Yesterday I started my "new year". I have a lot of work to do in the next 364 days, but I'm off to a good start.:) Muncher Cruncher started her Seven-Day Gratitude Challenge -- it was a wonderful way to kick things off.
Morning workout: 3.25 easy miles with Windy. My hip felt fine, my foot felt fine. I'm starting to think that these issues are due to inactivity (any amount of sitting).
Ummmmm the Autumn colors here in Chicago are on 10. It was *crunch, crunch, crunch* nearly the whole way.
Meals: One of these bad boys for breakfast, plus a small banana. BROTEIN!<3
Lunch was an Amy's burrito with brown rice -- it didn't look pretty, so I didn't snap it.:P
Afternoon snack -- yum. Also? I'm positive that Honeycrisp is the official apple of Autumn.
I had the ABSOLUTE BEST IDEA FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT. I text Harry with my exclamation...and I wasn't going to be denied.
(Spoiler alert: He didn't fight me.)
I ended up wanting some tomato soup with mine. We added bacon and tomatoes to our grilled cheese -- does anyone else do something like this?
In other news, I'm registering for my first race in a while. I won't be seeking a PR, obvs, but it'll be fun!:) Any locals running this?! Let's meet up!
Day one of 365 was a pretty good day! Off to start day two. Have a wonderful day and a fantastic weekend!
Windy and I came across the house with the best Christmas lights in the whole 'hood yesterday morning. I'm in awe at how productive people become the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Sooooooooooooo, I was babbling yesterday about my worry...about what it seems to be my lack of joy, as of late. (Thank you for the sweet words, by the way!) I've been listening to this audiobook for a minute, and struck it up for mine and Windy's walkies.
I honestly started thinking that I just should've sat on my hands and not posted about the things that are bothering me, and instead should've just listened to this. The content I was listening to seemed to be Tiff-scheduled; it pinpointed my current challenges and gave me a ton more insight. Go figure.:)
I'm going for some 100% nourishment: body, mind and soul. Oatmeal, pb, and 'nanner is the best way for me to start my day.
Lunch called for soup and salad. I put WAY too many greens in a small bowl and didn't have enough room for my turkey, bacon and avocado, so I sheepishly skewered my fork through the good stuff, and added the greens on the end of the fork. Tomato soup on the side to warm my soul a bit.
I always sweeten the deal with some of this yumminess topping my salad.
I was pretty much on cloud 1000000000 at this point in my day. My classes went smoothly, I felt majorly productive (a.k.a. busting my booty during my prep instead of sitting down and doing nothing), and my food game was savage.
I got home, hugged Windy, and made myself a snack.
For those of you counting, I ate 78.2% of an avocado up to this point.
UMMMMMMMMM THESECAMEINTHEMAIL and I KNOW that I've never been more excited to throw something in the washer!
Windy and I were the only ones in the house for the night; Harry (IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY!) was out with a buddy. So, I got to climb into bed with those flannel sheets on it for the first time and it was Heaaaaavennnnnnn! Some A huge bowl of Harry's leftover turkey chili was dinner, and I called it a night. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I had to rate this month on a scale from one to 10, I'd probably give it a 7.2. It has been my highest mileage month for 2017 (I'll end up with ~80 miles), and while training has been way more solid, I've been a total hot mess express.
I'm lucky. I need to say/type that. I love that my dog blesses me with her presence on four out of five of my weekly runs. It's awesome that I can still put one foot in front of the other without any pain. I'm thankful that my healthy lungs keep me moving forward, and that my legs will carry me.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you put up your Christmas decorations? Do you wait until a particular day?
-December 1st for me! Have you ever had flannel sheets?
-They've never been necessary for me, as a Texan. I can't believe I waited four and a half years after moving to Chicago to get some! What was your favorite meal/snack from yesterday? How would you rate your November?
THURSDAY = Rest day! Wooooo! I barely rested outside of a training session, but oh well.:)
Don't you hatelove *sigh* it when you get to a meeting, and they try to wreck your breakfast...?
Don't worry -- the banana won..this time...
This is where the professional development I went to yesterday morning was located: An old, closed elementary school, in the gym. I cringed just a little knowing that those beautiful hardwood floors and basketball rims weren't ever going to be used. Ugh.
LUUUUUUNCH! I was starving by the time I got back to my school (guess I should've eaten the candy?), and couldn't wait to dig in to these goodies.
Later in the afternoon, I got my third graders to make some flowers for Mother's Day. <3
After one more meeting after school (omg I never thought this day would end, for real), I went HOME. It felt good to sit and relax for a moment before making some yummy dinner. Linguini with olive oil, pesto, and cherry tomatoes.
We ended the day with some "Full Frontal" with Samantha Bee ------- LOVE HER SO MUCH! -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other than being back to running and racing, I'm SO excited to say that I'm back in school to get my Masters degree!
(Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Physical Education and Coaching Pedagogy, to be specific.)
I told everyone at school, the fam, and friends, and received a ton of support...thank you to everyone who congratulated me on getting in!
I still sort of want to find a part-time job for the summer, but I'm taking on a good amount of courses during the summertime break. I'm taking my courses online, because honestly; I don't have the patience to go to a campus (so much waiting for parking...walking...blah). My goal is to be done in no later than a year and a half, so I want to get as much done during the summer.:)
The first summer semester doesn't even start until May 30th, and I've already gotten my first syllabus. FUNSIES!
I'm pretty freakin' stoked to start this new adventure, y'all. I feel like I'm in just the right spot with my career to take this extra step, and I cannot wait to learn more about my favorite thing in the world (my job...:). Have an awesome Friday! THE WEEKEND IS HERE! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- What's your workout for today?! What is your favorite distance to race?
(I still don't know the answer to this for myself.)
This has been a long week! Therefore, I'm just going to highlight some random things in my life that are getting the most attention from me.
P.S. That's not any different from any other TOLT -- just sayin'.
Spoiler alert: Food, training, and teaching P.E. That's basically it.😂
1. Can we talk about overnight oats for just a second? Healthy Diva Katie makes them so often, I decided to give it a try. It's pretty darn good!
Also? I'd do just about anything Katie does. I'm not ashamed to say that.
2. These shooooooooooesfeel like pillows on my feet! They're my new solemate shoes! Running in these babies make me feel very efficient with my gait and form. PT Ed gave me some drills to do in the first mile of every run, and I'll go over those tomorrow; but these shoes really make everything feel right. Even the drills.
3. I'm just gonna throw this out there into the universe: Soup and salad on a cold, rainy day is the cat's pajamas. I had basically a repeat salad from Monday, and threw in some of my fave tomato soup.
4. Sometimes you gotta play an enormous game of Frogger with your first and second graders to make life awesome for everybody. (My students were waiting for me to take this picture on the side, practically frothing at the mouth.)
5. For every bone-chilling minute I was out in the rain and storms yesterday heading up a track meet, I had to remind myself that it was worth it not to work for money (but maybe for boredom) over the summer. It really started to downpour during the last 400 of the boys medley at the end of the event. I ran to the car without saying goodbye to any of the coaches. *blush* I got home and took the longest shower of my life (to where the hot water nearly went out! Sorry, Earth!).
I hope you have a wonderful Thursday! I know it's been a long week for a lot of people, especially Teachers! We're almost there, guys! <3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's only Thursday, but I really love food -- What was your fave meal this week so far? WEEKEND PLANS! Tell me what's goin' on! What was the last movie you watched? How'd you like it?
Happy Tuesday morning to meeeeee... A rain run before work was just what I needed.
I attempted to take a picture of my breaky for you (same as yesterday: Oatmeal with coconut milk, soft-boiled egg, and cilantro) but it was far too ugly to post on here. No matter how unattractive it was, it was still yummy and made my tummy happy.
Cut to lunch (because my K-2 students were so on fire on this day, I didn't have the wherewithal to take a picture of them): Sweet potato + grilled chicken breast + brown rice + BBQ SAUCE (game-changer!) + some greens = killin' it in the nutrition department.
After school, I head over to Acupuncturist Eric (his information is here!) for some *GNARLY, HURTING, HEALING*. There were several times when I came to the realization that I'd break under any amount of torture. You probably shouldn't tell me any deep, dark secrets. I'd spill the beans under light pressure.
And oh, my, word, I finally got home. This is my usual bedtime, man!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So anyway --- MY FIRST RACE OF 2017! I KNOW, right?! True story: I have never been so unsure of my race season as I have been during my six months of injury. That uncertainty realllllllly messed with me, too. Someone might have asked me what race plans I had for 2017, and I'd be all
It wasn't even until about a month ago that I got the go ahead to run from PT Ed, but I knew that I had to make a goal for myself. Whether it was to return back to running, to tell my body (foot) that it absolutely wasn't injured anymore, or to be well enough for a race, I made a goal.
Side note: And who would've thought that it'd take nearly six months for a foot injury to go away? I reckon it's because the foot is the body part furthest from my mouth -- yelling at it to feel better.
Back in December of 2016, I posted about races that I wanted to run this year in this post. I cited BolderBoulder as one of those races.
Well, hang on to your hat! Harry and I are heading to Denver and Bolder, Colorado for Memorial Day weekend, and to rock out this iconic 10K while we're there.
Have you ever run this beast? Are you free Memorial Day weekend?! Come race with me, friend! Oh, you don't need to look up the link for registration...it's right here!:)
That elevation, though...*gulp*
The course looks absolutely gorgeous, too! 6.2 miles of Bolder, and I'm sure they hit all of the beautiful spots.
Like I said in a previous post, BolderBoulder has been on Harry's bucket list for some time, and I really wanted to rock it out. I'm so thankful for the team for reaching out to me to make mine and Harry's dream come true! See y'all out there! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What races are on your bucket list? What's your training plan for today? Run? Ride? Yoga? What's the toughest elevation you've had to face during a race or event?
Picture me, putting my meals together at 4:30am on a Monday morning.😝 I would've been up that early, anyway...but probably would've been sitting on my booty watching "Family Guy" on Netflix while sipping coffee.
Around 5:30am, I plopped my booty onto Quistis (road bike) for a 45-minute trainer ride. Mondays used to be my spinning or trainer ride days; getting back into the swing of things with training is a blast!
Oatmeal + cilantro + soft-boiled egg (so it was all gooey and delicious) for breakfast (not pictured because I devoured it in the car), and I was off to teach kids how to be freaking athlete rockstars.
My first class of the day isn't until 9:15am, then I have one more after that before lunchtime. I sometimes need a little snack between breaky and lunch.
Second breakfast is real ----->
Around 11:30am, I finally got around to putting it all together -----> assembling a salad is tough work.
But it was soooOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOooo worth it. Delicious and nutritious (plenty of veggies, protein and fat)!
These were the star of the show!
Swear: I don't have to eat veggies for the rest of my life after eating that salad. I could barely finish it, and it kept me happy and full all afternoon. You can ask my work husband and my students during the last period oft he day-- that never happens.
I taught the rest of my classes for the day, and my after-school math intervention class, then head on home. Traffic was pretty ridiculous (hey, Chicago!). I grabbed something easy and yummy for an afternoon snakaroonie.
DINNER? Yes. Compliments of Harry.<3
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Life gets you down sometimes, man. Mondays are tough. And if you ask me, Tuesdays are tougher. They're like Monday, part II. I *could* start a stress journal and see which days of the week really put me through the ringer, but I know for sure that Tuesdays seem so much more emotionally and mentally exhausting than any other day.
But you know what? No matter what day it is, no matter what challenges you're going through, sometimes all you need is the gym. Get in there and warm up, crank your favorite music in your earbuds, straighten your ponytail, and make that iron your B, dude. The iron will *always* be there for you!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think? Mondays > Tuesdays? Tuesdays < All of the other days of the week? Which day is the most stressful to you? Do you hit the gym, train, or work out to relieve acute stress?
--I know most of us are pretty good about keeping that chronic stress level down as much as possible by taking care of ourselves! What's your FAVORITE afternoon snack?
Hey! Welcome to this installment of #MIMM! We're going over some marvelousness throughout this post, so strap yourselves in for some fun!
Okay, it's mostly pictures of food. You can leave if you want. Or comment and tell me that we can still be friends.
Here's where I left you on Saturday morning. I mean, 76*F isn't hot -- it's warm, but the humidity and air quality were (EWWWWWWWWWWWWW) status.
It was a short run, but good running tunes were necessary to get through it.
As was plenty of the good stuff (psssssssst...water...)
AND SHADE.
AND ---------- the splashpad at the park near my house was on. Not only was it on, but it was spewing out ice-cold water. I may have done a little dance in it.
I got home and was ready to work on my new goal of demolishing all of the produce in the house. I have yet to give it a clever hashtag label...something like #TeamNoWaste, or #GoalEatAllTheProduce. I'll figure out something that isn't lame. No promises, though.
SO YEAH. I get to the fridge to make breaky, and notice that my tomatoes have an exclamation point at the end. Is there anything better than EXCITED FOOD?!
Yes, there is. But I just thought this was cute.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand yummy.
I finished up breaky then head off to my new gig -------> teaching group exercise at SUZ's gym! She hooked me up with teaching Kickboxing (it's making a comeback!), Abs & Core, and Yoga. It's pretty awesome -- I get more endorphines, meet new people, make a little $, and see Suz, every week.<3
I was proud of myself for remembering to bring a snack with me for after two hours of work.
After a nap (OH it was AWESOME!), I had a quick lunch (are you getting bored of #ProduceFest2016 [nah, lame] yet?) of some leftover tortellini (I don't even know how it's possible to HAVE leftover tortellini), turkey meatballs and broc broc broc.
We were off to pick up Sophs, who was all domination nation during a demonstration for her Karate gym. It was at a block fair, and about 95*F out. Needless to say, we didn't' stay long. Soph had been out there for a couple of hours (not in her gi the whole time, but still).
We got home and had some dinner (sushi -- it was ugly, so I spared you the picture), then I took off for Solemate Steph's bachelorette party @ The Second City! This is my most FAVORITE place in the whole wide World! I'll take you there if you ever come to Chicago.:) Most of the girls had been out on a boat all day (see the heat above), and went to dinner before coming here, and they still looked great! I'd be a hot mess after all of that, for sure.:P
Cut to Sunday morning. Sweet, sweet Sunday morning.
My breaky was apparently happy to see me.
Sophs slept in (LAAAAAAAAAAAATE), and we were heading off for Downtown soon after lunch.
My big salad. Exclamation point.
NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DORKINESS OF THIS NINE YEAR-OLD. She'll never change, and I'm totally okay with that.
And here's what WE got to do! Harry wasn't invited -- sorry, Kid.
UM. Go see this if you ever get the chance. It was AWESOME!
I have been going to musicals, ballets, plays, operas, etc. since I was a child. I have news for you: THIS WAS THE BEST ENDING I HAVE EVER WITNESSED. EVER.
After taking Sophs to her grandparents, Harry and I knew what had to happen: A good burger, a beer, and the Tony's.
A pretty marvelous weekend, huh?:) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most MARVELOUS part of your weekend?!
