Head on My Pillow

Being sick is super lame.

Getting sick over and over and over is super lame.  I left work early today because of a mega head cold and low grade fever that I so graciously caught from my husband.  Thanks babe, you are so generous.  I did however stay long enough at work to enjoy the work provided luncheon.

Fried chicken, heck yaaaaa....wouldn't miss that even if I had the plague.

Something else I wouldn't miss ever in a million years is picking up my sister from the airport.  You know the one, the one who left me all by me onsie in August to have her own adventure in Alabama.  While I am so excited she is off exploring and learning life on her own, I am SO STOKED she's back for a bit so we can be besties again.  We just have this bond that...well sisters do.

Like Drake says, Emily...youda best, youda youda best. 

My cuz Carie and I were super excited to venture to the airport, run through terminals, scoop her up and provide her with all the junk food in the world.  Why? Because that's what we do.  We bought all your junk food dreams and I don't even feel guilty.  Flamin' hot cheetos burn so good.

So no killer work out for me today due to me gnarly head and chest congestion.

Food not Pictured: Coffee, Greek yogurt, Beef stew(carrots, potatoes, peas and mushrooms), sourdough bread, brownie

In lieu of my daily photo, here's my lovies:

Why do I keep getting sick????

Does your work ever provide meals?

What is your favorite junk food?

This post brought to you by: "Lay it Down"- Lloyd

Like a Shadow

Have I ever told you how much I love the weekend?

I don't know what happened, but I have gone from having the busiest weekends ever to the most laid back care free weekends.  It definitely helps not having to work every weekend.  I love have time to get organized, relax and enjoy just being.  I am one of those people who ALWAYS has to be doing something, working, laundry, cooking, hanging out with people...something.  Logan and Goliath have really helped me to realize that part of enjoying life, is just enjoying not.  Taking the time to decompress and not think or do.  It feels good.

SATURDAY was a glorious day.  The weather was a marvelous 70 degree day.  The Urbans took to the dog park and then Chipotle.  I had a shameless chicken bol with everything my little heart desired, including guacamole.  I figured my intense cardio work out from earlier earned that extra calories.  

The night was FREEZING.  By midnight, it was 31 degrees while I sat by a bonfire and enjoyed the company of my friends who I adore.

SUNDAY even better.  Woke up and dig a personal yoga routine and some minor strength and ab training before I met SwellMary at the gym.  We were suppose to go to Spin but there weren't enough bikes and there were some snobby ladies, so I just left and we did our own bike  hill work out. The remainder of my day was leisurely laying around with Goliath, baking and preparing my meals for the week (I LOVE HAVING TIME TO DO THAT!!) and then a family dinner.  Brussel sprouts!

This next week is going to be fabulous.  

MY SEESTER EMILY IS GOING TO BE BACK ON [email protected] [email protected]@@!#%$#$^@ 

Which day do you prefer Saturday or Sunday?

Do you take time do nothing?

How do you plan your meals?

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

I literally can feel my muscles atrophying.

I want to run so bad, but unfortunately my knee is hurting more than ever?  Weird.  I go back to the Sports Medicine Team tomorrow and hopefully my orthotics come in soon.

I had the definition of a lazy Sunday today, which started off the best way possible:

Coffee and bagels.

Cinamon crunch bagel to be exact.

Then I THOUGHT about going to a spin class, but remember that spin is out of the question now too according to my primary care.  Someone remind me to ask my new team about what exercise I can and shouldn't do, mmk?

After all that exhausting thinking, I watched the chiefs lose, played with my dog, painted my nails, watched Heroes, finished my laundry and did other various things until my in-laws left :(

I had Sunday dinner with my fam fam, burgers.  Always. Good.  My Uncle Leo is literally the best chef ever, he created the foodie in me.  My mom brought over ground chuck and potatoes, and he turned it into an extremely epic meal.

Of course followed with ice cream topped with TJs chocolate sprinkle grinder.  Try it!

This coming week is going to be good.  I can feel it.  I am hoping I can get some good sweat in and start taking control of this injury thing.

How was your weekend?

Do you have any foodie family members?

What is your favorite Trader Joe's food product?

Keep Slipping Away

Booo. Hoooo.

I decided I needed a day. A day to just stay in bed and recover. I wish I could say it helped, but alas. It did not. I just need to let this run it's course, but life must got on, amiright?

Being home allowed me to have some good eatin though. Even though I am lacking appetite, I am forcing myself to eat high fat foods to abet in recovering.

Breakfast was a jalapeño omelet.

Lunch was a grilled ham and cheese.

Somewhere in between those meals I finished off the ice cream...

Then my mom came to the rescue. She stopped by Trader Joe's and brought my feel-good foods and flowers. Ain't she the best?? I love her so much. She bought everything in sight that seemed to be high in antioxidants, healing or a sick steadfast. Oh and of course chocolate.

THANKS MOM!!!!

Day three, no exercise. Clinically insane.

Do you ever take sick days?
What's your favorite sandwich?
Are you close with your mom?

Mustard on My Fries

It is SO easy to skip lifting...and swimming.  Especially if the alternative is to hang out with your favorite people on earth and watch schweaty men play soccer.

My AWESOME family ventured to Kansas City's new LIVESTRONG Sporting Stadium, to watch our MLS Soccer team KC Sporting take on the Colorado Rapids.  We use to go to soccer games all the time when our team was the Wizards, but honestly it had been several years since I had been to a game.  I think the last one I went to was when that 15 year old superstar's first year playing, and Logan and I went to Arrowhead to watch him play...not our own team.  Shame.

 

I love the atmosphere of soccer games.  Soccer SuperFANS are unreal, they call themselves couldron's and there are some pretty elite ones here in Kansas City, but I am sure they are nothing like some in other countries.  My sister is big into soccer, and is actually going to be playing at the Colegiate level so even though I have been around the sport my whole life, and even use to play she explained the whole game to me.  I was really more interested in calling dibs on the cuties, and finding them on twitter.



Couldron going crazy after the game!

I was totally into the cute litle soccer scarfs! I want.  Apparently teams make them, and couldrons have them-it's like sporting your gangs colors.  The stadium had bars up for people to leave their colors hanging, it was really cool.  Anyone could just walk up and hang their scarf there if they wanted.  So why couldn't I just walk up and borrow one?  I SWEAR I will bring it back, I just wanna be one of the dudes for the game!

Bee tee dubs, we took the members club route.  They had $2 beers! Do you hear me??! $2 BEERS!! The price for the hotdogs made up for the difference, but who can resist a stadium hot dog really?  A premium beef one at that.  Load it up with ketchup, mustard and relish and you'll get a few servings of veggies right??

The game ending up being a 1:1 tie, but it was still amazing. Honestly, the reffing sucked and Colorado were kinda meanies...and really good actors. Regardless of the outcome though, we had such a super fun time! I wanna go back...I wanna wear a scarf and drink beer...I wanna bang on a drum and know all the chants. I wanna be a SOCCER SUPER FAN! 

I love my mom, she's the world's finest.  Now, I PROMISE to get my work out in today and not eat too much junk....ha sike! But not about the work out part, I will do that...I think...no I will.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER GAME?

WHAT DO YOU PUT ON YOUR HOTDOGS?

WHAT WAS THE LAST SPORTING EVEN YOU WENT TO?(p.s. i am LURVING seeing your responses, and getting to know you guys! Thanks for responding!)

It's Business Time

So y'all know the hubs has gone running with me in the past. He's definitely more of a sprinter than a long distance runner, but for WHATEVER reason he decided he was going to start running with me. Obviously, I'm ecstatic! More time doing what I adore with the two beings that I love the most is magical. Unfortunately, I don't think he'll ever be running marathons or 5ks-he's interested in getting in better shape, and increasing lung capacity for our frequent snowboarding trips. But hey whatever gets you on the trial!

If you remember our last run together, I pushed him way to hard and he was hesitant to ever go again. We ran four miles that day, and he was deadsies. So I pinky swore we wouldn't run more than two miles, and I'd let him set the pace and decide when we'd walk. The weather was rainy, and cool-which is my favorite running weather. Logan, however, hates getting wet. So all variables in mind, it was-again-not an ideal run.

We walked to warm up for half a mile, I joked about how Goliath is AWFUL on the lead while walking but the second we run he's all about business. Sure enough, once we started to pick up the pace Goliath stopped sniffing and started leading. Logan's natural jogging pace is pretty quick, but I let him test the waters. I never did any beginning running program like Couch to 5k, so I'm not well versed in the best ways to START running. I just know how to STAY running. When I started, I just went at it.

The half mile we ran was pretty quick, our pace dropped from 20min/miles to 8:30s. He did really well, but I could tell that was a struggle for him. We walked the rest of the way home, and did get no more than 2.0 miles like I promised. On our way back, he looked at me, laughed and said "Running sucks!" I laughed and agreed, but added that it sucks when you start. I told him once you start seeing progress, or getting better it doesn't suck so much-but then there's always the chance that he'll never fall in love, or even like with the sport-and that's ok too. Running isn't for everyone.

Ideally, nothing would make me happier than completing a race with the hubs. I am infatuated with that idea-but I know it will likely never happen. But I can dream right? We'd make quite the cute running family.

Can't Say It's All Been Time Lost

The frustration of being so close to a goal and continually experiencing set backs is absolutely, well frustrating. There are four pounds between me and the door to Goal-atopia. Actually, there WERE four pounds. Before I even officially weighed in at Weight Watchers, I knew. I almost skipped out of going to the meeting, and even when I got there I almost skipped weighing myself. Regardless, I stepped on the little platform and tried to muster up an excuse to the receptionist but the only thing that came out was: "I don't...I don't even know..." Honestly, I don't know what happened. If I take anything away from this though, I think it just goes to show that you can do everything right and still gain three pounds. Yup, three pound gain.

Good news is, that pretty lady on the right lost five pounds. Whatta jerk. That's my mom, and my biggest cheerleader.

Tears did breach on my drive home, and I may or may not have punched the steering wheel. I couldn't wait to get home to make pancakes, drenched in butter and syrup. Oh whatever, it's a cliche for a reason right? Feed your feelings and all that. You may be relieved to know, I came home and stood in my kitchen and resolved to eat oatmeal and strawberries. Not because it was the healthier option, but because I simply was too lazy to scratch up pancakes. Yup too lazy to throw a few ingredients in a bowl. This is an instance where lazatude works in my favor in the end.

After my low cholesterol meal, I got the spouse out of bed and by some grace of God convinced him to go running with us. Seriously...guys, is the world ending? Am I dying? Don't get me wrong, the guy is in shape-but naturally. He weighs a buck fifty, at five foot nine and is leaner than Jennie-O turkey. The last time he went out for a run was over a year ago when I first started. We went for a mile, and walked another-it was cold, at night and neither of us really enjoyed it. More than twelve months later, one of us has had an affair with running and the other turned a blind eye.

So maybe I was so excited that he was coming out with Goliath and I, that I may have set a rather lofty distance goal. Four miles. Over zealousness aside, I DID ask him how fast he thought he could run: 8 minute mile? 9? 10? 11? He just told me "Not very fast at all," so allow me to translate: 8 minute/mile. After our first half mile, it was clear that four miles was absurd. I wouldn't have expected that out myself a year ago-so why would I do that to him? Who's the jerk now? We ran 2.23 miles and stopped.

We retraced out treads home, just at twice the pace. Walking was a nice change of, well pace for me. The trail looked different, Goliath had more time to explore and I was able to note all the different people out training. It's fun for me to watch other runners, sometimes I write little stories about them in my head. Oh that guy is a three-time Boston Marathoner, he started running in high school and never gave it up. I like to watch their form, what gear they have and how fast they go. I get excited about it, and there's never any judgement passed I just love the sport.

Our little family was super hungry, and with a mile left to go it was decided that Logan deserved a hamburger for coming out with me. Even though it will probably be another year before I can drag him out, I was so thankful that when we got home I made him a giant burger. Giant burgers are not strangers in our home, in fact Big Burger Sunday is kind of notorious with us.

This was his burger, and this was mine:

Notice any difference? Shh...don't tell anyone but mine is half black beans. I don't discriminate foods, but I am a self-proclaimed hamburger connoisseur. When I first started Weight Watchers, it was the one food I was not willing to substitute or find a low calorie/low fat version. That is, until now. Until I gained three pounds. To make your own Big Black Bean Burger just combine 1/3 cup ground beef(or turkey), 1 tbsp egg white, 1/2 cup black bean and season with Worcestershire and black pepper.

Today's Mileage: 4.53
Time: 1:16:40