Wish Fulfillment

Friends!

We have so much to catch up on. Let's go in chronological order, shall we?

First, Philly Half Marathon.

I had a blast spending the weekend, with some of my favorite people (including my CrossFit coach, the Fit Gent).

I am very new to running and still working on speed, so my time was unimpressive: 2:16

I plan on running another half in April and I would like to focus on speed, I'd like to finish in 2:10.

My girl, Sam (pictured) finished in 2:05 and Will, my Fit Gent, finished in 1:44! So proud of these two!

Yes, I'm too cheap to buy the actual photos. I'd rather spend my money on new shoes. Or food. Say something.

Sam's boyfriend, Ryan, hardly trained and, mid-race, decided to run the Full Marathon. So, we all finished, showered, relaxed, went out to eat, ordered drinks, and then Ryan joined us -- 2 hours later.

Yes, his bib says his name is Rachel.

Running, relaxing, and eating my weight in carbs is very tiring, so we all took naps on the way home.

So proud.

Secondly, how was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was as splendid as mine. I spent time with family and shopped a little bit. But mostly, I relaxed.

It. Was. Perfection.

After the race on Sunday, I didn't feel the need to jump right back into running or CrossFit, so I took a couple of days off and jumped right back in by Wednesday. It hurt.

I did not get a picture of our Turkey Day festivities. I did, however, snap a shot of the most painful WOD I've performed to date.

 Courtesy of my favorite CF coach, this WOD was performed 12 Days of Christmas style. Starting with 2, then 3, 2, then 4, 3, 2, then 5, 4, 3, 2...etc. The big spin was that these exercises took place on alternating floors of the building, so we had to climb up and down stairs between each set. It took me over an hour. I took the next two days off to recover from the mental and physical exhaustion. I'm such a wuss.

Thankfully, during those next two days I devoured some delicious things. I snapped photos of two of my fav meals:

  

Lamb chop carcasses and apple crumble. I realize the crumble looks like piles of poo, but it isn't. It's delicious.

Lastly, it's about that time when wishlists begin making their way around my family. And, while I love knowing what my family really wants, I value the element of surprise way too much to ask them. My parents always give me one or two things and I HATE that they know what they're going to get! So, I don't even ask for lists. Selfish? Maybe.

I did, however, fulfill some of my own wishes from my list this weekend. One of which being...

Leopard heels. Hot ones.

Bam. So exciting. The boy and I are going out of town this weekend for a wedding in New Orleans, so I will definitely be breaking these out. Pictures forthcoming.

Until then, have fun being bad.

-t

Buzzkills on buzzkills

OMG, friends. My last post was read by the most people EVER. So exciting!! Although, it may include the times I read it...so maybe not that many people are reading me. It's possible....

But unlikely. Cuz I'm the shit.

Friends, I'm sorry I've been a lazy blogger. To be honest, my meals have been really boring for a few reasons. I'll make a list.

1. I spent a boatload of my moolah preparing for the apocalypse (Hurricane Sandy).
2. I'm moving soon (still in NYC, don't worry) and need to save for that because it is expensive with a capital E. 

That's really it. Short list.

So, most of my breakfasts have been eggs and brown rice tortilla or oatmeal. Most of my lunches have been soups or microwave meals (ick). And most of my dinners have been hummus and carrots (or blue corn chips, yum). Why would I take pictures of that stuff. Blah.

Just kidding, I took a picture of my breakfast the other day.

I had goat milk yogurt. It was pretty good! I put some slivered almonds and honey in there and it was delish. Good on-the-go or at-the-desk option.

After Sandy dissipated, her evil cousin the Nor'Easter came to visit and left a blanket of snow over everything. It was bananas. Didn't think I'd have to deal with this sloshy mess for a while. But, it didn't stick. It all melted :)

 Another reason I love New York City, aside from the nice people and weather (sarcasm), is the access to art (not sarcasm).

The boy and I went to see an installation by Tatzu Nishi in Columbus Circle. It was incredible. This brilliant guy built a living room around our Columbus statue. The pictures from the Public Art Fund are much better than mine, so check out the link. But I got a few keepers:

 But, before I did that, I went to the boy's parent's house to help with clean up. We took a tour of what's left of the homes in Long Beach. It's not pretty, friends.

Most people have emptied their homes of everything due to flood damage, so you're driving around seeing people's entire life out on the curb. Also, many cars were totaled. Most have writing on the windows from insurance companies demonstrating that they've assessed the vehicles and declared them a loss.

One last buzzkill real quick. Looting is also a big problem after a disaster. But, not for this guy. "Looters will be shot" keeps 'em away pretty well.

All that to say this, donate your shoes. Or the sweater you wore to last year's Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Or some type of warm clothing or blankets or something. It will make someone's hard time a little easier.

Thanks for checking in. Sorry for not having more pictures of the things I've been eating.

Need a pick-me-up after this downer post? Check out my song of the year. Don't like pop music? Too bad. My blog. My rules.

Til next time, have fun being bad.

-t

Sandy, that bitch.

Welp, it's been over a week. Let's talk about that bitch Sandy.

She ravaged the East Coast and left over 100 people dead. Truly unbelievable. Leading up to the storm, I was very nervous. Being from Florida, I understand how weather can really take you by surprise and know that government officials prepare people for the worst because they typically don't know how bad it will be until it's happened. 

Sandy forecast.

 Clearly, I was not the only person who was nervous, because my local grocery store (which is usually packed) was INSANE.

And, I bought enough food to last me over a week. I could hardly carry my basket!

But, luckily for us, Sandy ended up being nothing more than a rainstorm where we were. So, the boy and I locked ourselves in the apartment and made some scrumptious grub, leaving only briefly for replenishment of resources (read: bacon). Our days were lazy and delicious. Let me show you.

 

For our first night, we cooked up our steaks with some steamed veggies and wine (beer for the boy).

Then we polished off our pints from the weekend. This Dark Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream was DIVINE and eased my stress :)

The next morning, I was served eggs (one yolk, two whites) with onions and peppers, gluten free toast, and bacon. Am I spoiled?

 Nah.

That night, we snacked on chips and salsa for dinner. The next morning, we stuck with what worked and had the same breakfast. It was equally as delicious the second time around. Even though we ran out of bacon and I decided to skip it altogether. It was okay, though, because we continued our love affair with fried pig fat later that evening...

Bacon wrapped asparaguses. Asparagi. Multiple pieces of asparagus.

Nom nom nom.

The next day we drove out to Long Island to help the boy's parents clean up their house after Sandy flooded their first floor (sad face). To keep things positive, we dressed up for Halloween as, what else? 

BACON & EGGS.

 Enjoy laughing at my shenanigans. And, as always, have fun being bad.

-t

Dig Inn

Well, I've eaten a lot over the last three days since my last post, so let's get to it.

Tuesday, I had a typical breakfast after my run (some sort of oatmeal concoction).

For lunch, I had this incredible tuna salad that I made and wrapped it all up in brown rice tort. Scrumptious. Fruits on the side.

                    

On Wednesday, I had a few of these whole grain fruit bars that I made pre-CF, then had a chocolate banana protein shake when I got to work.

I ordered from this new place, Dig Inn, since I forgot to pack a lunch. You get to create your own plate and it tells you every ingredient and allergen. It's awesome and I absolutely loved it.

I got a small plate with rosemary turkey, roasted sweet potatoes, kale & apple salad, and curried cauliflower with raisins (left to right). It was delish.

 I went home from work and baked some spinach-stuffed chicken breasts for lunches. They came out looking pretty good, huh? I did all this before the boy and I went out for a night on the town. On a Wednesday night. I felt so chic.

I snacked, had two screwdrivers, and wrapped the night up with a grilled chicken salad with spinach and goat cheese.

Yesterday, I started my day with some ab&j oatmeal, with fresh strawberries.

Lunch was a shredded spinach-stuffed chicken over a leftover spinach, strawberry, goat cheese salad, and a sweet potato. 

Lunch was fab, except for the fact that my fridge at work is too cold. So, anything on the top shelf (close to the freezer), typically ends up frozen. So, I didn't gnaw on my frozen strawberries...

After work, my friend invited me over for girl's night....I discovered my new favorite Pinot Noir, ate some delicious gluten free chicken and dumplins, and....

Rediscovered my passion for all things pumpkin...that was fast...

Gluten free pumpkin bread...disappearing quickly

I was in such a panic this morning as all of the trains on the east side of Manhattan were suspended, so I had to take a very long detour to work. But along the way, I very appreciatively noticed the changing of the leaves in Central Park. It was beautiful and made me so grateful for my life in the best city in the world. It's so worth the pain in the ass trek to work to get to say I live here.

Although, I was feeling grateful this morning, I don't know that the hundreds of New Yorkers elbowing past each other felt the same. In fact, I know they didn't. New Yorkers are very vocal as it turns out.

'Til next time, have fun being bad.

-t

Pumpkin Overload

Friends, I don't want to say it, but I think I have to.

I am experiencing a pumpkin overload. I have not been feeling the pumpkin trend AT ALL. What's wrong with me? I think I just overdid it with the pumpkin flavored things in anticipation of fall. But, now that it's here, I have no desire for pumpkin treats. The last two times I went to SBux, I ordered a pumpkin latte or americano and it tasted fine...I just think I'm over it! I feel like I'm mourning the loss of something...I'm a little sad.

Maybe it'll come back to me.

Some recent eats:

Chocolate-covered strawberry oatmeal: oats, water, choc protein powder, heaping scoop strawberry jam

As some of you may know, I keep track of my workouts by using both the Nike+ SportWatch and the Nike+ FuelBand.

The SportWatch is for running. It tells me my pace, time elapsed, mileage, estimated caloric burn, and it can show me my run on a map using GPS. The FuelBand measures movement and gives me a number to demonstrate how much I have (or haven't) moved each day.

For the FuelBand, you set a daily goal. They have recommended goals, but you can personalize it to match your personal goals. When you meet or exceed your goals, you get badges and rewards. Just thought I'd share a few of mine.

Fastest mile! When I started running a few months ago, I was averaging an 11 min/mile!

Woo hoo!!!

Methinks I need to set my goal higher. Running helps me reach my goal before I even get to the office.

I made a kickass tuna salad (tuna, mustard, mayo, red grapes, walnuts, salt & pep) for lunch today. I'm gonna go scarf it.

Till next time, have fun being bad.

-t

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

Friends, I lied.

Okay, I didn't intentionally  lie. But, I forgot one caveat in my last post. Since I'm doing endurance training for my half marathon, I have to consume some packaged foods, namely high carb "food". Things like this mostly come in the form of gels, gummy chews, or jelly beans. Since I'm beginning to do runs that last longer than an hour, I actually have to refuel mid-run. Anyone out there used any of these? What are your favs?

 I did my first double digit training run yesterday -- 10 miles. It was only slightly uncomfortable, but I made it through unscathed. I ate a Peanut Butter Gu. Which, surprisingly, did not taste great since I put it in my bra for the first 5 miles, so it was hot and I was hot and that is not a satisfying combination. I'll just carry it next time. Warm peanut butter is not refreshing when you're sweating balls. Who knew?

Speaking of peanut butter, you should all know right now that there is a recurring theme to my life as it relates to food. That theme is peanut butter & jelly.

I LOVE PB&J. Although I've made the switch to almond butter, I still enjoy some jelly with it. Almond butter and peanut butter are synonymous to me. Both delicious. 

You know those yogurt places where you swirl your own flavors and pay by weight? If there is a peanut butter flavor, I'm undoubtedly pairing it with a fruit flavor to make pb&j yogurt. Usually with fresh fruit, nuts, and/or chocolate chips on top. However, since I live in the best city in the world, there is a vegan ice cream (I love dairy, but it does NOT love me back) place that sells, wait for it...

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY ICE CREAM. Be still, my heart. It is my favorite thing in the world. I'm always so sad when I hit the bottom of the cup. I can never have enough of Lula's pb&j ice cream. Never. I'm considering relocating to the East Village just so I can drop by whenever I want. Probably a bad idea.

All of that being said, I had a very pb&j day yesterday. Pre-run meal: pbj (abj) oatmeal.

Yum.

 

 

Then, post-run, all my best friends came over for second breakfast: pb&j pancakes (gluten free):

My BFFs, Bob's GF Pancakes, and SBUX!

These little nuggets were smeared with AB&J and dipped in maple syrup.

It is worth noting that I stole my Sbux order from one of my favorite bloggers, Tina from Carrots 'n' Cake. If you haven't checked her out, you're making a mistake. Leave her some love for me. We bloggers love comments. So, my new Sbux order is a Grande Decaf Americano with one pump pumpkin spice juice and room for milk. That is the LONGEST order I've ever heard. Please tell me if you have a longer one. Then maybe I won't feel so high maintenance. 

I added almond milk when I got home. 'Twas perfection.

Welp, that's all I have for today. 'Till next time, have fun being bad.

-t

The last to come are the first to go

Houston, we have a problem.

All that gobbling of sugar and junk food helped me gain 5 pounds and lose a little confidence.

This is the problem with sugar and processed food. It makes your metabolism erratic which makes you hungry more frequently. It also makes you crave more sugar and processed food. So when you're hungry an hour later? You eat more crap. And this is the vicious cycle we fall into. I fall FELL into.

But, I am immediately digging myself out of this hole that makes me feel lethargic, unmotivated, puffy, hungry, unsatisfied, and insecure.

Here's my plan:

1. NO PROCESSED FOOD. No multi-ingredient junk that comes out of a bag, box, or wrapper. Aside from the few single- or low-ingredient staples of mine: fruit-sweetened jam/jelly, almond milk (unsweetened vanilla), brown rice tortillas, salsa, you get the point...
2. No carbs when I'm not at home. I usually only eat out for dinner. So, no taters, bites of desserts, rice, or plantains unless I'm making them at home.
3. Sleep more. Shut everything down (TV and computer) at 9pm on weekdays and read or go to sleep.
4. DO NOT SKIP SCHEDULED WORKOUTS. I'm going to start scheduling my week on Sundays and will not miss unless I am feeling sick or rundown. Most weeks will look like this:

Sunday: Off
Monday: CF
Tuesday: Run
Wednesday: CF
Thursday: Run
Friday: Off
Saturday: Long Run

I am not posting this for attention. I don't want people to tell me I'm not fat or that I look cute. I'm not saying I'm fat. I'm just saying I'm uncomfortable. And this will make me feel better. Writing it here will keep me accountable. I will stick to this plan until Thanksgiving. Then all bets are off.

Kidding. Not all bets are off, but I will let myself have sweet potatoes for dinner on Thanksgiving, kids. I'm not crazy.

Ha. Kidding. I'm totally cray. But in the good, fun-loving, quirky, New Girl kind of way, right? Yup.

'Till next time, have fun being bad.

-t

Utterly defenseless

Welp, the sugar keeps aflowin', folks. I'm helpless to stop it. Until this basket full of goodies disappears, I am utterly defenseless.

Scrumptious peppermint patties of which I consumed about 6 of yesterday. NBD.

 Let's talk about yesterday. I went to CrossFit (CF) and worked on my deadlift. I've cut down to one or two days a week to allow for better recovery from running as I train for my half marathon. So, I haven't gained muscle, but I haven't lost any either--which is a good thing.

 For strength, we worked up to a heavy 3 reps; I got to 133# and tried for 143#, but could only get one. The WOD (Workout Of the Day) was 5 rounds of:

 5 deadlifts

10 ring rows

30 double unders

I haven't been able to grasp double unders just yet, so I attempted every 3-5 jumps. I've gotten them once or twice, but haven't been consistent enough with practicing them. I think once I'm done with my marathon training, I'll focus on getting double unders and pull-ups.

I got to work and enjoyed some chocolate-covered strawberry oatmeal with a teensy bit too much strawberry jam but, it was delicious nonetheless.

I used this tasty 100% fruit jam, chocolate protein powder, and gluten free rolled oats. It was delish.

I proceeded to have quite a few peppermint patties for a "snack." Then for lunch, enjoyed a tasty stew that my work friend brought in for me to enjoy!

That's a kale and white bean stew, kids. Yummm.

 I had a couple scoops of almond butter with jam for an afternoon snack, then headed home for dinner and some treats! I made AB&J (almond butter & jelly) balls for our CF Halloween party on Friday.

Almond butter + jelly + ground flaxseed + melted chocolate = weird looking, but delish.

 This morning, I was going to run, but decided it was too dark and cold for that shit. So, I cleaned my apartment (but somehow managed to NOT put away my clean clothes...) and tried out a new, fun product.

For those of you who don't know, I've been trying to eat "paleo" (meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts only) for about a year. As it turns out, it doesn't feel great on my digestive system.

So, I'm adding more grains. Mainly ones with one ingredient: oats or rice. But, I found these brown rice tortillas that have less than 10 ingredients. So, I tried them out for bfast this morn.

The verdict? They're yummy! 

The truth is, a normal person would probably not touch these. They're a little tough and not doughy like a glutinous flour tortilla. 

But, for those of us who care more about ingredients and health than texture, they're wonderful. I threw some eggs (1 yolk + 2 whites) and salsa in there and called it a wrap...get it?

Then I enjoyed some fresh mango. Because who doesn't like to eat tropical fruit on a cool NYC day?

I'm learning a lot about this whole blogging thing. It's not as easy as it looks, friends! I didn't know how important pictures were. Having said that, I realize how shitty my pics are. I apologize. I ask that you have a little patience as I'm also still getting used to taking pictures of everything I eat. A tedious task, I tell you.

'Til next time, friends...have fun being bad.

-t