Jul 31, 2010

Apartment Shopping

I had some dark chocolate squares as my pre-run fuel this morning. I got a late start because I did not feel great, or even decent, but I really wanted to run since it had been a few days since I had done so (I can't wait until I move and have easy access to a gym), so I popped in my earbuds and eventually got right down to it at 8AM. The run itself didn't feel too bad, but the moment I stopped my stomach started acting up again and I had no energy. I suffered through my ab routine, just not doing as many sets or for as long. It's like I hit a wall after my run rather than during it. Once I had plugged my route and time into the computer, it turns out I ran 2.73 miles in 24:40, which is a solid 9-minute-mile average. I guess it's true what they say about listening to music while you run.

Breakfast consisted of finishing off the box of Cinnamon Swirl cereal with a little USVAB and dried cherries. Yay, I can finally open a new box of cereal! They've really been piling up in my cabinet, and those cherries have been sitting in there for some time too, which I've almost finished off as well.

Mom and I went out to do a little apartment shopping for me this afternoon. We were very successful, getting almost everything that was on my list: desk chair, corkboard, floor lamp, bedside lamp, picture frame, socks, and workout clothes. We even got a few new goodies, since we were at Target and they sell some things that I can't find anywhere else. The only downside was that, when we returned home, I found out that one of my cats had destroyed my lab goggles. Ugh. I can't even begin to tell you the massive amounts of money we have had to spend on this cat because she chews on everything. Many electrical appliances have been ruined at her teeth.

The evening was spent in Friends-mode. We got through quite a few episodes before I felt like I was going to pass out from exhaustion. I don't understand. My body is so sore and tired, what is up with this?! Hopefully tomorrow won't be as bad and I'll be able to get a decent workout in. Night everyone!

Jul 30, 2010

Rest

Today was a rest day, meaning no running or DVD workouts. However, I don't think I'd ever be able to take a total rest day. I did still end up doing some ab exercises and covered a bit more distance on my way to/from work. But, since I did not have to do anything this morning, I thought ahead and put together some Overnight Oats last night for a parfait this morning! Overnight oats layers with peanut butter banana soft serve and granola. For the granola topping I simply crushed up half of one of my packages of Kashi TLC Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Flax Granola Bars. Yummy! And it's in a wine glass, because I'm just classy like that. Plus, all of the other dishes were dirty.


Overnight Oats
1/4 c old-fashioned oats
1/2 c USVAB
1 tsp chia seeds

Peanut Butter Banana "Soft Serve"
1 frozen banana
1 Tb peanut butter
splash of almond milk

The rest of the morning was spent watching Enchanted, doing the dishes, and preparing lunch. Work was work. I did not have a meeting this morning, so it wasn't quite so unbearably long, however, next week I have three long days to look forward to in order to conduct experiments. Today I was in a little bit of a tiff because my paycheck was messed up this pay period. I learned that it had something to do with the fact that I dropped a class mid-way through the summer, so now I have to pay for things like Social Security and Medicare. I'm not sure I'm too keen on 20% of my paycheck never making it to my bank account.

As if that were not enough to dampen my mood, I broke a piece of equipment at work and my coworker messed up another one, so since there was nothing for me to do, I went home early. Yay for spontaneous early weekends! Not yay for breaking $100 worth of glassware. But, the time off allowed me to go to the bookstore and get some more supplies for when classes start and also a few for fun books that were on sale! Also some pretty cool postcards. I love finding postcards with beautiful artwork on them and then framing them. Great for decorating and much cheaper than a painting or other piece of art. I have one that hangs on my wall right now that I hope to bring with me when I move and now I'll have another that is more... funky?


Anyway, after I have shopped, I headed over to Lyle's (he had a half day too!) and we got a jump start on our Season 4 marathon. Only got through the first 4 episodes, so that means we only have about 9 more hours of episodes to watch, haha. Lunch was a Tropical Fruit Tart Larabar. It was awesome! The second I bit into it I was blown away by the pineapple flavor. I only wish that the bar had less saturated fat (due to the coconut I reckon), and that the coconut shreds were a bit smaller (I kept picking them out of my teeth for a good hour or two after). This was actually enough to hold me over until I got home around 4:30 and ate, even though I wasn't particularly hungry, some yogurt mixed with Fiber One and a mini muffin, as well as a few peanut butter pretzel nuggets.



Come dinner time I was still not hungry (what is up with this!?), so I made myself an egg white patty with a little Tabasco, with a side of mixed veggies and baked tofu and a clementine. Plenty of protein for a (hopefully) good run tomorrow morning. I really want to get in at least 4 miles, with 5 miles being the best thing that ever happened to me. Darn me and my desire to be fit. I normally would just skip a meal if I had no desire to eat, but since I'm in training now and have to bike/walk virtually everywhere, I force myself to eat so that I have proper fuel. Yes, I could always go back to my old habits, but I love the changes that I have seen in my body, mood, and life too much to regress and sabotage myself like that.




*Sigh* Now on to vegging in front of the tv/computer, reading blogs and my book, and getting more in the weekend mindset. Night everyone!

Jul 29, 2010

Ch-ch-ch-chia

Successful round of cross training this morning; Crunch Burn & Firm Pilates. I always forget how long this workout is. I guess I truly am part of the "give me and give me NOW" generation. I guess I'm used to workouts like Jillian's 20-minute sets. But, it gets me sweating and that's what's important and what I look for in my workouts. I may or may not take tomorrow as a rest day, meaning no DVDs or running. I think I need it.

Pre-workout eats: 1 square dark chocolate (I'm loving this!). Breakfast: 2 mini muffins with SF raspberry preserves, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, Fiber One cereal, 1/2 banana, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze, and sprinkled with chia seeds.


Work did not start off on a great note. Some of the machines in the lab got wet and started acting up, but that was fixed within half an hour, luckily. Still experiencing that draining sensation as soon as I get to work which persists throughout the work day and goes away again once I get home. Is this just a "side effect" of not liking one's job?

I snacked on a new Kashi TLC Pumpkin Pecan Fruit & Grain Bar. The bar itself was not very good, but the pumpkin topping was excellent. I could eat that topping all day (darn my cravings for pumpkin in the middle of July!). Lunch was a repeat of yesterday, as promised. It's been really weird for me to actually have a "meal" for lunch, since I'm so used to eating my little snacky things every hour or so. I think I like this arrangement a bit better, I just wish that I had a lunch box big enough to handle a good-sized portion. Seriously, my salads and other things are only about a cup in size because that's all that will fit in my little carrier! Anyway, I trudged through the day as usual, hitting several walls with my attention span and awakeness, and then it was back to my glorious home.

I was a bit hungry, so I snacked on some clementines (yay, citrus!). Nothing too big since I actually wanted to have a real meal for dinner tonight. I made up a BBQ quesadilla (trying to work my way through whatever frozen dinners I have left from before I've tried to make these changes) and mixed vegetables. The quesadilla wasn't great. The tortilla was hard and crunchy around the edges and the BBQ sauce just wasn't to my taste. Definitely never again.


Now it's time for video games, That 70's Show, laundry, maybe a little reading, and getting myself into the weekend mindset.

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Here's a little bit about the amazing-ness that is the superfood chia seed:

The chia seed was eaten by Aztecs for strength and was a main staple food along with corn and beans. Chia is an excellent vegetarian source of omega fatty acids, an easily digestible form of protein and full of minerals, vitamins, and soluble fiber. It contains more natural antioxidants than flaxseed and is an excellent source of dietary fiber.


2 Tbsp of whole chia seeds whops quite the nutritional punch: 30 kcal, 6g dietary fiber, 3g protein, 10% DV calcium and 8% DV iron.

To the outsider, the word "chia" probably brings up images of little clay animals that you sprinkle with seeds, water, and then they magically grow "hair". You will see that if you leave some seeds in water over a short amount of time, that they will take on a gelatin-like consistency, which makes them great for smoothies and other workout recovery drinks.

Jul 28, 2010

Malfunction

Yes, I have renamed the site. I have more fully realized my intentions and hopes for this blog and have thus made some changes with a few more to come. Note the new header and footer that I shot and designed myself.

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Pre-run fuel: Square of dark chocolate and 1/2 c applesauce. I've seen another blogger who is a runner (basically my entire blogroll) eat dark chocolate before a workout and I thought that I would try it. I mean, it's chocolate first thing in the morning, why wouldn't I agree to that? And not just any dark chocolate, but Lindt Intense Orange dark chocolate. I could actually see the orange pieces and almond slivers.


The run itself started off on a terrible note. My stopwatch apparently did not start counting when I hit it, so I have no idea how long I was running for. All I know is that I ran 2.08 miles. Not very good, but I really haven't felt great the past two days. Here's hoping that tomorrow is a better day, and that someone will love me enough to buy me the Garmin Forerunner 305. Tomorrow, actually, will be a cross-training day, I think. I haven't done a DVD since Saturday so I think it's time for another. Hello, pilates Ellen!

Breakfast: Half container Strawberry Greek Yogurt, Fiber One cereal, banana, 2 mini muffins, almond milk. Yes, I decided to give Greek yogurt another go, but flavored this time rather than original (never again). This was more of a fruit-at-the-bottom kind of dealio which I usually don't dig but this was actually quite good and makes me hopeful for the honey-flavored one I have waiting in the fridge as well. Unfortunately, my muffins came out pretty tasteless and adding them to milk was probably not my greatest idea. I'm thinking with a nut butter or fruit spread tomorrow, yes?


After breakfast, I was off to visit my college to submit forms indicating that I'm changing majors and, thus, do not need to fulfill their graduation requirements any longer and that I need a new honors advisor. Quite simple really. Then it was a doctor's appointment in the building practically across the street followed by this monstrosity of a lunch that I thought up last night:


I don't think that I cooked the lentils long enough, so this was definitely a bit chewy, but overall it was not too terrible. I mean, I have another portion set aside at home that needs to get eaten, and I can safely say that it will and I won't groan about it too much. This heap features broccoli, carrots, peas, baked tofu, lentils, and whole wheat spaghetti mixed in tomato sauce. Yeah, I have a bit to learn in the next month. Anyone willing to give me a crash course? Lunch was quickly followed by me coming in to work for a few hours (some is better than none) which was broken up by an office pilgrimage to the MSU Dairy Store. I did not partake, however, preferring to caffeinate rather than get a sugar high.

The rest of the day breezed by. I completed my standardizations and went home after a brief snack of a pear and set to work shooting and creating the header and footer that I am not using for this blog. The photoshoot actually didn't take too long and I finished in plenty of time before my mother showed up and had the chance to give me a quizzical expression. Then the next hour and a half or so was spent in Photoshop tweaking and editing it to my specifications until I was satisfied with their appearances. I don't think that they turned out too bad, do you?

Now I don't really have anything planned and dinner is unknown. I snacked on some Panna Cotta Gelato from Gelateria Italiana that I found at Meijer the other day. This stuff is actually from Italy! So you know that it's gotta be good. I for one found the caramel sauce a little off-tasting, but overall it was not terrible. Still, I don't think I would get this product again given the choice between this or one of those great Edy's flavors.



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I think that now would be a good time to tell ya'll a little bit about myself. Or to at least go on a bit of a tangent from my usual posts.

While I consider myself a flexatarian, I don't really eat meat. I don't want or crave it. I never think "Oh, gosh, a steak sounds so good right about now" nor do I look lustfully at my dad's hamburger when we hit up the pub. Nor do I normally eat eggs, especially plain. And now I don't even need them for baking because I know of some really neat substitutes (flax!). I don't especially like butter and I never drink milk plain, and cheese isn't huge to me either. Basically, the only appearance of any animal product in my life is in the form of yogurt (or frozen yogurt) and chocolate, which will probably never change. However, I have been trying to eat more vegan-esque, gluten-free, and/or organic. I've been dabbling in this for the past month or so and I think it has really done me some good and hope to continue in this fashion.

Yes, I have a lot yet to try and a lot yet to learn, and with this will come countless failures. But, I know with the help of the blogger community (which I hope is reading, or at least will read one day soon) that I will be able to create something great out of all of this.

Question of the Day: Do you like the new name/layout?

Jul 27, 2010

Down The Hatch

Woke up at 6 a.m. for the hospital, ready to get it done and over with. The procedure went fine; no complications other than a little blood from the IV. I even got some answers about the pain I've been having, finally! It turns out that I have some pre-ulcers. I'm going to be put on a medication that I have to take 4x a day and I'm no longer allowed to take ibuprofen-based medicines, so, it's looking like it's only Tylenol for me from here on out. Also, my eating will probably suffer quite considerably in the next few weeks because of the medication, since the timing of the doses depends on when I eat and knowing that I'm going to be eating in advance. If you know me and my history, you know that this spells disaster and my parents are of course worried, as they probably should be.

After a very late breakfast, mom and I headed out on the monster of all grocery shopping sprees. I guess that's what happens when you literally have no food in your house. Bad idea, never again. Still have yet to find any of the new Larabar flavors, but I did pick up some new products that I'm quite excited to try out. I know that I have sort of gotten out of the habit of taking pictures, but I'm going to try and start doing that more again. Mostly, I just feel kind of awkward "food blogging", even in my own house where it's just my mom and I. Well, let's just see what we can do about that.

Anyway, today felt like an extra weekend day. Like a weekend in the middle of the week. However, it meant that I was extremely antsy from just sitting around all day for what felt like hours on end. So, I laced up my running shoes and headed out into the heat, since it was only about 4:30. I somehow ran 2.18 miles in 19:57 (this includes 2 stoplights) which is really wicked fast for me and I felt pretty slow. I'm pretty sure that I did not mess up mapping or timing, so I'm not quite sure what this is, because I felt like crap. I would have completed my loop, but I noticed that my fingers on both hands had turned pale and numb so I stopped immediately and basically speed walked the mile or so that I was from home. The medication they have me on for the ulcers isn't responsible for this, so that could not have caused this and my sister (the pharmacist) couldn't think of anything either other than maybe a side effect of the anesthetic they used on me this morning. Either way, it kinda freaked me out.

So I preoccupied myself with making lunch for tomorrow and the next day as well as some mini muffins. Pretty good way to waste an hour. I'll show ya'll the results when they pop up in my life. Unfortunately, I haven't really been hungry at all today, which does not bode well for my run tomorrow morning (hopefully a long one!). Basically every bit of food I've eaten today has had come from me telling myself "You need to eat or tomorrow you will really regret it because your body will not have proper fuel for running, biking, and working". Well, I guess we shall see in the AM...

Jul 26, 2010

Push Through

I set out on my run this morning intending to do a short, easy 2.5 miles, since I do not have enough time to do 4+ miles during the work week. Today was anything but easy. I had a stitch in my side that would just not go away. I pushed and pushed and pushed myself to finish and not quit early and I almost got in the 2.5 (it was really 2.45 miles). If you've ever encountered this problem, then you know how I feel right now. Alas. And I probably won't be able to get anything in tomorrow because I'll be at the hospital bright and early. I'm talking before the sun rises, people!

Since I've run out of fruit, breakfast this morning consisted of the largest bowl of cereal ever created by man, but on the plus side I've now had about an entire day's worth of fiber and freed up some room in the cupboard by finishing off the box. I still have several boxes of cereal yet to work through. I kinda have a cereal problem. I usually have at least three different varieties of cereal in my cupboard at any one time. I've had more like five lately. Anyway, today was my last day home without my mother. I wish I could say that I made the most of this situation some how, but I had to work and off I went!

Measurements, measurements, measurements. All day every day. But, I will only be here for one more month, and, compared to other day, today was not terrible. Reading blogs really is what gets me through the day. I cannot just sit there with a book and read between recordings, I just get too antsy. But reading a blog is different for me for some reason. Probably because I don't really have to pay all that close attention and I still won't miss much of what happened.

Lunch was a lovely salad with mixed greens, baked tofu, goat cheese, and asian dressing (*drool*) along with an Odwalla Strawberry-Pomegranate bar. The bar wasn't bad, I just wish that there weren't little strawberry seeds in it. I did not enjoy picking them out of my teeth as I sat at my station and is just kinda awkward in general. Then mid-afternoon I snacked on some graham crackers and a cinnimon-apple-flavored rice cake. When you crumble these together and get them in the same bite, I swear it's an awesome taste experience.


Anyways, after all of my measurements were done for the day, and I had biked home, it was time to clean house a bit before I had to bring my mom home from the airport. Nothing too major, just a quick washing of the countertops, some towels to be put into the laundry, and some feline "presents" to dispose of. Ahh, I cannot wait for her to get home so that I can get to the grocery store. I feel so deprived without fruit in the house! Plus almost no vegetables, which I have also been hankering for lately as well. Maybe (hopefully) tomorrow?

Mom was picked up safe and sound, and I was off for another run, since this morning kind of felt like a dud. And, boy, am I glad that I did! It was awesome. I felt good, really good, and it showed in my time! I followed a completely unknown route, not knowing when I was going to turn until it was right on top of me. It ended up being 3.66 miles in 34:48. Do you know what that means? That means I was going faster than a 10-minute mile, a lot faster! Oh, how I miss my 9-minute miles  of yesteryear, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Hospital bright and early tomorrow morning and then grocery store later if I feel up to it, but it's a very minor procedure, so, I'm hopeful. Maybe even a run in the evening? Let's hope so!

Jul 25, 2010

One Month

Goal met! Was it easy? No. Did it feel good? Not most of the time. Am I super-duper glad and proud of myself? You bet! That's right, I did it. I ran 60 (60.15) miles in the past month, and that's just good, old-fashioned, shoe-to-pavement running and not even counting the countless bike rides, walks, and workout DVDs I've put myself through either. It's quite amazing the changes I've seen in myself in the past month. I actually have some ab muscles! And I haven't really lost any weight, too, which is good. I've been going for "toned" rather than "skinny". So, I thought that, given this momentous occasion, I would celebrate the 4.06 miles that brought me to my goal with something I've really looked forward to: Oats In A Jar!




I had finished up my jar of Nutella yesterday, just in time for the completion of this milestone. So, I loaded up my jar with oats, banana, raspberries, almonds, honey, and chocolate/butterscotch chips and dug in. I accidentally added too much salt when I was boiling the water for the oats, but otherwise, I can't wait to try this treat out again. Of course, it's going to take awhile. I don't go through jars quite as fast as, say, HEAB, but then, who really does? In honor of HEAB, I made up a little Homemade Almond Nut Butter with what I have left of my almonds and added a little bit of honey into the mix. It tasted amazing! If only I had more than maybe 4 Tbsp in my jar (re-used the Nutella jar for this affair, even though it's probably a sin).

The rest of my day has pretty much been spent making things up for the rest of the week, like baking some tofu I had marinated overnight and watching trashy tv shows. Ah, what bliss. Pretty much the only downside of today was accidentally cutting my finger pretty bad on my food processor. It required a long stretch of applied pressure, but I think I'm safe from any hospital visits or stitches, for now at least. I am due in the hospital Tuesday morning, after all. I also blended some leftover frozen blueberries, pineapple, and raspberries and added in a few ice cubes and vanilla protein powder and stuck it in the freezer. So good, fruity, and refreshing! However, now I am envious of all Vitamix owners everywhere as I frequently had to open up my blender and smush everything around because it wouldn't blend the stuff in the upper levels. One day far from now, maybe, when I'm married and have very generous family and friends giving me fancy, expensive wedding presents?

After watching a bit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original of course), I took a reading walk over the same route that I ran this morning. I've just started the third novel of the Hitchhiker books and have a new book that I'm excited to read once I get through the other two that are included in this book (five in one!). So, long reading walks are necessary in order to finish this in a timely matter. I want to finish my current reading pile before classes start up again, when I know that I won't be reading any "fun" books until at least winter break in December.

Random Thought of the Day: I really want Weetabix. Like from the UK. Like I said, random.

Jul 24, 2010

Are We Dreaming, Or Is This Reality?

Running this morning got rained out, so I greeted the day with Friends and a breakfast quesadilla instead. Then there were some things around the house to get done, like laundry and dishes. Around noon, I went to the movie theater with Lyle and saw Inception! Incredibly long, ringing in at almost 3 hours in length, but very good otherwise. I just don't like sitting still in one place for that long, you know?

So, after coming back home, I ate a snack and watched some episodes of Scrubs on tv (we finished Season 3 and apparently had no forethought to bring Season 4). Then it was mowing the lawn for him and Jillian for me. I did Level 1 and ended up doing Level 3 later (I'm not a real fan of the Level 2 exercises). The weather is just downright inhospitable for running today, which is sad, since I now have a slim chance in meeting that big goal of mine (unless I start feeling super awesome all of a sudden), but tomorrow morning I will do all that I can and see how close I can get. Getting almost there is better than giving up, right?

I did the unheard of this afternoon. I drank a cup of coffee. I don't really drink a lot of coffee; finding a lot of it to be pretty crappy and so not bothering with it. But since it was only 7:30 and I was about ready to pass out already, I found it necessary. So, I ground up some Hazelnut-flavored coffee beans and turned on the old CoffeeMate. Delicious. I don't want to make a habit of drinking this stuff though, a caffeine dependence is one thing that I do not need to be developing. I'm pretty sure it took me at least two months to get over the one I had from finals week and drinking about a 12-pack of Diet Coke in a weekend. But, I do always love walking down the coffee aisle of grocery stores and inhaling deeply.

Jul 23, 2010

TGIF Times Ten

Due to my early morning meeting, there was no running, and even if I had not had to go to a meeting this morning there still would have been no running because of the terrible, terrible humidity outside. Oh, how I cannot wait until I am in my new apartment and have a nearby, "free" gym in which to run and cycle to my heart's content. So, since this forecast appears to be continuing throughout the day and night, I had to resound myself to an hour of DVD pilates. Not terrible, but sometimes you just really want to run and that just is not possible in this kind of weather for me (alas, my poor, weak breathing).

Because of the time not spent running, I made a big bowl of Princess Oatmeal. It was way too sweet. I think if I ever attempt this again, I would use about half as many raspberries because this was borderline diebetes-inducing (and all just from the fruit!) I felt like I had to put in the peanut butter and cereal just to cut the sweetness a bit, but it did not help much.


1/4 c old-fashioned oats
1/2 banana
1/2 c smashed raspberries
Almond extract
Peanut butter
Grape Nuts

Work was spent taking what felt like hundreds of measurements for hours on end. Really the only bits of happiness I gleamed were from my fab salad (goat cheese!), a PureBar, and the fact that I have a tentative last day of work scheduled. But, it's the weekend so that automatically makes everything fabulous! Mine will be filled with chores around the house, running, watching old episodes of Friends, and hopefully going to go see Inception.

After some fruit, laundry underway, and a couple of episodes of Friends under my belt, I set out for my run. My body really does not like about the first 1.2-1.5 miles that I run, and I have come to realize that as long as I persevere, the soreness will stop and running can actually feel good, but only if I continue. So, today I pushed. I had a goal, and I  met it head on. Which is why I am here now, almost 42 minutes later and 4.15 miles added to my running shoes. Ahh, what bliss. Now, of course, my body is in a bunch of discomfort because of whatever it is that is as of yet undiagnosed (but hopefully not for long) wrong with me.

Does anyone know if artificial sweeteners (even a small amount), could be doing this to me? I had a very small piece of sugar-free candy a little before I set out. Please, any input at all would be a ton of help.

Question of the Day: What are your weekend plans?

Jul 22, 2010

Rain, Rain

Tried running intervals again this morning. I was slightly less successful, not wanting to move my feet and all. But, I did what I had to do: 3.14 miles done and over with. I'm really hoping that I stop feeling cruddy real soon, or else this upcoming charity race will be a lot less fun that I hoped it would be. Charity runs should not be torturous. You're there because you want to be there and may even really be supportive of and can relate to whatever the charity stands for.

I managed to get a lot of reading done yesterday on my walk to pick up my mom's car. I actually kind of like this book: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Quite weird and disconnected feeling, but I like reading in short bursts, since that's the kind of lifestyle I live and the kind of attention span I possess. That's one of the reasons that I like Dan Brown's books as well. Short chapters and a lot of conversation and short thoughts so I can take a break at pretty much any time.

Work was, well, let's just say that I believe more and more every day that this is really not what I want to be earning my degree for. I'm the kind of person who if I don't love what I do, or get some sort of satisfaction out of it, will probably not do it at all, or if I do do it then you will know that I hate it. I am a complainer and,  boy, do I know it. And everyone around me will certainly know that as well.

It all just built up to the pivotal ride home. The sky darkened. The rain began to fall until they were big, fat blogs of water. Then the lightning flashed. And, finally, the thunder. Where was I during all this, you ask? Well, on my bike of course, riding faster than any biker has ever biked before.

Thus, the evening was wiled away playing computer games, eating snack foods, and watching television. Early morning meeting tomorrow means late run tomorrow and so I get to actually make a nice breakfast for myself! Hmmm... Might run a little bit a little later tonight. I have another goal in mind that I wouldn't mind reaching, and it would require a little extra running time than I've been putting in lately to get accomplished. Go team!

Jul 21, 2010

When Is The End?

Pilates was a bit of a struggle this morning. I think it was because I did not have time to eat a piece of fruit or anything before I had to start. However, I love pilates-in-the-morning days because then I have enough time to eat oatmeal during the week! I've been tweaking my Reese's PB Cup Oatmeal recipe and added less cocoa powder today, added flax, and topped it off with a little fiber cereal. It was very tasty and satisfying.

Today is a long day. Not work-wise, thank goodness, but in terms of things I have to do and the amount of time it takes to do them. Like today, I had to pick my mother's car up from a parking garage. However, I had to ride my bike home and then walk 3 miles to get to the car in order to drive it home. I'm not averse to exercise in any way, it's just that walking that distance takes about 30 or 40 minutes and it's not even that exciting of a walk in terms of things to see. But, it had to get done and this seemed like the least complicated way to do this. Now you may be thinking, "Why couldn't you have just riden your bike to the car and put the bike in the trunk and driven it back?" Well, reader, the answer is simple: The car is too small and the bike is too big. I may have been able to get the bike inside, but if I had there is no way it would be able to get itself out of there.

To keep my strength up during the day, I forced myself to eat a Pecan Pie Larabar. It wasn't fantastic. I usually love Larabars for their short ingredient lists and, of course, their deliciousness, but this was only just well and fine for me today. I have a different flavor waiting to be eaten in my special cupboard at home (yes, I do have a cupboard that's full of foods that only I eat). If only I could get my hands on one of those new flavors.


After scrambling around through this transportation mess, I was off to have a Mexican dinner with Lyle and my dad. Then it was off to watch several episodes of Friends before it was time to go back to my own home and sleep.

With my mom away until Monday night, I am determined to clear out some of the stuff we have in the fridge, freezer, pantry, and of course my cupboard. No groceries trips for me until I actually use stuff that was bought a month or even more ago. I don't like things going to waste. It may take me right up until the expiration dat, but things will get used if I have my way!

Jul 20, 2010

Down In Flames

I somehow managed to drag my butt out of bed this morning, probably due to the fact that I knew my run would be short because of last night's unintentional long run. So, I headed out not feeling the greatest, but when I have a goal in mind it's hard to talk myself out of anything. Taking The Fitnessista's advice, I utilized intervals this morning: 5 minute steady run, followed by cycles of fast running for 30 seconds and slower running for 60 seconds throughout my route. This appears to have decreased my time, which is good. Maybe I'll be able to do this during my race next month. I ran 2.41 miles in 23:37, which is 12 seconds per mile faster than just running at my steady pace.

I've continued feeling sick for most of the day every day for this past week. Next Tuesday couldn't come soon enough, I say. I can't wait to finally find out what has been wrong with me all these months and fix it so that I can actually enjoy life again without having to adjust my life around my dysfunctional body. I already can't handle "normal" sized meals, which isn't a terrible thing. But eating many small things throughout the day feels really quite time consuming. In the meantime, however, I have to continuing going to work and continue having all of my energy zapped as soon as I enter those doors. Actually, that's a lie; all of my energy gets drained the moment I step out of the house. I really don't know what's wrong, and I'm really hoping that once this pain thing gets fixed so will the energy drain problem, because remembering to take my vitamins and eating right does not seem to be helping.

Right now I'm just stressed and tired. There never seems to be enough time to do all of the things that I need and want to do in the time I have available. Oh, Time Turner from Harry Potter, why can't you be real!? I just don't think that I can wait another week in order to catch up on sleep before I crash and burn. Which is why I planned on taking a nap as soon as I got home. Nothing too epic; an hour tops. I'm not sure if I actually ever fell asleep, I felt much too alert to have passed out. But, I got up in an hour anyways, had a snack, and waited for my mother to get home so that we could take a trip to the grocery store.

I got some nice, sinful treats. When you crave something, you should listen to that craving, just make the smartest choice available that still satisfies that craving. Now I'm off to play computer games, watch Pretty Little Liars, and surf in the internet until tomorrow morning's Pilates DVD session with Ellen. Night!

Jul 19, 2010

Just A Day

Due to the late (early?) hour of my return last night, needless to say there was no running happening this morning. I decided ahead of time last night that I would wake up early due to wanting to create regularity in my sleeping, but that I would either run or do a DVD later today. Definitely a good choice because I woke up sore for some reason and I'm sure biking in to work and staying awake all day will be hard enough as it is without a run factored in to the mix.

So, instead of running this morning, I decided to start designing a personal expenses template on Excel. I would have just used one that somebody else already created, but there does not appear to be any out there for college students; mostly for families and people who have a full-time job and graduated from university already. Well, at least it's something to do. I haven't been in much of a reading mood, so I guess this is a good one or two day activity to keep me occupied.

Work was work. I do what I normally do and then I go home (although I did manage to finish reading SuperFreakonomics in between measurements today). I had partially planned on working out as soon as I got home and then sleeping until I had to get up for work tomorrow, in order to counteract the effects of last night, but, alas, I had to stay later than expected at work in order to collect all the data I needed for my experiment. That's one bad thing about experiments: you can't always just stop at any time and be able to pick it up again in a few hours or a few days.

So, I had a slimwich sort of bread coupled with apricot preserves as my pre-run fuel and then set off for my first run it what seems like a very long time. I really just wanted to do a DVD, but I actually finally have a race that I'm preparing for in almost a month exactly and so I knew that I needed to go on a real run and not at night like I do if I had not run that morning. So, in the heat of the day (just kidding, it was hovering around 80deg), I dragged my tired body outdoors and hit the pavement. And you know what? I wasn't bad! I stayed on my normal pace of 6 mph and ended up running for 4.25 miles! That's right, I ran for over 40 minutes without stopping. I was beaming afterwards.

Now time for a well deserved meal of breakfast for dinner! Breakfast is not only okay for every meal, but delicious as well! There was actually a time in my life that I ate cereal as every meal. Literally. And I ate it with chopsticks. Imagine eating Cheerios and Cookie Crisp with chopsticks and then you will have imagined a good few months of my life. Haha!

Jul 18, 2010

I just want you to know who I am

Weather outside wasn't exactly ideal for running in, and especially considering how cruddy I felt waking up, so I decided to pop Crunch into the DVD player and cranked it out with Ellen Barrett. I seriously love her, I've watched some other Crunch fitness DVDs and the other instructors kind of bug me a bit, but Ellen is great (and not just because we share the same name).

I've been continuing to have pain even this morning. I don't really want to eat because of the pain, but I know that I need to if I want to run and lift weights and such. It's a trade-off, one that I will hopefully not have to make soon after they get my test results back and I have my procedure done.

Later, me and a few of my friends headed out to DTE Theatre and watched the Goo Goo Dolls perform. I enjoyed myself. Just wish that I did not have to be at work the next day.

Jul 17, 2010

Avada Kadavara

Running this morning could be described as torturous. Not at any time did running feel good or decent even. But, I did what I could with what I had and pushed through to at least finish 2.04 miles. Forget about the speed I had going on last night, too. I was slow as all get out.

After returning home and showering, I refueled with some Reese's Peanut Butter On Crack Oatmeal.


Old-fashioned oats, cocoa powder, 1/2 banana, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and almonds. Oh, this is so good. I only wish that I had the time to make it during the week before work. Maybe a good dose of chocolate would be able to carry me through the day better if I had every woman's best friend in my belly.

Lyle and I hung out most of the day. Short trip downtown to check out the sidewalk sales and not buy anything. Then it was Chinese take-out and Harry Potter 5, which he had not seen yet. I should really re-read those books, I don't remember much that happens, especially in the later ones.

Ok, time for bed. I'm pretty tired and have another busy day tomorrow.

And as promised, the lentil loaf recipe:

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf
Makes 1 loaf


1 c lentils
3 c vegetable stock or broth
1 large yellow onion
1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 c breadcrumbs
3/4 c chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 1/2 c water
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat over to 350deg. In a small bowl, combine the ground flax and 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
Simmer together the lentils, broth and a pinch of salt for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender and have absorbed all the broth.
Meanwhile, chop the onion, grate the carrot, and dice the celery. Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil over medium-high heat for six minutes or until tender (not caramelized). Add the garlic and carrot and cook for another four minutes.
Toast the walnuts in the oven for six to seven minutes. Add them to the veggie mixture on the stove and stir well. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper as well and then take the mixture off the stove and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the breadcrumbs, flax/water and cooked lentils and toss well. Press mixture into a greased loaf pan and set aside while you make the topping.
In another small bowl combine the ketchup, maple syrup and vinegar. Spread on top of loaf. Bake for 40 minutes and then out on a plate.

Jul 16, 2010

Calling Dr. House

No run this morning. I would have been in the middle of a shower when I should have been at the doctor's office if I had. So, I had planned on running tonight instead. Got to the doc's bright and early for a consultation and physical exam. Now I have a bunch of tests ordered and I go in for an endoscopy in a couple of weeks. So, we'll see what all of this turns up.

Still got in to work about the same time I normally would, thanks to my mother driving me to work rather than me biking. I had a lot of blood drawn and hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so I thought it unwise to exert myself like that. That being said, I was without a bike to get home, and so I hoofed it old school. It's not that I don't like walking. I do. But this is trip takes over an hour on foot and usually distances like this walking makes my knee act up. Luckily, I think running has increased my joint strength because I didn't have any problems other than it being very hot out.

Once home, it was time for some rest. I have felt extremely tired the past day or two, and so I popped in a DVD and went to sleep. Such an exciting day today. Hopefully this bodes well for my run tomorrow morning and for the rest of the weekend. I have lots of plans and errands to run and I do not have time to not have any energy to do it all with.

After my nap, I tried out a new recipe for mom and I to try that I've heard rave reviews about: lentil loaf! I'll post the recipe with tomorrow's post, but it was good. Very flavorful and, as my mom said, "not dry like I thought it would be". Haha.


I played a computer game for about an hour, and then it was time to go running since I was not able to this morning and I actually felt up to it, surprisingly. I felt really good the first mile, and the second mile, and the third mile. I just felt so good and like I could go on for ever. If I still had any light left at all I would probably have kept going, but I ended up stopping after 3.65 miles and 35:53. That's a 9:48 average pace! I knew that I was running faster. I even felt like I was lifting my feet off the ground more. Ahhh, so good. I was beaming. Then I celebrating with a big bowl of cottage cheese and fruit. I would have preferred yogurt and Grape Nuts, but the cottage cheese needs to get eaten first. As long as there is juicy fruit, it will get done.

Alright. My bed awaits me, although right now it is being inhabited by various books and things and completely lacks all bed-like characteristics, like sheets. Who needs luxuries like that anyway? Night everyone.

Jul 15, 2010

Me and You, and You and Me

Headed out this morning for a 2.98 mile run in 30:40. Not terrible considering the past few days that I've had and the weather outside. Hoping that tomorrow will be better, like the forecast is promising it to be. Tomorrow will most likely have to be a late-night run rather than an early-morning run, because my doctor appointment got rescheduled to EIGHT IN THE MORNING, meaning no time for a run and shower, so no go. Thankfully, I was still able to work today even after I said that I would not be there. Yay! Oh, the life of a wage laborer; how dreadful.

Work was, well, work. I've been here for a little over two months now and only have a month and a half left (I think, not quite sure on when my last day is or any of that yet). Right now, I'm just looking toward the weekend with my big plans, and then after that I just have to wait a week before I can completely re-vamp my class schedule for next year. Yay, school! Yes, I actually like classes and college. I love back-to-school shopping and buying textbooks (maybe because I have a very generous family who assists me). I love the excitement of learning new material and seeing it pop up again and actually be useful once the class ends. Most of all, it's just exciting. Change, while scary sometimes, is exciting! And I have a lot of changes happening in the next few months, let alone the next 3, 4, or 8 years.

Tiredness persisted today. Same with the labored breathing. Again, when I'm at home I am usually okay, it's just when I go outside or am at work. I think that maybe since my breathing is messed up that is making me tired. But, I'm not doctor so, who really knows? Work didn't seem to drag on too badly, however, I think it's because I potted plants until noon though, rather than actually have a super-fun time doing what I do.

After work, I biked home (there was a doe on the path!) and partook in a nice, juicy apple. Oh, apples, I'm sorry I've been neglecting you in lieu of bananas lately, but they are just so much more convenient than you and good with things packed with nutty goodness. Neither mom nor I had really planned on making anything for dinner (I have a list, but I need to get to the store in the next day or two to get some ingredients). So, it was another fend for yourself kind of a night. I'm still not feeling well, so basically nothing sounds appetizing.

My body is still screaming and hating me, but hopefully the doctor tomorrow will have some answers. I'm off to do some pilates. Later, y'all.

Jul 14, 2010

Fat Man On My Chest

Today was my running rest day, however I did still wake up early because I don't want to get out of the habit of doing that. Instead, this morning I did a short bit of yoga to get my body opened up and, since I actually had time today, made some oatmeal! But not just any oatmeal, this was like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I added cocoa powder, peanut butter (have to use it all up before I try almond butter), almonds, and chocolate chips. Don't worry, I health-ified it by adding some wheat germ and banana slices. This was definitely worth the wait of not having any oats for about a week now. Ah! I missed them. Sorry, no picture. Once it got all stirred up, it wasn't what one would call 'picturesque'.

How is it that I can feel fine when I'm at home (okay, not last night, but usually), but as soon as I come in to work I feel like I'm suffocating? Literally. I get light-headed and it's hard to breathe, and when I do it sort of feels cold. What is up with that? Not only this, but I was tired as all get out starting around 11:30. Luckily, I have a job where I can listen to an iPod or I probably would have been struggling to stay awake a lot more. On top of all that (or maybe because of all that), I kept messing up. I just don't know if this is what I want to do anymore. Major change in the near future? At least I'm working on it now after my first year rather than in my senior year. I sent out a bunch of e-mails, now I just have to hope for speedy responses.

I was not feeling top notch all day, so I didn't end up eating much. Almonds mostly. Then, when I got home I received some bad news. My doctor's appointment scheduled for tomorrow was cancelled and I have to reschedule, which probably means waiting a month or more just to get a visit, let alone any idea on tests I need to have done on me. Then I jetted off to go watch a few episodes of Friends as Lyle slept (haha) and eat the salad I was meant to have a lunch. It was the end of the Asian salads for a while, since that was the last of my tofu and sprouts. Oh well. Means I'll be able to clear out some more space in the cabinets. Out with the old, in with the new. But, I can't get the new until I have some room for it all!

Now I'm back home and tired as all get out. I have to cancel a lot of the plans I had made for tomorrow, like laundry and cleaning and planning. I guess that's life, but I will for sure get some kind of work out in before work (hopefully a run, but that will depend on the weather). Night everyone!

Jul 13, 2010

Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News

This morning was 2.78 mi in 27:58. I was really worried that I was running super slow, because it's 0.55 mi around my neighborhood if you just run in the main circle. Well, I decided to take all the little dead end side streets as well and did not think it would add too much to the total distance. So, when it took me about 10 minutes to run once around I thought "What is going on?!". Turns out, by adding those inlets, I added 0.36 mi to my neighborhood loop! Meaning that once around is almost a mile. I guess that just goes to show that if you know your average pace, you are probably closer to that number than the number you have in your head.

After the run and shower, I put together a hodge-podge of a breakfast. Cottage cheese, banana, blueberries, and Grape Nuts. Not too good. I think it was the cottage cheese I used. The stuff I normally get was sold out and so I had to get a different brand. Never again. I guess I'd rather go without than get sub-par products, which should be the way it normally is, right?


I arrived at work just in time for a fire drill. This was not a great way to start the work day. As promised, lunch was another Asian-inspired salad and almonds and a Nutter Butter bar for a snack. I love sprouts. Even in a salad that is already crispy and crunchy, they added even more crisp and crunch. For some reason, my body was just not into being at work today. I was tired and constantly wanting a nap. Any tips?

Also (healthwise), today wasn't so good in other respects. For the past many months, I've been experiencing pain when I eat or drink or sometimes it seems to be (to me) at just plain random times. I thought things were improving until today, when the pain came back. Now I'm trying to get in to see a specialist because pain is hard enough to deal with at home, but this is interferring with classes, work, and my social life. I've had some tests done already and there's doesn't seem to be anything inherently wrong with my organs or bloodwork, but we'll see what a gastroenterologist thinks.

Because of the pain, I didn't really want to eat my salad. I had already dug into the almonds earlier, thinking they would give me a bit of a boost to get me through the morning, but then 2pm rolled around and I still hadn't eaten lunch because the pain had been persisting for a good 3 hours or so by this point in time. I ate it anyway, knowing that I needed to eat, even if I didn't want to, or else I would never make it home. However, as expected, eating made the pain worse. I ended up asking to go home early, but I still had to bike (no fun) even with the pain. Ugh. I just don't understand why this has been happening or what I can do. I can't just not eat, that would be terrible for my body. However, eating causes pain, which is also terrible for my body.

I just can't win. *Sigh*. Here's to hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.

Jul 12, 2010

Does It Take 21 Or 28 Days To Form A Habit?

Today was Day 1 of shifting my running to the morning (before work/classes, I say classes because I want to keep this as a habit even when fall semester starts up again). This morning was a bit rushed, because I had a long day at work again (have to make up for those holidays!), but I managed to fit in a pre-workout snack (1/2 banana + Nutella), 3.14 mile run, shower, and breakfast (1/2 banana, cinnamon raisin bread, cereal bar) all before I had to leave for my ride in to work. *Phew* I am wiped out. I think that the extra half an hour that I will have tomorrow will make all the difference.

Working on making my salads more creative and tasty, I created a nice Asian blend for today. Wonderful! it consisted of:
Lettuce
Baked tofu
Bean sprouts
Carrots
Asian Dressing (with ginger, soy, and sesame)
I think I must just be craving Asian-inspired meals lately, what with today's lunch and my Indian food over the weekend. I would say that there's about a 95% chance of this salad making a repeat appearance tomorrow.

Couple this with some Blue Diamond Mint Dark Chocolate Almonds and you've got a winner of a lunch. After work, I stopped at Barnes & Noble on my way home to check out some books I've had my eye on for the past week or two based on what I've seen on the blogs I follow. I could honestly spend hours just walking around a bookstore and never buying a thing (though wanting to, badly), but I ended up walking away with nothing. Surprise, surprise. I'm actually quite a frugal person, it's a little sad.

After getting home, I snacked on some cinnamon raisin bread and, once I was able to take the car, went to a secret destination, and then later bought a new mini food processor (mine is terrible and I'm pretty sure is older than I am). Then it was back home to look through coupons, read, and eat key lime pie yogurt + Grape Nuts and other tasty treats. I plan on maybe doing some 30-Day Shred later tonight, but that's pretty much my night! Up by 7 means in bed by 11.

Jul 11, 2010

Fresh, Fresh, Baby

Woke up early and made myself some pre-workout fuel: a sandwich slim with sugar-free apricot preserves. I think something must be wrong with my toaster though, since it didn't so much toast as it did warm the bread a bit. Yum. The apricot spread smelled (and tasted) so good. I sometimes forget how much I love some fruits until I smell them again after a long time.


Then it was a very slow and hot 2.88 mile run. After I was back and showered, I made up the rest of the lentils from last night and paired it with some baked tofu and bean sprouts. After lunch, mom and I were off to opening weekend of the Farmer's Market and I set out with one goal in mind: Bizzy Lizzy Bakery. Their motto is "Where Delicious Meets Nutritious", where they strive to create a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat and using natural ingredients, such as flaxseed and beet sugar. And, most important to some people, there is no flour in any of their bakery items. I selected a Pumpkin muffin. My mother selected some basil and garlic from another stand.

What proceeded was a long, lazy day of nothingness. I read a little bit, and looked again at my degree requirements to make sure I have planned for all that I need, but mostly it was just vegging out in a warm room wondering how the fan wasn't reaching me. I took a little reading walk to force myself to finish my book (Freakonomics, a re-read) and was stranded for a small time under a tree during a sudden rain spell, but I finished and that's what counts.

Mom used her newly acquired basil to make Gnocchi, Shrimp, and Asparagus with Pesto. Not my favorite, but I am a huge gnocchi fan. I then later had the pumpkin muffin that I bought from the farmer's market. It was pretty good; nice and moist (P.S. I hate that word).


Later, I busted out my old Crunch Pilates DVD and, let me tell you, I sweat, which is good. A workout isn't a workout unless you're sweating. Now I am chilling out with some green tea, NCIS, and reading SuperFreakonomics during the commercial breaks. Until tomorrow, everyone!

Jul 10, 2010

V

Last night was good. It was so nice seeing my second family again. I left earlier, however, because I was super tired. Then this morning Lyle and I watched "V for Vendetta" over breakfast, then it was off home to get a start on my To-Do list.

We went to the store, and got some more new things to try which will be showcased as they show up in my life on here. Then I took a quick bike ride to and from the post office and made some phone calls to make appointments (*shh* secret).

I was on my own for dinner, so I broke out my box of Tasty Bite Madras Lentils and accompanied it with some broccolini and a hodgepodge of rices. Yummy!


Dessert was fresh from the grocery store: Edy's Slow Churned Mud Pie! This flavor is only available from May through August, so it's almost not available anymore! Sad day. It's light coffee ice cream with chocolate sandwich cookies and a fudge swirl. Edy's has got to be one of my favorite ice cream makers. It's delicious and decadent, but not so much that you feel bad afterwards, like with something like Ben and Jerry's, Haagen-Dazs, or Coldstone Creamery.


I took the day off from running today, because my body was really sore, but I'm making sure that I wake up early tomorrow to run before mom and I hit up the farmer's market opening weekend. Now I'm looking at a night of watching Scrubs on Hulu, reading, a little food prep for the week, and maybe even a little computer game playing.

Jul 9, 2010

Reunion

Morning came much too early today. I had a really hard time getting to sleep, since I didn't seem to be working too hard yesterday, and was not able to pass out until about 2am. 5.5 hours later and there I was looking at the alarm screaming in my face. After a nice breakfast of a banana with Nutella and a Fiber Plus bar, I was out the door and off for a very long work day, although all I could think about on the ride was how perfect the weather would be if I were running just then. I've been trying to decide if I should wake up earlier on regular work days, run, shower, and then bike to/from work rather than running at night like I have been. I may try that next week (not Monday though, since that's another long day).

For lunch, I gathered together some almonds, an apple, and whipped up another quick salad, although this one was even more boring than yesterday's (I really need to get to the store (maybe Saturday or Sunday?). I won't even embarass myself by posting an ingredients list or picture. Yeah, that uninspired. Also, since I wanted to run pretty soon after I got home, I tried out a Kind Plus bar in Almond & Cashew a couple hours before I planned on running.


The bar was good and I was happy to see that it had not too many ingredients and a fairly good balance of carbs and protein, which it just what I wanted in my pre-workout fuel. There were too many nuts for my own personal taste and wished that there could have been more dates (think Pure Bars), but I don't regret my choice on buying this bar on sale just to try.

I quickly changed once I got home and then I was off like a cheetah (ok, maybe not quite that fast). I shook it up a bit by following a nearby bike trail across the street rather than just turning around like I normally do. Let me tell you, today was a struggle. Not that it was very hot. 80 degrees normally is not too bad. But, it was mostly all in the sun without any shade. So, I felt SLOW. Once I got home, did abs, showered, and mapped my run, it turns out I did a LOT more than I thought that I did. Because of the weather and just the way that my body was feeling, I set out with the goal of just 2 miles. Come to realize, I did 3.25 miles in 31:33. That's a 10 minute mile even and an even 6 mph. Yay me!

Now I'm off to get ready for tonight. A bunch of the people I lived with this past year are getting together tonight and I am joining in! Peace out, Girl Scout!

Jul 8, 2010

Peel

Even though I was not that hungry, I forced myself to eat a good breakfast because I know that I won't get even a chance to eat anything until 3.5-4 more hours and that would have meant a very long time since my last meal. I made myself a nice cup of Coconut-Pineapple FF Yogurt with come dried cherries thrown in as well as a side of banana and Nutella. Smiley face breakfast!


In an attempt to break my lunch rut, I made a small salad for myself this morning (though for some reason this took me about 10 minutes and had me rushing out the door to get to work) and accompanied the salad with the last of my soynuts.


Lettuce
Kale
Carrots
Mozzarella Cheese
All topped off with some dijon-type salad dressing

The ride home was a struggle-fest, as it always seems to be. I passed by the university's organics stand which is set up every Thursday. I almost stopped to look around, but their products did not really look that great and I knew I would be hitting up my local Farmer's Market this weekend (opening weekend!). After a little hydration and cooling down in front of the fan (it's not really hot out, but it's humid), Lyle and I headed out to expand my culinary horizons in my own hometown.

We walked to Potbelly's, where I got a TKY. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely would not be my first choice if I had a hankering for a sandwich. We walked back and were only interrupted momentarily when there was a freak rainstorm rolling through town. Then it was quickly back home. Walking took a lot longer than expected.

Because the weather was so disfavorable this evening, I decided to pop in a workout DVD instead of going for a run this evening (it's good to shake things up a bit sometimes, right?). This was my first time following The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga with Bob Harper. Since I felt like I could handle it, I decided to do the Warm Up, Level I, Level II, and the Cool Down.


It wasn't quite the sweat-fest that I was hoping it would be. That's not to say that I wasn't working hard. I followed Bob for the entire 40 minutes that the DVD was playing, just that I didn't feel like I had worked out afterwards. Because of this, I'm not calm and peaceful like I normally am after working out. Bummer. I think I'll stick with my other DVDs from now on if I'm banished from running outdoors again.

Jul 7, 2010

Hot, Hot, Heat

Oh the joys of waking up sore. Not from my fantastic run last night, oh no, but from sleeping on my back with sunburned shoulders. After I aloed up once more, and checking out iTunes podcasts for a bit, it was time for breakfast. Despite my cravings for more Grape Nuts, I did not want to use my last yogurt (I guess that I should really buy more than 3 containers when I go shopping) so I resigned myself to a little Fiber Plus cereal with almond milk and a side of TLC Pumpkin Spice Flax Crunchy Granola Bars (no pictures, I figure that you've seen this all before).

It was already 84 degrees (another 90+ day in the Midwest) when I set out for work and boy did that make it hard, but I got there safe and sound at least, if not rosy-fresh. Lunch was unremarkable. I wish that I had a bigger chunk of time in which to eat lunch, then I could actually make something good and fresh and bring that in instead of my bars, which I must say I am quite bored with right about now. I bought a box of a new variety, which will hopefully help, but I'm not counting on it.

After the ride home (90+ degrees), I hydrated and sat around in front of my fan until it was time to get ready for dinner with my dad. We went to one of our usual eateries: Jimmy's Pub. I had a huge, awesome Club Salad. Then after allowing for some digestion time, I was off for my run, of course waiting for the sun (and the temperature) to go down a bit.

Even though my body didn't feel too good (apparently 1.5-2hrs wasn't enough time to wait and/or I ate too much), I still kicked out a cool 3.1 miles in 32:19. I thought that I was doing pretty good actually, though I guess it didn't turn out that way. I thought that I had run faster than that, and I was basically sprinting the last 0.2 or 0.3 miles. Maybe this means that I'm capable of going faster for longer periods of time? Not running to my full potential? *Hmmm...*

Question of the Day: Any tips on my lunch-time woes?

Jul 6, 2010

Press Play To Resume

Woke up still in quite a bit of pain from the burn. So I put on some aloe, antiseptic spray, and re-bandaged my foot and hoped that it would all be enough to get to and from work and through the day without wincing too bad.

Plunging back into work after having a three-day weekend off by starting with an 8-hour work day. Whoop-dee-doo. Well, at least that means that there are only 4 work days this week. Since I hit up the grocery store the other day, and finally got some more yogurt, I made some Overnight Oats for breakfast.


Strawberry Banana Overnight Oats
1/4 c old-fashioned oats
1/2 banana, mashed
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 FF Strawberry Cheesecake yogurt
1/4 c almond milk
Dried cherries
Grape Nuts (love that crunch!)

At work I was doing another day of recording measurements every 5 minutes, so food had to be eaten in small, well-timed bursts again. Nothing too special, though I did manage to score some Swedish Fish the other day because they were on sale. I ate about half the box today as a little hard-at-work treat. *Yum*. I was really surprised at my level of energy at work today. I am usually dragging myself around and dreading looking at the clock, but today I felt pretty darn good given the circumstances. I even had a reasonable amount of energy for the ride home!

Once I got home, my body was screaming for some more of that lovely green goo and I gladly obliged its demands. Even with my busted foot and sunburnt body, I wanted to try giving running a try. So, I made up a nice big bowl of Simply Asia Spring Vegetable soup to get a nice supply of carbs. I like big noodles and am not so keen on the actual liquid part of soups, so I let the bowl sit out and soak up the liquid. So much better, right?


Even with temperatures in the low- to mid-80s, I cranked it out. Because of my four days of not running, the sunburn, and the bum foot, I set my sights low: 1.5 miles. Well, 1.5 came and went, I just did not want to stop! I felt amazing, and just kept going, and could have come even farther if it had not been for the fact that the sun had already gone down and I almost could not read my watch any more. But, I was determined to finish my lap and did a very respectable 3.3 miles in 32:29. That's a 9:48 pace. It's almost as if my training never even took a lazy vacation.

After a nice shower (I sweated like none other), I chilled out with a bowl of FF Pomegranate Berry yogurt and Grape Nuts and now I'm catching up on my Hulu queue and playing FrontierVille on Facebook. *Ahh*. Today was a good day.

Motivation for the Day: "Even when there are temporary setbacks, movement is always headed toward wellness." (Walter, Susan. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Body-Mind Disciplines.)

Question: Does anyone else left their noodle soups sit and soak up the soup before eating it?

Jul 5, 2010

The Long Weekend

Hey guys, since I was away from a computer all weekend, but here's a day-by-day recap of my Fourth of July weekend.

--- 06/02/10 ---

Woke up before my alarm (as per usual). I think that when my mother leaves the house and opens the garage door she wakes me up. Because I really cannot think of any other reason why I do not sleep in until my alarm goes off. Anyway, since I won't be able to go to the grocery store until Monday or Tuesday, breakfast was equal parts Fiber Plus and Life cereals with almond milk and sliced bananas on top. It at least kept me satisfied until lunch this time.


When I was finally done for the day, I had to rush home to finish packing and get something to eat before we hit the road. Most of the night after we got there was spent watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off and me almost falling asleep the entire time.

--- 06/03/10 ---

The next day was pretty chill (at least for me). I got shown around the property and read some. After everyone else took a nap after dinner, we were off to a party and watch the fireworks.


--- 06/04/10 ---

Happy Fourth of July blogosphere! Everyone headed out to the lake for the day to spend some time in the sun on the pontoon. I got just a wee bit more than a little time in the sun, however, as I now closely resemble a lobster and sliced my foot open on a shell. After a lovely dinner and a few rounds of cards and other lazy games, we came back to the house and I got set up with some aloe and we watched Adventureland.

--- 06/05/10 ---

Now we come to today, which was basically get up and go home. Now I'm back in my own bed with more aloe and Ibuprofen. I'm a little upset that I can't go running tonight or even for the next few nights because of this foot thing. Any advice on how to quickly heal foot wounds that are in areas that you can't really avoid getting touched or stretched as it heals, please feel free to post in the comments sections. I'm just worried that I've lost a lot of what I've built up over the past week.

For what's left of today, I'll probably just catch up on internet stuff and help my mom make banana bread so that I can make muffins for the week. Or just lay here and not move or touch anything. That would be acceptable as well.

Jul 1, 2010

Five Minutes

Body decided to wake up a bit earlier than it had to today, which is not a terrible thing in and of itself, especially since I had to go into work early again today. Eating Life cereal the other day (and staring at an almost empty fridge) had me hankering for cereal this morning, so that is what I had. I tried this new Fiber Plus Antioxidants Berry Yogurt Crunch cereal with some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I was thoroughly satisfied and got my fix, at least until I can get some more yogurt and fruit.


Work was brutal. I had to take down data every FIVE MINUTES. For EIGHT HOURS (that's 96 measurements for those of you counting at home), so if I needed to eat or drink anything it was basically: write down the numbers, run out into the hall, do what I had to do, and run back before the next measurement had to be written down. I was so glad to go home and not be plugging in numbers any more. And when I got home, I had TWO packages waiting for me! A new swimsuit and some chia seeds I ordered to try out.


Today was the end of my first summer class. Tuesday marks the beginning of my next one. *Sigh*, no rest for the living. But I think that I did very well and that will help create more of a buffer for me once fall and spring semesters rolls around in a few months. But, for now, I have 4 days of freedom from schoolwork and I'll be living it up with Lyle and his fam. Going to be the first time I've donned a swimsuit this summer, and probably my last.

In between looking through some of my mom's old cookbooks, eating the leftover frittata from last night, and packing for the trip, I went running with no real goal distance in mind. Well guess what? I trudged through it, but I did a cool 3.37 miles (that's more than a 5K!) in 32:11. That's a 9:34 pace and 6.3mph. WOW. Yay me!


I'll be incommunicado until Monday night probably. So, enjoy the Fourth of July, watch some fireworks, and spend time with friends and family! Looking at my weekend forecast, I will be thoroughly enjoying myself and achieving maximum relaxation.