Top Off Ten

Happy Monday!

My day started off with this:

To my overnight oat eaters – take heed, and never throw out another almost-empty peanut butter jar again. Ever. There is nothing more awesome than mixing up a batch of oats in there (I threw in a banana & some cinnamon) and eating straight out of the jar the next morning. It made my Monday morning a little happier.

-    

love this quote, love this movie.

Hmmmm I suppose you want a weekend recap? Well Friday night I began my quest to become a taco connoisseur, and immediately crossed one off the list. I tried a salmon taco at Nacho Mama’s in the Canton square and wasn’t impressed. This, however, impressed me:

hubcap margarita for the man and me to share

Something perhaps even more impressive is the fact that I woke up on Saturday morning and ran 10 miles. This is the longest nonstop run I’ve achieved THIS YEAR. WHAT? I know. Stress fractures rock. Anyways, I felt pretty good, and pushed myself to hold an 8 minute pace:

 My PT has me wearing this bands on my runs – it’s basically just rolled up pre-wrap, that’s supposedly helping to keep my IT band more ‘slack’ over my knee. OK? It could all be in my head, but I like it a lot and I think it helps. I wore it around all day yesterday for no reason.

 In other news, I also chose to make my 10 miler my first ‘sports bra only’ run in Baltimore on Saturday as well. I hadn’t been able to work up the courage prior to this, as I hadn’t seen too many other females venturing to show a little skin since moving into the city. But the temps had already broken 80 that morning and I decided to go for it. I felt fine with the decision during my 5 miles around the park, but not as confident when I ventured out along the harbor for the second half of the run…. Mainly due to the large number of pedestrians just hanging out, fishing, etc.

The verdict: I will probably stick to the trails through the parks when going topless in Baltimore. I have written a post on this topic before, and always love hearing thoughts on it.

Last night’s dinner was concluded with this guy

Tell me this isn’t the cutest little crab cookie you’ve ever seen. Yum.

Can you guys believe that Thursday is August 1^st? That blows my mind. I’m excited to see what August has brewing. I made a second half of the year list of goals/expectations this past weekend and feel really good about it. One that I plan on knocking out right away in August is doing a short(er) sugar detox. I have a handful of reasons as to why, but am currently in the stages of figuring out the best way to go about it. I have heard of the 21 Day Sugar Detox, as well as the Whole30 program which is more of a ‘nutritional reset’ type of program.

Have any of you guys ever tried something like this? I would love thoughts/feedback/ideas.

I hope this week treats you kindly. Make it great.

Cheers!

The Rehab Report

One of my weird(er) phrases that I enjoy using to describe people is 'illusive pigeon.'

Example: Recently I have been a bit of an illusive pigeon when it comes to this whole marathon training thing.

Actually, when it comes to running in general it seems that I’ve been a big vague on here, don't you agree?

Remember the other day when I told you I was going to see my bff the orthopedic to have my knee checked out, and then never followed up? Yeah me too. Well, it turns out that after dealing with my left leg (IT band & stress fracture) issues, there’s been some compensation issues going on. And now, all of a sudden my right knee/leg is like:

“Alright lady, I’ve taken just about enough pounding for the year, so just a heads up I’m going to start shutting down soon.”

Oh the wonderful adventures of running.

So that conversation ended me up here:

Look familiar to some of you? Physical therapy b*tches.

The good news: This isn’t like last time. I’m still currently running almost pain free, and even plan on doing my 10-miler tomorrow morning. (SO PUMPED FOR THAT)

This is very proactive. Remember when I told you my word of the year was proactive? LOOK AT ME GO.

With some excessive icing, foam rolling, perhaps a little more yoga, and (hopefully) just a few weeks of PT…  I have my fingers crossed that marathon training will continue on as scheduled.

The shoe report: Recently I had been thinking about switching shoes again. I’ve been loving running in Brooks… but was beginning to question if maybe my 5’11’’ 140 lb frame needs a little more support?

(omgeeee did she just post her weight on the internet?!)

The verdict: No. According to Sean who I trust with my life legs, he said my running form is much more natural in the Brooks versus the ASICS. I believe him, because he has now filmed me running on the treadmill several times, barefoot, Brooks, and ASICS, and studied the shit out of my film.

This is good news, not only because I’m a Brooks brat, but because the bank account really wasn’t going to allow me to buy a new pair any time soon anyways. Once I saw Sean on Wednesday and got the OK to keep running, that’s exactly what I did:

Today I did a short WOD this morning, and then went swimming after work. Because apparently I still have that triathlon in two weeks?

I will leave you with these two things…

Have I ever shared my favorite starbucks drink with you guys? Green tea soy latte, unsweetened, 1 shot of espresso. Hot or iced, I find it quite magical.

Did you know people in Maryland literally put this on everything? I caught my roommate putting this on her ice cream the other night. Weird.

As fun as this has been, it’s restaurant week in Baltimore, and this guy I know is taking me on a hot date. Tell me, what’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

Cheers!

B'more Blogger Meetup

I did something last night that was a bit outside of my comfort zone. I think it’s important to occasionally do things that make you a little scared, as you normally end up walking away saying, “I’m so glad that I did that.”

I know that I did.

Last night I ventured over to the other side of the city, the Federal Hill neighborhood, for a Baltimore Healthy Living Blogger happy hour at the Rowhouse Grille. The bar opened up a room on the second floor just for us, and believe me those $4 glasses of wine definitely came in handy as an icebreaker for the initial meeting. 

It’s funny walking into a room full of girls very much like you. With a passion for fitness, writing, running, healthy eating, adventures – or in most cases, all the above. I’ve come to realize throughout the past couple of years the average person doesn’t find it quite as riveting as I do to discuss injury rehabilitation, different brands of running shoes, and my love/hate relationship with hot yoga.

Last night wasn’t the case. And it was really cool.

There I am on the right, tall and awkward as always :)

In short, my hope is that last night was the start of some new friendships. I had the opportunity to meet eight other awesome Baltimore-based girls, who all have quite the story to share. Their own blogs are listed below.

Brittany @ Barr & Table

Caitlin @ city & the cubicle 

Danielle @ Da Hart Attack

Kate @ Sunshine and the Bear

Kerry @ Adventures of Z & K

Lauren @ Breathe Deeply and Smile

Megan @ Outlaw on the Run

Jess @ Just Call Me Janks

A special thanks to Caitlin for setting the event up!

Cheers to making new friends!

tacos

I don't think I've mentioned it on here before, but my younger sister Bri is on a pretty determined mission to find the best burger in Chicago. I urge her on an almost daily basis to start up her own blog detailing her journey, but that's besides the point.

For the record, this is Bri's cover picture on her facebook.

I ate tacos twice this weekend - once at the food truck rally that a group of us went to in Canton on Friday night. The second instance was tonight when we made our own beef tacos thanks to some of Trader Joe's finest ingredients:

While I sat at the table shoving the tacos into my mouth like a wild hyena hungry growing girl, I thought to myself how much I enjoy trying different tacos.

What's the point of this story?

I kind of want to become a semi-pro taco connoisseur, similar to my sister's burger status in Chicago. This is a random, not thought out idea, and could go nowhere. Or it could go somewhere awesome. Let me know your thoughts.

In a half-assed attempt not to die at my triathlon in 3 weeks, Andrew and I hit an outdoor public pool yesterday. I brought my horrible cheap goggles from Walmart and logged a solid 20 minutes in the chlorine.

Andrew's attempt to take my pic post-swim

5 miles followed the pool. It's still hot out in case you were wondering.

Because we loved it so much last time, we rented paddle boards again today and hit the inlets of Annapolis. Word on the street is that jelly fish start getting pretty prevalent this time of year (gross) so I only jumped in once. I have this intense fear of water things - dead or alive - touching me. Seaweed, fish of all kinds, crabs, etc.

We paddled around for about 3 hours, stopping for snack and water breaks of course. This time we left the cell phones in the car so we could have the option to jump in and cool off - hence my lack of pictures to share with ya'll.

Prior to unloading those bad boys.

Sometimes the memories just have to stay logged in your head, ya know?

Solid weekend. For some reason I'm dreading this coming week. It involves the dentist, some physical therapy, and figuring out my knee situation. 

Turn that frown upside down Kaitlyn.

You're right. I'm determined to find some greatness in this week.

How was your weekend? What is the best taco you have ever had? (homemade or restaurant)

Cheers!

Heating up

I have a small confession to make.

I’ve become slightly addicted to ABC’s TV series Revenge. My CO friend wolf has been riding me to check it out for about two months, so one night I finally caved and checked out the pilot. 
I was hooked.

Luckily there are currently only two seasons, so I don’t have toooo much to catch up on. It still peeves me a bit that I found a new series to love, as I would rather spend my time doing anything else in the world than have my face glued to a screen.

No more new series this summer, you have my word.

I discovered this guy at Safeway the other day:

I’m not sure if you’re a dried plum/prune fan or not, but I am. And listen to me when I say a handful of those chopped dried plums and a dollop of almond butter thrown into my overnight oats is one of my new favorite on-the-go breakfasts for summer. Throw some cinnamon and almond milk in there, let it soak overnight. It’s good stuff.

Have you heard the news? It’s summer, and it’s hot.

What my week has looked like

Moving on. I’ve only gone to my new trial gym, Canton Club a handful of times thus far but as of today I’m giving it a thumbs up. It’s smaller, much less crowded, and has a simple lay out. I tried a one hour spin class the other evening, and left sweaty and not angry – those are really my only two expectations when it comes to spin class.

Speaking of spinning, I did my first brick of the summer last night. I rode a couple of miles on my bike around Patterson Park, and then hopped off and ran a 5k along the harbor. It felt pretty good considering the heat and humidity. In the process I realized there are way too many bikers out there who aren’t wearing helmets. Listen, I don’t care if you’re biking for transportation or training competitively - strap that b*tch on. Don’t make me post that picture from I left half my face on a Colorado bike trail.

There’s your public service announcement of the week: Wear your freaking helmet. I don’t care how cool you think you are.

Sometimes I even wear it around the house for extra precaution. Am I kidding?
You can decide that.

Ummm let’s see… I went to see my orthopedic doctor today. I figured it’s been a few months since our last visit and she probably missed me.

In all seriousness, I had her check out my right knee. Going into the appoint I was lacking the correct medical term, so let’s just say that it’s being weird.

The diagnosis can be discussed tomorrow, but I'll leave you with the fact that I DON'T need to stop running, as long as things continue to get better.

WHAT!?! A doctor who supports running? I know, I found a keeper.

Alright, wrapping up… this girl has some miles to knock out. And (hopefully) a marathon to continue training for.

Cheers!

Snapshots

My new favorite place to write by far is up on my rooftop deck. No matter how hot it may be, the breeze up here always makes it bearable. Nothin' like soaking up some sun while writing my afternoon away.

I realized recently that we are already halfway through July. In my mind, that's halfway through summer. So this weekend I tried my best to capture a few artsy pics of the sweet summer memories that we made. Friday we spent time at a coworker's house down on the water, and it was absolutely beautiful. Last evening was more time on my deck - no surprise there.

My wonderful Aunt surprised me with a giraffe windmill decoration for our new place last time I was home, and I finally got it set up yesterday. It definitely adds to the experience of our deck; everyone loved it!

Have you guys tried those Chobani Bites? They are smaller than your average Chobani greek yogurt, and have a pretty cool variety of flavors. I bought a four pack last week....

And of course I had to add an extra kick for my mid-afternoon boost at work. I'm a fan.

I stole another workout from Brooke - this is becoming a common theme - as my Friday morning run had to get postponed due to thunderstorms.

For time:
-80 situps
-70 air squats
-60 mountain climbers
-50 burpees
-40 jump squats (I did jumping lunges instead)
-30 hollow rocks
-20 push ups
-10 burpees

 The above workout took just over 20 minutes, and was a nice little sweat to start off the weekend right.

This made me laugh... especially as I'm a little upset tomorrow's already Monday. After a four-day weekend last week, two days just doesn't seem long enough. Favorite part of my day so far today? 7 miles in the park was nice, but I was pretty pumped to be able to ride my bike down to Safeway to grab some groceries this afternoon.

Save that environment. Save that gas.

I need to shower, I smell. This has been a lot of fun. Tell me either 1. your favorite Chobani flavor or 2. your favorite part of your day so far.

Cheers!

The Gym Hunt

There’s this toilet at my work that is an overactive flusher. Any time that you move at all, to wipe, shift a butt cheek, etc., it freaks out and flushes on your ass butt. Literally. Yet I continue to go into that stall because I like the last stall, it feels safe and I may be attached to it.

There’s your weird Wednesday tidbit for the week, I know you needed it, it’s been too long.

Now I want to discuss my least favorite part about moving into Baltimore so far - finding a new gym. I was lucky enough to be added to Andrew's existing gym pass when I first moved out here, so the original relocation didn't involve any kind of search whatsoever...

Technically this picture has no relation to the topic aside from the fact that it was taken this past Sunday from my new house's deck. Pretty huh?

I tried out the Canton Merritt Gym last week, and ended up going about 5 times, to two different spin classes. Final verdict: Sorry current Merritt users, I was not overly impressed with the Canton location.

source

It was fine, as gym standards go. But it’s very much a ‘scene’. Every other girl is decked out in her LuLu Lemon, which let’s be honest I would be too it I had the money. All of the weights areas were extremely 20-something male dominated, most who wanted nothing more than to gaze at their beloved muscles in the mirrors.

It was annoying.

But hey, it was a free week of working out, and now I know that I don’t want to join there. The spin class that I attended there on Monday also rubbed me the wrong way, per the instructor getting off her bike, jumping frantically around the room from bike to bike, yelling in our faces.

That’s just not my cup of tea. I’m a self-motivator, I realllllly don’t want your sweaty face in mine while I’m on the bike. No hard feelings OK?

Next on the list to try is the Canton Club, which looks to be a bit smaller and doesn’t have a pool. Hopefully it's less bro-ish. A pool isn't the deciding factor for me when it comes to joining gyms, but technically I should be swimming right now as part of my training… I will probably hit up the public pool a couple times prior to August 11^th.

 Last but probably most importantly... I tried out the local Canton Froyo shop last night. Great news – they had crumbled up cupcakes as a topping option.

Life is good.

We’re sitting on the hump you guys. Is that the weekend I smell?

Cheers to gym hopping!

Fab Fourth

Let's work backwards through the weekend, shall we? It will be fun, I promise.

As of an hour ago, my dinners/lunches are made for the week - I whipped up a Mexican Taco Stew courtesy of the Whole Foods recipe app, as well as that Avacado Quinoa Salad that I've made in the past.

For the record, the Whole Foods App is legit!

Hopefully I should be set for at least a few days on the food piece.

This afternoon I also logged 7 disgustingly hot miles. So hot in fact, that I had to take a break after 5 and finish up the last 2 after a water/AC rest stop.

Proof of the heat:

Note the 'feels like' temperature...

More Proof:

so sexy, i know.

Prior to the run, Andrew and I had to return our hot ride that he rented for the weekend...

We woke up Saturday morning realizing we had just about zero plans for the rest of the weekend. Time together is short these days as he's scheduled to leave for awhile at the end of the month.

My proposal over coffee that morning was that we either rent or steal a boat. His was better.

"Let's rent a convertible and drive."

It was the luck of the draw that we happened to get the beautiful 2014 mustang. It was a blessing that we ended up in ended up in Shenandoah National Park down in Virginia.

It was a gorgeous 70-some degrees once we were up in the mountains, and the view rivaled some that I've seen out in the Rockies. We both took the day to soak it all in, cruise in our fake rich car, and do some hiking/exploring.

Andrew suggested that I wash my knee in the waterfall pictured above, that the fresh water would heal me. That I'm not so sure of, but I may find out this week if I end up going to the orthopedic doctor. I haven't decided yet if it's necessary or not, but technically I'm currently training for a triathlon & a marathon and shouldn't be fooling around anymore with these aches and pains, ya dig?

Prior to our Saturday excursion was of course the Fourth of July celebrations, which occurred at my house & deck in Baltimore. I really couldn't have asked for more out of our celebrations, I think my roommates would agree... it was a successful evening.

I could babble on forever about the details of the past four days, but I won't. I'm tired and would love to spend the evening stretching, icing, and planning for the week. It's looking to be a hot one here in Salty Balty, and some laps in the pool sounds pretty good right about now.

Hope everyone had an excellent holiday weekend. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see what this week has in store.

Cheers!

Fireworks

I have a serious question.

How in the crap is it already july?? Slow your roll summer, I still have gallons of precious memories to make with you. Like a few more of these:

Summer staple right there. Snagged one of those bad boys on Sunday after some Frisbee golfing.

There’s been an abundance of July goals and ambitions put out there on the blogosphere, and it caused me a bit of a panic attack at first. My orderly type-A life has been a bit upturned lately due to travel, moving, etc., and I hadn’t really thought ahead to July. AKA I don’t reallllyyyy have a July goal, except to begin bettering my life in a couple different ways. And to fulfill the below request:

But for real, WHY are there no firework emoticons for the iPhone??

I realize that 'bettering my life' is an incredibly loose, broad statement. Normally broad undefined statements stress me out a lot. This one doesn't... I kind of am looking at it as a challenge. I’m excited to define it with you guys a little further. Not today though. Today’s a Tuesday that’s basically my Thursday and that’s way too deep of a post for a Thursday, wouldn’t you agree?

I actually did define one small July goal…. Well that’s kind of a lie, I adopted another blog’s goal for her BodyLove July challenge – no weighing myself in the month of July. This actually shouldn’t be toooo difficult as I haven’t weighed myself for awhile anyways. Yet June was definitely a strange, off-track month for me when it came to eating and working out, and if I had to guess right now the scale would reflect that. And that’s ok, because life happens. And so on par with the whole ‘better my life’ challenge this month, eating and training better will definitely be part of this.

Speaking of training, I knocked out a sweat-tayyyyy 7 miles yesterday after work. I followed the path/piers all along the harbor, and am not even joking a little bit when I say that I passed AT LEAST 20 other girls in my age range, running solo

But seriously, I need to join a running group when I’m feeling 100% better. It’s on my better me list. I got home from the run extra drenched and man oh man it felt good.

I’ve been gym searching/hopping lately. It’s necessary for now, until I figure out what I like in Baltimore and what I’m willing to pay. And if we are being honest I kind of dislike gym hopping. I was going to a tiny little guy near my work two weeks ago, and it was fine, but let’s be real I’m kind of a gym brat and love my pool/hot tub/yoga classes etc.

I will keep you updated on my search. I’m trying out the Canton Merritt Gym starting this week….

Answer me this, before I go… what’s your favorite, go-to emoji? Mine is for sure the skull, followed by the lips.

Example. Skull is always applicable.

Cheers!