You Win Some. You Lose Some.

It's been a bad week on the workout front, but overall it was a good week on a lot of other fronts.  I guess you win some, you lose some.

Monday, February 25: Today was my 33rd birthday.  While I would have loved to take the day off of work, that wasn't in the cards.  However, I did have a fantastic birthday dinner with Mr. R&R.  My initial plan for the day was to make a simple dinner and then hit the bike trainer.  By the time I got home from work, I was willing to let Ronald McDonald make me dinner if it meant not having to cook (and it's Shamrock Shake season).  Fortunately, Mr. R&R had a better idea: Ristorante Bartolotta.  This is one of those restaurants we've always meant to try, but somehow never have...until tonight.  We started with the Mozzarella di Pizzaiola as an appetizer.  The green olives in the dish were a pleasant surprise. The entrees were out of this world.  I chose the Papparelle al Ragu d'Anatra (duck ragu over pappardelle pasta) and Mr. R&R had the Gemelli con Funghi Porcini, Fegatini di Pollo e Tartufo Nero (gemelli with porcini mushrooms, chicken livers and black truffles).

My entree: Pappardelle al Ragu d'Anatra (duck ragu over pappardelle pasta)

Mr R&R's Entree (I'm not retyping all that Italian!)

For dessert, he had the flourless chocolate cake and I had a sampler of house-made sorbets (lemon, raspberry, and red wine).  It was a wonderful meal and I can't say enough good things about Ristorante Bartolotta.  If you're ever in Milwaukee, you really need to eat there!

Tuesday, February 26: Snow storm.  It started snowing heavily around 2pm. By 4pm, our office made the decision to close early so that people could try to get home before the roads got even worse.  I live less than 3 miles from work and it still took me over an hour to get home because of a nasty combination of road construction, heavy traffic, snow-covered roads, and nearly non-existent visibility.  (All pictures were taken when I was either completely stopped in traffic or pulled over on the side of the road.  I'm not willing to get in a car wreck for the sake of taking pictures!)

Main road with heavy traffic

Snow-covered side street

Wednesday, February 27: It was another long, crazy day at the office since we'd closed early on Tuesday, but I did manage to jump on the trainer for 30 minutes and managed to have another good ride. My average speed is still improving...slowly.

Thursday, February 28: I honestly don't remember what the hell happened.  I'm guessing it was a flimsy excuse at best!

Friday, March 1: I originally planned to hit the track or the gym. Instead I ended up grocery shopping and getting a good jump on my weekend cleaning projects. Don't ask me how, but every Sunday night, my house is reasonable in order and by Friday, it looks like a small tornado went through the place.

Saturday, March 2: How many people can say that they look forward to getting their taxes done? I know my mom can since not only do I do her taxes for her every year, but I also make her lunch on that day! After mom's taxes were done (and the bunnies were thoroughly spoiled with attention and carrots from their Grandma Naner), Mr. R&R headed out for Board Game Night with his buddies and I tackled some of those annoying little projects that always get pushed to the back burner because I run out of time.  I think I'm going to count the mental exercise of tax preparation and the physical exercise of dashing up and down the stairs between the second floor and the basement about a thousand times as a work out!

Sunday, March 3: I haven't slept past 8AM on a weekend in a very long time, but today I didn't even open my eyes until 10AM!  Today was a nice mix of fun stuff (watching episodes of The Amazing Race on Netflix, drinking half a pot of coffee, browsing pretty summer dresses online) and necessary stuff (making sure I have enough clothes ironed for the week, cleaning Walter and Spot's house, doing Walter and Spot's laundry).  I swear that those rabbits make more laundry than we do!  I don't really mind though since Walter loves fresh towels in his house and I get a kick out of Spot "helping" us fold their towels and then climbing the stacks when they're done.

It's clean...for now.

Laundry Assistant

Housekeeping Supervisor

I also had dinner with Dad, Little Brother, Little Sister and the rest of the clan tonight. I'm currently stuffed with pizza and garlic bread, my clothes for tomorrow are laid out, my lunch is made, and I'm headed to bed since I think I'm looking at another crazy week!

Puddle Jumper

Another week of trying. Another week of partially succeeding. I may not have gotten in the desired number of workouts, but I did do two things I've been meaning to do for quite a while!

Monday, February 18:  Little Sister and I were supposed to have dinner together a week ago, but at the last minute, something came up and she wasn't able to make it.  We rescheduled for tonight - and she brought a last minute addition: her boyfriend (I really need to come up with a blog name for him).  This led to a little last minute scrambling on my part: setting an extra place, making a bigger salad, and crossing my fingers that the pasta dish I'd made would go far enough; but in the long run it all worked out and I got what you all really want anyways: Mason pictures!!!!!

Snuggling with Mr. R&R

Rocking his hoodie

After our guests left, I had just enough time to squeeze in a quick 30 minute ride on the trainer which went really well.  Between hosting guests and working out, I was exhausted and passed out by 11:00pm.

Tuesday, February 19: Wicked day at the office. It was one of those days where you feel like any time you complete a task, six more take its place - oh and the clock is moving at triple speed.  Before I knew it, it was after 5:00, so I quickly changed into my running clothes (Yes, I closed my office door first.) while simultaneously sending emails and tying up some loose ends, made a quick pit stop at home to drop off my bag, and drove over to The Track.  That's right...I finally made it there!  After standing in line for what felt like forever, I didn't have a lot of time to run since I had promised Mr. R&R that I would be home by 6:45 so we could run errands.  I made the most of the 24-ish minutes I had. If my foot pod data is correct (which I'm not entirely sure), I ran those miles at a pace I didn't think I'd be seeing any time soon.  Of course, now I want to go back there and see if I have another speed burst!

Proof that I actually went!

I swear the lanes get more narrow every time I go!

Wednesday, February 20: 9+ hours at work. Rabbits in dire need of fresh greens. Laundry basket overflowing with workout clothes in need of washing.  Rest Day.

I ran in my normal shoes (AdiZero Tempo) last night and my knee felt perfectly normal today!

I seriously love these shoes.

 Thursday, February 21:Lazy-itis struck.  I may not have worked out, but I did make a tasty dinner.

Pesto Pork Chop w/ Mozzarella, Garlic and Olive Oil Cous Cous & Steamed Veggies

And I folded the ginormous basket o' running clothes - with assistance from my little "helper".

Friday, February 22: We got about 4 inches of snow between Thursday night and Friday morning, so that made for an interesting morning commute.  Fortunately the roads were much better when I left work, because I had about 30 minutes to change my clothes, fix my face, and get to a party celebrating a friend's new job.  I spent the night alternating between beer and Diet Coke, nibbling on some of the best fried mushrooms I've ever eaten, and laughing my ass off.

Saturday, February 23: Yeah...I shouldn't drink beer and stay out late...but sometimes it's worth it.  Last night was definitely worth it. We got a few things done around the house and then had a nice evening at home.

Sunday, February 24: 34 degrees + sunny + no wind = I RAN 5 MILES OUTSIDE!!!!!!!  Can you tell I'm a little happy about that?  The only really bad part was having to jump over icy, slushy puddles. Inevitably, I couldn't quite leap all the way over some of them, so I ended up with some icy water seeping into my shoes.  Somehow, I'm not nearly as inclined to try to hurdle over puddles in summer - I just go crashing through them. Maybe it's the difference between warm and frigid water? Oh, and I cursed the handful of home/business owners who don't feel that city snow removal ordinances apply to them, but overall it was a fantastic run - even if it wasn't fast. I may even have a mild case of sun/windburn on my face!

3

I managed to work out 3 times this week. Not great, but better!

(source)

Monday, February 11: I was going to spend an hour on the trainer, but Mr. R&R convinced me to bundle up an go for a run outside.  I piled on a bunch of layers (arctic tights, fleece lined pants, base layer, heavy hoodie, high visibility windbreaker, wool socks, hat, and mittens), laced up my trail shoes since they have better grip than my usual shoes, fired up the Garmin, and headed out the door.  The first 1/2 mile was really good - then we hit the ice patches and were forced to do a lot of walking since neither of us felt like falling down or breaking a bone.  It quickly became obvious that the main goal was to stay on our feet and run whenever the ground was clear enough.  All in all, we covered 3 miles and although they were really slow, I'm pleased with them. That little run in the rain two week ago has been on my mind ever since - a sure sign that I need to be running more.

Tuesday, February 12: The trainer sounded good. A short, slow run outside sounded even better, so I piled on my layers again and Mr. R&R and I set off in a different direction than last night in hopes of a less icy experience.  It wasn't bad!  As we were running, we kept trading off who took the lead when a car was approaching (the road wasn't wide enough for us to run side by side while a car passed) and we started cracking lame jokes about being dressed like citrus fruit due to our high-visibility jackets.  Mr. R&R, in his bright orange Saucony jacket, became 'Tropicana' and I, in my bright green Brooks jacket, became 'Limeade'.  We kept saying things like, 'Limeade takes the lead!' and 'This one's all Tropicana!' I'm sure it sounds silly, but it amused us greatly. I'll post pictures of us in our 'Citrus Wear' soon.  I've also determined that although my trail shoes are the safest option for outdoor running right now, I really hate wearing them on concrete.  They're really stiff (which is good on a rock and root covered trail) and it's really messing with my stride.

Great on trails. Sucks on concrete.

Wednesday, February 13: My right knee decided to be all sore and twinge-y. It was an ass-meet-couch kind of night.

Thursday, February 14: Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday, February 15: Work kicked my ass today.  I had my bag packed with both swim gear and run gear and I had plans to leave work by no later than 3:30pm so I could hit the pool.  4:00pm rolled around and I was still at my desk, so I resigned myself to the track.  Okay...not what I had planned, but still a solid workout.  When 4:30 rolled around and I finally walked out the door, my motivation was gone.  I drove home, laid on my bed for an hour and seriously considered the merits of ordering a pizza and vegetating on the couch for the rest of the night.  Then I got one an email that reminded me of one of the many reasons why that was not a valid option.  I got dressed, hauled my booty downstairs, and spent 45 minutes spinning on the trainer - and had my fastest ride of the year so far!  I'm still not where I want to be, but I'm slowly working my way back there.

Saturday, February 16: My right knee really seems to have some issues lately.  Does cleaning count as cross-training?

Sunday, February 17: The knee felt markedly better today, but I'm giving it one more day of rest to be sure.  There's no point in pissing it off unless I have to!  I'm also thinking that the source of the knee issues may be those trail shoes.  I'm aiming to run in my normal shoes next week to test that theory.

1 Is Better Than None?

Yeah...another not so hot week.  I don't like this theme!

Monday, February 4 - Wednesday, February 6: Between being buried at work and feeling 'not quite right', I was a sofa spud. On a positive note, I did manage to read an entire book in one sitting. On a negative note, I ate the better part of a pound of gummy bears.

(source)

Thursday, February 7: We got a lot of snow today.  My original intention was to go to the gym or the track, but the 2 1/2 mile drive home from work was unnerving and there was no way in hell I was driving again until the plows had a chance go through.

 I spent 45 minutes on the trainer, spinning my little heart out, and while the results were an improvement over my last trip to the 'Babe Cave', I'm still not happy.  I can't get anywhere close to where I was speed-wise on the roads last summer, much less anywhere near where I was on the trainer.  Sigh. I'll keep plugging away at it, but it's getting frustrating to see such small improvements.  I need some dramatic results!

This is NOT the kind of dramatic results I'm looking for!

 Friday, February 8: Mr. Fix-It's birthday was this weekend, so a party was in order!  There was homemade authentic Mexican food (which I was too busy shoving down my throat to bother taking pictures), beer, sledding, and a baby wearing bunny slippers!

If you think the slippers are adorable, you should have seen the baby that was wearing them!

Saturday, February 9: The roads were finally decent enough to make the 45 minute drive to the nearest outlet mall and return a few things, so we did - just under the 90 day return window!

Sunday, February 10: It was pouring rain all day - leading to shitty, icy roads. My house was a train-wreck. I cleaned. I organized. I did laundry. I didn't work out. *slaps own hand*

This not working out thing is getting old. Really old.

It Was The %*#!@%$ Treadmill!

What a strange week it's been weather-wise.  We went from a high temperature of 59 on Tuesday, to a combination rain/snow storm on Wednesday, and then into a deep freeze for the rest of the week!  I don't know about you, but I think Mother Nature may be a little out of whack these days!

Monday, January 28: It was in the low 40's when we got home from work, so Mr. R&R and I decided to take a walk - and stop for dinner at one of our favorite local pubs.  I had the Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich (looked like the picture below except chicken instead of a burger) and a Stella.  Yum!

(source)

 Tuesday, January 29: When you live in Wisconsin and it's 59 degrees in January, you move heaven and earth to leave work early so you can enjoy it - and that's exactly what I did.  I got home from work and threw on some running clothes.  After a not-so-brief delay while my Garmin had a temper tantrum, I headed out the door for a few miles.  It felt so good to be running outside again that I didn't even care that it was pouring rain and I was getting soaked.  You know what felt even better?  Figuring out: It's not me! It's the %*#!@%$ treadmill!  My pace, while not stellar, was so much better than what I've been putting up on the treadmill.  Seeing my pace on the road made me feel like I'm not quite as out of shape as I thought, so that was encouraging.

Wednesday, January 30: The original plan for today was to hit The Track after work, but a couple inches of snow and some evil traffic changed my plan to a trainer ride instead.  Instead of my usual YouTube video of choice, I popped an old DVD to keep me entertained for about 30 minutes.  By the time I was done with my ride, the movie had reached a critical point, so I tacked on 10 minutes of core work so I could keep watching.  If you've never seen Spirit of the Marathon, I can't say enough good things about it - and I hear they're making a sequel! (#RunningNerd)

(source)

Thursday, January 31: Burned out legs = Rest Day

Friday, February 1: First, I was going to go to the pool, but then it was 6 degrees outside with a windchill of -15. The thought of going outside with wet hair post-swim sounded like a form of torture, so I decided that The Track sounded like a better plan.  Of course this meant stopping home to change since I had swim stuff with me, not run stuff.  Bad idea.  Once I was in the toasty warm house, I didn't want to leave again, so I got a jump on cleaning up the mess that seems to invade my house between Sunday and Friday every week. Yes, I know it's a pathetic excuse. Yes, I will be keeping both swim and run stuff in my bag from now on.

Saturday, February 2: This was my planned rest day since Mr. R&R and I had plans to attack another one of our household deep cleaning/de-cluttering projects. I'm pleased to say that it was a smashing success!  Added bonus: water bottles no longer threaten to fall on my head when I open up a cabinet!

Sunday, February 3: Super Bowl Sunday!  The plan was to go to the gym before heading off to a party, but a minor planning problem found me scurrying off to the grocery store instead, but never fear; we arrived at the party bearing buffalo chicken dip and s'mores bars!

This week wasn't good, but it wasn't a total loss either.  My gym bag is now packed with both swim stuff and run stuff...and I will be working out more next week!

Cookie Craving

Last weekend I had a serious cookie craving - and my Girl Scout cookies weren't due to arrive until later in the week, so I did what any sensible woman fiending for a sugar fix would do: took stock of what was in my cabinets and prowled the depths of the interwebs  until I found a cookie recipe that contained those ingredients.  The results were buttery, chewy, cookie perfection - there were none left by Monday morning!

So without further ado, I give you:

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
(adapted from DulceDough.com)
Makes Around 32 Cookies

The Stuff:
3/4 cup butter - microwaved until almost melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (plus up to an additional 1/4 cup if needed)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

The Process:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-In a large bowl beat the butter and sugars together. (I used an electric mixer, but you can easily do this by hand.)
-Add egg and vanilla and beat until somewhat fluffy

-In a separate bowl, use a fork to combine flour, baking soda, and salt evenly

-Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly until you have something that resembles cookie dough.

-Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips - you will get an arm workout doing this!

-If the dough is too soft (which is more likely if you used an electric mixer), add up to another 1/4 cup of flour until it holds together when scooped into a tablespoon.

-Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet; leaving approximately 2 inches between the dough blobs. (I managed to get 9 cookies on a standard sheet)

-Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown on top, but still a little doughy-looking in the middle.

-Remove from oven and cool on the pan for about 3 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

-Wait until they're "cool enough", pour yourself a glass of milk, and enjoy!

(And if you really care about how many calories are in your cookies, I ran the recipe through the app I use to track my calories in/burned; there's approximately 128 in each one.)

It Is What It Is

This week didn't even hold a candle to last week, but like the post title says: It Is What It Is.


Monday, January 21: I swear that the universe does not want me to ride on the trainer.  I was all psyched up to ride for an hour and the following things happened:

• Every time I tried to watch a video on YouTube, my Adobe flash plug-in crashed.  After multiple attempts to fix the problem, I got annoyed with how much time I was wasting and decided to listen to one of my Spotify playlists.

No YouTube for me...and I love spinning to this video!

• Launched Spotify only to have my internet connection go down  about 2 1/2 minutes into the first song of the playlist.

No Spotify for me!

•  Got irritated and launched iTunes - which doesn't have all the songs I wanted to hear, but it did the job.  

Of course by the time I got all my technical issues sorted out, I only had about 30 minutes left to ride, so I hopped on and busted my tail.  When I was done, I threw in another 10-15 minutes of strength training and stretching.

Tuesday, January 22: Rest day.  I got a flu shot, made dinner, and spent the night communing with the couch - and perusing race websites as I try to figure out what races I want to do this year.

Wednesday, January 23: I was planning to try out one of the longer flows on my new yoga dvd, but then someone set me off and suddenly hard core cardio was much more appealing.  To the 'Babe Cave'!  An hour later I was a gross, sweaty, and far less irritated mess.  My bike speed is nowhere near where it was 2 months ago, but it's getting a little better every time I ride.

Not nearly as cool as the Bat Cave, but it's all mine!

 Thursday, January 24: I looked at my schedule for the upcoming weekend and realized that I had two choices: A) Grocery shop tonight or B) Fight the Saturday crowds at the grocery store.  If you've been hanging around here for any length of time, you know that I loathe the grocery store in general, but find it even more loathsome when it's crowded, so off to the store I went.  By the time I made it home, purged a few lurking science experiments from the refrigerator and got everything put away, it was late and a desire for dinner beat out the desire to sweat.  On a positive note, my refrigerator and freezer are well stocked for a while - and I made cookies (which I promptly ate 4 of...damn)!

Friday, January 25: Mr. R&R and I had dinner plans with Maverick and Goose tonight, so I worked through lunch, planning on a quick change in my office, driving straight to The Track after work and cramming in a few quick miles before making a mad dash home to shower and get to the restaurant on time.  Of course, as soon as I shut down my computer my office phone started ringing - resulting in me being there for another half an hour - and my workout plans going out the window.  Dinner, however, was fabulous!

Saturday, January 26-Sunday, January 27: I found myself needing a weekend where I did nothing more than lay on the couch...so I took it.  I may not have worked out, but I did fine tune the recipe for some yummy cranberry white chocolate chip cookies (I'll try to post about those soon) and a lasagna - so the weekend wasn't a total loss!

Here's hoping next week's workout log looks more like Monday and Wednesday, and less like Thursday through Sunday!