Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Changing your workout routine

Sometimes I get stuck in a workout routine rut, where I decide I like the way something works and then I plainly stick to it. I do this with food too…when I find something I like, I eat it often. Sometimes I get sick of it and change things up but ultimately I end up going back to it after a short break.

With workouts, however, change is good. You have to keep yourself challenged or else you’ll get bored. And although I know this (and I’m sure you all do as well) we need to be reminded to step outside the box and try something new.

Well, not that this is really new, but it’s different and I can already feel the soreness.

I ran to the gym, set up mini stations, and then ran home. My mini sessions kicked my arse, and running home afterward really was the kicker. Here’s what I did:

Ran 1.7 miles to gym.
At the gym, I grabbed a balance ball, Bosu ball, 10 pound weights, and a 9 pound body bar. On the balance ball I did:

  • 15 biceps curls
  • 20 sit-ups while holding the balance bar, extending my arms out with each lift
  • 20 oblique crunches, holding balance bar
  • 10 overhead shoulder raises (I could be making this term up)

Then I did 10 25-pound lat pull downs and 10 leg lunges on the Buso ball with 5 pound weight.

Repeat 3 times. Phew! Then I ran home. Double Phew!

I really liked the stations, and I also liked breaking up the run. Today I felt a little sore but not enough to make me feel like I overdid it. I’m always trying to find new ways to break out of the “norm” so if there are any suggestions, please feel free to share!

Lunch was inspired by these new tortillas. Whole wheat, all natural and only 80 calories per tortilla.

IMG_0447 
First I baked a small chicken breast in the oven for 30 minutes on 350. Then, in a pan, I poured a dash of olive oil and cooked up fresh garlic, arugula and spinach. Then sliced up a half of a small avocado, (it’s under the greens!) put the greens on top…

IMG_0446

IMG_0448
Added the chicken and there you go. I didn’t take a picture of it all wrapped up because … well … I got into a fight with the tortilla and the tortilla won. It wasn’t pretty.
The only things I would have changed would have been to cook the tortilla (it tasted so much better when I tried it again) and I need a milder flavored olive oil. This is extra virgin and it’s really strong. However, this was a very good, filling, tasty and nutritious meals and perfect compliment to my workout.

Did any of you see L.L. Cool J on the new series of NCIS? Now he’s someone I could use some workout tips from…

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Believe in the peppermint tea

peppermint tea
Source

I’m not sure if it was my lovely dinner from last night or what, but today my stomach has been completely off. I know I’ve written about how too many veggies at once can upset my stomach, but it’s usually with green vegetables. Maybe the spaghetti squash with eggplant was too much all at once? Or maybe it’s just the stress from the crazy month we’ve had with moving and getting adjusted? Or both?

Either way, peppermint tea came to my rescue. Well, for the most part…

I was on the move all day today. I got up and started cleaning the kitchen from last night’s dinner. After giving myself a rest I ran down to the gym and lifted. When I was ready to run home, I saw it was raining pretty hard so I called Dennis for a ride home. Since getting a ride home meant not running as much as I wanted, I decided to do a quick speed workout on the treadmill while waiting for him. The run there is 1.8 miles which took me 17 minutes. Then I ran one mile at an 8:30 pace and cooled down for five minutes. Perfect timing.

When I got home I was pretty hungry so I ate my leftover spaghetti squash and eggplant. Ugh. I think that might have put me over the edge. It was SO GOOD though. <sigh> After a few hours of feeling like garbage, I decided to rummage through our kitchen for my beloved peppermint tea.

Peppermint tea rocks. I have some friends that swear by ginger but it doesn’t help me like peppermint does. 

What sucks is that I had planned on making chicken fajitas for dinner…ummm no thanks. They’ll have to wait until tomorrow.

On a running note, I went through my Active.com account and found a good handful of races coming up in October, November and December. I have decided to walk away from the 1/2 marathon for Chrons and Colitis this December and concentrate more on smaller races to help better prepare myself for the 1/2 next spring. Since I’m still coming off an injury I think this would be better for me.

Here’s what I have lined up to register for:

  • October 11 – Boo! Run for Life 10K, Washington, DC
  • November 1 – 34th Annual Rockville 10K (and 5K) Rockville MD (there are some people out there—you know who you are—who could probably run this race with me….)
  • November 15 – Possibly the Capital Running Company’s Veteran’s day 10K, Washington, DC
  • November 21 – PVTC Cranberry Crawl 10K (and 5K) Alexandria, VA. This one is so close to my house and it’s only $5 to run so chances are, I’ll be doing it
  • December 6 – Fall into winter 10K Reston VA
  • December 13 – Jingle All the Way 10K (this race looks really fun) Washington, DC
  • December 19 – PVTC Christmas Caper 10K (and 5K) Washington, DC

This is tentative…it’s just a list of what’s available down here through December.  As you can see I’m trying to focus on 10Ks but I might pick a 5K somewhere in there for the speed work. I’m hoping this will help get me into good enough shape to really start focusing on training for the 1/2 next year. Keep in mind, my desire to run the 1/2 is not just for the purpose of running—it’s also personal so I would love to run it in the best of health as possible.

Friday, September 25, 2009

What is healthy?

Is it a relative term?
Sometimes I think it is.

Healthy isn’t just about food. I think people take this word to be less than what it is. People think being healthy means being thin and looking good. Or not being sick. Or eating well and exercising. But there is much more to it than that.

Last night I had a hard time sleeping. It was hot in our room and my nose was stuffed. I got up to blow my nose, and I noticed the start of a late night infomercial featuring Jack LaLanne and his while Elaine promoting his juicer. I started watching the show more of of fascination of LaLanne’s impeccable health at 94 years old than anything else. The man is a a machine! And he still works out for 2 hours a day everyday.  That’s right folks, 2 hours a day EVERYDAY. Damn. Now that’s healthy! Or is it?

What I think we overlook with being “healthy” are things that don’t include food and exercise. How about flossing? Do you know how important flossing daily is? Flossing keeps nasty bacteria from forming on your teeth and getting into your system internally. You can get some serious bacterial diseases from having bad teeth. Flossing is healthy; as is regular brushing and rinsing. Check out the TheraBreath toothpaste and rinse starter kit from Dr. Katz. I swear by this stuff. It’s a little pricey but it works. It not only keeps your breath fresh all day long, but it’s made with natural ingredients. (Tip: I order them from Amazon. I only buy the toothpaste and the rinse and it costs me about $25 a month. You can also get them at CVS or, I hate to say it, Wal Mart.) My sister got me into it a few years ago. I ran out of it a few weeks ago so lately, I’ve been using regular Crest toothpaste and Listerine.  Also, are you checking your breasts every month ladies? (Men too)

Being healthy also includes mental health. Are we really healthy if we’re just eating right and exercising but mentally a mess? No. I’ve written about it before but being healthy includes balance. I’m still working on achieving balance. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not UNhappy. I’m just not in total balance since I’m not working. But that will change soon.

Going outside and getting fresh air. Taking five minutes to listen to your favorite song. Reading. Writing. Singing. Dancing. Eating. Drinking. Talking to your favorite person. These are all healthy things for the mind.  Obviously the list can continue, but you get the idea.

On to dinner.

Dennis and I have been trying to figure out where the best and closest grocery stores are from our house. Luckily found that we actually have a lot to choose from. While out we passed by some spaghetti squash and Dennis said he wanted to try it. I was thrilled. I give to you, eggplant parmesan with spaghetti squash. Yum.

 IMG_0416IMG_0420
I was really hungry when I loaded on the squash but I didn’t finish it all. It was really good. And Dennis liked it!! Yay!!
I cut the squash in half and baked it for 35 minutes, then scraped out the seeds, then went to town with my fork on the flesh.
And yes, I did fry the eggplant. I dipped the eggplant in egg and flour and fried them in olive oil, then I baked them for 30 minutes with marinara sauce and some fresh parmesan cheese. Very yummy. Next time I will try just grilling the eggplant. I need to get a grill first though…haha

Tomorrow I am so excited to finally get the chance to check out the gym. It’s less than 2 miles away so I can run there, transfer my membership, lift some weights, and run back. I’m so glad I don’t have to get in my car to drive there if I don’t want to. I really need to get a bike…and maybe a Jack LaLanne juicer…

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Getting adjusted

So far, there has been nothing fun about our move to Virginia. We’ve been running around trying to get all of the necessary moving things taken care of, i.e. DMV, meeting with realtor people, signing papers, buying storage units, unpacking…we’ve really been all work and no play since we got here and I’ll be honest, I can’t wait for this week to end.

But I’ve had the opportunity to go on two really nice runs around my neighborhood. Tuesday I ran about 5 miles and today I ran about the same, maybe a little less. (I set out to run 3 at a quick pace but on the way back I missed my turn and ended up a mile out of the way.) Everything kind of looks the same here so I just have to pay a little more attention to where I’m going. Good thing I had my phone with me! I was able to call Dennis and ask him how the heck to get back home!
I will have to say that I really do enjoy running here. In Boston, I never really felt safe enough where we lived to go outside and go for a run. If I did, it was a really quick and not so enjoyable run. I usually had to go to the gym or drive to the Charles River or one of the state parks/reservations to run which was always pretty and pleasant, but very inconvenient.
Also, my neighborhood was NOT runner friendly. I barely ever saw anyone else run, and when I would go running it was like a fiesta for all the men who hooted and hollered as I ran by. Here it seems like EVERYONE runs (and they all have dogs too, but that’s a different post. Is having a dog a trendy thing or what? I mean I love dogs but I think we’re the only ones in our development that doesn’t have one!!) 

OK—so I want to back up a little to last week. While picking up a few things at the grocery store for my mom I found some Hodgson Mill Oat Bran and decided to give it a try. I didn’t have any oatmeal and since HEAB raves about oat bran all the time, I figured I’d try something different. (It’s always nice to break away from the same ol’ same ol’.) 

Rather than using the microwave, I decided to cook it on the stove. While fumbling through my mom’s pots and pans, I found her old school set of CorningWare and decided to use that as my cooking/eating contraption. She has had this set since WAY before I was born and was nice enough to let me sneak some of them to VA with me!

These things rock. You can put them in the microwave, in the oven, and in the dishwasher as well. They’re awesome!

IMG_0405

Here is my “bowl” of oat bran, topped with my usual flax, PB and banana. My oh my were they yummy. It actually reminded me of Farina, which we grew up on in our house.  Have you guys ever tried Wheatena? I love that stuff. I think that will be on my list of things to purchase soon.

Back to the bananas…since I was at my mom’s house, I used what she had on hand. This meant 2% milk instead of soy, and these:

IMG_0393

These are tiny bananas. I mean, tiny.

IMG_0396
I ended up using two of these little guys in my bowl of oat bran. They were a little less sweet than regular bananas and had a much darker flesh compared to your normal banana flesh.

IMG_0398 
The looks and texture kind of reminded me of a not yet ripened plantain. My mom said she let them ripen a little more and they tasted much better. I’ll have to give them another shot.

Oh, and I took a picture of my coffee mug since I thought it was cute.

IMG_0406
I think it’s my grandmother’s! She loves Raggedy Ann and Andy.

OK back to the oat bran. I’ll definitely keep it in my pantry. I’m not ready to replace my oatmeal yet but it’s good to switch things up. It’s a lot quicker to make the oat bran so if I’m in a hurry I know this can be a quick go-to hot and filling breakfast. And there’s a recipe on the box for oat bran muffins that might be calling my name!

Tomorrow is another day filled with car inspections and waiting at the DMV. YAY! I really hope we can have some fun this weekend…

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

We made it!

(This is the original version of my post from yesterday. My Windows Live Writer is fixed!!! YAY!)

I’ve been out of commission for the past week with our move to VA. Finally I’m back on board. I have too much to tell so I’ll try to do it with pictures.

In the past week we’ve:

  • Packed up and had all of our stuff moved to our new place
  • Driven to NY to spend a few days with family and friends
  • Drugged up our kitties to make for an easier drive (which worked like a charm but was quite interesting)
  • Got back on the road to drive down to our new place in VA
  • Fought with the receptionist at the management office in our new development (she’s not nice!)
  • Found that some of our stuff broke in the moving truck on the way down
  • Shopped at the most GHETTO Giant food market ever
  • Also shopped at the largest Target store we’ve ever seen (it’s literally the size of a small mall)

On Saturday I went on an AWESOME run with my friend Ann. We set out to run 5 miles and before we knew it, were already past the five mile point. We felt so good that we kept going for another mile and a half! She has a Nike+Sport band which tracked everything out for us. Our stats:

9-19Run

Our fastest pace was something like 8:05 (I have to ask her to send that to me too) but our average pace was 9:09. Not bad for someone who had to take 7 weeks off to recover from my stress fracture! (Thanks Ann!! You ROCK!)
I more than needed that run. Moving is very stressful and it just wears on your body. I was having the most difficult time sleeping because I was so stressed/worried/anxious but man, I passed right out last night! Phew!

Pics from our adventures:

  IMG_0382 IMG_0384
Fenway Park (left) Leaving Chelsea MA (right—the stupid bridge that always causes problems)

 IMG_0391 IMG_0390
Our drive to Norwich, NY and a drugged up kitty (licking his chops)

IMG_0407 IMG_0409
A run with Ann! A view of the main Street of Norwich NY

IMG_0408 IMG_0410
The Whole Foods store and movie theater in Norwich

IMG_0414  IMG_0412
And a visit with some friends at my favorite bar! (The Blarney Stone!) Check out the hot bartender!!

Tomorrow I’ll have some updates on life in our new city, and a review of my first time trying oat bran (thanks HEAB!!) and tiny bananas. Stay tuned!

Monday, September 14, 2009

20 minutes to quick, colorful, and yum

Hello!
As I said yesterday, I’m trying to stir things up in the kitchen. So here’s a quick and easy weeknight recipe for ya’ll.

Colorful whole wheat spirals (One serving)

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat spiral pasta
  • 1/3 cup chopped sweet onions
  • Handful sliced portabella mushrooms
  • Two big handfuls of spinach and arugula
  • 1/2 cubed sweet potato, cooked in the microwave first for 5 minutes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp flax seeds
  • 1/3 cup marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Marinara)
  • 1 oz. goat cheese crumbles

Directions:
Boil your water and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, place sweet potato in the microwave for 5 minutes. (If you don’t have one, just pop it in the oven for 25 minutes, but be sure to cut it in half so it cooks faster) Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add veggies and cook. When sweet potato is done, cube it and add it to your veggie mix. Add marinara. Add flax. When your pasta is al dente, add pasta and mix all together in the pan.
Plate it and then add cheese. Eat.

IMG_0315
I was surprised at how good it was! But I will admit, it didn’t need the goat cheese. I mean, it as great but it would have been better without it.

IMG_0314

Super good.

Still waiting to hear about our NOVA address. I really don’t know how many more sleepless nights I can handle. It’s been really stressful not knowing if we’ll have a place to live before Mr. Fitch starts his new job. Although it’s a virtue, being patient really sucks.

Until then….

Sunday, September 13, 2009

It’s football season…healthified

My dad used to say that there are four seasons in a year: Baseball, football, basketball and hockey. I agree, except this is how it works in my book: Fall = football (and soccer—can’t forget about that since I spent 20 years of my life playing soccer), spring = baseball, and it all kicks off with March Madness. That’s right my friends, I don’t count the seasons by weather, I count them by sport. And right now, it’s football season. My dad taught me right! (It’s no wonder I’m so miserable from February through March…after the Superbowl I have to wait 2 1/2 cold and dreary months for March Madness!)

So along with football season (Go Giants!) comes football eats. We used to order in pizza and wings every Sunday with a couple of beers. Add the blue cheese on the wings, and you’re in for a really fattening 17 Sundays in a row. This year, I will continue the pizza tradition but healthified. (Is this even a word??) You’ve all seen my many photos of pizza so this will be nothing new to you.

His side: Onions and fresh mozzarella.

IMG_0171

My side: Onions, mushrooms, arugula, spinach, goat cheese.

IMG_0170 
When we move I’ll attempt to make some healthified  (skinless, butterless and not fried) chicken wings. Since most of our stuff is packed so I can’t do much cooking right now.  I’ll also more than likely pass on the beer…or at least only have one instead of three or four.

I realize that all my food is the same and that I eat very similarly to the other food bloggers out there, and I apologize somewhat for that. It’s hard because once I find something I like, I stick to it. I’ve seriously been eating oatmeal for breakfast every day for about 3 years now. It’s what works for me and I love eating it. I will keep trying new recipes as much as possible and only post the ones that are new. You can just assume, then, that anything I don’t post are things I eat regularly.

Before the games began, I decided to take advantage of the last few days I have left in the Boston area and headed off to the Charles River for a run. It was my first run outside since my injury and I won’t lie, I was a little nervous. 

I will admit, I struggled a little. It’s always different running on pavement than on the treadmill, especially with the sun beaming down on you.
At around mile 3 I took a 30 second walk/water break because I was really feeling hot and thirsty. I remembered during my 15K how Ann made me stop and walk at three water stations for about 30 seconds to regroup and in the end, it really got me through. Since I spent 6 weeks recovering with no running at all and have slowly been adding mileage back in for the past two, I shouldn’t be ashamed of taking a short break.

When I was finally done, I was nothing short of relieved. But holy crap, when I saw that I ran 4.3 miles in 38:46 (9 minute mile exactly) I realized that I actually am still running faster now than I did before I started training for my 15K.

In February, I went to visit my mom and aunt in Chandler, AZ. She lives in a really cute 55+ retirement community with a 2 mile running loop around a golf course. I ran two laps (4 miles) around the golf course 4 days out of the 7 that I was there and at a consistent 9:35 pace. It’s not that big of a pace change but it’s enough for me to feel damn good. Go me!

Although I still don’t think I’ll be ready to run the 1/2 marathon I wanted to run in December, I’m thinking I’ll sign up for a 5K and 10K sometime this fall. (Turkey trot maybe?) I’ve been blessed with the ability to keep up my strength even after getting hurt. Even though I have to start all over again, I’m happy that I can run again.

After my run, I refueled with an awesome portabella mushroom, spinach, and goat cheese 2 egg white and one yolk omelet.

IMG_0160 

And a peach (not photographed but really good!!)

Anyone in the DC area interested in forming an indoor soccer league this winter? I would love to get an indoor team together, so I’ll have to start harassing people now.

Enjoy your Sunday night everyone!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Certified peanut butter freak

First and foremost—I would like to say God bless our troops and the families of those we’ve lost on this tragic day 8 years ago.  This is a somber day, but also a day to remember. Never Forget   9-11-01.

Back to the blog…

I’m back from apartment hunting and I’m exhausted! I had a crazy busy week running around looking for our newest NOVA address, and so far, we’re still homeless.
Let me tell you – this process is insane. I feel like I’m looking for a house…between the paperwork that needs to be filled out, bidding wars, running back and forth with the Realtor trying to get to a place before someone else does….crazy stuff. We had a place in mind on Tuesday evening and by Wednesday morning it was already taken. That called for another crazy day of driving around and staking my claim.
We put a deposit down on a cute 2BR townhouse and are waiting for the application and credit check to go through. This process takes 3-5 business days (!!!!) which means we might not find anything out until the day before we need to move!  AAHH!!!  So, the best we can do is be patient and keep ourselves busy until we hear any news. We’ve had a bottle of champagne sitting in our fridge for over a year now (gross I know) waiting to be opened for something to celebrate. Even though we' probably won’t drink it, we really hope to be able to pop that bottle open SOON!

On to the peanut butter!!

There are certain staples that I must have in my house in order to start my day off right. I mean, it would be a tragedy if I didn’t have one of these items…it’s like a puzzle to make my breakfast complete.

  1. Peanut Butter (not just any PB, my All Natural Crunchy Teddie peanut butter…what am I going to do when we move??)
  2. Oatmeal. Steel cut AND regular rolled oats so I can choose depending on my mood
  3. Soy milk
  4. Bananas (or peaches since it’s peach season)
  5. Flax
  6. Coffee!!!! (no explanation needed)
  7. Agave nectar (a small amount for my coffee)
  8. Cinnamon for both my coffee and my oats. It’s a great way to add flavor to so many different types of food. Love it!

IMG_0164

IMG_0166 

The flax seed is a golden roasted and it’s by far my favorite. It’s only $2.99 at Trader Joe’s and it lasts me at least a month. I only use a tbsp at a time so it goes far.

IMG_0167
My coffee is also from Trader Joe’s. I usually get Sumatra but they were out, so I had to get Dark French Roast. I like them both but I do like the Sumatra better.

This is just for my breakfast folks. If one of these is missing…ok it’s not a TRAGEDY but my breakfast is not complete without these 8 ingredients.  What brought this on? Because I realized last night that I didn’t have any peanut butter or  bananas,  and I was just about out of soymilk. Since I was traveling all week I just wanted one of my staple bowl of oats. So I ran out to the store at 10 p.m. to buy them. Yes it’s that serious. 
What staple foods do you have to have in your house? Is there one meal that must be eaten the same everyday like me and my oatmeal?

I like the fact that I can eat this for breakfast either before I go to work or AT work since there’s a microwave around in most office settings. My last boss got a kick out of my morning routine and my desk full of “staples” at work.

My plan for the next few days is spend as much time enjoying Boston as possible before we say goodbye. Have a great Friday!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Eating healthy on the run

We all need to realize is that no matter where we are, we can find healthy options when it’s time to eat.

Trying to find healthy options when you’re traveling can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Trust me. All you have to do is plan ahead and think outside the box. Instead of depending on local restaurants, go to the local grocery store. Not only is it easier to make better choices, it’s much cheaper too. For example, I packed some oatmeal and PB so I could be sure to have a good, healthy breakfast while I’m traveling. After making a few compromises (no banana, 2% milk, and a crappy styrofoam bowl) I give to you, Happy Oats on the run:

IMG_0118 

I knew I would be doing a lot of driving today, so I made sure to find a grocery store along the way. Luckily I have a mini refrigerator in my room, so that helped a lot. However, you can still find healthy options without a refrigerator.
As I was driving around I stumbled across a Trader Joe’s (yay!)  I stopped in and grabbed a few things to have for dinner and lunch tomorrow:
Bananas
2% Greek Yogurt
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Ready Made Chicken Patties
Butternut Squash Soup

Check it out:
IMG_0119
This was SO GOOD. This was my “veggie.” It was a little sweet but I really liked it.
IMG_0122 IMG_0124
These were really good too. They are a little high in sodium but not too terrible. They come in packages of 2 so I can have the other one for lunch tomorrow.
IMG_0120
On a pita. You can’t go wrong with this for a dinner. I got my protein, my carbs, and my veggies all for about 500 calories, and this cost me about $7. 

After driving around NOVA (northern Virginia) all day, I was starting to feel the stress of not having a place to live yet. It started raining at around noon so I couldn’t really walk around or take pictures, but I did get a feel for a few of the towns we were thinking of. I really like some more than others, but I can’t really see anything until tomorrow. Stupid holiday!
After six hours or so of driving and searching, I really needed to get on that treadmill. I ran a nice 3 miles and lifted some weights, but in the middle of my lifting workout, some lady came and took the 10 lb. weights to walk on the treadmill with. What’s up with that? How about some gym etiquette lady?
And yeah, I guess my previous “I can’t run more than 2 miles at a time” post was a little exaggerated, but I’m still recovering so some days are going to be better than others. My stats:
3 miles, 27:20. Then I slowed it down and jogged for the next 2.5 minutes, and then I walked for five. Total time: 35 minutes
10 minutes of upper body/arms
2 sets of squats (I can’t do too many of these without the knee hurting so I tried to keep them to a minimum)
Total time: 45 minutes
Not bad for a hotel gym.

I really hope to have some good apartment news to share with you tomorrow….

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Northern VA and a decaf latte

It’s been a long day, but I made it to my hotel in Northern VA. I have to be honest, so far, I’m not impressed. I’ve seen a lot of strip malls, chain restaurants, gas stations and apartment/townhouse complexes and that’s about it. I’m in the major suburbs right now (only 13 miles out of DC?!?!) and I don’t really like it. But I have a few days. Tomorrow I’m going to drive around Alexandria and Springfield, two of the areas we were told to check out (I've been to Alexandria before and I loved it.) I know I’d like it there, so I’m trying to line up a handful of places to look at so I can start checking them out tomorrow.

So you know when you’re in unfamiliar grounds and you need some normalcy? Well, my normalcy was Starbucks. It’s the only place I know where I can get a cup of coffee and no matter what state I’m in, it will taste the same. Yeah yeah yeah, that’s how corporate works…but it’s one part of the corporate world I really enjoy. 
But what made it even BETTER was that it’s fall…which means Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back! Oh how I love me some pumpkin ANYTHING—especially the pumpkin spice latte. But since it was already 8 p.m. I figured it would be best if I got a decaf (even though caffeine doesn’t really keep me from falling asleep anymore.) It made me so happy to drink it, although honestly, I could taste the difference between decaf and regular. Big time. But it was still good!

IMG_0117
No I don’t get paid for talking about Starbucks. It would be nice if I did…

I’ve decided that I can only run 2 miles at a time now…I did 20 minutes (2 miles) on the elliptical yesterday and followed it up with 2 miles (18 minutes) on the treadmill and I was struggling. My legs hurt, my knee hurt, and I just felt sluggish. I can’t figure out why, but I guess it was because I used the elliptical first? Although I really wanted to use the hotel gym when I got here (being in the car for 5 hours was hard for me) I gave myself today off since I’ve been driving for two days and my knee was aching yesterday. Ugh.

Anyway, it’s been a long day so I’m out. More to come from my apartment excursion tomorrow!

Friday, September 4, 2009

We’re moving! (again…)

washington dc 
Source

Well, not exactly to DC, but Dennis got a job in northern VA so we’re moving to the “DC Area.” He starts on the 21st so we have to go soon. I’m taking a trip down for a few days to find us a place to live and I’m really excited about the move. It’s been great in Boston, but we’re ready for a change. It’s about time!

I leave tomorrow. I’m stopping at my sister’s in the Newburgh, NY area to spend the night and then Sunday I’ll make the drive to Fairfax, VA, which is where my hotel is. I’ll be there until Thursday so I’ll be posting plenty of pictures and sharing my hella-power visit to the area. I’m DETERMINED to leave there with a northern VA address.

My downstairs neighbors (slash ex-co-workers slash ex-college classmate) left today to move to California and before they left they gave me a bottle of wine. (he he he) Check it out:
IMG_0045
Yankee Girl! That’s ME! Dennis rolled his eyes, of course, as any Red Sox fan would…
IMG_0042
But I thought it was AWESOME! I haven’t opened it yet. It’s from a vineyard in western MA called Hardwick Vineyard and Winery. I’ve never been there but these ladies are major wine people and have served me some of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. They also gave me a dry white wine from the same vineyard and I really liked it (and I don’t really care for white) In fact, I had some of it today with my awesome sushi dinnah.

IMG_0038

I’ve heard that some places will make your sushi with brown rice if you ask them to, but I always forget. Not today. I had a California roll and a salmon avocado roll in brown rice and they were fabulous.

IMG_0039 
Yum!

IMG_0040 

I’m off to start getting stuff ready for my trip to NOVA (gotta learn the lingo) but I will be posting from the road. Happy Labor Day weekend!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Major spinner’s high

Hello!
I can hardly believe it’s already September. Don’t get me wrong: I love the weather we’ve been getting. Fall rocks! But my goodness, the summer’s almost over. <sigh> Despite the perfect weather (72, sunny and dry!) I decided that I needed a stress relieving workout. But I didn’t want to run with that much force for fear I might overdo it with the foot. So, I went back to an old love….spin class.

When I found out about my IT band problem 3 months ago, I was told to stay away from spinning. Although I was spinning twice, sometimes three times a week, I was kind of relieved because I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I usually do…probably because I was feeling a strange “I wanna pop out of socket” feeling from my knee during my classes. I figured after I got my knee back under control, and after I ran my 15K, I’d go back to spinning.
Then I hurt my foot.
So it’s been about 3 months since I’ve spun. And boy did I miss it. I rocked the crap out of that class!! And I felt so good when I was done.

Then I came home to make a kick ass dinner  (well, kind of)

Dennis wanted Indian for dinner so I ordered Tandoori Salmon and instead of eating it with rice, I grilled up some mushrooms, onions, and asparagus. Yum yum yum.

IMG_0024

IMG_0025

So good! I liked the tandoori because it’s not cooked with a lot of sauce. It’s baked in the clay oven with traditional spices and marinated in plain yogurt, so it’s a much healthier way to eat Indian.

I was on a spinner’s high for the rest of the evening after that class. It wasn’t quite like a runner’s high but it was pretty darn close. Nothing makes me feel better than a sweaty cardio session when I need to let out some nervous aggression.

Why aggression? Well, I might have an announcement to make about our future. No, not an engagement, but we have a job prospective that might call for a move south. I’ll keep ya’ll posted!