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Goals, goals, goals

20 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Food, Ideas, Running

My run tonight was straight out of the twilight zone – my head was in it, but my legs couldn’t keep it together. I’m nursing some shin pain even as a type, two hours after my run! (Ice will be involved as soon as I’m done posting, never fear).

A quick detour into dinner-ville before I talk about goals:
quinoa-cakes-sprouts

Red quinoa cakes (made the same way I made these quinoa cakes, but with the addition of lentil sprouts)

stew-and-sprouts

…topped with chickpea stew (yep, much like this chickpea stew), and accompanied by a tasty avocado yogurt sauce.

The sauce couldn’t be much easier, but it added a rich, refreshing note to the otherwise all-too-familiar meal.

Avocado Yogurt “Secret” Sauce

Ingredients:

1 part avocado (or guacamole; I used the leftover bits of pre-made guacamole, and in fact mixed this right in the Whole Foods container)
2 parts yogurt (I used Nancy’s plain nonfat yogurt)
Salt to taste (or be like me and use truffle salt!!)

Procedure:

Combine ingredients.
Serve.

And, believe it or not, I made the stew this morning before work! I sautéed the peppers and eggplant, added the leftover cooked chickpeas and tomatoes, seasoned, heated, and left the flavors to blend while I toiled with my new BFF: SharePoint. I definitely could not eat like this after work if I didn’t get a head start by pre-cooking time-consuming staples like beans and grains on the weekends.

Goals

I like goals. I’d love to tell you how to set goals, but there are plenty of sites out there that can describe different methods of setting goals. (Maybe I will write my own guide sometime, but that is another post.)

What I like most about goals is not meeting them.

Seriously.

I have a lot of goals:

rolling 5 and 10 year plans
a set of about 10 goals for the year (like resolutions, just not called that)
monthly and weekly goals for my life at home
fitness goals
work goals (project-based, review-based, career-based)
an overall “epitaph” goal
financial goals

…and the list could go on. But, instead, I’m focusing on what to do with goals once you’ve set them – and once you’ve met them (or not).

“Magic” (long-term) Goals

Some goals are like magic – you write them down, forget them, and come back to them in a few years to discover that you’ve accomplished even more than you thought you would. I’ve found this is mostly true of goals with at least a one-year horizon; anything shorter and you don’t “forget” your goal sufficiently to allow yourself to make it happen. I was really proud of myself when I saved my first $3000…until I looked at my 5-year plan and saw that I had written that in two years prior, though I was broke and struggling at the time since my job had just run out of funding.

Short-Term Goals

Other goals – shorter goals, more concrete goals – need a bit more help. (These are my specialty – and what I have specialized in at work for a long while – so the long-term goals will be getting the short end of the stick in this post.) These are the goals that you write down and keep posted where you can see them, or that you repeat to yourself every day when you wake up (or sit down at your desk, or lace up your sneakers). I use a daily and weekly tracking system for my fitness goals, recording workouts every day and fitness progress (key measurements, for example) each week. I know that I would still make progress if I didn’t keep close track, but I would not know how best to adjust my workouts to get the results I want in the shortest amount of time.

These shorter goals are also the ones you’re more likely to blow. I might set a goal to take 2 minutes of my slow training pace in a week, which would be fine to do at my fitness level. But if I try all week and can’t do it, I’ve created a great opportunity for myself: I get to learn why I didn’t meet my goal, which will help me find a weakness in my fitness plan.

Failure is Still Success

Failing to meet a goal is a win-win situation, really. If I meet my goal – great, I’ve accomplished something I want to do. If I don’t meet my goal, I’ve caught a bug in my system and I can take care of it before it affects my progress more or becomes a larger problem. (I think it’s vital to think like this if you’re going to set goals; if you can’t practice this kind of self-compassion and positive thinking, goals will likely do you more harm than good – they’ll become signposts of failure, rather than stepping stones into the future that you want.)

There are all kinds of reasons I might not meet a goal, but a few minutes of thinking and looking back at any training logs or other “data” usually clears things right up. My analysis goes something like this:

How close did I come to meeting my goal? If I came very close, what kept me from hitting my target? Should I call it “good enough”?
Were there any unusual circumstances that kept me from meeting my goal (friends in town, new project at work, sick, finances, etc.)?
Was my goal something I really cared about and prioritized? If not, is it a goal worth keeping?
Was my goal reasonable, or did I try to do too much too soon?

Depending on how that line of questioning goes, I will either scrap the goal altogether, try the same thing again, or change the goal to make it better suited to me. I get to learn what I’m capable of, see what I really care about, and tailor my life and plans more precisely to what I want to be, do, see, and have.

Does it get any better than that? All of this from failing! (But I warn you: this is real failure, not the kind of failure that never gets off the couch.)

Caution: Goals Ahead

Just like their close cousin the To-Do list, goals can be overwhelming. Even though my list of goal categories is long, I don’t set more than 3 short-term goals at a time in any category. After all, short term goals should be met sooner rather than later, right? Here’s how I keep my short-term lists short and sweet:

Set a firm limit on the number of goals that you’ll consider at any point in time.
- Write down all of your goals, hopes, dreams, etc., then sift out the three that seem most intriguing, easiest, most important, etc.
- If that doesn’t work, try the rule of 1/3 +1: Take away 2/3 of your goals, then add one back in. Repeat until you’ve got no more than 5 goals left.
- Sleep on it – come back to your long list a day or three after you’ve written it and see what still sounds good.
- Worst case scenario: put the goals in a hat and draw three. You can always come back to the rest.
Be honest and realistic!
- Don’t set a goal to run a 2:30 marathon in three months if you haven’t run in years. If a 2:30 marathon is your goal, recognized it as a long-term goal – then break it into smaller steps (start by building up to a 3 mile run, find a training program, choose a race, join a training group, get fitted for shoes, etc.)
- Don’t set a goal to drink wheatgrass every day if you hate it! Your goals should bring out your best and motivate you to improve – don’t get seduced by fads or things you feel like you “should do”. (However, those “should do” things can be great starting points – for instance, if the daily wheatgrass shots you’d hate would be your answer to having more energy or eating more vegetables, make a goal about eating more vegetables, getting more sleep, or trying another energy-booster.)
- Don’t set a short-term goal to do yoga for 3 hours a day if you work full-time and have a long commute. If you’re only home and awake for 3 hours after work each night, chances are you won’t be able to spend them all doing yoga. If 3 hours of daily yoga practice is really important to you, you can likely find a way to make it happen – just not immediately. In the meantime, you could set a short-term goal to practice for a more sustainable amount of time each day.
Keep Simple Records
- There are a ton of great goal-tracking websites and methodologies, but you don’t need to go overboard with your tracking system. A simple “X” on the calendar each day that you meet your goal works pretty darn well.
- Update your progress no matter what – don’t fall behind in your tracking, even if you’re not progressing toward your goal. (You will not come back and fill it in later. I promise.)
Don’t stress if you aren’t on track!
- Go back and read the part about failure = success again! Unmet goals are great opportunities to learn about yourself, even if all you learn is that you made an unrealistic goal. (I’ve made plenty.)
- If you can’t even get started on your goal, move on to analysis. Why aren’t you starting – is it too hard? Are you trying to start at the end when you should be starting at the beginning? Do you need help or more information to get started? Did you think you wanted to build that awesome model dinosaur you saw online, order the kit, and realize you’d rather look at the cool thing on that blog than make it yourself? All of these are good things to learn, and good prompts for new, better goals.

The path to success is paved with these small failures, at least my short-ish path to the moderate successes I’ve had so far. Failing means you tried, right?

My strategies for long-term goals are different, but I will have to get back to those another day…if I write much longer, I’ll fail to meet my “get at least 7 hours of sleep so I’m not a zombie” goal

Quality time

19 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Fitness, Work

tea-and-pear

(my afternoon snack – isn’t that the cutest pear?)

It was a looong day again, but the good news is that I ran my easiest 3 mile run to date! (Well, in the past year, anyhow). I owe Wonderful Boyfriend some serious quality time – I’ve hardly seen him this week because of all the work changes – so this has to be short again. I’ll make it worth your while, I hope:

Ways to sneak exercise into your workday

It seems like every week a new study comes out that suggests that the more time you spend sitting (you know, like at that fab desk you have at work?), the greater your health risks. I try to get up or do a lot of moving around at least every 90 minutes, but it can be tough since suits are not exactly made for fitness and no one wants to get caught mid-lunge in their cubicle. Without further ado, my tips:

Set a timer (I use the free version of Timeleft, but you could even set a recurring task in Outlook) to remind you when it’s time to get up
Go to the far water cooler. Explore the break room on another floor if you need to – you might even make a new friend.
Take the stairs, even if you go nowhere. (DO NOT get locked in the stairwell. Not that I’ve, you know, done that.)
If your cubicle/office is private enough, do a set or two of squats, calf raises and/or lunges once a day. If you don’t have the privacy, try the bathroom (especially if you have a large, accessible stall – it’s great for working out.)
In the same setting, do some wall pushups and arm circles. The pilates arm series also works – no equipment needed!
You can even do a standing ab workout – Exercise TV has one I like, taught by Jennifer Galardi.
Stretch your arms and upper back, and do a few neck circles (you can even do this while sitting)
Stretch your calves and hamstrings (standing required), and stretch your hip/glutes while sitting in your chair – cross one ankle over your knee and lean forward!
Go for a walk at lunch (around the floor, around the block, or farther if time and weather allow)
Park farther away than you need to, or take public transportation (almost guarantees at least a few blocks of walking)
Hang a mirror in your cube/office so you can see – and correct – your posture when you’re slouching

I do all of those in any given week – it keeps me focused, keeps the computer-stress-fatigue headaches away, and maybe even gives my fitness level a small boost.

I’ve read so many tips that would never work at my office (keep resistance bands at your desk, ask questions face to face rather than using email, start a group to go for walks on your coffee breaks, or do yoga in your cubicle at lunch) that I wanted to compile a list of things that do work. If I can do them in my (conservative, busy, low-privacy) office without ever earning a questioning glance, I’m sure most of these tips will work for you

Rookie mistakes

18 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Food, Work, yoga

So…my new building takes a lot of getting used to. This morning I took the wrong elevator (there are 9 banks of elevators in the lobby – north, south, and other) and went to a parallel 23rd floor universe. The interiors of the elevators are the same in each bank, so even though I should have caught on that I was in a very different part of the lobby…well I didn’t.

But anyone could do that. Yesterday I lost the elevators.

I ended up working a little late (yes, on my first day) and learned the hard way that the tower I work in is a ghost town by 5:05. My fingerprint/security code wasn’t working yet, so I took what I thought would be the easy way out of the building.

I walked out to reception and turned to push the elevator call button…and saw that I was facing a smooth wall. I walked the length of the wall to see if maybe I was somehow “off” by 25 feet, crazy, etc. No elevators. Three entire banks of elevators disappeared.

Turns out there are sliding wall panels that are locked in place at 5. Who knew? (I did eventually find my way around to the elevators – back through my office and around to the other side of the floor, basically half a lap around my tower.)

Good times. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll “reply-all” with an obscene joke I’m trying to get all my rookie mistakes out this week so I can settle in – I already have two projects (and I finished a mini-project today!).

But you’re here for the food, right? Not just the beautiful view.

Breakfast:

“The Basic” – green monster, maple buckwheat flakes with almond milk and Nancy’s cottage cheese (yum!)

Lunch:

(not pictured)

was cold (tofu and green beans on leftover rice), sweet (a nice ripe plum), and processed (a chocolate mint Builder’s Bar – lots of chewy protein)

Dinner:

“Salisbury Steak” (veggie burger and peas in gravy) with leftover chickpea stew

gravy-cu

See? There really is a veggie burger in there. I made the gravy with garbanzo flour, olive oil, almond milk, and nutritional yeast, plus a splash of white wine.

Dessert:

Since dinner was all protein, dessert was all carbs. Baked pears drizzled with a tiny bit of agave and topped with “biscuits” – I made a basic biscuit dough (like the one in this post, minus the savory ingredients), but I added about 2 T of almond milk to make a gooier dough. We baked the whole thing at 350º for about 25 minutes. (But – doesn’t that picture look like ground beef? Good thing you already know I’m a vegetarian!)

pears-2

I used two of these pears. I spared the tiny ones – they were too cute.

pear-dessert

Delish.

Yoga!

I went back to my awesome yoga class – it was terrific! We did some things I’ve never done before and spent a lot of time on sun salutations and upper backbends (like cobra). I can’t wait to be settled into my new job so I can start going twice!

I worked really hard tonight. We each set a (silent) intention for each class – this week, mine was about being calm, grounded, and confident. I felt tough but relaxed by the end of our 90 minute class.

I’m worn out again – I haven’t been able to snack on schedule like I used to, so I have been getting tired at random times. Working on that. Meanwhile, sleep.

The tiredest post

17 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Food, Running, Work

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

I will try to keep my eyelids open for a very tired recap of my day!

I knew I would not work out after my first day, so I bravely woke up 45 minutes early for my first day of this new job to run 4 miles on the treadmill in 57 minutes, broken up as follows:

.25 mile warm-up
.75 miles at 5 mph
4 x 440 at 5.5 mph with 2 min walk between each interval
2 x 880 at 5.2 mph, which was going to be 3 x 880 until I messed up and ran an entire mile between the first and second intervals (which is what happens when I am sleeping while running), with some slow walking in-between each interval
.15 mile cool-down

I made what I thought would be yummy, creamy overnight hot cereal by soaking some gluten-free hot cereal in water in the fridge. Guess what? It didn’t work. Do not try this at home. It was sludgy, sandy, and awful. I will spare you a photo. It’s for your own good. I will be recycling this into tomorrow’s breakfast, forces willing.

So, I ate my backup breakfast: a very basic green monster and .5 cup Leapin Lemurs with almond milk. Since I ate this standing up, while straightening my hair and putting on my shoes, I did not photograph anything.

Work was …fun? I enjoyed meeting all my new teammates and getting my desk set up (though I still have some cleaning to do – my desk was strangely grimy). Ten of us went for lunch, where I had this lovely salad:

lunch-salad

Tomatoes, mesclun mix and romaine, blue cheese, candied walnuts, avocado, and a creamy dressing. I ate about half of this (no nuts – I was not in the mood…must have been one of those “sometimes you don’t” days). If I had realized the salad would arrive half-drowned, I would have been one of those prissy girls who orders dressing on the side. Live and learn

Also, the off-kilter picture was taken covertly while I pretended to text WB…I didn’t want to “come out” as a blogger to my co-workers just yet. Admitting that I’m a vegetarian was tough enough for this crowd!

I was starving and exhausted around 3 when I pulled out this Chia Razz bar. I was really excited to get back on my snack schedule!

chia

Except, wait, I just had an allergic reaction to raspberries a few days ago.

So I brought that bar back home for WB and munched on a small handful of almonds at work to (barely) tide me over until dinner. Somehow, the rest of the day passed and I took the right bus home (a challenge, since I had never taken this bus before).

And why aren’t there photos of dinner, you might ask?

Because no one wants to look at three day-old P. F. Chang’s leftovers. They were tasty, and now they are gone.

I did a brief and exhausted upper body workout while dinner was reheating – flies, tricep extensions, and 21 curls. No abs, because I would never be able to do them the right way right now.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow:

yoga class
starting a real project at work (and revealing that I finished something before it was even assigned to me)
tasty home-cooked lunch
pretty new dress

and, most importantly, to what lies between now and tomorrow: sleep. Thanks again for hanging with me during this transition! The laughs you’ll get out of my crazy over-planning will be sooo worth it.

Britney and Justin reunited!

15 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Food, Running

…on my iPod My long run mix is full of music from 1996-2002. Soon I’m sure someone will call that “retro”.

I was struggling on my run this morning – I really felt the effects of my deliberate overtraining this week, for better and for worse.

Better: I went out really fast and didn’t have any fatigue at all during the first 3 miles. I had a lot of energy throughout my run, and I didn’t ever really feel out of breath.

Worse: My legs felt like they were made of cement. I could not. make. them. go. I brought 2 dates with me and ate them at mile 4.5, but they seemed to help with just the last 1.5 miles of my run. I wasn’t sore, but I really felt like I was dragging.

I finished my 7 miles in 91.5 min (avg 13 min/mile pace), despite my tired legs, crappy outfit (no clean wicking shirts, down to the last sports bra that I really don’t like to wear for running), headache, and mental breakdown at mile 2.5.

Also, it is hot.

gatorade

(I got this crazy-big gatorade to stave off the headache I’ve been getting after my long runs…seems to be working for now.)

After my run, we dropped off some football tickets with a friend (we’ll be out of town for the game…this is what usually happens when we win things) and hit the farmer’s market. The haul:

fm-haul

Eggplant, a bitter melon, two cantaloupes, fenugreek sprouts, and pears…

pears

Our favorite of the week – a “bucket of pears” for $3. It’s finally time for more fruit to be ripe here.

Next, we went to our favorite breakfast place for the second time this week, where we talked about what it would be like to work for the CIA, NSA, FBI, etc. (having grown up in DC, I know my fair share of folks who’ve gone that route)…I think I’d rather live abroad on my own dime and be able to talk about what I do, but who knows where I’ll be an a few years . During that scintillating discussion, I had migas – scrambled eggs with veggies and corn tortillas, with a side of guac and breakfast potatoes.

migas

Then it was on to another stop for some, um…

macarons

yes, macarons – lemon, almond, and chocolate. They are gluten-free (though cross-contamination is likely, but whatever) and like little puffs of dream and perfection.

macarons-2

Sigh. I feel a cooking project coming on.

And a wine tasting at this new place, which was pretty good. Wine just a few hours after running isn’t my favorite thing, but we found a few new wines that we really liked. Stay tuned for info on those

I am still hot and out of sorts from this morning’s run…I think it might be nap time for me. I’ve got a good role model:

kat-nap

Friday funtime

14 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Fitness, Food

bread-butter

I started my day with something I haven’t had in a long time – an almond butter sandwich!

sammich

I need to reiterate 100,000 times how great it is to have Udi’s products available here. I could bake my own gluten-free bread, but there’s something so nice about getting real bread at the grocery store.

I met my friend for a walk this morning – it was nice to talk about fun plans and catch up on all of the events of the past few weeks. My total walk ended up being 6.15 miles, eek! So much for a day off.

WB came home early for lunch and made “BLTs” – tempeh bacon, nayonaise, microgreens, and tomatoes, with mine on more Udi’s bread:

sammich-2

(It was another starving lunch, but at least I remembered to take a photo before it was all gone.)

Tonight was the meeting of the book club. I finished reading the book (in the pool!) just a few minutes before I had to leave for the meetup. It was…meh.

We met at one of my favorite bars in the area, where I started with a mojito:

mojito

I had a champagne cocktail after this but the photo was too superdark since they had dimmed the lights for “atmosphere” by then (way to nurse a drink for an hour, I guess!). I was so glad to learn that no one really liked the book except the girl who recommended it – there was nothing to really talk about except that we didn’t want to read another “romance”.

And now I’m home and watching Psych with WB because he loves that show. I have a 7 mile run tomorrow morning, so it’s time to rehydrate and hit the hay! I might scrounge up some broccoli, too, since there’s been a lot of reading and walking today but not so much eating.

The Runaround

13 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Food, Running

Running, running, running.

I’ve been running consistently for four months now. Is it officially a habit yet?

This morning I did a long speedwork session to cover my 3 miles (in 48 minutes…lots of fast running mixed with very slow recovery walking). I did a .5 mile warm-up jog at 5 mph, then 6 x 440 at 6 mph with 2 minutes of recovery between each interval, finishing with another .3 mile cool-down jog at 5.5 mph and some more walking.

It was also a strength training day, so I did weighted squats and lunges with alternating feet on the bosu, followed by shoulder presses, 21 curls, shoulder flies, and tricep extensions. I stretched for a few, then came upstairs and did Tamilee Webb’s abs on OnDemand. I love her abs program – I really think it focuses on the important muscles that basic crunches don’t engange – but man, it’s tough. I’m still sore from Tuesday’s yoga class, which made it extra tough.

WB took the day off today since he had to work all last weekend. We took the opportunity to go to our favorite breakfast place for the first time on a weekday!

breakfast-aftermath

I was a bad, bad blogger and didn’t remember to take a photo until after it was all over – at least you can see a smudge from the black beans that came with my huevos rancheros . I have noticed that this happens when I’m starving – I am working on a solution to help myself remember.

After breakfast, we went to a very nice bookstore that is closing soon, where I got yet another cute notebook (I used to be helpless in the face of an elegant little notebook – this is the first I’ve bought in at least a year, and it may end up as a gift) and two gift books for my mom (a fun sudoku book and a guided journal). Our next stop:

coffee-before

The most foam I have ever gotten on a macchiato. (A macchiato is espresso with a dab or two of foam, like a tiny dry cappuccino. This one had a whole foam ‘fro.)

coffee-after

We hung out at a coffee shop and read for almost two hours. (I have neglected my book club romance novel and the meetup is tomorrow night! Too bad I am not liking the book – just not my thing.) Years ago, I worked for a few different coffee shops. I ended up with a caffeine sensitivity and didn’t have anything with caffeine (except sometimes chocolate) for almost 8 years! I am glad that’s over.)

And that is the entire day so far! A nice, lazy Thursday, with lots of time for me to reflect on my running history….

How I got back to running

When I (re-)started the couch to 5k running program in January, I was frustrated because I had let a big project at work keep me from sticking to the training I had started last fall – but more frustrated by the fact that my pace was stuck around 4.25 mph (yes, that was a running pace). I could barely handle the 2 minute running segments in the plan.

Work got in the way again in February, but I picked up the plan where I left off and continued to make progress throughout the spring. I was *so* excited to finally be able to run 30 minutes at a time again. I think two things made me stick to the schedule, despite the fact that work was even crazier:

I was really in the thick of a big project at work and I needed a structured outlet
I was really fed up with letting other things get in the way of what matters to me

(the really shallow reason that probably didn’t help: I was going to the beach in mid-May. I don’t think a few weeks of running made a difference in that one way or another.)

But before that…

Waaaayy before that I was born with a heart problem and couldn’t run at all (doctor’s orders). I wasn’t cleared to play sports until I was in high school, which meant I grew up hating physical activity because I could never participate and just didn’t understand it. I liked being outside and going for walks, but I was on a very short leash. (I was seriously tempted to be sick every year when it came time for the Presidential/National physical fitness test, because I was always one of the last few to amble across the finish line.)

I began exercising with a vengeance in high school, and I built up my speed and endurance to the point that 8 minute miles were second nature…until I got mono! (No, not from kissing.) I was out of commission for a few months, and even thought I kept working out after that I never went back to running in a serious way. I did a few 5k races when I was in college, but most of my fitness focused around dance, gym machines like the stairmill and the elliptical, and yoga. My running fitness slipped away, and whenever I tried to get back to a solid running base I became frustrated by how slow my progress was and gave up after about 6 weeks every time.

Why I’m still running

I love all the things that every runner seems to love – the endorphins, the time outside, the undeniable accomplishment, the freedom, and the simplicity of the sport. But that is not always enough to get me out the door for a run! Here are some of the other reasons that keep my laces tied:

I am committed to running my first half marathon in October – I want to help the cause I’m running for, and I want to see how well I can do at something that I never thought I’d be able to do.
I am continually surprised by what my body can do – it keeps coming up with new paces, new splits, and better form, seemingly with no help from me. Maybe it will turn out that I’ve been a runner in sheep’s clothing all this time!
I am a huge proponent of disease prevention, and I know running is great for zapping stress, improving sleep, and killing the bad, diabetes-promoting fat.
I am shallow and vain, and I live in a climate with an extended bikini season. I also work in an industry where appearance and first impressions are prized.
Along the lines of #4 - I assume I will be getting married sometime in the near-ish future, and I know the gowns I like run small.
I like meeting people who run – it’s a diverse group, of course, but running is a nice thing to have in common with friends.
It will keep me even younger for longer – not an issue now, but I know I’ll get there eventually.
It keeps me happy and focused (the magic cocktail of endorphins, accomplishment, and measurable improvement).
I love exploring on foot, and I can go so much farther at 5 or 6 mph than I can at 3 mph.
I love a good excuse to travel – a race isn’t a vacation, it’s for my health!
It forces me to take “me time” and leave work on time so that I don’t lose the progress I’ve made so far.
I love having more energy! I can work a 9 hour day, go for a run, and still be awake enough to enjoy going out for drinks or dancing.
I’m not very good at it yet, and I can’t back down from a good challenge.

What’s next?

More of the same, I’m sure. I have a big fall/winter running season planned, and I’m already looking at races for next year. I really want to get back to a 7-8 minute mile, and I’d love to be able to finish a half marathon in under two hours. Most of all, I want to keep running – no matter how fast or slow, I want to keep running in my life.

And…I want to do a bike tour somewhere abroad, but that will probably require getting WB on board, so…circa 2011?

This running thing…

12 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Fitness, Food, Running

…it’s seeming kind of…easier?

My calves felt unfamiliar when I woke up this morning – sore from yoga, looser, sort of weak. I was out the door by 9 for my 3 mile run anyway, which I finished in 38:15 without pushing at all (my total distance was 3.35 in 45 – I walked for my warm-up and cool down). It’s not fast, but I look back at my training log and see that it used to be one of my faster times.

I had some water and a date and went down to the gym to do some speedwork. Hot, thirsty, tired, and hungry…it was not meant to be. I did 1.5 x 440 at 6 mph before I gave up and went upstairs for breakfast.

I am committed to cleaning out the pantry this week! So committed, in fact, that it is 87º and I ate hot cereal:

cereal-breakfast

I mixed Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free hot cereal (rice, corn, sorghum, and buckwheat) with orange marmalade and a little almond milk. Accompaniments: coffee, water, and a cranberry Emergen-C.

I was looking for some tools to help my mom stick with her fitness program last night and came across this cute fitness planner (free) – it seems so fun! My passion for planning and organizing seems to know no bounds

Wonderful boyfriend and I are having lunch today, which is a nice surprise…but I only have about 20 more minutes to figure out what we’re going to do! I’m not sure if I’m making something or choosing somewhere to go out. I found a great new wine bar that has its grand opening this weekend, but that is probably not what he should be doing on his lunch break Off to browse for more….

Yoga! And more quinoa.

11 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Finance, Food, yoga

I tried a new yoga class tonight, of the Forrest Yoga variety. (Yeah, I had never heard of it either – more info at the Forrest Yoga website.) It was amazing!! Really positive, tough without being too tough, and a whole lot of fun. (Dolphin on the wall? Yes, please!) The class included lots of ab work and a good set of sun salutations, after humming bee pranayama and a long twisting sequence.

It was lovely to practice yoga with such a great teacher and such a warm, friendly class. I enjoyed the challenge of Bikram yoga when I could afford it (and schedule my hydration, eating, and laundry around the class), but I see now that I found Bikram yoga too cold and regimented. I really needed a good, fun night of limbering up and stretching out after all my pilates and running – I can’t wait to go back next week.

Or maybe Thursday.

quinoa-cakes

Dinner was just as special – I made red quinoa cakes with scrambled eggs, micro-greens, manchego, and a tomato foam/coulis. WB got home a bit too late for me to eat with him before yoga, but I was glad to see my plate when I got home. I used some of the sautéed peppers from yesterday in the eggs for a nice kick.

quinoa-cake-cu

Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa
2 T flax
2 T water
1/4-1/3 c flour (I used buckwheat flour)
Salt, pepper, and herbs/spices to taste

Procedure:

Microwave the flax and water for 1 minute to create a gooey mass, perfect as a binder.
Stir in 2 T flour and the salt, pepper, and herbs/spices.
Stir in the quinoa; add additional flour as needed to reach a semi-firm texture (the mixture should hold its shape when formed into a ball, but doesn’t need to withstand great force)
Form into patties and pan-fry or brush with oil and bake until lightly crispy

Tomato foam/coulis (or any other veggie for that matter)

Whip 5-7 cherry tomatoes in the blender. Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let stand before serving (this ultra-simple “sauce” is best after it stands for about 10 minutes – it needs to settle). Denser veggies may need to be steamed before whipping, or they may need to be puréed with a bit of water, olive oil, or wine.

(Yeah, that’s not a recipe.) (And yes, there are lots of things you can add to keep this foamy and increase the foaminess if you really want to get into molecular gastronomy. This was just a quick plate sauce to dress up a dinner that otherwise might have been a bit dry.)

I’m off to hit the hay as soon as I watch this! I’ve got more big plans for tomorrow – including another run (and maybe more speedwork)!

(P.S. – I ended up spending almost $200 at Lululemon – I got a pair of yoga crops, the towel I wanted, and an impulse pair of my favorite running shorts that were on sale. I was hesitant about the crops, but I was really, really glad to have the right clothes tonight – I didn’t have to worry about anything riding up or sliding down, so I could focus on my practice 100%.)

Typical Tuesday

11 August 2009 by Elizabeth in Finance, Fitness, Food

gulf-beach I started my day with 40 minutes of pilates and abs from ExerciseTV OnDemand. I did three of my favorites:

Less is More pilates
Leg toner and slimmer (pilates)
Standing abs

They all brought back memories from earlier this year when I was really, really focused on getting ready for our beach vacation (the first time I had worn a bikini in years). I’m in a similarly shallow mode now, to be honest, since WB and I are going to an important event in a week and a half. One of the reasons I like pilates so much is that it addresses both the shallow reasons I work out and the health-related reasons – it makes you tight and toned, but also superstrong. I wish people didn’t judge so much on appearances, but if they’re going to judge…I want the cover to match the book

All the reminiscing about the beach sent me straight to the pool! Our complex has a wonderful, wonderful pool – I can’t get enough of it!

I used my poolside time to read a few healthy articles:

A lightweight summary of the Women’s Health Initiative study that suggests that positive thinkers are less likely to have heart disease and live longer.
The August Edenews newsletter (from Eden Foods) about good soy vs. bad soy – follow the link to see the organic soy scorecard and find out what you’re really eating in your soy products. I was really disappointed to see that the Hain Celestial group refused to participate in the study – makes me question what they said and displayed during the Celestial Seasonings factory tour we just took! I have a feeling I will be sending them some email this week….
This article on not forgetting things from Unclutterer – I do something similar when I’m going to and from the gym (iPod, keys, towel) (I can be really scatterbrained when I leave the gym)

I haven’t had much of an appetite this week…I didn’t eat breakfast until almost noon today, when I had:

breakfast-tuesday

Wallaby blackberry yogurt with flax, and maple buckwheat flakes with a few Leapin’ Lemurs (chocolate and peanut butter puffs), with almond milk.

I also had another big mug of coffee

Show me the $$$$

I’ve been feeling indecisive about money today…even though I’ve been out of school for a few years now, I still feel driven to save, save, save all the time! I have been working for the past year to find a good balance between spending and saving; I want to be able to spend on what I need and what I really want, and save the rest for vacations, a new car, any wedding-type activities that may be in my future, and a house downpayment.

I know that I am more likely to take the saving part too far and make things far too complicated for myself. For instance, one of the biggest hindrances to my running was not wanting to buy real running clothes because they’re expensive. Well, running in non-running shorts is not the most comfortable or sustainable activity, and without the right shoes (or new enough shoes) my joints were feeling the burn long before my muscles. Now that I have those things, it’s hard to imagine living without them…or that it took me two years to convince myself to shell out.

I started saving (“for real”, as opposed to saving just to spend) in May 2007 with $300, and I have come a long, long, long way since then. As with the rest of my life, I set lofty goals and somehow exceed most of them. I read a lot of personal finance blogs (fewer than I used to – I’ve whittled down to the “sensible” ones that aren’t all about mortgages, stock chasing, and fad funds), and I spend some quality time with Suze Orman on my iPod when I can. I’m definitely at a point where advice to personal finance newbies does me more harm than good – I don’t think we need to cancel our cable, stop eating organics, or stop eating out (or buying our precious lattes). And yet, I’m not the pearl-sporting benefactor at the gallery opening. I’m done climbing the side of the bell curve, and now I’m in the big hump where the decisions aren’t as clear-cut and the timeline is a lot longer

As with everything else in life, there’s always something more or different that I could be doing. But, as with everything else in life, I get to make my own yardstick for success. Liberating and scary.

All of this because I wanted to spend $100 at lululemon on a yoga towel and a new outfit so that I’m not showing things that shouldn’t be shown in a yoga class or ruining our bath towels with icky hot-yoga-ness.

I’m happy to be at this point – it’s complicated, and clearly I am likely to keep overthinking things, but it’s definitely a welcome flavor of success that I never planned for.

And now I’m going to lulu.

Born For This