Where's the Beach?

Do you ever have those days when it just all hits you - you're tired. Completely done in. You've been logging miles upon miles, increasing your weights during lifting workouts, cross-training, stretching, rolling out those muscle not to mention going to work, cooking, cleaning, etc. Um, that's a lot of hours being busy and active. After yesterday's tough morning run - it was a good run, but a hard one. It was definitely not a long slow day. The speed plus the humidity wiped me out. I knew right after that run that a rest day was in order. I mean not even a single thought of working out has crept into my mind. I don't even want to look at my yoga mat for stretching. Sometimes I forget to embrace my rest days. I forget to look forward to them and enjoy them. Then my body will quickly remind me to take time and relax, enjoy, rest and reap the benefits. So today, I'm enjoying and looking forward to fun, looking forward to rest, enjoying extra sleep. It'...

I have loved hearing the many things you guys are thankful for from yesterday's Thankful Thursday post. Sounds like many of us need that gentle reminder from time-to-time. Also, sometimes we need to step out of routine for the sake of our sanity. Last night we ended up meeting my friend after work for a very non-routine weekday happy hour. The weather was pleasant enough to sit out on the patio as well. She was celebrating her last day of work - today she is begins her new venture as a self-employed court reporter. I'll admit to some grumbling about going out after work. It was a long, tiring day. I was frustrated, fairly pissy, probably unpleasant to be around actually. But, in the end, I'm really glad we went. "C" definitely needed to celebrate this new change, and I needed to calm my butt down. And yes, sometimes beer might be necessary for that to happen. Just being honest. And speaking of honest, my brain is simply fried. I can't seem to come up wit...

Raise your hand if you're happy that it's Friday? I have both hands up in the air. It's Friday and it's a rest day for me. I actually slept until 5:40 this morning too. It's the little things right? Speaking of little things, and big things too really, lets talk about hills. A few weeks ago I was emailing with my friend Jolene about running, running routes, and hills. The next run, all I could do was think about our email chat and about hills. It's hard to avoid hills entirely unless you go to a track. So, as a runner, you have to learn to contend with them somehow. You either dread them and try to avoid them. Or you suck it up and stare them down and challenge them. Or you just try not to think about it. Like if you don't think too much, it won't be so bad. But all hills are not created equal. And they affect you so much differently depending on where you're at with your run. The first hill might not seem so bad. Silly me for being nervo...

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because of a crazy wild storm that ended up knocking out our power. It wasn't an exciting day exactly, well, maybe the storm part. Here's how it went down: I decided it would be safer to stay home again (and I'm sure my co-workers would agree). So more work from home. Which is mostly fine. I would love to work from home to be honest. However, I am just not properly set up to access everything I would normally need. I did get up for a morning run. It was about 74 degrees and the humidity seemed to be a little lower. Or maybe I'm just beyond noticing any longer. It was still dark when I set out for my run with the exception of the stars and lightening off in the distance. No rain of course. I wanted to just do an easy 4 miles. Not really pushing it. I did get negative splits, but kept the run fairly slow and taking a slightly easier route, meaning fewer hills. That's my version of being lazy ;-) It was a really pleasan...

Spaaaaaaa Today was a rest day for me. I definitely was ready for one too. And how do you top off a rest day? How about with a facial? I'm kind of a cheap girlie girl (cheap as in frugal thankyouverymuch). I love fashion, love having my nails painted, makeup, jewelry, all that jazz. But I won't pay for manicures, pedicures or even massages...let alone a facial. Jason, however, surprised me for Valentine's Day with a gift certificate for a facial. So today I put it to use. And the timing couldn't have been better. I've not been sleeping well this week and have had a headache for three days. Just not a happy camper basically. So it was perfect timing for me. It was so indulgent and relaxing. I just wanted to melt into the table. I had a bad crick in my back and she massaged that out as well. So, hopefully tonight I'll sleep more soundly. Carb Loading Tomorrow we're planning on another long run if we can handle the heat. Our lows aren't exactly low ...

Low-Key Weekend This weekend was pretty low-key for us. I should have gotten far more done around the house than I did. I tried to keep up with laundry, sweeping (dead grass + 2 dogs = lots of sweeping), and general clean up/straightening, other than that, I was pretty lazy. I did get in two decent runs. I did 5 miles on Saturday and 3.5 yesterday. Both were hot and sweaty and deserving of pool time. Though, I can justify pool time pretty much any way you look at it. I was pretty happy with Sunday's run. The first mile was pretty slow (9:31 mm) but I hit a good rhythm and was able to pull out negative splits with mile 2 at 8:55 then mile 3 and the last 1/2 mile both at an 8:36 mm. Not too shabby. My first attempt at pool time on Saturday was met with clouds. We desperately need rain so I was more happy than annoyed. Of course, right after I get cleaned up the sun comes out. Jason and I ended up going for a late-ish lunch after he was finished with yard work. By that time the s...

Dinner & a Movie As I mentioned   yesterday , I disconnected last night so that we could enjoy a date-night-in, dinner & a movies style. I also mentioned that I was making a special dinner using our homegrown Japanese eggplant. I love Japanese eggplants because they tend to be milder and more tender.  I had planned on doing some sort of eggplant/tofu stack. I wasn't sure if I was going to go with pasta or toast up bread to layer in between. But, Tuesday night, I actually prepped some of the dish so that I wouldn't be stuck in the kitchen all Wednesday. I made a red sauce using sun dried tomatoes (something I hadn't done before) and I also baked off some tofu. I ended up going with the pasta option vs the the bread for a Pasta with Eggplant & Tofu Stacks . To make the dish, we grilled Japanese eggplant and the tofu - I had added some Italian seasonings to olive oil and lightly brushed it on the eggplant and tofu. I cooked up some whole-wheat past...

Wednesday Winesday As I mentioned yesterday , Jason and I made Wednesday more special. Not just another evening of rushing to get dinner done, sitting and blogging, or staring at the tv. We went to a wine bar downtown called ZIN Urban Wine Bar. On Wednesday nights they have a wine tasting that they do: 5 pours for $15. Jason immediately went with that option. I, however, am not as adventurous, so I stuck with a safe glass of white - Acrobat, King Estate, Oregon Pinot Gris. Source: kingestate.com via Heather on Pinterest I did taste each of Jason's selections though. All were pretty good, even the chardonnay was drinkable, and I don't typically care for them. I was surprised at how much I ended up like a Pinot Noir Rose - Schug.  Honestly, I have never had a Rose. This one almost reminded me of the Louis Tete Beaujolais Nouveau (which we can no longer get here sadly). It was very light, dry, low-sugars.  Source: snooth.com via Heather on Pinterest ...

Yesterday's blah day sort of spilled over into today unfortunately. I hate it when that happens. I was hoping today would be a bit of a restart. In some ways, it was. I did take the day as a rest day to reset myself for tomorrow's planned long run. But, I didn't reset my mentality. All I did was wish it was Friday already. I think it's ok to look ahead to the weekends sometimes. Look forward to plans with family and friends, or just some time to sit back and relax. However, life is too short to wish it away. I have to remind myself of that often as I sit at work wishing it were the weekend. It can't always be the weekend. It can't always be lazy mornings and late lunches on a patio with friends. Source: facebook.com via Heather on Pinterest So how do we (I) learn to enjoy every day, regardless of the day? It's something I've tried working on. Definitely some days are better than others. It's one reason I keep up with my "Daily To-...

So today I opted for a rest day. While I would have loved to have gotten in a run this morning, I was just exhausted. I've run 3 days in a row and done 3 days of weights. In other words, 3 days of 2-a-days. I could have run, but I'm fairly certain it would have been a pretty crappy one. My legs were heavy, my upper body sore, and my mind was ready for a vacation. During lunch Jason and I had to run over and pick up our friends' dog. We're doggy sitting for a few days - Bella the Beagle. She's really a good dog, so it's not a hassle at all. In fact, our dogs will be pretty worn out after she goes home, so it's kind of a win-win ;-) I had a hair appointment this afternoon and had to leave work a little early. But that also gave me plenty of time to get to the grocery store and still avoid the after work rush crowd. I will say that our Kroger is so sad compared to the Publix in Florida. Clearly, no one wants to be working there, they keep changing the p...

Rest Days Are So Important Today is my much-needed rest day. Definitely enjoying the break from workouts both physically and mentally. However, I won't lie, a run was every so slightly tempting because we had a cold front move through. Temps have gone from 90's at the beginning of the week to a high of 75 today! But, I'll save the run for tomorrow instead. This sort of brings me to a post that I really agree strongly with. My friend Jess at EatDrinkBreatheSweat wrote a great post yesterday called (run)Streaking . Basically, it addresses everyone jumping on the run streak bandwagon - the latest is actually being encouraged by Runner's World. I have been down the path of over-training syndrome. I don't just mean working out too hard and over-use injuries. I mean flat out over-training to the point of depression, utter fatigue, but still pushing harder. Never resting. It was a very vicious mental cycle I had to over come.  I vowed never ever to do that aga...

That'll Wake You Up Well, today is a much-needed rest day for me. My legs aren't nearly as sore today as they were last week. Kind of funny how doing the same workout just twice and the muscles already are more used to it. I guess that says volumes about needing to shake things up. I did wake up super early though. Jason got up just before 5 am for his master's swim class and I never fell back asleep. I thought I'd do myself a huge favor and try a yoga workout. Jason has a DVD - The Athlete's Guide to Yoga. I really don't like yoga, but I keep trying because I know it'd be so good for me. So, I was up, why not give it another go? Only the ancient DVD player wouldn't work. It's been giving me fits, but then started to work ok. So, I thought it was just because it hadn't been used a lot. Apparently it only plays Cathe Friedrich DVDs. No joke. I tried the yoga DVD, another totally different yoga DVD. Nope, nadda. Stuck in a Cathe DVD...played p...

The other day, the beautiful Kalli from Fit and Forty Something gave me a Kreativ Blogger Award. I must say I really do feel honored and very appreciative. With this award, I am supposed to share 7 things about myself, then of course pass the award along to some other fantastic bloggers (that's the hard part, choosing). I am someone who always feels that it's necessary to be doing something, but I am somehow still pretty darn lazy. My to-do list is out of control.  I have only had a manicure once. I have 2 certificates right now, but am too lazy to make an appointment. So, I paint my own nails.  I always think people with short hair are super sassy, confident, and outgoing. I, however, am really none of those things, yet I have super short hair. I think I keep my hair short as sort of a russe, to pretend I'm all of those things. I always worry that I'm going to say something really stupid, offensive, or inappropriate so I tend to keep my mouth shut. Trust ...

Food Should Tast Good - Winner This morning started off a little hectic. It started storming probably around 5:45. Luckily it was short-lived, but Heath was still a little out of sorts when I went down to feed him. After he ate, he went outside and proceeded to hide under lawn furniture and wouldn't budge. It's always fun to have to uncover wet lawn furniture in the dark at 6:45 am to try to pull your scared pup out and get him inside. But, it's Friday!  And.... As promised, the winner of my Food Should Tast Good Giveaway is: Jen from Running with the Girls Rest Day = Lunch Date Today was a rest day for me - much needed physically and mentally. I used to be one of those people who dreaded rest days. Not so much anymore. I look forward to the recovery. Since I wasn't working out today, Jason talked me into going out to lunch, something we never do during the week. There is a local restaurant just down the street from us called The Root Cafe . Jason has been a ...

Post-Race Relaximg This morning I woke up with the typical post-race soreness. Thankfully, my heel doesn't hurt any more than it has been hurting. So I don't think I did any damage there. And, my piriformis isn't sore at all. It's mostly calves and outer quads. Going down stairs is interesting to say the least. I did myself a favor and took the day off. I crashed out a little after 9 and slept until 7:30 this morning. Definitely needed the sleep. I stretched and rolled out for a bit before starting on chores. I felt like if I was home I needed to be productive. I made a batch of lentil burgers to freeze, did laundry, swept, swiffered, mopped, and even did some yard work. It was just too gorgeous outside to be inside all day. Plus, the weeds are taking over the yard at this point, and the rose bushed needed to be trimmed back. We'll call it an active recovery kind of day ;-) PT & Pasta I had another physical therapy appointment this afternoon. I was reall...

Today is a rainy, dreary, and cold Friday. But you know what? I totally don't care. I'm just happy that it's Friday and my rest day. Even better, I'm getting my hair cut after work, right after PT actually. Oh, I'm also happy that I was tagged again for the 11 Random Questions posts going around (twice). This makes Fun Facts Friday a breeze ;-) But I hope it's still fun. I don't know about you guys, but I like reading answers and learning about bloggers. Sometimes I'm surprised actually. Plus, it can be fun to deviate from the standard posts. Since most of you have been tagged or already seen this a few times, I'm just going to skip right to the questions that were posed for me to answer. Some were really hard to answer by the way! Questions from Samantha at  Running and Cupcakes : What is your #1 go to workout song? Oh, not sure I have an absolute #1. I always start a run with Eminem's 'Till I Collapse .  If you had to choose 3 foo...

Today is a much-needed rest day for me, just as much mentally as physically. While I enjoy working out and it usually helps relieve stress, it really is mentally taxing when you think about it. So brains need a break just as much as muscles sometimes. I always worry that my posts are going to be sub-par on rest days or on days when I don't have any recipe to post. Unlike a lot of bloggers, I don't post incredibly thoughtful posts dealing with topics like gratitude, finding happiness, finding true balance, or the meaning of life. I would like to think that some of those things do come out in my blog in bits in pieces, in how I live my life and who I am. If that makes any kind of sense (and not even taking a muscle relaxer right now either LOL). Perhaps this is why I rely on Fun Facts Fridays for Friday posts. It's usually a rest day, rarely a recipe kind of day, and it's a good time to just do something different, fun, random, sometimes silly. I think it's saf...

NotSickNotSick Remember how I said yesterday started off at 70 degrees? This morning it was 25 degrees. It makes it so difficult to just get used to one temperature when it's all over the board. At least it was sunny and not windy. I had packed my gym bag with clothes to go for a run actually. The high was supposed to be about 45 degrees. For me, chilly, but I was so wanting to get outside. My body had a different plan for me though. I have been sneezing my head off for the past couple of days, then the sinus headache came on yesterday. This morning it hit me...I'm getting sick, but doing the "NotsickNotsick" chant of course. I'm really hoping it's just allergies. I don't think I can blame it on the temperature swings, but I think I'm going to anyway ;-) Needless to say, today was a rest day. I had absolutely no energy. And if I had tried to do anything, snot would have been flying. Gross, but true. I did find some Mucinex to take, but I'm not...

On a Serious Note Wow, I wasn't sure this week was going to end. And from what I gather, it's felt that way for a lot of people. Let's just all blame it on the full moon we had earlier in the week. Agreed? Actually, I can't totally blame it on that. This might be a little too serious for Friday, but it's something I've been thinking about this week, mostly because it's what I've been dealing with - anxiety and depression. I try to keep my blog happy, but real. So the reality is that I've battled depression and anxiety most of my life. I've been on this med and that med and realized that I don't want to be on any meds. I don't like how they can make me feel (often too numb). They never really seemed to work for me and then there were side effects like 3 weeks of vertigo and additional medication to combat that just trying to get off of one of the meds. Anyway, I feel like I've learned to regulate my moods fairly well. When meds ...

Last night was a terribly restless night. I tossed and turned, switched pillows 3 times, still no sleep. I looked at the clock at around 1:45 thinking it seemed more like 4 am. I didn't drift off until after 3:30 and then Jason's alarm went off at 5. I sort of look like a zombie today. So, to say that I'm happy it's my rest day is a major understatement. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating this weekend. Today it's supposed to be close to 70, sunny, calm winds. Now tomorrow is supposed to be 40% chance of rain - this is supposed to be an 11-mile run for me. I'm thinking the weather should switch days. That's not too much to ask for is it? Ok, maybe just a tad bit unrealistic, but still.....a girl can dream can't she? I had a few ideas for Fun Facts Friday . But I saw a vlog yesterday from Toni @ Running, Loving, Living  that inspired me to do a list of what's in my gym bag. I can't remember if I've done this before or not, but ...