy season, with thunder, I feel like this wouldn't be an issue.

After deciding that the run was not going to happen this morning, thanks to needing to go do Paralegal things, I got up and immediately got yelled at by the cats. Apparently having all their food on the mat as opposed to in their bowls is a crisis. Tweedles, if you didn't shove all the food out of the bowl then we wouldn't have this issue!

You've got food Bailey. Stop yelling at me!

Once I was done with everything on my to-do list at work for the day I headed over to the barn. The drive there kills me, it takes an hour and the drivers are insane. At least once every drive I'm cut off with very little clearance or tailgated by someone who could easily pass me. But it's worth it for the pony therapy time, and getting to make sure she's doing alright. Because it was extremely hot and humid today I didn't want to work her too hard. The dressage ring is used for turnout so I can't ride in it at night, and no one has mowed the jump field in a few weeks so I don't feel comfortable working patterns. We just did a few laps at the walk while asking for her to go long and low, trot work while asking for a frame and lengthening/collection, and a few laps of the canter focusing on our turns and staying balanced. Our work at the trot needs a lot of practice but Cupid works so hard to do what I ask and it's amazing to see how far she's come since our first ride last year.

After our ride, I gave her a bath including working on getting her used to having her face wet. Because I think she expects me to aim the water up her nose and in her ears I'm currently using the mist setting on the hose. Once she's comfortable with the mist setting I plan on using a light trickle on her cheeks and possibly the center of her forehead. So far she allows me to mist her face but doesn't look thrilled. She has started to play with the hose and take drinks when I offer it to her, it's this little action that lets me know she's getting more comfortable with the wash rack.

I got home after the barn and wanted nothing more than to skip my run. It was still hot and humid, and I'm super lazy. After going through various stages of bargaining, including offering to reward myself with chips and salsa, I got myself off my floor and went for my run. The plan was to just run as much as I was comfortable with. I'm not starting my official 10k plan for another few weeks so I just want to get myself to a steady 3 mile pace that's hopefully under 11:00 minutes per mile. As always my times aren't good by any standards but they're something I can do and I can only improve from here. I settled into an easy 1 mile run which resulted in an 11'24" pace. Once I finished my mile I continued for a little more just to get myself closer to my house. Overall, I feel good with myself. I got out for a run even when I didn't want to and I didn't talk a walk break until I got to my cool down starting spot.

If anyone has any suggestions for how to keep myself from getting a stitch in my side when I run in the humidity I would love you forever! 

Where have I been?

I feel like I deserve credit for being consistent. I blog for a bit, then vanish for a bit, then pop back up and start blogging again. So here's a quick summary of where I've been since February.
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Dueling Homes
My parents have been looking for a house in the Orlando area since last spring. When my mom was down on spring break last year I showed her a house on the west side of town that I knew she would love. The neighborhood had low HOA dues, well maintained homes, and each lot was over 1 acre. She loved the house and the neighborhood, but ultimately decided that the house wasn't for her. So we kept an eye on the neighborhood and told our realtor that as soon as a home appeared for sale we wanted to see it. In November a home was listed and I went to the open house at my moms request. As soon as I saw this house I knew my mom had to have it. The layout was perfect, the pool was the right size with a "hot tub", and the lot was beautiful. By the time she came down over Christmas break the house had unfortunately received a contract on it.

After my family returned to Illinois I received a text asking me to see the other house for sale in the neighborhood, which I went to look at with my realtor. The house was nice and had potential so I encouraged my mom to fly down and see it. She flew down and agreed that the house had potential, but needed more work than she wanted to undertake. Our realtor encouraged her to look at the house from November which had the contract fall through. Though my mom was reluctant to look at the home she agreed since it was across the street. I wish I could say that it was love at first sight but I don't think her "I will die to have this house" moment came until our realtor opened the patio doors that led to the lanai and she heard the waterfall from the living room. It was clearly that moment that my mom had to have that house and that it was her place.

I'll spare the boring details about hosting my dad during the closing process, or the million texts I've received talking about paint colors and what furniture should go where. But at the beginning of March my mom became the proud owner of "Unicorn Hill". From closing until the end of March I was maintaining not only "Unicorn Hill" but also my own house. It was honestly extremely stressful to be responsible for two houses and I am super grateful that my dad was able to move down immediately so he can get the house ready for not only my family.

The puppies exploring their new pool and backyard

Show Pony vs. Field Pony
I've really been working on "pony boot camp" with Cupid. When I first met Cupid a year ago she didn't know what to do under saddle at the canter. When I bought her in January she wasn't much better. Her trot almost perfect and I was able to ask her to extend and collect herself at the trot. We also had success with her working from her hind end, stretching, going straight, and carrying herself. Since then I've been working on teaching her which lead she needs to be on for the canter and what the cues are for the canter. I'm proud to say that she now picks up the correct canter lead the majority of the time, and has actually given me a flying lead change! We've started working on cantering jumps but the major hurdle with this will be regaining my confidence. I've become so comfortable at trotting jumps that cantering them is a bit intimidating. But we've gotten through a few courses with our biggest issue being maintaining the canter through our triple (two stride to three stride).

On the topic of courses I've decided to go with my barn to the Sumter Equestrian Hunter/Jumper Show in May. My original plan was to do the Cross Rails Hunters and Equitation on Saturday, and the Long Stirrup Hunters, Equitation, and Classic on Sunday. After speaking with my trainer it was agreed that my original plan is too ambitious. The current plan is that I'll do the Walk Trot Cross Rails Hunter and Equitation, and Green Hunter classes on Saturday, then the Pre-Long Stirrup classes on Sunday. It's a bit embarrassing to be in walk trot classes in my 20s, but I agree with my trainer that it's best for Cupid to have a successful show than have her get frustrated with me if we have issues cantering. Once I get her more comfortable and consistent with the canter then we'll move her to the cross rail/long stirrup divisions.

My main hope for her is to eventually do the 2'6" classes, hunter paces, and possibly a few eventing trials with her. But I will have to see if she will be staying at our current barn or moving out to my parents home. The property is zoned for two horses and my parents have convinced me to allow them to set up the property for horses. So far we have the paddocks planned and are working on a "barn" plan that will work for everyone. Nothing is set in stone but at the minimum I'll be able to trailer her to their place and take advantage of the trails.

Cupid modeling her new "Cupid" saddle pad

Back to the band
Back in January I joined the Central Florida Community Arts Orchestra. After last year I didn't think Orlando was able to provide me with the type of band that fit me. CFCArts was a last attempt after seeing that a friend had attended one of their performances and I'm so thankful that he recommended them to me. I'm proud to say that I've found my "musical home" in Florida. The CFCArts family has been so welcoming, the conductor is extremely animated, and the music selection is perfect. I happily performed in the Jazz, Joel & John concert a few weeks ago, and am preparing for the American Road Trip concert on June 16th and 17th. I can't wait to share this music selection with everyone and perform one of my favorite pieces American Civil War Fantasy which is a piece I have played with every band I've had the honor of being part of.

Jazz, Joel & John practice

Pets galore
Now, if anyone was worrying about the status of Cali and Bailey I have an update for you. They're doing fine, as I write this Bailey is stalking Cali to get back the pink "mouse" they're currently obsessed with because we all know the purple mouse isn't good enough. The girls are also extremely happy to have two new friends to torture. Lucy and Kodi have returned to FL and are currently living at "Unicorn Hill". The dogs come over every few days so I can take them on long walks, cuddle with the. and dog sit. Poor Kodi isn't too fond of cats but he tolerates having the cats around and the cats pretty much leave him alone. The Twisted Sisters are more focused on attempting to catch Lucy's -fluffy tail than they are with the cotton ball who runs away.

The dogs are extremely happy with their new lives as farm dogs and love to explore my moms neighborhood with me. I can't wait for them to eventually meet Cupid and to one day have them keep me company while I work with her.

Running from my everything like it's my last name
I'm still running and am currently in my "taper" for the Dark Side 10k and Half Marathon. I try to get in about three work day runs, one long run, and one "therapy" run a week. My work day runs average about 3-4 miles and are typically one of two set loops in my neighborhood. Unfortunately one of these loops might need to be rerouted after the Dark Side events because of a few houses it passes. The long runs have been in a variety of places on Saturday and typically range from 6-14 miles. Finally, the "therapy" run is whatever I'm feeling on Sunday. So anything from a walk around the neighborhood to a few miles at a "thinking" pace. I've been trying to fit in cross training on my bike but have put that on hold until I get the brakes fixed.
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Overall this is a pretty thorough summary of what's been eating away at my life and keeping me away from the blog. I'd promise to get better at updating this but we all know that won't happen. So, until next time.

Goodbye May, Hello Curling Wand

Well, May ended on both a positive note and a negative note.

To get it out of the way, I am no longer in the audition process for Orlando Concert Band. It was a fun audition process, I am extremely thankful that I had the opportunity. But I feel it's for the best for both parties involved. Orlando Concert Band is a bit more intense than I would like, and towards the end of the audition process I was starting to burn out. I wish them the best of luck with their upcoming concerts and look forward to seeing them perform in the future!

In the mean time I will be searching for a band that better fits my personality and playing style.
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On a high note I received a huge honor at work. I don't really want to go too much into my job, but I was one of five people selected to start this group in our Orlando office. I can't say that I'm not super nervous about this but I am so grateful that my manager saw the potential in me and is giving me this opportunity.
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So, the rest of this post is pretty much covering random minor things that have happened since I last posted.

Florida Tan, or Arena Dirt?

If you guessed Arena Dirt then you're right! I have officially found a barn in Orlando! It is a mostly adult barn and extremely relaxed. I am currently working on finalizing a lease on one of the resident ponies. The same pony who I may have fallen off last week. When you go from riding an extremely seasoned schoolmaster to a "green" (maybe more on the yellow side ;-) ) pony, I guess there might be a spill or two. Hopefully, I won't keep leaving covered in this level of arena dirt.
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I wandered over to the Clermont area to meet a friend for dinner last night and ended up at the Crooked Spoon. This was probably the best dining experience I've had in the Orlando area. The wine selection was awesome and different than most restaurants. It seemed like everything they had was organic or from a smaller winery. I got the Eggplant Terzetto and it was to die for. Perfectly made, with the right amount of flavor. I am definitely dragging my mom to the Crooked Spoon when she's back in town. 

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I've discovered that one of my coworkers is a huge Diamondback's fan. We've been enjoying taunting each other about these games.

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Perks of being a Disney annual pass holder that lives locally. Now I've got to figure out what to do with the whole set of these.

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I went to Ulta today, on the hunt for hairspray and something that will work better on my hair than a curling iron. My hair will not hold a curl no matter what I do. My coworker had recommended this curling wand. With the $20 price tag I figure it's worth a shot. 

Here's a preview of how my hair looks with no product.

I'll be back with a review at a later date. Hopefully it works!

While at Ulta I also saw this palette and seriously considered it, until I saw the price. I love Urban Decay and I love the colors in this collection but there is no way I can justify the $60 price tag at the moment. I'm hoping to get a good coupon so I can go back for it. 

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Finally, enjoy the cat photos of the day. Bailey was very curious about what I was doing with the curling wand box and needed to see how it tasted. The silly cat has decided to take an interest in everything I touch. 

This is how we sit when I write any of these posts. She always has to be touching me when I'm home. 

My First Half Marathon and A Great Learning Experience

I did it! I successfully completed my first half marathon and didn't die! The race was the Crystal Lake Memorial Half Marathon in Crystal Lake, IL. Along the way I learned several important things about myself and my race strategy. 

Perhaps the most important thing I learned is that you should always, always think ahead and prepare for your race conditions. The night before this race I found myself at Kohls trying to find a pair of running capris. The weather had been amazing all throughout this training cycle so I had never thought to actually go out and purchase anything longer, or warmer than shorts. It was supposed to be a nice 40 degree morning so I would have been pretty screwed if I hadn't looked at the forecast. Luckily Kohls came to my rescue and I walked away with several different capris and pants.

The morning of the race I got up about 30 minutes before I had to leave a rolled into my clothes. I spent around 20 minutes glaring at my cat because she gets to sleep in while I had to go run in the cold. 

Sometimes I can't help but be jealous of her life. 

I got to Lippold Park about 90 minutes before the walkers were scheduled to start, and sat in my car for 20 minutes so I could finish my tea and eat breakfast. Once, I saw some other people from Running Depot I left the warmth of my car and joined them. We got a really cute group photo before the race of all of us in our Running Depot singlets/t-shirts. 

Photo Credit: Running Depot

I had signed up with the runners so we started approximately 30 minutes after the walkers had started. While I had expected that this could create a bottleneck along the course it actually worked out really well. The walkers had enough time to get out of the narrow sections at the beginning and by the time we reached the narrow sections at the end they had spread out pretty well. 

The race started on time and for the first 3-4 miles I went out way too fast. Originally I was going to run with two individuals who had trained with me around my pace, but somehow I ended up running with the fastest couple in the training group. While this was a great confidence boost it really worked against me in the last half of the race. 

Between miles 4-9 I dropped from a fast run to a run/walk with 6/1 intervals. This section of the race had a few hills and one long stretch that was extremely sunny. The sunny section was along Haligus Road which was not closed to drivers. This created not only a warmer run than I had expected but also forced runners to be more aware of their surroundings and their race strategy. The runners were directed to run with traffic as opposed to into traffic, which goes against all my training runs. I was nervous to pass a few runners because the shoulder of the road was narrow and I did not want to risk having a driver come up behind me. 

The race doubles around in a neighbor hood and we ran back along Haligus and the earlier section of the race. It then shifted into a neighborhood that was flat and allowed me to stretch out and relax my stride. Running on Haligas had caused me to tense up and that tenseness had caused my lower back to hurt. While in the neighborhood I ran with some of the other Running Depot girls who had started with the walkers. Once I felt stretched out and more relaxed I opted to go ahead of them and continue the race at a fairly quick pace. 

From the neighborhood the race went back onto the trails at Lippold Park, I believe these trails are for the disk golf course. The trail was nice and flat, and also had a nice crowd along it. These people along with the runners who were cooling down by running back along the path really helped me finish strong. Every year one of the runners participants in the race while wearing a full fireman's suit. This gentleman finished before me and was running back along the path, in what I believe was his cool down. Just before he passed me I congratulated him and he responded with "you're doing great!" To me this was just a special moment that really made me glad I had participated in this race. If this man can run a race in an extremely heavy outfit and finish strong enough to run back along the path then I could finish with a smile on my face.

The last mile was perhaps the worst. There were so many people along the course and each one felt the need to tell me that I was almost there. After the first five times of hearing it I wanted to cry. I could hear the finish line party, but it still felt so darn long. It wasn't until I saw my coach screaming that I was done that I felt like I could finally breathe. Getting that medal felt like winning a million bucks. I had done it, I had finally finished my first half marathon. 

Also getting that bottle of water at the end was amazing. I could actually relax and drink it and not slosh half the bottle down my front. I have yet to master the running and drinking thing. 

I stayed at the end of the race to cheer everyone from my team in. It really was great to see everyone finish and finish strong. After spending 12 weeks with these people I was honestly more excited to see them finish that I was to see myself finish. We had all been in this together and we had all finished!

I learned a lot during this race, such as making sure to not let my thoughts get the best of me and to always know the weather a few days before the race. The most important less I learned was to not try and keep up with people who you know are much faster than you. I burned out towards the end of the race and really had to fight to keep going. I don't think this negatively effected my overall race but it did make the end quite difficult. 

Results from my age group. 7th isn't too shabby!

Pros: Good course, well marked, nice medal, easy packet pickup.

Cons: They ran out of water at the end, the post race food was left out for the bugs, 

Haligus road.