Brie Fit

I love Saturdays.

I woke up at a half decent hour and Tim and I had pancakes and coffee.

I took last night off the gym because I was feeling pretty gnarly and forgot my running shoes at home.

Thankfully, this morning, I was feeling better, and it was PERFECT running weather out—67 degrees, sunny, with a nice breeze.

A few days ago, I looked at the course map for the Nike Women’s Half and it kind of scared the shit out of me.  Behold:

I am not looking forward to mile 6.  Yikes.

Anyway, it’s time to stop pussing out about the hills in my neighborhood.  Yes, they are  really damn hard, and yes, it’s not the safest area to be running.  But I need them now.

I’ve always avoided running in our neighborhood because the hills combined with no shoulders on the roads is kind of a scary combination.  If you’re running uphill, a car coming your way won’t see you until it’s on top of the hill!

Anyway, I was safe and ran into traffic and wore bright colors  and had my headphones on super low so I could hear what was going on.

And it was hilly.

Despite living in Kansas City, we actually live in a fairly rural area.  Like, horses and stuff.

I actually saw TWO snakes on the road today.  I’m not really afraid of snakes, but it is a little jarring to almost step on a five-foot-long black slithery thing. 

(We googled when I got home and neither was poisonous, but what the hell are you supposed to do when you see a snake on a run?  Pepper spray?  Yell?   Make yourself look really large?)

Anyway, I was planning on 6 miles, but thanks to some unexpected construction on a road I wound up picking up an extra .75 miles, and by the time I was at my door at at 6.75 miles I said, “Well, this is dumb,” and ran .12 miles out and .13 miles back to make it an even 7.

I finished 7 miles in 1:13:41.  There were some walk breaks here and there, but I’m pretty happy that I maintained a half decent pace on such crazy hills.  And as proof that this workout was hard, check out my average heart rate!

I also burned 986 calories. 

In graph form.  Green is the elevation.

Or:

I don’t really have a running training plan for the summer.  I want to focus on cross-training, a little speedwork, and maintaining my distance base, so I think I’ll likely do one speedy run and one longer run (6-12 miles) every week…plus lots more swimming, lifting, and resting!

Nothing really sounded good afterwards, so I had kind of a weird lunch, but it hit the spot:

A giant bowl of pineapple, strawberries, Greek yogurt and Kashi; two dinner rolls and butter, and a giant glass of Gatorade. 

We’re going to Chipotle for dinner, so here’s the plan for the rest of the day.  There might be another snack thrown in since I burned so much this morning:

This week’s workouts in sum:

• Sunday: rest
• Monday: 40 minutes of swimming
• Tuesday: crappy 1.5 mile speedy run, 20 minutes of HIIT on elliptical
• Wednesday: full-body lifting
• Thursday: 40 minutes/1000 yards swimming
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: 7 mile hill run

Not too shabby!

What’s the weirdest/scariest thing you’ve ever seen on a run?

I’m having one of those weeks where I just feel like everything is falling into place and clicking on all cylinders.

Saturday was perfect: slept late, got a good run in, relaxed.  Sunday was great, too—church, brunch, lots of delicious cooking.  My lululemon order came on time and everything fit perfectly.  My hair looks awesome on the regular.  My workouts have been, for the most part, exactly what I need—varied, interesting, and challenging.   The weather is insanely gorgeous.  Work has been relatively calm, but not boring.  There was awesome music playing today at the pool and I was the only person there.

I’m a happy panda.

Lunch did not contain turkey today.

Egg sammich, yogurt and berries, an orange, and some natural applesauce.

I checked Sparkpeople and realized I was pretty low on fat, so I added a lick of peanut butter to fix that.

(Essie, Lilacism nail polish.  One of my favorites for spring!)

I had a blueberry muffin and more PB for a pre-workout snack.

After work, I hit the pool again with no specific goal in mind.

I kicked ass!

I did 1000 yards of freestyle with only minor (probably 4-6 breaths) pauses every 50 yards.   (And one coughing fit after inhaling some water.)  It took me 39:10 and burned 350 calories.  It’s slow, but I get there!  Speed will come with time.  I was pretty tired at the end, but I’m confident I’ll be able to get to my one mile goal by the end of the summer.

I am really starting to enjoy swimming, also.  (Thanks to you guys for all your help!)  The goggles and nose clip are making everything a million times better.   The first workout of Zero to One Mile is only 700 yards, so I think I’m definitely ready to start that next week.  It’s really gratifying to make so much progress so quickly!

For dinner, we busted out the grill and made some small steaks!  I also made some oven fries and roasted veggies.

This really hit the spot, but my stomach is growling a bit already just an hour later!  I think swimming hunger is definitely something to contend with.  Yikes.

Are you having a good week, bad week, or in between?

Because I’m going to San Francisco!

Great start to the morning!  Looks like I’ll be heading to San Francisco for the Nike Women’s Half in October, along with my sister and some dear internet friends.  I’m looking forward to Tiffany necklaces and chocolate!  Woo!

I actually had an opportunity to run a free 5K on Saturday using LivingSocial Deal Bucks and passed.  I’m a little raced out lately, but I’m happy to have some down-the-road plans firmed up now.

In case you forgot what my daily breakfast looks like, here it is again:

It’s really amazing how much of my daily food intake happens on this stupid, ugly fake wood desk.

Lunch was another turkey sandwich, berries and yogurt, and pineapple and grapes.  And a Hershey’s kiss.

We are officially done with turkey.  We threw out some dark meat today, but here is a cost analysis of our $15, 10 pound turkey.  We ate the fruits of the turkey:

• Sunday night for dinner, roasted
• Monday at lunch (sandwich for Brie, plain for Tim)
• Monday for dinner, reheated
• Tuesday lunch (sandwich for Brie)
• Tuesday dinner (in tortilla soup)
• Wednesday for lunch (sandwich for Brie)
• Wednesday for dinner (reheated, for Tim)
• 2 meals of tortilla soup in the freezer

So…$15 for 13 meals for 2 people=$1.15 a meal.  (Like you care.  But it’s good to know that we can make big stuff like this and not be flushing money down the toilet.  It’s actually probably more cost efficient than the individual chicken breasts we buy!)

For a snack, I brought one of these muffins that I made over the weekend, which I smeared with half a tablespoon of peanut butter.

They are just okay.  Does anyone really love blueberry muffins?  I had a craving, so I baked two dozen of them, ate one, and then I was like, “Hmm.  I have 23 blueberry muffins.  Now what?”  (For the record, three are in the fridge, five in the freezer, and the rest are in my co-worker’s tummies.  Although it took a really long time for them to take them all.)

I had planned to swim today, but Tim and I had to switch things around to tend to Milhouse so I did a shorter workout today.  I messed around with weights using Susan’s Full Body Workout #4 for about 40 minutes.  I am not coordinated enough to do a plank shuffle on a medicine ball, FYI.

Anyway, some fun stuff came in the mail today…specifically, my lululemon order!

I can see why people are addicted to this stuff.  The jacket and pants fit perfectly (I got size 10s in both—could have maybe gotten an 8 in the jacket, but I like that it’s a bit big so I can layer underneath) and are really made well. 

I haven’t bought anything but work clothes for the last two years or so, and my casual wardrobe is pretty much nonexistent—I think I’m going to try to bulk it up gradually with more lulu stuff this summer!  I’m eyeing some tanks and tees for layering—you can’t beat the basics, and I’d rather pay for ones that will last!  Free shipping FTW.

Also, my mom sent me an Easter care package that contained two very similar knockoff purses (a “Ferragamo” and a “Longchamp”) her friend picked up in Hong Kong.

Also a cute little fake pearl necklace.  Fun!

Dinner was random.

Two eggs, a chunk of cheese, a pile of roasted carrots/asparagus/mushrooms, and some leftover mashed potatoes made into some kinda-sorta potato cakes.

It was delicious and hit the spot!  Roasted mushrooms and asparagus were especially succulent.

Now…TOMORROW I’m going to swim, and I can’t wait! 

And there will be no turkey.  Thank goodness.

Do you do a lot of shopping?  What kinds of stuff do you buy the most?  Since I’ve only been working full-time for almost two years, I’ve been trying to build that wardrobe, but I’m definitely ready for some fun casual clothes!

Uh.  Apparently my body really likes swimming, because I dropped 2.5 pounds overnight. 

I mean, obviously there are probably other factors at play here, but…maybe my workout routine just needed a new challenge?  It’s weird, because I’m not SORE today, but my legs and arms feel fatigued in a new way.

Weird, anyway, and I won’t complain.

Lunch was exactly the same as yesterday because it was so good.  I’m not sick of turkey yet!

This is the last of my trail mix.  I need to get more  creative with the snacks, but this is so good and the sugar really gives me a little boost for my post-work workouts.

I had a half-shitty, half-good workout today.  I planned to run 4-5 miles while watching Lost, but I got to the gym and all the treadmills were full.  I waited about 10 minutes, and one opened up.  I got on, and the thing broke!  The screen froze and wouldn’t work.

So, frustrated, I strapped on my Garmin and went to the outdoor track even though it was chilly and I was underdressed in shorts and a tank.   I ran a speedy 8:50 mile and promptly had an asthma attack.  I walked/inhalered it out, and then headed inside, where I managed to do 20 minutes of HIIT on the elliptical.  It was high intensity and sweaty and felt great.

So.  Half good, half shitty.

I turned turkey leftovers into one of Tim’s favorites: turkey tortilla soup!

Although I’m not really a blogger of recipes, here’s…the recipe.  This is kind of cobbled together out of a few recipes I’ve seen.

• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 c. carrots, chopped
• 1/2 c. onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (I use the food processor for all these)
• 2 T. flour
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 t. chipotle seasoning
• 6 c. chicken broth
• 8 corn tortillas, chopped into small pieces
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2-2 c. cooked chicken (or turkey), chopped

Sautee the carrots, onions, and garlic in the butter until soft.  Add flour and cumin and stir, then add chicken broth.  Bring it to a low boil and add the tortillas.  They will melt and thicken the soup.  Add the tomatoes and blend smooth in the blender.  Add black beans and chicken, heat until warm.

Makes 6 servings, roughly 290 calories each.

I’m a big fan of this—it freezes well, so we’ve got two dinners ready to go!

Anyway, we ate it with corn muffins and a sprinkle of cheese and it was delish.

What’s your favorite way to mix up your workout routine?  I can’t wait to get back in the pool tomorrow!

Unless I specify otherwise, you can assume from here on out that my weight is 160-163 pounds.  Because it’s been in that range since pretty much the end of February.

If I break into the elusive 150s, you will be the first to know.

Anyway, today was all about the turkey leftovers.

Turkey and cheddar on toast with a spinach/strawberry salad for lunch.

Unpictured trail mix for a snack.

Turkey, asparagus, potatoes and a roll for dinner.

I had pool session number three tonight after work.

The good:

• The goggles!  Oh my gosh, the goggles.  I got a pair of Speedo Women’s Vanquishers over the weekend to replace my cheap-ass old goggles.  They were fantastic!  They suctioned to my face and didn’t leak or fog.  One less thing to worry about now!
• I also invested in a nose clip since I’ve been having trouble with sucking water in my nose and choking on it.  It was weird at first, but I think I like it.
• I swam with only short pauses for 40 minutes straight (a mixture of freestyle and backstroke) and burned 330 calories.

Questions:

• How do swimmers keep track of laps?  Is there the equivalent of a Garmin for swimming?  I swam for 40 minutes, and then got out of the pool and realized I had no clue how far I’d gone.  I am in no way talented enough to count to 66 laps/one mile, my eventual goal.
• I showered/washed my hair after swimming and I still have kind of a chlorine smell.  I used soap, I swear.  Normal?

Observation:

• I had to share a lane with a speedy lady and it was scary.  I’d pick my head up to breathe and would get water kicked/splashed in my face from her wake.  Boo, hiss!  You do not belong in the slow lane, lady!
• I’m getting better and more confident in the water, although I don’t think I’m quite ready to start Zero to One Mile yet—maybe next week?
• The battery on my Polar HRM is almost dead and instead of sending it out for a battery, I stole Tim’s because he never uses it.  It’s much nicer, too.  Win!

I am going to either weight train or run tomorrow. 

Answers to my questions?  What’s your favorite thing to do with leftover turkey?

Easter services are my favorite because you get to exclaim things.  I am a big fan of cheering in unison, and Easter is like one big cheering for Jesus day.  He is risen indeed!

We are regular churchgoers, but there’s just something about Easter services that get me all atwitter.  We’ve found a new church recently that I’m really enjoying.  I wasn’t raised with any kind of church, really, and I feel like lately I’m kind of coming into my own faith lately.  Not, like, literally, but I feel like my relationship with God is growing in a good way.  It’s kind of like running—the more I pray and put my trust in God, the more natural and restorative it feels.

Sorry.  End religious tangent.

We went to 8 am services, then met Tim’s uncle for brunch and some gambling. 

Church to the casino.  That’s how we roll.

The other good news of today was the awesome dinner for two I made.

We started with strawberry spinach salads using this recipe from Annie’s Eats.  You must make this dressing, now.  It’s addictive and about 15 calories/serving!

(I know what I’ll be eating for lunch this week!)

I also brined and roasted a ten pound turkey.  For two people.

It turned out nice and juicy!  I am looking forward to turkey sandwiches for lunch all week long.  Mmmm.

(Yeah, I know ham on Easter is more traditional, but we prefer turkey.  Suck it, tradition!)

I also made mashed potatoes with roasted garlic:

And homemade damn gravy that took for-freaking-ever to thicken:

Plus formerly frozen rolls and steamed asparagus with lemon:

And because we are childless free spirits, a bottle of wine:

(Blurry photo because I was hungry and ready to eat.)

Riesling is really the only sweet wine I like.  I tend to prefer very dry reds, but for some reason, this sounded like it would be nice and refreshing with turkey, and it was.

Dessert tonight will be courtesy of Mr. Cadbury.

I was going to run today, but I tweaked a tendon in my left foot during the Oz Half last weekend and running on it yesterday irritated it a bit again.  So, I rested!  I’m looking forward to getting back in the pool tomorrow.  I spent some time adjusting my new goggles last night (including a new, smaller nosepiece) and I’m excited.  Maybe I’ll test them in the shower tonight.

What is your favorite holiday meal?

Gorge on Five Guys and Easter candy, lose weight.  Calories in, calories out my ass.

Tim offered to make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast to lure me out of bed at 10:30.  It worked.

Since the theme of this week is obviously keeping it real, here is a picture Tim took of me, in my pajamas, eating pancakes with my fingers, making a heinous see-food face.

Classy.

(I reserve the right to delete this picture later.)

Also, Southpaw pretty much lives on top of this chair, purring quietly to herself.  She’s doing it right now.

So, today I tried out a new sports bra!  Specifically, it is the Moving Comfort Fiona, which came highly recommended to me by a bunch of internet friends.

I’m leaving that picture of Tim up as retribution for the disgusting picture he took of me this morning.

It is really hard to take a picture of your back, FYI.

Anyway.  I’ve been looking for something a little more supportive lately.  Previously, I’ve been running in Target’s C9 by Champion line of sports bras ($16.99, holla!) and they’re fine, but I think I could use a weensy bit more control, which is why I went for this.

I decided to go out for a few low-key miles with Milhouse.  We ran the hills in our neighborhood at a nice, leisurely pace.  And I was a total running nerd with two watches on.

Milhouse is more of a sprinter than a distance runner.  Around mile 2.5, he kept stopping and giving me this epic “bitch, please” look, so we headed home.

It’s nice to have a worn-out dog, though.  I have a feeling he’ll be passed out until dinnertime.

I very much liked the new bra!  I really love that it has adjustable straps and three settings on the band so you can change the fit.  I was worried that something more heavy-duty than my old bras would be uncomfortable, but the opposite was true. 

Keeping it real: I’m pretty sure I’ll never have a normal left second toenail again.

It’s been pretty much in some state of decay/falling off since last April, but now…it’s just a nightmare.  Oh, and I totally scraped my toes on the concrete on the way to the pool yesterday, which didn’t help the matter any.

Thank God for opaque, glittery, and dark nailpolish, anyway.

After my run, I box dyed my hair and took a shower and made lunch.

I had some eggs/egg whites with toast, yogurt and strawberries, and some Gatorade.  Also, I had a small chunk of cheese that I won on a giveaway from Lisa’s blog that was delightful.  (If you’re not reading her blog yet, you should!  She is a dairy farmer who runs and has some really insightful commentary on farming practices.)

I’m not sure what I’ll do for the rest of the afternoon, other than throw together some pizza dough in the bread maker and brine an entire turkey for just Tim and I for tomorrow.

Anyway. I am in an incredibly cheerful mood today.  Easter makes me happy because I feel so full of hope, love, and promise!  I am looking forward to church tomorrow.

Any funny “you might be a runner if…” stories?  I definitely felt mildly crazy wearing two watches this morning!

So, I wasn’t going to blog today because frankly, I’m kind of embarrassed about what I ate.

But then I remembered that you all like it when I “keep it real,” so here it is.  A day where I made poor decisions and didn’t exercise.

Breakfast was good, at least.

Lunch was kind of random, because frankly, our fridge was pretty bare.  It featured Spongebob Squarepants Easy Mac, carrots and hummus, Greek yogurt and berries, and a tiny slice of chocolate cake for a co-worker’s birthday. 

It was a very quiet and boring afternoon at work.  I had some trail mix.

There were also some pilfered pretzels and a Reese’s egg.  (I blame Tim for the latter.  Sent him to the store for a turkey, came back with the candy.  Sigh.)

Then we spent the evening running errands.

This picture features two of them.

I got new goggles (the Speedo Vanquishers you all recommended) and a haircut (sorely needed).

While I was doing that, Tim was off getting re-fitted for running shoes!

He’s had the same old Adidas Supernovas since 2008.  He complained that his hips have been hurting him when he runs lately, so it was time for new shoes!  Turns out he’s a fairly heavy pronator, so he was put in the Saucony Omnis (I think).

Then, for dinner, we decided to try Five Guys.

(Source.)

I had a cheeseburger and fries for dinner.  Good?  Yes.  Healthy?  No.  Should I have probably left half the cheeseburger and eaten way fewer fries?  Absolutely.  Did I?  No.

So…yeah.  Not feeling too great about that.  I’m usually okay with random splurges, but I feel like today was kind of out of control.  I overate at dinner because I was starving—it had been 7 hours since my last meal, 4 hours since my last snack.   It was just kind of stupid.

Things you will never see on this blog: a proclamation that “unhealthy food doesn’t even taste good to me anymore!” or similar.  This shit tasted awesome.

After Five Guys, I went grocery shopping and got a shitton of (healthy!) stuff for $103.  I saved $30 in coupons!  So that was good.

Thankfully, I have nothing on the agenda for tomorrow.  I’m planning on sleeping late and going for an run if the weather is good.   It’s a new day!

What is your fast food weakness?

I feel like I’m growing complacent with weight loss. 

And I don’t know that I really care.

This is a pretty happy weight for me.  I don’t want to gain weight, but I could stay at 160-162 for the rest of my life and feel pretty great about that.  

I would like to lose another 5-10 pounds, but I think at this point, mentally, I’m shifting from “must. lose. weight. every. week” to “I’m okay with losing a fraction of a pound a month.”  As long as the scale trends downward a bit (or, at least, not up) from month to month, I feel pretty set.  I’m in no rush here—I’m strong, I’m healthy, my clothes are loose, and I’m happy.

Maybe I’ll start thinking up post titles again.

Breakfast was the usual.  For lunch I had some fancy organic spaghetti-os.  I didn’t really grocery shop in a coherent state of mind last week, so we’re running low on some stuff.  Also: Fage and a banana.

After work, you guys…I swam again! 

AND I GOT BETTER!

I did what any 20-something would do before trying something new today—I watched videos of swimming technique on YouTube.   And I reread all your comments.

I was nervous that the pool would be busier than it was Monday…and it was.  However, I swam in the slow lane with a girl in a string bikini, so I figured she wasn’t too hardcore and it was fine.

Things that were better today:

1. I wet my hair before shoving it in the swim cap.  Helpful.
2. Breathing!  I figured out that I do much better if I breathe both out and in through my mouth, rather than trying to breathe in through my mouth, out through my nose. 
3. My “rhythm”—I think I’ve got something down.  I’m pretty sure I was exhaling for three strokes, and breathing in for one, and it worked well.
4. I showered at the gym, which was much more convenient than driving the half hour home all chlorine-y still.

Things that still sucked:

1. My goggles.  They actually popped off my face in the middle of one lap, and continued fogging.  They didn’t fill with water AS much this time because I tightened them, but they sucked.  I’m going to spring for a pair of Speedo Vanquishers like you all recommended. 
2. My nose.  I’m still sucking water in it occasionally, which gets suck in my throat and makes me choke.

I finished my workout with four straight laps/100 yards of freestyle without stopping!  Maybe next week I will start the Zero to One Mile program. Anyhow, I’m super proud that it did seem much easier today.  I think once I work out a few things, I may even like swimming!  I’m confident I can do this.

My new motto is “just keep swimming.”

Dinner:

Finished off the BBQ pork I made in the crockpot a few weeks ago, the rest of the asparagus, and some instant loaded mashed potatoes sent to me by My Blog Spark. 

Also, I’m officially aboard the asparagus train.  I just squeezed a little lemon on it and it was awesome.  I’ll definitely be getting some more this weekend at the store!

Got any exciting plans for Easter (or did you, for Passover)? 

And I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I’m still feeling kind of dumpy—stuffy, scratchy throat, super tired, low energy generally.  Blah.

Thank you for all your advice on yesterday’s post about swimming!  (Or, rather…my inability to do so.)  I know I’ll get there if I just keep at it.  Thusly, I am adding “swim one mile without stopping” to my goals page.  

I just have to remind myself that there was a point in my life where I said I would never be a runner, too, and, well…yeah, that happened.  Someday I will call myself a swimmer, too!  I just have to keep working at it.

Lunch was nothing exciting.

I’ve been lacking on the lunch creativity lately.

Dinner was good, at least!

We had whole grain pasta with meat sauce, and I cooked asparagus and tossed it in a little bit of lemon zest and parmesan cheese.  It was really good (though not particularly pretty)!  I think I’ve successfully taught myself to like asparagus and not just tolerate it. 

Buckley approves:

I was exhausted and feeling particularly stuffy at the end of the workday, so I just went home.  I’m still recovering from two halfs in 14 days!

Speaking of which, a co-worker of mine ran the full marathon on Saturday, and she stopped by my office to chat.  She did her first marathon on her 58th birthday!  How cool is that? 

I think about people like her when I panic and feel like I have to run marathon after marathon these days.  Running itself, I suppose, is more like a marathon than a sprint—it’s about enjoying a long journey, not trying to cram it all in one short effort.

Also, she called me Miss Speedy, which made me smile.  (She finished in just under 6 hours, so I guess it’s a matter of perspective?)

Instead of going to the gym I splurged on Lululemon online.  Oops.

Specifically, the In Stride jacket and Astro Pants.  I have 8-10 plane trips, and lots of car trips, coming up in the second half of 2011 and want something comfortable but not scrubby looking to wear…like every other black casual pants/sweatshirt combo I own.  I hate wearing jeans and bulky sweatshirts on planes, but wanted something that moved well for fidgeting and that I could unzip if I got hot.  Bonus is that these can double as workout wear on the road if need be, too!

I feel a wee bit guilty because this ain’t cheap, but I’m beginning to espouse the "quality over quantity” POV when it comes to my wardrobe.

(I hope they fit.)

The nutrish deets via Sparkpeople:

Where are your favorite places to buy/brands of workout clothes?