Category: moving forward

moving forward

Three things they don’t tell you when you retire from the military.

Movin' it with Michelle

Three things they don’t tell you when you are retiring from the military…the list is vast but here are a few of the things I learned.

 

Transitioning is hard. Plain and simple. For 20+ years you were part of something bigger than yourself and the meaning behind serving your country cannot be put in to words. You will feel lost and empty as you search for your new place in life. I liken the feeling to post-partum depression (something I suffered with quite severely after my second daughter was born) where you just feel like something is MISSING, well, because IT IS. And I can say while the feeling does fade with time, it never quite leaves completely.

 

No one in the civilian world (at least not many I have encountered over the last almost 8 years I’ve been out) will care what rank you were, what medals and awards you received or what positions you may have held. It has no meaning to most in the civilian world, and it leaves you feeling a bit slighted for all the hard work you did while you served.

 

You will never have a core group of friends like the ones that you served with in the military. My Air Force brothers and sisters and I will always hold a very special bond, and I can go months without talking to them and then pick up the phone as if we haven’t skipped a beat. I have not been able to find another group of friends like I had when I was in the Air Force, and I miss that bond dearly. Sure, I have friends, but fleeting friends that entire my life for a season rather than a lifetime.

 

But at the end of the day, nothing can take away the fact that you served whether in theater or stateside and the military will always be a part of who you are as a person. Hang on to that pride, and never let it go.

Basic training photo

Retirement photo, 20 years later

 Were you or any of your family members in the military? I come from a long line of prior military members. Did they struggle when they got out? I urge you to be there for anyone that may be struggling not only with retiring from the military but life in general.

As always I appreciate the comments, likes, and shares.

Cheers and keep movin’ forward!

Michelle

half marathon training, Keto adventures, moving forward, Recipes

What a difference a day can make

Movin' it with Michelle

Wednesday I went out for my short run after work, and felt incredibly strong. I always wonder how I can pull these runs after working all day, but I got it done and it felt great. Fast forward to today’s long run, and whoa…but we’ll get to that in just a bit. I haven’t gotten a chance to write since my last post about mid-life due to crazy schedules, but just thought I’d share a little about my week last week.

Like I said, my mid week 5k went great. I settled in after the first mile and was able to let go and just run. While I often miss my once speedy average pace of 9:15 for short runs, I will celebrate my time no matter what. I didn’t get to run much for the year of 2016 while my husband was deployed, and 2017 was busy playing catch up for the year I lost with my husband, and moving my family across the country to start our Florida adventures.

 

This weekend started out really lovely. Friday night I cooked dinner and we relaxed at home. Saturday my husband came up with the idea to drive to Clearwater to watch the sunset and have dinner with one of our neighborhood friends. It felt SOOOO great to have my toes in the sand!!!!

 

Today was my long run. The last one before the Gasparilla half marathon on the 24th of this month in downtown Tampa. We had ten miles on deck, and I knew as soon as we walked out of the front door, that this run was going to suck. Mile 2 my stomach started to talk to me and we had to make a pit stop at the house after mile 3. (I don’t think Mexican food is a good idea before a long run, especially when its going to be blazing hot with full on sun with absolutely no clouds for miles. Thank God for the breeze!!). Mile six, the same thing happened and we had to swing back to the house yet again. We had gone 7.5 miles and I just didn’t think I could keep going. I drank some Nuun and had some Huma Gel, but I was still grey and pale. My hubby said I needed to stay home, and he was right. He finished out his ten miler, and I spent the next 30 minutes getting my body temperature regulated. Looking at my Garmin stats it showed my heart rate had gone to 195 bpm. Yikes. This will definitely be my last long distance race this season. I’ll stick to 5K and 10K distance until the fall/winter months, or until I cave and get a new treadmill. (My Mom had given me one back in IL, but it was old and just wasn’t working anymore so we had to get rid of it).

2.10.19longrun

For dinner tonight I made Beef bourguignon over cauliflower mash and it was amazing. To keep it keto friendly I omitted the carrots, but I feel like it was missing something with leaving them out.

Please click the links for the recipes!

How was your week/weekend? Are you training for any specific races? How do you handle running in extreme temperatures?

Cheers, and have a great week!!

Michelle

 

 

 

moving forward, real life adventures, Thankful

Battling mid-life

Movin' it with Michelle

I am battling with being 46 years old, sort of…I am caught between looking back on my past, and looking towards the future. I’ve read so many articles where women boast that the 40’s are an amazing decade to celebrate because by then you’ve “got it all figured out.”

But I don’t. While I am getting there, I still know I am not where I want to be in life. I still have unwanted debt, student loans hanging over my head, and am in a career I didn’t choose for myself. Thankfully my husband I sat down and redid our budget and with some major fun cuts we should be able to have a handle on our debt within six months minus my student loans. Who’d think a 46 year old would still have student loans?

Do I regret going back to school at a later age to obtain my MBA? Sometimes, yes. It hasn’t helped me progress in my career, hasn’t launched me into a new career, and heck at my age it’s a little late to make a career change in all honesty. But am I proud of those three little letters in my signature block? You’re darn right I am.

Looking back, though, I can honestly say despite many challenges I sure did live my best life in my younger years. I lived it up with friends, I embraced my Air Force career, and I sacrificed a lot for my kids which is something I’d never change. This says a lot, because I used to look back and regret so many things, yet now I can celebrate all I overcame, and all I endured. It has made me who I am today.

My goals moving forward are to give all I can to my kids so that they don’t have to struggle like I did as a young adult. To keep dreaming big, all while keeping it real. My Mom recently asked me, “If you could make a career change, what would you do?” I struggled with an answer, but after much thought I can say this…I’d have my own restaurant, write a book or two or three, be a health/wellness coach, and most importantly do something where I could use my experiences to help others. Yup…that’s what I would do.

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Today I am thankful for:

  1. My past, for it made me who I am.
  2. Morning snuggles with my husband, for this simple act makes my day so much better.
  3. My daughters. They are amazing young ladies.
  4. My life. For it is short, and sweet, and I do my best to embrace each day.
  5. Sunshine. It truly soothes my soul.

What are you thankful for today? Do you have any regrets? If you could have one career in life, what would it be?

Cheers,

Michelle

moving forward

Weekend wrap

Movin' it with Michelle

I had a great post written in my head, but my laptop won’t connect to the internet and my husband is too busy watching the game to help me. So here’s the short and sweet of the week/weekend.

My youngest tried out for the school play and got a part!!! She’s so excited. We celebrated with seafood at Pinchers since we get a military discount there!

My hubby also got a small promotion at work. He took a pay cut coming down here to Florida so he’s back to where he was in Chicago. Yay! So one last dinner out before we lock down on our budget. My dear friend Kandace helped us celebrate.

Today I ran my 9 mile long run. It started out quite humid but it was cloudy so that helped. My husband was constantly running in front of me and I couldn’t keep up and was getting frustrated so I sent him off to finish on his own at around half way point. I continued to struggle but I at least could settle down and just run my own pace. The sun came out at around mile 7 and I officially boarded the struggle bus. I finished 9 miles at an 11:40 pace and can honestly say that I didn’t have a single “easy” mile.

Since it’s Super bowl Sunday we got a bunch of quick and yummy snacks. Onion dip, spinach dip, meats, cheeses and shrimp with cocktail sauce.

I created a yummy taco dip as well. Brown a lb of hamburger meat, add garlic and low sodium taco seasoning. Add one large jar of Queso cheese and 2 chopped green onions. Yum!!

How was your weekend? Are you watching the Super bowl? What’s your favorite game day food?

Cheers!

Michelle

moving forward

New Month! Welcoming February

Movin' it with Michelle

My year hasn’t started out the greatest. I’ll be honest. Between the bronchitis, work, and lack of running due to said bronchitis I am just plain tired.

When I get tired and/or stressed, I sleep walk. Yup…I’ve been known to wake up in random places of the house and just this past week I woke up twice at 5 am on the couch with no recollection of how I got there. Really?!? Yup…

I blame the lack of running to be honest. While I’ve managed a few runs despite being sick for so long, the whopping 20 miles I logged in for January just don’t cut it. My knee really hasn’t been happy so I’ve been walking vs. running (which I don’t log as miles) so I am praying my half marathon goes ok on the 24th.

I also have been too tired to write the last few days, so wanted to start February out with a short one at least. SO here’s to February, a new month and new opportunities!!!

tired

So today I am thankful for one major thing…IT IS FRIDAY AND I CAN SLEEP IN TOMORROW!!!

What are you thankful for? Have you ever been known to sleepwalk? What is your go-to stress reliever?

Cheers,

Michelle

half marathon training, Keto adventures, moving forward, running, Thankful

Half marathon training, week 9 long run

Movin' it with Michelle

Despite not sleeping well last night, I knew I needed to get my long run done for the 9th week of training as I didn’t get it done over the weekend due to being stuck inside on a very rainy Sunday.

Once I got home from work I immediately changed clothes and headed out for my neighborhood loop/running trails. My plan called for a 10k race pace but I had planned to go a little farther to make up the 3 weeks of training I missed due to bronchitis. (That nasty cough is still lingering but getting a little better every day). The first mile felt surprisingly well, and I couldn’t believe I actually had a 10 mm in the mix, as well as I kept under an 11 mm pace for the entire 6.5 miles. Over all I was thrilled with this run.

Not to shabby for this rusty runner

Splits! Check out that 10 mm!

My cheerleader!

Today’s thankful 5:

  1. Easy commutes. Today’s commute both to and from work were surprisingly quick with no traffic, accidents, or crazy people that haven’t had enough coffee yet.
  2. Smooth days at work. Today was one of the first “good” work days I’ve had this year, and man did I need it.
  3. Left overs. I baked a big batch of chicken thighs yesterday, so all I had to do for dinner was heat them up along with a bag of steamed cauliflower rice.
  4. My daughter being so excited about trying out for her school’s play. We reciting her audition lines about two dozen times tonight, and I pray she gets the part.
  5. Good runs. Man did I ever need tonight’s run. My right knee has always been my bad knee, ever since I popped it back in high school track. And it sure hasn’t been happy with me this month. I just ordered some new knee braces off Amazon.
This brace got me through 3 full marathons! Got two, one for each knee!

How is your commute to work? What’s your favorite thing to have for leftovers? Get any mileage in today?

Cheers!

Michelle

moving forward, Thankful

Saturday unexpected fun and Thankful #9

Movin' it with Michelle

We had no plans this weekend which is sometimes fun. I have been battling bronchitis and now allergies for nearly a month and rest was something I welcomed. I woke up this morning with a cold pill hangover but was told my daughter had made plans to go to the mall with her friend. My husband told me they weren’t leaving for an hour so I quickly made some tea, showered and got ready. I wasn’t going to miss out on some fun. We picked up her friend, and headed to the mall. Once the kids went on their way, we grabbed some lunch and did a little shopping. What a fun day! We also had plans for my friend Kandice that I was stationed with back in Texas to come over for dinner, so we stopped by the store on the way home for some last minute dinner items.

Today I am thankful for:

  1. The fact my daughter is finally making friends here. Middle school age is hard.
  2. Last minute date lunches with my hubby. We don’t get much time just for us, so today was nice.
  3. 65% sales at Dillards. I got two super cute Free People dresses for 65% off. Winning.
  4. Dinner with friends. For the first time since we’ve moved here, we had a friend over for dinner. Steaks, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, bacon wrapped  asparagus and my cauliflower mash were a big hit.
  5. Positive outlooks. While this year may have started out rough, I am hopeful for better days.

Do you make time for date time for your significant other? What’s your favorite dish to cook for others? Are you an “on sale” shopper?

Cheers!

moving forward, Thankful, Thursday

Is it Friday yet…and TF#7

Movin' it with Michelle

 

Anyone else feel like 2019 has been off to a rough start? Between 3 weeks of Bronchitis, getting slammed with a 500/month house payment increase  this year as a result of a mistake in our escrow last year (WTH?), and the never ending debt we have incurred due to moving to Florida (we didn’t get any relocation assistance and moving across country is crazy expensive), and ongoing vet bills for my Sammy (he had two bouts of cancer last year and I just found a couple possible more bumps), we just can’t seem to catch a break. I had hoped at my age I’d finally start to feel “comfortable” but nope…ah such is life. It’ll happen eventually, right?

1.24.19meme

Which is a perfect Segway in to my thankful post…because I do always TRY to look on the bright side. So here goes…

  1. Bacon Cheeseburgers. Yup, this girl that eats healthy 90% of the time has a secret weakness for bacon cheeseburgers. It is my favorite comfort food paired with crispy French fries and after the week I’ve been having, I treated myself to this amazing indulgence today at lunch and had no regrets. Ok, I regretted it a little after I started to fall in to a carb coma an hour after eating it, but hey…it was worth it.
  2. Hot showers/running water. After a long day at work I love to take a hot shower and destress. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I sing, and sometimes I just shut my mind off.
  3. Rest days. My legs aren’t quite as sore today, but that good ole right knee that gives me constant issues still isn’t happy with me.
  4. Friends that check on you when you are quiet. These friends are the best, because they can hear you even when you aren’t talking. They just know.
  5. Rain. We had quite the storm roll in at around 3 am this morning and while I am not thankful for the early morning wake up call, our grass looks greener already.

How has your year started out? What is your greatest weakness in regards to food? Thanks for all of your likes, comments and shares. I love this amazing community!

Cheers,

Michelle

moving forward, Thankful

Thankful #5

Movin' it with Michelle

Today was a pretty hectic day, so this post will be short and sweet.

Today I am thankful for:

  1. The ugliness in my life, for it helps me appreciate the beauty.
  2. Two years ago today my husband returned on U.S. soil after being deployed to Iraq for a year. So I am so thankful he came home safely, again.
  3. Quick dinners for busy nights. I made a large batch of meatballs on Sunday so I didn’t have to cook today! Winning!
  4. My dog. Even after the hardest day at work, he’s there at the door to greet me and he makes all the “yuck” go away.
  5. 70 degree evenings. I’ve my slider opened and am listening to the sand cranes wiz by while they sing their evening songs.
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My Sammy, begging for food more times than not, LOL

 

What are you thankful for today? Do you have pets? How is the weather where you are at?

Cheers,

Michelle

half marathon training, moving forward, Thankful

Week 8 long run/Thankful #4

Movin' it with Michelle

I have been down for the count for exactly 3 weeks. My last long run was Christmas where I was able to run 5 miles fairly easily as I’ve been running 3-4 miles for quite some time. I’ve only walked/ran a couple of times since then, so decided I either 1. get off my butt and run (even if that meant some walking due to coughing still), or 2. ditch the notion of running the Gasparilla half marathon on February 24th in St. Petersburg FL. My hubby is also running this race, but is three weeks ahead of me in training and I know he didn’t want to slow down to run my slower pace so I sent him off for his long run so I could run solo.

The temps were in the perfect low 60’s and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. There were however, left over winds from the crazy storms we got last night which took my breath away several times. I ran the first loop (3.2 miles) slowly but I felt quite strong. I started to feel a little light headed, so I ran past my house to fuel and take a potty break. I had a HUMA chia gel which are my go-to for long run fueling, some water, and I headed back out. I did ok until I hit mile 5 and this was my “wall” to today’s long run. I slowed to a pace of 11:54 and mile 6 was an 11:53. Thankfully I caught a second wind and my last mile was 11:14 with an average pace of 11:18. I am learning that it’s not always about pace, and that I need to celebrate the distance.

 

Today I am thankful for:

  1. Long runs=therapy sessions. I am thankful for the hour and twenty minutes I had to myself to think, process issues and just enjoy the sunshine.
  2. The ability to run as I get older. My knees have 30+ years of running in their  history and I often struggle with a short run. Thankfully supplements, creams, and knee braces are my saving grace.
  3. Sleeping in. I know, I used this one yesterday but having the extra day to the weekend did wonders for my sleep deprivation.
  4. Sunshine and perfect running weather.
  5. Perspective. I used to always worry about running faster and running farther. Now I simply try my hardest and enjoy every mile.

Did you work today? What’s your favorite way to release stress? Are you training for any races right now?

Cheers,

Michelle