I’m Alive!!!

Well. Kind of. Let me explain.

Last week I was in Ft. Lauderdale for training for my new job. I met so many amazing individuals from all over the country. It was incredibly motivating to be learning from some of the heavy-hitters. Everyday we met in the lobby at 7am, and basically trained until dinner time. After dinner there was always a planned activity – bowling, movies, etc. Then the late night activity was going to a redneck bar in walking distance from the hotel.

I was proud that I still (somehow) squeezed training in. I would slip out a little early from the redneck bar and hit the gym. It was hard leaving the fun and tough working out past 11pm, but I’m glad I did it… and I think that it may have even impressed a couple of the higher-ups!

One thing I was SO excited to share was this video. This is how we kicked off training.

If you aren’t pumped up after listening to that cutie-pa-tootie deliver that speech, you’re crazy.

Overall, the best part about training was hands down the people. I feel like I left with potential life-long friends… I’m already planning a few roadtrips to see some of them.

So why I’m not completely alive… on the way back home on the airplane, I started feeling not 100%… not bad… but something was “off.” I knew for sure that something was up when I didn’t eat all of my sushi that night. Then I began coughing. Early Saturday I ran my 15 miler after I loaded up on ever over the counter cough suppressant known to mankind. It was after I awoke from my post-run nap that I felt like I was hit by a truck. I basically have every symptom less vomiting. I went to the Drs today and got some ‘scripts. I wish I could yell at my immune system.

Has anybody had any luck with daily vitamins that focus on a strong immune system? I’ve taken some before… but I can’t really say I noticed a difference.

Sur La Table “Dim Sum” Class Review

For Christmas I had bought my dad a cooking class at Sur La Table and yesterday we both went to it! The theme was Dim Sum. Our menu included:

Overall, class was great. There were 5 other people (not including my dad and I) in the class plus one instructor and couple of assistants. The instructor kicked things off by educating us on Dim Sum. Then she went through all the instructions of the recipes. After that we were put to work! All of the measuring and prep work was done for us in advance. It was nice not having to go through the more tedious steps of cooking.

The whole class had a blast. I really enjoyed the shrimp and the spring rolls. I didn’t like the sticky rice because it had this gnarly tasting Chinese sausage which tasted like a harder-to-chew hot dog. But I definitely plan on making the baked coconut shrimp! I LOVE finding recipes that are feasible for me to make.

That was my second class at Sur La Tab and I (again) thought they did a great job at orchestrating it. It was a little longer than I expected (this one was 3 hours), but we had plenty to do, so time flew! And one of the best parts – we didn’t have to clean up!

My new wings

My new running sneakers came in today!

Aren’t they awesome!? I had saved some money up to purchase them and then my incredibly generous parents ended up surprising me by paying for them. Thank you, Mom and Dad! I seriously have the best parents.

Today I went for my first run in almost two weeks (minor foot injury and was sick) with Emily C. We ran for 5.5 miles. My legs still felt pretty good, but I can tell I’m a little less in shape than I was 2 weeks ago. But I’ll bounce back quickly! Although it wasn’t even close to being my best run, it felt great to be back on my feet again- and in real running shoes! Running sneakers make a difference.

Tonights noms were devoured at an impromptu Panera date. Along with a cup of tomato soup, I enjoyed my usual – Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. If you haven’t had that salad before – you MUST! The end of the meal included parts of a mint crinkle cookie and toffee nut cookie. Calories, schmalories!

Ahhhhh and now time to relax! If you need me, find me lounging downstairs on the couch with a certain pug on my lap.

Gingery Peanut Noodles With Chicken

I might not be a great cook… but I am pretty darn good at finding delicious recipes!

I came across this amaaaazing looking recipe on Pinterest.

It came from RealSimple.com. Here’s a screen shot of the recipe.

Chris and I LOVED it. Here is a picture of what our version looked like.

We can’t wait to make it again. The only thing we did differently was that we cut our veggies smaller just for easier eating. When we make it next, we’ll probably add an entire cucumber to it. Yum, yum, yum!

I Survived the Jcrew Warehouse Sale 2012

This tale might be slightly exaggerated.

I heard about the Jcrew Warehouse sale last week on RichmondBargains.com. I knew it would be madness. And when one of my BFF’s/running partner, Emily C asked me if I wanted to go… I knew I’d be a part of said madness.

We took off in Emily’s batmobile Honda and approached the building with caution. We stepped out of the vehicle wearing our uniform of thin clothes and slip-off shoes to be able to discreetly try clothes on… since you’re not supposed to (um, lame rule!). We did some push ups to warm our arms up knowing that we’d be digging through mountains of clothing. Once we were adequately warmed up, we stepped through the doors like we were explorers about to claim their new land.

Only… the “land” that we were about to “claim” was already claimed by about 150 women raging through the hundreds of boxes of loot like a bunch of barbaric lunatics. We knew we’d fit right in.

We were each handed a plastic bag that could easily hold a few miniature horses as well as a printed out price chart. Then we began digging. There were rows and rows of boxes on top of plastic rectangular tables jammed with apparel.

It was messy. Nothing organized. Everything thrown. Everywhere. But… we managed to find a few GREAT gems to put in our oversized swag-bag.

For a teensy bit over $50, I bought:

This work dress. ($20)

This sleeveless blouse. (Still trying to figure out a way to cinch it in a bit more since it’s a litte loose). Love the color. ($8)

This sleeveless denim extra long shirt. All it needed was a thick belt and skinny jeans. Viola! ($15)

This bikini. OMG I can’t believe I did a kini pic and posted it… it was kind of scary, haha. Anyways. I think this color will look really great when I have a tan. The bottoms are a little big/thicker banded than what I normally get, but still oober cute. ($3/piece)

All while this insanity occurred… the men’s area had about 6 guys sorting quietly and peacefully. In fact, I witnessed stacks of clothing in their section that were still folded.

We claimed. We dug. We plundered.

This and That Thursday!

So I have a bunch of updates for you, so please pardon the randomness of this post!

First up – RUNNING! Last Friday I ran 12 miles (longest run yet) by myself! My time was 2 hours and 12 minutes. I felt great about the accomplishment! However, Saturday I noticed the top of my left foot was not feeling too hot (the ligament that bends my big toe). Then Saturday I had to work 10 hours on the busiest night of the year at the steakhouse – was on my feet hustling the entire time. Sunday I also had to work, luckily, it was a slow night and less running around was required. Finally Monday I could rest my foot! The discomfort went down considerably. Although my foot is not in “pain,” I can tell that there is still some discomfort going on with my foot. So this week I’m crossing training!

I went to the gym yesterday for the first time in several weeks (I run outside). It was SO BORING! I never thought I’d prefer running outside in all types of weather over the comfort of the gym! Anyways, I tried out the elliptical and the bike to see what worked best for my foot. I found the bike was more comfortable (this surprised me because pre-running-Dana ONLY did the elliptical) and it felt more like running to me. It was a very light workout. My foot doesn’t feel any worse or any better from cross training. So I’m taking that as a green light for biking my miles in this week. I am hoping to be able to run next week…

The other curveball to my training – I’ve been under the weather since Tuesday. Yuck! My energy level has been quite low and I’ve been coughing and such. But I’m fighting back with devouring Ricolas all day, having the humidifier going, and Colby by my side for moral support.

I also fell short of eating healthy last night when I chose one of my favorite foods for dinner…

My darling boyfriend prepared my spaghettios just the way I like them. Still in the can, unheated. Delicious! Don’t judge.

On a completely different note (hey, I warned you this was going to be a random post!)… my friend Zeneda sent me this recipe because she knows I love trying out quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) recipes. I hadn’t had much luck with finding a quinoa recipe that I liked that was sweeter in taste/included fruit… but since it had been a while since I had tried a new one, so I decided to give it a shot! I ended up changing a few of the ingredients…

Here’s what I used (measurements stayed the same, unless specified on here):
Almond milk (instead of regular milk)
OJ (instead of apple juice)
NO raisons
Small handfull Craisins
One single serving container of fage (instead of yogurt)
10 Finely chopped almonds
Quinoa
A dash or two Cinnamon
3/4 slices of Frozen Peaches that I thawed out in the microwave
Sprinkling of Blueberry flaxseed (it was in the pantry)

Boil the milk and OJ. Cook the quinoa in it. Add the cinnamin. Add the craisins to plump them up for a few. Stack quinoa first, then fage, then peaches, then almond/flax crumbles. As you can see.. I’m a very technical chef. Side note -I sure wish there was a font for sarcasm!

When I was finished making it – it looked like a fancy schmancy parfait!

It tasted… well.. ok… ish. I guess the grainy nature of the quinoa in conjunction with the sweetness of the peaches tasted a little odd. Overall, I think I just prefer quinoa to be served with veggies and meat.

If I were to try this kind of recipe again… I’d proportion it differently so that it was 50% fruit (next time I’d try blueberries since they have such a strong flavor), 30% quinoa, 20% yogurt (I’d go with vanilla yogurt to add some sweetness)… But at least it looked good!

I just finished reading The Kite Runner – I can’t wait to do a review!

Happy Thursday! My question to you – Have any of you ever dealt with a setback during training for a race? If so, what did you do to cross train? And how did you bounce back?

A healthy spin

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my new years resolutions is to eat healthier between now and the marathon (March 18). So far I’ve been doing ok… I’ve managed to not drink any of the diet pepsi in the fridge, refrained from buying Gushers at the store all while still enjoying a little bit of junk food in carrrreful moderation.

In addition to researching yummy looking healthy recipes, I’ve also been trying to think of ways to make some of my go-to recipes more healthy. Today I found a great one! Chris and I eat these tacos all the time. They are so good… so good, that I literally can’t control myself and end up devouring 5 tacos instead of a satisfying 3.

The healthy spin-off version of this recipe ended up being…

drum roll please

Ah ha!!!
To put the taco filling in a red pepper!

Chris really enjoys cooking and does 90% of the cooking when we are together… which is fine with me! He put the hollowed out pepper in the oven with the black beans at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes (just long enough to soften the pepper a tiny bit).

It was delicious! But was it as amazing as the original fried tortilla version? Not quite. But I also didn’t have to wear loose sweatpants to be comfortable while eating the healthy version. Next time we Chris makes these I’ll probably request two (but would have probably finished 1.5 and ate the last .5 for a snack later).

Have any of you re-created any go-to recipes to make them healthier?

Mmm Mmm Good

As most of you know, I am obsessed with food. I’m a self-declared “foodie” or “food enthusiast.” Whatever phrase or word that means I’m passionate about great tasting food – that’s ME. I like eating it. Looking at it. Smelling it. Reading recipes. Experiencing it.

Now. If only I could cook.

About a year ago I actually thought about going to culinary school… but I realized that as much as I enjoy the many different facets of food, the actual act of cooking didn’t entice me quite so much. But through that decision making process I learned that I am passionate about trying new foods and sharing great food-finds with others.

With that said, Chris (the bf) and I ate at one of my favorite restaurants a few blocks away from my house in Carytown – Ginger Thai. I’ve eaten there several times and I’ve always been thrilled with the food and friendly service.

I ordered my favorite – Thai Cashew with Tofu (Mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers and cashew nuts in a brown sauce). The vegetables are so fresh and the brown sauce is heavenly! The cashews provided a nice texture and an additional flavor. The tofu acts as a sponge sucking up all of the yummy flavors. And I’m a pretty big wimp when it comes to spiciness, so I ordered mine “mild,” and it was perfect.

Here’s a picture of what I devoured!

What isn’t pictured – the order of steamed dumpings Chris and I inhaled as an appetizer. It comes with this thick sweet brown dipping sauce. The sauce was so good I ordered more of just the sauce just to coat the cantaloupe sized ball of rice that I consumed.

Happy 2012!

I’m very excited about this year! Here are some of my goals and plans:

*Run my first marathon (and do so without injuries during training or the race itself).
*Eat healthy Jan 1 through my marathon (except: Vday and my Bday of course)… this means less dessert, less late night snacking… and :::gasp::: less wine. Le sigh.
*Start a GREAT job. (Not to be confused with a “good job.”)
*Paint more.
*Learn to draw/paint faces.
*Continue this blog and maybe find a clearer direction to take it in.
*Start a book club.
*Take gun shooting lessons.

There’s something really satisfying about writing down your goals and then crossing them off as you achieve them. I’m so pumped for what 2012 may bring! I’m feeling a wave of positivity already! I wish everyone a safe and fun New Years Celebration!

A Few Highlights Off My Loot List

Like every year, I made out like a bandit this Christmas!

One of my favorite gifts was JetBlue money from my parents – I LOVE taking adventures and I LOVE JetBlue (I mean, they offer endless cups of Dunkin Donuts coffee!!!).

I got this North Face jacket that is 800 Down… it is SO comfy and warm! I love that the sleeves are long enough for my gangly arms! Another thing that is awesome about this jacket is that it is SO LIGHT. I can’t stand feeling smothered and constricted – the lightness and great fit of this jacket makes it feel like you’re hardly wearing a jacket it at all!

This next gift I was a tiny bit skeptical about since skincare products are often all hype. But I’ve always been big on taking care of my skin and since I’ve been left a little disappointed in the results of my past few regiments, I decided that the gift of the “Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System,” was worth a shot (my mom had kindly offered to take it back if it wasn’t something I was wanting to use).

I’ve used this product twice now and I can already feel and see a HUGE improvement on the smoothness of my skin. Before using Mia, my skin wasn’t bad, but the texture was not as smooth and soft as I wanted it to be. But now I’m totally hooked and so thankful that I got this gift! It’s gentle enough for my insanely sensitive skin to use once or twice a day. Mia REALLY cleans your skin and gets the grime/makeup that inevitably builds on your face during the day which consequently allows your other beloved skincare products to work the way they should. LOVE!

Also, check out the Smashbox Photo Op Palette my Aunt Jill got me! This is PERFECT for traveling since it has a huge variety and it folds up! Can’t wait to use so many of these!

Needless to say, I’m very grateful and thankful for the generosity of my friends and family. Whether they gave me a great gift or simply wished me a nice holiday, they certainly made this Christmas merry.