Updates: No meat, running, camping, oh my!

It's been a bit since I blogged so you can correctly surmise that work has been slammed.  I've written many a blog in my head but haven't had the time to type them out...so here is a summary blog of updates.

No Meat...No Problem.  It's been almost over two months and I can honestly say it has been EASY to go no meat. Between meat supplements like Tofurkey deli slices, Boca crumbled meat and Tofu, I have been able to replace the texture of most meats that I used. I just recently found roast beef and that makes me insanely happy. I feel great and thanks to a lack of fast food, I am down 10 pounds.  I honestly am really surprised that this is not a big deal, but it isn't.  Friends have been very supportive, even though most think I am crazy. But bottom line, I feel better, it isn't expensive, I haven't craved meat and I've lost weight.

Running alone sucks. I remember when I was training for my first half I constantly thanked my running partner Cindy, telling her I could not have done it without her. She would always tell me I could.  Welp, no. I can't.  I set my alarm. I lay out running clothes. I wake up...wide awake...and lay in bed. I don't even go back to sleep.  I just lay there thinking "I should get up. I should run.  I will feel better if I run."  And yet I stay in bed. But I guess there is something in knowing one's weaknesses, right?  I reached out to my neighbor and a co worker who also runs. I have NO PROBLEM getting up when I am meeting someone else. I am usually awake anyway. I AM always glad I run, but need the accountability.  So thanks to those people, I have gotten a few runs in.  My mileage is still low, but thanks to my co worker, my time is faster. So there is that.  My friend Kelly recently reached out so hopefully I can get longer runs in on the weekends. I am slow and feel so far away from the person that ran a marathon last year.  It's so frustrating...I know the only way for me to get better is to run, but I am so horrible, I hate running.  Ugh.

Our Blazin Buddy

My Cute Tent!  

It seems like such a silly thing, but I decided a few years ago that I wanted to try camping. It seems like such a great idea, but was told I wouldn't like it so could never get anyone to go with me. FINALLY I went camping this weekend!  My friends Mike and Jon along with the Gaddys joined me on my maiden voyage to Julian Price Lake off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was so much fun!  We met for lunch at Macado's in Boone and then headed to our campsite. We originally had a lake front site reserved, but after being told we could only have one tent there, we splurged and bought two other campsites nearby.  It rained when we first got there, but after an hour, it stopped and we ended up having perfect weather. We set up our tents as well as a pop up tent over a picnic table. The people before us left a fire going with some wood so that hurdle was handled. Mike and I went to a local store to buy firewood but they were out so we ended up getting a Blazin Buddy We kinda laughed at it, and even one veteran camper stopped and asked us if we liked it, but it ended up being great. We cooked dinner.  One really good thing about being a vegetarian.... I don't have to worry as much about food being cooked!  We got meatless burgers and basically just needed to heat them up.  We wrapped them in foil and threw them in the fire. Perfection!   There was a lake and originally I wanted to go canoeing, but honestly that just seemed like too much work once I was there. So we sat around our picnic table, drank, ate and played a hilarious game that Jen brought. Once it got dark we made smores, had a light saber battle (because why not?!) and since the entire campground seemed to quiet down, we headed to bed.  I had the cutest tent, inflatable mattress with color coordinating sheets and quilt of course!  

Mike and I slept really well but Jen, Charlie and Jon all reported less than two hours or sleep total. I did wake up earlier than expected thanks to some rowdy and very loud cub scouts at the campsite next to us. We all agreed next time we would try some place a little more remote (and congratulated ourselves for not maiming them in anyway). But laying there, in the cool mountain air, with the birds chirping was pretty perfect for me.

The Happy Campers

View from Campsite

The only really bad thing was the bathroom, or as they called it, the "Comfort station".  I had  read Trip Advisor reviews saying the facilities were in really bad shape so I was expecting the worst. In fact, I brought my own toilet paper just in case. We had to walk a little bit to get there, and there were only two toilets.  Apparently one had a "trick to flushing it" as one lady told me, but I could never get it to work, and neither could most of the other campers apparently.  Most of the time I went, that toilet would not flush.  So....there was one toilet for all of loop A.  Really this didn't end up being a huge deal though. And while I would never use the words Comfort Station, it was about what you would expect for a common use, outside toilet. It flushed. The toilet paper was cheap.  There were bugs and the floor was constantly muddy and wet.  BUT, the toilet paper stayed well stocked and I have seen far worse bathrooms in gas stations and it was still way better than a port a jon.  So....toilet crisis averted!   I do go to the bathroom frequently so that sucked...it is one thing waking up three times a night, stumbling to the bathroom and then stumbling back in bed. I can usually fall right back asleep.  But getting up, unzipping the tent, putting on shoes, getting a flashlight, walking down the road to the "comfort station" and then reversing the process fully woke me up. So getting back to sleep was not as easy as home.  But given the alternative of not drinking or being closer, I'd still choose getting up and walking!

So basically things are going pretty well.  Work is slammed, but in a good way.  Overall I am feeling really happy and that is a very good thing.  Consider yourself updated!