No wet dogs here

My dog hates the rain. I know a lot of dogs don’t love it, but Hadley takes it to a new level. Yesterday, I came home from work, and he was excited as usual to go for his walk. I put on my rain jacket (well Chris’s really, but it nice and big on me), and his mood went from let’s go let’s go to if we must. We got downstairs and were ready to exited the building when he started investigating the mat in the entry way. It was full of wet footprints. Well Hadley put two and two together, decided it must indeed be raining, and that he would not have anything to do with it. He turned around and headed right back to the elevators. I was happy there was a man there to see it, because someone got to share in my laugh at my crazy pup. When we got inside, he still rolled around on the couch like he does when he’s wet, just to make sure that none of the horrible rain managed to get on him. Silly puppy.

I may hate rain, but I love snow!

Since Hadley was most definitely not going on a walk, I decided to use the time to hit up the gym early. I was able to get in a crazy good workout. I continued on with my strength training, mixing it up a little from last week, but doing mostly the same workout. Then, I kicked my own tush on the treadmill. I made up the workout as I went along and rather liked it. Here’s what I did:

Minutes: Pace
1-2: 3.3 – warm up
2-5: 6.0
5-6: 8.0
6-7: 7.0
7-8: 7.5 pace
8-11: 6.0 pace – recovery
11-12: 8.0
12-13: 7.0
13-14: 7.5
Take a water break and repeat above from 14-28 minutes.
28-32: 3.3 – cool down

I was a sweaty mess when I was done! While I was foam rolling along, I received a nice compliment. A lady at the gym introduced herself as a trainer and complimented me on how I always work out hard. She then offered to train me, so the compliment may have been part of a the wooing process all along, but I still appreciated it. I would love to take personal training sessions, but that’s not in the budget. Perhaps one day.

My evening from there was lovely. Usually I’m not done with the gym until 8, but since I went early, I was finished before 7. I was able to use my extra time to fix up a filling lunch for today of lots of veggies, potatoes, and Indian simmer sauce stir fried together. Sodarnfilling.

The night ended in a good way: I popped Smartpop Popcorn and enjoyed it in bed watching American Dreams. I think popcorn and TV is my new favorite bedtime activity for those nights were Chris is working dreadfully late. That and of course cuddling with Hadley.

Hug me, kiss me, love me.

Wins v Fails

So you tell me, win or fail: I didn’t keep to my menu plan last night, because Chris came home surprisingly early from work and offered to take me out for Thai food.

I’ll go with win, because I am simply making my meal from last night tonight. Plus, I have left over pad thai for lunch. Double plus, I got to spend some time with the boy before he worked from home. What do you think, win or fail?

Other wins from yesterday:
– I fell in love with a new cereal for breakfast, Kashi Berry Blossoms. It is especially good a few dried cranberries are tossed into the mix.
– I took the time to read on our patio last night with a white wine spritzer (it’s really about 1/4 wine, 3/4 seltzer, which makes a bottle of wine last forever).
– I finally got really into my book, Little Women. I’ve been meaning to read this for ages, as it’s my favorite movie of all times. – Hadley carried his dirty tennis ball on his own to/from the dog park.
– I found the energy to clean both the kitchen and put away all my laundry.
– Chris and I are finally beginning to understand the hype behind Community.

And a few fails, because what’s up without down?:
– I woke up with that allergy-head-shovel-to-face feeling.
– My hair is dry beyond belief, and I’ve no clue what to do beyond wait it out.
– My favorite brown tank top got destroyed in the wash.

7 wins to 3 fails clearly equals a win for the day. Also, heavy cleaning counts as cardio, right?

What are the wins and fails of your day?

Week #1 Dinner Menu

Yea, yea – I haven’t been the best blogger ever. My pictures seem to never want to upload on Chris’s computer (yes, I really need to replace mine), and then I get sad that I can’t post pictures, and then I get frustrated, and then I don’t post. So today, sans photos, I am posting. Go me!

I often find myself running around more in the summer than in the winter. It’s just so nice out, all I want to do is be outside! This means I often find myself not cooking or not cooking as healthy as I do in the colder months. My attempt to remedy the situation? A dinner menu for the week! If I plan ahead, then maybe I can actually cook and cook healthy!:

Monday: Baked potato chopped with sautéed veggies and tofu in an Indian simmer sauce. Tuesday: Baked salmon over a Caesar salad.
Wednesday: Couscous with mixed vegetables, feta, chickpeas. Probably will throw in some tofu. Thursday: Rice bowl with tofu, broccoli, soy sauce.
Friday: Hopefully Chris will get out of work early and we can enjoy some Indian food on the cheap!

Weekly shopping list: Baked potato, green pepper, yellow onion, zucchini, yellow squash, baby carrots, cucumber, tofu, couscous, scallions, lemon, salmon, feta.

Let’s see if I can stick to my Week #1 Dinner Menu. If so, then get excited for Week #2. Maybe the computer will be agreeable, and I can post some pictures of my meals.

NYC Record Heat

What does one wear in weather that feels like 116 degrees? In NYC? I know that some places get that hot regularly, but here in NYC, we don’t do this kind of weather. The city is smelly and hot. The train took 45 minutes instead of its regular 20. The crazy people that roam the streets of the somewhat shady area I work in have gotten crazier. A homeless man threw a bottle top at me and yelled something unrecognizable. For all of this, I blame the heat.

This morning, I couldn’t figure out how to still be office appropriate (aka not show up in a bathing suit which is probably the only thing I actually wanted to wear) and not become an utter mess on my commute. I went with my lightest of sun dresses and hoped that it would the trick. So far, its passing the test.

But 116 degrees? Ohmygosh I hope this breaks soon. Yesterday, I sweated more going to and from Pilates than I did at the class, which I know is a sexy over-share. And now I am over-complaining. It’s just that my brain cannot comprehend this hot hot heat. See, it’s really all the heats fault.

Baby brother is coming in tomorrow to watch HP at night, and we had planned on adventuring around the City during the day. What does one do in NYC in this extreme heat? Preferably something that doesn’t involve a massive amount of sweating and does involve air conditioning?

I have some beat the heat plans going on tonight that I’m excited about though:

– Attending temple services in my AIR CONDITIONED synagogue
– Dinner at 5 Napkins Burger to finally try out their raved about veggie burger in their AIR CONDITIONED dining room
– Drinks at a local bar suggested by a co-worker that has been promised to be AIR CONDITIONED

Stay cool everyone! Remember that your pets get hot, too! Keep the A/C on for them when you’re out, keep walks to a quick-need-be basis, and lots and lots of water. For gosh sakes, don’t even bring your poor dog in a car in this weather.

Of course ignore all this pet advice if you happen to own an iguana. I believe they like the sun?

Strenght Training Firsts

Super exhausted today and not a 100% sure why. Perhaps it’s the heat wave we are experiencing? NYC in 95 degree heat is no fun, especially the subways which smell awful. People stink in this heat. It’s no fun to ride up next to them. This heat wave isn’t scheduled to break until Monday, and I will welcome the drop to a chilly eighty something degrees. I do cold much better than heat these days.

Yesterday I did my first strength training work out, which I modified from a post I read on Tina’s blog.

Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Weight: 10lb hand weights
Workout:
– Push-ups
– Upright Rows
– Shoulder Press
– Hammer Curls
– Dips

When I was done pumping iron, I stuck with Carrots n’ Cake for a cardio workout that I also modified to my needs:
– 00:00 – 05:00: 6.3 mph
– 05:00 – 07:00: 6.5 mph
– 07:00 – 09:00: 6.6 mph
– 09:00 – 11:00: 6.7 mph
– 11:00 – 16:00: 6.8 mph
– 16:00 – 18:00: 6.0 mph
– 18:00 – 21:00: 6.5 mph
– 21:00 – 22:00: 6.7 mph
– 22:00 – 23:00: 7.5 mph
– 23:00 – 24:00: 6.5 mph
– 24:00 – 25:00: 7.5 mph
– 25:00 – 30:00: 3.6 mph (cool down walk)

I was an exhausted, sweaty mess after my work out. I did find the strength to go for falafel, though. Yum.
The night ended as all good weeknights do: a trip to the dog park with my boys, reading a little from a great book, and watching some Parks & Recreation.

Let’s hope I get my energy back up for Pilates tonight!

It’s Just a Little Crush II

Since I have more summer clothes than I probably need, I’ve put myself on a shopping ban. I actually did pretty well not shopping this month w/o being on an official ban. July purchases include Old Navy’s super sale where I picked up 2 skirts, shorts, a tank top, and a jacket all for $30, Gap running shorts (with pockets!) for $5, and hot pink sunglasses (my old ones broke) from a random store for $6. All in all, $41 in shopping for a month isn’t so bad.

Either way, I’m now on an official shopping ban from now until the end of August (when it’s acceptable to start making Fall purchases). In order to use this non-shopping time wisely, I’m going to make a list of Fall crushes much like  I did with Spring/Summer crushes. That way, come time, I will know what I really need for my Fall wardrobe (besides semi-professional clothes for my new job). The exception to the ban is that if something on the list goes on mega sale (as you maybe can tell, I’m a major sale shopper) then I can buy it early.

Here are my Fall crushes as of this uber hot day in July (how appropriate):

Gap Simple Drawstring Pants

  I have a pair of these from a few years back that I’ve worn to death. Like to the point that even Chris says they need to be replaced. I love them for Pilates, the dog park, or just lounging around.

Tom's Navy Tie Dye Classics

 For the longest time I heard about Tom’s, but never knew what they looked like. Recently, I saw a pair and decided that they will make the perfect Fall commuter/weekend/West Coast trip shoe.

American Eagle Worn Dark Wash Skinny Jeans (these are a different wash)

These are the first pair of skinny jeans that I’ve not only been able to button, but also made me say, damn. Thus, I think I need these in my future.

As always, I am still crushing on a pair of cowboy boots. Maybe this will be the year:

Frye Billy Pull On Boots

 What’s on your shopping list?

Healthy Living in the News

Fascinating study today in the NYT on diet and food choice’s affect over an elongated period of time. Read full article here.

Short summary for those of short on time:

20 years research following group of people to see how their diets influence their weight. Overall summary is that it’s not entirely about how much you eat so much as eating the right things and exercising. There is such a thing as “bad” foods and “good” foods.

“The foods that contributed to the greatest weight gain were not surprising. French fries led the list: Increased consumption of this food alone was linked to an average weight gain of 3.4 pounds in each four-year period. Other important contributors were potato chips (1.7 pounds), sugar-sweetened drinks (1 pound), red meats and processed meats (0.95 and 0.93 pound, respectively), other forms of potatoes (0.57 pound), sweets and desserts (0.41 pound), refined grains (0.39 pound), other fried foods (0.32 pound), 100-percent fruit juice (0.31 pound) and butter (0.3 pound).”

“An increased intake of dairy products, whether low-fat (milk) or full-fat (milk and cheese), had a neutral effect on weight.” –> Thank goodness!

“And despite conventional advice to eat less fat, weight loss was greatest among people who ate more yogurt and nuts, including peanut butter, over each four-year period.”

Yogurt is linked to be the best food for weight management/loss. Bring on the Chobani Greek yogurt!

Yogurt = awesome

Hoboken Party With Purpose 5k Recap

I’m happy to announce that yesterday’s race was awesome. Sure, it was hot, but it had cooled down some from the daytime high of 92, and there was a breeze coming in off the river. The event was well-organized and ran smoothly. Chris and I lined up towards the back end of the giant 1300 + pack of runners, because we had no clue what to expect from ourselves. We waited during all the announcements – which drove me nuts, just start the race! – and then the gun was off. We were so far back that we actually stood around and slowly walked to the start line for a good minute and a half. Thankfully, the race supplied handy pacing chips that we had in our shoes so that we got our real time. I bounced all the way to the start – I was so excited.

Here are my stats:

 Overall time: 29:43.30; mile pace: 9:33

My goal was to hit 10 minute miles, so I was happy to see that I came a little under my goal pace. Also, my own “secret” goal (it was in my head, but I didn’t want to say it out loud) was to run 30 minutes or under, so I’m happy I was able to make it under my goal. Sure, it’s a long cry from my pre-injury pre-twenty high school cross country days, but this is a new me and it feels great to be running. Let’s call this my new-me PR.

I felt great during the first mile. I was smiling like an idiot, because I was finally running a race. If you’ve been reading for a while, you may remember that back in January, I was in physical therapy and my doctor said that I may never be able to run outside. Now, I was running a 5k!!! I smiled my way through the first mile, and made myself keep a slower pace. I really wanted to run faster, but I am not used to pacing and still unsure of the distance, so I held back. Mile 1 came and went and the only snafu was when I almost drowned when taking a sip of water at the hydration stop. Instead of gulping it like a normal person, I snorted it through my nose and had a fun little time sputtering along as I ran.

Mile 2 was harder on me. The route at this point was directly in the sun, and I could feel myself overheating. I was unable to speed up like I had planned, and I even slowed down some, but I kept on going. After passing Mile 2, there was an open fire hydrant to run through (cold water = life saver). The water was just what I needed to get back my energy. With only one mile left and feeling refreshed, I ran my fastest mile during Mile 3. It was great to come around the last turn and hear people cheering. I ran the last straight away fast and finished with a smile on my face.

Overall, the 5k was a great experience. It was the best outside run for my knees yet, and the heat didn’t bother me that much. The biggest take away for me to work on is understanding my pacing. I finished with more to give, which is wonderful in a way, but it also means that I can go faster next time. I hope to run another race in late August/early September, and in the meanwhile I’m going to start working on pacing.

I wasn’t the only one who finished the 5k last night. Chris also achieved our goal of running the entire race! I was so proud of him – he’s not a runner and is picking it up for the first time. We started together, but got separated from the get-go, so I was so excited to see him at the finish line. Go baby go!

My friends Lauren, Michelle, and Frank also ran (the real-runner friends I mentioned), and they were rock stars. Lauren and Michelle both placed in our age group! I was super proud of them. Personally, I was just so happy we all got to run a race together (instead of me cheering on the sidelines like me knees are prone to make me do).

Happy happy day!

T Minus 3 Until 5k

It’s well into the 90’s today. But, at least it’s not raining! That means that come 7PM, Chris and I will be meeting up with our real-runner friends (oppose to us that are still runners-to-be or in-the-making or something) in Hoboken for the Party With Purpose 5k .

Last year's race

Source

Oh gosh, I’m getting nervous!!!!

Rain in the forecast

Tomorrow is supposed to be my Chris and my first 5k together. Only the weather forecast is calling for thunderstorms! Are 5k called off for thunderstorms? I’ve haven’t been training in the rain …

Hopefully the weathermen (and women!) are wrong, and tomorrow will be lovely. I’m planning on prepping tonight with lots of stretching and positive thinking. Also, I’m going to create a Race Day playlist. 3.1 miles isn’t long, but it’s a enough time to get a few motivational songs in. I’ve never raced with headphones in, but I’ve seeing that I won’t be so much racing as trying to finish, I think the headphones are alright.

Which brings me to my goals for tomorrow’s race. Chris and I have one small goal for our first race: don’t walk. If I can run the whole thing, even if I am cruising at a snail pace, then I will feel that my goal’s been met. This will be hard for me, because I have only ever run a race for place and time. Sure, it’s been years, but I know that competitive person is still in me. I have to allow for people who’ve been running for longer to go ahead of me, and I can’t mind that my pace is super slow. My biggest fear for the race is that I’ll go out fast and die halfway through. It would be a really sad way to go.

So yes, let’s hope for: 1) good weather 2) good pacing 3) and a good overall race for Chris and I! Hopefully, I’ll have a race to tell you about soon!