Veggies, Tears, and Yoga....Oh My: Week 15

(As promised, here's our kpLOVE Christmas songs from 2011.)

It's unbelievable how much better I'm feeling this week. I'm cooking. I'm checking things off my to-do list. I'm even eating vegetables and salads!!!! But my favorite part about this week is the new gym Patrick and I joined (Lifetime. We used to be members at another location but quit when we moved, and until recently, had no clue there was another one close to us. If you can afford an actual yoga studio that has prenatal yoga classes, then more power to you, but they are flipping expensive and none of them offer child care, so I'd have to quit as soon as Cotton arrives!!! ) has allowed me do go to so many yoga classes!!! Vinyassa Yoga, Body Sculpt Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Slow Flow Yoga, you name it, I've been there........except Hot Yoga, which I think I'm suppose to steer clear from. All the stretching, deep breathing, and muscle building is really helping my tailbone feel better, and as always, I feel so mentally invigorated afterwards.

 Another great thing is I've discovered a birthing technique to put all my yoga skills to use, Hypobabies. The name sounds a little kooky, but I've read great first hand testimonies, watched inspiring interviews from practitioners, and even reached out on a pregnancy board to personally ask women about their experiences and if they've done it in a hospital setting. Their responses were all positive and very informative. I guess it could best be described as meditating one's way through labor, which in-turn helps relax the body and promote progression and is suppose to help keep pain tolerable. It's a process that takes a great deal of dedication, though, like practicing the meditation process for an hour a day throughout the latter part of pregnancy. But remember that one time when I accidentally went to a meditation class (that usually costs extra money, but I got to do it for free because I didn't know where I was until it was over)? I loved it, and felt so relaxed and rested afterwards (which they say if you do it right, an hour of meditation is just as restful as a 3 hour nap). We have about 8 weeks until we actually need to start the program, but I wanted to explore our options early, to get a feel for what's out there.
Off topic, but not really, do you ever feel so hungry that you start to get scared if you were to kiss your husband, you may actually bite his lips off for a snack instead. And he's being all lovey-dovey because he likes you so much, so you have no choice but to treat him a little meaner than normal, and he doesn't understand that the reason you're being so nasty towards him is because you're actually trying to protect him from seeing your cannibalistic side? Yeah......me neither....(or do I??)

And lets just touch base on my hormones for a brief moment, like how they made me cry during The Little Mermaid. (Yes, I was watching it without any children around. No, that's not weird.) The worst part is I tried to tell my girlfriends about it the next day and I couldn't even tell them which part ignited all the emotional drama when they asked because I started crying all over again!!! Which brings me to my next point: you know just how awesome your girlfriends are when they can actually guess which scene made you cry! Let's just say they got a really good laugh at my expense out of that one!

I've Never Felt More White (Project Pretty Week: Who Knows)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

When I decided to try Zumba for the very first time, I totally wasn't expecting to pass out, which is what almost happened. To be honest, I've always been a little skeptical about how good of a workout Zumba could actually be, but since I love to dance and was looking for something fun to kick start my re-introduction to the gym after recovering from all my stupid injuries and medication induced ickiness, I was willing to give it a shot. 

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I loved the music. Grooving to new school and old school Hip Hop, Pop, and Latino music was right up my ally. In-between the disguised squats and lunges, it felt a lot like being at the club, but with water instead of alcohol, minus the constant obstacle of shooing away strange men trying to grind on me, and without the fear of having a hangover the next day. Of course, a normal person would be dancing in synchrony with their instructor (their very talented African American instructor who knows how to shake her ass like she's on a Ludacris music video and move her feet to the Moroccan beat like Saleena), but I was doing good to shake my hips and try to look like I was following the moves all while not tripping over my two left feet or spraining a knee. I seriously have never felt more "white" in my entire life. 

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"Don't over think it," she said, "Let your body move naturally to the beat."

This IS how my body wants to move to the beat, I thought to myself, awkwardly and a tinsy bit off rhythm......like Mary Kathrine Gallagher. Geez, Napoleon Dynamite could probably show me up!

Towards the end of class I started to feel really sleepy. Things only went downhill from there. Small black and brown spots began vandalizing my vision, growing bigger and bigger. I kept trying to blink them away, but around the time I could no longer see a single thing, I became distracted by the fact that my hearing was disappearing. Voices were still vaguely audible, but oddly distant, traveling to me in slow motion through some sort of metal tunnel. My brain felt so full. I stayed strong up until this point, careful not to make a scene or worry anyone, but my body couldn't stand upright a single second longer, so I plopped myself onto the floor and pretended to stretch.

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After recovering my senses, I walked to the car and took two bites out of a snack bar I found in the console, only to realize it expired 14 months ago, (Ew! Note to self: clean out pantry), then headed home for a real meal. And to think, I was worried I wouldn't get a legit workout! In all reality, this was my first real workout since being on Metformin and I'm almost positive I was experiencing a blood sugar issue, but Zumba really was a fun way to burn some fat. I'll definitely be returning, but with substantially more to eat next time. 

Have you ever fainted?

Think Good Thoughts (Project Pretty Week:25 and 26)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

Ureeka, I think there's an end in site!!.....I hope, anyway......

After finally going to on ortho (who happened to be hunkalicious, for any of you single ladies with pending injuries) and getting the diagnosis of a plantar tendon strain with orders to take it easy for two more weeks, then gently ease back into running, I got a little excited and registered for another Half Marathon. The race entails cold weather running, which is my favorite, and a course through some pretty cool Downtown Dallas landmarks, plus I really liked how laid back my day was with the last local half. 

It's been weeks since I've been in the running game, so it looks like I'll be starting over from scratch, but given the fact it isn't until December, I have plenty of time to take it slow and steady, which will be worth it! 

On another note, I've been taking a new medication, Metformin (part of my "operation get fertile"), for a couple of weeks. It effects the insulin levels in my body and it's got me feeling majorly fatigued and extremely nauseated at all hours of the day. But hopefully, it too, will be worth it in the end.  The confusing part is I've totally had to abandon the Paleo ship to keep from going into a hypoglycemic coma, and I'm not sure how taking a medication instead of eating super healthy is really suppose to level things out.......but hey, healthcare is just an ongoing experiment, right? If I still feel like this in another week or two, I'm seriously contemplating throwing in the towel on this experiment. Patrick can only go so long living off of soup for diner, since that's all I cook anymore. Who knows, maybe diving back into running will add as a distraction.

Stumbling Through Life: Wal-lah! (Project Pretty Weeks 22, 23, 24)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

You've probably been wondering why I haven't posted a Project Pretty post in a couple of weeks............

Actually, you probably haven't been wondering at all. I know you, and it's probably completely slipped your mind because you really don't care what I do every week to look this good (just kidding, promise), but I'll fill you in anyway. I haven't been doing anything!! 

That's right. Cooking is as close as I've gotten to physical activity. Why? Because I'm a total klutz, and I'm afraid that when a "bruise" lasts for 3 weeks, moves around, shows no visible discoloration of the skin, and causes a crackle pop feeling deep down inside........it may indicate it's more serious than a bruise. Don't worry, I took my husband's advice after he teased me about ways I've driven myself to stress fractures in the past and made a Orthopedic appointment for Friday. 

Sure, it's just my foot and I know there are tons of other muscles in my body I could be strengthening in the mean time, but in my core, I'm pretty sure I'm an opportunist. This time I pounced on the excuse of taking a break from the boring bicycle routine at the gym (since I had already been doing that to rest my calf strain). And who wants to spend their time doing push ups?!?!? Those things are hard!!!

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More importantly, cooking is fun and eating is more fun!

Remember yesterday when I talked about being a witch??? That'd be really handy, yet again....

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Now to the stuff we really care about: something I did in the kitchen. 

I was craving pancakes for breakfast this weekend and had a ton of blueberries in their prime that needed to be eaten, so I decided to try a Paleo version of a comfort food staple. 

Blueberry Sauce Ingredients:

Fresh blueberries

Agave Nectar

Honey

To make the blueberry sauce (I used this as a topper instead of maple syrup and it was an amazing combo of tart and sweet), I simply threw some blueberries in the skillet, drizzled them with half Agave Nectar and Half local organic Honey, and cooked them on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until they burst open  and made a sauce (they get saucier than my picture below, the color just gets darker too and doesn't show well in photographs). 

Even though I'm a pretty avid reader, sometimes I screw up and forget to read important things, like key ingredients in a recipe. Third time's a charm, though!!! Yes, I didn't realize I forgot to add the eggs until the third time I attempted to perfect these pancakes!! Sigh.

 Here's the original recipe (It had the most ingredients, which I typically think deems it the best.)

Paleo Pancakes:

3 eggs

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup mashed rip banana

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp gelatin

pinch sea salt

You want your banana to be a bit ripe.

Just as a warning, these will not pour or look like a typical pancake while you're cooking them. 

And if you turn them before they're ready, you'll end up with a really sloppy shaped taco pancake. 

But if you remember ALL the ingredients (I mixed all the wet ingredients together, then dry ingredients together, then blended them all), you'll end up with puffy yet dense and very filling pancakes that stay together in one piece.......

 .....as opposed to the mound of slop I brought to Patrick for "breakfast in bed" the first time I tried making them, even though he doesn't like breakfast when he first wakes up and thought they looked gross, because let's face it, it was a huge plate of goop, so I ate it all myself since they were really for me anyway, and they still tasted good, not to mention the ingredients aren't what I call cheap, and I didn't slave away my time to just throw them away.....

Cover them in as much antioxidant and anti-allergen rich blueberry sauce as your little heart desires and your morning sweet tooth will be cured. There's so much protein in these you'll stay full for way longer than you ever anticipated a pancake being capable of. 

Have you ever left out a key ingredient from a recipe before? What happened to the dish you were trying to make as a result?

Cheers to Muscle Confusion (Project Pretty Week 21)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

Working on weekends makes driving to and from work much less complicated, but on weekdays it's a different story. I've had to develop special routes and timing is of the essence. As a delivery nurse, my goal is to get out of the hospital by 0630, so I can cruise through all the school zones before the super slow speed limits take effect (when I'm dead tired, 3 zones can feel like driving 50 miles going 3.5 mph). But when I have an assignment or a super busy night, I'm lucky to leave by 0715 at the earliest, inevitably cursing me to creep home in the middle of morning chaos. Partially due to sun shock, and partially from unwillingly losing an internal battle to fight against the exhaustion, I try my hardest to keep my eye lids from creeping closed.

The latter scenario of the two is exactly what I was faced with this week, except when the signs for the school zones started to appear, no one slowed down. I was the weirdo who put on the brakes, but immediately sped back up to avoid getting run over by the eager drivers who were probably late to work because they hit their snooze button one too many times after staying up late to watch the NBA finals. I thought we were all being school zone rebels, or that I was too tired to comprehend the signs, consequently forgetting how to follow them.

But actually, as rumor has it, school's out for summer!!

Duh. Silly me.

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At the gym, I've been taking it easy all week on the stationary bike, followed by some upper body weight training and a few of my go-to core exercises. There I was, sucked deep into my book, when I was interrupted by a trainer who was asking if I wanted to come to his body pump class in T-4 minutes. He assured me he'd include safe modifications for my calf strain, so I agreed to show. 1 hour later I found myself driving home with arms so fatigued I could barely raise my longest finger high enough to pick my nose. It was nice to be back in a friendly competitive, by comparison, environment with someone to hold me accountable for reps, making me push myself harder than if I was solo. And now I can't move a single muscle in my body without grimacing.
Cheers to muscle confusion!

Does anyone else think it's really cool to watch their hands under the xlerater hand dryer transform into a loose flappy mess of skin, like for that moment, it belonged to a 112 year old person, because I am fascinated with it?

My Calf had a Heart Attack (Project Pretty Week 20)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

Once again, I'm a cripple...

Well, not totally crippled in the politically correct sense of the word, but I have been limping around for 5 days now with a bum calf, again. Huge knot. Lots of pain. Tight, tight, tight. Remember when I thought I may not get to participate in the Dallas Rock 'n Run due to a calf strain? 

It'sssss Baaaaaaaaaack.

I can't believe it. Two months of almost complete running rest (just a few 1-2 mile runs here and there), then one 3.75 mile run with the husband and our puppies and BANG; I'm down for the count. I never felt a twinge of pain until about 30 minutes after the run was over.

On the verge of going crazy with frustration, I started searching the web in hopes of finding out more than I already knew (R.I.C.E.). Unfortunately, when I found the answer it was bittersweet. Apparently I've had a "Calf Attack" with a Grade II-III tear (based off a very educated self diagnosis), and there's no easy fix, but at least I have more knowledge about how to prevent this reoccurring sports injury. I'm already ahead of the game and have been using The Stick, which was recommended to me by a physical therapist at the last Expo I went to. But the irritating road to full recovery is never easy and tends to be time consuming in an annoying way, especially when my workout plans of going to boot-camp and doing Insanity with Patrick disintegrated before my eyes.
INJURIES SUCK BUTT HAIRS!

It's all my fault, really......Patrick never even wanted to run; I had to talk him into it. Little did I know forgetting my water bottle at home would be the least of my worries. Nevertheless, if I was going to hurt myself, I did it on a beautiful day having fun with the family in the park.

Have you ever dealt with a reoccurring calf strain?

My First Time.......(Peanut Butter Jelly Time)

I've invested in a seriously different direction of cookbooks than I've ever been exposed to. Overcoming the habits of southern eating is a huge challenge when your family thinks a balanced meal consists of meat with a side of starch and another starch, followed by dessert. Growing up, the only way I'd even think about eating a veggie is for it to be smothered in cheese or deep fried and dipped in ranch. Even after dramatically improving my eating habits through Weight Watchers last year, I still don't think I ever had a meal that didn't include wheat/legumes/dairy. 

But with a goal in sight, and a supporting husband by my side, I'll now be dedicating extra time in the kitchen to consume a Paleo friendly diet. A ratio of 85/15 is our goal, that's 3 cheats per week based off 3 meals a day, and so far (a little over 2 weeks into it) we've been sticking to it.

It's been time consuming so far, learning new ways to prepare things, bringing along extra food when we visit family so we can be successful at rejecting temptation, but I HAVE to change what is happening with my body. I refuse to let the statistics capture me. I don't want be blind to my future and 10 years from now cry because I've been diagnosed with Diabetes and wished I'd done something sooner to change my fate. And hopefully by adapting this new style of eating, the improved insulin levels in my body with have a positive effect on my hormones as well. 

We've been eating really good food, like chipotle wild caught salmon with mango salsa, avocado slices, and asparagus. Or sesame crusted tuna steak with tangerine carrots. Or apple-cider vinegar brined country ribs with sauteed apples and bacon and a side of brussel sprout coleslaw. Or homemade spaghetti using veggies from my mom's garden with spaghette squash as a noodle substitue. Or dijon honey mustard chicken with a pecan crust in a lettuce wrap and curry sweet potato fries. Or eggs over easy with seared avocado. 

(I don't have many pictures because I ate everything so fast.....) And I'm loving almond butter now. But we still miss some of our favorite staples. 

Just before we started this adventure, some of the girls I work with found out I'd never in my life had a PB&J sandwich, so they planned my first experience and popped my cherry. Everyone had a different opinion of what my fist time should be like. Crunchy vs. smooth, strawberry jelly vs. grape jelly, white bread vs. wheat bread.......To be honest, I'd never even had a desire to try one. I always thought it would be kinda gross. But come to find out, now that I'm not suppose to consume any of those ingredients any more, I actually liked it. I think I'm a crunchy girl with a mixture of the different jellies, definitely wheat. 

Delicious or not, with hopes to be healthy and functioning properly, PB&J's are going to have to once again take a back burner in my life, but the good news is I'm not in it alone!

P.S. Did you know there's a whole world out there for PB&J's on Pinterest and Google search? I even found a blog entry from a girl who tried her very first one last year at the ripe age of 28, just like me!!

Is there an American Staple food out there that people think you're crazy for never trying or not liking?

Gas. Such is Life. (Project Pretty Week 17, 18, 19)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

My workouts haven't been anything to banter about lately. If anything, they've been one mishap after another. 

Like when I actually woke up early to go to yoga, only to remember it was the only day of the week that didn't have a morning class. Still determined to seize the moment, I headed to my gym for a pilates class, got to the room a little early and started stretching. Thirty minutes of stretching later, I realized no one showed up for the class......not even an instructor! Let me just say, it was extremely difficult to make myself get on a machine after 2 failed class attempts. 

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Or like when Jessica and I got all dressed and pumped to go out for a run one morning after work and was actually in transit to the park, but the run never started because Bobby wouldn't answer his phone (he was suppose to be her ride), and we were worried he wouldn't show. Forced to hitch a last minute ride home, she found Bobby passed the F*** out, not even answering the doorbell, dead to the world, which proved sending her home was a good decision, since I had to be back at work that night and couldn't afford the lack of sleep to drive her myself. It was Saturday morning, so I just went home, put my workout clothes back in my gym bag, and got in bed to cuddle with my husband, which is way more fun than running anyway.

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Another example would be getting an email from my gym to explain they were closing our current location and all the members were being sent to a different location a few extra miles across town. I go to the new gym, and totally feel like I'm on a first date.......a little cautious in the unfamiliar surroundings with new people, and reluctantly having to hold in a fart the entire workout because the new gym is just one intimate box......headphones or not, I was sure someone was going to hear the new girl blow a hole in her spandex. It's all about first impressions...... Revolving bubble guts are never conducive to a decent workout, especially not the abdominal focused ones, or a first date (thank goodness I don't have to worry about the latter of the two anymore). 

Sigh. 

Have you had any workout mishaps lately?? 

Tsk Tsk. (Project Pretty Week 16)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

Remember when not too long ago I posted this extremely annoying grammatical error on Instagram? Not only is it an official sign made of thick plastic (not a piece of paper like I'd thought before I inspected it), but it was such an eye sore it caught my eye from across the building. Ever since noticing, I haven't been able to take my eyes off it!! 

Apparently it's been plaguing someone else's nerves too, because this week I noticed someone had altered it.

 And on the second improper sign located on the opposite side of the free weights station someone got really smart for there britches......just kidding about that "there" thing. Get it?? Get it????

I also noticed after putting these pictures side by side that I must wear green to the gym a lot. Now that I think about it, I actually have 4 green workout shirts......

And since this post is suppose to be about working out, instead of bashing the literal skills of people who work at the gym, here's an example of one of my low impact cross training workouts I made up this week to prevent boredom. It takes somewhere between 10-11 laps around our gym's upstairs track to equal 1 mile, and I can never pay attention long enough to count that far. It's actually a good thing I never run faster than a 8 minute mile or I'd get dizzy up there from all the turning!! 

It was a pretty solid moderate effort workout to follow a busy 12 hour shift. 

When's the last time you did a wall sit?!?

Wind in my Pigtails. It's the Small Things. (Project Pretty Week 15)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

All my running around on minimal sleep eventually caught up with me on Sunday and I crashed super hard. Patrick wasn't thrilled about my day long napping, but couldn't hold a grudge against this cuteness (which he couldn't resist photographing) for long. 

The puppies are loving the weather so much lately, they are completely content with just lounging outside......of course that excludes instances when they hear key words like "walk" or "run".....

But Patrick found my rollerblades, so I finally got out on my wheels for some full blown doggie sprinting!!

 I took them out to the nature preserve to cover a few miles and if a dog could smile, it'd be the only description suited for their faces. 

My pigtails standing on ends from the speed, their flowy hair parting back from their faces in the wind......we were living the life. 

I'm convinced if unleashed, Sumo would full on run about 20 miles before he ever slowed down...... 

.....especially when the weather is nice and there's plenty of shade to block the sun. 

Something super weird happened to me in yoga this week. Half way through class I started having some tingling and numbness in my left palm/fingers. 

I think the onset was during an extended hold of downward dog, but my memory starts to blur after I've been awake for 20+ hours. I actually think I fell asleep in final corpse pose, which only lasts maybe 3 minutes. A couple of days later it was just coming and going, but I'm interested to see if it flares up again in my next class. Did I mention I looked like a total sissy trying to do multiple sorry excuses for real pushups? I've really got to step up my arm game.... At least I was the only one in class who could get into the Bird of Paradise pose. Everyone's body is so different, and I've got to celebrate the few things my body excels at!!

Lastly, I finally found a taker to accompany me on my first outdoor run since the half marathon....it was hard....granted it was hill work after a 12 hour shift....but damn the devil it was hard!! They sky was gorgeous, though, and we were even graced with a few sprinkles to cool us off. The two miles of running followed by two miles of walking (because I felt like I was going to throw up if I ran another step) was the perfect after work workout. 

Have you ever had tingling/numbness in your hand associated with yoga? 

Green, Green. It's Good for Your Heart. (Project Pretty Week 14 )

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

Every time I do a few hard workouts, my left calf knot issue that showed up a couple of weeks before the half-marathon makes it's reappearance and starts threatening to debilitate me, so I've been sticking to easy stuff for a while. Lately we've really been trying to soak in the fleeting moments Spring has to offer and these little stinkers have absolutely no idea just how spoiled rotten they are.

How many other Yorkie pip-squeeks get to go on 2 hour long walks in the park with countless new smells to investigate, too many things to pee on, and have endless opportunities to lounge in the overgrown shaded Johnson grass at free will. 

How many primpy house dog owners give their fur-balls a bath and blow dry, then let them drag their bellies in skanky swamp water the very next day, all for the sake of a quick cool down? 

As much as I'd rather them wade and drink from the crystal clear creek water flowing through the park, reaching it from the sandy cliff banks poses as quite the challenge. But when there's a safe enough entrance we bounce on the chance. They're not usually as glamorous as these super convenient semi-staired-roots we found in this particular spot, but we're not picky........just love the water!!

Callie prefers to take a dip the lady like way by staying in the shallow water, re-hydrating while laying down. 

Sumo, on the other hand, is all about the action. He actually started swimming out to the floating water bottle (don't even get me started on how mad it makes me to see trash in such a beautiful place) that activated his acute hunter instinct, but soon realized he was in over his head (he's not the greatest of swimmers......) and chose to stand and whine at the bottle until it was out of sight. As much as I'd love to let them run around unleashed and explore, I'm totally afraid of what may happen if they come across a bigger animal or accidentally provoke a grumpy snake.

It only took one extended afternoon of being in the sun without sunscreen, resulting in me looking like a well done lobster with a farmer's tan, to get smart and start slathering on the goo. 'Tis the season.......

As the outdoor heat continues to rise, I've been really wanting to get the puppies back in shape to go rollerblading (I wear the roller-blades, they just run....duh). Only problem is everything in our garage is pushed against the wall and piled to the ceiling, so I couldn't find them. However, I did manage to get completely distracted and find some of our Bone Lenox Chirp China, which I totally plan on using now on a everyday basis instead of all our regular chipped dinnerware. Life's too short.......

Speaking of life, I'm working on making it a little healthier by replacing one of my wimpy meals a day with green fruit/veggie smoothies........except mine didn't turn out very green!! Apparently beets are a pretty potent ingredient!! I posses absolutely no perception of appropriate quantity measuring when preparing things for a single person, so I accidentally made enough for 10 people. And after three solid servings I'm finally getting used to the taste. Try to imagine taking a bowl of sliced fruit and placing it on the ground in your herb garden, then lean in real close and take a good smell. Fresh, sweet, but with a hint of earth, right? That's my first smoothie....strawberry banana flavored applesauce with an aftertaste of dirt. 

P.S. Did you finish the title of this post in your head with, "The more you eat, the more you fart"? I did.

Hurry, I need your most favorite ever healthy smoothie recipe. 

Quick Sand: Project Pretty Week 13

Sooo.......I'm still squeezing every ounce I can out of my yoga groupon and it's really starting to pay off. Just last year I was horrible at any exercise involving balance (always the first to wobble and fall over), but I've really been working on improving the strength of my bone hugging muscles, and this week I was a rock-star during balance training. The instructor didn't even have to correct my form on any of the poses; he actually came over to help me progress. I attributed this boost of strength to Jock Jams. (I know this completely goes against yoga mentality, but sometimes I like to look around and see what everyone else is capable of, and I was one of the leaders of the pack.) 

My confidence level couldn't stay too high for long, though. Shawn T. was sure to bring it back down below sea level with a super-kick-my-butt-into-the-floor-workout. It's been a while since I played an Insanity video, so I don't know why I went with the more advanced version......pure stupidity I guess. Callie made sure she was extra annoying in a really cute way by getting in my face to lick the sweat off my forehead every single time I came down to her level for a squat-push-up.

Even though it seems like my fitness has improved in quite a few aspects, I've managed to gain 10 pounds over the last year...........emotional eating perhaps? I was just thinking the other day (when it hit 90 degrees outside, geez) how I totally wasn't ready for bikini season. Then I snapped out of it. Who cares?? My husband thinks I'm sexy exactly the way I am.

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(One night during dinner this week, when I looked over to him and caught him staring.)

Patrick: I really like to watch you eat.
Me: Why?
Patrick: It's kinda sexy.
Me: It is?
Patrick: I know it's crazy, but I'm kinda obsessed with you. Sorry.

Or maybe he's just trying to fatten me up so no one else will try to steal me away. He's probably sneaking extra protein powder into my food...........OMG.......So THAT'S why he's been cooking so much!!

Do you ever feel like you can't improve in one thing without having something else slip away into quick sand?

Hold On To Your Butts (Project Pretty Week 11)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

Really? I mean really. 

After being spoiled by all the beautiful 70 degree sun shining days, mother nature decided to keep us on our toes by sending a cold front with 27mph winds just in time for the half marathon. {Insert sarcastic "Yay......."} Wipe that smile off your face, Flo, it's 5 flipping A.M. in the morning and this is serious business. 

It was still black outside when us gals paid for our train tickets and huddled together for warmth until our ride arrived. When the electric doors opened, we dispersed, filling the last of the open seats. And for the next 30 minutes we talked our jitters out as we watched more and more people flood in, filling the isles with excited runners. 

Gear check was all too soon. So soon, I absentmindedly kept my fleece jacket on when I checked my bag (my subconscious not ready to let it go just yet), consequently having to run back, uncheck my bag, remove my security blanket, and recheck it again.  For the next 45 minutes I'd be freezing my nipples off in my super thin breathable workout shirt, envious of all the warm layers I saw on the people around me, but I knew later I'd be glad I wasn't running with extra layers dangling from my waist. 

Thinking she'd be running close to a 11-12 minute mile, Britney changed her corral to the same as mine; this being her very first half-marathon, she'd originally registered under a slower finish time. I didn't care if we'd never ran together before, I was thrilled to gain a partner!

While we hopped in place to keep from morphing into popsicles, anxiously waiting to cross over the starting line, Mr. Bobby picked up the cheerleaders.

It wasn't his first rodeo, so he knew exactly were to go in order to cheer us along at the half-way point. Don't they look so warm and happy?  

After entertaining themselves for a while, they started to get glimpses of the Presby running crew.

First up, was firecracker Missy, who put on a show for the camera.

Next was Jessica, my hero.

Then I imagine, they had plenty of time for people watching in between, since Jess and Missy started about 8 corrals before me and Britney. 

It didn't take us long to work out a good system. I like for my partner to be on my left, and Britney's dog runs on her right. We admired the shiny downtown buildings, the ridiculously gorgeous mansions and beautiful hoity-toity landscaped scenery in Highland Park. We laughed at all the creative posters people held on the sidewalks. Despite the wind blowing so hard at times I actually had to hold my head down so my hat wouldn't blow off, we found a sweet steady pace right at a 10:30 minute mile, faster than we'd anticipated, but that's the beauty of the race day environment.

Somewhere around mile 6 was a long hill, and seeing as I'm a slow and steady hill climber, Britney pulled a bit ahead of me. Just as I was closing the gap, Patrick noticed her running by. "She's right behind me," Britney says.

And just like that, I missed Patrick and he missed me. Never even saw a glimpse of each other. Apparently, he took a picture of me without knowing, though. Below, in the middle of a group of people you can see my bright sherbet shirt and white hat, and Britney just about to run out of the frame.

Immediately after I'd unknowingly passed my husband, I saw Bobby, called for his attention. Then my brother, my mom. They all cheered and Dusty got a picture of my jazz hands. "Did you see Patrick?" they called from the sidelines.

WHAT? I missed him!?! He called me 5 minutes ago. I told him where I was. I'd been looking to the left and to the right. I'd been anticipating seeing his smiling face since before the run even started, and I missed him?!?!?

In that moment I caught up with my partner and we deliberated in disbelief at how something so retardedly (yes, I just made that a real word, just go with it) ironic could have happened. I was the only one my husband didn't see, and the only one he was really looking for. 

Somewhere around mile 8, my pace partner high tailed it and left me in the dust. She had to pee. On another unfortunate note, my running app had stopped updating me on my pace time back when Patrick called me. So there I was, alone with my thoughts for the next 5 miles, the same miles I needed the most motivation for.

In the last couple of weeks, I'd only ran twice (due to my strained calf). Once was the St. Patrick's Day 5k, the other was my last long run of 10 miles, a solid 16 days ago. I kept after it, trying not to think about the struggle, but by mile 10 my hip flexers were ready to call it a day. One foot in front of the other, I chipped away at the last 3 miles, keeping in mind my friends were already done, waiting for me with my family, and we'd all get to celebrate once I finally crossed the finish line. 

I really got the feeling of urgency when the 2:30 time pacing crew caught up with me. No!!! I will not finish slower than last time! I REFUSE!

I dug deep and pulled away, running as fast as my dead tired legs could handle......which wasn't very fast, but sufficient enough to beat my last finish time by 6.5 minutes. Sure, the last half was technically a harder course than this one, but my training this year was also way shorter, I've been adapting to minimalist shoes, AND I weigh more (sigh). I'm still not the speediest or the slowest for a female my age, but for 2 hours 26 minutes and 23 seconds I ran. And judging by my running app, I ran pretty darn steady for 13.1 miles (the red part is post race and us walking to the car, since I had no idea it was still tracking me).

It's something that can easily seem mediocre when surrounded by about 14,000 other people who did it too, but the reality is a half-marathon is a long way, creating a wide-open target for posing hurdles, guaranteeing some kind of personal demon is going to be fought one way or another, and triumphing is something to be very proud of, no matter what.

I'd been so worried that I might not even get to finish. But not only did I finish, I did it without the partner I was convinced I so desperately needed, and I beat myself. I defeated my mental block of being companion dependent in a mentally and physically challenging situation, and I achieved a new PR.

I even kissed my medal before kissing my husband.....but you better believe he got some sugar soon after.

These girls were right there waiting for me to do what they do best: giggle and hug and tell me how awesome I did........

........And I was right there waiting for my jacket and sweats!!! Gear check prevailed and earned my trust by not losing any of my stuff!

It's amazing how cold you get after you stop the strenuous exercise.

I was so thankful my Mom drove 2 hours to come stand around for a few more hours, just see me run for a collective time of 36 seconds!! And so proud of her for wearing that adorable knit hat!!

And my brother who woke up at the crack of dawn to do the same......please ignore the optical illusion of my pot belly. Jess had her own set of supportive cheerleaders.

It didn't take us long to find the rest of the girls (and boy, if you count Ale's bump).

We all hobbled together to take a few group shots, then quickly switched gears to one of the best topics in the world, FOOD. Pappasito's, never knew what hit 'em.

Patrick and I spent the rest of the day together snuggled up in bed watching movies and snacking. Can we say, "Awesome Sunday?!?!"

What's your ideal running weather? When it comes to races, do you like to have a buddy or prefer to fly solo? How do you overcome tough mental challenges? Gear check: use it or lose it?