My Fault

Yesterday’s long run was stupid.

Yes. Stupid.

And the frustrating thing is… it was totally my fault.

I knew what the forecast was. But had no desire to wait until Sunday morning for better weather. Patience is not a virtue I possess.

So maybe I’ll just get up a little earlier and take a nap when I get back?

Fabulous idea, Amy! You’re so smart!

Then this happened:

One glass would have been fine.

Two? Sure, I can handle it! I’m so giggly! This is fun!

Three? Well, I’ll be slower, but man am I thirsty and it’s just soooooo gooooood. It’s too early to go to bed! What should we do? Let’s text EVERYONE!

You get where I’m going with this. Right?

I still got up at 6:30 yesterday morning. Plans were to be out on the roads by 7:30. Get in 9 miles before 9:00 with no issues.

My standard weekend run/race breakfast was made.It’s nothing exciting. But I never deviate from peanut butter on toast. It’s a superstitious quirk.

All good so far.

And then I entered some crazy time warp and didn’t make it out until 8:30. 2 hours after I make a point of getting up early.

What? I still have no idea how that happened.

Things were fine for a while. A new playlist helped. But my water was running out too quickly. And I needed energy gel badly.

After a mental fight, stubborn Amy and whiny Amy compromised. All three of us looped it back to the apartment, grabbed a gel and ran to the gym to finish out the run. This is why I’m annoyed.

8.6 miles in total. I’m absolutely positive I could have hit 9 if my estimates wouldn’t have been off (my runs are always GPS free and I track my neighborhood runs afterwards on MapMyRun). I know this because my last mile was spent working on going progressively faster. So the endurance is there (my positive takeaway from the run). I just need to actually do it.

I don’t feel too badly about missing the mileage. It was only .4 under what was planned. A little bummed, but hardly anything to cry over.

The thing that bugs me is only half of the run was done outside. Which is more important to me right now. The Chicago Half Marathon is early September. And, in regards to the weather, it’s a total crap shoot of what we’ll be dealing with. Being ready for the heat/humidity is a must.

That last glass of wine was excessive. As was the waste of time before actually getting outdoors. Both very much factors I can control. And just didn’t.

My fault.

But I’m done dwelling on it. There’s always next week.

Moving on…

Although I’m super crazy about my pre-run rituals, my post run process has never been the same.

Due to Muscle Milk being a ZOOMA sponser, I’ve been taking advantage of their generosity:

An entire case was given to us at the ZOOMA Training Kick-Off party a few weeks ago!

This is the first time trying it. Normally, because texture plays a large part in what foods I like/dislike. Drinking smoothies/shakes/milk/etc is almost always avoided. So I was timid about this stuff.

But protein after long workouts is pretty important.

So what the heck?

Justin is still a vital part of the household decor. And yes, he likes Muscle Milk, too.

And wouldn’t you know? It’s good! My favorite is the Cookies n’ Creme. If you were to liquify an oreo, this is what it would taste like. Totally.

Never do I drink a whole one at once- it’s split up between 2-3 workouts. This works perfectly- just enough to tide me over with recovery fuel until my stomach settles a little more and my true appetite kicks in.

And when that appetite kicks in? Watch out for your fingers, kids. 8.6 miles gives me a lot of room to work with. Holla’.

To all of my lady friends (sorry dudes): Looking for a fun half marathon this fall? Consider the ZOOMA Women’s Series in Lake Geneva! Especially if you’re in the Midwest! There’s wine and jewelry for everyone running!!! Not to mention, you get a group rate at the freakin’ SPA and Resort! If you sign up today, use “GLAMB1″ to get a discount!

I Can Do Anything Good

When switching cable providers a few weeks ago, we realized all the joys that Tivo has to offer. One of them being the ability to play YouTube videos. And after an older rerun of Tosh.0, we giggled over things like wanting to go do hoodrat stuff with our friends.

And the morning routine of Jessica.

Sure. I watched it maybe 5 or 20 times when it first came out. But haven’t revisited it since.

No idea why not.

Because, with the risk of sounding “like omg, so totally cheesy”, this girl was wise beyond her years.

Ok, maybe she was just being silly and had no clue. But there’s still a takeaway.

I can do anything good. Damnit.

Well, she shouldn’t have said that last part. She was six. I only added it for emphasis.

My supposed half marathon training is truthfully nonexistent. According to my running journal (yes, I have one of those and love it), 7 or 8 miles should have happened last weekend.

I can’t remember the last time my total was over 5. Uh oh.

And yes, I’m aware this summer has been crazy busy. And crazy hot. And just crazy.

But something needs to fall into place. The Chicago Half Marathon and ZOOMA Great Lakes Half Marathon Series are staring me down.

Sure. My 5k results haven’t been too shabby. Good, even. Look at me go fast! Look at me go! Weeeeeeee!

But that only accounts for 3.1 miles. What about the other 10?

I want to do well. I want to be prepared. And I hear there are hills on the Great Lakes race.

So I need to get it together. Long runs mid-week? The thought is daunting. But my options may be limited.

Because my weekends are packed. And there ain’t no rest for the wicked.

This morning was my first “oh hey, let’s focus on the future goal” attempt. After a speed run Tuesday, and some early morning elliptical/stairmill on Wednesday, it was a test to see how much my legs would put up with.

It was sluggish. For a while at least. Mostly the first half mile and the last half mile. The inbetween wasn’t much to complain about. And I only saw one rat. So there’s that…

Not a horrible 4.8 miles. And I may be able to fit in a few (just a few- let’s not get stupid) longer runs in the week. Maybe wake up an extra 5-10 minutes on occasion to make sure to get into the 5 or 6-mile range.

Because I can do anything good. Heck yes I can.

If anyone gets the Cage the Elephant reference, I love you.

I Can Totally Do This

Ok guys.

I’m done whimpering.

People far busier than me can do it. And they do. Because they prioritize what they do during the day. And act accordingly.

This morning workout thing can happen. Sure, work is an hour earlier than what I’m used to. And sure, I may have to break it up on days that I can’t QUITE get up right on time.

But this is happening. Like Friday? I got in a little under 3 miles. And that was getting up at the same I had been with my old hours.

And if I get up 15 minutes earlier? A solid trip to the gym can happen. Like on Monday. Or a 4.3-mile run can happen. Like this morning. We’ll just ignore that the rabbits and rats seem to be partying down before 5:00 in the morning.

Seriously. The rabbits can stay. But 3 rats chillin’ on the sidewalk as I run by? Not cool. 

And what if I decide to sleep in 15 minutes later? Well- I can still get a few circuits from my Jillian workouts in. Flexibility is the name of the game.

I can do this.

Totally.

And yes. That phrase will be repeated. Every morning. Until I believe it.

In other news, I found another thing I can totally do.Bake vegetables into things.

Before you judge me, just listen:

I’m not a super big fan of things like carrot cake (but, if we’re being honest, I’ll eat it for the cream cheese frosting). Or things of the nature.Healthy things don’t go into baked goods. It’s just not right.

Usually.

My old roommate from a few years ago made the meanest zucchini bread back in the day. And even sent it to me once after she moved away.Yes. I loved it THAT much.

However, it has never been made in a kitchen of mine since then.

That changed this weekend.My mom not only gifted me with her presence, but also an entire grocery bag of potatoes and a separate entire grocery bag of larger-than-life zucchini.

Don’t believe me when I describe how big it is? Check it out:Yes. The zucchini slices are almost as big as my bagel thin pulled pork sandwich. The pulled pork was the free food from the ‘rents that my roommate scored over the weekend.

Practically a free meal!

We’re living the dream this week, kids.

But anyway… where was I?Oh that’s right- baked deliciousness. The zucchini bread muffins were adapted from this recipe.

Minus the walnuts. Because they’re expensive and I didn’t have any.

What I did have was a lot of wheat flour hanging around. So I swapped 2 cups of regular flour for the wheat variety. Just for kicks.

Also, because I lack a loaf pan (it’s so embarrassing), I made bread “muffins”. Which worked out well- easier to grab and go:I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- we’re all about streamlining these days.

Holla’.

Early Morning College Pride

Oh hey there, Thursday.

You sure got here fast.

Not that I’m complaining. Quite the opposite, really. It’s been a pretty fabulous week so far and I’d like to see the trend continue until the weekend gets here.

I mean- who’s really going to complain about a 4-day work week?

Not this chick.

However, the week flying by also means I’ve had my fair share of being busy.With good things, obviously. My company’s mini staff outing to Wrigley Field was yesterday! And I’ll be darned- they won!

Even a Cardinals fan can appreciate the beauty that is Wrigley Field. Along with the endearing effort the Cubs put into the game. It’s super cute.

And any baseball or sports fan can appreciate a cold brew while watching a game on a breezy spring afternoon in the company of good people.

Did anyone else realize this may be the smartest idea ever for transporting your beer from stand to seat? Spill guard. Not just for kids.

Is it weird that my boss and I hit a Whole Foods Salad Bar beforehand for lunch? It’s like we understand each other.

However, don’t think I was all fun and games yesterday. Just because it was a short day in the office, that doesn’t mean I was slacking off. The day started with a 5-mile early morning run.

How it became 5 miles? No clue. Because it started off with the mindset of 4. Usually the opposite happens where I have high hopes for 5 but end up at 4. Weird.

Guess I was in good spirits all around?

The only weirdness in my workout was something that has happened a number of times, but I’ll never get used to. As a former University of Missouri graduate, I have about a million old college tees that have been phased into my workout wardrobe. Which reminds me, I’m running low- so if you’re thinking of an early birthday present for me, I’m a size small. Please and thank you.

Anyhoo… where was I?

Oh yes. So I was running. And minding my own business. Very much zoned out. Jamming to the tunes. Enjoying the weather.

la la la…

“M-I-Z”

Loud. And in my face.

Gah! What? Did my heart just stop? Gah! How does he know? Omg- that scared me!Gah!

Oh yeah. The shirt I have on.

Like I said- nothing new. But when this happens at 5:30 in the morning? When I’m in the zone? When I’m sans coffee?

Go Mizzou. Obviously. But take it down a notch, dude. It’s still early. And you just woke up everyone on the block.Ah. Now there’s my coffee.

Much MUCH better.

“Z-O-U!, buddy. Z-O-U!”

Sigh. Sometimes I really miss college.

And because I’m feeling social, what’s your current/former school’s favorite battle cry?

An Unorthodox Introduction To Running

When I was still in high school and discovering running for the first time, it was quite an unorthodox experience. I lived on a farm down a winding, topsy turvy road full of hills and wilderness, while lacking sidewalks and safety measures.

It’s quite astonishing I stuck with it like I did. And maybe even more astonishing I was never seriously injured in the process.

Naturally, I started with the run/walk routine. As most do. But I don’t remember ever improving. Only running as far as I could to get out of sight of my house, so my parents wouldn’t think I was a big wus, and walking immediately. This lasted until I got to the top of the massive hill that the road went over and I’d run another minute or so as to not spend too much time tempting fate while on a ridiculous curve.

There was a river access past our house, so I was forbidden to run during the weekends due to the idiots hauling boats and going 60 mph on a curvy road they’ve never driven before. Now that I think about it, most people drove it that fast and shouldn’t have. I was an open target on the side of the road at any hour of the day.

My music consisted of a sad fm/am walkman that only got reception in certain areas. I had to pretend it was a DJ mix of N*Sync slowly morphing into Kenny Chesney then into static then into Third Eye Blind then back to more static.

And watch out for the neighbors’ dogs! The ones you always heard going crazy as they were penned up behind the house. But sometimes, just sometimes, they were running around loose. This forced me down to a cautious walk (if I wasn’t walking already). Any sudden movement and they would surely bite my face/arms/legs off.

Then there was the off-chance you’d pass someone else walking/running. Stop immediately. Talk about the weather. Family. Neighbors (they did WHAT?!?!). The construction in your backyard (because EVERYONE has noticed and wants to know). More about the weather. And back on your way you went.

This entire experience was probably a 30-minute ordeal and maybe 4-5 minutes were spent legitimately running.

No wonder I didn’t have warm fuzzy feelings towards the sport.

Yes, I called running a sport. We can debate that statement at a later time.

But times have changed. Now I willingly get up to run. And am sort of good at it (relative to my highschool days). Chicago is flat. The streets are straight. And have sidewalks. Crosswalks exist. Dogs are leashed. Acknowledgement of fellow runners is done so solely with a small wave/smile.

It’s a more productive and less dramatic experience. Maybe even tranquil when done so in the early morning hours.

Except for when running into random doors. That hurts.

This morning there were no doors. Just me doing my thing in the *almost* perfect weather. For 4.2 miles.

Glorious.

The only bad thing? There are a lot of coffee shops and bakeries. I’m not one to often crave donuts or bagels, but when you’re a couple of miles in and haven’t had breakfast yet? It’s rough. (#firstworldproblem)

And sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder if it would be fun again to run like the dogs were chasing you. Like Phoebe did on “Friends”. You know the one.

Run safe, everyone.

Laters!

Untraditional

Thanks for all the encouragement to keep up the morning workouts, guys!

So far it hasn’t been that much of an issue. Granted, I’m usually not at 100% mental capacity until maybe 30 minutes or so after waking up. And by that point, I’m either mid-run or mid-ellip (I guess?), so there’s no turning back. Pure trickery. Muahahahaha.

Plus, the nice thing is, since I’m getting home later, I can collapse onto the couch with no hesitation.

Or, in last night’s case, other things get done…Like get into the holiday spirit!

Or at least pretend. Still not there yet. But the roomie and I both happened to have free time. Seemed like the efficient thing to do.

This is the third year I’ve had this Christmas tree and I tend to make it look the same every year. Why fix it if it’s not broken?

My lovely friend Annie got this tree for me a few years back. She said she knew I’d never get one on my own like I kept saying I would, so she just bought it for me.

Annie was totally right. I kept saying I’d get a nice tree on sale after Christmas, but I’m cheap as bleep and would have had a hard time parting with cash for something that wasn’t happening for another year anyway.

Her thoughtfulness is always much appreciated at this time of year.

Hilariously enough, we did not play holiday music while trimming the tree. Nor did we watch a Christmas movie.

Instead, we watched the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Clearly we’re not the most traditional household out there.

But hey- that show is probably what powered me through my 4-mile run this morning.

Health is important and I won’t discount it as a reason to stay physically fit. Let’s make that very clear.

But let’s also get real. Vanity, whether we like to admit it or not, is a fantastic motivator.

Don’t think I’ll be strutting my stuff down any runways in my skivvies anytime soon, but whatev. I can pretend if it’s gonna make me run that much faster…

Obstacle-Free Running

After checking a million times during work (shhhh…), I finally got the official race results from the Strike Out ALS 5k my friend and I ran! 25:24- an 8:12 pace. Much better than I estimated- a pleasant surprise! This put me at 10/79 in my division and 71/381 overall. Woot woot!

Other than that, Wednesday didn’t bring much excitement. Work was busy. Rush hour was lame. Strength training with Jillian Michaels happened.

So we can just go ahead and talk about this morning instead.

The last month, I’ve mostly been heading to work early and been in the office by 7:30. Today I don’t have to be in until 9:00.

Since I’m so used to the 5:15 wakeup call, there was no way sleeping in would really do me any good. So running happened instead.

It was one of my first early-morning runs since moving at the beginning of June. And that was very obvious. After practically hopping out of bed and skipping down the stairs, actually beginning my run was slow.

But it became time to get my act together and off I went.

What I like about morning running? Crossing traffic isn’t nearly so much a hassle. Getting stuck behind double strollers doesn’t  happen. People who are walking their dogs actually have them leashed (seriously- that’s a problem).

It was just easier in general.

Obstacle-free is the way to be.

After 3.75 miles, I called it a day. Took an extra lap around the block for a cool-down. My hip hurts a little today, but because house guests will be here over the weekend, I have no plans for any serious mileage logged in the next few days- only rest. So if it’s a problem (which it probably isn’t), we’ll cross that bridge at a later time.When I go into the office later, it also gives me a little extra time in the kitchen. Sadly, the cornmeal biscuit is the last of the fabulous BBQ dinner from Sunday. It went well with my mushroom omelet, but I won’t pretend that I’m not mourning the end of the BBQ pork leftovers.

That shiz was good.

Feta is also really really good. I hadn’t bought it in a while and had a “why not?” moment in Trader Joe’s the other day.

I’ll tell you why not. It has snuck its way into almost every meal I’ve had.

I wonder if Costco sells it in 5-gallon buckets?

Anyway, guess I should probably finish meandering around the house and go to work… soon… meh.

Happy Thursday!