Freeway fruit

10 miles/ 2:04:00

Instability has allowed me to fall into a training funk, but today was the exception. With so much on my mind as a look for a place to live and get ready for a new school year, I have been prone to just wander aimlessly in my thoughts, sometimes while walking around a store, driving around town, or just sitting/lying around. This morning I decided it would be best to try to get my head organized by getting out for a run. No music, no gadgets, just 2 gels and a bottle of water.

Lately running has felt like a chore or a task on a to do list, and I have been really envious of people who get out and run/bike/swim/spin for the shear joy of it. I decided that my training needs a drastic makeover. I am abandoning my training plan (for the most part) and running based on feeling. I had no idea how far I ran today until I got home and mapped it (I had a feeling it was around 10 or 11). I was pretty impressed with my pace, considering I stopped to stretch at mile 2, stopped to eat a pear off a tree on the side of the trail by the freeway at mile 5 (awesome, right?), and stopped to ask for a water refill at mile 7 (which they didn't have. Well water is one of the few downsides of country running). Even with all those stops, my time tells me I am running around the pace I want to be to finish my next marathon under 5 hours. That, my friends, feels GREAT.

I absolutely love country running. Today I ran past a ton of different crops: summer wheat, walnuts, sorghum, alfalfa, corn, squash, grapes, pears, apples, and sunflowers. I saw some great metal sculpture art in from of a farm house. People don't mind sharing the road when the shoulder is narrow and overgrown. Cute cyclists tell you hello. There was a refreshing breeze blowing off the delta and the sun was shining. It was the perfect day for a run.

Life is full of restart buttons and chances for re-dos. Sometimes it is difficult to see it as such. Yeah, my training is in the crapper and I haven't felt my best, but today seems like a pretty good day to press that restart button... again. I'm off to go have a chicken & roasted beet salad. I decided yesterday to reintroduce vegetables back into my diet :)

Barrel Tasting Recap

The good: 
Unlimited wine, catered food, and GREAT company made this an excellent night. And, I didn't spend any money because I decided to hold out until my purchases from last summer become available. Which I couldn't get a solid timeframe on, hence my apprehension. Will it be really really good or is it so bad they are afraid to release it? This years Cab Franc will only spend 6 more months in the barrel before it is bottled. WTF?

The bad:
I accidently threw a glass of wine on my mom. Doused her in the most expensive wine they were serving. I wish I could blame it on the alcohol, but pretty sure it was a result of being silly and would have happened even if I was sober. Made sure to stain treat it as soon as I got home to be a better daughter. I also will be her slave for the next week to make it up to her. Whoops. Not looking forward to tomorrow morning.

The ugly:
Drinking a cup of coffee when we got home, staying up late putting cheddar mohawks on Pringles with a can of easy cheese. I tried to convince someone to stay up with me and get biscuits & gravy at 2 am, but no one was having it. This is why no matter how much I run I will never loose weight.

Wine futures are expensive. And they are risky. Until I know ho my first gamble turned out, I am not ready to make future investments. I do know I need to further develop my palate and take advantage of all the tasting opportunities Napa has to offer. After reading this, don' you miss you could hang out with me so I could douse you in wine and make cheddar mohawks together at 1 am?

Getting a little bit faster...

5 miles/ 59:08

Folks, thats about a whole minute faster than my last 5 miler. And this one had a doozy of a hill in the middle, HOLLAR!!!!!!! Needless to say I am pretty stoked about todays 11:49 average pace. Short runs are getting easier, which os good because they are supposed to be easy runs. I procrastinated/got busy/didn't feel great so I have to cram all my runs into the end of the week. Good week it is an easy week, only 2 more 5 milers. I might just try to see if I can beat 11:49! To put things into perspective, my pace for a sub 5 marathon needs to be 11:26/mi. Although 5 miles is nothing compared to 26.2, I am getting closer to my goal pace, and that is a great start!!!!!!

Today is a big day, my SPAM lovin' Dad's birthday, so I made an AMAZING ice cream pie. If death by chocolate exists, that sinful tin of dark chocolate terror is sitting in our freezer. I'll make sure to post pictures & recipe once we cut into the little devil.

To celebrate his birthday, mom and I went and got our toes done. OK, we are actually taking him to a pub in town, but we wanted to look good for him, yes? While they were grinding off the calluses and blisters from miles of running, I got to thinking about if lady runners get their toes done or if I am just wasting money. I get french tips, and they usually they look pretty haggard after a week, but I know how to touch them up at home. Does getting rid of the dead skin get rid of precious cushioning? I always have them cut them short so they don't put holes in my socks as fast. Then I got to thinking about black toenails. I have been blessed; 2 marathons and I've never had toenail issues. I have decided that if that day did come, I would just polish it dark red so no one would know. But I think I would do it at home instead of submitting some poor vietnamese man to that level of nasty.

Foot hygiene: as a runner, do you just keep them blister free or do you try to keep them pretty too?

Just Rip and Tear your way to CRAZY TASTY TOWN!

Living most of my life in California, spam has never been a dietary staple. In fact, we never had it in the house until my mom married a Marine. My only memory of Spam is a camping trip where an aunt who grew up in Arkansas tried to pass it off as bacon. OH THE HUMANITY!!!!!!!!

But, needless to say, my step dad grew up on a ranch and was a career Marine so he has an affinity for this peculiar processed pork product. Which means we ALWAYS have spam in the house. In spam's defense, the ingredient list is more simple than most things people eat in a typical day (only 7 items) and I can pronounce everyone and have a vague idea of why it is on the list.

I wasn't looking to mock the meat wonder, I just wanted to look at the Spam Single package because it was so foreign and interesting to me. I was not prepared for the poetry of the packaging. You are in for quiet a treat. Behold, the Spam Single Pouch!

Source

That's right... destination Crazy Tasty Town.

If it was a foreign product, I would think that this poetic packaging is just bad Engrish or something lost in translation. But it's not. It is made by Hormel in the good ol' USA.

The back of the packaging is where the real gems lie. At the top of the package is the dotted line where you rip and tear your way to tasty town with insightful instructions:


"A solid line would say 'NO! DO NOT CROSS!' but this one is dotted. Feel free to enter"

Alright, enter we will! Thanks for the clarification

Not sure how to prepare this pre-cooked gourmet masterpiece? I wasn't sure either because the baking instructions read:


"TO BAKE: Use your oven, turn the appropriate knobs, and bake at 475 for 10 minutes"

Crap! Our oven doesn't have knobs! I guess I will just have to use the microwave to "Nuke it until SPAM is good and hot"

I didn't bother reading the nutritional information because someone in my family actually eats this stuff and I don't want to be seriously concerned for their health.

Source

Now this is where the best stuff lies. introducing the SPAM Idea o'Wheel. Not sure what to do with your SPAM single? Hormel suggests you "make a necklace" by threading a ribbon through the hole at the top of package and wearing it around you neck, like flava-flav. Our packages at home also suggest that you buy the larger can of SPAM because "4x the SPAM means quadruple the flavor". The judges are still out on that one.

And for the grand finale, I saved the best for last. Here is the insightful prose to the left of the Idea o'Wheel, the "Meaning of SPAM singles":

"Isn't this the most easy and convenient SPAM ever? SPAM singles are already cooked. This might just blow your mind. For your own safety, stop thinking about how easy SPAM Singles will make your life. It's time to enjoy. Take another bite and throw your head back and think wonderful thoughts of faraway places while you chew. Like a magical SPAM castle in the sky and what a delicious and convenient visit you'd have. This is the meaning of SPAM singles."

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Now go buy a SPAM single and put it on your coffee table as a conversation piece.

Everything Else Moorea

Beside tempt fate with shark and raw fish, we did a less risky tourist things as well.

Sunset from the overwater bungalows at the Hilton.

Unlike everyone else who lives in California, I have never been to Hawaii or other tropical island, so of course I had to do a polynesian dinner show! We chose the Fire dancing show at the Hilton because a) it was about $50 cheaper than the tiki village show, b) bbq dinner with a menu we both could agree on for the price (probably around $70pp), and c) it was at the Hilton and we wanted to crash a 5 star party. It was a really good choice. The food was amazing and the dessert bar made me feel like I had died and gone to heaven!!!! The pastry chef there was amazing. I had 5 little bite sized desserts, including a 3 bite creme brulee and a weird vanilla foam thing. I didn't have one thing I didn't love.

I bet these guys are a ton of fun to party with!

After all that good food, we were front row for an amazing show! These people love to perform. After the show they let you come up and take pictures with you. They are so happy, laughing and having a great time. I wish I spoke french so I could have had an intelligent conversation.

They asked me to come up and being the awkward tourist trying to shake my hips, but since I had on really tall shoes that I had never worn before, I passed. Good thing, because they picked the lady sitting behind us and she could dance really well.

Not sure I would be down with this

They did the fire part of the show outside, and it was pretty awesome too. Hard to see because I didn't bring my glasses and had to stand on a chair to see over all the cameras people were holding up, but still awesome.

Another night we did happy hour at Hotel Hibiscus, where they had a great singer/guitar pair. It started with Tahitian music, but then she started taking requests and did popular french songs. Everyone was having such a good time they started doing audience participation songs, some of which I remembered from French 1 my freshman year of high school. Win! She even sang a song in English and dedicated it to us. Such a fun night!

If you ever make your way to Moorea, make sure to go to the lookout. We rented a car one rainy day so I could go buy my pearls, we go go to a dinner show, and to see the island. The views are amazing, especially on a clear day. On the way home from the lookout, we stopped at the juice factory. Probably the biggest inside joke on the island. Thinking we are going to get to try all these yummy juice drinks made fresh, it ended out they only wanted to serve us alcoholic drinks. Pre-mixed cocktails, rums, liqueur, and something that tasted like moonshine. Only one taste of pineapple juice at the end. Fun, but definitely not what were were expecting. No one wants a DUI in a foreign country.

View from a trail just above our resort

Before we left we took a hike to get an overview of the private Motu where we had been snorkeling and to capture the breathtaking beauty of the island. I would totally come back here!

Sharks, Rays, and Reefs, oh my!

After watching Ali and Roberto's date to a heart shaped island last summer where they swam with Rays, I have made it my life mission that I will cuddle up with those majestic creatures. This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. The rays are so beautiful. So curious and graceful. Not the type that killed Steve Irwin, btw. Apparently those rays aren't the ones that are safe to swim with.

Rays off the side of the boat. I'm told rays are flat sharks.

"My mom is gonna freak out when she see this!"

Locals thought it was hilarious I could not tan. Serge was so awesome the picture goes up anyways. 

While visiting the rays, a shiver of black tip reef sharks gave us a visit. Sharks seem more afraid of people than we are of them. Our guide, Serge, was absolutely amazing, a local fisherman/marine biologist who works to preserve the reef and maintain the marine sanctuary that provided us with amazing snorkeling. The reef is so pristine, it is like you are swimming in an aquarium! In addition to the ray experience, he also taught us a lot about the reef and everything living in it. He runs his operation through Hotel Hibiscus, only does small groups (ours was private because we went early in the AM before anyone else has signed up), and is very reasonably priced. Just in case you ever find yourself in Moorea looking for a ray guy.

Clockwise from top right: tuna tartar, tuna sashimi, poission cru, and Moorea salad

Hotel Hibiscus ended up being a surprise gem. I enjoyed the food, and they had a lot to offer people with a variety of tastes. I pretty much ate fish the whole time, and my favorite was a appetizer that had the local speciality "Poisson Cru", tuna tartar, tuna sashimi, and Moorea Salad (fruit, shrimp, coconut milk).  The bar manager Hoania was super hospitable and fun. We ended up going to the beach with his wife Eve and daughter and inviting them back to the villa for Jacuzzi, dinner and drinks. They were so much fun! It is amazing the people you meet on vacation, and I hope they can come visit one day! The hotel restaurant also does wood-oven pizza, which we had on the beach for lunch one day.

Moorea is a such an amazing place. The snorkeling off the motu (little island) was amazing; we saw more rays, tons of super friendly and colorful fish, and even an eel. The fish came right up to your mask and were vibrant and plentiful. I can't imagine a more perfect island to vacation on.

Only one more post about Moorea. Then we can move on to less exotic things, like 60 day bachelorette shape-up and the bucket list!

Sugar-Busting Goal

My goal this week: no sugar after dinner. Godiva will go into hiding and I am going to be STRONG. When I get to Boston, I want to look like a runner. All this hard work should be paying off in the form of a hard body. As much as I would LOVE to eat back the 1500 somewhat calories I am going to burn today on my run (which I am SUPER good at... eating... not running). I think I can do it, and I am going to take it one day at a time. I'm going to tell JF and I know will keep me accountable. I am thinking he is going to rejoice in the opportunity to tell me no and deprive me of my most favorite thing :)

This morning was a coffee morning since we had guests for breakfast. I made french toast with a baguette, topped with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar. It is my favorite breakfast I have made in a long time, it was so pretty! What I love about coffee is that it makes me feel like I am wearing a jet pack. I can just go and go and go! And studies have shown caffeine to be good for distance running. I love the euphoric feeling it gives me without the side effects of a cocaine addiction.

There are three things that are totally therapeutic for me: reading, cooking, and running. I am such a geek, I would much rather read a book than watch TV (except when The Bachelor is on, of course). Cooking, especially for the enjoyment of others, just makes me feel grounded. I think this might be redeeming factor in motherhood. And running helps keep my self-esteem balanced and my eating habits in check. Running is the only thing that keeps me healthy. It is my lifeline to a healthy lifestyle. If I couldn't run, I seriously don't know what I would do. This is one of the big reasons I am easily frightened by injuries. It is the one thing I have some control over. Until I can learn to control my eating habits, I have to be able to run.

100th post: February Recap

I have finally reached my 100th post. Hooray!

I am so happy that I made it to 100, especially after Google temporarily deleted my account earlier this week. And what better way to celebrate my centennial post than with a training recap!

My 2011 training journey has brought me all the they across the bay area to Cupertino, home of the aforementioned company that almost destroyed my blogging dreams and email archives. This is also how far JF drives once a week to go to school. If I had to drive 90.75 miles to school once I week, I don't think I would be getting my Masters this month. What a trooper!

February racked up 49.25 miles. I wish I didn't miss the training run that would have brought me past 50 miles, but I am just going to use that as motivation in March. February brought good things: Boston Marathon entry, more miles, and  double digit long runs. Unfortunately, it also brought on weight gain, half of what I lost in January gained back. I think the stress of work/school is leading me to develop TERRIBLE eating habits, and I am looking for a diet that will make me a better, healthier runner. I am a terrible dieter, but I am in need of an intervention for my hamburger and sugar addiction.

Ever had success with a diet? Know anyone who has found a healthy diet that supports a marathon training schedule? Got any advice on how to break my sugar addiction?

Off for more Godiva to celebrate my 3 miles run in March. Lol.

Attack of the Allergies

So, while running yesterday I thought about all the cute little flowers and pretty little trees all abloom, and wondered when I would be under full allergy assault. It only took a few hours to find out the answer of that question. After a night of fever sweats and a super groggy am, it become clear my sinuses are in a loosing battle. Every spring, we go through the same thing. They say if you've never had allergies, move to Northern California, and then you will. Never had them in LA or Boston, but man, do I get them here! Typically, I try to tough it out, and usually get a sinus infection that knocks me out BAD. Last year earned me chest x-rays, allergic reactions to medications, and almost a trip to the ER, so this year my goals is to play it safe. The year before that I was chronically sick for the entire spring season. No good.

So, no 10 miles today. Sad to already start missing long runs. But maybe I'll make it up midweek. I need to beat 15.5 miles this week! (Hear that dreadmill? I'm coming for you!)

Instead, I decided to sleep it off. And go grocery shopping while there was still bread and milk on the shelves. Gotta love a Sunday.

A few years back I was pretty stoked to create my quick fish tacos recipe from breaded fish fillets in the freezer section. Recently, I am proud of my recent creation of BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. Although I am an avid reader of Food and Wine and love to get down with all my Cuisinart and Kitchen-Aid gadgets to create moments of culinary bliss, I can't get my cook on as much as I'd like because I'm a workin' girl doing grad school on the side. So although that recipe to make gnocchi with homemade ricotta sounds heavenly, it just isn't in the schedule. (who has time to make homemade ricotta? Seriously!).

It started as a solution for a leftover rotisserie chicken special. I had half a chicken and wanted to do something tasty with it. It took about 5 minutes to shred the chicken off the bone, and another ten to reheat it in a skillet with some BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's). Sauté some onions on the side and throw it on a sandwich roll, and you've got something as good as the local BBQ joint can whip up. You really don't need cheese on them like the photo above, there is already enough flavor. Now I buy chickens solely for this purpose. You could probably make 3 sandwiches with half a chicken, although we have no concept of portion control and just use all the meat on two. The sandwiches are always too big, but I will never learn. Making this at home instead of buying the tub of Lloyd's bbq chicken from the deli section has less sodium, no preservatives, and less fat because it using both white and dark meat.

I love cooking and miss having time to tool around in the kitchen. I already have my first culinary endeavors planned: The weekend I finish my masters I am going to make a grasshopper pie (with homemade mint dark-chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cookie crust, and chocolate ganache topping) and Guinness Ice Cream on St. Patty's day. The pie is to celebrate Pi day March 14 (I'm such a math geek). The weekend after that, I'll be making seared ahi for my Mom and some other asian fusion dish. I'll probably make her some homemade orange juice and omelets for breakfast. I have been really into fresh squeezed orange juice lately, even though I have never been a big fan in the past. Maybe I'll make a lemon sorbet as well. Just thinking of all the yummy things I am going to make makes me excited. I wish I had more people to eat up my creations!

Dreadmill, I am taking you down

Time is slipping away in a black hole today, I tell ya. Late night at work so another round on the treadmill that went amazingly well, despite the initial nausea from eating truffles as I walked over to the gym. I decided to do my speed intervals on the treadmill since it was dark outside, and it made the time fly! I did 3 miles and then some upper body weights, and broke the intervals down like so (1 lap=quarter mile):

Lap 1: Walk warm-up

Lap 2: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 3: Faster Jog (6 mph) (Wanting to barf up Truffles)

Lap 4: Jog (5 mph) (Still wanting to up chuck expensive chocolate)

Lap 5: Run (6.5 mph) )Ok...stomache pains are passing)

Lap 6: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 7: Run (6.5 mph) (I was scared of getting tired. What a baby I am)

Lap 8: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 9: Run (7 mph) (Less scared)

Lap 10: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 11: Run (7 mph) (Realized it wasn't scary at all)

Lap 12: Jog (5 mph)

Lap 13: Run (8 mph) (Getting ballsy!)

Lap 14: Jog/Cool Down (exhausted)

Pretty much the best treadmill workout. Ever. Although, I am starting to question the brilliance of eating chocolates on the way to the gym for energy. What is a girl to do when Godiva doesn't make energy bars? Don't say chocolate Clif-shots or other gels. NASTY!!!!!!! It simply isn't the same. Perhaps I have a sugar dependancy? (Godiva, are you reading this? Make me an energy bar! Stop sending my boyfriend crates of chocolates! I can only run so far!)

Have you had any good treadmill workouts? How do you make the great indoors work for you? Have you ever seen a Godiva energy bar?

Good Things are Back!

I haven't done goo things for a long time, but waking up feeling great after a crummy night, I thought I should should put these warm fuzzy feelings down before I gets the grumps again.

The first good thing is that this week I taught to the top of class, and I feel really good about it. Usually I teach to the middle/low middle because majority of my students are low achievers (this class is kinda remedial). Now realize that I have really high expectations for all my students, regardless of "achievement level", and this has earned me the reputation of being a really hard teacher. But this week, I stuck to my guns, assigned a lot of really hard problems, and had real surprises on who stepped up to plate. C students from last semester really ate up the properties of radicals, which just tickled my fancy. Higher homework attempt rate, more questions about difficult problems. Although we bomb the formative assessment on radicals miserably yesterday, I am really proud of the effort that some of my students are putting in.

The second good thing is kinda shallow, but I love my new eyeliner. It is the best eyeliner I have ever worn. Goes on beautifully, doesn't have to be sharpened, has a little smudger on the end, and wears amazingly. Thanks Dad for always giving the perfect Christmas presents (I am sure with a little help from Mom).

Also good: the copiuos amounts of Godiva chocolate sitting on my kitchen counter. Hundreds of dollars worth. Godiva stopped by JF's winery this week and gave him a ton of treats to show their appreciation. Chocolate bars, truffles, cookies, belgian chocolates, and tons of other stuff. I have been really good to not devour it all in one day. I fact, I am still feeling great about my new workout plan and can already start to feel and see the results. Mom's advice: get the chocolate out of the house. It is only going to make me sad when it is time to go to Tahiti. Too bad I don't have a more popular blog...I could be giving this stuff away as give-a-ways!

The final good thing is seeing friends two weeks in a row. I am so tired/stressed out from Grad school, but it is so worth it to see my lady Maggie. Only 7 more weeks of Grad School. Maybe the longest 7 weeks of my life, but it is less than 2 months, which is fantastic.

Here's hoping you have a fantastic weekend. Although I am not a very religious person, I would appreciate you keep friends of mine in your thoughts and prayers. Their pup is pretty sick and we want to send him on the path of speedy recovery. What a good thing it will be to post about his recovery :)

Cravings

Workouts: Cross-training hike: 8 miles/1000 ft elevation gain. 3:11 with breaks. Lots of trail runners out there, bless them!

Today I am craving this:

and this:

Probably because they both remind me of our recent DC trip when I ate oysters and drank Irish coffees, and had the most amazing time with JF. Having neither at home, I decided on a hot chocolate with Baileys to go with my chocolate fro-yo dinner. Yes, I plan of logging 6 miles tomorrow if my legs don't hurt in the AM from the hike. Hopefully the Bailey's will help me loosen up from stretching.

Is there any advice out there about stretching under the influence? Do you stretch better after a drink or two? Or is it a recipe for disaster. All you MD's who follow my blog can weigh in any time ;)

I'll leave you with this image, brought to you because the lovely Maggie brought it to me for our post hike feast of tuna melts, grapes, and the finest cheese in northern California, and maybe the world. Humboldt Fog, my absolute favorite and a must buy if you are a lover of cheese:

What are you craving?

Jello Mousse

I dedicate this post to yummy Jello mousse. While in DC, I saw tons of commercials for these tasty little things, so I promised myself I would pick up a pack to treat myself when I got back to Cali. I love chocolate. I love pudding. And now I love Jello mousse. And, they are only 60 calories, so they are my new after dinner treat to break the candy feast that occurs after dinner every night. Let's just see how well that works, because right now I am about to break into the See's candy I hid in the freezer. What can I say, I am weak. (Jello, send me an endorsement check at any time. A case of chocolate jello will call it even).

Speaking of DC, it really threw a wrench into the training schedule. We walked nearly everywhere, some days covering well over 10 miles. Some days my legs were so sore, I didn't make it up to the little hotel gym that did not have a treadmill. But, they had an elliptical and nice free weights, so one day I took advantage of that. After this trip, I really admire people who make their fitness happen when they are traveling. For me, travel + exercise = epic fail. Poor garmin... gathering dust already.

I have decided to start the week off right with 3 miles on the treadmill (30:00 min), 30 minutes on the elliptical (it told me I "ran" another 3 miles) and upper body weights. I am a baby and will not run outside when it is cold. I HATE being cold. As I pumped away on the elliptical, trying to work off some stress, I wondered what the miles you log on an elliptical are really worth. I always feel like I work harder on the elliptical, even though I log the same time and distance as the treadmill.

Oh, and I saw someone fall off a treadmill for the first time today. Even funnier in real life than it is on TV. (Don't worry, the only thing he hurt was his pride).

Things to look forward to this week: the official end of college football season, a professional development day at work to help me get back into the swing of things, and hopefully logging some modest miles and cross training. I hope to do a recap of the week to be proud of! Now the house is organized and my healthy meals/lunches are packed neatly in the fridge, I have high hopes for being good this week.

So in Love...

Todays Workout: 3.5 miles @ 10:39 pace. My first run with the garmin. The second half of my run was faster probably because I eventually focused on running and not checking my wrist every 5 seconds to check my pace and distance. This thing rocks. I am in love.

Good news: the Garmin is already helping me run faster by making me more aware of my pace. I also think my paces will be more accurate now I am not basing it off google maps. I've run more in the last week than I did in all of November!

Bad news: I am slow, lazy, and out of shape. I finally got on a scale and discovered I have packed on 10 pounds since I started teaching. Pretty sure most of it was done in the last 2 months since the marathon. Yikes. I am way slower and my stamina is way down. Better take these lemons and make some new years resolutions out of them (or limoncello, whatever works). And stop eating cookies and gravy with every meal. Sad news, I know.

Although I was tasked with thinking of a name for the Garmin during today's run, I was too busy messing around with the settings, adjusting the wrist so it wasn't so annoy (still annoyed, btw), or thinking about those 10 lbs. I knew I was packing them on, estimated it was around 10, but I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised by only seeing a difference of 8 on the scale this morning. I have passed the point I swore I would stay under unless I was pregnant or something (I am NOT pregnant, btw), so I am very disappointed with myself today. This makes for a lot of work before Tahiti. Sigh.

Weight gain is a slippery slope. A pound here, a few pounds there, and before you know it your doctor is telling you that you are medically overweight and pre-obesity. People tell you it isn't a big deal and that you look fine. Many people won't say anything to someone when they are starting to put weight on because they do not want to impose society's bias about what is a healthy body type. We combat the pressure to be ultra-thin by looking away when someone is starting to stray away from a healthy body type. I am not about to tell anyone they look like they are gaining weight. I am afraid to hurt their feelings, send them into a spiral of depression, etc. I will try my best not to enable poor choices and try to make it easier for them to make healthy choices when they are around me, but let's face it, these are the same people that are enabling me to indulge in my guilty pleasures, so most of the time I am of no help to them or to myself. Long story short, you are the only person who can be on top of this, you can't blame others for your unhealthy habits, and you can't depend on anyone but yourself to make change happen.

I originally wanted to write a post about why boyfriends make you fat. But then I realized he could just change "boyfriends" to "girlfriends" to make it about what I do to him. I can't blame the BF for the past 6 months of weight gain (although, I had never had a double stack from Wendy's until I met him). As I ran today and thought about those 10 little devils jiggling all over, I thought about sitting on that exam table, hearing the words "pre-obesity" and promised myself to make better choices. Not in 2011, but now. I know my blood sugar counts are wacky and put me at risk for diabetes, and I really need to stay on top of my fitness. So, off to sushi I go with my mama to get the most out of the 414 calories garmin told me I burned today. That goes a long way on a sashimi platter!

I was on the good list

Guess who is officially part of the Garmin cult!!!!!!!! Training just got a little more intense. I'll need that to balance all the baked goodies I am going to be making with my new kitchen gadgets (omg, they are so amazing....I can't believe what my mother bought me!). Looks like last summer cooking for the family is going is getting me a fully stocked gourmet chef's kitchen in no time. Summer is going to be dangerous folks!

I can't wait to post my first run with the Garmin (pet name for this little sucker coming soon) and inundate you with over-analysis of every step I take outside the house. You know you are excited (or about to stop following me, it can go either way).

Here's hoping that santa brought you lovely goodies and that your day with blessed with the love of family and friends. Merry Christmas!

Gravy Pooch

Guys make it so hard to get in shape/stay in shape. I need no encouragement when it comes to putting down a Chipotle burrito or a superstar with cheese. At the holidays, my idea of helping clear the table is to sit after everyone has left and keep eating until every serving dish is empty. After holidays with the fam, I usually need to do a gravy detox to wean myself off of the 3 gravy meals a day habit I pick up courtesy of my loving family. It nearly killed me yesterday to order the boring BBQ chicken sandwich at Carls (380 calories, 7 grams of fat) when the BF (not to be confused with the bestie...I don't think she would torture me like this) orders a double bacon western cheeseburger (962 calories, 52 grams of fat). How is it that men just don't store fat like women do? I had burger envy like whoa. At least he shared some of his fries. Way to be a pal....

So, per doctor's orders, I am on low impact cross training until next Monday, when I am allowed to run a whopping 2 miles. This. Is. Killing. Me. I have no idea how runners do even crazier things like water running. So boring. This morning I did 30 on the elliptical and 15 doing arm/back weights. I will say, I am very happy that I don't have to use the Superfeet insoles. They just felt weird.

Also, no more Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks. They really need to stop putting crack in them. And no more impulse buys at the supermarket. How the hell do I come home with Bolani and Afghani spread, crab and brie mac and cheese, and a dark porter stout. No one runs enough to justify that dinner.

Sangria and Cupcakes :)

Tonight I made the farewell feast: Seared Ahi, seaweed salad, squid salad, edamame, crab rangoon, Miso soup, and Lemon sorbet. This is the last night I am able to cook before the the great transition. Eating out from here on out (hello unnecessary weight gain!). I had to finish the sangria as well, or it would go down the drain. Who knew sangria paired so well with Ahi? Score!

Two thoughts for today. Had a great run this morning. Took random country roads and stumbled across some ridiculously huge houses. It is so refreshing to mix up the running routes, as well as imagine myself living in these unnecessarily large wine country chateaus. The standards for future relationships might be based on the square footage of the homes I ran by today, just saying. But honestly, the hills, the adventure of not knowing where I was going, the cool overcast morning, it all just came together. I really hope I can keep this up throughout the week so I can back on my training schedule. I was little worried about having enough gusto for the run, since I hadn't had breakfast, so I ate a chocolate cupcake before my run. I don't know if that is good practice, but it sure made for a heck of a run. I freakin' love chocolate cupcakes! They taste so much better than gels, and frosting really helps you go the extra mile!

Second thought: I didn't watch the Bachelorette Guys Tell All episode. Yes, I am totally addicted to the Bachelorette. I completed an application to be on the next bachelor, but never could bring myself to hit the submit button (not sure if I could hoe myself out quite like Ali did). But I didn't want to hear the guys talk trash on each other. Sadly, I watch the show because I have recently become obsessed with this idea of true love and marriage. But I would never last more than an episode on those crazy reality dating shows. Cameras have never been part of my vision on finding love, nor has been getting fresh so mom and grandma can watch on prime time. GROSS!!!!!! Anyways, I doubt I even know what love really is. Even if it slapped me in the face, I probably wouldn't know what hit me.

It all feed into something bigger. Watched Valentines Day the other night and didn't care for it. Even my stepdad (the Marine) said it was alright, but me, I would have rather drank a bottle gin myself and passed out (metaphorically, or course?). Even How I Met Your Mother is getting on my nerves. After the season finally on the Bachelorette (read: obsessive addiction, thanks Melissa), I think I might give up on all things related to love for a while. I just can't take it, it makes me irritable. And ask anyone who knows me, irritable is NOT GOOD. So, next Monday, after I move into my new apartment and don't have cable yet, I'll have to go to the gym for two hours to run on the treadmill so I can watch the Bachelorette season finale. Oh, the lengths I will go for the Bachelorette. It will be my final indulgence in love, but I won't feel guilty because I am going to burn about 1200 calories. Booyah!

Here is a final thought to leave you with. Going to dinner with a boyfriend from the past tomorrow. He picked the place, and it is spot on. Is this a good idea or bad? Hmmm.....

(wonder if he reads this, lol)

So Many Good Things

Oh, July, you have been so good to me. Teaching jobs, fun part time summer jobs, tons of time to cook. There is so much to be thankful this week:

Pouring wine on weekends is going to be a blast. I am very excited to get out of the house, get to know more about the wine industry ( hopefully I can remember everything I learned at Chico 5 years ago) and meet lots of fun, slightly intoxicated people. Who knows? Maybe this experience will pave the path to a part time pouring gig at a winery in Napa, where I will be swept away by the handsome, charming, successful man of my dreams :)

My recent culinary quests have been fantastic! Double chocolate ice cream and lemon sorbet have been my favorite endeavors with my brand new ice cream maker. I have refined my bruschetta recipe, adding roasted red peppers and a balsamic drizzle to make each tasty bite to die for. The salmon burgers were pretty tasty too! Mom and I had a dinner party with fresh flowers on the patio. It was a perfect night!

I also have a great lead on a Napa condo. Great price, good location, with all the upgrades. Let's hope it is big enough for all my stuff and not too good to be true! Making the trek north Monday and Tuesday, hoping that I will come back with a signed lease and the perfect place to live.

Here's looking forward to another amazing week full of lots of wonderful things. I never want this good luck spree to end!