It’s Been a While

Wow! Where do I even begin?

Even though it has only been a month since I last blogged, I feel like a TON has happened, so here’s a quick update on my life.

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Alaska

Alaska is still Alaska. . . cold, wintery, and I am still not diggin’ it.

While the rest of the United States experienced an abnormally mild winter, Alaska was the exact opposite. So far this winter (yes, in my mind it is still winter here), we have recieved 130 inches of snow (okay, 129.4 inches to be exact), which is over 10 FEET of snow!!

Fortunately it has been melting quite a bit lately, but there is still a ton out there. Plus, we *always* have one more snowfall in April. And if we receive at least another 3.3 inches of snow, we will break the record for the most snowfall in a winter.

On top of the insane amount of snow we’ve had, it has been a bitter cold winter as well. For example, our average temperature in January: 2.7*F. (Our average usually is 15* F.)

(And people wonder why this girl who has always strongly disliked winter wants to move!)

For comparison:

Last winter at this time:

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This winter:

And that snow is deeper than it appears!

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Running

Running has been going very well actually!

It hasn’t been fun dealing with the snow and cold, but I’ve been feeling great and putting in a lot of miles.

March 12 – 18: 47 miles

March 19 – 25: 57 miles

March 26 – April 1: 60 miles

I am currently training for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth Minnesota on June 16. I ran this marathon two years ago when I first started my blog, and I loved it! I can’t wait to race it again and hopefully qualify for Boston this time.

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Food

I have been eating in a very similar fashion, but I have made some modifications recently:

– carbohydrates: I have actually been trying to reduce my gluten intake to see if that minimizes my bloated feeling in the evenings.

– fruits and vegetables: I’m trying to eat more vegetables each day and limit fruit to 2 servings a day–instead of the 3 servings I would normally have before.

– sweets: I have not been buying ice cream or chocolate at the grocery store, so I have not been tempted with “needing” to have dessert every evening like I used to. I probably have a dessert about twice a week at a potluck or when Craig and I go out for frozen yogurt.

I also wanted to mention that I recently had blood work done to be tested for food sensitivities—along with having my level of iron tested, calcium, B12, thyroid, and maybe one other thing?? I haven’t gotten the results back, but when I do, I’ll be sure to do a post on it.

Last night I made Kristin’s Thai Fried Quinoa, and it was very good! Kristin blogs over at Iowa Girl Eats, which is definitely one of my favorite blogs to read. Plus, I can always count on delicious recipes from her!

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Work

The big news in terms of my job is that I have resigned! Yes, it is official, after this school year is done, I will no longer be a teacher, and I am very excited to try something new!

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Hawaii

And last but certainly not least. . . our amazing trip to Maui!! Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where to begin!! It was by far the best trip on my life.

We have been back for almost 3 weeks, but not a day goes by that I don’t dream about the beautiful beaches, the warm sun on my skin, and the smile that never left my face.

I am definitely going to have more blog posts detailing our adventures, so keep checking back!

Hi, I'm Michelle

I love running around the lakes of Minnesota, running after my two boys, and racing anything from the 5K to the marathon. I have been blogging here since 2010 when I ran my first marathon. I finally secured my sub-3 hour marathon after trying for 8 years.

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12 Comments

  1. 4.4.12
    Sarah said:

    hey! good to see you back. i’m sure you’ll talk about this later…but what will you be doing instead of teaching? i’m sure it’s a welcome relief!

    • 4.4.12
      Michelle said:

      That’s a good question! I’m not sure what I’ll do next. Right now I’m leaving a lot of doors open.

  2. 4.4.12
    running0ncoffee said:

    Wondered where you went! Can’t wait to read about Maui. We moved from NJ to CA last month for my husband’s job and we’re thinking about a trip to Hawaii this year since we’re as close as we’re ever going to be (I can deal with a 6hr flight from LAX…12 hrs from Newark would have been out of the question). Glad to hear you’re not locked into another year at a job you didn’t love. Having resigned from my job as a school psychologist at the end of January for our move, I’ve had some time to think about what I liked and didn’t like about my job and what I want in my next job… Can’t say I have it figured out yet.

    • 4.4.12
      Michelle said:

      Go to Maui!!! It was absolutely amazing!!

      I haven’t figured out what I am going to do next either, but I’m excited to see what happens!

  3. 4.5.12
    jenn said:

    Congrats on resigning!!!! And I hope we get to see you this summer 🙂

  4. 4.5.12
    Emily @LivingLongfellow said:

    Exciting you’re training for Grandma’s marathon! That race is in my hometown and I’ve been watching it for my whole life. Gorgeous marathon. If I’m up there I’ll have to watch for ya!

    • 4.5.12
      Michelle said:

      That would be awesome if you were there too!

  5. 4.5.12
    Lauren said:

    I MISSED YOU!! I’m so glad you’re back- I’ve been thinking about you!
    I’m so happy for you about resigning. I know your heart hasn’t been in it. Not to give too many details, but I might be saying the same thing very soon. I haven’t made it public and nothing has been finalized, but I feel like a huge weight has been lifted (and am thankful for a supportive hubby!) I’ll be talking to you about it when everything is figured out.
    I can’t wait to look through your Maui photos- I’m sooo behind on my blog reading this week!
    I wish you were going to Blend. 🙁

    • 4.5.12
      Michelle said:

      Awww. . .I’ve missed you too. I’ve been reading your blog here and there, but need to catch up!

      Yeah, my heart hasn’t been in it for quite some time. I was going to resign last year but didn’t give my notice soon enough, so I had to teach this year as well–without jeopardizing my license, so I’ve known for a while that I was going to resign, but wanted to wait until it was official. It was a hard decision, nonetheless: giving up a good salary, benefits, and all the time off in the summer, but my health, the relationship with my husband, my sanity, and general happiness are worth so much more!

  6. 4.7.12
    kathryn said:

    I’ve missed your blog. I’m really glad you resigned from teaching. I couldn’t imagine working at a job I hated. I hope you find what you are looking for:)