I’m still alive and still running! Just continuing to suck at blogging.
Today I put together my training plan for the Lake Sammamish Half, which is eight weeks away. I’m struggling a bit with my weeknight runs on the treadmill (especially right after BODYPUMP on Tuesdays and Thursdays; my legs are just tired), but my weekend outdoor running is excellent. Today’s long run was probably the fastest I’ve ever run seven miles outside of a race, and I was actively trying to slow down. Let’s hope that means I’ve stayed in good-ish shape through the holidays and have a shot of PRing (sub 1:55) at Lake Sammamish!
I’m loving my new Garmin 220, by the way. Besides being much smaller, lighter, and prettier than the Forerunner 305, it also picks up satellites in a flash and can stop/start automatically when I have to wait at a stoplight. It takes about five seconds to sense that I’ve come to a complete stop, and maybe three seconds to sense that I’ve started running again, but it’s pretty sweet.
It also seamlessly uploads my data to Garmin Connect, whereas the 305 required me to do a handstand, spin around three times, and chant in Swahili to actually upload anything on the first try. If you asked aliens who observed me trying to upload my runs what the name of the device was, they’d probably tell you what I often called it: “F***ing worthless piece of s**t!!!!”
I’M STILL NOT OVER IT, CAN YOU TELL?
I am counting down the days to a two-day work trip to San Diego, which will be immediately followed by a week-long vacation to Maui. Only one full work week + a few days to go!
If any of you caught the Seahawks/Saints game on Saturday, you know that Seattle is experiencing its height of gray skies, wind, and rain. As I watched a bit of the 49ers/Panthers game on Sunday, my strong (STRONG) dislike of Colin Kaepernick was only eclipsed by my jealousy of the Carolina sunshine.
Just a little sun is all I need to get me through the rest of the winter. Oh, how I look forward to running outside in shorts again!
Aaron and I had a very low-key last day of 2013, starting off with a rare run together. I was nervous to run after more than two weeks off, but surprisingly it went well.
I’m so happy to feel 100% well again, just in time for the new year.
We also saw American Hustle with Aaron’s parents, and then enjoyed drinks and appetizers at Black Bottle.
This charcuterie platter was my last cheese-and-bread hurrah for the holidays. Yum. Yum. Yum. I wish I could eat this for every meal!
We also had a delish pasta dinner and wine with Aaron’s best friend and his wife at Purple Cafe, and then arrived home with an hour to spare before midnight.
I popped a bottle of champagne. Aaron promptly FELL ASLEEP.
I woke him up just in time for a kiss and cheers at midnight, and then he went right back to sleep. Ha! So it wasn’t our most exciting New Year’s Eve ever, but sometimes it’s just nice to be cozy at home, drinking bubbly on the couch.
Now for a little reflection! Here’s a snapshot of my 2013 in running:
I ran 1,259 miles in total. That sounds kind of crazy to me, but I did run two marathons — Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle in June and Chicago in October — so all that training adds up. Now that I see how intense my running was for most of the year, I don’t mind that December was such an off month.
Next year will be much less intense. The only races I’m registered for at the moment are the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon in March and the Eugene Marathon in July. I’ll probably also run Seattle’s Best 15K in May, since it always falls on my birthday weekend and I love that distance, and a 5K at some point, since my PR of 25:04 is a few years old and I know I could break it! (I actually unofficially broke it during one of my Hood to Coast legs.)
After Eugene, I’ll just be focused on wedding planning and continuing to run/lift weights so I can look my best when I walk down the aisle on October 3!
Back to 2013. Rather than an extensive recap of what went down, I’ll just mention a few highs and the low of my year.
THE HIGH: Running the Chicago Marathon.
I was ecstatic to have an absolutely perfect race, and I still feel so happy when I reflect on the experience! It also gave me so much confidence for the races I’ll run in 2014. The trip to Chicago as a whole was also fantastic, since I got to spend great quality time with my future in-laws! And we ate sooo much good food.
RUNNER-UP: Running Hood to Coast with Nuun.
I don’t know if I can ever run another relay since this one was so good! I still can’t believe I was chosen for the Nuun team, and I can’t believe how fast I ran my legs. I met so many great girls that I still keep in touch with through social media and in person, when the occasion arises. I WILL eventually write about Hood to Coast, even though I’m so late in doing so! Big-time blogger fail.
THE LOW: My mom’s cancer diagnosis.
There’s no other low — probably in my entire life — that even comes close to this. I was devastated by my mom’s cancer diagnosis in January, and watching her endure the surgery and chemo that followed. Obviously this “low” for me doesn’t even come close to what she experienced by going though it firsthand. I’m so thankful for her fiance, Don, who took such good care of her through it all, and I’m so glad she’s doing so well now. Fuck you, cancer! You are NOT welcome in 2014 and beyond.
This next year, I’m so excited to:
– Go to Maui at the end of January! Woo-hoo!
– PR in the 5K, 15K, half-marathon, and marathon (I hope!)
– Sell our current place
– Either rent or buy a home in the town where we’ll eventually start a family
– GET MARRIED
– Go to the big island of Hawaii for our honeymoon, and spectate the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona (!!!)
– Experience whatever else may pop up that I can’t anticipate now!
I’m sorry that I disappeared for the last, oh, month and a half! There was really no reason behind it, other than that I felt like I had nothing interesting to write about, so I didn’t write. But I’ve missed posting, and since 2014 is just a few days away, it’s time to get caught up in time for the new year!
Let’s see… what have I been up to since I last posted on November 17?
– I finished watching every single episode of Breaking Bad. I believe I started from the beginning in October, so… that’s another explanation for the blog absence.
– Aaron grew a fairly disturbing mustache for Movember. I’m really glad that’s over.
– I continued hitting the gym Tues/Weds/Thurs and running five days a week, include speedwork on Wednesdays and a long run on Sundays. I consistently attended BODYPUMP (video example) every Tuesday and Thursday, and I’m completely addicted to it.
This is the only gym selfie you’ll ever see from me. It’s too awkward to take pics there. I only took this one because no one was around and my face was so red from speed intervals on the treadmill!
– I haven’t exercised at all for two weeks because I’ve been horribly sick — like, one of the top five worst illnesses of my life — and am just now feeling well enough to get back at it! It has been nice to take a break to relax during the holidays, though.
– An upside of being sick was that I had no appetite for a week and a half, so I didn’t gain any weight over the holidays. I literally just ate when I knew I was supposed to (breakfast, lunch, dinner) in order to survive. It was strange, since I NEVER have a lack of appetite! It’s really nice to feel hungry and normal once again.
– I’m still on the hunt for a wedding dress. I have been to NINE bridal shops and probably tried on 100 dresses. It’s not that I haven’t found beautiful dresses; I’ve found plenty that look great and that I could get married in. But I’m holding out for something that magically combines all the elements I’m looking for. I’m waiting for a few new dresses to arrive at shop #10, and then if I don’t find something amazing there, I’ll buy a dress that I found at the very first shop. Call me picky. Call me crazy. But if I’m going to spend $1,000+ on a dress that I’ll only wear for one day, I’m gonna LOVE IT, dammit! (I plan to resell it afterward, by the way!)
– Aaron got me a Garmin 220 for Christmas! I haven’t used it yet, since I’ve been sick, but I plan to take it for a spin on NYE.
It was such a surprise! I didn’t even know the 220 existed until a few weeks ago, when I saw it on my friend Sarah’s Instagram. Aaron has LONG made fun of me for my bulky Garmin 305, and he said as soon as a Garmin with live GPS tracking came out, I should get it. Little did I know, he had pre-ordered the 220 a few months ago and had it wrapped up under the tree for me by the beginning of December! Sneaky, sneaky.
And when I opened it on Christmas Eve, I LOVED it but told him it was “too much.”
And then came Christmas Day.
We went over to Aaron’s mom and stepdad’s house for brunch and to open gifts. After everyone was done opening (so many generous gifts — thank you, MIL & FIL!!), there was one gift left that Aaron said was for me.
“The Garmin wasn’t your real gift,” he said. Ummm, WHAT?
(If he hadn’t already proposed last year, I would’ve thought he was proposing!)
Inside the box was a note that said: “Go upstairs.”
So up the stairs we went! I found another gift-wrapped box and unwrapped it. Inside, another note: “Go to the basement.”
To the basement! Another wrapped box containing another note: “Go to the Christmas tree.”
Back on the main floor, a HUGE wrapped box had magically appeared by the tree. I tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box to find… another smaller wrapped box.
And inside that, another smaller wrapped box.
Then another. Then another. AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
“Seriously, another one??”
Finally, when I got to a teeny-tiny box, I opened it to find…
ANOTHER FREAKIN’ NOTE.
“Go to the garage.”
Can you guess what the gift was?
Oh, snap.
“Are you crazy?? You got me a CAR?”
Aaron spent eight months tracking down a safe, sensible, low-mileage car for us, and found this 1999 Toyota with only 61,500 miles on it just in time for Christmas. It’s practically brand-new and he got a screaming deal from the previous owner (the only person who ever owned it).
He is the best. I’m a lucky girl!
I was so shocked because (a) I had no clue he was even looking for a car, and (b) I don’t really need a car right now, but I will once we move out of the city (hopefully this spring!) because I’m hopeless at driving Aaron’s manual-transmission Subaru and there just ain’t bus service/walkability in the suburbs like there is in Seattle. Plus, when we have a kid in a few years, it’ll be nice to be able to drive places.
Kids need to go places, right?
Anyway! That’s definitely the most exciting thing that has happened since I last posted, and I think that about brings us up to speed.
I plan to post regularly again as I jump back into my regular workout routine and start 2014 off with good food and exercise habits!
In the meantime, if you’re ever concerned by my lack of blogging (thank you to those who messaged me!), check my Twitter or Instagram; you’ll likely find signs of life there.
Aaron and I got our engagement photos back and we couldn’t be happier with them! Here are just nine of my faves. Click on the first photo to view them in better quality, slideshow style.
I can’t say enough good things about our incredible photographer, Kali Leenstra, who will also be shooting our wedding. She absolutely turned our in-person awkwardness into playful, love-filled energy on camera.
She also shot about half the photos with old-school film — as in one shot, no re-dos, no way to know what the photos look like until the film is developed and scanned by a lab. All the photos you see above with the lovely blurred backgrounds (#4, 5, 6, 8, 9) were shot with film. Crazy!
And how handsome and adorable is Aaron? Don’t even answer. I know the answer.
Psst… looking for fall boots? I’m obsessed with mine and they’re on sale at Nordstrom! I tend to have trouble finding boots that fit my calves, but a bit of hidden elastic on these makes them fit very comfortably. 🙂
On Thursday night I went to a BodyPump class at my gym. I only vaguely remembered from two years ago that I needed an assortment of equipment for the class, but I couldn’t remember what exactly.
I nervously chatted up a few girls who were waiting for another class to vacate the group fitness room, and they agreed to help me out with my setup. It turned out that one of my former co-workers, Shahaf — whom I didn’t even know went to my gym — was setting up his equipment right next to me, so he helped me out! Sweet!
For BodyPump, you need:
– an aerobic step (just to lie down on, as far as I can tell) – a mat (to place on top of the step) – a barbell – plates of various weights to put on the barbell – thingies to secure the plates to the barbell – free weights (optional; you can also just use loose plates)
As far as how BodyPump works, the Wikipedia page explains it far better than I can. There are 10 sections, called tracks, each set to its own music: warm-up, squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges, shoulders, abs/core, and cool-down/stretching.
Between each track, you adjust the amount of weight on your barbell to prepare for the next track. I had no clue how much weight to use at any point. Shahaf was so nice and would tell me stuff like, “Add more weight for squats,” “Use less weight for triceps,” etc.
It’ll take me a while to get the hang of the weight changes. The squats and lunges felt a little too easy (yay, strong legs!), but I used too much weight for chest and triceps and had to pause/skip reps because my arms felt like they were going to fall off.
BodyPump is definitely a great workout — I just stopped feeling sore TODAY — and it’s really fast-paced and fun, so I’m excited to continue going twice a week. Beast arms, be mine!
I ran three treadmill miles right after the class, which was… interesting?… but I endured it because I was able to watch “Say Yes to the Dress”! I got so excited to finally try on wedding dresses after being engaged for 13 months.
On Saturday, my mom, Aaron’s mom, and I had an awesome girls’ day visiting two bridal shops and having lunch.
I went into the first shop with a very definite vision of what I wanted, and left with a much more open mind! The first few dresses I tried on were gorgeous on the hangers, but very blah on me, so I started trying different styles.
Little by little, as I discovered what I liked and disliked about each dress, I carved out a new vision. The very-helpful and sweet sales girl picked out one last dress that fit the new criteria, and as soon as I walked out in it, I started crying… the moms started crying… and even two women who were there with another bride started crying!
It was the first dress I could really see myself getting married in. Whoa.
At the second shop, I had a much better idea of what looked good on me. It took only a few seconds to know when a dress didn’t work. And then… we found another one similar to the first tear-jerker dress, but different in some awesome ways! So now there’s another front-runner.
I also tried on some really gorgeous, over-the-top, but really not my style dresses. I wish I could share some fun pictures! But Aaron is firm on not wanting to see ANY photos of me in any wedding dress before the big day. Hrmph.
I got measured at each of the shops in case I decide to call and order either of the dresses I really liked, and I strangely wound up with totally different measurements — different from the ones I took of myself a few days ago, and from each other:
I understand why my own measurements would be wrong (eh-hem, no clue what I’m doing), but why would the measurements between shops be off by a full inch to an inch and a half each??
For my official record of progress, I’m gonna go with these measurements:
– Bust: 35 – Waist: 28 – Hips: 39
Just because.
Anyway, I have another bridal appointment next Saturday and two more the Saturday after that. I’ll either find another dress I love even more than the first two, or choose one of those two! Exciting stuff.
And definitely not as drama-filled as those crazy moms and daughters on “Say Yes to the Dress.” Yikes.
5:00 is a stupid time to wake up, isn’t it? I got up an hour earlier than usual so I could get to work earlier, leave earlier, and make my way to the gym in time for a Body Pump class tonight.
Might as well take advantage of the free classes! Plus, I’ll get some high-intensity strength-training in. I tend to wimp out/not really care when I lift weights on my own.
As for my weight, I’m fine with it, but I know there are a few extra pounds (made up of Rolos, Skittles, etc.) that I don’t need.
Current measurements, in inches:
Waist: 29 Hips: 35.5 Bust: 35 Left thigh: 22.5 Right thigh: 22.5 Left calf: 15.5 Right calf: 15.5
Commentary:
I have no idea what’s “normal,” so I have no real commentary. I just wanted to have baseline measurements.
I may not be the most accurate measure-er, though, since I thought for sure my right calf and possibly thigh would be bigger than my left calf and thigh. The hip measurement might be low, too. I’ll have Aaron measure me next time for more precision and objectivity.
Current photo:
Commentary:
5:20 a.m., straight out of the shower. You are welcome.
I definitely see a difference from the photos I posted in March and April, when I was really on-point with my eating. I had a narrower waist (but no measurements to prove it) and a flatter stomach back then. Maybe it’s just me? But I know I can do better and feel more confident with a little extra mindfulness.
So there’s my baseline! I’ll check in every two weeks, methinks.
Cross your fingers that I survive Body Pump tonight! I tried it a few times in May 2011 while I was training for my first half-marathon with the American Cancer Society DetermiNation team; our well-connected coach set up some complimentary classes for us at a local gym.
I just went back and read my first impression of it. I had forgotten there were SQUATS.
It is no coincidence that on Monday, November 4 — the day after Daylight Saving Time (did you know it is “Saving” and not “Savings”?) ended, I booked two round-trip tickets for Aaron and me to Maui.
In January.
For a total cost of $10.
Mileage plans are so awesome.
Hawaii is “our place” — we’ve been to Oahu (video!) and Kauai together, and we’ll go to the big island next October for our honeymoon — so I’m excited to visit another island together.
Speaking of our honeymoon, we’ll be IN KONA DURING THE 2014 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. You better believe we’ll be spectating it. Best honeymoon EVER!
Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked.
With a beach vacation on the horizon (and wedding-dress trying-on starting THIS WEEKEND), it’s time to buckle down on my eating.
I’ve had the “I can eat whatever I want because I just ran a marathon!” mindset since the Chicago Marathon, which is really only valid for like one or two days after the marathon. Three-and-a-half weeks later… not so much.
All of my meals are healthy, but my main downfall is candy at work. Between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., when the workday is feeling loooong, I will not hesitate to grab the following:
– Chocolate-covered raisins: I can eat a million and convince myself they are healthy-ish because RAISINS. – Starburst: Pinks and reds only. Unfortunately, my office stocks the “Fave-reds” pack, which has ALL PINKS AND REDS. – Skittles: Like Starburst, these give me that instant, fruity-flavored sugar rush. I can never have just one “fun-sized” pack. (They should rename “fun-sized” to “a little less diabetes, maybe.”) – Rolos: The office stocks these little 340-calorie bags of ‘em. I start out thinking I’ll just have a few Rolos, and them I’m all YOLO, life’s too short for just a few ROLOS. Whole bag, gone.
Oh my god. It must stop.
Tomorrow, I’m going to start using My Fitness Pal again (you can follow my food diary here). MFP doesn’t always deter me from snacking on candy — you’ll definitely find plenty of Starburst in the archives — but it does help me see how many empty calories and grams of sugar I’m consuming with my little candy binges.
I’ll also post my starting weight and measurements, not because I have a specific goal — I’m happy where I am now and all my clothes fit wonderfully — but just to see what happens when I rein in my food choices.
I obviously won’t deprive myself of delicious Thanksgiving and Christmas foods when those holidays roll around, but I don’t want to use the whole holiday season as an excuse to eat like crap.
I just want to feel great in a bikini in Maui! OK? OK.
Saturated fats and cholesterol aren’t bad for us, studies show. And “low-fat” foods are usually high carb foods, which lead to obesity and diabetes.
“Back in the year 1977, the low-fat diet was recommended to all Americans. Looking back, it is interesting to see that the obesity epidemic started at almost the exact same time the guidelines first came out.
"Although this graph doesn’t prove anything (correlation does not equal causation), this does make sense because people started giving up traditional foods like butter in place of processed ‘low-fat’ foods high in sugar.
"Since then, many massive studies have been conducted on the low-fat diet. These studies show clearly that the low-fat diet does not cause weight loss and has zero effect on cardiovascular disease in the long term (6, 7, 8).
"Despite the poor results in the studies, this diet is still recommended by nutrition organizations all over the world.”
I have a fake training plan! That is, a training plan I’ll follow just to stay in running shape through the fall and winter, not to actually prepare for a race.
It’s Hal Higdon’s intermediate half-marathon training plan almost exactly, except I’ll do strength training on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of Mondays and Thursdays. Also, I won’t do any 5K/10K/15K races like the plan calls for. I just want to run with no pressure!
It looks mostly like this:
Monday: Rest Tuesday: Easy run + strength Wednesday: Speed work Thursday: Easy run + strength Friday: Rest Saturday: Race-pace run Sunday: Easy long run
I really loved my T/W/Th and Sa/Su running schedule for Chicago Marathon training, and since I’m already in that groove, I decided to stick with it. Running multiple days in a row used to wreck my legs, but I discovered that when I actually do easy runs on the easy days, my legs are fine. Imagine that!
I completely bailed on cross training and strength training for Chicago — I just focused on the miles in order to prevent back-to-back marathon training burnout — and now I miss my arm muscles! Come back to meeee.
Cross training still sucks and I don’t care about it. At least not until I train for the Eugene Marathon! (Well, we’ll see.)
I am so, so, so happy speed work is back in my life. I kind of dread it, but then I love it during and afterward.
I worked from home today, so I was able to get out during daylight hours for a run rather than do this on the treadmill. I did a one-mile warmup with 4 x 400 m (a quarter-mile) fast with 400 m recovery in between, followed by a one-mile cool-down.
Seeing 6:XX pace on my watch is really scary for me, even just for a quarter-mile. I have seen that, umm, never-ish?! I didn’t feel like I pushed all out, though, so I’ll assume it was OK.
Fun fact: Three years ago on this day, October 30, the very first photo of Aaron and me together was taken. We were just friends (and co-workers) at this point.
That was also the very first month of my blog’s existence, so I had like two followers. Are you guys still around??
Anyway, that night, Aaron and I went to a Halloween party. I was a lobster and he was Natalie Portman from V for Vendetta (…bald). Naturally, that’s when we shared our first kiss together.
Three years, hundreds of miles run and biked, and many foregone carbs later:
Dev on Running 