Fall!

The first of October has officially passed but we are now quickly approaching the heart of fall and with that comes so many exciting and new plans/ recipes and activities.  I love fall, which is probably why I have been having some serious obsessions with pumpkins, apples and cinnamon. Who is going to judge me? Hopefully no one.

September was a great month of getting back to school, adjusting to a new living arrangement in a super awesome senior suite along with getting into the swing of doing schoolwork again.  I have finally found a good balance between exercise, school, friends and every other aspect of life--at least for now.  My priorities aren't as focused on school this semester for some reason and I am having difficulties pinpointing why--I hope that it isn't a case of senioritis quite yet but I have a feeling that I am starting to get burnt out from the daily hassles of reading and paper writing which is why most of my efforts have been going towards future planning, goals, job searches and other activities that I am passionate about.

My newest endeavor? Global Water Brigades!  Much more to come on this soon but for a general overview, GWB is an international group that is part of a larger global initiative brigade organization that gives groups and individuals the opportunity to visit an area and make a difference. Rochester GWB plans a brigade each spring semester to Honduras where they spend the week digging trenches to provide water to communities that would otherwise not have access.  I am currently in the application process to go on the brigade but will still be in the club if I am not chosen--there is so much to be done here at school and in Rochester.

Are you having trouble getting into school this year? If so, do you have any suggestions on how to stay out of a rut?

Aja Noodle & I Forgot WIAW!

I seem to be forgetting (for the second week in a row) to take photos of my WIAW.  I will try desperately to remember throughout the rest of the day today and let you know how it goes tomorrow but I already skipped my breakfast photo.

Oatmeal with chia/flax, raisins, almond milk and cinnamon with a cup of chai tea. What a great way to start the morning after a hot shower and some yoga stretches (I may have thrown some abs in there as well).

Last night, a friend and I went out to dinner at Aja Noodle, a "newish" noodle restaurant that has adopted this new craze of asian noodle eateries.  I had never been to such a place and I cannot say that I will or will not go back.  Upon entering the restaurant I was excited and intrigued by the clean and bright atmosphere though taken aback as to how the whole thing worked.  It was a restaurant but a bit more "fast foody" than I am typically used to.  Not saying that it is necessarily a bad thing but all the same, I was a bit skeptical.

I ordered the Pad Thai (again no photo) which tasted quite good actually, for the first few minutes but then gave me wrenching stomach pains for the rest of the night--not something I was looking forward to. 

I began thinking about it and of course did some research into what exactly goes into Thai and Asian dishes.  The answer, lots of salt and sauce (soy sauce).  I also had chicken added to my entree. MSG central. Thanks for the hint Clare!

I never really pay attention to MSG but focus more on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other attitudes and preservatives.  The reasoning behind this? The types of foods my body is used to (a) do not typically have MSG and (b) labels do not always put down MSG.  One major culprit of this three letter awfulness is high-sodium based sauces, soups, meats etc.

Ah Hah! I may have found the culprit to my nighttime demise. 

I love researching and learning about the natural (or not so natural) aspects of food and what they can do to your body.  Did you know that MSG can actually affect many areas including digestion, vision, heart rate, blood pressure etc.

All the more reason to eat whole, natural and non-processed foods on a daily basis to thank and replenish your body for all that it gives you on a day to day basis!

Happy Hump Day :)

Goals of September

I woke up this morning to amazing weather--sunny and warm but not too extremely hot.  The past few days have been unbearably hot and muggy but today was different.  I woke up to my usual routine of yoga and made my way to a favorite running spot by the canal to complete my 3 mile run.

After running 7 or so 5k's I can usually beast through 3 miles like it is a no brainer but lately I have been having some serious mental blocks with running.  Maybe it is the fact that I am just getting back into it after being gone all summer or it could be getting used to a new routine at school but I tried to not let this get to me.  I am following the Hal Higdon 10k training program for the upcoming race in October and have made it to the second week.  So far it has been pretty easy going--we will see how it pans out once all the school work hits me. 

I'm really enjoying the pace of this program and since it is only a 10k the 8 week program is  perfect. Not too long, not too short and he only has you running for 3-4 days out of the week plus gives some time for strength training.

On my run I was trying to think of some goals for this coming month and this is what I have so far:

1. Stick to the 10k plan and prepare for the MVP Great Pumpkin Challenge 10k

2. Put effort into my school work but leave plenty of extra time for friends

3. Don't get consumed by grades and school

4. Reach out to friends that I haven't spent much time with lately

5. Prepare for the GRE and start looking at schools & jobs (the scary goal)

ABC's of Resolutions!

Hello, friends! Happy New Year 2012. I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve this year and have a list of stories to tell over the coming weeks.  Feel free to share, I love a good story from time to time. 

New Years to me this year meant spending time with people I love and care about, plenty of good food from P.F. Chang's and a night out in my hometown.  Prior to the actual celebration I spent time writing down an A to Z list of goals and resolutions for the coming year.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a full A to Z but the time spent thinking on each letter really helped me to reflect on the most important aspects of my life!

This past year had brought so many changes, a new school, new friends, new passions and dreams for life.  It's hard to believe 2011 has come to an end but with 2012 just beginning I can hardly wait to see what is in store.

Wishing you all a happy and amazing New Year

Love,

Kylie @ OhsoMiscellanea

Santa Race!

This past weekend, Saturday the 10th to be exact, Rachel and I raced in yet another 5k.  This one, It's a Wonderful Run 5k, was situated in the quaint Seneca Falls, NY.  The race was created to commemorate the lovely christmas movie It's A Wonderful Life which was filmed right in Seneca Falls (aka. Bedford Falls). 

We had received numerous emails about the growing size of the race and stressing points that we needed to get there hours in advance to pick up our race packets.  This wasn't the case and it was actually quite enjoyable.  We saw bagpipers and hundreds of people decked in their holiday attire for racing.  I went with my classic red and white stripped union suit and Rachel sported a snowman turtleneck!

Race Recap:

I placed 16th in the 19-24 group out of 73 women in the same grouping!

My mile time: 8:56/m and I finished in 27:42.  A bit later than expected but with a crowd nearing 2000 I have to take what I can.

The race itself wove throughout Seneca Falls in and around historic buildings and the local high school.  We passed carolers, bag pipes, houses with bonfires and children ringing bells.  The one downside was that there was no mile 2 marker so I never knew when I could really put EVERYTHING into it.  Before I knew it we were nearing the 100 meter mark, a downward end which could be potentially devastating with the crowd but we managed to make it through!

Tomorrow starts half -marathon training.  Yes, for real this time...I promise! I hope you will follow me in my journey to the Flower City Half Marathon on April 30th!