Juno!

True story: an ex-boyfriend during my first year of college once bought me a DVD player and this for my Christmas gift:

Hmm, not sure if he was trying to imply something here, but I'm not very receptive of "practical" gifts. Girl doesn't need a DVD player. And she definitely doesn't need a boyfriend that thinks it's acceptable to buy her one for a Christmas gift.

And off the tangent... Can you believe it's already June?! Where on Earth did May go?? Answer: it went in the books with my Pittsburgh Half Marathon PR, my Bedrock Trail Half Marathon finish (all I could hope for), a trip to Virginia Beach for a belated Mother's Day and some sissy time, a trip to Fairfax to commemorate Memorial Day, and a trip to the UVA hospital to visit the new mommy, Stacy. Not to mention the numerous (and I do mean numerous) 5am wakeup calls, 10pm lights out, and gym sessions. May came and went with more than it's fair share of self-portraits, but since I've practically exhausted that supply, I won't bombard you with too many.

Clockwise from top left: Bedrock Trail 1/2, movie date with Sissy, a little work action, new kicks, Pittsburgh 1/2,
the dog I saved from the side of a highway, back day, and a sassy new physique.

Now if you recall, at the beginning of May, I shared a post with my goals for the month. I created these goals for a reason: to change for the better. To remove bad habits and to create good habits. To get one step closer to the best version of myself. I'm not going to lie to you, I can't say that I 100% committed to any of these goals.

Why?

Life got in the way. The halves took more of a toll on me than I thought. I spent the entire week after the first mentally preparing for the second. Recouping from the first. Then after the trail, I had to get back in the swing of (competition prep) things. It wasn't easy.

I did have every intention of fulfilling my goals, or at least trying my best to accomplish them. In the end though, they served as a blueprint for success, and I'm all about blueprints. Just think about that term for a second--an architectural blueprint is a foundation for a structure. It's a deconstructed building.  Well these monthly "goals" are the breakdown of my ideal self, or how to achieve my ideal, happy self.

So while I can't tell you that I stuck to any goal every minute of every day, I can say that I've progressed in the month of May.

I had a goal to unplug from technology, especially during evening hours. I give this 50% effort. I started off with good intentions. I installed a sleep app on my phone to actually track my sleep cycle (movement, noise, time) midway through the month. I made a conscious effort to not have my phone out while with friends. But I still used it more often than I should. This may reappear on my list, but in a slightly varied form.

Cutting my coffee intake also did not happen in it's full form but I did spend less at Starbucks than I normally do. And I did have a few days with either only one cup or without any at all! How that happened and how I got through those days I'll never know. 80%

Increasing my water intake was probably the only goal that I feel I put in an excellent effort. I've kept my fridge stocked with various calorie-free beverages. Some favorites: sparkling water (typically TJ's, Polar, and La Croix--especially peach-pear flavor), Crystal Light, and Lipton iced tea.

Vanilla flavored. AMAZING. Even better? Orange vanilla!

Target training-- Didn't stick quite to the schedule, but my efforts did bring me closer to my end-goal. Stage in 28 days and the pictures have done all the talking.

One month's progress 

Slightly different poses, but the changes are there.

So yes, while my goals were a little off, the results weren't. Stay tuned for June's blueprints, which I will announce tomorrow, along with the winner of my guessing game giveaway. I've only had about 4 people guess (via the blog--preferred, and Facebook), so there is still time to give it a go! What's there to lose??

Happy 1st Saturday night of June, folks!