Introductions

Well, you gotta start somewhere! So let's jump in.

My name is Liz. I grew up in North Carolina and moved to Austin, Texas in 2007. I studied English Literature at NC State University and Japanese Language and Culture at Nagoya University. I enjoy acting, video games, and toying around with graphic design. I currently work in Human Resources in the video game industry. And I have always been a lil chubs.

I love food! Food was always used as a way to show love in my family. But only recently have I begun to believe that there can be better ways to love food than to just eating anything that looks, smells, or sounds good in the moment. So about 5 months ago my fella and I attempted Paleo and we started off strong. We went with the one cheat day a week rule and otherwise stayed true. We were also involved with Crossfit at the time. Unfortunately, at the end of June he had a freak ziplining accident that put him out of commission for quite awhile and we fell off the wagon hard. I've tried picking myself back up a few times the past two months, but it just hasn't been sticking as well as it did before. So this blog is my way of holding myself accountable.

Lucky for me, I also love running. Well, mostly. I am pretty lazy, so I don't love it all the time. But once I get out there - and especially once I'm done running - I love how it makes me feel. Strong, empowered, and healthy. I ran my first marathon in 2007 with Team in Training at Walt Disney World. I actually worked in the parks for the Disney College Program in 2002 and I remember driving into work and watching runners go by during races and thinking... "good gracious, these people are crazy." Yet 5 years later, there I was doing it myself. I think my family was a little astounded that I'd actually managed this feat and my older brother, not one to be outdone, insisted we go back the next year and do the Goofy Challenge.

After that I only did a few 5K's here and there, including the inaugural Expedition Everest where my fella and I got engaged. Otherwise I mainly focused on work and wedding planning until January 2012 when I participated in the inaugural Tinkerbell Half-Marathon in Disneyland. Being back at a Disney event was so incredibly motivating and now I have added a big goal to my proverbial Bucket List - to get a medal from every Disney race! Of course, having said that, my brother then insisted we go back for a repeat of the WDW Marathon Weekend for the 5th Anniversary of our Goofy. My Goofy days are over, so I originally planned on sticking just to the Donald (half-marathon) and marking off a new race by doing the 5K Family Fun Run. But then Disney announced their 20th Anniversary Mickey (marathon) Medal and I was a goner. Who could resist such craftsmanship?!

So here I am. Attempting to meld my two worlds into one and see if this is what it takes to get me to the healthy place I want to be. I believe Paleo + Running might be just what I need to shed excess pounds and improve my pace. I am aiming to share my experiences - the successes and the failures - with running and recipes. I also hope to find other folks in the blog-o-sphere like me to share tips, tricks, and support. Thanks for reading!