Where's the Beach?

Resting Last night I set out all my running gear and set the alarm for 5am for my typical Thursday morning run. When the alarm went off, I automatically got up and stumbled into the bathroom to change. My hips were sore (mostly left side and not sure what's going on there), my legs heavy, and my heart just not into this morning. I went back to bed sort of feeling a bit guilty for not getting out there and getting it done. Also started thinking about how not running was going to throw off my schedule workouts for the rest of the week. I never really even fell back asleep, just dozed. But you know what, that's what I needed. So no morning run for me. I'll either get a run in tomorrow morning or maybe do something crazy insane like speed work on the dreadmill. At least it's air conditioned at the gym...well, sort of. It gets pretty freaking hot since the treadmills are up in the windows basking in radiant heat. Baking & Grilling Looking at the upside, I had som

Good Workout - Biceps & Spin So I'm a big fat liar. Just putting that out there. Today I decided to do biceps before spin. Yes, there's the lie. Yesterday I said no spin for today. Of course, I was being slightly irrational because my legs felt like lead weights. Never listen to someone when they make declarations in moments of weakness - just sayin'. I knew that I would have time to get there before class and hit at least one muscle group. I've been wanting to add drop sets back into my workouts for a week or so. It makes for a quick workout, but an effective one. I warmed up on the elliptical for 5 minutes just to get the blood pumping, then hit the weights. Hammer curls - 3x10 Dumbbell curls - 6,8,10 (decreasing weight with each increase in rep and with no rest between) Cross-body curls - 2x8 It was great working only one muscle group to be honest. Totally focused on just the biceps and felt fairly strong even through the drop sets (which are always de

No Two on Tuesday 5 am came way too fast for me this morning. Jason and I were planning on what has become our typical Tuesday morning run. There was a slight chance of rain, and I was actually hoping to be woken by thunder perhaps so I could call off the run without guilt. Alas, no rain. But thanks to the chance, the humidity was insane. It was already 85 degrees when we hit the pavement at 5:45. There was no breeze to help out with the humidity factor either. I absolutely could not stop sweating. I looked like I had just stepped out of the pool within the first 5 minutes of the run. My legs were insanely heavy. At 2 miles in, I really thought I might cut it short for a 4-miler. But I kept on going and things seemed to click for a while. It wasn't easy peasy mind you, but I was bopping right along totally zoning out. Then my hips started to get tighter and tighter. The last half mile was fairly brutal as the wind decided to kick up. Oh now we get wind. It felt good on the sk

Sunday Grilling We had a great time with our friends playing around in the pool yesterday afternoon. They brought their 13-year old son plus tons of pool toys like beach balls and a blow-up basketball hoop. There was a nice breeze so it really wasn't overwhelmingly hot, despite the fact that it was close to 100 degrees. That's what pools are made for though right? I had made Strawberry Salsa and Seitan cutlets first thing in the mornings to use for dinner. It was too nice out not to grill. I have been wanting to try to recreate a salad that our friends (the ones we visited in Florida) have made for me several times. It has green beans, potatoes, artichokes, and romaine lettuce. I think the dressing is a combo of Dijon, olive oil, and lemon juice, perhaps garlic. I decided to try to make my own grilled version. Grilled Green Bean, Potato & Artichoke Salad Ingredients: Salad: 5-6 red new potatoes (depending on size), cubed Fresh green beans, just to desired amount

Baking Night Yesterday was a nice, relaxing day. We enjoyed pizza for dinner since we didn't get to have our normal Pizza Friday. I think I may have a pizza addiction perhaps. Do they have groups for people like me? Last night I ended up playing around with the base recipe from the fabulous Kristina (spabettie) for Garbonzo Cookie Balls . I have made a version using cranberries and another using vegan chocolate chips. She recently made a Mint Chocolate chip version that got us into a little chat about other awesome flavor combos. So, last night I decided to play around a little bit. I think I kind of upset Jason because we were supposed to play pool. Instead I was wanting to bake. We had just finished watching What Happens in Vegas and I was a little antsy. The oven was still fairy warm from the pizza, and I thought I could make the cookies quickly. I know he gets annoyed with me sometimes for just not being able to stop going, doing, thinking. But, back to the cookies. I

Date Night Recap While we didn't have Pizza Friday last night, we did have Date Night. Totally made up for the lack of pizza I promise. There was an Arts Center event that we wanted to go to - it was a big bash to close out the Impressionist exhibit. They went all out with local radio station DJs, champagne cocktails, and can-can dancers (well, they looked more like hookers, but we just won't go there). Anyway, we decided to use the event as an excuse to do an official date night. It's been a long time since we've had one actually. We didn't go eat anywhere fancy or pricy though. We did get a little bit dressed up and hit one of our favorite hangouts, Dugan's Pub. We had a discount card there so that helped the decision a bit. Plus, it's fairly close to the Arts Center. We're really classy you see: pub before artsy fartsy event ;-)   After dinner, we headed over to the main event. It was beyond packed. It literally took 30 minutes to get a cocktail.

We finally made it to Friday. Even better? It's a rest day for me too. Though, I was up before the sun because someone (ahem the hubby) decided randomly to finally go to swim....on a Friday morning...after we've gotten up and run in the dawn hours twice this week. I'm just joking really. I'm glad he hit the swim class. It's something he always enjoyed - enough to get out of bed by 5 am three days a week! Neither of us are really morning people so it's gotta be something we REALLY want to do to get up and out before the sun is up. This morning, on the short little drive to work, the DJs were having people call in with some of their most unusual quirks. I thought that would make for a fun Fun Facts Friday list. We ALL have those little oddities that make us who we are right? Oh, yes, no denying that one. So today we've got Fun Facts Fridays - Quirks : Horrible habit of picking cuticles Obsessed with license plate expiration dates - can spot an out-of-dat

Two on Thursday Running  This morning it was a little tougher peeling ourselves out of bed for a morning run. I think as the week progresses and workouts have added up, my body starts to talk to me a little more, protests a little more. But I really wanted to get in a run this morning since there is a chance of rain tomorrow morning. It was about 10 degrees cooler this morning over Tuesday, but the humidity was still nice and high and almost no breeze. So somehow, by the end, it may as well have been 85 degrees. I couldn't stop sweating - nice visual right ;-) Jason and I did the first mile together, then he made a stop while I continued on and later caught back up with him. This worked out just fine because while I'd love to run the whole time with him, I wanted to put in more miles and he's trying to build his miles back up. I don't want him to hurt himself going too far too soon (thought he's been doing 4-5 miles not trivial). Normally when I'm solo I

More Spinning Today was a spin day for me. I've really been enjoying alternating the spin and run days. The only downfall, is that I'm having a hard time fitting in my weights unless I do a two-a-day. While two-a-days are ok, I know I can't do them all the time. I'm already burning out on them. And of course I don't have to run 3 days or do spin 2 days. It's just that I'm enjoying those things a lot right now so that makes me want to do them. On the flip side, I still love my weights. I know that there is always talk about lifting and cardio. I want the two to go together so badly, but can they ? More Pineapple Salsa Since we made a larger than usual batch of the Pineapple Salsa , I have been trying to think of different ways to use it - going for creativity. I thought that the spicy/sweet combo of the salsa might go really well with a blackened seasoning. I've been craving my Blackened Seitan recently. So, last night I made some Blackened Sei

Mopey Monday Apology  I wanted to back up to yesterday's post just a minute. I think I may have come across as super negative. I know Monday's typically stink for most people - no one wants the weekend to end. Also, we all have "those" kinds of days when shit happens (over and over). I hope I conveyed that I tried to turn the day around though. I probably should have put more emphasis on the fact that while all the crap was happening, I really, truly do try to remember to be thankful. So I sent out an email to the wrong person, in the end it was no big deal. Projects crumble all the time; I still have a job. I am super luck to work for a great company and boss. I was a klutz, but I didn't break anything, unlike a friend who broke her toe this morning. I was able to go to spin class - I am physically capable and have the financial means that allow me to belong to a gym period. Some of you lost loved ones yesterday or mourned the loss of a loved one (annive

Spinning Monday Well, today was certainly a Monday all the way around. It's one of those days you could easily forget, with the exception of mishaps. I felt like the clumsiest person from the get go. Oh, and Note To Self moment: check the wind gusts before opting for a dress that may or may not billow out or fly up. Just sayin'. I also got dumped by my running partner already. I swear I wasn't pushing to go too fast. Sigh. Actually, he's enjoying weights right now, which I can totally respect. Things weren't going quite as planned at work either. You know fun stuff like sending emails to the wrong people, test sites not working, a project so close to production that is suddenly not as client wanted. So it was just all around one of "those" days. What did help me today? Another sweaty noon spin class. Such a great way to refocus. It's hard to dwell on anything negative (other than your ass being kicked) when you're so focused on getting throu

Saturday Recap Well, I sort of failed on taking pictures of my friends Girls' Grilling Night. I will say it was a total blast though. Actually, all of yesterday was good. Jason, Sarah, and myself had lunch together at a fun artsy place called The Starving Artist Cafe . We had a gift certificate and thought it'd be fun to take Sarah someplace totally different. They didn't really have any appetizers, and we were starving. So, Sarah and I split a bowl of vegetarian minestrone soup. While it was rich in fantastic veggies, not so much in flavor. Not horrible, just a little bland. She had a chicken salad and I had their signature Starving Salad that came with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, olives, pepperoncini peppers, and onions. Jason got their salmon dish. After lunch, Sarah and I hit the mall. We both had some shopping luck (aka found some good deals). That's always fun of course. Totally made up for my shopping fail when I was on vacation. After the shopping, Jaso

Because I know you're all just so curious (lotsa sarcasm), after work yesterday I was beyond productive for a single hour. I made my Layered Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa Dip and Kalamata Hummus for a Girls' Grilling Night today. I also made pizza and washed the maniacs (aka Maddie and Heath). This morning I got up and out the door for my run. I really had hoped to get out closer to 7:30, but it's Saturday right? So, I hit the river trail at 8:15 for a super hot (it was already 82 degrees), super sweaty 7+ mile run. I am really happy with the mileage as it's the longest I've run in about 3 months. Overall, it was really a good run despite the heat and humidity. I was actually really thankful for the gusting wind that helped cool me down a bit. I was even more excited when I saw sprinklers going at one section of the route. Oh yes, totally veered off course to run through them. I did remember to take in a Gu at 40 minutes into the run and that really helped a

Fun Facts Friday - The Non-Movie Buff Can I get a high five or a "hell yes" for Friday Rest Day?! Definitely ready for the rest day today. I don't think I could have cranked out one more mile, lifted one more weight, or done one more standing climb (spin class). Heck, abs seem like too much work ;-) We don't really have anything special going on today. Just a typical Friday for us really. We're so exciting I know you're all jealous. Chances are we'll have Pizza Friday and maybe (but not likely) watch a movie. We did actually watch Phoebe in Wonderland last night. I really enjoyed that one. ...And this of course is my segue into Fun Facts Friday . "...it's Friday; you ain't got no job... and you ain't got shit to do." Ok, so that's not totally true at all, but it's one of the few movie quotes I know (from Friday ). I am not really a movie buff at all. I almost never remember the names of movies, let alone quotes - unle

Two on Thursday This morning started off checking off a to-enjoy list entry: morning run with hubby. Jason was not nearly as excited about the early morning run as I was. I think he fell asleep in the car on the way back home ;-) I got in just under 6 miles (5.9 to be exact; yes I like to be exact). It really was a great run again today, though the humidity was definitely up there and not a bit of a breeze to help out in the cooling department. But, everything just clicked. Then again, maybe I wasn't awake enough to know any better. During lunch, I was able to get my back workout done and some abs. I went with giant sets today of 2x8 and 1x10 Double-arm dumbbell row Pullover Rear flye Band work - lat pull downs - 2x12 I did abs from Cathe's Power Hour DVD. It was a pretty good workout, but I really wish I had a barbell at the house for barbell rows. I feel like I have better form and can lift heavier weights for underhand position. Oh, while I'm "wishing,&

Hectic Hump Day Holy hump day. This day turned out to be a crazy busy day for me at work and then lots of Plan B's taking place. I had anticipated hitting spin after work with my friend (it was on my to-enjoy list). I had also anticipated getting my hair done (also on to-enjoy list). What really happened was I had to reschedule my appointment and ended up hitting spin at lunch. Of course, the noon spin really helped me sort of regroup after a hectic, busy work morning. I am sure my boss was worried I might just go AWOL. So, it really did kind of work out for the best that I was able to get my sweat on earlier rather than later. The only downfall is that I had planned on having time before spin class to get in back today. That'll just have to be moved to tomorrow or Friday though. I can be flexible...sometimes. Hump Day Happy Hour (and Hubby cooking) I typically don't go out on a school night ever. But today was the exception. I worked until 5 then ended up meeting

Two on Tuesday This morning I manage to get in an early morning run. Even better? It was with Jason. I really have missed running with him. Even if we don't talk much, I enjoy just running together. The humidity was much lower this morning, so it actually felt quite nice out. I got just under 6 miles and it felt great. If I hadn't needed to get myself home and cleaned up for work, I think I would have gone on for another mile (thought Jason may have objected to that one). During lunch, I was able to get in a quick workout for biceps, triceps and abs. I went with supersets (as they're great for time crunched workouts): SS#1 - 3x6 Dumbbell curls Double-arm overhead triceps extension SS#2 3x8 Incline curls Lying triceps extensions SS#3 - 2x8, 1xTF Hammer curls Kickbacks I finished off with abs from Cathe's High Reps DVD . It was actually a pretty good workout; I felt fairly strong today. Love it when that happens. Summer Flavors I had thought about ma

Spinning Back to Normal I totally forgot to take pictures from last nights dinner night with our friends. She made enchiladas (including a vegetarian version for me). Everyone loved the Layered Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa Dip I brought. I will most definitely make this again for gatherings. Today I opted for the noon spin class and worked until 5. I really wanted to go with my friend (she was doing the 5:30 class), but I just didn't want a late evening on a Monday. I'll be honest, I was having kind of a blue day. Not sure why, just was a bit down. I was determined not to let it get the best of me and thought getting to spin mid-day may help me out a bit, kind of take my mind off of things and break up the day. And of course it did. It was a good class, and I was smiling at the end (with the exception of almost being hit in the crosswalk going back to my car). Grilling I can really close to doing another dish with pineapple, but decided to go with the corn on the cob

Pool Time Recap Yesterday we had a fabulous afternoon with some of our friends. We mostly just lounged in the pool all afternoon. Then we decided we were water logged so we snacked on some of this. It's hard to beat lots of fresh fruit on a hot summer day. The Black Bean & Corn Salsa and Kalamata Hummus were a big hit too, along with the Peanut Butter Cranberry Cookie Balls . Gym Time This morning I really had to fight off the urge to run rather than hit the gym. We had a front move through so it was only about 71 degrees at 7:30. But, I knew I really needed to hit the gym instead of trying another run. So, I procrastinated for a bit before making my way to the gym for shoulders, legs, and abs. I started with 10 minutes on the elliptical then did shoulders and legs as supersets of 3x8 unless noted. SS#1 Shoulder press Alternating rear lunges SS#2 Upright rows Plie with low-end pulse SS#3 Lateral raise Squats SS#4 Rear leg elevated lunges Calf r