Staying Tough, Mentally

It’s almost August – I really don’t know where July went. I suppose I spent it logging miles, nursing my little hound, and teleworking a lot.

As of August 4, I have exactly a month until my Half! I’m excited and looking forward to the challenge. The miles we’ve been logging (seven last weekend, six the weekend before, and five the weekend before that) have bolstered my confidence. Yet, I’m also scared out of my mind. 13.1 miles is a long way. I felt so accomplished last Saturday when we finished our seven mile run. As I cooled off and walked home with Hubs, both sipping our iced coffees, I realized that we will be running 6.1 MORE miles on the day of the race. Right now, that feels inconceivable.

I know I’ve come a long way during training. Where I am now, two miles, three miles, even four miles don’t seem like long runs anymore. These are no longer “stretch” workouts for me — instead they’re my evening runs. It’s what I do when I get home from work. I love that feeling and it’s so nice to see what my body can do. Around Memorial Day, I was worried about finishing a 5k. A month before that, I could have maybe run one mile (if chased). I really love the level of fitness I’m working toward. I love that I’m healthy enough to get out and sweat after a long day at work. It’s nice to know I’m pushing myself again.

I’m trying hard to stay positive and motivated. I try not to think about the mileage increases each Saturday. I just think about the next mile. However, I do catch myself sometimes thinking about Saturday’s long run in “how in the world am I gonna do that?!?!” terms. But, I get out and I do it. Having Hubs with me is super helpful and really spurs me on to keep running. I really enjoy the time we get to spend together on our runs. Even when we devolve into grunts and panted questions about which direction we’re going next, seeing him running beside me motivates me to keep going.

Have you trained for a distance race? How do you stay mentally tough during training? On race day? I’ll take all the advice I can get!!

Also, y’all, I am suffering from the worst planning mistake ever! My passionate love of college football (especially my alma mater, the University of Georgia) has collided with this race I’ve been planning for the past seven months. I failed to look at a football schedule. 😦 Georgia’s season opener, at the Georgia Dome, Saturday night prime time, on ESPN, is the night before my half. *Insert huge sigh here* I anticipate struggles sleeping anyway, so maybe it will be nice to have the tv on in the background as I try to fall asleep? Or, there’s always the chance I get sucked in, get worked up, and get little to no sleep the night before I run 13.1 miles. If that happens (and if we lose) I will be VERY, VERY cranky. All right, I’m done being melodramatic. It’s one football game, but I’m committed y’all!

The Return of Reading!

Okay, so reading itself isn’t returning (cause y’all know I’m addicted). Instead, this is the return of book reviews! I’ve been reading up a storm this month — you can keep tabs on what pages I’m turning on the right hand side of the page. I should also really clean up/update my “books” page. (I need to get my laptop working again so I can use my delightful publishing software…) Onto the books!

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson

This was my wonderful friend Blair’s pick for our book club. I’d been secretly eyeing in on Amazon and I was thrilled when she picked it (thus forcing me to buy it). The author, Erik Larson, also wrote Devil in the White City which is about the Chicago World’s Fair and a serial killer operating in Chicago around that time. (I know, it sounds like a weird combo but it was great!)

Larson’s newest book tells the story of the Dodd family living in Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power. The father, William Dodd, served as the United State’s ambassador to Germany at the time. Most of the story is told through the point of view of William and his daughter Martha. Martha, quite the floozy, loves the intrigue of the Nazi party and its members. Her exploits through the book, including a serious relationship with a member of the KGB’s predecessor, were quite astonishing especially given the time period.

I never really got attached to any of the characters, but I did find their lives very interesting. I also kept having to remind myself that this was non-fiction. Larson tells his stories so well that you would swear you’re reading a fictional thriller. The ending is a bit of a downer but I suppose I shouldn’t have expected rainbows and sunshine at the end of a book about the rise of Hitler. I’d definitely recommend In the Garden of Beasts to anyone who is interested in the time period, enjoys political intrigue, or enjoys very well written non-fiction.

 

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

After reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, I was curious to read more from Michael Pollan. In Defense of Food flew by for me and I felt like this book was much more relatable than Omnivore’s Dilemma. Pollan discusses the current obsession with “nutrients” and some interesting paradoxes in the Western world. For example, Western doctors often find obese patients with vitamin deficiencies that are normally only found in malnourished populations. Their hypothesis, and one of the largest components of Pollan’s book, is that we’ve stopped eating food.

That sounds weird, but it doesn’t seem to be too far from the truth. We’ve made eating so easy and refined food products so much, that a lot of what we put in our bodies doesn’t resemble real food — the kinds of things our grandparents ate growing up. Because of this, we put a lot of “food products” into our body but not as much nutrition. Scientists try to fill this gap by isolating nutrients (like Omega-3s or saturated fats) and painting them as good or bad. The “good” nutrients become fads and food scientists find ways to inject them into foods that they would never occur in naturally. Because it’s not a natural occurrence, we don’t reap as much of the benefits. It’s starting to become obvious that it’s not just one nutrient, but the interaction of a group of nutrients from various foods, that cause good health benefits.

With that in mind, Pollan encourages readers to Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. He breaks down this (seemingly logical) advice into real world applications in the final section. Unlike Omnivore’s Dilemma, most of the information and advice given was very relatable. I finished the book and wanted to go immediately to a Farmer’s Market. I’d highly recommend this book — it’s a fast read and very informative. I think we should all know more about what and how we eat!

“Scent”sational

Y’all, it smells like cheese in my office. Don’t read this wrong. I’m not saying “ewwww it smells like cheese.” It’s not a bad thing (really). Someone is eating cheese nearby, I can just tell. (I smell it.) And, whoa boy does this make me want some cheese.

All right, let’s hop off the crazy train. I don’t want this to turn into a post about my love of cheese. (You all know that by now.)

I set a new personal distance record on Saturday! Hubs and I ran six miles Saturday am. It wasn’t speedy, but it was almost fun. Like my four miler on Thursday, there was never really a point where I absolutely hated what I was doing/really, really wanted to stop. It’s so hard for me to believe that I’ll be running more than double that distance in a month and a half or so. Whoa!

On Friday, Hubs and I joined our friends for our first night out in three weeks at Truckeroo!

(Source.)
Truckeroo is a gathering of about twenty of DC’s food trucks; it’s happening once a month through October at “Das Bullpen” near Nationals’ Park. Hubs and I split an order of Poutine from “Eat Wonky.” Hubs then got soft shell crab tacos (not kidding) from Sabora Street while I dined on Ethiopian cuisine from the Fojol Brothers. Holy YUM! I had the berbere beef (slightly spicy but so flavorful) and shiro (which was so good that I can’t even describe it) complimented (and consumed) by inerja (Ethiopian sponge bread). I was stuffed and the meal was just $7. Let’s just say I cannot wait to get my hands on some more Fojol Brother’s Cuisine! I decided to round out my evening with a trip to the Pleasant Pops truck where I scored a summer peach pop (which tasted exactly like a huge, juicy peach) and a lei.

I’d highly recommend the Fojol Brothers for a delicious, filling street food meal. Pleasant Pops is equally awesome and the perfect summer treat. They frequent a lot of DC Markets so be on the look out! Their fruit and dairy are all local which is also a plus. I’m looking forward to returning to Truckeroo in August to try out some other food trucks. (Wow, now I’ve made myself hungry all over again…)

Speaking of being hungry, Hubs has undertaken something slightly crazy this week. He watched some documentary on Netflix about an Austrailian man who did a 60 day juice fast to help with his medical conditions and weight. By the end of his fast (which was overseen by a doctor) he had lost a decent amount of weight and was on little to no medication to treat his (now prior) medical conditions. Hubs thought it sounded interesting and, after our indulgent weekend, he decided to give it a go for the next five days.

Instead of juice, he’s drinking smoothies made up entirely of fruits and vegetables. He rolled through the produce section last night just grabbing all sorts of greens, fruits, veggies, etc. He is also planning to eat nuts (almonds and walnuts) as well as a light white bean salad to help keep his calorie count up in a good range and to make sure he’s getting all the protein he needs. Neither one of us is sure if he’ll make it five days and neither one of us knows what benefits (if any) he’ll see. However, before he undertook this we both agreed that if it ever got “dangerous” he would immediately quit and have a real meal. I’ll let you know how this works out/how grumpy he is… 🙂

I’m also trying to eat (mostly) clean this week after my past week of glutenous eating. I planned out my meals, bought some extra fruits and veggies, and made sure not to bring any alcohol or dessert into the house. When consumed in moderation, treats are fine. I just have problems with moderation. 🙂 I’ve got a couple new recipes on tap so that will keep things interesting. (I just feel slightly guilty cooking when Hubs can only drink a smoothie. Maybe it won’t look good and he won’t feel like he’s missing out on anything?)

How was your weekend? Have you ever tried any kind of “raw” diet?

A week in numbers

0 – the number of staples in/on Buddy (yesss, staple free!)
1 – night spent on amazon.com “trading in” our old textbooks for amazon credit. (this is awesome, you should do it. ask me if you have questions!)
2 – cups of coffee consumed this morning (also see: number of pills Buddy is down to each day)
3 – runs so far this week
4 – miles run yesterday without stopping
5 – bags of dog treats for our spoiled dog (all different too, spoiled!)
6 – food trucks I anticipate eating at/sampling from this evening at TRUCKEROO!

It has been a pretty good week! Buddy “looks awesome” according to the vet and has almost completed three weeks of crate rest. He’s such a patient little dog.

I had a few good runs (including a four miler yesterday where I never once wanted to quit), enjoyed book club (book review coming soon), my old boss’ wife had  their baby on 7-11, and we got a package in the mail from my parents for Buddy (spoiled)! Tonight is Truckeroo and tomorrow is Dan and Kelly’s annual luau. So excited. Hubs and I are also aiming for a 5.5-6 mile long run tomorrow morning. Hopefully it goes as well as yesterday’s four miler!

On the not so good side, I apparently spent a lot of this week eating poorly and fooling myself into thinking I was eating well. Whoops! This morning, the scale was up and I definitely had a moment of WTF?! I mean, I’m working out more than I have in a long time. Scale, why do you betray me?! Then, I started thinking about what I had to eat this week: BGR for lunch Monday, a 7-11 day slurpee, chinese food, beer, wine, ice cream, pizza and more wine at book club, etc. Oh, my bad, those aren’t health foods?!

(Source.)

Oh, yeah, I guess not. That probably explains my situation this morning. So, I’ve scaled back my grand ambitions (mac and cheese, grilled cheese, poutine, empanadas, tacos, cupcakes) for the food trucks tonight and have tried to make more logical decisions. Hubs has generously offered to split poutine with me so I can still have it – I married him for reasons like this! I’m still looking forward to trying some new trucks and it’s not like I’ll never have another chance to try the grilled cheese truck or the mac and cheese truck. Delayed gratification, right?

Coming next week: more cooking, a book review, and hopefully a report of a successful long run!

Freedom Friday

The apartment is silent this morning. The apartment is currently Buddy-less. (Buddy Free?) The Hound is having a one day staycation with our vet at Ballston Animal Hospital so he can get a little more wound care.

It looks like we’re going to avoid stitches and staples to close his wound so that’s good news! We just have to be patient and wait for his body to do its thing.

After being in the apartment around the clock a lot and constantly with the dog for the past week and a half, it feels kind of like freedom to be by myself. But, I’m working so I can’t go anywhere and, really, I’d rather have my little dog around. He’s such a sweetie and I’m already looking forward to getting him back from the vet this afternoon for some pets and TLC. He has been a lot of work and a lot of worry over the past 10 or so days, but I would do it all again and will continue to do it.

So, since I’m getting a little taste of “reduced” hound care, here’s a few things I’d like to do when Buddy is healthy and healed enough to be left on his own again:

• Go for a run with Hubs
• Truckeroo (gathering of delicious food trucks)
• Happy Hour here, here, or here. (Or, anywhere really!)
• Dinner at The Cajun Experience, Graffiato, and Lincoln.
• DC Restaurant Week! and Alexandria Restaurant Week
• A visit to Eastern Market and Alexandria’s Farmers Market
• The last Harry Potter Movie (sad!) 
• Another race (or two) before the Half
• Dinner/drinks with my various groups of girlfriends
• Go to a National’s Game (I swear, beer and hot dogs taste best at sporting events)
• Grill out by the Potomac (Belle Haven Marina anyone?)
• Maryland’s Renaissance Festival
• DC Beer Week

Clearly, a lot of this revolves around eating. Maybe because I’m hungry? 🙂 I think it’s time for some lunch. Today features a recreation of yesterday’s lunch: SlowCooker Red Beans and Rice mixed with Mmm sauce to chill out the spice a little. The result is creamy and DELICIOUS!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Stress (Less)?

Here’s a little Anna factoid for you: I am prone to anxiety. Fortunately my anxiety is not debilitating and panic attacks are rare things for me. But, I do seem to love a good worry. I really envy people who are able to look at a situation, consider the facts, and move forward. Also, the people who don’t “what if” a situation to death. However, along with many wonderful traits, my family also carries a predisposition to anxiety and mild depression. Yum.

My current worry? We took Buddy for his first follow up appointment this afternoon. Buddy is looking great – aside from his wound on his tummy. I’ll skip all the nasty details. Basically, the vet wants us to hold a warm compress to his wound for five minutes or so 3-4 times a day. This seems to feel good as Buddy settles down as soon as the warm compress hits his skin. Poor little guy. We have another follow up appointment on Thursday. From that point the vet will decide if he needs to have his wound cleaned and closed with staples or stitches. This is where I start to worry things around in my mind.

Worries: I don’t want him to get an infection. I don’t want him to be in pain. If he has to have the wound closed by the vets, what is that going to cost? If they use staples, how long do those have to stay in? Right now, Hubs and I have enough telework approval to stay home with him until the first set of staples (from all his cuts) come out. But, if he has to get another set of staples, I don’t know if one of us can stay home with him. He should be fine in his crate — but I worry he’ll get his e-collar hung up on something or find a way to lick/nibble at his wound and staples.

End crazy. Okay, so I need to leave this alone. I don’t know if he’s even going to need staples. We could wake up in the morning (after three hot compresses and another good night’s sleep) and his skin could look healthy and pink. It could look even better Thursday morning. And, if that’s the case then I’ve wound myself up for no good reason.

I think I’m a little tense tonight because Hubs is going into work for the rest of the week and I’ll be home alone with the little guy. I’m so fearful of hurting him somehow or exacerbating his injuries. I know he’s a tough little guy and I’ve handled things with Hubs around often enough to know what I’m doing with Buddy-care. But it’s still nerve wracking.

Blah, okay, fretting over with. Thanks for joining me on my crazy train this evening. In other, actual blog related, news — my house arrest with the hound is paying off in some ways! I’ve cooked — Banana bread and two new recipes (Mama Pea’s Mmmm sauce and a Creamy Taco Mac that Brie shared), worked out (a run, a strength training session, and a hill incline session), and devoured my book club book. (Too bad Buddy’s Thursday follow up appointment falls during book club. Oh well. Hound first, wine second.)

Hubs just leaned over and asked if I was “blogging about my feelings.” 🙂 He can always tell when I’m worrying something around in my mind. Time for me to put this worry aside, get my little dog to eat dinner, and read some more in my lovely book club book. (Review coming shortly!)

 

Taking Advantage

I love a good deal. Seriously, love it. So, I love getting emails from LivingSocial (and Groupon). You never know what they’re going to give you!

(Source.)

We’ve purchased several restaurant deals through the two sites. It seriously feels like a free meal (aside from tax and tip) when you go out since you’ve already paid for the deal. A couple months ago, Hubs and I saw a deal for Arganica. According to their (drool-worthy) website:

Arganica is the mid-Atlantic’s premier locally sourced food club. Joining Arganica gives you year-round access to an amazing variety of local farm-fresh, artisan and organic foods delivered directly to your door every week. Our aim is to bring you the freshest and widest selection of offerings from our local producer network, while saving you time and money. We think buying local should be easy…not work!

The deal we purchased included a three month membership, two local crates (filled with whatever is freshest), and a $25 credit. Earlier this week, when we found out that we would be staying in town for the long weeked with Buddy, we decided to order our first crate for Sunday delivery. So, bright and early Sunday (almost 6:30 am on the nose) the Arganica delivery guy called to hand over our first crate!

Opening that crate was like fresh food Christmas morning!

(Source.)
Contained within our crate: Kale and Rainbow Chard from Lady Moon Farms, four delicious looking peaches, two pears, two plums, two lemons, two oranges, three purple potatoes (!!!), a yellow onion,  a purple onion, and four large heirloom tomatoes. Not bad considering the fact that this crate is only $25!! I feel like someone did half my grocery shopping for me and brought back all kinds of surprises. Oh, and check this out, you can order just about EVERYTHING through Arganica. You name it, everything from produce to fresh meat, milk, other dairy products, honey, breads, beer, etc. It really is amazing how much locally sourced deliciousness they’ll bring to your door.

So, this morning over coffee we made our menu for the week. With very little planning, we’ll be able to use every since delicious bite of fresh produce. I already cannot wait to order our next crate!

 

 

 

Onto the next one

Better late than never! It’s time to welcome July with a quick look back at June.

1. Get my mileage up! (2/4) I did pretty well with this for most of the month. Even though my mileage wasn’t as high as it needed to be, I was pushing for long runs and running more often. The last week in June definitely suffered after Buddy’s accident. I’m looking forward to really kicking up a notch in July.
2. Weight train (at least once a week). (4/4) They may have not happened once a week as planned, but I did get (at least) four strength training sessions in. Sometimes it was just arms, sometimes it was the P90x “Ab Ripper X” dvd, sometimes it was both. I can’t wait to continue this and see my running and fitness continue to improve. 
3. Read three books that are non-fiction or classics. (4/3) I crushed this pretty much. Books: The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball, The Good Soldiers by David Finkel, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
4. Get Laptop fixed. Seriously, Anna. I did get an external hard drive for our fading desktop computer and I got a wireless USB thinking that might fix our laptop connectivity problems. But, unfortunuately, it still doesn’t recognize our home wireless even though all our other electronics do. 
5. Make a savings plan for summer fun trips. Hubs and I knocked this out pretty quickly. We’ve been following it successfully as well. 
6. Make four new recipes. (3/4) Again, I think I could have nailed this if we hadn’t spent the past week in a daze/frenzy after Buddy’s run in with a car. Still, three new recipes isn’t shabby! Quinoa salad for lunches, pound cake, and Thai Chicken Soup — I would make all of these again!

Time to look at July!
1. Try out four new recipes. I already have at least one in mind for next week! If we’re staying in with the hound for “house arrest” we might as well eat some good things!
2. Run 45 miles in July. After my Saturday run, I “only” need 42.5 more miles!
3. Read six books, three non-fiction or classic. The Kindle has been spurring on my reading. And with “hound house arrest” I should be able to read even more.
4. Share at least two book reviews. I’ll aim for our current book club pick and something perhaps a little fluffier.
5. Complete six strength training sessions for the month. I like seeing my body get stronger and my running get better.
6. Post at least 10 times this month.

What are you up to this month? Any suggestions for books to read or recipes to try? I’m all ears!

Reality Check

It’s a long holiday weekend and Hubs and I were supposed to head to TN with friends to enjoy five days of relaxing, good food, drinks, fireworks, bands, hot tubs, reading, fishing, and more. Obviously, Buddy’s current situation requires us to be at home. A lot. One of us is in the apartment at all times and we plan to keep this up until at least July 13th. (That’s the day Buddy’s staples come out and his surgical collar comes off. Until then, he could potentially be a hazard to himself and/or chew on his wounds and pick at his staples.)

We’re pretty bummed that we’re not sitting on a huge deck in TN, sipping cocktails, and watching our little hound dog run around with a new doggy friend. But, at the same time we’re so thankful to still have our little dog and that tempers the disappointment some.

We’ve been alternating running errands so that neither of us gets stir crazy, but I have a feeling that I’ll be SO READY to leave the apartment together in a few days. Hubs is playing a new video game and I’ve been telling myself that this is a chance to blow through some books. I even got excited about working out today.

My last run (and workout) was last Sunday when Hubs and I did two sweaty, hilly, fast (for me) miles which I then followed up with some more time in the gym. The DC Metro area has an air quality warning today, so I kept it indoors. I did 2.5 gloriously enjoyable miles on the treadmill and then another mile of (walking) hills. It was a nice break to the monotony of the apartment and it was so nice to see that a week of no running didn’t throw me off too much. I plan to try again for another run tomorrow! I will miss running with Hubs for a few weeks; but again, I’d rather give up a little running time with him to take care of our little dog.

Buddy continues to do better. He’s wolfing down chicken, rice, and canned doggy food but he’s still snubbing his normal kibble. Better not get spoiled little dog! He’s only whiny every once in a while and his pain pill consumption is at the low end of what he’s allowed instead of the high end. Buddy is super confused about why he has to stay in his cage. Poor little guy. We can’t wait until his staples and the cone are gone so we can give him his favorite nylabones and some yummy stuffed kongs to keep him busy. Until the cone is gone though, he can’t really use his paws to hold things so we have to bide our time.

6 days of recovery down, 50 days to go!

Recovering

Hubs and I went to pick up our little hound dog yesterday afternoon. We’re so thrilled to have him home with us and Buddy seems pretty happy to be home too. Despite his pelvic fractures, he is eagerly bearing weight and walking with just a sling (a strip of towel looped under his belly) as a precaution. His little body is super sore and he’s on some decent pain killers. But, he’s no longer sedated or drugged really — he’s full of personality again and wagging his tail like a mad man. I hate that he’s hurting, but I’m so thrilled to see him on the mend.

I’m learning a lot in the process. Some of it funny, some of it not, but all of it is happening for a reason.

Lesson 1: My dog can find a pill in anything — treats, chicken, cheese, wet food, you name it. We’re having to just tip his head back, drop in the pill, and rub his throat until he swallows it.

Lesson 2: Hound care is taxing. I love this little guy and would do anything for him. Right now he requires a lot of labor and love. His care is definitely a two person job. Hubs has to go into work for a few hours tomorrow and I’m a little nervous about being alone with Buddy. I’m sure I’ll be fine but I don’t want to inadvertantly hurt the little man more.

Lesson 3: Doggy healthcare is expensive. I mean, serious dollar signs. However, the providers are SO MUCH nicer and easier to deal with than people healthcare. Both hospitals, both sets of vets, and both groups of vet techs are wonderful. They gave us so much information, answered all our questions, and have been so kind. It makes it easier to spend the money knowing we’re really getting a lot of value for it.

Lesson 4: Animal Insurance. I’m not kidding. I’d never heard of it until we adopted Buddy. It was recommended by one of the women who interviewed us prior to his adoption. She said that most dogs will, at some point, eat something they shouldn’t, hurt themselves, get into an accident, get sick, something. Hubs and I never wanted to be in a position where we had to decide whether or not to give our little guy the best care possible because of money. So, we gladly pay about $30 a month for pet insurance. This may have been the best money we’ve spent in a LONG time. Buddy’s little experience cost multiple thousands of dollars. With our insurance, after we meet our deductible they will reimburse us for 90% of our expenses. That turned several thousand dollars into just several hundred dollars. I cannot tell you how relieved I am. Also, like animal healthcare — animal insurance people are awesome and so helpful.

Lesson 5: We have awesome friends. Hubs and I have received so much kindness from our friends and from sheer strangers. In fact, two strangers picked up our dog walker (who was with Buddy when he was hit) and Buddy immediately after he was hit and drove him to the hospital. I wish I knew who they were so I could say thank you. Really, I am overwhelmed with the amount of love, support, prayers, and kind words we’ve received from friends, family, the blog world, and strangers. We are so, so appreciative and Buddy is too.

Lesson 6: Sleeping on the floor beside the dog crate can actually be comfortable with enough pillows and blankets. I slept hard for five hours last night curled up by the crate to make sure I would hear him if he woke up.

The good news is that, with every hour, Buddy seems stronger and more comfortable. He is far more relaxed tonight and really seems to enjoy being at home. I can’t wait to come back soon with even more good news about his continued recovery. 🙂