Thoughts on Running

At various points in my life I get it in my head that I want to be a runner. Not necessarily a fast runner, or a long distance runner, but someone who can comfortably run a 5K in 30 minutes. And maybe does this several times a week. And maybe because she does this, she can age without gaining a lot of weight and without curbing her mint Oreo consumption. Providing of course that when she's not eating Oreos, she's eating fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats.

Look at Lee running a mini-marathon. He's kind of disgusting awesome like that.

I'm wanting to run again. Of course I can't run right now with the pregnancy. (It's not that pregnant women can't run, but they shouldn't start running during pregnancy. It's cool if you're already doing it.) So I keep thinking about how I'll start running again after pregnancy. I'll get new shoes and start the Couch to 5K program I had some success with a few years ago (if I can find it). Running can be my 30-minutes of escape from baby for some glorious me time and some quality daddy-daughter time for Lee and Elizabeth. I've even been looking for a 5K to sign up for this fall. I've been working on getting in a more consistent walking habit (It would help if the rain finally stopped. And if I wasn't lazy.) so it won't be as big of a deal to add in some running in a few months.

We'll see how I feel about this in a couple months. ;)

Moving in the Right Direction

I'm finally starting to emerge from my moving-induced abandonment of healthy foods and activities. Yesterday morning I finally went for a run jog/walk. Last week I started eating healthy-ish again like the above wrap. I modified it from my beloved Mediterranean Wrap at Jason's Deli: turkey, hummus, lettuce tomato, cucumber, and onions. (No olives. I love them but I'm too cheap to buy them at the grocery.)

Of course, after the run I decided I deserved 3 5 mini Twix. Oops?

The Latest Plague

Wednesday my throat was scratchy. Probably just some allergies.

Thursday I went home at lunch to take my temperature (normal) and change into a sweatshirt because I was so cold at work. As the afternoon progressed, the plague officially arrived. I became less capable of sitting at a desk since I was still freezing and generally completely miserable. I left work an hour early, went home, and before crashing into bed realized I did have a temperature! Which isn't good news, but it's always nice to have some sort of factual evidence to support your misery. Kind of.

And of course all ailments require banana popsicles.

Friday I went to the doctor and got drugs for my sinus infection.

Saturday and Sunday the drugs banished my sinus symptoms but left me with nasty nausea. Apparently I was consuming too much dairy and have since realized I'm incapable of sticking to a "bland" diet.

And because of this, I missed my friend's wedding and visiting many dear friends. But I also watched the entirety of Britain's version of The Office, (It's only 14 episodes.) which got increasingly likable each episode. And I still got to visit with family and show my parents and grandpa our house. So I guess the weekend wasn't a total loss?

Today, I'm back at work and have been less nauseous but more sinus-y. Mostly my ears are all full of fuzz. And now I will try to cease that past 100+ hours of whining.

It's Not Like Riding a Bike

I told you months ago (October 27 to be exact.) that I was going to start biking. But I was afraid to start biking without Lee's company since I haven't gone out in years, and we were lazy retrieving Lee's bikes from his parents, and then we've been busy so last week was our first bike adventure.

Fortunately there's a commercial parking lot by our apartment that's empty outside of business hours so we went there for me to re-learn biking. Not that this should be difficult, right, because they don't say "It's easy like riding a bike!" for nothing!?

Wrong.

Apparently I get on and off my bike incorrectly. I sit on the seat with my tippy toes on the ground to push off. When I stop, I stay in my seat and put my tippy toes back on the ground. I like this. It makes me feel in control. I have some paranoid issues with falling so being able to sit and place my feet on the ground gives me comfort that I can deal with sudden stops or anything else that might sway my balance.

However, Lee says that my legs need to fully extend while pedaling, and if my seat is low enough for my tippy toes to touch the ground, it's not high enough for my legs to fully extend. Which is why I should board and exit the bike correctly: from a standing position. But this requires so much more BALANCE!

No worries though, we have been doing circles in the parking lot just like I did when I was 8, re-learning how to get on and off my bike. I finally got confident enough to do a loop around the low-traffic, wide-lane section of our neighborhood. Baby steps to success! (Or baby pedals?)

In other fitness-related news, I just spent the most on running shoes ever! (Not sure that deserves an exclamation mark.) Lee convinced me that I might like running more if I had my gait examined and got proper shoes. So I went to a fancy running store, had my gait examined (I don't need stability after all!), and got some extra nice shoes and insoles as well. (The insoles do make a big difference and will last for three pairs of shoes.) I have yet to really test them out, but hopefully tomorrow they will make me a runner. Or at least a regular jogger.

Be Healthy

It's March (crazy huh?) so it's time for a new resolution to tackle: be healthy.

I have never been athletic. In high school, I started trying to take up exercise. Not that I looked like I needed it, but I didn't want to be the skinniest person to get winded by a couple flights of stair. (It's so annoying when people look at you and say "You don't need to exercise." The thing is: Everyone should exercise.) And I figured that some day eating whatever I wanted would catch up with me (Hello, that day!) and if I started doing healthy things now I would either never reach the point of having to start a for-real diet or if that point is reached, I could just step up my existent regiment.

I have yet to establish a consistent regiment though. And I've developed a bit of a muffin top. Hopefully this month I can start something that sticks. For forever.

On the exercise front, I want to workout 4-5 days a week. I like working out in the morning best and last week I actually worked out four mornings for 20-30 minutes. Hopefully this will continue and hopefully I can add in some strength (crunches and arm weights). The earlier it gets lighter out , I'll run outside. Otherwise it's to the apartment gym. (And hopefully when there's a house and no apartment, I'll get some kind of exercise equipment for cold, dark or rainy mornings.)

As far as what I eat, I'm currently avoiding foods with ingredients I can't pronounce and making sure I have an apple lying around instead of a box of Tagalongs. In the spirit of full disclosure, I actually have six boxes of Tagalongs sitting by my desk right now, waiting to go into storage until after Easter. Some say that Lent is about more than giving up candy, and I agree, but Lent is also the only thing that can get me to give up candy. (I'm doing other more spiritual things too, in case you're curious.) And I'm not opposed to eating candy, I just eat way too much of it. Oreos do not make a proper snack, even if I've had a rough day (Or so I'm trying to convince myself.). They do make an excellent dessert though.

Any healthy snack ideas or secrets to sticking to a work out plan are much appreciated! (I hear I need to sign up for a 5K.)

My Love/Hate Relationship with Running

I have tried running off and on since 2002. At my "peak", I could do a ten-minute mile and a little over 3 miles per excursion. I currently average about 11 minutes per mile and the farthest I've ran in the past year is probably about 2.5 miles.

I get frustrated that I'm not very good at running. Then I remind myself that I've never stuck with it enough. And then I question how much does one have to stick with it because even if I get pretty good about going out 2-3 times a week for a month or more, I don't feel like I really see much improvement.

Toward the end of the summer I decided to say goodbye to running and started going to the apartment's gym. As it got colder and darker in the morning, I exchanged that for the 30 Day Shred. My hate for push-ups and my growing dislike for the sound of Jillian's voice and wretched workout video phrases like, "Abs like this don't come for free." or "That is fear leaving the body!" are making me feel like I need a new workout alternative.

And oddly enough, I find that I miss running.

I feel strong when I run. Even when old men pass me on the sidewalk (and they do), I love the feeling of the pavement passing away underneath my shoes. Feeling that I'm strong enough to carry myself this distance on my own. Sometimes there's an uncomfortable pain (at which point I start power walking and trying not to feel too ridiculous), but sometimes there's the amazing feeling of tension in my muscles, knowing that they're working and getting stronger.

Lee got up and went running with me Thursday morning. I appreciate it so much because I don't want to run alone in the dark, and Lee, being a long-time runner, could easily run MUCH faster (like a seven-minute mile). But he runs at my slow pace, extra early so I can still wash and style my hair for work, because he is awesome.

My first mile time? 12:20. But it felt amazing. 

image: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/helga/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Cough Cough

This is what my bathroom vanity looked like last evening. (I've tidied it up a bit since then.) So yeah, I haven't been feeling well. I am feeling better today though so yay! It's becoming increasingly unlikely that this is swine flu which I was mildly convinced of while I was tossing, turning, and shivering Tuesday night. But I worked a full day today and plan on cooking dinner tonight (spaghetti!) so better health and clear nasal passages are in my near future, I am sure.

To continue with ways my mom is awesome, I got this in the mail from her.

It arrived on Friday but I forgot to pick up at the office until Tuesday night. I almost didn't pick it up Tuesday because at 2 p.m. snot had started pouring non-stop from my nose and it was raining and I had had to wear fancy pants to work, so I was trying to get inside in pj pants as soon as possible. But I went ahead and stopped by to get my package and was it worth it! My favorite chips that I'm normally too cheap to buy, my favorite freezer bags that I can't find anywhere anymore (This is a legit problem I'm having. These are superior freezer bags! Where are they going?! If your Walmart still carries them you might have to start hooking me up.), and beloved Little Debbie Christmas Trees. Mom had gotten me some of the trees for my last trip home but the family ate them before I arrived. Well family, you have been redeemed.

Why this kindness from my mom? I might have put it in her calendar last time I was home. ;)

Eat More Donuts

I eat breakfast once I get to work: cup of coffee and breakfast bar. By 10:30, I'm hungry again and hunting for a snack.

Today though, I had a donut. A medium-sized chocolate-covered cake donut. I was surprised to look at the clock and realize it was 11:19 and I hadn't even thought about a snack. This made me wonder, "Is breakfast bar plus snack potentially MORE calories than yummy donut?"

Donut packaging says that my donut has 290 calories. My organic chewey granola chocolate chip breakfast bar has 140 calories. Let's say I take the healthy mid-morning snack route and munch on some plain almonds and dried cranberries. That's probably at least another 100 calories. But sometimes I slip in some candy. If I had eaten one of the Reese's peanut butter cups, that would be another 87 calories. So my "healthy start" could total me 327 calories. That is 37 more calories than tasty donut!

Donuts for the win! 

Yes, I do understand that my organic breakfast bar and nuts and berries are better for me and filling me with antioxidants and fiber and other crap, blah blah blah. ;) 



image: D Sharon Pruitt

Friends, Dog Attacks and Head Wounds

I try to avoid long posts because in all honesty, I never read all of a long post so I doubt anyone would read all of my long blog post, but there are three random bits that I must share with the world today. I refuse to break up these three very different, yet mildly (by a thread) related topics.

Friends
If I made a list of all the things I'd like to change about myself or improve on, it would be quite lengthy. We don't need to go into it all now (We can save that for January 1.), but one thing is a desire to keep in better touch with my friends. Yet after the past 48 hours, I think I've decided I can cross that off the list.

Relationships will change when you don't live in the same sorority house or have the same lunch block anymore. There's no avoiding it. The important thing is that you keep in touch enough, and do the most you can, so you're still a part of each others' lives.

Sunday night I went out for dinner and coffee in Lexington with three of my sorority sisters.

I LOVE Ramsey's friend chicken! 

In no time at all we were laughing, sharing too much information, and talking about people we don't like (There's something to add to the January 1 list!).

Last night, some friends from high school came over for dinner, and even though it feels like forever since the last time we saw them, that didn't really seem to matter, although it does help that we mutually stalk each other online. (Sarah might have walked in and gone, "Oh! It's your asymmetrical mantel arrangement!" I love the Internet!) 

I know it's gushy and overly-sentimental, but the past two nights I got to spend with people I love a whole lot and who I don't talk to nearly as often as I want to, or as I used to, and it makes me giddily happy. 

Dog Attacks
This video was taken last night before my friends arrived. It is awesome for two reasons:
1. It's hott to watch husband vacuum. He's so helpful!
2. It's a riot to watch Zoey attack the vacuum. So glad I finally got this on film. Now if only I can get some shots of her and Reagan wrestling.



Head Wounds
I am a huge wimp and mild hypochondriac. Yet once I survive my "major" injuries, I like to brag about them because I'm quirky and that's what I do.


Last night I had unprecedented success with a Rachael Ray recipe when I made some Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Creamed Corn. It was quite tasty.

I think it might be the oven's fault, but with the oven on 500 degrees for the 30 minutes it took to roast the tenderloin, the apartment got very smokey and we had to open a lot of windows. So once our friends left, I went into the laundry room to shut the window. It's a smaller window and sits up a little higher than the norm. Apparently, this window will also fold out, as I learned when I went to shut it and pulled it down ON MY HEAD. The window put a gash in my forehead and landed right at the top of my nose. (The bridge perhaps? It was right at the top between my eyes.) There was some bleeding and a lot of whining that ensued.  Sarah, being a nurse and having just left, almost got a phone call to immediately come back and fix me, but Lee promised I would be fine, even though he wouldn't shine lights in my eyes to check for a concussion. I had to do that myself. And my head still hurts today. :(
 
ouch.

My New "Sport"

Awhile ago, I posted this rambling about how I felt very boring and old, yet was repeatedly carded for R-rated movies. Despite being very happy with my life, I felt like I should be doing more of something that makes for a better story than, "Well I watched You've Got Mail again" come Monday morning. (Although that does sound like a pretty sweet weekend.)

I have decided that the real problem is my lack of doing things. I accomplish what needs to get done, but I want to do more than that. Expense is partly to blame, but I also get lazy and tired and just stay home. So I'm resolving to do more fun things, more activities, more somethings.

What are these "things" of which I speak? There are several. Some are big; some are small. At some point I might make some sort of goal list. But I took an important step this weekend in one of my big goals, or I guess my dad did, by bringing me my old bike.


I don't even know if this is the kind of the bike I should be riding. I've had it for at least a decade and have probably ridden it twice. Considering we're heading into non-ideal bike weather, who knows when I'll start biking (Santa's going to bring me a helmet!), but I have a bike.

Bike riding isn't really the ultimate goal though. Yes, it will be a great way to stay in shape and a fun activity for Lee and I to do together (Believe it or not, Lee does not enjoy You've Got Mail weekends.). The ultimate goal is to bike across England. For reals. There's a website and everything. I really want to do this.

I have no idea when we'll go. I have no idea when in the foreseeable future we'll be able to afford to fly to England (or sleep or eat). Not to mention we'll be having kids in the next couple years. But, I have a bike. I might need to get a different one, but there is a bike in my apartment. I've taken the first step.

Going Natural

Lately I've been on this natural/organic kick. I've tried this before because it seemed like the cool thing to do, but now I feel it is the right thing to do. And it hasn't turned out be as expensive as I thought it would it be (Although I still buy normal cheese, milk and some meats because that's just really expensive.).

There were several things that kind of happened at once to start this. Several of my friends had recently expressed their concern about where our food comes from and the things that go in it. Do you really need high fructose corn syrup in bread? No you don't. And my office had started going in together with a local CSA to get some fresh, local fruits and veggies. (This was also a great opportunity for us to learn what on earth chard is.) Then I saw the video bleow, which is awesome even if you don't like Star Wars.



In addition to health and environmental benefits, it is so much more fun to shop at healthy grocery stores. Don't get me wrong, I love a good trip to the Walmart, but I truly enjoy being in Whole Foods and Fresh Markets. Plus you can't beat their Sample Saturdays. No where else will the cashier flip through their mailer to find coupons for you. The employees always ask to help you find things or  share personal recommendations. It's amazing.

On Sunday I had bought a bag of honey crisp apples (AWESOME) from Fresh Market and had griped all the way home about the $8 I spent on them. (For four apples! Four huge apples, but still only four apples. I can get a whole sack of organic gala apples at Walmart for $3.96.) On Monday, I go to cut into the first one...and it's rotten. I even checked with a co-worker who is more produce knowledgeable and she told me to take it back. I called the store to make sure I could exchange it and they said it would not be a problem to bring it back.

"Not a problem" does even describe how amazing they were yesterday when I returned with my bad apple. They never even looked at my receipt. A cashier immediately came to my aid, walked me to their produce guide, everyone apologized (I mean, it happens, I understand.) and the produce guy walked me to the apples, helped me pick out a new one and gave me an extra. I'll pay $8 for apples if they come with that kind of service. And they really are the best apples ever.



I must say though, before you start to think I've become some kind of health nut, there are some things that I don't care how many chemicals are in them and I never will:

• Oreos
• Ice cream
• Velveeta cheese logs
• Candy, candy, candy
• Chef Boyardee
• Velveeta Shells and Cheese (The best mac and cheese ever.) 
• Eggo waffles (Although I do get the whole wheat kind.)
• Little Debbie Christmas trees and Valentine hearts
• Pillsbury crescent rolls
• Pillsbury cookies
• Chocolate
  

And there's probably several more...

The End of a Perfection Streak

Have I mentioned I'm a perfectionist? Since there are actually people who read this blog that haven't known me for years and I can't even tell you what I posted last week, I can't always remember what you, audience, know about me. In case I hadn't mentioned it before, I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

The strongest example of my perfectionism at its best/worst is my grades. I was devastated by my first B in first grade, since at that point I thought there were only too grades: A for good, B for bad. While my teacher and mom calmly explained to me that the B was an excellent grade, above average even, I never really believed them. And in second grade, when I realized that one my best friends, who while a delightful person was not necessarily a future rocket scientist (Actually, she's an accountant now.), was getting straight A's I knew I could achieve that perfection as well. So by some magic, because I was too young to grasp averages and I had always put my all into my school work, from third grade on my report cards were an A-only zone.

The disease got worse in seventh grade when they introduced progress reports. At this point I realized that I could keep track of my grades daily and know exactly what was needed to produce that final A. Through high school there were many near-ulcer moments, but I graduated valedictorian with the perfect 4.0 (and some AP classes).

(I lightened up a little in college, because I realized that B's were not worth crying yourself to sleep over. Of course neither were boys and that was the lesson of the college years. Anyways...)

Another perfection streak that I've always taken pride in is my teeth. I wore my retainer for approximately eight years after braces and I have never had a cavity. Well, until a couple months ago.


Scared.

The news of my cavity (Well, cavities. There are three. THREE!) and gingivitis might have come as such a shock (I brush, floss and rinse as recommended! And choose substance over taste in selecting toothpaste!) that I switched dentists. (I mean, she said I needed a $165 special cleaning! My teeth can't be that bad!)

Of course new dentist also said I need fillings which will take place in a couple hours. (But should be fine with an extra regular cleaning. Apparently some people's mouths are just dirtier no matter what precautions we take. Who knew.)

You know they give you shots IN YOUR GUMS?!?! I don't like needles. Like I don't like needles so much that the only thing scarier to me than giving birth is giving birth with needles in my arm/back/anywhere. (Although that will be investigated more thoroughly when we're actually trying to have babies.)

I'm sure the whole dentist office thinks I'm an idiot because as we're scheduling this I'm asking questions like, "Can I drive myself home? Do I need a prescription for something? Can I eat before hand?" I guess those are basic questions but this whole filling concept is so foreign to my once perfect little mouth.

And one of the saddest parts of all this, is that apparently these cavities are from where my sealants broke and bacteria got under them. My barrier to cavities was compromised, resulting in...cavities.

Fingers crossed I get through this alive...

(Have I mentioned that I over analyze and melodramatize and generally freak out unnecessarily?)

In the Morning or the Evening

For the past several months, my infrequent run/jog/walk trips have been occurring after work. They used to occur before work, but that was when I didn't have to be at work until 9. Now that I have to be at work at 8:30 (That 30 minutes makes a big difference!) I've been running in the evening, but I'm thinking about switching back.

• Morning runs are the PERFECT temperature (at least for now).
• I already feel accomplished by the time I get to work.
• I run better in the morning without food (or Dr. Thunder) in my stomach.
• Stuff comes up after work, like meeting friends or errands, which can prohibit making a strong running habit.
  
• And the world is just prettier in the morning:

But, the one con (other than sleep deprivation) is how s...l...o...w I move in the morning. When I would go running in the morning, my runs were normally cut short because I had taken too long to get up and get going. In the evening I can be lazy and take my time.

I think the answer though is to return to the morning run. Starting next week. Wish me luck.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairity/ / CC BY 2.0

Hypochondria Alert!

OMG! I'm not Asian, but I do feel like I blush when I drink. I mean, I think I do. I remember one time I was eating dinner with Lee and his family and had a glass of wine, and I don't know why this one glass bothered me more than usual, but I felt very red and hot and was feeling like I was acting very tipsy, but Lee assured me on the drive home that I did not do anything stupid or act like a total light weight.

Maybe I should read the article again. Maybe it's more like "if you're Asian AND blush when you drink" as opposed to "just blushing, but more likely if you're Asian."

I might have to have some beer tonight and have Lee watch me closely.

Dear Friends, next time I drink you with, please monitor the color of my face so we can decide if I need to seek treatment. Thanks.

You can also keep your comments to yourself about the other [mental] things I need to seek treatment for. ; )

Feeling Old

I feel old.

First it was my neck. A couple weeks ago my neck really started to bother me. I would wake up okay, but by mid-afternoon it hurt to turn my head to the point I was miserable. I would go home and pop some Advil and spend the evening with a heat pack avoiding movement. After several days of this I went to a chiropractor and learned that it's only taken 2+ years of a desk job to make my neck/shoulders out of wack. Awesome. I knew that ultimately sitting at a desk and staring at a computer would take some toll on me physically, but I was hoping it could at least wait until my 30s. Oh well.

Today it's my left knee. I was actually really good about going running this weekend. I went Friday after work, again on Saturday morning, and last night I did some crunches and girl push-ups. I still plan on doing something after work, but I might just speed walk. My knee doesn't really bother me that much, I'm just mildly aware of it. It's something I would run through, if I were running, but it bothers me that it's been bothering me all day when I've done nothing. I'm probably over thinking it. We'll see how it goes.

Domestic Disasters and Trying to Re-Board the Wagon

Last week I decided that I would take an exciting new idea I found in the land of home blogs to try to cut down on my grocery bill: shop for the month. Plan a monthly menu and shop for that in one trip. You'll need to run in again for milk and produce of course, but get everything else. It sounded like a good idea, and I plan on trying it again, or at least maybe trying to cut it down to twice a month, but this month did not go well.

First off, if I plan dinners, I plan nice dinners. Normally in a month, despite the best ideas, I might pull out one new recipe. The rest of the time it's cheese tortellini with olive oil, parm and spices or frozen pizza. I say I'm going to plan a weekly menu, but just wind up going to the store to pick up foods for lunch and some generic spaghetti dinners. When I pull out all my cookbooks and try a new Giada recipe once a week, it's a bit more expensive. I need to find some cheaper recipes.

Secondly, that one grocery trip wass hell. I was frustrated when they were out of something (Purina One Adult Dog Lamb and Rice) because this was my "one trip." After an hour and a half, our cart was full, we were exhausted and depressed by how much was still on the list. We gave up and checked out. This lead to an additional problem of me wrongly assuming that I had everything for the lasagna I had planned to cook that evening. Who knew lasagna needed eggs? I didn't until I had already started making some special Giada sauce. We ate frozen pizza instead.

I regrouped and adjusted our menu for the rest of the month with what I had managed to buy. I'll try again for next month, but maybe just shopping for two weeks at a time.

So on a slightly different topic but I'm actually going to tie it all together today (Gasp!), I've fallen off the exercise wagon. I fell off several weeks ago. I'm hoping that the longer days and warmer weather will help, and I'm trying to devise a new workout plan. I'm also trying to remind myself that it's better to do something than nothing, because I often wimp out because I know I don't have a full 30 minutes or I think this is the only day I'll have time this week so why bother. I need to start bothering. Maybe I need to try to find a 5K or something so I have a goal. I'll look into that. But yesterday, as I was eating Doritos (I try to eat healthy more often than not but I can never give up my bad food! I rely on exercise because dieting kills my soul.) I had an idea. What if I bought junk food for the month and that's it! This would be a way to curb excessive junk food eating, perhaps, by buying so much and then having to spread it out over the month. So I can have a monthly bag of Doritos, but if I eat it all in the first week, then it's gone and I can't get anymore. I don't really eat that much junk food, Girl Scout cookies excluded which is really more of a special season that one must savor while it lasts, but this might be a good way to keep from overdoing it.

Misc. Nonsense

I hosted a wedding shower a couple months ago (Has it already been a couple months? Holy crap -- is it March?! Close.) and spent a long time surfing the internet for some way I could calculate how much food to prepare, which of course I stumbled upon today. Also observe Real Simple's neato new website.

I'm in hypochondriac mode. I know it's not meningitis. Might be strep or flu or sinuses or a bad week.

And there are really no words to express the grief, sorrow, concern, shock, disappointment, etc., I felt last night. An excerpt from my conversation with Lee during half-time:
Me: I've decided that my least favorite three-word phrase ever is, "Another Kentucky turnover."
Lee: So I guess this makes your least favorite five-word phrase, "And another turnover from Porter."