But Everything is SO BLURRY!

I used to LOVE going to the eye doctor. It was so great because you'd go into the office and see fuzz, then, when you came out with a new pair of contacts it was like, "There are LEAVES on the trees? And individual blades of grass?!" And all the little details of the world show up where there was just matte finish before. So I was looking forward to my appointment last Thursday.

 

I didn't figure my prescription had changed a whole lot, so I thought it would be a pretty easy-peasy visit and I'd leave with a small upgrade, or maybe none at all.

 

I wore my glasses for the day, since it's easier with the drops and everything else, and they gave me a pair of tester contacts to take home with me. I put the contacts in on Friday morning and the prescription is off. Not WAY off, but off enough that I notice it and have to squint at everything. The right contact is identical and the left contact is a -5.00 instead of -6.00! I'm not happy. Good thing I didn't order a box of them! They told me to wear them for the week and go back Friday for a fitting. When I go back on Friday, you better believe I'm not leaving without my -6.00s. I'm going CRAZY with this left side blur!

 

 

 

ION: I ran a half marathon on Sunday morning. I did it in 2:18.01. It's not my best time, but! I have excuses! (LOL, the last half marathon sucked because of the wind!) The course was crowded almost the whole race. The weather was HOT! And I spent all day Saturday walking and standing around at the car races. I haven't taken the splits off of my watch yet, but they're not pretty. The first half was WAY better than the second half (I think, due to the heat). The course was really boring: 3 loops on either side of a boulevard. On the street where I run almost every run I start from my house (anything 3-10 miles). So, home turf, but turns out that "Home Turf" is b.o.r.i.n.g.

 

We had my father in law and brother in law staying with us for the weekend and I'll have to post pictures from the car race. I think my FIL got some good ones.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

It's almost the weekend. Finally.

 

We have a really exciting weekend lined up. My father and brother-in-law are flying in on Friday night because this weekend, M's company, Modern Performance, is racing in an endurance race called 24 Hours of Lemons. The race takes place over 2 days at a track about 30-40 miles south of here. Each team has a car that they spent no more than $500 on, excluding brakes, tires, and safety gear. All of the employees at the company get to take a turn driving the race car. M's parents and sister came down last year and it was a blast, so his brother had to come this year to see what all the fuss is about. It will be fun to have them around for the weekend.

 

Sunday, I'm opting out of driving down to the race again and instead, I'm running the Houston Half on Sunday morning, still thinking of trying to stick with the 10:30s, but, depending on how my shins feel, it may be a little slower or faster than that. Sunday afternoon, my boss is hosting a bar-b-que for all of the people on her projects. I think it will be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to that as well. I imagine I'll be pretty sore and not interested in doing much other than sitting. Hopefully people can deal with that.

 

I have a bunch of pictures to upload and post one of these days - brownie baking, cinnamon roll baking, and I'm sure we'll get some pictures from the races this weekend.

 

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Dinner Tonight

I'm excited because dinner tonight is going to be "A Taste of Home"!

We're meeting the alumni representative assigned to our region for Chicago-style pizza, along with a dozen other alumni from my college. I always have a really good time talking with people who are familiar with the same places I am familiar with, and know some of the same people I know. Plus, Chicago-style pizza! Yum... so delicious!

 

I'm also trying this new thing to lose some weight. I thought just running my butt off would work, but so far, I have lost zero pounds. ZERO. Did I mention I ran 12 miles on Saturday? TWELVE. That should give me the right to eat whatever I want, right? Wrong. So, my plan is to really evaluate mid-meal whether I need more food or not. Yesterday, I had Pei Wei for lunch and normally I'd scarf that whole bowl of food down like I wasn't going to eat again for a week, and then be miserable for the rest of the day because I was too full. So instead, I stopped after a few minutes and evaluated how hungry I still was, took a few more bites, and put the rest in the refrigerator, knowing that if I got hungry again in the afternoon, I could go grab it. I didn't end up getting hungry, so I had the rest for lunch today! I think this is something I can stick to, since it doesn't mean I can't eat the things I love to eat, it just means I have to spread those big meals out over more time, and let my stomach shrink back up to the size it's supposed to be! *fingers crossed*

Randomize!

Had a really fun weekend this weekend, and it all started with a Friday off of work... *cue flashback music*

 

Thursday of last week, I got an e-mail from a friend asking me to make a batch of brownies for him because our other friend "wouldn't share" or some such nonsense. With that, the Brownie Throw Down was born. So I asked my mom for her recipe and set out to get the ingredients. I forgot to get chocolate chips, though, and ended up at CVS looking for an adequate substitute: viola! Hershey's Special Dark Kisses! Yum! Friday night, around 8, we gathered at my friend's new apartment (which is totally cute!) and each served our brownies. Hers were amazing with oreos and cream cheese in the frosting, oh, yum. I made a more traditional brownie with a fudge frosting. We ended up not voting because we were having too much fun just talking and the brownies were so different. We headed back home around 10:30 so I could get to bed, because the next morning was my...

 

12 mile run. I was really nervous about this run because I had had a really hard time running on Thursday night. I don't know what, exactly, was wrong, but I was supposed to run 6 miles and ended up walking after 2 because my shins hurt so bad. I stopped to stretch and managed to run 5 more minutes, but the pain just wouldn't go away. So that made me really nervous for my long run on Saturday. Shouldn't have worried, though, because my running partner and I ran our 12 miles at 11:15 pace, which is faster than our normal by about 15-30 seconds/mile!

 

In other running-related news: I'm strategizing for the races I have coming up. I have 2 half-marathons in 3 weeks: Houston Half this Sunday and San Antonio Rock-n-Roll Half on the 15th of November. I *really* want to race the SA Half, and get a good time, so I want to be decently rested and recovered for that one. So, I'm thinking of shooting for a 10:30 pace for the Houston Half, which is faster than normal  long run (see above), but not as fast as I raced the 10 miler last week, and not as fast as I'd like to race the SA Half. I'll plan to do speedwork Wednesday morning and basically train through this half marathon. Then, for San Antonio, I'll do the 14 miler the week before, but then skip speedwork on Wednesday morning and just do the 5 miles at training pace. Thursday night, I'll run my 7 miler easy, and then Friday, try to run the last 3 miles of the course in San Antonio. Saturday, rest up, hit the expo, figure out where to park and how to get to the start from our hotel, and find a nice Italian restaurant for lunch. Then I'm thinking of shooting for a 9:45 pace for the half marathon, giving me an overall goal of around 2:07, or a PR of 7 minutes. I think it's doable, and maybe I could even do it faster. My goal and target pace are pending the results of the half this weekend. If it goes well and I feel like I have energy at the end, I'll think about shooting for 9:30 pace, or even a 2 hr half! 

Brownie Throwdown!

I just accepted a Brownie Throwdown Challenge! Not sure when this will take place, but you can be sure I'll take some pictures and report back. Anyone out there want to judge or be judged?

In Need of Some Serious Stress Relief

This Friday is my first Friday off in 6 weeks. We're supposed to operate on a 9-80 schedule, meaning we get 80 hours of work done in 9 days, yielding every other Friday as the start of a long weekend. It's really nice to have the flexibility to use Friday for other things, like errands and appointments. It's also really nice to have a day home alone to catch up on my sleep, play some Sims, and bake without anyone demanding my attention elsewhere. And no, I don't have a kid, just a husband. :)

 

On top of that, I don't even have a run on the schedule! So my every-other-Friday is really a great day of relaxation and recuperation. This Friday, I have something special planned for myself and it involves... you guessed it...

 

 

BEER!

 

I think I'm going to take a trip to the home-brewing store and buy the items necessary to start my first batch of home brew. The question is: What kind of beer should I start with?

 

Munich-style Helles?

Brown Ale?

Amber Ale?

Smokey BBQ Beer?

A dark porter or stout?

Maybe an extra hoppy IPA?

 

I'm thinking of starting with the helles, since that is one of my favorites, and one that M can appreciate, in addition to being able to use malt extract so I don't have to start with the all grain batch. The brewing may not begin until Saturday or Sunday, but the fun of gathering supplies and recipes will start Friday and I CAN'T WAIT!

Space City 10 Mile Race

Sunday morning I did my first ever 10 mile race. The race went really well and I felt GREAT throughout. I used my new running watch to record splits and for the first time in any race ever, I didn't miss a single split! Here they are:

 

1. 10.20
2. 10.08
3. 10.12
4. 10.13
5. 10.16
6. 10.10
7. 10.03
8. 10.05
9. 10.00
10. 9.10

 

For an official time of 1:40.41!! I'm so happy with how consistent I was (for the most part!) and I am surprised by how much I still had in me at the end!

 

I looked at the McMillan running calculator to guess what my pace should be and it said 10:30 pace, but when I ran 10:20 the first mile, I felt good, so I just decided to stick with that. The first mile is always a little slower, since you're weaving in and out of people trying to find a spot to stick. I think if I did it again, I'd try to stay under 10/mile and not have an exceptionally fast last mile, but I'm really happy with how it went.

 

I was never worried about my pace being too fast. Just took it one mile at a time and looked at my watch only at the mile markers. When I felt like I had slowed down, I just sped up. When I was getting to the end and felt like I could go faster, I just did! I took a gel at 4 miles and it didn't upset my stomach or anything. I think at the half in November, I'll try to add another gel at 8 miles. Overall: So happy, and so pumped for my next race!

I Need a Pick-Me-Up

The last few days have been rough. I'm not sure what triggered it, but finishing my project (which inevitably needs to it being de-finished with more work necessary), the unseasonably hot weather, my inability to adapt to people who are not "planners" like me, unseasonably hot weather, and being too busy to relax have put me in a decidedly "dumpy" mood. I need to get out of this funk.

 

So here's the plan:

 

I'm leaving work a little early today to meet my In Flight Running buddies for a 6-miler near Rice. This may not end up as a 6 miler as I am INCREDIBLY sore from speed work yesterday morning. Maybe once I get going it won't be so bad, but yeesh! I could barely walk around the office today!

 

After running, I'm going to the grocery store and I'm going to buy something from the butcher. It will be something that looks insanely delicious. For some reason, wandering around the grocery store is one of my favorite past times. I could meander for hours. I think I may also get some apples and make some homemade applesauce. Maybe that will help me deal with the hot weather (right? if it smells like fall....?)

 

Then I'm going to go home and bawl my eyes out during The Office JAM Wedding. Eat my delicious meat, and smell my amazing applesauce. If there's still time, I'll watch Glee. Then I'll pray hard that this cold front actually comes through tomorrow. If it fizzles and fades and we end up with an 80-90 degree weekend, I think I might have to spend a small fortune cranking the AC down to a reasonable fall temperature.

 

Let's hope this works.

One Thing I LOVE

In an effort to be not a downer and keep this far from just about running, I figured I'd discuss something I LOVE today: COOKING!

 

This weekend, since we went to a different church, we were not able to meet our normal lunch group for Sunday Dinner. That meant that I got to cook. I love to cook. Correction: I love to cook long, involved, crazy hard meals and have them turn out right. I hate cooking during the week. I hate coming up with 30 minute meals. I don't enjoy the stress of coming home at 6:30, running for an hour, and having to throw something together so we can eat SOON. BECAUSE OTHERWISE I'LL STARVE.

 

Sunday was sort of a balance of these two kinds of meals. I had ingredients I had to use up, but I had time to figure out something decent to do with them. I had these tortellinis in the fridge that I had to use soon. Plus I had some store brand pasta sauce. Plus I had a pound of ground beef. So, I browned the ground beef, added it to the pasta sauce. Boiled the tortellini. Then I realized we didn't have any bread. So I used a trick I learned in my knife skills class! I got a clove of garlic and chopped it up as fine as I could. Then I sprinkled some kosher salt on it and rubbed my knife over it until I got a nice paste. Then I mixed it in with some butter and spread it really thick over the top of some old, stale hot dog buns. Topped with mozzarella cheese, put on my pizza stone, and baked for about 6 minutes and broiled for 3 more. Can I just say it was SO GOOD. I'm never using store bought garlic bread again. Mmmm. The tortellini wasn't bad either. :)

 

I think my love of cooking is what is going to also drive my future beer making love. Mixing things together, applying the right methods and heat, and having the end product be something really great that you can share and consume is so rewarding. I love when I make something really delicious and get to feed it to other people. Plus, the beer making is going to really be fun because of all the variations that are possible. We're thinking of starting in one gallon batches so that we can try a lot more styles and brew more often. I'm really looking forward to it. Squee!

Remember Yesterday?

Remember when I ranted about fall yesterday? Today's heat index in this great city is expected to get up to 109 DEGREES.

 

Can everyone just remind God that it's October for me? Thx.

 

 

So, this might turn into a running blog...

Running Post #1378 Coming At You.

I'm going to try not to let this turn into a running blog. If I'm being honest, though, running is something that consumes my thoughts for which I do not have many other outlets. At least with politics and reality TV, there are Real! Live! People! who are willing and able to hold their own in a discussion. With running, no one cares as much as I do. And that's fine, but I've got to get it out!

So this coming weekend, I have a race. It's my first ten mile race ever (bonus! automatic PR!). It's the first long-distance race since my half marathon last February. Plus, it's the beginning of a series of races that are incorporated into training for a full marathon. As a result of all of these factors, I am struggling to come up with a goal time or pace.

If I'm honest, I'd love to maintain 10 minute miles. If I'm honest, I'd admit that I don't think it's possible.

I'm training at around an 11:00-11:40/mile pace for my long runs. I rarely time the short ones. Sundays six miler seemed quick for my second half, but I didn't hit the 'lap' button at the halfway point, so I have no idea how fast I was actually going, only how long it took to complete the entire 6 miles, including a short bathroom/water break. And it was an 11:20 pace. Since I have to continue training, and run a half marathon 2 weeks later, I'm not sure that even trying to maintain 10:00/mile is a good idea. I'm not tapering and I am scheduled to run 12 miles only one week later.

So since I'm not honest, I'm shooting for 11 minutes/mile which means finishing in one hour, fifty minutes. It can be done!!

And, in an effort to NOT let this turn into a running blog: IN OTHER NEWS -

M and I decided to take a month off from our home church for various reasons. Some of those reasons include me doing a road race 2 Sundays in October. Other reasons include sleeping in and attending a later service closer to home. Other reasons include visiting other churches to renew our focus for our own. Other reasons include finding out if there are churches closer to us that meet our needs and who have needs we can meet. Other reasons include taking 4 weeks off of being early, setting up, singing, and packing back up to recharge our batteries. Other reasons include several that I have not mentioned here.

Last week, we attended First Presbyterian Church. It was nice, but too large for my taste. Plus, I was supremely distracted by the incompetence of the person in charge of the power point presentation. It is unacceptable to have the lyrics to the song on delay. If you want us to sing along, you've got to show us the words. We did run into two people we sort of knew, however. One neighbor from our condo and, incidentally, the girl I stood next to at my Knife Skillz class at Sur La Table only 3 days prior. I am regularly surprised by how much our HUGE city of 4 million people can feel like a small town. It's one of the reasons I love Houston, despite the lack of Fall weather.

theRage, out.

The Fall

My family is all over the place.

ILs are in Michigan - Current Temp: 59 F

Bro is in Oregon – Current Temp: 55 F

Parents and Sis in Colorado – Current Temp: 57 F

I'm in Houston – Current Temp: Eighty-fricken'-four Degrees Fahrenheit.

I grew up in Michigan, where people know what "seasons" are.  Where in the summer it's hot, in the winter it snows, in the spring, the snow melts and plants return.

And where in the fall, you can put on a cute sweater, go pick apples, buy a gallon of apple cider and a box of cinnamon sugar donuts, eat all of them in one sitting, along with the gallon of cider, run through the falling leaves, feel and hear them crunching beneath your feet, see the colors in the trees, breathe the cool, crisp air, smell that it might snow soon, and jump in a pile of freshly raked leaves.

Fall is when I miss Michigan the most. When the best we can hope for is a cool front to bring the high down to a respectable mid-seventies, I just can't get into the festivities of fall. I need to bake apple crisp, but it's still too hot to turn on the oven. I need to bundle up a little to go outside, but I'll sweat right through my shirt. I want to go pick some apples, but I'd have to drive for hours to get to an orchard. And there aren't any leaves on the ground to rake into a pile. It's OCTOBER and I can't even drink a dark beer because it's TOO D*@( HOT.

/rant.

Working on a Saturday

If I put on my rose-colored glasses, I can find some things that are really great about working on Saturday.

 

1. M is also working, so I would be home alone and since I already watched Top Model this week, I don't have any shows I can watch without him. BORING!

2. No one else is in the office, so I can get work done.

3. No one else is in the office, so I can play music through my computer speakers, rather than headphones.

4. No one else is in the office, so I can sing along.

5. No one else is in the office, so I can sing along LOUDLY.

6. I can take off my shoes and wrap my blanket around me (note: I do this during the week, too. Shh!!)

7. I don't feel guilty checking MafiaWars every hour, since I'm not being paid to be here.

 

So, I'm at work. But! The project I'm working on is ALMOST done. Then I'll get my life back, kind of.

 

ION (In Other News): I ran 11 miles this morning. Took a while, but feeling good about the distance I've done and how much energy I still have following a 2+ hour run. Like, I can still drive my manual car, walk, and stay awake enough to get work done. Next week I'm doing a 10 mile race about 30 minutes South of here. I've never raced a 10 mile race before, so... PR! Then, 2 weeks after that: half marathon. I'm not sure if I'll be able to beat my time from February, or if I'll even try. I may try to save my energy for the San Antonio Half.

 

OK - Back to work! Have a good weekend!