Brie Fit

Jet setting on the last several weekends has been fun and all, but I’ve been looking forward to this one for awhile.

Because I got to stay home.  And do stuff that needed to be done, and that I wanted to do.

When I was in Boston, I bought Tim these Star Wars pancake molds for fun.  Today, we used them.

They didn’t turn out super great, but it was fun nonetheless.  Tim insisted on eating the Millennium Falcon one.

We ate them in bed, with iced coffee, whilst watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix.  It was perhaps the happiest moment I’ve had in a few months (aside from finally reuniting with my best friend at the airport).

I spent the morning doing random things around the house that have needed to get done for weeks…but haven’t been, because I’ve been gone so much.  I shredded every FAFSA worksheet or financial aid notice my mother saved since 2002 (and recently gifted me) and it took over an hour.  I also gave Milhouse a bath and  scrubbed the master bathroom clean.  Not fun, but oddly soothing.

For a late lunch, I had a tasting plate of sorts, a la Meghann.

This was kind of a “finish the last of the produce” plate: slightly past-their-prime strawberries, a slightly mushy white nectarine, baby carrots and hummus, a toasted pretzel bun, and a tiny cheese.  It was pretty light and just what I wanted after a somewhat heavy breakfast.

Then I engaged in cat photography for awhile, because Buckley was just, you know, chillin’ with his tongue out.

Then, I went on my biannual Sephora trip!

I try to stay out of Sephora as much as possible because I have no willpower around pretty things.  I have recently decided that twice a year is the way to go—in between trips, I can replenish the necessities (foundation, mascara) that run out, but that’s it.

Anyway, I was out of a bunch of stuff, so I wound up getting:

• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface
• bareMinerals Mineral Veil
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (this stuff is incredible)
• Buxom Insider Eyeliner in Amethyst
• Lorac Starry-Eyed Baked Eyeshadow Trio in Star Struck

And now I will not buy any more until 2012.  Womp womp.

And then I got my hair cut.  My usual hairstylist was out sick, so I had someone new, and she cut it a tiny bit shorter and styled it a wee bit spikier than I like.  But, I could not wait another day for a haircut, let alone a week (my beloved Mandy is only in on Fridays and Saturdays—sigh), so…it is what it is.  It’s hair, it’ll grow, and it will probably look better when I style it my way tomorrow.  Whatever.

I went home and made a quickie dinner.

We usually get something out on Saturdays, but since we ate out a lot last weekend, we stayed in tonight.  I did a quickie chicken parm served over whole wheat pasta and it was pretty yummy.

Then I hauled my butt to Target to do some shopping for the week.  I was going to wait until tomorrow, but the thought of going to the grocery store on Sunday afternoon when it is one zillion percent humidity and 100+ degrees out sounded less than appealing.  So I did it.

Now, I’m enjoying some Edy’s S’mores ice cream and we’re watching Scott Pilgrim Versus the World.  (It’s just okay.)

The only thing that would have made today better would have been a more palatable temperature (100+ is not okay with me—a little run might have been nice) and having my usual hairstylist.  But alas.  I will not complain.

What would your perfect Saturday look like?

Leah tagged me, so here goes!  Disclaimer: I don’t pay attention to actual statistics on my blog, so some of these are guesses.

Most Popular Post

The story of my father’s battle with leukemia and subsequent death is probably one of my most highly viewed posts.

I wrote that post with tears streaming down my face and it felt amazing to share that story after so many years.  Grab the Kleenex before you read.

Most Controversial Post

A really shitty doctor tells me I’m too fat to run a marathon.  Cue commenter outrage.

(Spoiler alert: I’m not.)

Most Helpful Post

I’m going to go with Confession: I don’t love running on this one.  Not particularly instructive, but helpful in that I think it’s comforting to others to know they’re not alone in not really enjoying the whole running thing.

Post that didn’t get enough attention

Why Half is Enough is one of my favorites.  It got some decent action, but I really like it.  So, VALIDATE ME. 

Surprise Success

I’m amazed at how many people have been interested to discuss my lady bits, but my posts about going off birth control and the Diva Cup have been crowdpleasers. 

So:

In Which I Go Off Birth Control

In Which I Discuss Being Birth Control Free for One Year

In Which I Review the Diva Cup

Most Proud Post

I finished the Chicago Marathon!

This is actually my most popular post as well, but I’m using it for this category.  Suck on that.

Anyway, marathon training was pretty sucky for me, and it was hot as balls that day, so finishing was a total victory.

Most Beautiful Post

Our wedding was pretty damn beautiful.

• One: Getting Ready
• Two: First Look
• Three: The Church
• Four: Portraits
• Five: Details
• Six: The Reception

So, that’s that.  I am far too lazy to tag anyone else, so…have at it, if you want.

Do you have any favorite posts of mine I haven’t mentioned? 

iPhone pictures today, guys.  I forgot my camera.

While I’m dumping iPhone pictures in a post, check out our display of Hs.  I think I finally have them in a configuration I like!

Anyway, last night, I experienced something I’d been dying for for the last several years…television in bed.

There’s nothing like watching a movie late at night under the covers, or catching a trashy TV marathon and snoozing on a sick day.  But for the last several years, we’ve been TV-less in the bedroom!

But then, we won a 32” flat screen at a charity raffle, so…now we have one.

The funny part is that we’re actually in the process of canceling our cable + Tivo.  We are cutting our cable bill in half by going down to basic channels ($1 more than it would be to just have internet!), and watching Netflix streaming on our Wii (which has plenty to keep us busy anyway.)

We may also get Hulu Plus and/or a Roku player at some point.  I am kind of excited about the savings!

Anyway, lunch today was a lot like yesterday’s.

The Larabar was my snack.

Anyway, I planned to run after work.  I went to the gym and ran a mile and my legs were seriously trashed from yesterday’s mini-tri, so I chilled out on the elliptical for another twenty minutes and then called it a day.

Dinner was done by the time I got home!

I threw some beef, mushrooms, garlic, red wine, and chicken broth in the crockpot and let it cook all day and served it over whole wheat noodles.  Not too shabby for a zero-effort dinner.

Also, when I came home, Tim was poaching an egg for fun, and had destroyed my last hardboiled egg in the process.  This is apparently “experiment with eggs” week in our house.

What’s your favorite thing to do with eggs?  Do you have a TV in the bedroom?

Hold the phones, guys.  I ate something different for breakfast.

When I was visiting my friend in Boston, we ate plain Greek yogurt, berries, and delicious farmer’s market granola for breakfast, and I’ve been craving it ever since.  So I rLuecreated it!  (Thankfully, she sent me some of the granola for my birthday.  It’s delightful!)

Lunch was kind of generally munched in bits and pieces from about 11:30 to 1:30.

Underripe cantaloupe (boo) and a mini Babybel, the last of the disgusting Fiber One brownies I impulse bought a few weeks ago and a white nectarine, two hardboiled eggs, and a pretzel roll from my favorite joint in Chicago dipped in some garlic hummus.

Random, I know.  I have food ADD, I think—I like little bites of everything rather than one big meal.

I snacked on some trail mix before I worked out. 

This is the Trader Joe’s “Just a Handful” of cashews, almonds, and cranberries, and it’s super delicious.

After work, I kind of did something crazy.

I was SO excited to get back to the gym after a bit of a hiatus.  And I was also inspired after reading Emily’s Ironman Race Report.  So, I decided to put on a DIY Mini-Tri.

Specifically, I swam 400 meters (in 12:14), biked 10 miles (in 39:08), and ran 2 miles (in 19:48).

The hardest part?

Putting on my bike shorts while dripping wet from the pool.  I think “T1” was about 9 minutes trying to wedge myself into those.

Anyway, it was a fun workout, and burned a whole lotta calories.

I think doing sprint triathlons would be right up my alley, but bikes ain’t cheap and mama likes pretty shoes and purses.  Maybe someday?   Until then, maybe I’ll just continue being a big faker at the gym.

Anyway, I was starving after this. 

Unpictured: sourdough pretzel with hummus, bolted down immediately after opening my front door.

Dinner was light and refreshing.

Spinach and strawberry salad, grilled chicken, and corn on the cob.  And now it’s time for a little bit of ice cream.

Have you ever done a triathlon?  Do you want to?  Should I? 

Hi, everyone.  I’m back.

Thank you for bearing with me these days.  It’s just been a doozy of a month. I’ve been insanely busy (um, I haven’t been home for a  single weekend since JUNE) and just dealing with a whole lot right now.  We got more bad news on Friday, which didn’t help things, either.  90% of the time I am fine; 10% of the time, I am on the verge of tears or so paralyzed by anxiety I can’t breathe.   My heart is alternately truly happy for the successes of others and screaming “but why not ME?” with all of its might.  It’s not a fun balance.

I’m taking things one day at a time, one foot in front of the other.  That’s my motto these days.

Anyway, I mostly enjoyed our trip to Chicago.  It makes me sad, though, that every time I go back it feels less and less like home.  My home is here in Kansas City with Tim now.

The last week has contained pretty much nothing healthy. 

Like giant Italian beef sandwiches…

(which we do not have in Kansas City and are totally worth the splurge)

…and fourteen-month-old red velvet wedding cake, that has been living in my mom’s freezer since May 8, 2010.

(Surprisingly good!  The fondant kept freezer burn away and the inside was moist and yummy.)

I haven’t worked out at all; I’ve been lucky if I’ve had time to poop.  I am not usually one to miss the gym if I don’t go, but I just want to make myself sweat hard and forget everything.

Anyway, now we’re back home and I went a little crazy in the produce section at the grocery store.  Tomorrow, it’s back to work and the gym.   I am looking forward to to being in control of my diet and exercise again.   It’s the little things, right?

So, what have I missed?  What’s new with you guys?

So, I am interrupting my self-imposed blog hiatus for a Very Special Post.

Regarding one very special lady friend of mine.

Miss Susan.

I consider Susan to be my oldest and longest internet friend.

We “met” back in 2008 on Livestrong.  I remember when she was like, “Hey, I’m starting a blog called Trying for a Tri, and you should read it!”

And I did, and I was kind of in awe, because she is totally awesome. 

She is a huge part of the reason I’m blogging today, and was literally the absolute first health and fitness blog I read.  I’ve shipped her Luna bars and care packages and she actually picked out the running shoes I currently wear and we did the New Rules of Lifting for Women together (with Leah!) and I am a big fan of her workouts.

But, suckily enough, Susan has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma.  Even though she is Canadian, she will still have to pay $5000 a month for her chemotherapy medications.  You can read her story here, here, and here, for starters.

So, Janetha has organized The Great Fundraising Act, an auction that goes directly to Susan’s benefit.  If there is money left over after her medical expenses are paid for, it will be donated to the cancer ward she’s called home for awhile now.

I am an untalented schlub, so instead of donating something, I have coordinated with my lovers, BondiBand, for one person to win three BondiBands of their choice! 

Here are the instructions for how the auction will work.

Here is a link to skip the auction part and just donate directly to Suz through Paypal.

So, please take a few minutes out of your day to engage in some retail therapy over at the auction, okay?  Or, at the very least, trot yourself over to Susan’s blog and leave a few “go get ‘em, tiger”s in her comments section.

Back from a fabulous weekend in Boston.  I took zero pictures and spent the entire time gabbing off my bestie’s ear.  We enjoyed (ha!) two killer workouts at Charles River CrossFit (thanks, guys!) that have me frantically googling for a box in our ‘hood that’s equally supportive and entertaining.  (I made it through both and didn’t puke, which I’ll consider a victory, since someone actually did, on the floor.  But I still can’t feel my thumb.)  We ate Mike’s Pastry cannolis and went to a museum and did lots and lots of walking and talking and cheese eating and coffee drinking.

Anyway…I think I’m going to take a few more days off blogging.  I’ve been so busy traveling lately that I think I need to refocus and reprioritize a bit.   I’m heading to Chicago this weekend for some much-needed time with family, and plan to reconnect with my long-lost husband tonight over a homemade dinner and cheap Harry Potter 7.2 at the movies.  I’ve also been struggling a lot with stress and anxiety, and I hate posting anything that’s less than 100% honest, and I just don’t want to put too much of that out there right now.  I hope you’ll understand.

But I will be back!

While I’m on my way Boston, I figured I’d come clean.

I don’t really love running.  I kind of like it, sometimes.  But mostly, I don’t.

(waits while everyone goes, “Well, if you don’t like it, don’t do it!”  See also “The best exercise is one you love!”)

Yes.  That’s very good advice.  If I absolutely hated running, to the point where it made me cry and I dreaded it, I wouldn’t do it, then I would stop.

But, the truth is…it’s okay. 

I would say about half of my runs, I’m just kind of like, “Man, I’d rather be at home on my couch.  How many minutes until I’m done?  Ugh.”

For another 30% or so, I am completely neutral.  This usually coincides with a particularly interesting podcast episode.  I don’t zone out or anything, I’m just kind of like, “This doesn’t suck that much.”

15% of the time, I feel awesome when I run, and am that annoying person that is OMG RUNNING.

5% of the time I am racing, and I am usually happy while racing because hey, that means training is done!  And I get a medal.

And here is a rough estimate of what goes on in my brain during the average run:

So…why do I keep running?

Well, it’s cheap, idiot-proof, and convenient. 

I’ve got all the gear, and I just have to spend $80 or so on shoes every couple of months.  No biggie.

I don’t have to think about what I’m doing every damn minute I’m doing it, which is my main issue with swimming.  Because if you stop thinking when you’re swimming, you drown.

And it’s convenient.  Very little equipment required, every gym has a damn treadmill, and I don’t have to worry about coming up with fancy routines or anything.

Also, I run because I like the things that go along with it.

I like medals, and races, and being able to say, “Oh, I ran a half marathon last weekend.”

I like having a nice butt.

I like the way I feel after I’m done running.  I like how I sleep on the nights I run.

I like cute running clothes, and having good war stories to tell.

I like getting to see cool places during races.

I like runners.  They’re a nice bunch of folks and I like the community.

I’ve been running for the last three years pretty steadily, so I think this is working for me.  But, I thought I’d post this because I find that most blogs are of the “I love running!” or “I’m so not myself if I can’t get a run in!” or the like, and when I was starting out, I wondered if anyone was like me, and thought, “running is okay, I guess, and I do it anyway.”

So, if there are any of you new runners out there, dreaming big dreams but hating the process, wondering if you’re crazy:

You don’t have to love it.  You just have to do it.  The pavement doesn’t care if you’re happy to see it.  You are just as much a runner as that person who truly loves to run. 

Do you love, like, or hate running?

I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures.  My camera battery died yesterday and I forgot to charge it until…now. 

Anyway.  There’s not much to report.  A few months ago I reported that I am struggling with some personal stuff.  I’ve been feeling mostly good, but the last few days have been of the constant nerves and breathless moments of crushing anxiety variety, and it kind of sucks.

(Don’t worry.  Our marriage is fine, and we are both healthy.  But big deal kind of stuff, nonetheless.  General thoughts, prayers, and good luck charms are helpful.)

Yesterday I ran four good miles, and today I swam 1000 good meters.  So that was nice.  The constant nausea of last week was definitely hormonal, and has gone away, thank goodness.

However, I’ve been stress eating like a mofo.  So that’s…not good.

This time tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane to Boston for a weekend of stress-free sightseeing and girl time.  Just what the doctor ordered! 

One day at a time, folks.  One foot in front of the other.

Back to work today!

I am feeling less monstrous today, though nausea still interfered with my workout.  It seems to be subsiding, though, which is a good thing.

Lunch:

Spinach salad, homemade pretzel roll, watermelon balls*, mini Babybel cheese**, Greek yogurt***.

*: I enjoyed balling an entire watermelon at my mother-in-law’s house so much she gave me her spare melon baller.  Baller!

**: Crack.  These tiny cheeses are so NOT budget friendly (I think they’re $3.79/6 at my store right now), but they are infinitely better than any cheap string cheese out there.  Worth the money.

***: I’ve always really liked Dannon Greek yogurt.  It’s cheaper than Chobani and Fage, and I really like the texture.  Apparently now they are merging with Oikos?  Anyone know the details?  Please tell me this will not make the prices go up. 

For snacktime, I tried a new flavor of Luna Bar.

It was basically a really big Quaker granola bar.  Meh.

After work, I was really excited to run…but it didn’t go so well.  I think it was a combination of guzzling too much water in the late afternoon due to the heat and my general nausea came back.

I ran 2.5 miles, walked for about 5 minutes, and then ran another .5.  Womp womp.

Dinner was leftover pulled pork and corn on the cob.

I wasn’t full, though, so I had a peach that was pretty excellent.

Now I’m baking cookies for Tim to take to work, and in a bit I will be hacking up 15 pounds of raw food into individual Milhouse-and-Southie-sized portions.

I can’t wait to see my best friend in just three short days!  She has a CrossFit workout planned for us on Saturday morning and I’m quaking in my boots already.

What do you and your best friend like to do together?