A Little Motivation, Please.

We’ve definitely hit that time of year.

Or at least I have. I guess you can speak for yourself.

Every trip to the gym requires a 10-minute dressing up and down of winter clothing before heading out the door. The workouts seem to shorten along with the shortening of daylight- Even if they’re all done in the gym at this point.

Winter is a total energy suck. And, to be truthful, I’m in that mode where I start to question if it’s really worth it to go to the gym when I could instead hibernate and gain a few “insulation” pounds. We dress up in so many layers these days, who’s to know that one of those layers is made up of pasta and chocolate?

Besides- other than when getting dressed for work, my life business is generally carried on in either yoga pants or sweats at this time of year.

And I wonder why I’m still single.

Anyway, I really would rather not feel this way.

It’s not like EVERY workout is like that. Last night’s combo of Jillian Michaels and a 5k happened without too much pain. Granted, I think I could have gone another mile- I just… didn’t.

What’s the deal?!?!

I hesitate to call 3.1 miles a rut. Please don’t get the wrong idea. But when I still had energy? And really didn’t have a lot else to do once I got back home?

Come ON, Amy… you’re better than that. Push a little!

Even my breakfast has fallen back into boringness.Oatmeal (with Special K and coconut on top). How… original…

I’m a cliche-and-a-half around here, huh?

Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe I just prefer morning over evening workouts. Maybe I just really dislike Tuesdays. Not sure.

Either way, I’d love any advice to get out of this silly rut.

SEND HELP!

On a lighter note, I’m spending an unusual amount of time trying to figure out where this new bruise on my knee came from.It’s hard to see in the lighting and at the angle I took it, so I took the liberty of labeling the complexities of the bruise for you.

I have too much time on my hands.

But ironically, not enough to shave my legs this morning.

Funny how that works.

Anyway… how do I not know where it came from? Well. That’s easy. I seem to do this often. Do I remember banging into anything like a cabinet door or the side of a chair? No. Does that mean it didn’t happen? No.

I’m a danger to my own self.

With that, I’ll just turn you loose. Go and enjoy your Tuesday if you can- even if Tuesdays are generally awful. Good luck!

My Own Personal Cheering Section

Good morning, kids!I broke out the big mug for coffee this morning. Necessary.

Don’t be confused- this is oatmeal. And yes, I put cereal on top of my oatmeal. Along with coconut and peanut butter. But if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably remember that. I don’t deviate from my breakfast staples that often. Unless I get a pancake craving.

It’s all about carbs in the morning around here.

Besides, I eat scrambled eggs for dinner. It’s just my thing.

And no- I still don’t know what I’ll be doing with the sign my friends made for my half marathon last week. Until I do, It’s hanging out at my kitchen table.  Cheering me on as I cook dinner. And eat.

I sort of like it that way.

Anyway, my weekend has been pretty full of “adult things” such as apartment hunting. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen my little whine about how apartment hunting is sooooooo harrrrrddddd.

It’s peak moving season, kids. Peeps are swiping up places right and left. And here I am with my future roommate- completely stumped yet terrified someone else is gonna grab a place that I want as MINE.

It’s a dog eat dog world out there. And I will fight you. Because there is no way I’m going to end up in the basement of some place that 2 guys are currently renting. No offense, boys. The landlord says he’ll clean and repaint, but I really don’t know how much time it’s going to take to get the smell of greasy hair and axe out of the walls. I feel like there’s some staying power with that one.

I think they should probably just burn the whole place down and start over if they’re trying to be efficient.

It was that disgusting.

 I’m off to get things done before we’re at it again. This includes a trip to the gym. Because I may have been lazy and called this my dinner last night:No regrets. Oreo-stuffed cookies are the best idea ever.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I may just start carrying that race sign with me on the apartment hunts. The extra motivation would be much appreciated.

Also wanted to give an extra shout out to all the kids in Boston this weekend- GOOD LUCK and HAPPY RUNNING! 

Have a great Sunday! I’m off- Go Amy, Go!

Baked Breakfast

Because I can find an excuse to bake at any time of day.

The other day I mentioned how I’m trying out bringing breakfast to work in order to combat killer hunger pains by the time lunch comes around. This is going well so far- considering my preference/habit is eating in the same hour of waking.

According to your comments, people fall in one of two extremes- those who must eat immediately or shit hits the fan, and those who can’t even imagine eating until they’re up at least a couple of hours.

And then there’s me. Trying out both extremes. Being the indecisive girl I tend to be. What’s new?

Because I’m looking for things that are easy to transport, oatmeal came to mind (and also showed up in multiple comments- thank you). But for the office- I refuse to do regular oatmeal. The crazy, massive industrial microwave we have in the break room guarantees that would be a failure for at least 2 or 3 weeks.

And we don’t have the patience to deal with that whole situation.

Intimidation of household appliances is a very real thing.

But what about premade oatmeal that just needs to be heated up a little?  Like Bobbi’s baked oatmeal?

We have a winner. All the prep work happened the night before (I should also add it all happened in one dish leaving a minimal mess- double win!). I only altered it a little bit by cutting the amount of brown sugar used.  Brown sugar isn’t usually part of my regular oatmeal, so I took the measurement down from 3/4 to a little less than 1/2 cup.

When I told Bobbi about trying the recipe, she asked if I had thought of altering the recipe by adding chocolate chips or something like that. 

I’m really off my game when that didn’t even occur to me. Really off…

It’s ok, though- the recipe is pretty perfect the way it is.After you mix in everything (pictured above), it’s supposed to sit overnight. Ok- I can do that.

Before my shower the next morning, I threw the dish in the oven for 40ish minutes.

Your entire apartment will smell like an oatmeal cookie as it bakes. 

You may say, “but Amy- doesn’t that take a lot of time in the AM when you don’t have any?”

My reason for eating breakfast at the office isn’t so much a matter of time, it’s a matter of when I’m really hungry. And no- it isn’t time consuming at all. It’s one morning where you have to take it in and out of the oven and you’re good to go for the rest of the week.  Easy.The recipe serves 6. More like five if you’re this chick.

I poured about a tablespoon of milk into the container to keep it moist (oh geez, I really really dislike that word- ew) while reheating it a little. Bobbi suggested several toppings in her original post, but I just when with a little almond butter. Even my friend Cecil was intrigued by my breakfast yesterday morning.  I bet he can sense the fiber from a mile away. Trust me- it’s in there.

Not sure if it’s a breakfast I’d do on a regular basis. It’s much more decadent than, say, my peanut butter toast, but it’s a fun switch. Or I’m sure there are a million ways to “healthify” it if you have the energy to do so. 

But I do know it would be a killer dish to bring to a brunch. Seriously. People will love you.

Maybe this breakfast at work thing isn’t as hard as I thought it would be?

Now… enough about breakfast.  Tell me some everyday words you just really can’t stand.  I pick “moist”. Or “Taylor Swift”.  Yeah, I went there. 

Your turn.

Bowling for Christmas

So you liked the peppermint bark, huh?

Me too.    Although I will say- I only had one piece of it before sending it all off and bringing some to work.  This week, my heart was mainly with the samoas…

Last night my work’s Holiday Party.

Come along for the ride…

We got out of work a little early to go get ready at Jaime’s house because she was sober driving (helloooooo baby bump) and I also wanted to say hello to two of my favorite ladies:I’ve most likely stated it before, but I’m not really a pet person right now.  I’m still learning how to keep plants alive, and don’t really have the time or money right now.  For the time being, I’ll settle for being a runner-up “mom” for Princess and Hazel.  If you remember, I took care of these two little things last April for two weeks and we had a blast.Hazel and I are best buds.  Jaime still gives me a hard time when Hazel flips out as soon as I walk into the door.

What can I say?  I’m like the crazy aunt who spoils the kids.

After getting ready (aka changing into jeans), we went to Lucky Strike downtown to celebrate with two of our other offices.  Food, more food, wine and beer, more food…

I don’t care what anyone says, fried mac and cheese takes any party to the next level.

Oh… and there was bowling.  Which means my right thumb nail was torn to shit right away.  I haven’t been bowling since last February, so my excuse is that I was VERY out of practice.Obviously, my form needs work. Or maybe I’m just setting people up for the next time when I kick ass at bowling?

I’m a hustler, baby…It was a lot of fun (HUGE sigh of relief since I’ve spent a lot of work hours planning). The night ended decently early (hi- it’s Thursday and I still have to be at work at 9:00 this morning), so I didn’t wake up too tired or hungover. 

Sometimes I’m a good girl like that. And I had plans to get up and do my last day of trying to fit in a workout before work to round off my “workout every morning this week”.

Um…

Well…

My bed was just so comfy.

Crap.

But 4 out of 5 isn’t bad.

Vince raised an eyebrow.You’re so judgemental, Vince!  Stop it! I’ll skip a workout when I want to.  Deal with it, buddy.

I’ll also have coffee instead of green tea if I want.  Usually I don’t drink coffee until I get to the office.  So there’s no one to blame but myself when I hit that “wired” feeling by about 11:00.

Do you have work-related holiday parties?  Our company parties used to be MUCH different (think black cocktail dress and 4-course dinners).  But the last few years (stupid economy) have been pretty rough.  We’re lucky to be having a party of any sort.  And that is fine- I think last year’s potluck and this year’s bowling outting make for a fun, laid-back atmosphere that allows for easier conversation.

Anyhoo… it’s FRIDAY! 

Time for my happy dance.  Oh crap… the caffeine overload is already kicking in…

My Friend Stuart

I had this friend.  His name was Stuart.  Or at least that’s what I call him.

He started randomly showing up to my house on Thursday nights when I was trying to sleep.  There was always his love of noise, but I never really got mad at Stuart because it seemed he wasn’t making a mess or doing anything wrong.  So I let it go. 

Yes, he only bothered me on Thursdays.  At 2:00 in the morning.  Silly boys…

Anyways, he decided to show up Friday night at my apartment and make quite a racket.  Again, I couldn’t figure out what he was up to, but whatever.  That’s just Stuart being Stuart.

Everyone knows that on my weekends, I often make pancakes because I have the time.  So I had looked up a few recipes to try cornmeal pancakes for the first time.  You have no idea how excited I was. 

Then I opened my cabinet where I keep all my baking stuff.

Stuart made a mess.I thought Stuart was a friendly ghost.  And I’m sort of serious.  I thought he was a figment of my imagination- creaking in the building… squirrels in the walls… etc.

Nope.  Stuart turned into an actual mouse.

A mouse who took out my entire “baking pantry” where I keep EVERYTHING.  Whole wheat flour, white flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cornmeal, etc.  Ruined.

And Stuart has been getting his fiber.  This was evident with how he shit all over the shelf.  ALL OVER.

Awesome.

I’m working with the apartment complex to get rid of Stuart.

We were good until he messed with my baking shelf.  You don’t mess with Amy’s baking shelf.

Stuart and I are no longer friends.  He has GOT TO GO.

And because Stuart’s a punk, I ended up with oatmeal instead of pancakes.Oh well.  I’m pretty sure I can deal.

After cleaning up Stuart’s mess (and the one I’ve made by myself over the last few days), I made it to the gym for a couple miles and then spent some quality holiday time with Jillian and The Shred.

I’m sad the end of Thanksgiving break is near.  It’s been a great extended weekend and I’m just not ready to go back to the five-day workweek. 

Who do I need to talk to around here to extend the weekend until Tuesday?

Off I Go!

I’m pushing publish and heading immediately to my pedicure before I hit the road!  The poor footsies are beyond home repair.  After months of half marathon training and neglect, I’m calling in a professional so they’ll be acceptable before my friend’s wedding.  Because, let’s face it, flower girls cry enough as-is.  Let’s not scare them with freak feet.

Does anyone else get pedicures?  How often?  Or do you prefer to do it yourself?

I’m super ticklish, so it takes a lot to get me to do it professionally, but sometimes it’s totally necessary…

Thanks for the comments on the savory pancakes yesterday- I agree with most of you.  A topping would have been great.  Hot sauce or salsa would have been preferred- neither of which I had on hand… ugh!  But yes- try them.  And let me know if you perfect it!

That’s the one interesting thing going on at least.  I feel as if lately I’ve hit a serious funk.  Maybe I’m stressed? Distracted? Agitated?  Workout rut?  Combination? I don’t know.  Either way, my gym time has been seriously lackluster as of late.  After skipping out on the morning workout yesterday, I went in after work to see what would happen.  I felt fine.  Just unmotivated.  I kept my crosstraining pretty simple.  Two miles, 20 minutes on the elliptical, and a few different sets on the arm weights.  Eh.

And by the way, I have this random older guy who comes in and works out in boat shoes.  Boat shoes?  That seems semi-dangerous.  What if the tassels get stuck in the machine?

Because my schedule’s not typical this week (Thursdays are usually my rest day), I got up for a little movement before I started my day.  I did The Shred at home and then finished in my apartment’s workout room with some more elliptical time and focus on the abs.

Now I’m packed and ready to go- with a good breakfast under my belt:I’m sorry Vince.  I have to go.  Please don’t give me that look.  I’ll be back soon, I promise.

Hopefully this will get me through most of the morning and early afternoon.  I made sure by loading the oatmeal up with this:Flax, protein powder (shout out to the awesome swag bag at HLS!), and TJ’s almond butter (duh- what else?).

In the background, you can see I’m watching the WGN news learning all about all the traffic I’m about to be sitting in.  Weeee!

Ok, I’m sort of running behind already.  Have a great Thursday!

Getting it done in the AM

So it seems a lot of you enjoy intervals more than the long runs.  I believe I’m in the minority when saying I enjoy the extra mileage.  And that possibly makes me a little messed up in the head. 

This is me shrugging my shoulders and moving on…

I’ve been busy trying to add a  bit of content to my humble little site.  It’s finally *almost* done.  So if you care to browse my racing past or what training plans I’ve used (because of general interest, to taunt me with my feeble attempts at becoming a better runner, or to just waste some time at work), you can now go to my “Racing Randomness” page.  Weeeee!

I’ve also been busy with other things.  Such as getting a haircut so I may look presentable at this conference and an upcoming wedding I’m in.  The hair was getting a bit out of control and frizztastic.  Shaggy Amy is not sassy Amy.Yes, I’m like a big frickin’ ball of sunshine today.  That is until I leave my apartment and get smacked in the face with the insane heat and humidity. Then… not so much.

Recently, I’ve been trying hard to keep up the morning workouts on days when I don’t have to go into work until 9:00.  I did it yesterday with The Shred again.  I did it this morning with a little cross training session in my apartment’s workout room.  I used the elliptical for 25, ran an 8:00 mile, and did some ab work.  While I was there, two other girls came in and set up there laptop to The Shred.  Is it sad I knew which circuit they were on without even having to see the laptop?  And is it sad that I just now realized how goofy people look while doing The Shred?  hmmm….

After a solid workout, I made sure the breakfast matched:Steel cut oats with kashi cereal and a little sunflower seed butter.  Still trying to cut back on the ol’ nut butter.  It’s working… some days (like today).  Others- um… no.  Also, there’s much more kashi in there that meets the eye.  It’s on the underneath. Because I’m sneaky like that.

Part of the reason why I did my workout this morning was so that Mon and I could have a proper fun night out.  It’s been a long week and we didn’t get to have one last week, so we decided to make a night of it.  We’re going to see Dinner for Schmucks.  Anyone else seen it?  I’ve heard pretty good things so far.  Which is good.  After Date Night, I was a little disappointed in Steve Carell.  And who doesn’t love Paul Rudd? 

What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?  I’ve been quite the little movie-goer these days, but there are still so many I want to see!

For all those coming in for HLS- I wish you safe travels!

Happy Thursday!  Try not to melt.  I’m sort of serious…

I’m Gonna Hit My Head

Did you get through Tuesday ok?

I seemed to have a hard time with it.  I was still recovering from an exhausting weekend- yes, the weekend hangover.  Also, I had a fantastic little migraine that set in half way through my day.  I’m starting to get nervous about the frequency of these things.  I used to get maybe a few a year.  But that number has slowly increased.  It’s not extremely often, but if you’ve gotten them, you know that even one or two is more than necessary.  I’m going to watch to see when the next one happens.  If comes relatively sooner than later, I’m getting it checked out and maybe some blood work done.

But on to happier things…

I walked into the workout room and someone else had snagged the “good” treadmill before I could get to it (only leaving the noisy one as an option).  Mon was there and just finishing up and offered to let me just use hers.  Usually I don’t like putting people out like this (I mean come on- it can be noisy in a one-bedroom apartment!), but she said she had to run some errands and I’d have the place to myself (well, with her two cats- but you know what I mean).  So I said ok.

She has her treadmill set up in the dining room area and showed me the ropes.

“I also keep the fan on so it’s not hardly hot at all while I run!”  She’s so accommodating.  And she turned it on.

I stepped on the treadmill.  And looked up.  Um…

“Mon… I’m either going to break a lightbulb as I take a big stride or I fear I’m in danger of getting clipped by the fan.”

I could just see myself getting knocked out and flying off the back of it.  In slow, slightly animated Kill Bill style. 

By pointing this out, I think I made her feel really short.  And myself feel abnormally tall.  We don’t have vaulted ceilings in our complex, folks… sad but true…  So whereas she can run freely and flail her arms about while doing so if she pleases, I have to be a little more cautious for when I use it.  Good to remember.  We moved it so when I stepped up, I was no longer in danger of getting beheaded by the low light fixture.

Either way, eventually I got my miles in.  A breezy 5 miles at an average of about 8:30.  It was nice to have a better look at a television while I ran.  And no weight slammers.  And also to watch her cats pull a Tom Cruise move from Risky Business and come barreling through the kitchen to slide on her kitchen rugs.  It was hilarious.  I am not sure if I’ll ever be a pet person, but I do love other people’s pets!  They crack me up…

Before I did my gym time, I may have gotten some fresh veggies to stock the refrigerator.  And to stock my tummy. 

I got pretty excited about all the good eats, so I decided to use a little of almost everything.  Because that’s how I roll…Half of an orange pepper, mushrooms and asparagus.  So colorful…   I also added an egg for good measure (gotta keep up those protein levels!).  So I ended up with a stir fry/scramble/veggie wrap thing…So much veggie excitement, it couldn’t contain itself.  For real.

Overall, the wrap was decent.  But if I were to do it again (which, let’s face it, I will), I would chill out on the pepper.  I enjoy it much more as an accent to the meal- not as part of the main show.  Lesson learned.

What’s your favorite veggie for wraps?  I think mine would be mushrooms… with asparagus as a close second.

The one thing that did top off my Tuesday (and put a smile on my face) is the candy that Monica finally was able to get a hold of from a coworker:Japanese candy!  Sometimes people in her office have to make trips over to Asia.  When they do, Mon makes sure they pick up a treat for her.  And this time she shared!  I was so curious as to what was inside the condom-shaped wrapper… but I waited until after I had gotten home, showered, cooked, and was ready for dessert.  Patience at it’s finest.

It was a light sandwich cookie with a thin layer of amazing white chocolate in the middle.  I didn’t even wait to take a bite.  And yes, it was THAT good.  Perfect.

*Oh and I was asked to give specifics about the bowl of steel cut oats I featured yesterday- I definitely measure them out (about 1/3 cup oats and a little less than 2/3 cup milk).  After they spend the night soaking in the refrigerator, I put them in for 4:00 to 4:30 minutes at 70% power (as to not overflow).  I think I may play with the time a little bit- I think they’d get a little less chewy if I did another minute or so.  I like the texture as-is, but am just curious more than anything…

Anyhoo, happy Wednesday!  This week (as awful as yesterday was) is flying by!

Keeping Busy

Aaaahhh… sleep.  You’re just so illusive, aren’t you?

I’m catching up slowly.  A lot of yesterday was spent with some seriously droopy eyes.  Which was a bit annoying because I was extremely busy.

With what you ask (besides work of course)?

Well… I finished Love the One You’re With by Emily Griffin over lunch.  This was the first Emily Griffin book I’ve read (I hear she’s quite popular).  I really liked it.  Even though the main character entertains the idea of having an affair (tsk tsk), you really feel for her and the dilemna she’s faced with.  Oooohhhhhh… drama!  Anyone else have any thoughts to add on this one?

I also had cross training to get in.  Which proved to be difficult since I didn’t get done running errands and back to my place ready to work out  until 7:30.    I really hate going that late (because I didn’t get done until 8:45), but I wanted to go!  I don’t think it messed with me too bad last night (I was THAT tired), but sometimes working out that close to bed time will keep me from sleeping.  Oh how times have changed- I used to be the late night gym rat while I was still in college at Mizzou.  Often, my roommates and I wouldn’t even get to the gym until 9:30 or 10:00.  But to be fair, I didn’t go to bed until closer to 1:00 or 1:30 every night, either.  No wonder I refused to sign up for classes that started before 9:30 in the morning…

Does anyone ever work out that late?  Or late-ish?  Do you like it?  Do you find it affects your sleep?  Do you think I could ask any more questions right now?    I’m just curious in case I ever start doing longer training during the week…

I was also busy cleaning out some leftovers from the refrigerator:I guess you would call this bbq nachos?  I took some leftover chips, baked bbq chicken, corn, and mozzarella to make a mean post-workout meal.  Late night dining at it’s finest.  Clearly.

I’ve been revisiting the steel cut oats again.The trick really is to soak them overnight.  Like overnight oats.  But not eaten cold.  I can only do hot oatmeal.  So I have to warm them up and cook them for a few minutes.  Any other way just gives me the heebie jeebies.  *shudder*

Yes, I’m weird.

But I prefer to call it quirky.

Well, Tuesday is here and is going to start getting away from me if I don’t keep this short and get on it!  It’s another day that I need to be productive, so let’s hope it goes by quickly… 

Old Favorites

Happy 4th of July everyone!  I’m probably running right now as this is posting (technology can be so clever…), but I thought you’d like to be caught up on my weekend up to this point…

Friday night started with a cross training session in the workout room with Mon.  It wasn’t any Friday night, though.  Being as how it is now July, it is the beginning of my month-long birthday extravaganza! 

Just kidding about dragging out my birthday for a month… sort of.  Mon got a little excited and wanted to give me my birthday present early (my birthday isn’t until the 25th).  Plus, she knew it would go really well with my chosen outfit of the night:How cute is my new purse?!?!  Mon’s always the victim of my fashionably late appearances, mostly because I lack on the accessories and usually can’t figure out which purse will come the closest to matching.  So she’s helping me out!  I adore it! 

She me the present at the gym.  We got a weird look as I shrieked with happiness.

Anyhoo, we made our way to Big Shot in downtown Arlington Heights with another girl who just moved into our complex.  We thought we’d take her out and show her around for the night.  The piano player didn’t appreciate our art work as much as we thought he would.

Do you guys do the piano bars?  Favorite requests?  I’m always a fan of the ones that will play the random songs that aren’t typical for that kind of place- in my college town, they’d break out Sublime and Green Day after a certain time.  And I loved it!

A few rounds later, we took her to Gatsby’s to end the night.  It’s a favorite dive of ours that pours the drinks way too strong and stays open way too late.  (Which is why it’s our favorite.)

I welcomed back my normal breakfast with open arms:Wonderful.  Oh oatmeal, I learned I can live without you.  But why would I want to?

Since I’m racing tomorrow, I switched out my long run for a solid walk and yoga.  And pool time. 

Because I can’t stop yammering about Russell Brand and how much I wanted to go see Get Him to the Greek, we finally went tonight!  Mon and I decided it would be a good way to have a chill night.  And decided to visit an old friend…Sweet Tomatoes!  I really do love this place.  My eyes light up as soon as I walk into the door because of that magical salad bar.  Ahhh…Oops- how did that picture get on here?!?!?!  How embarrassing… yet accurate.

And because I just had to go there:What’s the 4th of July weekend without frozen yogurt?  A sad one- and we don’t want that!

Because we had extra time after dinner and before the movie, we took a stroll through Whole Foods so I could grab some water to throw in my bag for the movie (yes, I’m one of those people).  As we strolled to let our dinners “digest”, we also sampled various items throughout the store.  So yeah… the “digesting” was pretty much pointless.  And we just added to the issue.  Oh Whole Foods- this is why I usually avoid you!

The movie was fantastic.  I loved it.  LOVED it.  As a disclaimer before you run out as quickly as you can to see it- I have a precondition of loving Russell Brand like no other.  I think he’s just hilarious.  Sure, a little dirty in more ways than one, but hilarious.  Loved the one-liners.  And I’ll probably be using them the rest of the weekend.  So please go see it so you can catch what I’m saying…  

So yes, I am enjoying the holiday weekend so far.  Let’s see if it changes by the time I cross the finish line of the Frontier Days 10k Stampede…

I’ll catch ya later… have a wonderful Sunday!