and I haven't blogged. mostly because i'm embarassed about the lack of exercise going on in my life. The speedwork was going great until it wasn't anymore. I need to re-evaluate why running isn't as fun for me anymore. I've got another half on the books on May 13th and then I think I'm going to take a break from constantly running and try to fall in love with it again.
and fall out of love with sugar. seriously, I have no self control when it comes to sweets and it's starting to really bum me out.
In other news, Dave and I both got Fitbits last Thursday. Full review coming soon :)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
First long run on the FIRST program
as I mentioned, I have 9 weeks until my next half marathon. So I decided to do a few workouts this week from the first week and a few from the 2nd, since starting on Monday I will officially have to be in week 3 of workouts. We ended up doing 8 miles. We were supposed to target a 10:22 pace (30 sec/mile slower than what will be our half marathon pace). Today was one of those days where everything felt awesome - perfect temperature, sunny, my legs felt great! Because my Garmin is still acting up (more on that later), I used the Marathon app for Windows Phone, and my running buddy's Garmin was working. According to Marathon - we ran 8.4 miles in 1:21:00 (9:38 pace). According to Garmin, we ran 8.0 miles in 1:21:00 (10:07 pace). Regardless, I'll take it! I do have some sore legs and 5-6 blisters, but nothing that won't heal quickly!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
FIRST training program
Hi all. I have this not so secret half marathon goal to run a sub 2 hour half. I'm a long way away from that right now (current PR is 2:16:10).
I've been doing some research on different training plans and found the FIRST method through a couple different people that have had success with it on the Nest health and fitness board. so I decided to give it a go. I'm planning on running another half marathon on May 12th, so that gives me 9 weeks in total to prepare. Given that the first is a 10 week training plan, I'll just have to merge the first and second weeks a bit. For this race I'll be targeting a sub 2:10 race (9:52 pace which will yield in an almost 7 minute PR). From there, I will try to train for the sub 2:00.
I thought I was going to dread training because honestly, I haven't been feeling it lately. I've been feeling very lazy and bored, as evidenced by my lackluster training for the lake sammamish half. I did the first workout Monday (cross training) and then the first running workout (400m repeats) on Tuesday and it's nice to feel challenged again. I do feel like the 20 minute warm-up is a bit overkill so I can't promise I did the whole thing, but it felt good to really push myself!
I'll keep you updated as my progress continues - hopefully I can stick with it and work won't get too crazy!
I've been doing some research on different training plans and found the FIRST method through a couple different people that have had success with it on the Nest health and fitness board. so I decided to give it a go. I'm planning on running another half marathon on May 12th, so that gives me 9 weeks in total to prepare. Given that the first is a 10 week training plan, I'll just have to merge the first and second weeks a bit. For this race I'll be targeting a sub 2:10 race (9:52 pace which will yield in an almost 7 minute PR). From there, I will try to train for the sub 2:00.
I thought I was going to dread training because honestly, I haven't been feeling it lately. I've been feeling very lazy and bored, as evidenced by my lackluster training for the lake sammamish half. I did the first workout Monday (cross training) and then the first running workout (400m repeats) on Tuesday and it's nice to feel challenged again. I do feel like the 20 minute warm-up is a bit overkill so I can't promise I did the whole thing, but it felt good to really push myself!
I'll keep you updated as my progress continues - hopefully I can stick with it and work won't get too crazy!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Recap
So, I have been totally absent from the blog, mostly because: I haven't been getting my runs in.
I have really been struggling to run during the week, and our last 2 long runs (were supposed to be 8-10 miles) were more like 5-6.
Last week, leading up to the race, we found out of the 3 ladies that I was planning to run with, 1 had to have surgery, and one got really really sick. So it was just me and my normal running buddy (I trained with her during my season with Team). Thursday rolled around and I got sick. I thought it was just allergies, but in the afternoon the fever and chills came. I felt awful. I told my RB that I was still planning on running the half, but I'd keep her updated on how I felt. I tried to go into work on Friday and turns out no one wanted to meet with me since I was sick - so I went home and rested, really hoping that my nasal congestion wouldn't prohibit me from running. I figured I'd at least start the race, but if I couldn't finish because I couldn't breathe, well, so be it.
I woke up Saturday morning bound and determined to run. The forecast was calling for rain, rain and more rain. lovely! I met my RB at the park and ride and we headed down to the start. It was pouring, and I was not feeling great. Lo and behold, though, once I started to run, my sinuses completely cleared out! It was magical! Definitely not my best 13.1 since I hadn't properly trained, but it wasn't my slowest, either. In fact, as we were approaching the back end of Mile 10, my RB realized she could seriously PR if she kept it up, so I told her to go on ahead without me, took a short walk break, and then tried to finish the last 2.1 the best I could. Turns out? RB PR'ed by 5 whole minutes! Rockstar! As much as it sucks not having a "good" race, it really is a rewarding feeling helping someone else achieve their goals.
This has been a recovery week for me, both healthwise and running, so I've been pretty lazy. I'm doing a 5 mile run with RB tomorrow, and then next week I am going to start the FIRST program and try to PR a half marathon in May in under 2:10:00. Next stop? A half marathon in July in (hopefully) under 2:00:00. We shall see!
I have really been struggling to run during the week, and our last 2 long runs (were supposed to be 8-10 miles) were more like 5-6.
Last week, leading up to the race, we found out of the 3 ladies that I was planning to run with, 1 had to have surgery, and one got really really sick. So it was just me and my normal running buddy (I trained with her during my season with Team). Thursday rolled around and I got sick. I thought it was just allergies, but in the afternoon the fever and chills came. I felt awful. I told my RB that I was still planning on running the half, but I'd keep her updated on how I felt. I tried to go into work on Friday and turns out no one wanted to meet with me since I was sick - so I went home and rested, really hoping that my nasal congestion wouldn't prohibit me from running. I figured I'd at least start the race, but if I couldn't finish because I couldn't breathe, well, so be it.
I woke up Saturday morning bound and determined to run. The forecast was calling for rain, rain and more rain. lovely! I met my RB at the park and ride and we headed down to the start. It was pouring, and I was not feeling great. Lo and behold, though, once I started to run, my sinuses completely cleared out! It was magical! Definitely not my best 13.1 since I hadn't properly trained, but it wasn't my slowest, either. In fact, as we were approaching the back end of Mile 10, my RB realized she could seriously PR if she kept it up, so I told her to go on ahead without me, took a short walk break, and then tried to finish the last 2.1 the best I could. Turns out? RB PR'ed by 5 whole minutes! Rockstar! As much as it sucks not having a "good" race, it really is a rewarding feeling helping someone else achieve their goals.
This has been a recovery week for me, both healthwise and running, so I've been pretty lazy. I'm doing a 5 mile run with RB tomorrow, and then next week I am going to start the FIRST program and try to PR a half marathon in May in under 2:10:00. Next stop? A half marathon in July in (hopefully) under 2:00:00. We shall see!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Victories and Losses
This weekend it was supposed to be my 10 mile long run for my March 10th half marathon. We woke up yesterday and it was snowing, hailing and raining. fun fun. We decided to skip it and try again today. Between prior plans and stuff we needed to get done, no one was able to meet today either.
I decided to head out today anyway for a shorter run. Well, it ended up being only a mile.
I really wanted to try out my wireless headphones that Dave got me for Christmas. I typically don't run with music - I ran with my Zune for several of my shorter runs when I first got into running, but I could never figure out a good system for my earbuds not falling our getting tangled. When we decided to exchange stocking-only presents, of course Dave went out and spoiled me like crazy - this was one of my gifts. I intially opened them and put them on and thought they were pretty uncomfortable, to be honest. They do have several sizes of ear covers, so I played around with them to find the one that felt the best (though it certainly didn't feel good). I talked to Dave about it today and he said if they don't end up working out for me, he'll just use them.
Once I started running, the discomfort really went away - it was barely noticeable. It was really really nice being able to have my phone in my pocket, and not have to worry about cords and such. I have a Windows Phone, but I'm pretty sure any smart phone that's bluetooth enabled with a radio/music player on it would work. Dave put together a playlist for me, and off I went! It was really nice! I don't think I would use it on my long runs or during my half just because I typically run with friends. Especially for this half marathon coming up - I haven't trained at all (except for my long runs) so it will be a leisurely half.
So, back to why I only ran a mile. I have become pretty dependent on my Garmin, and unfortunately it really let me down today, and this is not the first time this has happened. I do really like Garmin and haven't read many negative reviews, so I'm not quite sure what the problem is. My watch will be fully charged, I will take it off the charger and it will die within 30-60 seconds. This happened last year and we sent it in for repair and it worked great since. I am going to be calling tomorrow to see if they can do anything for me. If not, I may just switch to the Nike+ system because it's really expensive to have to replace a watch that's less than 2 years old! Anyway, I was reeeeally bad at monitoring my pace and pretty sure I set a record for my fastest mile in the last 5 years (but I wouldn't know since I didn't have a timer.. haha).
We are having a new patio installed tomorrow and Tuesday and I can't wait to see how it comes out!
I decided to head out today anyway for a shorter run. Well, it ended up being only a mile.
I really wanted to try out my wireless headphones that Dave got me for Christmas. I typically don't run with music - I ran with my Zune for several of my shorter runs when I first got into running, but I could never figure out a good system for my earbuds not falling our getting tangled. When we decided to exchange stocking-only presents, of course Dave went out and spoiled me like crazy - this was one of my gifts. I intially opened them and put them on and thought they were pretty uncomfortable, to be honest. They do have several sizes of ear covers, so I played around with them to find the one that felt the best (though it certainly didn't feel good). I talked to Dave about it today and he said if they don't end up working out for me, he'll just use them.
Once I started running, the discomfort really went away - it was barely noticeable. It was really really nice being able to have my phone in my pocket, and not have to worry about cords and such. I have a Windows Phone, but I'm pretty sure any smart phone that's bluetooth enabled with a radio/music player on it would work. Dave put together a playlist for me, and off I went! It was really nice! I don't think I would use it on my long runs or during my half just because I typically run with friends. Especially for this half marathon coming up - I haven't trained at all (except for my long runs) so it will be a leisurely half.
So, back to why I only ran a mile. I have become pretty dependent on my Garmin, and unfortunately it really let me down today, and this is not the first time this has happened. I do really like Garmin and haven't read many negative reviews, so I'm not quite sure what the problem is. My watch will be fully charged, I will take it off the charger and it will die within 30-60 seconds. This happened last year and we sent it in for repair and it worked great since. I am going to be calling tomorrow to see if they can do anything for me. If not, I may just switch to the Nike+ system because it's really expensive to have to replace a watch that's less than 2 years old! Anyway, I was reeeeally bad at monitoring my pace and pretty sure I set a record for my fastest mile in the last 5 years (but I wouldn't know since I didn't have a timer.. haha).
We are having a new patio installed tomorrow and Tuesday and I can't wait to see how it comes out!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Meet our new addition!
Well, the surprise I referenced yesterday came to fruition. We got a new puppy! i've been wanting another dog for a very long time and Dave has not been on board at all. We finally had a heart to heart after coming across the perfect little guy this weekend and we decided to get him.
The breeder had named him Tuxedo, and after chatting about it on the drive home we decided to keep it and call him Tux for short. When I got Riley, I was a bad dog mom and didn't do my research. i got her from a backyard breeder and then took off on vacation and left her with a friend. My friend did the best she could, but she had a 10 month old lab of her own. It took us until Riley was 10 months old to fully potty train her.
Tux is 12 weeks old (born right around the same time of year as Riley, ironically enough) and is currently a touch over 7 lbs. He can already sit, he's only had one accident, and he slept last night with minimal problems (a full 7 hours I might add!)
I think he's the perfect little thing to round out our happy family!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Praying for Daylight....(savings time) and lots of surprises!
So I continue to be absolutely worthless on my weekly runs... but I've been consistent about meeting friends for long runs. Did 90 minutes this morning (about 7 miles... lots of walking and intervals). My legs are feeling pretty good.
We have had an insanely busy weekend. I work as a recruiter, so my company routinely puts candidates in hotels. It just so happened this week that we had a few candidates cancel rooms at the last minute so we were able to get a free room for the weekend. It is only about 20 minutes from home, but our friend offered to watch our dog, so it worked out extremely well.
I got a second job (more on that in another post) so I had to buy a new laptop for that, so I was able to get a fabulous deal due to President's Day.
Fingers crossed but we are going this afternoon to look at adding to our family!
We have had an insanely busy weekend. I work as a recruiter, so my company routinely puts candidates in hotels. It just so happened this week that we had a few candidates cancel rooms at the last minute so we were able to get a free room for the weekend. It is only about 20 minutes from home, but our friend offered to watch our dog, so it worked out extremely well.
I got a second job (more on that in another post) so I had to buy a new laptop for that, so I was able to get a fabulous deal due to President's Day.
Fingers crossed but we are going this afternoon to look at adding to our family!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Closet Renovation
So I'm finally home from Toronto and I'm sick :( I've been trying to lay low all weekend but being gone for 10 days of course there's so much to do at home! One of the things on our to-do list was to put most of the finishing touches on the closet. We still have to hang the mirror, paint and cover the steel track with the plastic track cover and (eventually) add crown molding to the top of the unit. I've got some more fancy hangers being delivered this week and it will be nice to have everything match!
Here's the before:
I had an old jewelry box that was mostly empty, a dresser from my childhood givin gme more drawer space, and tons of wasted space above the wire racks.
enter: new closet! :
Here's the before:
enter: new closet! :
In the photo above, my favorite part of the closet is in the very lower right hand corner: a built in hamper that's tucked away!
The mirror will be hung up on the wall. the earring holder is nicely hidden when the door is open
So we ended up ordering from Easyclosets.com. They made everything pretty simple for us -we measured (multiple times! they only give you 3/8" wiggle room), placed the order on a Thursday afternoon and it shipped out on Friday. It arrived a week later (well, all but one box, but that was UPS's fault, not Easyclosets). 24 boxes!
Honestly, the hardest part was hanging the steel track. That took us maybe a few hours (keep in mind, we added closet to 3 of the 4 closet walls - the closet is about 7 ft x 8 ft). Once we got that done, it went fairly quickly. We would've had the whole project done in a day if all the parts had been there and we'd had paint that matched the wall to paint the steel track cover.
Overall, very happy with the value and the product we got. In my opinion, it was more versatile than any other option we priced out (including teknik closets, the container store, ikea).
We also bought a patio set this weekend, so our next home improvement project? Building/contracting out a patio because right now that table is going on the grass... haha.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Notes to self...
1. chocolate gu is not nearly as disgusting as I would've guessed
2. Running along the side of the road in the midwest is not as scary as in Seattle - drivers actually get out of your way
3. When seeing beauitful girls that you went to high school with in Starbucks halfway through your run, avoid eye contact and head for the door. Said girls are still beautiful and you look like a hot mess.
4. Dress appropriately for the damn weather!
4.2 miles. I thought since I'd be in Michigan I'd pack allll my cold weather gear. and wear it all. bad choice.
What I wore:
new balance running socks
brooks running tights
nike running pants
Under Armour cold gear mock neck
under armour wicking sweatshirt
columbia lightweight water resistant jacket
Nike running gloves
cheap target loves
Nike running hat
wicking running headband
brooks ghost running shoes
What I SHOULD'VE worn:
new balance socks
brooks running tights
underarmour cold gear mock neck
cheap running gloves
wicking running headband
brooks ghost shoes
fail.
2. Running along the side of the road in the midwest is not as scary as in Seattle - drivers actually get out of your way
3. When seeing beauitful girls that you went to high school with in Starbucks halfway through your run, avoid eye contact and head for the door. Said girls are still beautiful and you look like a hot mess.
4. Dress appropriately for the damn weather!
4.2 miles. I thought since I'd be in Michigan I'd pack allll my cold weather gear. and wear it all. bad choice.
What I wore:
new balance running socks
brooks running tights
nike running pants
Under Armour cold gear mock neck
under armour wicking sweatshirt
columbia lightweight water resistant jacket
Nike running gloves
cheap target loves
Nike running hat
wicking running headband
brooks ghost running shoes
What I SHOULD'VE worn:
new balance socks
brooks running tights
underarmour cold gear mock neck
cheap running gloves
wicking running headband
brooks ghost shoes
fail.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
jetsetting blogger
I'm back to hecticness at work which means no running during the week. It also means my long runs are getting harder to sustain on no other exercise.
I'm in Toronto now (got up at 4am PST and went to bed at 11pm EST so no time for exericse), but i'm hopeful this week I can get a few workouts in.
The good news is that Dave is putting the finishing touches on my awesome closet renovation! We did most of the work this past weekend and I'm so thrilled with how it came out. now to convince him that we *need* the crown molding for the top... :)
Full post of pictures, reviews, and info on the process coming Thursday next week when I'm back at home with my camera!
I'm in Toronto now (got up at 4am PST and went to bed at 11pm EST so no time for exericse), but i'm hopeful this week I can get a few workouts in.
The good news is that Dave is putting the finishing touches on my awesome closet renovation! We did most of the work this past weekend and I'm so thrilled with how it came out. now to convince him that we *need* the crown molding for the top... :)
Full post of pictures, reviews, and info on the process coming Thursday next week when I'm back at home with my camera!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
2 post Sunday
Well, 2nd post for me today. I didn't end up going to yoga because I had a groupon that is only good for a month and I'm traveling for work 10 days out of the month, so I decided to skip this time and pick it up after I get back in town.
Instead, Dave and I went to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. I don't want to give anything away, but it is amazing, if you think it looks even remotely good, you need to go see it. and bring kleenex!
Then we tried our hand at making General Tsao's chicken from scratch. It was AMAZING! but next time I think we'll grill the chicken instead because I just felt gross watching it fry in all that oil!
Riley has been sleeping all day. I guess our run tired her out as much as it did me!
Instead, Dave and I went to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. I don't want to give anything away, but it is amazing, if you think it looks even remotely good, you need to go see it. and bring kleenex!
Then we tried our hand at making General Tsao's chicken from scratch. It was AMAZING! but next time I think we'll grill the chicken instead because I just felt gross watching it fry in all that oil!
Riley has been sleeping all day. I guess our run tired her out as much as it did me!
Went for a run today
6 mile run - 64 minutes, 8 seconds. raining the whole time. Riley was a trooper and came with me the whole way.
Now, to drink my body weight in water and prepare for hot yoga this afternoon. This could be a disaster, or really good. I'm hoping the stretching will be fantastic for my muscles. all of the balancing exercises, well, that should be interesting.
Also -huge sad face.... I got a blister while running. Pretty sure any future pair of Asics are out for me, because the first pair I ever ran in were Asics and they gave me a blister in the same spot :( They were fun colors too, which is a bummer. back to the drawing board! At least I'm well within my 30 day return window!
Now, to drink my body weight in water and prepare for hot yoga this afternoon. This could be a disaster, or really good. I'm hoping the stretching will be fantastic for my muscles. all of the balancing exercises, well, that should be interesting.
Also -huge sad face.... I got a blister while running. Pretty sure any future pair of Asics are out for me, because the first pair I ever ran in were Asics and they gave me a blister in the same spot :( They were fun colors too, which is a bummer. back to the drawing board! At least I'm well within my 30 day return window!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Swapping a long run for painting... again
Well, the snow has finally finished (we ended up with about 16") and the rains have come in and started to melt it all. I'm still a little apprehensive to run outside given the slush and ice, so decided to tackle a home improvement project today instead. I will take Riley out and see how well the public trails are salted tomorrow. My goal is a 60 minute run (hopefully about 6 miles). Still need to break in the new shoes and see if they are going to work for me.
Anyway, Dave and I have been drooling over those fancy closet organization systems for awhile. you know, the ones that have drawers built in and look like furniture? We decided that would be our January house project so we have been researching and finally purchased a custom designed system from easyclosets.com. So far, I'm impressed. We provided the closet floorplan (measurements, etc) and told them what I use the closet for (i.e., how much tall hanging space, drawer space, shelves, etc do I need) and they custom designed something for us for free. We purchased the system, and now we are taking advantage of their free shipping and waiting for it to arrive (ETA next Friday 1/27). So this weekend's project was taking down the old wire shelving, filling in the holes and painting. We didn't really want to buy more paint and had JUST enough left over from painting the master bedroom and hallway so I decided to stick to that. I added some plyometrics into the mix on the second coat so I wouldn't have to use the ladder :)
For now, all of my clothes are in my office and I am so excited to show you the before and after pictures next weekend!
On the docket this week: my first allergy shot appointment. Hopefully this will start making me feel better around Riley, but it's going to be a long road (3-5 years of shots... yuck!)
Anyway, Dave and I have been drooling over those fancy closet organization systems for awhile. you know, the ones that have drawers built in and look like furniture? We decided that would be our January house project so we have been researching and finally purchased a custom designed system from easyclosets.com. So far, I'm impressed. We provided the closet floorplan (measurements, etc) and told them what I use the closet for (i.e., how much tall hanging space, drawer space, shelves, etc do I need) and they custom designed something for us for free. We purchased the system, and now we are taking advantage of their free shipping and waiting for it to arrive (ETA next Friday 1/27). So this weekend's project was taking down the old wire shelving, filling in the holes and painting. We didn't really want to buy more paint and had JUST enough left over from painting the master bedroom and hallway so I decided to stick to that. I added some plyometrics into the mix on the second coat so I wouldn't have to use the ladder :)
For now, all of my clothes are in my office and I am so excited to show you the before and after pictures next weekend!
On the docket this week: my first allergy shot appointment. Hopefully this will start making me feel better around Riley, but it's going to be a long road (3-5 years of shots... yuck!)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Snow Shoveling
Snow shoveling is a great workout! Coupled with my ab workout yesterday, I'm feeling a little sore! I worked from home again today... Snowpocalypse is suppose to arrive around 4am. Considering we already have about 9" on the ground.. .we'll see how much more we get!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Workout today (or lack thereof)
Well, Dave and I worked from home today considering we have about 7-8" of snow. My goal was to go out for a run, but after running out for a quick lunch, Dave mentioned a few times that he thought it would be too icy. I'm pretty sure that was his code for "I'm concerned you're going to fall and kill yourself, please don't go run" so I stayed inside and snuggled with Riley all afternoon. I was feeling pretty guilty about my laziness, so after dinner I busted out 2 sets of 20 crunches, bicycles, reverse crunches, planks and side planks (well, I only made it through one set of the side planks... they are my nemesis!).
Thursday is going to be a looooong day. I have 6 candidates coming for interviews and then my brother is coming into town to go skiing with some friends and wants to meet up for dinner, so Dave and I will head downtown to have dinner with him.
Friday is another 6 candidate day, so I can pretty much plan on not getting a workout in Thursday or Friday. So... tomorrow and Wednesday it is. My goal is to run at least 2 miles each day... I need to start getting back into it more regularly and not beating myself up over not gettng in my prescribed 3 miles. I ran the Vancouver Half last May on one run during the week and a long run on the weekend (albeit, I had a decent base), but I can't stop doing this "all or nothing" garbage, where a run isn't worth going on if I can't do it 3x during the week for at least 30 minutes.
And... I need to actually register for the 1/2 marathon at the end of March... having paid money will hopefully help kick my butt into gear.
Thursday is going to be a looooong day. I have 6 candidates coming for interviews and then my brother is coming into town to go skiing with some friends and wants to meet up for dinner, so Dave and I will head downtown to have dinner with him.
Friday is another 6 candidate day, so I can pretty much plan on not getting a workout in Thursday or Friday. So... tomorrow and Wednesday it is. My goal is to run at least 2 miles each day... I need to start getting back into it more regularly and not beating myself up over not gettng in my prescribed 3 miles. I ran the Vancouver Half last May on one run during the week and a long run on the weekend (albeit, I had a decent base), but I can't stop doing this "all or nothing" garbage, where a run isn't worth going on if I can't do it 3x during the week for at least 30 minutes.
And... I need to actually register for the 1/2 marathon at the end of March... having paid money will hopefully help kick my butt into gear.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
amazing dinner
I know, I know, 2 posts in one day. But I had to blog about the amazing dinner we just had.
We tried 2 new recipes, which always makes me a little nervous but they were both a huge success.
The first was these Maple Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops (yum)!
But the star of this dish was the decadent Mushroom Risotto we made. We had risotto for the first time several months ago and all I've been reading is about how difficult it is to do well (um, Gordon Ramsey anyone?). Not sure if ours would pass the Hell's Kitchen test, but it was pretty amazing. Very time intensive (you kind of had to babysit it) but well worth it.
Dave cut up fruit for dessert and normally I am firmly in the "fruit is not dessert!" camp, but this was the perfect sweet topper to a very savory meal.
We LOVE trying new recipes, but the hustle and bustle of the work week doesn't always lend itself to doing so. Thankfully the snow put all of our plans on hold. After my run and after Dave shoveled the driveway, we hung out for a bit and then took Riley out to play in the snow. She loved it. We came home, hunkered down and watched The Help, and then set out to create dinner. It was glorious. We are hoping for a bit more snow tonight so we won't have to feel guilty about working from home tomorrow :)
We tried 2 new recipes, which always makes me a little nervous but they were both a huge success.
The first was these Maple Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops (yum)!
But the star of this dish was the decadent Mushroom Risotto we made. We had risotto for the first time several months ago and all I've been reading is about how difficult it is to do well (um, Gordon Ramsey anyone?). Not sure if ours would pass the Hell's Kitchen test, but it was pretty amazing. Very time intensive (you kind of had to babysit it) but well worth it.
Dave cut up fruit for dessert and normally I am firmly in the "fruit is not dessert!" camp, but this was the perfect sweet topper to a very savory meal.
We LOVE trying new recipes, but the hustle and bustle of the work week doesn't always lend itself to doing so. Thankfully the snow put all of our plans on hold. After my run and after Dave shoveled the driveway, we hung out for a bit and then took Riley out to play in the snow. She loved it. We came home, hunkered down and watched The Help, and then set out to create dinner. It was glorious. We are hoping for a bit more snow tonight so we won't have to feel guilty about working from home tomorrow :)
It Snowed!!
For those of you who are familiar with weather in the Seattle area, you know what a big deal this is. My neighbor claims we have 6" but I think it's more like 3-4". Being a Michigan girl who transplanted to Seattle, I think it is hilarious when it snows. cars are abandoned on the side of the road, no one goes out... hilarious.
Since I didn't start running until after I moved to Seattle, so I decided to lace up my new running shoes and head out. Running in unplowed snow is much like running in sand... hard! I did 2 miles before getting back to the house, and I should've worn sunglasses to protect my eyes from the snow that was coming down. Riley's bandages came off yesterday so I took her with me and she had a blast!!!
Since I didn't start running until after I moved to Seattle, so I decided to lace up my new running shoes and head out. Running in unplowed snow is much like running in sand... hard! I did 2 miles before getting back to the house, and I should've worn sunglasses to protect my eyes from the snow that was coming down. Riley's bandages came off yesterday so I took her with me and she had a blast!!!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
4 miles... 48 minutes
slowest miles in awhile, but considering I was thisclose to cancelling, I'll take it. I keep saying it, but I need to start finding time to run at least once or twice during the week or that half marathon in March is going to break me.
New shoes purchased today though - I'm excited to try them out!
Hard to believe that a year ago tomorrow I was running my first marathon! Huge shoutout to Kathleen as she tackles the same marathon tomorrow (she is my running idol! much faster than me)
My running partner is incapacitated with an owie paw so we are snuggling today!
New shoes purchased today though - I'm excited to try them out!
Hard to believe that a year ago tomorrow I was running my first marathon! Huge shoutout to Kathleen as she tackles the same marathon tomorrow (she is my running idol! much faster than me)
My running partner is incapacitated with an owie paw so we are snuggling today!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Hawaii Recap
This is L-O-N-G, sorry!
So I should start off by saying that before this trip I was a Hawaii skeptic. Everyone said it was so fabulous, but I was kind of wondering what made it so different/better than the Caribbean. I decided Dave and I definitely need to check it out while we live in the PacNW because who knows how long we'll be living here (I have not so secret dreams of either moving back to the midwest one day - home prices what?! or moving somewhere warm warm warm like Arizona).
So over Thanksgiving we assessed the vacation time off situation after using a shit-ton for the wedding and realized we could swing a week off over New Year's since we wouldn't need to take as many vacation days (and my ever so generous GM gave us 2 extra free days off over New Year's weekend).
We decided to go to Oahu because it was cheapest to fly into and we used hotels.com/hotwire/priceline for our two hotels.
We arrived in Honolulu about 11:00 at night and headed to our hotel and went to bed.
Saturday, December 30th: Tons and Tons of driving around to acclimate ourselves to the island, so unfortunately, not much working out this day. But, we did walk around the new Disney resort - which is super posh and not overtly "Disney"
The next day (NYE) we hiked Manoa Falls, which was just gorgeous! It was about 1.5 miles round trip but felt like a lot more because of the elevation gain.
We ended up pretty muddy, but decided to see what else we could find to do and where we could eat lunch. On the way to lunch, we stopped at the Pali Highway lookout, which was a gorgeous view. A quick search on my phone revealed that there was a short hike on the old Pali Highway. We decided to try that. It was a VERY steep downhill, and since it was an out and back, it was also a very steep uphill! we got about a mile down the road before the road kind of disappeared so we turned around and headed back to the car.
We then drove up to the north shore and sat on the beach and watched surfers. We came home and went out to a fancy dinner, opened a bottle of champagne on our roof (realized it tasted like crap) and fell asleep at 10:30. Rockstar New Years Eve over here!
New Years Day we drove back up to the North Shore to go on a whale watching cruise. It was awesome! We saw a few whales and a few people saw a shark too! After we were done there, we went to the Dole Plantation and had Dole Whip - yummy pineapple flavored soft serve!
On the 2nd, it was time for us to check out of our first hotel and move to a hotel on Waikiki Beach. they upgraded us to a corner room which was awesome, the only stipulation is that it had 2 double beds. If you know us, you know this is not an issue. While we love sleeping together, we reserve at least one night a week to sleep in our own beds. During marathon training, Dave slept in the guest bedroom every Friday night so I wouldn't wake him when I woke up to go on my long runs Saturday morning.
On the 2nd we hiked Diamond Head to watch the sunset. It's a pretty steep elevation gain with a few sets of gnarly stairs. They said to allow about an hour to get to the top, especially if you're not in great physical condition. We were super worried about missing the sunrise... we made it up in 18 minutes!
We actually started heading down to one of the lower lookouts because we thought the cloud cover was too much, but then we saw it! (excuse our sweatiness!)
I was feeling so good when we got back to the hotel that I decided to go for a run. There was a woman and man running around the same pace as I was, so I made it my personal mission to stay in front of them (geez, competitive much?) That led to 2.75 miles in 27 minutes. Not bad for not running for awhile.
On this day it was time for us to check out of our first hotel and move to a hotel on Waikiki Beach. they upgraded us to a corner room which was awesome, the only stipulation is that it had 2 double beds. If you know us, you know this is not an issue. While we love sleeping together, we reserve at least one night a week to sleep in our own beds. During marathon training, Dave slept in the guest bedroom every Friday night so I wouldn't wake him when I woke up to go on my long runs Saturday morning.
The next day we did Pearl Harbor and went back to the Disney Resort to see if we could sneak in and use their pool. No dice, so we hung out on the public beach and then went to a luau, which was really fun!
The next few days blur together quite a bit, so I'll just give one big update :)
We did a 3 mile hike that was honestly the hardest hike I've ever done. It was SO muddy! we were sliding all over the place, but the resulting view was worth it:
The last morning we were there we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. AMAZING! there were so many fishes that were brightly colored and they were so close to the shore. it was awesome.
Alright that's it for now. My exercise over the last few days has been painting! I painted our living room/dining room/kitchen (it's all one big great room) and the dog's bedroom (don't laugh, with a 5 bedroom house and no plans for kids, the dog has her own room too!).
So I should start off by saying that before this trip I was a Hawaii skeptic. Everyone said it was so fabulous, but I was kind of wondering what made it so different/better than the Caribbean. I decided Dave and I definitely need to check it out while we live in the PacNW because who knows how long we'll be living here (I have not so secret dreams of either moving back to the midwest one day - home prices what?! or moving somewhere warm warm warm like Arizona).
So over Thanksgiving we assessed the vacation time off situation after using a shit-ton for the wedding and realized we could swing a week off over New Year's since we wouldn't need to take as many vacation days (and my ever so generous GM gave us 2 extra free days off over New Year's weekend).
We decided to go to Oahu because it was cheapest to fly into and we used hotels.com/hotwire/priceline for our two hotels.
We arrived in Honolulu about 11:00 at night and headed to our hotel and went to bed.
Saturday, December 30th: Tons and Tons of driving around to acclimate ourselves to the island, so unfortunately, not much working out this day. But, we did walk around the new Disney resort - which is super posh and not overtly "Disney"
The next day (NYE) we hiked Manoa Falls, which was just gorgeous! It was about 1.5 miles round trip but felt like a lot more because of the elevation gain.
We ended up pretty muddy, but decided to see what else we could find to do and where we could eat lunch. On the way to lunch, we stopped at the Pali Highway lookout, which was a gorgeous view. A quick search on my phone revealed that there was a short hike on the old Pali Highway. We decided to try that. It was a VERY steep downhill, and since it was an out and back, it was also a very steep uphill! we got about a mile down the road before the road kind of disappeared so we turned around and headed back to the car.
New Years Day we drove back up to the North Shore to go on a whale watching cruise. It was awesome! We saw a few whales and a few people saw a shark too! After we were done there, we went to the Dole Plantation and had Dole Whip - yummy pineapple flavored soft serve!
On the 2nd, it was time for us to check out of our first hotel and move to a hotel on Waikiki Beach. they upgraded us to a corner room which was awesome, the only stipulation is that it had 2 double beds. If you know us, you know this is not an issue. While we love sleeping together, we reserve at least one night a week to sleep in our own beds. During marathon training, Dave slept in the guest bedroom every Friday night so I wouldn't wake him when I woke up to go on my long runs Saturday morning.
On the 2nd we hiked Diamond Head to watch the sunset. It's a pretty steep elevation gain with a few sets of gnarly stairs. They said to allow about an hour to get to the top, especially if you're not in great physical condition. We were super worried about missing the sunrise... we made it up in 18 minutes!
We actually started heading down to one of the lower lookouts because we thought the cloud cover was too much, but then we saw it! (excuse our sweatiness!)
I was feeling so good when we got back to the hotel that I decided to go for a run. There was a woman and man running around the same pace as I was, so I made it my personal mission to stay in front of them (geez, competitive much?) That led to 2.75 miles in 27 minutes. Not bad for not running for awhile.
On this day it was time for us to check out of our first hotel and move to a hotel on Waikiki Beach. they upgraded us to a corner room which was awesome, the only stipulation is that it had 2 double beds. If you know us, you know this is not an issue. While we love sleeping together, we reserve at least one night a week to sleep in our own beds. During marathon training, Dave slept in the guest bedroom every Friday night so I wouldn't wake him when I woke up to go on my long runs Saturday morning.
The next day we did Pearl Harbor and went back to the Disney Resort to see if we could sneak in and use their pool. No dice, so we hung out on the public beach and then went to a luau, which was really fun!
The next few days blur together quite a bit, so I'll just give one big update :)
We did a 3 mile hike that was honestly the hardest hike I've ever done. It was SO muddy! we were sliding all over the place, but the resulting view was worth it:
Saturday, January 7, 2012
MIA...
I know my one reader was very concerned with my absence this week :) Let's just say, Hawaii was a terrific success. I ate tons of food, but managed to get lots of physical actvity in.
full trip report and pics coming soon :)
full trip report and pics coming soon :)
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