Last Chance Workout(s)

Hey there.

I’m not at work today. Jealous?

Don’t be. I’ve got a 5-hour drive ahead of me. All by my lonesome. Well… and the random new tunes I’ve put on the ol’ iPod. Nine Inch Nails was added alongside Journey and Gym Class Heroes.

I don’t get it, either.

Anyway, even though I’m leaving a little later in the morning, I still got up and threw on my kicks for a last chance workout.

I had one last night, too.

It’s been an intense and exhausting 18 hours around here. And I’ll tell you why. It has something to do with this dress:Cute, right?

It’s my friend Mon’s dress. She bought it for a wedding she attended a few weeks ago. I was hot on the hunt for a dress of my own and she suggested I try it on.

I was nervous about this. Because… well… look at the evidence:Mon won’t hate me for this. Probably.

But we can easily point out the 6-inch difference in height (She’s the red head, my other love, Annie, is the blonde). And that she’s um… got a little more going on up top than I do. Or she will actually fill out a dress. I won’t. As much as I loved it, I didn’t think it would work.

She told me to shut up and try it on.

I did. It fits. Somehow. We’ve decided it will become the tale of the magical traveling gold dress.

Thanks Mon.

So anyway, the dress has been hanging on my closet door like that for 2-3 weeks. If you ever need motivation, I suggest you try it.

Last night I ran 4 miles. Then did 20 minutes on the stairs. The stairs sucked- the legs were tired, but I had too much energy left to stop.

Then this morning was my last planned workout for the week.

Even if I’m well aware of the treadmill in the basement of my friend’s house in St. Louis…

But anyway, the roommate was slightly stunned to see me up and following along to Jillian on the television as she was heading out to work. Pretty sure there was a mumbling of  ”crazy girl” or something like that as she walked out. 

*shoulder shrug*  It’s the dress, man. Makes you do crazy things.

Then I ran through the rain to get to the gym to pull out 2 more miles. They were total crap. Soooooo sloooooowwwww. But I wanted cardio with my weight training. And the 2 miles put me at 14 for the week- a steady lead in the competition for most mileage of the week with my man friend. Holla’.

Now for rest. As I drive for 5 hours. Hopefully not hitting any traffic.

Cue the Nine Inch Nails…

PS- We will discuss the curling iron wand. Promise. Because I’m a huge fan. For real.

And with that, I’m out!

Seatbelts Please…

I wish I had some amazing and exciting post to fill you with laughter and entertainment.

I don’t.

Unless, of course, you think my stepping in dog poo last night in my favorite sandals is comical. In that case, you have come to the right place. 

I need to learn to stick to sidewalks. That and a certain dog owner in my neighborhood really needs to clean up their shit. Literally.

Anyway, not much new to report here. Expect this to go in about a million different directions. Buckle your seatbelt and hold on.

So news… um…I mean… it’s raining… does that count?

(Source)

Whatev. It’s Tuesday- which seems fitting. I don’t really care so much because there are no plans other than to work and make a stop in the gym.

Sorta like last night. There were a few scattered people running outside, reminding me of what I SHOULD be doing, now that I’ve got this 15k in November and all.

But there was rain in the air yesterday as well, so I kept my lame butt inside.

Why run outside when you can watch That 70′s Show on tv?

That’s complete sarcasm. I’m awful when it comes to concentrating on an actual show or news while running/working out/etc. Running seems to be my “la la” time and focus on one particular thing is usually not going to happen. However, it is some visual stimulation and is good for at least 10 or 15 minutes of distraction.

Which helped last night. After an indulgent weekend, the 4 miles seemed like a good way to rebound back into healthier ways. Even if there are meetings in my office with an abundance of catering to go along with it.

Good food that is free. Life is so harrrrrrrddddddd.

Hopefully, our new recycling bag at home will help to keep my eye on the prize instead of that bagel smothered in cream cheese:We really need to figure out a new system for recycling other than just bags hanging out in the corner of the kitchen. It can’t be very sanitary.

Anyway… we’ll see how that particular image of motivation works today. In all the frantic buzzing around in my house to locate an umbrella, other than the two already in my car, in order to brave the downpour, I seem to have forgotten my meticulously packed lunch (a massive salad).

Luckily, because of the meetings, there’s always a sandwich to grab. But knowing me, why end there? There will also be cookies. And cheese and crackers. And more cookies…

Sigh…

Oh Tuesday… you win again!

Hello Wall

Here we are again, workout wall.  I would say it’s nice to see you. But it’s not. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Where did you come from? Because this is a very sudden and surprise visit.  Yes I’m annoyed.  A little warning would have been nice.  I have a job and a life and a schedule. Ruts like you are not allowed.  I don’t have the time or patience for your shenanigans.

Quite frankly, I was going to completely ignore you.  Pretend you don’t exist.  But after further review, a few of my associates thought this was a bad idea. So I decided to be accepting tolerant. Let you hang out for the rest of yesterday after I got home. Even today I’m taking the time away from the gym. For you. I’m not happy about it, but sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do.

I’m still holding a grudge, though. Thanks for ruining my workout yesterday.  Thank you for making me feel “off” the rest of the day. It was awesome.

Nooo… that’s not sarcasm at all… not at all…

You’re lucky that I had Modern Family to distract me.

And laundry to keep me busy.

And breakfast for dinner to comfort me.(Breakfast flatbread?  I dunno… but it was scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onions, and jalapenos topped with feta.)

You may have won this time. I’ll suck it up and admit defeat. But guess what? I slept in today. Almost 9 whole hours. How did that happen? Not sure, but you should know I am feeling pretty damn good.

So tomorrow?  It’s on. I’ll be back.  With a vengeance.

Peace Out,

Amy B

A New Twist

More often than not, I end up buying the same things at the grocery store.  They are my staples. They make me happy. And until they don’t, I’ll continue to buy them.

That’s just how I roll.

However, I do like to mix up how they end up on my plate. It at least makes me feel like I’m doing something different…

So say hello to veggie flatbread:The differences between this and pizza are minimal. But still exist.

For one, it’s a new shape. Woooaaaahhh… way outside the comfort zone!

Also, it includes broccoli and chickpeas but not cheese. And I don’t care what people say. You may even like it. But I just don’t really feel right putting broccoli/chickpeas on pizza. Or ever calling it pizza if it doesn’t include cheese.  So that’s why this definitely couldn’t be called pizza… right?

The crust was yet again the pizza dough crust made with beer that Holly created. I made a half recipe. It still gave me 3 good-sized flatbreads.  Plus, on a Tuesday (yuck!), I didn’t mind being able to finish the other half of the beer. ;)

And yes, for those of you who asked yesterday, a Tuesday is still a Tuesday. Even if you have Monday off.  It just may not be the most “extreme” of the yucky Tuesdays… Tuesday Light?

Either way, the drunken flatbread (oooh… maybe that’s a good name for it?) hit the spot after a long day. After Monday’s long run and 5 hours of running errands, I was less than enthusiastic about getting up early to hit the gym. But as usual, I would have just been upset with myself if I really had to trudge to the gym after getting home from work late. And I felt great after the workout.  21 minutes on the elliptical- had only planned to go to 20, but when I checked the time, I had already passed it (weird!).

Then 20 minutes on the stairs. I will have to say, after the Hustle Up the Hancock, I’ll be ready to give the stairs a rest. Or at least back off of them a little. 

That was yesterday’s workout. This morning’s workout? The 4 miles I was supposed to run? Um….

I didn’t sleep in or anything. Made it to the gym. Stepped on the treadmill. And thought, “woah, this really isn’t going to happen today.”

Have you had a moment like that recently?  Had I started running, it wouldn’t have gone for very long. So I walked- for 30 minutes (2 miles) and did some serious ab work for the rest of the time there. I haven’t focused solely on that area lately. And there was no reason to waste my time since I was already up.

So now I have this 4 miles to make up at some point. A new twist got thrown into my normal routine! Not sure if I’ll work them in when I get home?  Or maybe I’ll call this my “relaxed” day for the week and do it tomorrow morning (my actual rest day) instead? Decisions, decisions…

Just Five Minutes

 Good Morning!  And thank you so much for the song recommendations for my race!  I love them- so keep ‘em coming!

And thank goodness Tuesday is OVER… am I right?

Actually, this Tuesday wasn’t so bad (knock on wood).  I even made it out of bed at 5:15 for a morning workout. 

Had you seen me struggle to comprehend why the alarm was going off and then spend a considerable amount of time pondering another hour of sleep, you would have been impressed, too.

While walking to my apartment’s workout room, I noticed the heavy frost on my car.  Note to myself:  leave my place a couple minutes earlier to deal with this.

I didn’t.  And was reminded of how much of a time suck scraping your car can be- even if it’s just a frost. 

But let’s focus- back to the morning run.  Four miles happened.  I averaged at about 8:28.  All of my runs lately have hovered in the 8:20′s and low 8:30′s.  Hopefully this means a pace of 8:30ish can be kept for the 15k on Saturday.  I’m not holding my breath, but it’s a goal to have in the back of my head. 

I know it sounds like a forced workout.  But it’s really not (sort of).  I’ve got a rule I try to follow.  I always tell myself “just go for 5 minutes”.  If after 5 minutes I still don’t want to keep going, I’ll stop.  More often than not, I’ll keep going because I start to gain my momentum as I’m running/ellipticizing (is that a real word?). 

Don’t get me wrong- there are definitely times that I’ve gone and quit after 5.  Just stopped and said “well this totally isn’t going to happen today”.   But usually all that is required is a little kick in the butt to get started.

That’s my philosophy, anyways.  What do you do for workout motivation?

My friend Jaime over at Rabit Stew gave me a little blogger award over the weekend.

As the rules go, I need to tell you 7 random things you probably don’t already know.  Hmmm… am I that mysterious to even have that many secrets?

1. I get pretty bad anxiety when it comes to being on time.  I blame my dad on this one.  He’d give my brother and I a specific leave time.  20 minutes before said leave time, he’d have the car running and would be honking the horn.  I’m still learning how to not stress out over Chicago traffic for that very reason.

2. I grew up with cats, but after careful consideration, I think I’m more of a dog person.  Either way, I refuse to have a pet while still living on my own.  I’m still trying to learn how to take care of myself.  Or maybe when I’ve officially kept a plant alive for longer than a year, we’ll consider it.

3. I used to hate mexican food.  Hated it.  My friends loved this mexican restaurant in high school that we would always go to.  I’d end up getting a really basic taco and even then didn’t really like it.  Not sure what happened- my tastes expanded, an introduction to guacamole, learning to try new things, etc.  Whatever it was, I grew to LOVE mexican food.  And it now is one of my biggest food cravings.  As documented by last night’s nacho dinner:Lovely.

4. I hate discussing politics.  I do vote, but rarely will you find me in a heated debate.  So you can imagine my joy in the disappearance of political ads this week.

5. I can flare my nose really quickly. 

6. I played the clarinet when in middle school and was pretty good at it.  Then my friend Erica and I got kicked out of band.  Seriously- who gets kicked out of band???

7. When I was little, I used to LOVE Sesame Street.  Elmo, Bert, and Ernie were my homies.  Then, I remember watching one of the Big Bird movies.  Big Bird got lost and turned blue. That gave me nightmares and, ever since, I’ve been ridiculously creeped out by the show.  Come on- it’s a gigantic yellow bird that talks and hangs out with Count Dracula and monsters that live in the trash.  How do 4-year-olds not find that terrifying?

What was your favorite show growing up?  I really miss Doug.  I used to watch that on Saturday mornings all the time.  Does Nickelodeon even play it anymore??!?!

Don’t forget- you still have another day to enter my Adora Giveaway.  Seriously- it’s chocolate that’s good for you.  Get on it!

What are ya waiting for?

Thanks for making me not feel so bad about not getting into the World Cup games.  Like I said- kids in the area that I grew up in just don’t play soccer as much as they do baseball and basketball.  I guess we’re yet to get swept up in the craze…

I was slow getting into my run last night.  My warm-up walk went a little longer than normal.  I don’t really know why I wasn’t feeling it.  I almost let myself settle on just one lap (which would have been a little over 2.5 miles) and call it a day.  Then I almost decided to walk the whole loop and call it an off day.  Then I said, “what the hell are you waiting for?” and just went.  And I did ok!  I just needed a little push to get started.    Four miles at 8:28.  It was over before I knew it.  Sure, I didn’t enjoy the run like I usually do.  And sometimes I feel bad because earlier this year when I was off the leg, I would have given anything to get to run just a half mile- so I should be grateful.  But I know it’s ok.  You can’t expect to like every run, right?  If you do, let’s chat so I can figure out how you do it.  Thanks…

Then I got home and decided to make this for dinner:Some sweet potato gnocchi I picked up at my local grocery store (I believe it was Jewel-Osco?).  I’ve had it for quite a few months.  And have no idea why it’s taken so long for me to make it.  I mean, come on- sweet potato gnocchi!  Sounds awesome!  What was I waiting for?  Really, I guess it’s because I don’t do as much with pasta as I used to.  I got a little burned out on it after making it almost every other day for a meal back in the day (don’t judge- it was just so easy!).  I was obsessed.  I still adore gnocchi, but I just don’t have the urge to make it like I used to.

I just used a little olive oil and garlic powder as a light sauce.  Then put it over some spinach and topped with feta. Eh.  Maybe I had overly high standards, but I didn’t love it.    I guess I assumed it would be a bit sweeter?  And it was waaaay saltier than I expected.  Through deductive reasoning, I could have known it would be that way if I had read the nutrition label closer.  25% of my daily value?  Considering I rarely add salt to anything, this was a bit much.

Do you guys watch over your sodium intake?  Or are there other factors you consider more serious?  Like I said, I rarely add salt to anything because I know that most things (such as my dinner) have quite enough sodium to get me through.  And so now, when I do have something like that gnocchi, I feel like I have a food baby in my stomach.  Sassy…

I love gnocchi, but next time I pick some up, it’ll be my favorite mushroom-filled stuff that I get from a fresh market.  Can’t beat it.  Trust me.  I tried.

Well it’s Tuesday again.  Ick…  I’m hoping to keep busy enough at work not to notice this.  Wish me luck.  Because it’s easier said than done.

How Am I Not Myself?

The title is a quote I just happen to love from I Heart Huckabees, and I think it goes great with my thoughts on what’s been going on the last few weeks.  Because it relates to this fantastic Runner’s World Quote of the Day (yes, I get those- I’m motivated by daily emails, what can I say?):

“As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are.”  – Joan Benoit Samuelson

So that’s where I am.  Still haven’t been out running since the Shamrock Shuffle.  Don’t have any intention of doing so this week.  Thinking about making an appointment to see my orthopedist again next week if I can’t jog in place without feeling it.

All this makes me feel like a lazy bum as I sit on my couch.  Or maybe spend 20 minutes here and there doing abs and arms stuff.  I don’t pout (what’s the point?), but I’m not happy about it.  I think what bugs me more is the weather is starting to turn.  When I got on crutches a few months ago, I didn’t mind nearly as much.  I watched the snow fall with my leg propped up and only shrugged my shoulders slightly.  This nice weather is just becoming torture.

Running is what I do.  And I like it.  And I’m sort of decent at it.  And like the quote says, it’s part of my lifestyle.  I have an active lifestyle.  So when I can’t actually be active, I feel like I’m just not myself.  You know what I mean?  The energy level plummets along with my perky mood.  I just don’t feel “normal”.  Grrr….

Ugh.  Ok, so this is my whining post.  I’m just going to say that.  I allow myself that- just to get all the frustration out in one post.  Negativity doesn’t help the situation- I’m aware (I should be aware- I’ve given out advice to people who have gone through worse injuries).  Tomorrow I’ll be better.  Promise. 

How appropriate is it that I’m writing this on a Tuesday- the ick day of all days?  Ha ha…

Because Tuesday is what it is, my friend Mon and I decided to attempt to counteract that with a trip to see a movie.  Hooray! One thing I do have to say I’m excited about!  (see?  My mood is lifting already…)

Also, I got a little gift via snail mail from my friend Ashlee who visited a couple weeks ago.How cute is that?  And how sweet is she?  She knows my love of cupcakes- and even though she isn’t a big cake fan, we both appreciate making baked goods adorable.    On the inside, she wrote “never forget how fantastic you are”.  This is why I love her.  She’s been there through my ups and downs and is always great about sending me a mid-day text to crack me up.  Love her!

I also love her because she said her fiance was trying to get her to memorize Fergie’s part of “Imma Be” (he likes random songs like that) to rap at their wedding.  I said no to the song, but yes to the rap- and suggested something with a bit better of a beat.  Like something by Coolio… Yeah… awesome, right?    Our hometown wouldn’t even know what hit them!

Ironically, this is one of my more “moody” posts, but Brit over at Working on the Fab Life gave me this sunshine award!  She’s a total sweetheart and is right when she says we have a similar humor- us sarcastic girls kinda rock…

I decided to hand this one out to a few peeps this time.  Just a few random ones with random reasons of why I enjoy their presence in the blogger world:

Kelly at My Verbal Vomit because we share the same love of vodka clubs.  And it’s somewhat eerie that we are often share the same train of thought…

Jess over at The Process of Healing because she is currently the coolest chic on crutches I know!

Marie at Cheaper Than Therapy because I never read her blog without cracking up.  Which may or may not have almost gotten me in trouble at work a few times… ha!

The Marathon Maiden because she is just rocking out her training for Boston!  She’s in the homestretch, so go cheer her on!

Leah over at Why Deprive? because she’s chillaxin’ Canadian-style as our neighbor from the north… 

I could go on and on (it’s almost obnoxious how many of you kids I have in my google reader- apparently I’m nosey and love keeping up with everyone!), but I’m keeping it short to highlight a few of you kids…

Oh and thanks for all the comments yesterday- it seems we’re all a little weary of how effective vitamins actually are, but most of us take them “just in case because it couldn’t hurt”.  Isn’t it ironic that we’re not sure of how good they really are, but we take them and put them in our bodies anyways?  You’d never do that with actual food, would you?  Just an observation…

Let’s make this Tuesday a non-crappy one, shall we?

I’m Doing It!

So I woke up today feeling fantastic!  Surprisingly, considering I should have had a carb or wine or combination of both hangover…  But that’s not the point- I’m talking about the leg.  No pain.  And I’m still being cautious.  But I decided I was ready.

Sooo…..

Yeah, I forked over my money.  I may not be where I was a few months ago.  I may not be fast at all.  But I’m gonna finish this thing either way.  Hooray!  Otherwise, heaven forbid I re-injure myself, I may just have to call on Courtney again to pick up another race for me. 

I’m very excited.  I think we’re going to make it a little family weekend- my parents said they’d come up with my aunt to watch Niki and I run it.  My friend Annie also said she’ d be there to cheer me on!  Ahhhh- I just really hope it doesn’t snow this year!!!

And thank you everyone for being SO supportive and just completely awesome as I moped through my stress reaction that seemed to take FOREVER to get better! You have no idea how  much it was appreciated!

I’m already done running errands for the day.  Just finished cleaning up around the apartment for tomorrow- we’re having a little impromptu girls get-together during the Super Bowl.  No worries- it will still include pizza and beer (whereas any proper Super Bowl get-together should).    One reason the whole idea for our little Super Bowl night is I was talking about the cupcakes I’m going to make for my upcoming Mardi Gras trip.  I’ve been DYING to make them- I’m not giving away too many details yet (just in case they turn into an epic fail and I’ll have to whip up something less exciting (although equally delicious,  of course).  But the filling is a caramel filling.  And I want to add whiskey.  Well, let me tell you, it’s hard to just try and search out “whiskey caramel sauce”.  But the best filling I’ve found, which is giving me serious anxiety, requires me to actually start a 1/3 cup of whiskey on fire in a saute pan.  ON FIRE.  This is a whole new level for my mediocre baking skills.  EEK!  But this looks like the yummiest out of anything else.  So I’m going to attempt it.  And have another recipe on backup in case this one doesn’t work out.  Which only requires dumping a teaspoon or two of whiskey in after you’re done making the caramel. 

So I was discussing how I’m a little scared to do it, and really feel like I need adult supervision.  And someone to hold a fire extinguisher.  Because getting arrested for arson would really be a buzzkill to my upcoming weekend.  So Jaime volunteered.  And then Annie came on board.  So we’re making whiskey caramel tomorrow (the recipe says it will keep for a while in the refrigerator until I need it).  Hopefully.  Stay tuned for that one…

I gotta go- just because I’m not running today does not mean I’m completely taking the day off.  I did yoga this morning before my running around getting errands done.  And now Jillian’s giving me the stink eye from the dvd case on my tv console.  FINE, Jillian- I’m getting up…  Here goes another day of the 30 Day Shred!

Intuitive Eating Blows

Really, I don’t need to write much here. I think the title says it all. My usual time spent in the gym/on the trail/generally keeping up and moving would normally give me about an extra 700-800 calories a day to work with. Not kidding.  That made me pretty lenient about my diet. Yes, I generally tried to make healthy choices, but I could eat as much as I wanted of said healthy choice. Or, if I felt the need for a serious sugar fix, I would satisfy it no questions asked. Actual hunger wasn’t really something I thought about. I know you’re supposed to keep your metabolism up through the entire day (yea snacks!) and just did without really questioning how hungry I was or if I was hungry vs. bored. It seemed to be working for the most part.

Now, I’m trying to pay more attention to when I’m full and all that good stuff since my workout abilities are limited (did abs yesterday… and also arms if you count crutching myself around Lincoln Park Zoo).  I think the size of my meals are definitely an issue.  Sunday morning I had my usual favorite oatmeal (1/2 cup oatmeal with fat-free milk, flax, a little peanut butter just to add some flava’, and cereal to add crunch- and I don’t hold back on the cereal).  That was an awesome breakfast to get me through the day when I had a run ahead of me or when I had a long run the night before.  And it got me to lunchtime with no problems… Now it seems like so much!  And it just sits there in my stomach.  Lunchtime rolls around, I’m still not hungry…  But I can’t just not eat and skip out until dinner.  Obviously my breakfast (by far, the highest caloric meal of my day) needs to be slimmed down a bit.  I worked on that today- so we’ll see if I’m still full or a raging bitch by 12:30.  Might have to break into my granola bar stash…

So yeah. I’m following the guidelines a little closer these days.  I think this will be the most asked question:

“Am I really hungry for that frosted animal cracker, or am I just bored?”

Any tips?  Motivation?  I could use either/or!