Innovator

The days when I don't run (today's a crosstraining day...which means yoga after work), I've started feeling lazy. And then I have a piece of chocolate/potato chip, and it all hits the fan. By the time noon rolls around, not only have I accomplished nothing, but I've also trashed my healthy eating regimen and probably can be found in the forbidden stairwell at work, with gummy bear remains dribbling down my chin and mumbling something about FAILURE. These days are not good. So I made a compromise today:

Mostly healthy, but with some deliciousness added in.

Candy Hearts

I, for one, am glad to know that Sweetheart's has changed the flavours/colours of their conversation hearts AT LAST:

Because nobody I knew liked the "savoury soap!" (purple) or "moldy mint!" (white) ones. So now they're all fruit flavours, and I could eat them forever. My main praise, of course, is that now I can eat them in a dark movie theater without worrying about separating the nasty ones from the tasty ones in the dark.

This morning, I somehow convinced Nolan to go for a run with me BEFORE work, which would mean getting up early, but having a free lunch to do whatever I want! When I'm not in bed (and therefore totally unreliable and untrustworthy AND lazy), I truly am a morning person, and love having more of the day to accomplish things. Especially when that time is at home with my favourite person. But getting me up is a different story, and bless Nolan's heart for waking me up and then convincing me to actually GET UP (2 different issues), when he would rather have gone back to bed. But he still wasn't that excited about it:

(5:45am) Nolan: "I'm not gonna lie, and I say this in love...but this is the worst idea you have ever had. And there have been some doozies."

Until we were on our way back down the hill, and then, hey! this isn't so bad afterall! we can work out and have breakfast before we even leave for work!

However, the 10 people we passed on the sidewalk that resembled zombies reminded me why I can never run alone when it's that dark outside.

If my life were always like this...

These days of waking up at 7, having coffee and driving to work with Nolan, and then having a long lunch with Nolan, and meeting up after work to go home and eat together and waste away our evenings are priceless. If only there was some way we could work part time, make the same amount of money (or more!), and have vacation time to play, life would be just that much more perfect. Alas, I'm not complaining how it is.
My coworker's response to this was:
"If I had all that time, I'd just sit around and be filthy."
I suppose that is a man's first thought when he realizes he barely has to go in to work.

Ice Packing

Went for my 6 mile run on Saturday, and the weather could not have been more beautiful! I got some killer stitches in my side about halfway through, and had to stop to stretch it out for 30 seconds, but that gave me a good chance to take some pics of the run! This time I ran down to the beach, and then along the Pacific coast all the way to the zoo (and honestly contemplated going in)...and it was gorgeous!

And of course a super sexy picture of me in pain from the stitches:

This is my personal vow NEVER to eat pancakes right before a run ever again. Though Nolan does make the most tempting pancakes around (can I get a witness?!).

After another 3 miles today, and 4 on Thursday, my knees are in need of some serious icing...so I finally followed my trainer's advice and bought an ice pack to really help me out. So far so good! After no ice last night, I fell asleep to hot, throbbing and swollen ankles and especially knees. Pain-ful. Today, so far at least the knees are better! Mom, here's my shout-out saying THANK YOU for the running gear you bought me. That jacket and belt are my new staples. I have now trained myself never to run without water (which is probably healthier for me in the long run), and I cannot run without that belt to stick stuff in.

My little piece(s) of advice for folks training:

1. Drink lots of water

2. STRETCH and warm up. I CANNOT emphasize the difference this makes.

3. Buy some good shoes. Seriously. It was like night and day when I bought good ones.

So far: I have stuck to my no (non-brewed) coffee diet, and haven't even noticed it. I think because it is a hard goal I have now. I do well with firm goals.

This weekend has been super relaxing, and it was wonderful to spend lots of quality time with Noemma yesterday (I know you're reading this!), and really reconnect. I miss that girl! Plus I love going to the Saturday night church service, which we got to do. Then today Nolan and I took the motorcycle to Safeway (what a nightmare lugging those groceries back!), we went for a short run to UCSF (I never thought I'd say 3 miles was short!), and then hosted a Super Bowl party (Go Saints!) and had small group at our house. I must have consumed thousands of calories in dips, chips, sodas, etc. Hopefully I won't have a chance to eat like that again for a very long time...maybe next Super Bowl! So much for running off calories. Sigh.

Goodbye, my almost lover

Today I am officially giving up all (non-brewed) coffee for Lent. Technically I guess I started yesterday, but at the time I thought I would have some today. And yes, I know it's two weeks early, but better early than never! Which could easily become the case if I don't start now while I'm feeling motivated. So, the following post is going to be my farewell, just because I'm now seeing just how much coffee I have in my life. And to clarify, I can still have drip coffee, because I barely even like the stuff--the goal is for me to give up the espresso and non-drip fancy drinks, because let's face it: it's ruining my life in a delicious way.

Hopefully doing this will allow me to publicly have some accountability/embarrassment factor if I should fail. So without further ado (insert sweeping, sappy music here):

Coffee on a Monday

Coffee with ylehsa

Coffee and pastries in London
Coffee in London

Coffee with Nolan

Coffee on the Eurostar

Thinking about coffee in Paris

Super expensive coffee in Paris

Coffee in a French museum, waiting for Nolan

Coffee in Holland (!)

Coffee in the airport on the way to Mexico

To quote R.E.M., "It's the end of the world as (I) know it." And when this is all over, I WILL feel fine.

Fail fail fail

Longest day ever. Work was hectic again, and then I ended up having a coffee, which tasted like FAILURE, and then struggled through my run, and just now am on my way home from a resume workshop that I was volunteering at. It's almost 10pm, and unlike yesterday, I haven't seen my pjs since 6:30am. Sob.

5:40pm: pajamas

Let me start by saying that today has been one of the best workdays of my life, and it has nothing to do with my work...because on that front, the war is still raging.

This weekend, we did absolutely nothing. As in, I did laundry and may have thought about vacuuming, but unless you count walking to Starbucks as work, I was utterly unproductive, but on one front: food. Well okay and my runs, which were excellent, by the way. But, I put my New Year's resolution to work, and made gourmet meals each day, complete with appetizers, and desserts. Here's a gander at one of them:

Maybe it doesn't look super fancy, but let me tell you: French bread with walnut parmesan bruschetta, chili roasted potatoes, wilted greens with grape tomatoes, charbroiled skirt steak, and a pressed-crust pear tart with apricot-lemon glaze. MMMM. Here is the last one, because it was my favourite:

Milo likes to watch:

On Sunday, we went to the mall together and browsed the stores, and then drove to Target in Daly City to find a computer game that Nolan hasn't played since college, and my friends, THIS WAS A MISTAKE. So far he hasn't left that Mac's side. I lay in bed each night reminding myself that I am his wife, not the game. And then I sob and clutch Milo to my bosom.

This is what he (and Milo) look like all day:

The upside here, is that he feels super relaxed and is able to decompress from his busy work schedule. To wit: for the next four weeks, he will be working downtown for 3 days a week. This means that NOT ONLY do we get to commute to and from work together on those days, but we also get to have lunch together, since he is walking distance from my office. 2 things merit comment here:
1. My life is a significantly happier one when there is more Nolan in it each day.
2. My mental/emotional health is significantly better when I don't have to take the Muni.
As a result, we were both home, happy, and in our pajamas by 5:40pm today. Long live the American Dream.