Thursday, The Third Day

So I'd thought I'd brighten your rainy day with some stuff I haven't told you yet. I bet you'll get a kick out of this. Let's start with the weekend, shall we?

I had a sleepover with the Bit on Saturday night. Sunday morning we put red lipstick on and watched cartoons.

Then I taught her how to throw the crown. My ASA sisters would be so proud. That's a future ladybug right there.

On Sunday afternoon, the roommate and I went to hike the base trail at Pinnacle Mountain. I needed a redemption hike after I tried to run that trail on my birthday. It turns out slow really is the new fast, or at least it is for me when it comes to trail running.

I spent the beginning of the week working in the hometown. It's amazing how I work and check stuff off the to-do-list, and yet nothing really gets done. Is this what adulthood is all about? If so, I need to see more direct payoff. Some cause and effect stuff. You know what I mean?

I've been itching to run, but the weird Arkansas weather has struck again. During my hike on Sunday, it was a sunny 67 degrees. Yesterday a winter storm blew in, and there's ice and rain and sleet and wind everywhere. I don't do winter. Winter and I don't get along. So my running has been at a low this week...I'm gonna hop on the dreadmill this afternoon to get in a few miles.

I'm also going to hit up Kroger for this beauty.

I haven't told you, but I've been pretty much vegan since January 1. During my training for St. Jude's half marathon, I had a lot of stomach issues. While I realize that is to be expected, it seemed like mine were excessive. If I wasn't having stomach issues, I was worried about having stomach issues...so the cycle was pushed forth.

So I gave up meat and dairy. Cold turkey.

I said I would do it for a full month and reassess the situation. And I did.

I felt great. Lots more energy. Always the right amount of full, never miserable after a meal. And my running was at an all-time best. No stomach problems. Not even on my longest runs.

Now making the commitment to give up milk, cheese, eggs, meat and all things with those things in them was a huge step. There was a week where I only thought about cheese. Stringy, melted cheese atop everything on a plate in front of me.

And the whole month, I dreamed of eggs. Scrambled, fried, poached, omelet. You name it. I wanted it. It's funny because before January, I would have told you I didn't like eggs. But I was singing a different tune come mid-January. I LOVE EGGS.

In fact, I love them so much they are really the only animal product I've worked back into my diet. And I'm not proud to say this, but on Saturdays after long runs I would eat eggs for second breakfast. (All runners love second breakfast...can I get an amen?)

To tell you the absolute truth, it's not that hard to be vegan. It's more difficult when you go out to eat, but it can still be done. And I've found that my body has a hard time processing lots of dairy, especially cheese. And I don't really miss anything. They, whoever "they" are, make really amazing alternatives to meat and dairy products.

So there it is. Stuff I've neglected to tell you. But I didn't want to share until I knew exactly how I felt about it.

I guess I could rename the blog to Little Vegan Runner...

I Make Omelets

I love to cook. It's basically my favorite hobby. Well, it goes hand in hand with running. I love them equally. But running is a love-hate relationship sometimes. Cooking is just a pure love relationship.

That having been said, making an omelet terrifies me. I attempted omelet making one time, and I ended up making the ugliest scrambled eggs ever. I'm embarrassed to even say that. But seriously they were the ugliest scrambled eggs I've ever seen in my life. Too much oil in the pan. Wet and gray in color. I'm gagging just thinking about it.

Needless to say, not my finest moment in the kitchen. So ever since then I've shied away from omelets. I thought too hard to make. Too much room for error. And considering my first attempt being a complete and utter failure, I just couldn't face the eggy treat again.

I'm a weirdo, and for some reason scrambled eggs don't appeal to me. I love a fried egg, poached egg, boil egg, but not plain ole scrambled eggs.

Over the past month or so, my mom has been making post-run omelets and sending me pictures. And they always look so dang good.

Since omelets have veggies and cheese in them, it's not a plain ole plate of scrambled eggs, and that seems like a delight in every bite. The problem is I always think back to the gray veggie scrambled eggs that almost made me vomit just looking at them.

Today I hit a milestone in the kitchen. I made an omelet. A legit omelet.

And it was flipping delicious.

What is in my omelet, you ask? Two eggs, orange bell pepper, purple onion, mushrooms, spinach, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

This omelet could be one of my best creations yet. And it turned out so gourmet. And did I mention it was delicious?

Talk about a veggie and protein packed breakfast. And I paired it with two cups of coffee. Can't beat that.

I'm shooting for a 5 mile long run tomorrow. And I have a feeling this will be my post-run delight. And when I say I'm shooting for a run tomorrow...I'm not sure if it will happen because of this.

The rain is coming. It rained steady last night. And it looks like the bottom could fall out at any minute. I am going to do my speedwork for this week today. I have to run, regardless if it rains or not. I may have to run more than three days next week, but that's fine. We must sacrifice for the training. It will be worth it.

I'm not sure if this positive attitude comes from the fabulous breakfast I made this morning, or if all the episodes of The Biggest Loser re-runs are starting to reprogram my brain. Who knows for sure?

Weekend plans? Tell me about 'em!

Lentil Qunioa Sweet Potato Soup

And so continues the sweet potato obsession I started yesterday.

I don't know what it is about that orange potato, but I be lovin' it right now.

The other night I was scouring my cabinets for something to eat. Times are tough here at the Adamson house, but I managed to pull off a delicious recipe I think you will enjoy.

It's meatless if you are into that. And it was vegan...until I stirred in some sour cream when I put it in my bowl. So basically it is vegan...just don't do that. Or do do that. It was delicious. Sour cream makes everything delicious. But that's neither here nor there. Whatever. I'm rambling.

Lentil Qunioa Sweet Potato Soup

What you need:
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large sweet potato, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C. lentils
1/2 C. quinoa, uncooked
8 C. vegetable broth (2 boxes)
Cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, cayenne and smoked paprika to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil and cook the diced onion, pepper and garlic until soft. Add in the sweet potato. Add in the vegetable broth, lentils and quinoa. Spice to your liking.

Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the sweet potato pieces are soft and the lentils are cooked completely. If the broth cooks out and the soup gets too thick, add in a cup of water to thin it out.

Before serving, use an immersion blender to blend the soup a bit. This will make it thick and creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, just blend a cup in a regular blender and add it back into the pot.

Put in a bowl and top with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. If you're going for the vegan way, just eat as is.

Super tasty. Super easy. You could even throw everything into the crock pot and forget about it.

Hope you guys are having a fantastic weekend. I've been watching the Olympics like it's going outta style. I mean it is not going to come on again for the next four years. The upside to that is I will forget how un-athletic I am until 2016. #priorities

Obsessions

I love iced soy chia tea lattes from Starbucks.

I thought I had kicked my Starbucks addiction, or least had it in a more managable state. But then my friend Casondra came to visit, and she introduced me to soy chia tea lattes on ice. They taste like fall. It's cool, creamy and perfectly spiced. Oy, I want one right now. Anyone have a Starbucks gift card they aren't using?? I will gladly take it off your hands.

Another recent obession, well it's really not an obsession since I already loved them so much, is the ole sweet potato. I have two sweet potato recipes you must try. I'll share one today and the other tomorrow.

Breakfast Sweet Potato Hash

What you need:
1 onion
1 bell pepper, color of your choice
2 garlic cloves
1 medium sweet potato
2 T. coconut oil, or whatever oil you want to use
1-2 eggs
Salt and pepper

Dice up the onion, garlic, bell pepper and sweet potato into small pieces. This will help it all cook fast and at the same time. Heat the coconut oil on medium high heat in a saute pan. Toss in the veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Cover for 5-7 minutes so veggies steam. Remove the lid and cook on medium high heat until veggies begin to brown up. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan. Crack an egg. Cook the egg to your liking. I let the yolk stay runny, which I would recommend because it gives the hash a nice yolky deliciousness.

I know what you're probably thinking...I don't want sweet potato as a hash brown. But it is so good with the onion and peppers and eggs.

This recipe would serve two people modestly, or one hungry person. So if you have more people than that just make more. This hash could also be served as a side dish. It is so yummy.

****Running Update****

I have been running. Hills. Speedwork. Long runs. The whole nine. Getting ready for official St. Jude training.

BTW, I have raised $715 for the St. Jude Heros Program. You can donate online or send a check to support me and my quest to help the children at St. Jude's Hospital. Please help me reach my $1,000 goal.

Doing a long run tomorrow morning. If you wanna run with me, let me know.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

First thing first, I have a recipe to share with you. But not before I tell you some things I've learned this past week.

Gatorade comes in a can. And it will change your life. So cold. Where did I discover such greatness you might ask? Arkansas Children's Hospital has refrigerators full of this stuff. Like hospital gold. Since the mindblowing discovery, I have googled canned Gatorade upteen times with no luck as to how to get it. Any ideas? Please comment below if you know of how to get your hands on this.

Kind bars. Almond and coconut Kind bars. So freaking good. And there is only 10 grams of sugar per bar. A-mazing! There are lots of flavors. I will be trying them all. Not even kidding. Go. Get. Some. Today. I got mine at Kroger in the Natural Foods section.

The guy who wrote this book is a journalist. I am digging this book, even though it's from a guy's perspective. Not all things apply to me, but it's been very interesting. If I could go back in time and tell my 18-year-old self to double major in Journalism and Nutrition, I totally would. I could write a book like this. Maybe I will...Would you read it?

Now on to the main event. The recipe you've been waiting patiently for...or you skipped the beginning of this to get here. Whatever. Just make it. And love it.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

What you will need:
1 lb (or package) of ground chicken (you can use beef or pork or whatever)
3 poblano peppers (also known as passilla peppers)
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/2 uncooked brown rice
1 15 oz. can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 package of taco seasoning (I made up my own taco seasoning to cut out some of the sodium.)

Put the rice in a pot with one cup of water, a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook 35-40 minutes. Brown rice takes longer to cook, but you can get other stuff ready while it does its thing.

Cut the peppers in half, vertically. Scoop out the insides. Open the can of diced tomatoes and pour into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. You might not have to use the whole can, but if you like it more juicy go for it.

In a saute pan, brown the ground chicken with half the pouch of taco seasoning. By then, the rice should get close to done. Add the cooked rice, rinsed and drained pinto beans and half of the can of tomato sauce. Stir in the rest of the taco seasoning. Things should be smelling good.

Fill the pepper halves and place them in the pan with the diced tomatoes. Just put any remaining filling on top of the peppers. It doesn't have to look fancy.

I forgot to tell you to pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees....So do that before so you don't have to wait around for it. Put the peppers in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Make sure to cover the peppers with some foil.

At the 45 minute mark, remove the foil and cover the peppers with your favorite cheese. I used cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered so the cheese will melt and the pepper will continue to soften.

Remove from oven. Put on a plate. Savor the smell. And try not to burn the roof of your mouth. These peppers are seriously delicious. And you can stuff them however you want.

Feel free to modify this recipe to make it your own. But promise me you will try the poblanos. There is something about them that just kick regular bell peppers to the curb.

The Reactive Hypoglycemic

This is what I know.

 I've taken an intentional break from blogging to get my health situation checked out. The last two weeks has been full of doctors appointments and tests. Not fun at all. I didn't want to write about it until I knew exactly what was going on...hence my hiatus from writing. It's been the only thing on my mind for weeks, but I didn't want to worry you guys.

This is what I know: Part 2.

I have reactive hypoglycemia. Sounds pretty scary...but don't get bent outta shape. First thing's first, I'm not diabetic. Second, I don't have to take medicine or give myself shots. I can regulate my blood sugar with the food I eat.

But let's back up a bit so you can understand what it means to be a reactive hypoglycemic. Last week, I took a four hour blood glucose test. That translates to six individual sticks with a vial of blood each time. One initial stick to take a base reading. Then I drank a large cup of a super sugary orange drink. Then they took my blood at the 30 minute mark, the one hour mark and every hour on the hour for three more hours. (Does that make sense?)

At the hour mark, I had a freak out moment. I felt really sick and light-headed. Like my skin was crawling. And the lady couldn't find my "tiny vein" as she put it. So she proceeded to dig the needle into my skin searching for said vein. I almost threw up. It was bad.

Then there may or may not have been a crying episode where all my anxiety surfaced after said stabbing of the arm. I'm not ashamed. A girl can only take so much before the ultimate breaking point is reached.

Then I was just resigned to my fate of having to give my arms over to them every hour for the stabbing. By the sixth blood draw, my veins had had enough. And I was completely physically and emotionally spent and absolutely starving. I forgot to mention I had been fasting for 12 hours. Yikes.

This is what I know: Part 3.

During said freak out moment mention above in part 2, the nurses checked my blood sugar level and said it was normal.

But here's the thing.

When my blood sugar level is normal, it's too high. My initial level was considerably lower than normal. It jumped up to normal (or high in my case). Then plummeted down to really low again resulting in me being ridiculously tired and weak.

So there you go.

Unlike regular hypoglycemia, reactive hypoglycemia is a result of what you eat. So my diet and how frequently I eat will change significantly. And it will make me feel so much better. For that I am thankful.

So please follow along as I cut out all processed foods, refined sugars and limit my caffeine intake...And watch me learn to eat six small meals a day and the great importance of portion control. It's going to be a journey, and I can't wait to share it with you.

Popcorn Snack

What up, peeps? Lots of things have happened over this weekend. And some of those things includes HOMEWORK x 1000. But we will get to that later.

First, I want to flaunt some tasty food I had over the course of the last few days.

Beef tips and rice happened last night. I used just the right amount of wine, and I turned the crock pot on high all day long. It was perfect. Get the recipe here.

Eggplant lasagna, roasted broccoli and cheesy bread happened Monday night. Best ever. Hands down. I'm having that for lunch today. So so good. Get the recipe here. 

I have a new recipe to share with you. I think you will be pleased with my newest creation.

Popcorn Snack

1/4 C. white popcorn kernels

2 T. canola oil

Black pepper

Parmesan cheese

In a big pot, heat the oil on medium high heat and add three kernels. Cover with a lid. Once the first kernel pops, add the rest of the kernels. Gently shake the pot back and forth on the stove to keep the popcorn from burning. 

Once the last kernels have popped, turn the heat off and dump the popcorn into a bowl. Top with liberal amounts of black pepper and Parmesan cheese. 

Y'all. This popcorn is like crack-cocaine. Totally delicious and addictive. I feel like I'll be making it all the time...as should you. Seriously, pop your corn on the stove. It makes all the difference. And you can decide what toppings to add. The variations are endless. 

In other news...

My mom and her awesome friends ran a half-marathon in Jonesboro this weekend. The boyfriend and I were there for moral support. Yippie! I'm so proud of them. :)

And...

My new shoes came in. So. Freaking. Cute. I be rocking these with style very soon. 

How was your weekend?

The Day I Murdered a Grapefruit

An e-mail was sent yesterday morning to the boyfriend.

Hey. 
Just wanted to drop you a line...and I thought e-mail would be appropriate since it would look more like "work." I'm so sneaky and smart. 


I had a grapefruit for breakfast. I had all the best intentions with it. I thought...Oh, I'll take a grapefruit...I mean it's in its own bowl basically...

But then I killed it. As you can see.


Anyway...Just wanted to lighten your day. TTYL.


***NOTE: If you are an extremely close friend of mine, or if you happen to be the boyfriend, you will receive e-mails like this at times throughout our relationship. Now who wouldn't want to be friends with me? (Clearly, this is a rhetorical question...please don't say you don't want to be my friend...I'm blue...and very fragile.)***

But on a serious note, grapefruits are delicious and an underused fruit. They get a bad rep because of their other citrus cousin, the orange.

Now let's discuss grapefruit eating tactics: Don't use a fork. It's doesn't work out like you think it will. Trust me. But a spoon...you'd think would work wonders, but I didn't have much luck there either...hence the massacre. I'm going to have to rework my tactics this morning...since I brought another grapefruit.

Now...Let's completely switch gears:

Why does Anthropologie send me e-mails dangling pretty dresses in my face and then blatantly snatch them away with their hefty price tags?

 I want this beautiful dress so bad. But I absolutely can't justify $148 on basically one piece of fabric. My new shoes would look fabulous with it, though.

Anyone have an obscene amount of money they don't want to spend on themselves who'd want to purchase me this lovely dress? Any takers? I'd wear it in your presence...No. Ok. Just thought I'd ask. You have not because you ask not.

Fruits you be lovin' right now?


Dresses you be coveting right now?

A Weekend in Pictures

Spent a lot of time here.

Doing homework, lamenting over my non-existent social life and eating dark chocolate.

The 60s was an interesting time in Arkansas politics. Ask me anything...I bet I know it. Seriously.

For study breaks, I'd go outside to check the progress of my zinnia sprouts.

Early on Day 1

End of Day 1 after a full day in the sun

Day 2

There was a day 3, but I can't find it right now. Update on that tomorrow.

I ran yesterday.

Here are my stats:
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 34:16
Best Pace: 8:28
Average Pace:11:26
Calories: 357

I'll go into detail about that tomorrow. I've done some research that deserves a separate post. So stay tuned for something new I learned about running and side pains.

I had a lot of really wonderful food this weekend.

Waffles. Classic.

Rigatoni with a mushroom cream sauce

Parmesan and dill scrambled eggs on an English muffin

These beauties are on the way to my doorstep.

HOLLA. I'll be walking on a dream in no time.

How was your weekend?


Tell me something good.

Rewarding Yourself

Yesterday my mom, grandma and I attended a banquet for the Mass Comm Department. I was told about a month ago that I won an award for submitting my research paper into a contest with the prize being cash money.

I walked away with 3rd place and $75. Holla.

So in honor of winning money for school work, I'm going to reward myself with a new pair of shoes from Sole Society, an awesome shoe club. Join here.

But I don't know which shoes I want more...I need your help.

Should I get these...

Or these?

They cost the same price so that's not really a factor. Leave your thoughts in the comment section. I'll be sure to let you know what I decide to purchase.

As promised I have a new recipe to share with you today.

I call it Pasta with Spicy Zucchini.

What you need:
2 medium zucchini or yellow squash (whichever looks better)
2 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less...whatever your taste buds like)
1 box of whole wheat pasta
Olive Oil
1/2 Parmesan cheese
1 T. butter

First, grate your squash and put a generous amount of salt on it. I didn't grate my because apparently I can't read recipes...so that is why mine is not grated. Let the squash sit so the salt can draw out all the water.

In the meantime, boil some water. Toss in the noodles.

After the squash has released all its water, squeeze in some paper towels to get rid of the excess water. Heat some olive oil in a deep pan. Throw in the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Let cook for a few minutes. The garlic should smell amazing.

Throw in the zucchini. Let cook 2-3 minutes. It shouldn't take long. Toss the pasta in with the zucchini mixture. Add in 1/2 C. Parmesan cheese. Add some pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Stir in one tablespoon of butter to add some richness. Serve immediately.

While it looks plain and uninteresting, it is so flavorful and delicious. I think I got a little too happy with the red pepper flakes because my nose ran and my lips were numb for a full 20 minutes after I finished eating.

I will definitely make this again, but I will probably add in some thinly sliced onions and maybe some tiny shrimps for some added protein.

What have you been eating?


Which shoes would you pick? Leave a comment below. I love to hear what you think.

Herbs and Other Things

Dudes, I planted a mini-herb garden yesterday. I was inspired by my friend Tori, who got a really cool planter from Home Depot and planted a whole bunch of herbs and flowers.

So while I was at Walmart picking up a few things, I stumbled into the garden section to see what it had to offer. Low and behold, there was a wide selection of herbs, flowers and vegetable seeds. I grabbed a window box planter and called it a day.

I planted my four most favorite herbs: Parsley, dill, basil and rosemary.

Y'all, I want a garden so bad. I want to plant my own veggies and maybe try my hand at tilling up some land. Big sigh. Just another thing to save for when I have more time.

Speaking of time...and not having any, school is stupid. And by that I mean I need some serious motivation. I'm currently reading a book about Arkansas history, and it's just not as inspiring as the other books I've read this semester. I have to make myself sit down and focus to read it. It. Is. Awful.

And on top of the boring book, I have to work on my original research paper due May 10. That's four weeks for those of you who don't realize and/or understand why I will be crazy and talking gibberish. But not to worry, everything will be back to normal May 10.

Now is the time to remember this mantra Paul wrote many years ago:

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 The Message Bible.

Y'all, I've prayed for motivation and understanding so much lately. I constantly worry about how I'm going to get everything done for school, while I do all the other 100,000 things I have to do. I'm so tired of trying to please everyone. So I'm working on doing what I have to do and incorporating a few things I want to do.

So that is where I am right now. Stuck in a tug-a-war with myself over what I should do and what I want to do. Say some prayers please. They are much needed and appreciated right now.

What kind of stress are you under right now?


If you could plant a garden, what kind of herbs/flowers/veggies would you plant?
I'd have a full vegetable garden and all the herbs. I'd also plant some zinnias to help keep the bugs away and make it pretty.

It's April...Almost

From now until the end of the semester, I'm going to be running around like a lunatic screaming "It's April...leave me alone...Unless you can help me with homework." Not really, but maybe. Aprils and Novembers are the hardest months of graduate school, but I'll talk more about grad school whoas later in the post. First, I want to talk about my run yesterday and my breakfast this morning (before we get into the grad school talk).

Yesterday's run went from bad to good, which made me happy that I stuck with it.

Mile 1 was a reminder of the speed work I did on Monday. And it was a reminder that I need to stretch no matter how much I feel like I'm dying. At the end of mile 1, I thought about turning around and heading back to the car. It was hot, and my calves felt like pieces of lead. And then I could hear my mom in my head saying "If you're going to run a half-marathon you have to keep your base run. And you can't quit after one mile."  So I pushed on.

Mile 2 was better, and mile 3 was ever better than the second one. The heat was still ridiculous. But I somehow made it to my car.

Here are my stats:
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 34:14
Best Pace: 9:34
Average Pace: 11:25 (pretty proud of that)
Calories: 356

Pretty sure I ate all of those calories back plus some when I got home. The main culprit was this piece of beauty and deliciousness.

My mom's homemade pecan pie. Gooey gooey goodness. I swoon.

This morning I got up and made myself a pretty little breakfast. (Sidenote: I've got to get better about eating after I wake up....I can't keep waiting for hours to have breakfast. It's going to be a very difficult, yet necessary, lifestyle change.)

Fried egg sandwich with extra thin sliced cheddar cheese on a whole wheat bagel thin, two cuties and coffee...always must have the coffee.

Speaking of the coffee, I'm about to pour cup number 3, and this is due to my unsettledness stemming from this week's grad school assignment. Now I won't bore you with all the details, but I just wish the direction of the assignment was clear.

I could do one of these two things:

1. Answer all the questions in an essay format like the handout says...and be faced with redoing the assignment after a different time on a larger scale (i.e. full literature review...yes it will be as awful as it sounds).
2. Disregard said handout and write the actual literature review and research questions for my upcoming final paper (yes, it also sounds equally awful).

I've been mulling this decision around in my brain all morning. And the main reason I'm stressing hardcore is because it's due tomorrow at midnight. While it can be done in the time period and I feel confident in my skills to write under pressure, I just don't want to set off on the wrong path, which will lead me to a redo or a bad grade.

Grad school peeps, weigh in on this dilemma. I've e-mailed the teacher and my classmates, and I have class tonight. Lord, I feel my professor because I'm about to blow him up with questions.

So until I decide what to do about my grad school dilemma, I am debating on making these cookies. Here is the recipe.

(And by that I mean I'll probably bake while mulling over said problem. Baked goods fixes everything.)

What do you know? Anything interesting going on?

What is your go-to stress reliever?
Mine are baking, cooking and eating.....go figure. :)

Spring Has Sprung

Flowers make me very happy.

There are not many things that could be as pretty as flowers blooming in the spring. But enough about that.

• School is completely and totally kicking my booty. It's just one thing after another after another. It's all very whoa-to-me right now. Pray for my sanity.
• I ate Taziki's last night for dinner. I have a huge love for Greek food. And the hummus at Taziki's is top-notch. I've been trying to get my mom in there for a long time (hint, hint Mom). Everything is so fresh and tasty. Go. There. Today.
• The co-workers and I have been picnicking outside for lunch, and it has been a real mid-day treat. See above bullet and eat outside today. 
• I'm running a nice three miles today. Yoga tomorrow maybe...if class doesn't interfere. Or maybe another run tomorrow.
• I packed a ridiculous lunch today. Included in today's feast: leftover hummus, pita chips and roasted potatoes from Taziki's, a salad with carrot, zucchini, cucumber, chia seeds and roasted red pepper dressing, a bag of fresh raspberries and blueberries, a small wedge of Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese and sesame seed crackers.
• I'm cooking dinner for the boyfriend for the first time this weekend. Ideas on what I should make?
• I've got to drink more water. Gotta stay one step ahead of this crazy March heat. Or I should say crazy summer heat.

I'm off work tomorrow so I will try to post something about any festivities that may happen today. 

Tell me something good.

The Need for Speed

Morning Everyone! I hope you had a fantastic weekend.

Well I started my week off right. And I can't wait to tell you all about it. But before I do that I need to tell you about my long run last Thursday.

I didn't want to do it, but I did it. The first two and a half miles were awful because I just didn't want to be out there. Once the endorphins kicked in, I was golden, and then I got a side stitch under my right rib cage the last half mile. It. Was. So. Painful. Someone please tell me what's in there causing me so much pain.

Here my stats from last week's long run:
Time: 59:55
Distance: 5.0 miles
Best Pace: 9:53
Average Pace: 11:59
Calories: 584

Yesterday, I set out to do my first outdoor speed work. I've done speed work on a treadmill, but never outside. Lord, help...it was tough.

I laced up my new shoes, and took off for the park. Got to the park...and left my running watch at home. Had to go back. I can't run without that thing.

Here's what I did: I did a nice, easy jog for the first half mile. Then, for every fourth of a mile (that would be one lap around a track), I increased my pace 1-1.5 minutes faster than my normal pace. Then, I would slow down to my normal pace for a fourth of a mile. And I alternated this fast and slow jog for 2 miles. Then I jogged another half mile to cool down. So if my math is correct, that is 3 miles.

Now, let me say this. Speed work outside is not a joke. It's the hardest thing I've ever made myself do. I would think I had sped up, but in reality I was keeping the same pace. It's amazing how your mind can play such tricks.

I set out to do 3 miles, but in the end the heat and speed wore me out.

Here are my stats:
Time: 27:41
Distance: 2.5 miles
Best Pace: 9:12
Average Pace: 11:05
Calories: 294

I'm pretty sure my body burned more calories after I was finished because I was starving. Starving.

I went over to Logan's house, and we made a pretty ridiculous dinner. Grilled pork chops, grilled veggie kabobs with summer squash, zucchini, baby portobello mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, orange bell peppers, grilled pineapple, garlic bread and pecan pie.

New Orleans: Take One

Good Morning Friends! I'm back from the Big Easy. And let me tell you. It was a good time. The city was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

The view from our hotel room was incredible. Staying on the top floor has its perks.

After checking in, we took off exploring. The city was alive and hoppin' as we walked through the downtown area.

We ate dinner at Draco's, a nice little seafood restaurant found at the bottom of the Hilton.

 The shrimp and grits were to die for. I don't think they could have tasted any better. The best flavors ever combined. I will have to try to recreate it, but I don't think it's possible. New Orleans has some of the best food I've ever had.

The group and I made our way out to get a drink on Bourbon Street. New Orleans has an open container law that allows people to carry adult beverages around the entire city. It was really cool, but I felt a little strange carrying my beer around out on the street.

I don't think anyone can ever be properly prepared for Bourbon Street. The smell alone is enough to make you not want to go back. But I had to have the experience.

We got home kind of late that night, and I was really tired from having been in the car for 8 hours. I don't know what it is about riding in a car that can make one so tired. It doesn't make sense.

Day One in New Orleans was a complete success. The food was outrageously good, and the entertainment was definitely exciting.

I have so much more to tell you. I have to break it into two (maybe three) posts, in order to do it justice. (P.S. that big green chair was $3,000 and there was one on every floor. And I tried to figure out a way to get it inside my car when we left...needless to say, it didn't work.)

Get ready for the New Orleans Rock n' Roll Marathon Expo and race recap tomorrow, as well as what we did on Saturday before the race expo. It's gonna be good so stick around.

How was your weekend?


What genre of food are you loving right now?