La Vida Fresca

It was quite hot today. I noticed that during my outdoor run around 6 p.m. That might sound like early evening to you and me but the sun didn’t know that. The sun still thought it was noon. I did the second day of the new training plan I’m following. It was intervals of five minutes of walking followed by five minutes of running for a total of 30 minutes. Usually I don’t like interrupting a run to walk or do anything else but today I was a little thankful I was walking in between because it gave me a chance to cool off somewhat. It’s also worth noting that while usually I feel great while running at an easy pace, today I felt like I was running through wet concrete. I’m definitely blaming it on the heat and humidity. Once I got done with my run/walk, I did some inverted rows and dips on the dip bars at the park and some half-pullups (my arms were wasted by the time I got to the pull-up bar). I also attempted to do some ab work by improvising with the dip bar. Not smart. I do not recommend it.

Considering the weather, it’s not surprising that I wasn’t too hungry for food this evening. Instead, I made a nice refreshing green smoothie.

I didn’t have any spinach in the fridge at home, so I used two frozen bananas, a little water, and a packet of Green SuperFood with pumpkin pie spices. I accidentally used too much ginger but it was still good. I realized too late I should have put a little pureed pumpkin in the mix. Something to remember for next time.

Earlier there was a big peanut butter and jelly on pita and a block of frozen spinach I cooked in a rice cooker. I made hard boiled eggs in it yesterday. It’s rather handy for times when you don’t have a stove.

Pre-run I had a big juicy plum x2 and then some cherries when I got home.

Post-smoothie there were some Puffins with lowfat organic plain yogurt and strawberries.

I have some (home) work left to do tonight and then I’m calling it a day. I’m so glad tomorrow’s Friday!

I’m going to go ahead and say today was an “off” day. But first, have some food photos.

Frozen fruit, Kashi cereal, and almond milk.

Sandwich of mashed great northern beans, heated, melted swiss cheese, toasted bread, and horseradish mustard.

Makeshift crepe (heated multi-grain wrap with warm strawberries, nonfat plain yogurt, and a little bit of sugar).

Granola.

Not shown are a bunch of cheese crackers and lots o’ tortilla chips with that good salsa: Jack’s Special. Mmmm. Oh, and a McD’s vanilla cone. (I know, I know. Sugar.)

But I might have myself a packet of this mixed with water to balance things out a little. I didn’t care for this mixed in a Green Monster and I’ve been wanting to try it plain.

No true “supper” tonight because I am, as they say, burning the midnight oil. But it won’t last ’til midnight, at least I hope not. Since I didn’t get up early enough this morning and I’m working late, there will also be no workout. I could do some jumping jacks and push-ups at midnight but that would just be crazy. By that time I hope to be snoozing.

Looking forward to Wednesday. Buenos noches!

It’s Monday! Not that you needed any reminding.

Unfortunately the old headache got worse before it got better but the good news is I’m almost all better now. I actually stayed home from work today which I rarely do but sometimes it’s necessary. Today wasn’t the best of days but by about 4:00 this afternoon I felt good enough to hit the gym for a seriously slow, easy first day of my new training plan.

I was feeling okay by then and (surprisingly) just wanted to do a hard run and very nearly ditched the plan to do just what I wanted, but I held back and did the 10-minute walk, five-minute run, five-minute walk, and five-minute run. Only 10 minutes of running total. That was hard. I do not enjoy just walking on the treadmill because it’s so boring to me.  For some reason, running isn’t and I usually can just zone out and have fun.

Well, after that 25 minutes was over I thought I’d do 15 minutes to a half hour of walking on a steep incline, just so I would feel like I actually did something today. But alas, a lady who must’ve been marinating in her perfume all afternoon hopped on the treadmill next to me and I thought for sure I was going to get a killer headache just from that. I only made it five minutes on the incline walk and had to bail. Seriously, why do people think they need to bathe in this stuff? I wasn’t planning on doing anything else in the gym today, but on my way to the locker room I hopped on the pull-up bar and did 10 negative pull-ups (five with palms facing in, five out) just because I felt like it.

Now for today’s eats. Salad with Greek olive hummus and carrots and then a bowl of puffins with milk and strawberries.

Dinner was a fish “fry”- catfish dipped in egg, coated with breadcrumbs, and baked. Eating catfish any other way than fried in large amounts of oil is, well, sacrilege in these parts. We ate this in secret with the shades down and the lights dimmed. Hopefully no one finds out and schedules us for a public stoning.

Served with corn on the cob, salad with feta, walnuts, craisins and raspberry vinaigrette, and a big hunk of watermelon.

Not shown were our last remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips, a banana with rather generous amounts of peanut butter and almond butter, and some granola.

Well, that’s enough excitement for one day. Auf Wiedersehen!

I’m rather tired after such a long day, but there’s just enough time for a little recap before I pass out.

Today we hit up Yamato, a new Japanese steakhouse near us.

Kevin got the usual meat-noodle-rice-vegetable plate.

I would normally get something like that too except we had a pretty heavy dinner including noodles last night so I looked for something a little lighter/fresher.

I went with a gomaae salad (chilled cooked spinach with sesame sauce)

and a “Go Green” roll (rice, lettuce, carrots, and avocado wrapped in soy paper).

Here are food highlights from the rest of today’s foodings (the important stuff - not everything from today, but mostly everything):

After dinner (mine was a little too light) we picked up some treats. I got a huge coffee (x2 before the night was out!) and giant cinnamon pecan roll. The roll definitely looked bigger in real life.

And this was earlier (almond raisin granola, strawberries, and nonfat plain yogurt).

I also squeezed in 20-something minutes of Yoga for Runners today.

Well, I’m exhausted. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Night!

For some reason, we ended up having a marathon night of making three different stir-fry dishes throughout the evening.

First, Kevin wasn’t hungry when he got home (and neither was I, really) and our niece, Lil’ B-rit, came over and she ended up making herself some stir-fried broccoli with garlic and oyster sauce and white rice. She wanted me to post these photos. :-) The photo on the right is hers.

Kevin worked on a video outside this evening and was hungry when he came in and saw B-rit’s dinner. Then B-rit  and I (well, mostly it was her) proceeded to make him a chicken-broccoli-mushroom stir-fry and some more rice.

Then B-rit said it was too bad we didn’t have any of that “peanut sauce” dish that I make, which is what I intended to make for dinner in the first place (!). By that time it was getting kind of late and she was still a little hungry after eating her small stir-fry, so that’s what we made (photo at top).

Just broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, and a sauce made with soy sauce, peanut butter, and oyster sauce. And of course noodles and toasted sesame seeds. Mmm.

Other eats today: brunch was plain nonfat yogurt with Kashi GOLEAN Crunch and strawberries

lunch was 1.5 whole wheat pitas (this plus another half) with romaine, squash, zucchini, onion, thousand island, and lots and lots of jalapenos (added more after photo)

and there were more samplings of treats from yesterday’s grocery run as well as a whole pot of coffee with about half of a 14-ounce bottle of half and half. Good thing it’s Friday.

Oh yeah, and Kevin got me this blueberry scone from Panera Bread while he was out and about late this afternoon. I had half. So far :-) There may be a little fruit in the mix here before the night is over. And definitely some tea.

It seems like an eternity ago now, but I did get a morning workout in. Quick but sufficient for a mini-workout of sorts. I walked for 10 minutes, jogged for five, and walked on a steep incline for five more. I’m babying my shins and had no intention of running today but it is so hard for me to get on a treadmill and just walk.

Then I did some upper body lifting and core work for about 20 minutes. I didn’t think I did anything too crazy as far as lifting went but I had this surprise moment later in the morning when I had difficulty lifting up my coffee cup. I guess I did wear out my arms a little.

Well, that’s all the uber exciting news for today, folks. Good night!