Sunday LSD

12.01 km
1:37:57
920 cal
7.4 km/h

Not bad after a two week running hiatus! I've found my running mojo again--it was waiting for spring to arrive.

Just a few tinges in my left IT band. Nothing my foam roller can't take care of!

Off for a quick shower and a yummy curry lunch!

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are. Get out and enjoy it while you can!

Saturday Wi

Late post today as we went to visit S's parents (then there was a walk in the sunshine, some pizza and cuddling on the couch while watching Olympics).

My scale: Down 1.0
WW scale: +3.4 from my scale

WTF?!

I'm going with mine, since it's the one I use most often. And we seem to have come to an agreement of sorts. The WW scale is all over the place. Sometimes it's higher than mine, sometimes lower. Whatever.

The scale shall not make or break my day!

Gotta get some kip--I've got a LSD tomorrow! My schedule is for 26, but since I haven't ran since the 16th, I'm going to do a nice, slow 12K. Longer next weekend and a gradual taper for Around the Bay at the end of March.

'Night!

Oh, Julie left me an award...I'll find out what I need to do and deal with it tomorrow. That's what I'm going to do with the poses I'm supposed to teach this week, too!

Fabulous Friday

Not only do I have the weekend off, I have a whole list of good reasons to celebrate the fabulousness that is Friday:

1. Yummy breakfast!

Leftover pancakes spread with Almond Butter and Grape Jelly. Who knew?! Add a cuppa chai and I am a happy, happy girl this morning.

2. The sun is shining in my window as I type this. Sunshine + H-woman = Happy! This also means clear and dry pathways for running this weekend.

3. Photos I just downloaded.

This is the rose my yoga teacher gave me on our first day of training. For inspiration. How can you not be inspired by such beauty?

4. The scale and I are on friendly terms again. I saw a number this morning I haven't seen since this time last year! Today's plan includes:
-walk downtown to meet Cowgirl Warrior (Tupperware delivery)
-lunch: carrots and peppers with hummus & orange
-dinner: Barber's Best Chili (from Best of Bridge) with salsa & orange
-WATER!

5. The weekend awaits: a trip to visit S's folks, Dexter: Season 1 on a comfy couch, a LSD on Sunday and some yoga homework. And a fabulous forecast! What's not to love about today?

enLIGHTened

I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas from Cowgirl Warrior. How to spend such a gift?!

I bought "enLIGHTened: How I lost 40 pounds with a yoga mat, fresh pineapples, and a Beagle-Pointer" by Jessica Berger Gross. There was an excerpt in Yoga Journal and I was intrigued.

It arrived in early January and I devoured it in less than 4 hours. It's a really easy read and filled with great advice, funny anecdotes and some yoga theory. Two points that really resonated with me:

-truthfulness (satya): become more truthful in everything you do, including what you're eating and why

- moderation (brahmacarya): it's not your last meal! Your tummy should be: 1/2 full with food, 1/4 full with water, 1/4 full with air

Two thumbs up!

Namaste.

Sick-o

I fought a valiant effort! But it seems the cold virus has won. I woke up this morning with my throat twice it's normal size and shooting pain running up the side of my face into my ear every time I swallow. Boo!

Neocitran got me another four hours of sleep and I'm currently trying to think of something to put in my tummy that is remotely appealing. I ALWAYS have an appetite. The fact that I don't have one now is slightly worrisome!

Alas, I must find something...maybe some toast. We'll see.

Carol got up bright and early and got us both registered in Melissa's (YAY) and secured the fabulous condo in Canmore for us, too. September is so far away! I miss running--I haven't been out since last Sunday and I can totally feel it. If I can summon some energy, I might go for a wee walk about this afternoon. We'll see.

Hope all of you are winning the battle against the viruses!

OJ & Chicken Soup

Woke up with such a sore throat this morning--swallowing is painful! Ouch! I'm now guzzling OJ and eating chicken soup in the hopes that I feel better soon. I hate not feeling good. =(

Weekend Recap

How did it get to be Sunday afternoon already?!


It's been busy, but fun:
1. WW meeting (down 3 something on their scale, but still not as low as my scale). Whatever. Down is down.

2. Tupperware delivery to friend Kim that lives in Suburbia close to our meeting. Haven't seen her since my dad's funeral. She's been doing WW online and has lost 51 pounds. She looks awesome!

3. Coffee with the girls. Much fun. Many laughs. Good chai. And cottage cheese and fresh pineapple and half a trail mix Honey Bar. Mmmmm...

4. Off to find Canada Olympic gear, only to be foiled at each and every attempt! Zellers. No.
The Bay. No.
Roots. No.
Lulu. No.
Frantic text to family in Funcouver. I got a "fat freaking chance! The lineup is huge." I guess that means as much as she loves me, she won't stand in line for me. Oh well, the world won't come to a screeching halt just because I don't have the mitts.

4.i. Farmer's Market. Oops! How'd I forget that? Yummy lunch from the Greek Gals. Also bought pita and 'ziki.

5. Cleaned kitchen. It was bad. It took awhile.

6. Made myself gorgeous for Winfest. Walked to Stampede grounds, ate, drank lots of wine (some really, really, really good, others not so good, some very bad--honey wine and alfalfa wine come immediately to mind). Walked home. Okay, maybe teetered a little.

7. Sleep, glorious sleep!

8. Got up before my boy and pulled out my knitting. I missed my goal of finishing by the end of January, but I'm in the home stretch now. I've got about 15 rows left and it's DONE. Maybe by tomorrow?

9. Did not run due to slightly hurting head. See #6 above.

10. Went for early lunch with my boy at Moti Mahal. Yum. Veggie Pakoras are my guilty pleasure. I'm not going to lie. I savoured each and every bite. There was also plain basmati, butter chicken, lamb curry, kabli channa, and dal. And naan.

11. Hit the trails to enjoy the sunshine. We saw some incredibly STOOPID people walking across the Bow river under the bridge at Edworthy park. Open water on both sides of the bridge, but hey, give it a try. I'll call 911 for you and tell them not to hurry because, quite frankly, you deserve to feel the icy freshness of a glacier fed river.

12. Back to the boy's place to chill out on the couch. I made some excellent progress on my knitting as ski cross was on in the background. It was pretty stressful!!

13. I tried to get the boy to show me the new video game he's obsessed with playing but he wouldn't. Call me crazy, but I wanted to see the game where he's a naked rat killer turned rat meat merchant. Although I'm told he eventually had enough money to buy pants....

14. Throwing in a huge load of laundry (it's the beauty of wearing scrubs to work--no sorting required) then going to have some Chinese food with Carol for her b-day.

15. Congratulations if you've read this far! You are obviously a dedicated follower and should receive some sort of reward. Unfortunately, there isn't one. =P

16. Copperhead Road (by my fave musician, Steve Earle) is currently playing on the radio. Must go turn up the volume!

Happy weekend!

5 MINUTE LATER EDIT: HUGE NSV--my Lulu hoodie that I bought while at goal fits again!! Whoo hoo! Proof that it's not just the number on the scale, people, it's the measurements that count!

400 and WI

400 Posts today! Holy macaroni!

The digital devil (to coin a Mouse phrase) was in a superb mood today! Down 2 pounds for the lowest number I've seen in a long, long while.

My throat feels a bit better--not sure if it's because I got a ride home last night so that I didn't walk in the cold or the fact that I went to bed relatively early and got a great night's sleep. Either way, I still see a nap in my future today!

Off for meeting (it'll be interesting to see what the WW scale says) and coffee with the girls. Then I really MUST tidy my house. It's driving me nuts!

Happy weekend!

TGIF!

I woke up with a sore, scratchy throat. I'm NOT amused.

Not much to report

What have I been up to? Not much. Working evening shift this week which kind of throws me for a loop. I tend to plan my mornings so that I still get up relatively early, go, go, go, and THEN go to work. Makes for a tired and slightly cranky H-woman. But today I'm going to get the sparkly bits disguised, so I can't really complain.

C. came over yesterday morning and I made breakfast for us while we got caught up. Scrambled eggs (is there any other kind?) with Epicure Cheese, Chives and Bacon. OH. MY. GOD! Definitely something I'll make again. Then I made these pancakes that I saw on Cityline on Monday morning while I was waiting for S. to get up. I served them with yogurt cheese (plain yogurt drained in the fridge overnight sweetened with 2 TB pure maple syrup and 1/2 tsp vanilla) and mixed berries (blue-, black-, rasp- and strawberries). And there may have also been some crispy pepper bacon. =P

Yoga teacher training is awesome! I taught my first pose last night and got some great feedback. My thumb is still injured from skiing 3 weeks ago, so I've been struggling with some of the poses (anything where we're on fingertips). It's slowly getting better though. I've got lots of homework to do this weekend, that's for sure!

I'm not sure that I'll get three runs in this week, but what can you do? Two is better one and one is better none!

And with that, I'd better get my kitchen tidied up. It looks like a cyclone went through yesterday morning! Lunch is going to be veggie chili and dinner is lentil/chicken/spinach soup.

Happy Thursday!

Measurements

I'm trying to be more diligent about taking my measurements mid-month as a non-scale way (hehehe, pun intended!) to track my progress.

Last taken January 20, 2010.
Today:
Right upper arm: -1/4"
Waist: -1/4"
Hips: STS
Right thigh: STS
Bust: -1/2"
Total: -1"

Scale says -2 pounds from January 20.
Since November 16: -4.8 pounds.

I'll take it!

Wowsers, where does the time go?

OK, a total mishmash of ramblings today.

1. Huge NSV!
I can wear (and wear well!) my 'goal' black suit. I wore it to Grandpa Jack's funeral and looked hawt. Also showed my mom and aunt that I was listening when they taught me how to:
(a) build a wardrobe with classic pieces & accentuate with trendy bits
(b) wear good underwear if you want to look good on the outside

2. Sunday LSD
21.97 km
3:05:44
1593 cal
Felt great until about 14K, when my left IT band/knee started acting up. By 18K I could only walk, so walked the last 4K. Oh well! Was attacked by two dogs while in an area clearly marked "Dogs must be on a leash" and their irresponsible owner was 250 metres away and clearly not in control of said dogs. Oh, and this is after I saw her physically separate her dogs from another one. So when I yelled at her to(while kicking the biting, barking, nasty beasts away from my delicate ankles) "Control your fucking dogs!" I was less than pleased with her "Oh, they're harmless" response. Sheesh.

3. Valentine's Day
First Hallmark Holiday ever spent with a boy. It was OK--we decided it wasn't going to be a big deal: I got a pink cyclamen plant and he got Bernard Callebeaut chocolates. We went for lunch with his family (his brother's birthday was Friday) and then back to his bro's place for cake...that I made. Stopped at Safeway for pizza makings, then watched "The Hangover". Better than I thought it would be! And seriously, Bradley Cooper is HOT. Made pizza for dinner (and got the boy to eat veggie pepperoni) which was AWESOME (did we expect any less?) and watched a few episdoes of "The Office" while it was baking and we were eating. Finished the evening with "Ever After". My boy <3's Drew Barrymore. All in all a pretty good made up holiday!

4. I am a COOK, not a baker.
First, had to borrow a springform pan for the cheesecake. Mom and I obviously threw mine out in one of our many cleaning/purging frenzies. Second, I didn't buy Philadelphia cream cheese...I bought Safeway brand. I think this matters. It wasn't entirely soft and I didn't get all the itty bitty lumpy bits beaten out, so the finished product was slightly lumpy. They didn't seem to notice!

5. Thai is yummy
J. picked me up on Friday on her way to the airport to pick up B, J's son's girlfriend. We got caught up on the way, then the girls decided dinner was in order. We headed to the Thai Boat and thoroughly enjoyed a veggie/basil/cashew dish, Pad Thai and a veggie green curry. And coconut rice. What would Thai food without coconut rice be? Maybe that's what I should do for my birthday....hmmmm....

6. Not much else to report. I work evenings this week, so will have to have morning runs. Yoga on Wednesday night (I have to teach two poses). Saturday night is Winefest. Cannot wait for that!

No Wonder I'm Tired!

So my day off was spent enjoying the sunshine that finally returned to Calgary! I walked and walked and walked some more (and ate and ate and ate some more, too, but that's coming later). Grand total: 12.88K!

This puts me 99km into my journey from Hope to Kamloops and passing though Siska Flat Indian Reserves 3 & 8. Not too shabby!

Had a lovely lunch with G and the baby. Beef sate pho with veggies and shrimp salad rolls. Yum. Then we walked to the place that sells cupcakes and I got a peanut butter chocolate one. They were out of the minis so I was forced to eat a big one. In my defense, I scraped off over half of the sickeningly sweet, oh so peanut buttery icing.

Ran some errands, and slipped on yet another icy sidewalk. Seriously? Alas, I am uninjured and lived to tell the tale.

Had an amazing sushi dinner with my old neighbour. We're making it a monthly ritual. Which reminds me, I need to go put that in my calendar!

Alas, that's all I've got. I'm hoping against all odds (and seniority) that I don't get screwed in my vacation requests for the next year, but it's not looking good. Le sigh. At least I've got a little bit of seniority this year!

Work tomorrow and then a big run on Sunday. Lunch with S's fam to celebrate his oldest bro's birthday (I'm making the cake--classic cheese cake with a mixed berry/orange coulis) and then lazing with my guy, watching movies, making pizza and doing yoga homework.

Today's totally been a snackapolooza and I can't even blame hormones. Hi, my name is H-woman and I'm an emotional eater. Nice to meet you. But at least I recognize it now!

=)

Wacky Wednesday

Well, not really, but the alliteration is nice.

Work was interesting, as I learned one of my co-workers EXPECTS help on the repeat bench. WTF?! It's your JOB! Yes, it's nice if someone has time to help you, but I sure as hell don't go to work with the expectation that someone will help me! For five-freaking-cents! And quite honestly, it's pretty rare that there isn't time to get all your work done. Sheesh.

But enough of that.

Came home (a lovely walk in the sunshine--thank goodness the chinook seems to be close!) and prompty crawled into bed with Nerm for a wee kip. I felt 300% better, had a quick dinner of chicken lentil soup (Primo lentil kicked up a notch or two with my fabulous cooking skills) and fruit crisp. Then I headed out, yoga mat strapped to my back, to catch the bus.

OY.

WHEN will the City of Calgary in all its wisdom learn that in order to make people take transit, you need to actually have a bus running when you say it's going to! Watching the bus drive by, completely empty & out of service, filled me with rage. I eventually caught a bus (and by now I'm freaking out 'cause I'm going to be late--I also forgot to add the 20 minute buffer required whenever one travels by transit) and made it, only about 10 minutes late. But seriously, for all the people that live on 11 Ave NE between Centre Street and 5th, CLEAN YOUR FUCKING SIDEWALKS! It hasn't snowed in two days.

Good thing I had 4 hours of yoga to get over all this stuff, huh? Really, I am, I'm just recapping my day. The four hours FLEW by and now I'm home and oh, so happy that I don't have to work tomorrow!! I've got a date with G & baby for noodles for lunch and I. & I are going for sushi (I think) for dinner. Doesn't really matter.

And now, I must sleep. My poor little eyes are burning they're so tired. I'm not setting an alarm. If I wake up in time to go to a WW meeting tomorrow (I work on Saturday), I'll go, but I'm not going to make myself get up. Sleep beats the scale!

'Night!

Random Tuesday Ramblings

Let's try a list, it'll be easier to read and since I'm all over today, give some structure to my unstructured thoughts.

1. I forgot how incredibly high-maintenance my extended family is! I love 'em to bits, but they are exhausting to be around.

2. My Auntie Mom is an amazing woman. She did the eulogy at my dad's funeral and at her dad's on Saturday. On Sunday she did the sermon at church, then led a workshop on how to make prayer shawls. Her strength and faith are a constant wonder and inspiration to me.

3. I still cry whenever I hear "The Farmer's Song" by Murray Mclaughlin. Not just a tear in the eye, but full on sobbing cry. It's not pretty. But it describes both my dad and Grandpa Jack to a T.

4. I don't like driving in fog. Especially for 5 hours, the last three in the dark.

5. I had lunch with S. on Sunday. Mostly 'cause I just needed a hug. And a good Indian buffet. =P

6. I hibernated for the rest of the weekend and spoke to no one but my mom. I'm ok with that.

7. Yoga Teacher Training started last night! I've got tonnes of homework already, but I can't wait to get to it. We have a group of 11, and one of the girls I met this summer at Folk Fest (she's friends with my friend, Amanda). Small world!

8. It was tough to drag my ass outta bed to be at work for 6 this morning. Thank goodness I'm off on Thursday.

9. I ran into (literally!) my friend I. as I was heading back from my run this afternoon.

10. Just got off the phone with J., who I haven't talked to since the end of December and haven't seen since...well, it's been awhile. Saturday dinner date planned.

11. Running on a treadmill sucks, but I did it on Saturday. Today's run wasn't the greatest, but I'm glad I got out there. 5.48K, 42 and change minutes, 457 calories.

12. I can't cook small. Seriously. I made a fruit crisp in my turkey roaster because I wanted to use up some saskatoons, apples and strawberries I found in the freezer. It's yummy, but VERY big! In my defense, I cooked for 10 for a very, very, very long time. I don't know how to do single servings!

13. The End.

Road Trip!

Mom and I are off to the booming metropolis of Irma, Alberta. Be back late tomorrow or Sunday.

Happy weekend!

Uh-oh...

There were wings and cider after work. And now some cookies (my fabulous triple ginger gingersnaps) have found their way out of the freezer!

I think I'm sleep deprived and therefore craving carbs. Whatever. I've written it down and enjoyed every bite. That's what really matters, right?

Absolutley Knackered

So I'm taking a glass of water (I keep forgetting my water bottle at home and then don't get enough in during the day) and the latest issue of Runner's World to bed. I didn't run today, but I feel like I should at least read about those who did!

'Night!

Weekly Re-Cap & Goals for the Week

So, last week my goals were to:

Run 3X—Needs improvement. I ran Wednesday & Sunday (well, technically I walked on Sunday, but for 15K, it counts!)

Yoga 5X—Needs improvement. Not sure what happened here, but I only got 3 turtle stickers this week.

Journal X7—ACHIEVED! 7/7

No Pop--ACHIEVED! 7/7 (Three weeks and counting)

Attend a WW meeting—ACHIEVED! Saturday morning with Faye.

Go Cross Country Skiing—ACHIEVED! Saturday morning with Jackie. I even have the injury (sprained thumb), bruising (entire left leg from the hip down) and sore muscles (all of ‘em) to prove it! But the best part was it was super fun. I got a workout, got to spend some time with an old friend, and was in the mountains. Really, can it get much better than that? Well, aside from having better gear, not really!

Finish the Baby Blanket—Needs Improvement. It’s getting there, but I need some solid knitting time!

 

Goals for this week:

1. Run 3X. No excuses.
2. Yoga 5X. No excuses.
3. Journal 7X.
4. No Pop. Can we make it four weeks?
5. Cross-country ski again.
6. Attend WW meeting.
7. Finish the baby blankie.

#5 & #6 may be a little difficult as my mom just called to tell me that an old family friend (dad of my mom’s college roomie, whom I call ‘Auntie Mom’—he was 93 and a very stubborn old man!) died this morning and the funeral is on Saturday. Not sure if I’ll make it or not. We’ll see.

So I guess I’d better roll out the yoga mat.

Made My Monday

After a seriously hideous day at work (which I will NOT rant about because it's finally OVER and that's what REALLY matters), my brother & I had the following email exchange:

Me: FYI Only 30 shopping days left till my birthday!

Fred: Isn't that nice. What could a girl like you possibly want for her Birthday??

Me: Lululemon gift certificates are always nice. So are Aveda hair care products. Skis and associated gear. A visit from her big brother. A new tattoo…how’s that for a list?

Fred: What is your lemon potato recipe?

Me: Where did that come from?! Left field? I use this one as the basis and kind of wing it based on how I’m feeling.


4 medium potatoes, peeled
½ cup EVOO (yes, really that much! That’s what makes ‘em crispy and good)
S & P
1 TB oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
½ lemon (I really like lemon, so I usually use the whole thing)


Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the spuds in 1” thick slices. Combine everything but the lemon juice and dump into a baking dish. Squeeze the lemon over the spuds. Bake for about 20 minutes, then turn ‘em down to about 350F for another 15 or so. They should be golden brown, crispy yet tender when poked with a fork.

I’ve also put ‘em in foil and done ‘em on the BBQ.

Fred: No my wife called, and was planing supper. She had the hankeren for the lemon potato What the hell is EVOO?

Made my day! I <3 my big bro!