Heart Walk 2011

Today I walked with my mom in the Rutherford Heart walk in my town. This is year number 3 for me to do this walk that benefits heart disease. It was a great day for a walk. It was sunny and comfortable outside. We had a great time! My mom always has a good time wherever she goes. I hope to be as fun-loving as she is when I get to be her age.

We were also interviewed by a local news station, but I'm kind of hoping it doesn't get aired. I was nervous. But at the same time, it was pretty cool! We talked about why we participate in this walk and who we are walking for. We walk for my grandmother since she had heart disease.

It was a busy weekend with walking/running activities. My next event is on Thanksgiving day and its a 4 mile run. I did it last year at 1:10. I'm glad to have some time to train and hopefully improve my running pace. My official time for the Komen 5k was 46:55, which is about 3 minutes faster than the previous one. Woot! As long as I'm improving, I am happy.

I hope you enjoy our pictures!

I'm walking in memory of my grandmother, Lola.

warming up

Go Mama Go!

My mom, Joanne

We both got several FREE shirts at the event!

Where have I been?

I'm still here but have been working out of town for the last few weeks. Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but my life has been pretty boring consisting only of work activities. An accountant's life isn't interesting blog material!

I have enjoyed working in Knoxville, but I missed my family very much. And I have been praying that my 21 year old daughter does not have her baby while I am away. Good news! No baby yet. I'm getting anxious to meet my grand-daughter!

This weekend my plans are as follows:

1. Quality time with husband and daughters! 
2. Get my house back in order - housecleaning, laundry and such
3. Workout! I'm in desperate need of a workout since my time has been very limited lately.
4. Make a desperate effort to NOT do any accountant work over the weekend.

I am going back to Knoxville next Friday, so I plan on getting prepared for that. I am a little bummed out that my next business trip coincides with the Komen for the Cure race on Oct 29.

I am very sad to say that I will not be able to participate this year. Luckily, one of my runner friends has volunteered to run in my place. She has promised to take pictures of the event for me. I love my friends! It won't be the same since I can't be there in person, but at least I may get a few pictures to enjoy. I will also miss the American Heart Association Heart walk on Oct 30. My mom is walking and I asked my sister to join her so she won't have to walk alone.

I'm thankful for my job, but sometimes it gets in the way of my life. Hopefully traveling with work will not last more than a few months so I can get back to the things I enjoy. The challenge: sticking to healthy eating and exercise while living in a hotel!

Stress- How do you deal with it?

STRESS. My mom always tells me I am too stressed out. For most of my adult life, I have found that I get overwhelmed easily and sometimes feel like I'm going to explode. I also chose a career that tends to be more stressful than others. What was I thinking?

My college graduation photo

I definitely do not remember my professors in college giving us that helpful bit of information. Accountants are constantly dealing with strict deadlines, which seem to be inconsistent. At least I am no longer working in tax. Even though the stress for that type of position only lasts for about 5 months or so, the long work hours can be unbearable, especially if you have a family or any outside interests. I have learned to deal with my work stress by exercising more, having monthly massages, and learning to relax when I feel overwhelmed.

My kids laugh at me because I buy relaxation CD's and lotions with aromatherapy that claim to relieve stress.

relaxation CD's

Stress relief lotion

 If nothing else works, I always enjoy a glass of wine to chill out.

A few years ago, I actually took a class on Stress Management at a local community college and that was very helpful. Today, I found this article on the American Heart Association website :  Four Ways to Deal with Stress. It has some good ideas I'd like to share with you.

How do you deal with stress? What works for you?

April 6 - National Start Walking Day

I posted a few days ago about today, April 6 being National Start Walking Day. I just wanted to report that I managed to get up from my desk and take a walk outside with one of my coworkers. I tried to recruit others in the office to join, but no one was interested. I'm glad I kept my commitment to walk and it made me feel good too. It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine. We walked right before lunch for about 30 minutes. It makes me feel good to stick to my goals. A feeling of accomplishment.

If you aren't familiar with Start! see the webpage below. This is sponsored by the American Heart Association, one of the causes I support.

It's not too late to Start!

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/National-Start-Walking-Day-2011_UCM_322924_Event.jsp