Aloha + Apologies

It happened again. I stopped blogging for awhile. And by "awhile," I mean "over two months."

I'm so sorry! A LOT has been happening. Hear me out, then we can discuss my penance.

Since we last talked, Scott came home from his summer away at school and we spent a month hanging out. Then we packed him up and shipped him out to Hawaii.

Gunner and I then packed out of the apartment, said goodbye to our friends, and stayed with my parents for two weeks. Then WE flew to Hawaii.

The flight was long but uneventful. And Gunner came through it no worse for wear. 

Side note: I will say that seeing my tanned-thin husband walking toward me at the baggage claim definitely made me a little weak at the knees. While I was in Virginia stress-eating, he was swimming and surfing. Yowza. It was all I could do not to cry as I waddled over to him and gave him a hug.

As far as housing goes, we got L.U.C.K.Y. I spent months researching rentals and houses around Oahu. Looking at neighborhoods and rent. I knew we were going to be paying a lot for a little. I'd also seen that housing on Schofield was hit or miss. If you were offered new housing, it was awesome. If it was old housing, it wasn't. Aside from that, the waiting list for housing usually takes months.

I asked Scott to swing by the housing office on the off-chance that there was something available and there was! We're in a three bedroom duplex with a fenced yard in new housing. It's amazing.

Now if we could just get our fuuuurniture. That would be greeeeat. (Said in the Office Space boss voice.)

This makes almost four weeks of sleeping on an air mattress and sitting on a plastic-covered couch. Needless to say, we're so ready for that shipment! The other morning I saw a truck pull up behind our house with crates and I got so excited thinking our shipment had come. Nope, it was the neighbors packing out.

Anywho, I was thinking this blog could take on more of a day-to-day theme, instead of a fitness theme. I think the name, Girl Meets Mile, still fits. I've definitely met my share of miles traveling out here and I know that every day I meet more and more. Miles of road, miles of beach, miles of people, miles of life, etc. (Too corny?)

Oops + Food Photos

I completely dropped off the blog for a month again. I know it impacts everyone's lives, and that it's not just about me. And I apologize.

Ha! Kidding, I know this is relatively unimportant in the general scheme of most people's lives. :)

So...updates. Scott is home, so the eating has commenced. I've managed to still go to at least a few of my spin/gym classes, but it's a lot harder to keep on track when you come home to pumpkin beer and dinner every night. ;)

Side note: spin has been a lot harder to get into lately. The classes book up crazy early, and we all know I won't get out of bed unless my name is on a list somewhere.

I called yesterday at like 3 p.m. to sign up for this morning's class. When I got to the gym, I saw that I had just barely made the cut for class! My name was like..three from the bottom. Sheesh.

Regardless, it was an awesome class. Alyssa was all pumped up from her weekend of excess (she told us she did shots last night...I have NO idea how she was functioning) and made us all work harder. I think I burnt close to 600 calories in the 45 minute class.

Also, Mandy and I wore the same workout top, so that was awesome as well.

I'm actually going to try to go to Nancy's class on Wednesday...I hope I can last the whole time without back-talking.


And now, here's a few photos of the food we've been shoving down our gullets lately:

Pesto, salami and arugula pizza.

Our new popper recipe.

Pumpkin beer and puppy snuggles.

We're big cheese plate people.

First pepperoni bread of the season!

Nothing Weekend + My Fitness Pal

Ah, the weekend. It's so funny how life changes. When you're young and you have an uneventful weekend, you're all "ugh, we didn't do ANYTHING this weekend."

When you're almost 30 and you have an uneventful weekend it's "I didn't do ANYTHING!"

Here's a better picture of the bed!

That's sort of how my weekend went! It's the first weekend since Scott's been gone that I haven't booked myself solid. I went to two spin classes, took Gunner to the dog park, picked up a STEAL at the thrift store, went grocery shopping, made our parent wedding albums, vacuumed out the car and had lunches and dinners with some long lost lady friends! I had a bit of a depression slump Sunday where I watched Disney movies and cried on the phone to the hubs (he took it like a champ), but otherwise it was so nice to be able to watch Law & Order and Sex and the City marathons and sit around in my PJs.

I did make one big change this weekend. Usually, I try to track my activity and food via Weight Watchers. I calculate points for food and exercise and generally try not to live like a jackass. Sometimes I track, sometimes I don't. I'm generally unenthusiastic about it. Apparently you have to actively participate in tracking to lose any weight. I know...who knew?

Here's the whole headboard!

On Friday my friend Aimee came over for dinner. (Stick with me. I know it's a random segue, but I do have a point.) And when I saw her my jaw dropped. She's melting away before my eyes! Every time I see her she's lost more weight. I finally asked her what she had been doing this weekend and she told me she just tracks her calories.

She said it so nonchalantly like she was commenting on the weather. Like, "Oh, it's raining."

So of COURSE I pelted her with questions. What app? How do you do it? Is it hard? How much does it cost?

Aimee told me she uses My Fitness Pal (MFP), a free app. She tracks what she eats, and her activity, and it calculates her daily allowance, etc.

I decided to give it a try. Saturday I downloaded MFP and started tracking calories. I added in what I ate, and calculated the calories I burned at spin (which was a LOT).

Thrift store find. I scored it for $12, marked down from
$36. This crate is usually upwards of $200. We need
it for Gunner's flight to Hawaii. I'm already giving him
treats when he goes in it to get him acclimated.

And it was so fun! For some reason, tracking calories just makes more sense to my brain than tracking points does. Usually I have to check labels for carbs, fiber, protein, etc. But calories is so much more simple. One number. Entered in. Boom.

Also, I've always been suspicious of how much WW penalizes you for certain things. Like alcohol. Or cereal. A 60 calorie beer is roughly the same amount as a regular beer. It's cray. And a non-fat bowl of cereal is as much as some higher-fat breakfasts. 

I canceled my WW account and am now using MFP. I put myself on a faster track, so I'm allotted 1,200 calories a day - and then whatever I burn when working out gets added to that number. It definitely inspires me to get my rear to the gym so I can earn some cals. :)

Also, as a side note, it's official: I'm obsessed with spin. I went to class Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday was a 30 minute ride, Saturday was 60 (which is insanity) and Sunday was 45. I tried to go this morning, but I was too late with the call-in and the class was already full. Boo!

Here's hoping I can get into kickboxing this evening!

Spin + Tacos + Bed

Happy Friday!

My spin instructor, Alyssa, read my blog posts and then friended me on Facebook to tell me how much she liked them! It's not a big deal (it's a big deal) and I'm not getting too excited (I'm so excited). It's not like I'm famous or anything (yes I am) and I'll try to stay humble (I'm awesome).

Black Bean Tacos. I used this recipe. I've made them
twice in two weeks. They're that good. Yum.

Today was the first day back in the saddle in a week. As most of you know, Gunner and I headed down to South Carolina to visit daddy over the weekend, and I came back Monday feeling sick. I took Tuesday off to recover and was sluggish on Wednesday. Yesterday I was...just being lazy. It happens. The key is to forgive yourself. ;)

Side note: last night I made these black bean tacos you see pictured to the right. It's black beans, spices and onion. Then you essentially make your own taco shells in a cast iron skillet. It's amazing.

SO! Spin this morning was hard, as to be expected. Mandy and I kept looking at each other like, "what is happening?!"

We did a lot of hovers today. A hover is when you push back on your bike and hover your rear directly over the seat without touching while lowering your upper body so you're almost face-planting on the handlebars. You keep peddling at a higher tension. It's like a squat on the bike. They're my favorite!

Here's a fuzzy photo of the headboard on the bed.
It's a tufted headboard in grey linen with nail
head accents on the wings. Lovely.

My hamstrings have been really sore all week from putting together our new bed on Monday night. When I got home from SC, I showered and went directly to the travel office on base to book our flights for Hawaii. What ended up happening was I sat in the chair for three hours before they told me the October travel dates weren't up yet.

I then went home and walked directly into our bedroom, dropped my purse by the bed, kicked off my shoes, climbed in and then slept for three hours. I should have known I was getting a bug.

After my nap I woke up refreshed! And remembered our bed had been delivered on Friday. I went to start putting it together and was shocked by how heavy everything was. I spent the next two hours lifting with my legs.

And for any wives out there who have put together heavy furniture while their husbands are away: you're awesome.

Today, I'll leave you with my favorite Alyssa quote from this morning:

"Smile! It burns more calories! Or...wait, are you gritting your teeth?"

Alien Frittata Scramble

I don't usually post food recipes, it's mostly the Instagram photos of what I'm eating. You can feel free to follow my feed, it's just photos of food and the dog. No really, just food and the dog. If you want photos of babies or interesting photo angles...look elsewhere. Food and dogs. Got it? Let's move on.

What were we talking about? Oh! I don't usually post recipes. But I'm going to do one today!

So a little background on this: I'm heading out for the weekend and there are leftovers in the fridge.

Last night, as part of dinner, I used fresh corn, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and cumin to make a tex-mex salad. This morning, I wanted to use it up so I did what you do when you have veggies you need to use.

I made a fritatta.

Or, well, I tried to make one. It ended up being a scramble. A damn good one.

Alien Frittata Scramble

2 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup leftover veggies
1 oz. reduced fat cheddar (shredded or sliced really thin)
Pam (the spray, not your co-worker)

Spray a small  pan with non-stick spray. Add veggies, and saute until warm, about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, crack two eggs in a bowl. Add milk. Whisk.

After the veggies are cooked, add the egg mixture.

If you can keep it as a frittata, then let the egg cook and don't stir. If you're like me and don't like brown eggs, stir it.

Once the eggs have cooked, add cheese and let it melt.

And boom! Egg scramble that looks like an alien landscape.

New Friends + The 80s

My husband will tell you that I love making new friends. I like meeting new people. If I sell you something on Craig's List and we get along, I'll text you and say, "Let's hang out." If I meet you at a friend's bachelorette party, if you're sitting in front of me at a Nat's game, if your husband is friends with my husband...you get the idea.

Which is why it's no surprise I'm making friends at my spin classes! This morning it was Mandy. We bonded over how much of a bummer it is when someone takes your "usual" bike. Spin class is a lot like the family dinner table. Everyone has their unofficial assigned seat. You don't switch, you just don't. But then one night your parents have dinner guests...and you lose your seat. Today it was this older guy who isn't usually in class. Oh well, pay it forward mister.

Anywho, Mandy and I chatted over our mutual dislike for Nancy and our love for our usual bikes. And then, at the end of class, she brought me a wipe for my bike. It was sweet. I said "have a good day" in the parking lot after class. She asked my name. I asked hers. And we're gonna live happily ever after!

Super stoked about my new spin buddy!

Today was class with Alyssa, my favorite, and it was an 80s dance party. Since I'm working from home today, I was able to stay for the full class! Those last few songs were a beast. It's almost the weekend, and boy did she made us work for it.

And now, an early release workday and then Gunner and I are off to see the Wizard! Well, we're off to see Scott, but you get the idea. :)

The Nancy

When I was younger, my three brothers and I spent our summers entertaining ourselves. Summer mornings my mom would say, "inside or out?" and we would pick if we wanted to play inside or outside. (Running in and out of the house wasn't allowed!). Most of the time, we played outside, making tree forts or riding our bikes. But sometimes we played inside.

One of the inside-games was called "the floor is lava." It's what you would think: you can't touch the floor because it's a bubbling pool of molten volcano lava. We would all climb on a couch or other piece of furniture and pretend that if we touched the floor we would burn to death. It was a blast.

Little did I know this childhood game would prepare me for spin class with Nancy in my adult life. There's no couch, there's a stationary bike. And there's no carpet, there's the handle bars of the bike.

This morning's smoothie! Plain, nonfat
greek yogurt, blueberries, a banana,
some milk, vanilla, and Truvia. It broke
the blender but it was delicious!

And you're not allowed to touch them. The handles must be lava. Nancy doesn't like when you touch them, unless it's a finger for balance. I get that you're not supposed to lean on them so you can work your core, but a fingertip doesn't provide much balance.

I'm not sure if I've ever introduced you all to Nancy. We've talked about Alyssa and how I adore her. Her classes are always packed (I've actually wasn't able to get into one b/c it was at capacity), her music is loud and her "woo"s are cheery.

If Alyssa is the Disney princess, Nancy is the villain. Think Ursula, Maleficent, or the queen with the mirror.

She's small in stature, but packed with muscle. And she wields class like a drill sergeant. She will mock your form, harp on you for resting, and is generally a bugger.

I called early to reserve a seat in Nancy's class and was put on the list. When I stopped by the front desk to get my pass, which usually says a number around 12, I was handed pass #1.

"Am I the only one?"

"No, there are three people signed up. But there will probably be walk-ins."

"No there won't. It's Nancy."

Don't get me wrong, I've taken a spin class with Nancy before. I knew what I was getting into. I just didn't know I'd be one of three people getting into it.


I tried my best to do exactly what Nancy was asking. I didn't touch the handlebars, except for a finger. I kept my back straight, I tried to do the impossible "triple time" while standing. (I'm convinced "triple time" is the Sasquatch of spin. People know a person who knows a person who's done it.)

Overall it was a good class. I left sweating with no water left in my bottle. But I think maybe I'll just stick with Monday and Friday spin with Alyssa. I went to spin on Monday, I just forgot to blog about it. My bad!

Squats + Pregatron

What the weather? I think Mother Nature had a few too many margaritas last night and messed with the thermostat. It was cooold outside this morning at 5:15 a.m. Goosebump cold. Glad-I'm-not-wearing-a-tank-top cold.

Many of you know that Thursday is Body Pump (BP) day. This morning I decided to get to the gym early so I could run before class. I haven't done cardio this week. I know, I know, bad Stephanie.

Dinner last night. Zucchini-noodle spinach lasagna. Yum.

I had time for one mile -- which worked out b/c I didn't want to run much further than that. Ran the mile, then walked upstairs for class.

I know we've talked about the fact that the usual BP lady left sometime while we were in Jamaica. Without even telling me. I know! Rude. I digress. What we haven't talked about is the new Thursday morning lady.

She's no woo girl. She's pleasant enough, and does a good job of keeping up with class, but there's no "woo." That may be due to the fact that she's apparently super pregnant. She said she would probably stop working in October. And that last time she was teaching classes until two weeks before she gave birth but that it was OK because "the birth wasn't that hard."

Two things struck me. One, this chick is like...six months along. Two, she's a BAMF. Enough said.

So Pregatron (That's my new favorite word for pregnant ladies. Like Megatron but...with child.) led us through the new release. A new release happens every six weeks or so, where they change up the routines so people don't get bored. If you ask me, they get gradually harder.

Since Scott has been away, I've been turning down the
covers for Gunner early in the evening. Once he puts
himself to bed, I come in and tuck him in. We're what
you would call "co-dependent."

This new release includes 6:30 of weighted squats. You heard me right. It's five minutes, plus another minute, plus another 30 seconds. Do you know what it feels like to do squats with a bar on your shoulders for the better part of ten minutes? Because I do. And I'd rather I didn't. I was sweating on the floor and seriously considering the possibility that I might pass out when we finally stopped.

Pregasaurus didn't miss a beat. Rawr.

The rest of class didn't get any better. My triceps are still numb from all of the dips we did. Yowsa.

After class, my arms and legs were useless limbs. So much so that getting my soaked sports bra up over my head was a cause for concern this morning. The first few attempts were like waves gently lapping against a shore. Lots of repetition, but not a lot happening. My arms weren't really doing anything.

I started to panic a little and was mentally going through my options to get out of said sports bra. I'd settled on "I'll just shower with it on" when I was finally able to summon superhuman strength to get it off. I know sports bras are tight for a reason, but maybe I'll just start wearing tanks to BP. There's not really much jumping around, so I could sacrifice support during class for ease-of-removal after class.

And now that you know this, you can't unknow it. Happy Thursday.

Farming + "Woo" Girls

As many of you know, I grew up in a place called "Nokesville." The name pretty much says it all. Think cow fields, corn stalks and farm land. We drove on unlined back roads to a high school that was surrounded by livestock. Get the picture?

Because of this, I know more about farming than the average 20-something.

One of the things I know about is crop rotation. The basic premise is this: farmers will plant a certain crop in a field one year, then they will rotate another crop into that field the next year. The idea here is that different crops take different nutrients from the soil, so rotating what is planted extends the fertility time for that area.

Every few years, farmers will let their fields return to nature so they can "restock" the nutrition of the soil. You essentially don't plant anything or do any work on the field, you just let it be. It's called letting your field "fallow."

And this is exactly what I've done with my body since the wedding. I've let it fallow.  

Don't be fooled. Those bigger plates are only
5 pounds each. They just look impressive.

As with any field that's been returned to nature, it takes some hard work to get it back into shape. I got started this week.

Three spin classes and a Body Pump (BP) class later, I'm having trouble walking, my back is killing me, and I have never been more hydrated. I also have more energy and my clothes are starting to get to a place where we could possibly say they're starting to "fit" again.

Yesterday was my first day back to BP since I went into the gym in early June and found my usual early class cancelled. Knowing my muscles were mush, I used super light weights and took it a little easy. But my legs are still on fire.

This morning I took my third spin class this week, and Alyssa -- my peppy instructor -- had us do weights on the bike. Seeing as to how I'm already so sore, I had no problem picking up 3-pound hand weights and carrying them to my bike like a boss.

The great thing about Alyssa is that class is fun. Like really fun. Like party-on-your-bike fun. She has great music and tells us little anecdotes about her life. It's a blast, and I laugh almost every class. I call her a "woo" girl, because that's what Alyssa says about 20 times a class -- and because I'm a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother. Today, I wrote down a few quotes after class because I wanted to start remembering them to share with you all:

Alyssa: You know, "woo" is pretty much the right response in any situation.

 And another one...

Spinner at a random point in the class: "WOO!"
Alyssa: That's what I was thinking!

Oblivion

Sometimes I amaze myself with my ability to be oblivious to things around me. I don't notice things like road signs (Lane Ending is a big one) or walk signals (I'll stand there for at least two circuits of the walk/stop cycle) and I will leave the house with my fly down on any given day. Oblivion is my specialty. My dad calls it "la la" land. Whatever you call it, it's classic Stephanie.

This week's "oh" moment was when I started going back to the gym. Monday morning I grumbled my way out of the apartment and into the gym, only to be stopped by the manager saying I needed a "Cycle Pass" for that morning's spin class, and oh did I call to make a reservation?

Huh?

So I followed him to the front desk, signed my name, and was given a plastic-covered pass. As I rolled my eyes at this new Fitness First policy, I took a picture of the pass to share on the blog. I even started mentally writing what I would say about this silly new policy at my gym.

See that logo there? Yep.

Spin class was great. Alyssa was the instructor and she's your classic "woo" girl. Bright, peppy, and full of sunshine at 6 a.m. Which she manages to pull off in an adorable, non-annoying way. You're just so happy that she's so happy.

Then Wednesday morning rolled around. I woke up at 5:30, opened my Fitness First app, clicked the "Reserve a Bike" button and reserved my seat like a good girl. I came into the gym and the manager handed me my pass. I went to class, sweat everything, and went back to the front desk where I had this conversation:

Me: "Did I do my reservation correctly?"
Manager: "No, I just knew you were here for spin."
Me: "Oh, I reserved it through the gym app. Does that not work?"
Manager: "The Gold's Gym app?"
Me: "...what? This is Fitness First."
Manager: "Not anymore."
Me: "Did the sign outside change?"
Manager: "No, but all these did."

I looked around. The signs all said "Gold's Gym" -- and not small desk-top signs, HUGE person-sized signs. In bright yellow. Everywhere. That I had been walking by all week. Then the manager pointed to the pass in my hand, which I had taken a photo of on Monday, and even it said Gold's Gym on it.

For a full 45 seconds I was convinced that I had somehow gone to the wrong gym. Nevermind the fact that my gym is across the street from our apartment and I had walked there so the likelihood that I had somehow wandered into another gym was slim. It was like the Twilight Zone. How did the gyms get switched while I was working out??

After almost a full minute of standing in shock, the manager took pity on me and explained that Gold's Gym had taken over Fitness First.

So my gym is now a Gold's Gym. And at Gold's you have to reserve classes within an hour of the class. And the Fitness First app doesn't work b/c that gym isn't there anymore. And I need to pay more attention in life.

No write.

I so totally and completely don't feel like writing today. I went to spin this morning, and then walked for 45 minutes over lunch. I'm pretty sure all of the blood has been drained from my brain. Stephanie no want to write.

Even though I have tons of anecdotes to share from this morning.

Another time, perhaps.

Big News!

No, I'm not pregnant. Although that's the first thing people think when I say, "I have big news!" I guess that's one of the hidden gems of being married.

As many of you know, Scott and I have been anxiously waiting to hear where we will be stationed when Scott returns from school in September. I now have an answer.

The envelope, please.

Gunner already has his bags packed and his
Hawaiian shirt on!

And the award goes to...HAWAII! Yep, you read that correctly. We're getting stationed in paradise. On O'ahu to be exact. It's half exciting, half terrifying. I'm ready for the adventure, but sad to leave my family and friends behind. Also, my job. I love my job and I have this nagging fear that I'll be working at the island Target or something. Not that it's not a great job. I just love my social media/Web/Design/Communications mash I've got going on right now.

So, Scott got all signed out of Ft. Myer and left for South Carolina yesterday. Which, by the way, is unexpectedly crippling. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I was laying on my couch wallowing for my self-allotted 12-hour pity party yesterday. Two months is a lot, that's all I'm saying.

And now, since this is a fitness blog, let's chat about my workouts.

.....

Hear that? That's the sound of no workouts. What can I say? I've been spending every free moment with the hubs.

But now that he's gone, I've got to start getting Hawaii-ready. Because, you know, I'll be in a bathing suit 365 days a year for the next few years. Bazinga!

Three Miles: Mine!

Welp folks, I did it. I'm back up to three miles. It's three miles of pain and whining, but it's three miles. We judge by distance, not by amount of tears needed to accomplish it.

Friday Co-worker-Emily and I hit the trail for three miles. Mostly because we had noodle bowls for lunch and knew we wouldn't be able to look ourselves in the faces if we didn't get a decent run in. So I ran while Emily talked - which I've discovered is the PERFECT combination for me. This way, I can focus on breathing while the other person is forced to talk while breathing heavily - thus slowing down their pace and making things generally easier for me.

It's simple math.

So we did three miles and felt like crap. Yesterday we did two miles - mostly b/c I couldn't do much more. Because I ate ALL OF THE THINGS this weekend. Seriously. Everything. You name it, it went down my gullet. Is that ice cream? Done. Tater tots? History. Jaleo tapas? Destroyed.

Everything. I should have been put in nutrition jail.

But all good things must come to an end. Here I am, at my desk drinking water and munching lettuce. Yum.

In other news, brother dear saw the post meant for him last week. You know, the one in response to him telling me the blog wasn't exciting enough?

His response:

"Just saw the updated blog, NICE WORK! That piece with fireworks and danger, what a classic. Now, that, I will keep coming back for."

Good Hair Day

Run: 2 miles
Time: ?
Mood: Sticky

With humidity hovering around 80 percent, my coworker Emily and I decided to hit the trail. And boy was it heavy out. It was one of those afternoons where you can see the air -- visibly oppressive.

We ran a mile out, then did the better part of a half-mile back. Then it was a walk-run combo for the last half mile because one of us was having shin pain (me) and needed to walk.

But on the UP side, my hairdo held throughout the entire run. I told Emily it would, and it did.

Yesterday morning I got up late -- something we've been doing lately since Scott doesn't have to be to work at 0530 anymore -- and I just brushed my hair back and pinned each side behind my ears. It reminded me of Peggy's hair in Mad Men. And it just stayed like that all day.

Even after two miles on the trail in the heat. Why is she talking about her hair? Because it's my blog. And I'll talk about my hair if I want to.

This took like 20 takes to capture me not looking like
a drowned, sweaty rat. Smile!

And notice the bright blue sportsbra under a neon yellow running tank. I don't want to just want to be seen on the trail, I want to be SEEN on the trail.

First Summer Run!

Run: 2 miles
Time: 26?
Mood: Schweaty

Tired face = duck face.

I know, I know, I know. It's a 13 split. And it's awful. And I couldn't believe we had gone that slowly, but we totally did. It was hot, we were dehydrated, and I had eaten buffalo wings. Not exactly the best formula to be belting out stellar splits.

But hey, we ran.

I went running with my coworker on the trail after work. And we were going to stop a little after a mile, but I said I'd be embarassed to blog about anything less than a mile and a half, so we ran to 1.5, then kept going to 2.

It was hot (did I mention that?), my calves were so tight (probably b/c we were shuffling) and my sides hurt - leave me alone. But two miles is two miles. I'll take it!

Then I came home and hubs and I ate dinner on the porch, which was lovely. Coconut chicken, a beggar's portion of tortellini and green beans. Nom.

For David

My brother says my blog hasn't been exciting enough lately.

So...some fireworks!

Shazam! Kaprow! Excitement! Maybe a little bit of danger! Bazing! Don't stand too close! Pow!

Sunday + Kenpo

Happy Sunday!

It was a productive weekend in the McTait household. (No, I'm not sure how long I'm going to keep using that name mash.) We spent most of yesterday at my parents' house and then spent today around our house.

This morning Scott went for a run in D.C. and Gunner and I ran a mile or so around the complex. Then I did a P90X Kenpo workout and worked up an amazing sweat while Gunner lounged inconveniently at my feet.

The only downside is that I think this Kenpo workout kills my back. This is the second time in a row my back has been cricked after doing this workout.

The good news is we went to a registry-completion-event tonight at Bed, Bath and Beyond and got a heating pad. Both Scott and I have taken turns with it tonight. We may or may not be getting old. ;)

ALSO we got nine wedding thank-you cards written today. It's a start!

Let's have a great week, people.

What a Wedding!

One of many AWESOME wedding
photos. See more here.

Well, well, well. We meet again. Yes, it's been awhile. The month leading up to the wedding was insanity. But we made it through!

I've got my marriage license, my M.A. degree, and a fancy little writing award to boot. All in all, it was a pretty successful month.

It was a hellish one as well. My mom was diagnosed with cancer, my uncle Jim passed away, and my parents' dog passed away. It was pretty rough on my parents, but my mom starts chemo next week and we're all keeping positive vibes a comin'.

The wedding was awesome. We got married, we danced, we smashed cake in each other's faces. It was bliss.

But since this is a blog about staying active, we should probably chat about that.

Before the wedding I was in a routine of three spin classes and two Body Pump classes a week. I'm so glad I got back into Body Pump (BP), because my whole shoulder area looks awesome in our wedding photos. :) I dropped about 10 pounds.

And then we went on our honeymoon. And then we got back and I was still mentally on our honeymoon. And I gained like 8 pounds back. No matter, it will come back off.

This morning was my first morning back on routine since before the wedding, and I hustled to the gym for the 5:45 a.m. BP class. And as I opened the front door of the building I saw a sign:

"Tuesday 5:45 a.m. Body Pump classes cancelled as of June 1."

I think I gaped at the sign for 30 whole seconds while the guys behind the counter stared at me. It took a minute to sink in.

Apparently the lady who teaches the Tuesday/Thursday morning classes left the gym. So there's only a Thursday morning class now. Boo.

So there I was, at the gym at 5:30 with no class. No headphones. Nothing to keep me busy on any workout machines. I ended up hammering out a mile on the treadmill and then trying to recreate BP in the weight room upstairs. I felt a little silly, but I sweat all over everything so I must have been doing something right.

And then I ruined this awesomeness by bringing Dunkin' Donuts' munchkins in to work this morning.

Don't hate.

Run for Boston.

Whew, it's been a crazy week in both workouts and life.

I've knocked out a Body Pump class and a spin class. And two bombs went off at the mecca of all races: the Boston Marathon.

I know it's not the most horrific tragedy America has ever faced, I know three casualties is nothing compared to the soldiers we're losing overseas, but it hit home hard. We were in the middle of a fundraiser in my office when my co-worker came over and said that two bombs had gone off at the Boston Marathon. I immediately felt sick. I don't have anyone close to me who was running the race, no one close to me even in the city itself, but I still reacted as though I did.

I think it's because runners are all family. And races are our reunions.

I know the emotion you get as you're rounding that last half mile of a race, I know the tears that come as you cross the finish line, I know the chaos in trying to find your loved ones once you cross the finish line. It's amazing and exhausting at the same time. It's "I can't wait to do this again" and "I'm never racing again" wrapped into one. The emotion that comes with racing is what keeps me racing.

And to have such a triumphant moment marred by such senseless violence is sickening. It's heartbreaking. My thoughts were with runners on the course who had most-likely picked a place to meet up with their families at the finish, with those people who were rounding the last mile of their first 26.2 mile journey, those who had just finished and those who were about to finish, those who were cheering others on, and those who were senselessly injured.

I can't imagine the confusion and chaos everyone must have been feeling. It made me angry and it made me cry.

But how do we combat this? My advice to my fellow runners is: don't get angry, get sweaty. Hit the pavement and go run. Run it out. Run it down. Run it over.

There is an article on CNN.com that I think sums it up pretty well:

"I know as sure as I breathe that in all the depressing, bewildering hours since the attacks, that this has been the answer from runners all across our land.


They have strapped on their shoes, stepped outside and in silent tribute they have run. They have run in defiance of those who would presume upon our freedom. They have run in respect for those who died or who were hurt cheering on this silly sport we love. They have run as we've always run, to test the limits of human possibility; not to defeat others, but to improve ourselves.

They have run as I will run...for Boston."

I haven't run since Monday. But when I do, I'll run for Boston.

Sunday Funday!

What a gorgeous weekend! We went to the Nat's game on Friday, spent the day running around yesterday, and I went to Body Pump this morning before we went on a wedding errand. Ah, spring!

Like I expected, I was having trouble walking on Friday and Saturday, but I woke up this morning with little to no pain. For today's class, I didn't weight the bar as much for squats, and did lunges just with my body weight. And maxed out my upper body. We're talking shaky, total muscle failure.

Looking forward to the burn tomorrow! Hopefully I can make it to kickboxing tomorrow evening. Or a run if it's ridiculously nice.

Final fitting is next Saturday!

Cherry Blossoms and Body Pump

Light weights, heavy pain.

Happy Friday!

I got too busy yesterday to post, it was insane.

So I got in a run on Wednesday. Emily and I only ran a mile, but then we took a long walk through the Kenwood neighborhood and saw the awesome cherry blossoms there. They say that if you can't get to the Tidal Basin, go to Kenwood. Gorgeous.

Thursday morning I made it to my first Body Pump class in probably a year. I could only stay for 45 minutes, but it was enough. I'm in legitimate pain today. It hurts to walk and stairs are nearly impossible. Elevators, please.

This of course comes on the day when I'm taking public transportation because we're going to the Nats game tonight. Nothing like trying to hobble out of the way as people are trying to get on and off trains.


Mmmm...

I did read an interesting article on Wednesday about how people who work out a lot for weight loss often don't lose weight. If you're not cutting calories, and you're just running, chances are you're not going to drop a lot of weight. The exercise burns calories, but it makes people think that they're "done" for the day. They're often more sedentary and will eat more because they feel that they've "earned it."

Knowing this, I still had a Chipotle bowl for lunch yesterday. I'm not sorry, it was delicious.

But it's interesting to read, because I know we have ALL done that. "I can eat these cookies, I ran this morning."

From Winter into Summer

Run: 2.5 miles
Time: No idea
Mood: Sweet Jesus

My coworker Emily and I did a run after work yesterday. Two miles out, with the attempt to do one mile back to make a three-mile run. We didn't make it that far, but knocked out two and a half miles. I didn't wear a watch or use my Run Keeper app, so I don't know the pace.

We walked another mile and a half back to the starting point.

I will say...it was WARM out. The first two miles had a breeze...but the last half mile was that dead-air-face-sweating thing that happens. We've had like...two 60 degree days. It went from 50 right to 80. No passing go.

Fun observations:

A girl running in a tennis skirt with shorts underneath. Why the skirt? It serves no purpose other than to make us sort of hate you.

Ying-yang twins. One girl with a grey top and black bottoms, another with a black top and grey bottoms. Walking in sync. We wanted to be friends with them but we weren't wearing the right colors.

Bikers. Nothing good to say about them so I shouldn't say anything at all, except that WE CAN HEAR YOU THE FIRST THREE TIMES YOU RING YOUR LITTLE BELL.

Rockin' and Rollin'

Run: 2.5 miles
Time: 30:07
Mood: Excellent!

Did a 2.5 mile run...the splits were all under 12 minute pace. Barely under pace, but under nonetheless! After I finished the 2.5, I walk/ran another half mile to make it three, but I didn't track with my app.

I love running on that trail. I've tried running around my apartment complex, but I don't like it and I won't stick with it. So I'm running after work now...Scott isn't a huge fan, but he understands.

I can't wait for this week to be over...I feel like there are like 8 million fires that need to be put out and that I'm stretching myself WAY too thin. But running helps.

Running!

Whew, it's been a busy week since I last wrote. I've gotten in three runs and a gym workout since then. I'm on an every-other-day schedule.

Last Thursday I ran in the campus gym, and did a mile and a half. Then Saturday two miles on the treadmill in the gym on base. Monday was two miles on the trail after work. This morning was a mile on the treadmill in our apartment complex gym then elliptical and weights. I'm running at a 12-minute pace - the usual. :)

Back up to two miles! I'm aiming for BodyPump in the morning...it's a 5:45 a.m. class so I can make at least 3/4 of it before I have to get ready for work.

More workouts, more salads, less pizza. That's the plan. 44 days until we do this whole wedding thing!

Spring Run!

It's spring! You wouldn't know it with the snow on the ground. Personally, I think Mother Nature got into the cooking sherry and is now too intoxicated to drive. But what do I know.

The combination of moderately warmer weather and the fact that it's staying light out longer resulted in my first trail run of the spring! It was a mile and a half and I couldn't be more proud. Did a sub-12 pace and now my legs are sore today. Not P90X sore, but comfortably sore.

Anywho, I hope to get another run in today. I missed my trail. It's so much easier to run outside than on a treadmill, I think.

Oh and for those of you wondering how the 17-day diet is going? It's not. I lost almost 8 pounds and started to freak out about dropping a ton of weight and having my dress fitted, only to gain it back and have a dress that doesn't zip. Seriously, this is the stuff of my nightmares. The good news is I'm now addicted to green tea...and I'm consistently hydrating. Win-win there.

Also it's like...50 days to the wedding. It's all happening!

Cranky Thursday

This is one of the days of food this week.
Protein, fruits, veggies and two yogurts.
Oh, and some fat free feta.

Bah.

It's day 4 of the new eating plan, and I'm down 6 pounds. It's not super-exciting because this is the usual flux for me. Once we get into the 10s, I'll be pretty pumped.

This eating plan...well it sucks. It sucks in the sense that I'm used to being able to have chocolate and bread - two things that are a no-no. So instead of having crackers, I eat cucumber slices. Instead of chocolate covered pomegranate...an apple. Or raspberries. Or peaches.

It's actually not so bad resetting my body's cravings. The first day I was like an infant having a tantrum. I just wanted a carb. A single carb. I even texted Scott and told him to order a pizza. But he made me stay strong.

So strong, in fact, that he made his own pizza for dinner this week and I made a salad and didn't even touch his pizza. Mmmmm, chicken salad with a steaming hot side of commitment. Eat it up!

Because I don't just want to drop a ton of water weight, I think I'm going to allow myself some leeway on the weekends. In Cycle 4, you're allowed like three or four cheat meals over the weekends. I think I'm going to allow myself one or two half cheat meals in Cycle 1.

I'm terrified of losing weight, having my dress fitted, and then somehow gaining it back and not being able to fit into the wedding dress.

This is a real fear. Just go with it.

17 Day Diet

Good morning! Happy Monday!

Don't get freaked out by the title. I'm not going on some insane diet, I'm more jump-starting a healthy lifestyle.

So. The 17 Day Diet. It's an eating plan with four different cycles. It's designed for instant, jump-start weight loss, followed by healthy eating maintenance. My brother and sister in law are in the middle of cycle 1 right now, and have each lost 5 pounds in the first week.

Cycle 1 is basically unlimited protein and veggies, two servings of low-sugar fruits, two servings of probiotics, and two servings of healthy fats (i.e. olive oil). You drink 64 ounces of water, and about three glasses of green tea. Every day for the first 17 days. It comes to about 1,200 calories.

Today, I've packed an egg-white scramble, raspberries, an apple, a salad, yogurt-based chicken salad, and sliced veggies. I've got my green tea, and am mainlining H2O.

The tricky part about this, is it's cutting calories to the point where I can't really stick with the P90X. I can do the cardio ones, but weightlifting will be a problem.

But the GOOD news is that thanks to daylight savings time, I'll be able to do my first evening trail run of the season! I'm excited.

Tonight, we're having a yogurt-Parmesan chicken with roasted veggies.

And in case you're wondering, no. Scott isn't doing the eating plan with me. He was on board until I told him he couldn't have his morning pineapple. That was a deal-breaker.

Wednesday Workout!

Headband!

This morning was a legs morning. I let Scott's alarm go off five times before I turned on the light and kicked him out of bed, because I have to get him up and out before I can get started with my workout. Otherwise it's kissing goodbye while I'm jogging in place. Bah. I just like to get started after he has left for work.

I realized this morning that if I do chores while I'm jogging around and warming up, it makes the post-workout morning go smoother. I managed to make the bed and fold clothes while running in place and stretching. Then after legs and Gunner's walk, all I had to do was shower and get breakfast. (No makeup or dried hair this morning, sorry Earth.)

I've been wearing my Birchbox headband and it's lovely. Not too tight around my head - so no headaches or divots in my scalp - and not too lose either. It stays in place. It's nice!



Gunner's funniest workout moment this morning was when I was doing a wall sit. Gunner thought mommy was legitimately sitting on a chair and jumped up with his front paws on my lap. It was pretty funny. He just stared at the wall when I was done like...where did it go?!



Why are you doing legs? It's playtime!



Kenpo!

Oh man, I got to do the whole Kenpo workout tonight and it was awwwwwesome! Waking up at 5 this morning wasn't hard, getting out of bed was. So I didn't. I came home after class tonight, ate a cookie, and then got started.

While I was jogging around the apartment in a sports bra to warm up (I hate running in place), Scott was listening to Elton John on YouTube (I got him started while we were discussing wedding music). We decided we're one of the weirdest couples ever. ;)

Then it was Kenpo time! Full sweat after a half hour, drenched after the full hour. Awesome. There are multiple circuits with "rest" periods. By the end, I was keeping my leg off the ground completely when we were doing series kicks (front, side and back). Boom.

Yesterday was Cardio X, tomorrow will probably be legs.

I didn't get any workouts in this weekend, so last week was four on, three off. Not ideal, but ok.

Lay off me, I'm starving!

How can we tell I've started lifting weights? I'm hungry. All the time. Stomach-growling hungry. It's good b/c my metabolism is obviously revving. Bad because...well...I'm starving.

This morning shoooould have been Core Syn, but I ended up doing Cardio X instead. I didn't have enough time for the full hour and didn't even get to do the last 15 minutes of the cardio.

Why didn't I have enough time? B/c I was a snooze-hitter this morning. I had to coax myself out of bed. I kept trying to convince myself why it was OK to go back to sleep. "I'll do my workout tonight after class. I'll take today as a rest day. I'll workout between work and class."

Eventually I just got up.

I think tomorrow I'll do Core Syn and then Saturday will be a rest day. Sunday...legs with Scott!

Wanted: Weights

Bah! I did the arms/shoulders workout this morning, but I only have 5 lb. weights so it was pretty pointless. It was pretty much an hour of me air lifting. I think for this one I'll write out what I need and do it in the gym rather tahn buying weights. Or maybe I'll get a band.

There is a Body Pump class tonight at the gym I might go to. I just don't want to overdo my legs, because I'm still pretty sore from legs on Monday. We will see.

Tomorrow is Core Synergistics. Boooooooo.

A fun plus: Scott was laughing at me limping around the apartment last night, so I was tellling him about the legs workout. I told him about the chair move - where you go into a yoga prayer move, sit back like you're on a chair, and lift your arms over your head. He, of course, was able to do it for almost a minute. But after that minute he was feeling the burn! Scott said he's going to use that move with his guys for PT. I think I'll get him to do legs with me on Sunday. :) Sharing the P90X love!

Feeling the burn!

Crushing yesterday's leg and back workout means sore walking today. My quads aren't even sore, it's more like every muscle surrounding my hips and rear. Makes for fun walking and getting up from chairs.

I woke up this morning at 3 a.m. for no reason. I laid in bed until about 4, when I realized it was going to be one of those times where I toss and turn until it's time to wake up and THEN my body wants to go to sleep. Therefore, I decided to get up and get my workout in at 4. Did Cardio X, which felt good and I'm sure helped move along the lactic acid I built up yesterday. Then I showered and crawled back into bed just as Scott was getting up. I thought I'd take a 30 minute nap.

It turned into two hours, and I was running out the door late this morning.

Of course Gunner, knowing this, decided to draw out the morning ritual by picking his way along and sniffing everything. His ladyship likes to take his time sometimes.

Today is actually Gunner's "Gotcha" Day! We adopted him a year ago exactly. He's gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit calmer. Our wallets have gotten a little lighter and our patience has gotten a little stronger. :)

Three Months!

Woah, how did this happen?! It's three months until our wedding - I feel like just yesterday it was a year. Time flies when you're planning a wedding I guess.

So. Workouts. Let's get started.

Thursday's Cardio X left me with a bit of a crick in my lower back. I worked from home part of the time on Friday and then took it easy on Saturday. Icing and heating helped and by yesterday I was feeling like I could get a workout in and not hurt myself. Yesterday was a Kenpo day. I honestly thought I was going to like it better, because I love kickboxing. I think it's that there is a 20 minute stretch in the beginning when all I wanted to do was kick and punch. Once it got started, it was a blast.

I started today with legs and back, one of my favorites. Gunner still hasn't figured out what to do in the mornings when I'm working out for an hour before his walk. He thinks me stretching is petting time. When I run in place, he thinks we're getting ready to go. Eventually he just climbs back into bed and goes to sleep. Hard knock life for that one.

I knew that if I watched Downton Abbey last night, I wouldn't get to sleep until like midnight, so I recorded it. It's the two-hour season finale. I'll watch it tonight.

Already feeling the soreness in my butt and upper quads. It's fantastic.

Happy Monday!

Balentime's Day!



Secret campus gym.

Happy Valentine's Day! Or if you're Emily and you've been my valentine for years, Happy Balentime's Day!

Started off the morning with a Cardio X workout and a very creaky knee. It doesn't hurt or anything, but there's this loud popping. It's odd. And I hope it goes away. There's nothing like doing a side kick and hearing your joints cracking over Tony's corny jokes.

I got in a few more workouts last week. Ok, just one on Thursday. I knew there was a small room on campus with a treadmill, but I didn't realize it was actually a moderately sized gym room. I ran and did elliptical, and then sweat all over my school group in our meeting later that evening.

For lent, I'm not giving up anything this year. I'm adding six workouts a week. I'm a soldier when it comes to lent, I lock it down on whatever I'm giving up. Cheese, meat, chocolate, etc. I never look back. Which is ironic, because I'm sort of agnostic.

Anywho, six workouts a week. Today is one!


Brownies and Bond!

Hopefully this morning's cardio helped to offset last night's Valentine brownies. I have class tonight so Scott and I made dinner and brownies and watched Skyfall. Btw...I don't really understand the Bond movies. Except that he attracts a LOT of crazy hot women, and never seems to die.



Red Lobster

Last night Scott and I had an impromptu date night at the Red Lobster down the street. We had a gift card and who doesn't love those crack cheddar biscuits. Sue me.

I had to get in a Core Synergistics workout, so I ate super light at dinner (we don't need to talk about the biscuits). About 45 minutes after we'd eaten, I suited up for some Tony-time.

Things got interesting. Once you get past the burping-up-biscuits phase and the why-are-cinder-blocks-tied-to-my-legs phase, it's actually pretty OK. I had energy, so that was a good thing, and I managed to keep my dinner in my stomach, so that was another good thing.

It wasn't a particularly good workout, or a particularly bad workout. I slept like a champ, so I know it helped with digestion.

The only side-effect was a hammering headache. Which I'm assuming is from my lack of hydration yesterday, and not to the gargantuan amount of sodium that I'm sure is in those damn biscuits.

Oof

I'm feeling yesterday's workout everywhere. It's fantastic.

Debating doing cardio tonight in lieu of Core Syn.

Welcome Back, Tony!

Why hello there friends! It's been too long. No really, too long. Like a month and a half!

My excuse for this absence is this: I haven't had time. There. I said it. Between the holidays, the wedding and the semester starting, life has been a blur!

I'm happy to be back this morning reporting that I've started the P90X program again. I've been doing the workouts sporadically, but I'm actually on the plan starting this week. I didn't want to start too much before the wedding because I burn out quickly on this program. But now that we're at the 3.5 month mark for the wedding - it's time. The first dress fitting is in three weeks. Focus!

It also happens to be restaurant week, too. So it will help offset those calories. ;)

I've lost 11 pounds since the holidays, and hope to shed another 10 to 15 before the nuptials. I will say that this workout this morning is a whole lot easier sans 10 pounds. I felt strong, and not really that out of shape.

This morning I did Cardio X. Gunner gets really confused when mommy is jumping around and feels like he has to jump around, too. It gets some of his energy out, so it's a win-win.

Tomorrow will be Core Synergistics.

Heaven help me.