I didn't actually get in the pool, but I was there, darn it!
My swimming buddy canceled this morning because she wasn't feeling well and I flirted with the idea of not going, but convinced myself to get up and go. Which I did.
Only when I got to the pool, it was jam packed. There were 2 super fast women in one lane, and I knew if I got in with them, I would drive them crazy. All of the other lanes were full of people swimming soooo slooooowly. Like, casually doing breaststroke slowly. I knew if I got in with them, I would have to keep stopping and trying to pass people and I would go crazy.
So I stood there for almost 10 minutes, holding my kickboard and goggles, hoping someone would get out. A guy who I've seen there before and who swims at about my pace came out of the men's locker room, quickly made the same assessment of the other swimmers as I had, said "I don't have time for this", and walked back into the locker room.
I finally gave up too, and drove home. What I should have done was brought my sneakers with me so I could have hopped on the elliptical instead, but I hadn't thought to do that.
So I walked halfway to work, and I'm planning to walk home tonight. Not as good as a swim, but at least it's something.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Quahogs!
It's official, we are fundraising for our swim in St. John! If you're interested in donating, check out the page for our team, The Rhode Island Quahogs.
What's a Quahog, you ask? First of all, it's pronounced coe-hog.
Second, it's a giant clam and in Rhode Island you can often find their big white shells on the beaches.
Quahog clams are used in Stuffies, a Rhode Island specialty.
Quahog is also the fictional town in Family Guy, which is set in Rhode Island and takes on new layers when you actually live in Rhode Island and know the people here.
(I kind of love that when you do a Google image search for "Quahog" you get a pretty even mix of pictures of clams and scenes from Family Guy.)
So the Rhode Island Quahogs are set to dominate! Or at least finish. Our team has had a series of illness and injury setbacks this Spring, so when we finish those 3.5 miles, I'm just going to be happy that we did it, no matter where we fall in the line-up.
What's a Quahog, you ask? First of all, it's pronounced coe-hog.
Second, it's a giant clam and in Rhode Island you can often find their big white shells on the beaches.
Quahog clams are used in Stuffies, a Rhode Island specialty.
Quahog is also the fictional town in Family Guy, which is set in Rhode Island and takes on new layers when you actually live in Rhode Island and know the people here.
(I kind of love that when you do a Google image search for "Quahog" you get a pretty even mix of pictures of clams and scenes from Family Guy.)
So the Rhode Island Quahogs are set to dominate! Or at least finish. Our team has had a series of illness and injury setbacks this Spring, so when we finish those 3.5 miles, I'm just going to be happy that we did it, no matter where we fall in the line-up.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Released
(Posted on both of my blogs, in case you think you're seeing double)
In my church, we have lay clergy and everything is done by volunteers. For example, my bishop has a day job - he's a doctor. I'm a lawyer, but for the past almost 4 years, I've been working with the 12-17 year old girls in our congregation. It has had a huge impact on my life and has taken up a lot of my physical and emotional time and energy.
Some of our girls come from tough backgrounds. One of the girls was 13 when I started, and now I plan to help her with her college applications in the Fall. Two of our girls are starting college in the Fall. Some of them are the first (or second) in their families to go to college, or to even think about college. I'm so proud of the goals they've set for themselves and the things they've accomplished, all while being active with Church and just all-around good people.
I won't lie, I've been feeling kind of burned out. I've tried not to let it show to the girls, but I worry that it has. We have lessons every Sunday that I coordinate. We have weekly activities, sometimes on Saturdays a long ways away. We have other activities in other states. There is a lot of driving (a LOT of driving) and coordinating. And then there's just generally being concerned about the girls and wondering if I'm doing enough for them.
(The answer? No. It's never really enough, but sometimes I have to set limits for myself.)
Last Sunday the Bishop called to ask if he could come by. I had a feeling either Jason was getting a new calling, or I was getting released from mine. It was the latter - I was getting released as the Young Women's President.
Yesterday, I was officially released, and the new Young Women's presidency was put in place.
I've spent the last week feeling alternately relieved to not be in charge anymore, and near tears as I think about not spending as much time with the girls. I've also spent a lot of time pulling together resources and information for the new Young Women's President. We got together Friday night and I went through my typed, page and a half outline with all of the things I wanted to discuss with her. And I realized this morning that I still forgot something. I wanted to tell her a little bit about each of the girls, and also about how we've done things in the past. I'm hoping she might still want to do some of the fun Summer activities I had started to plan. I know she'll want to do her own thing, but she is brand new in our congregation and in the Young Women's program here, and she seemed to appreciate my thoughts.
The good thing is, I'm not moving away, so I'll still be around to help if anyone has any questions, and I'll still see the girls.
Jason and I are driving 5 girls to upstate New York this Saturday for a giant regional activity and then I'm officially done. I feel completely confused as to what I'm supposed to do with myself. Concentrate on my job? Exercise more? Dedicate more time and effort to the two local organizations who just put me on their boards? Clean the basement? Probably all of those things, really.
I still haven't been given a new responsibility at church. Jason speculated yesterday that maybe Bishop is letting me rest. My swimming buddy told me this morning to enjoy it. I still feel like there's an emptiness where I used to be so consumed with something so important - the girls. Now they're someone else's official responsibility, and it's hard to realize that and relax.
On the other hand, yesterday I conducted the music in Sacrament Meeting and I had a flashback to my huge student ward in college where all I had to do every week was pick the hymns and wave my hand around in front of the congregation and no one really cared if I was right or wrong because half the people never even glanced at me, and the other half didn't know enough to know if I was making mistakes. Sometimes an easy church job with extremely low stakes sounds appealing.
In my church, we have lay clergy and everything is done by volunteers. For example, my bishop has a day job - he's a doctor. I'm a lawyer, but for the past almost 4 years, I've been working with the 12-17 year old girls in our congregation. It has had a huge impact on my life and has taken up a lot of my physical and emotional time and energy.
Some of our girls come from tough backgrounds. One of the girls was 13 when I started, and now I plan to help her with her college applications in the Fall. Two of our girls are starting college in the Fall. Some of them are the first (or second) in their families to go to college, or to even think about college. I'm so proud of the goals they've set for themselves and the things they've accomplished, all while being active with Church and just all-around good people.
I won't lie, I've been feeling kind of burned out. I've tried not to let it show to the girls, but I worry that it has. We have lessons every Sunday that I coordinate. We have weekly activities, sometimes on Saturdays a long ways away. We have other activities in other states. There is a lot of driving (a LOT of driving) and coordinating. And then there's just generally being concerned about the girls and wondering if I'm doing enough for them.
(The answer? No. It's never really enough, but sometimes I have to set limits for myself.)
Last Sunday the Bishop called to ask if he could come by. I had a feeling either Jason was getting a new calling, or I was getting released from mine. It was the latter - I was getting released as the Young Women's President.
Yesterday, I was officially released, and the new Young Women's presidency was put in place.
I've spent the last week feeling alternately relieved to not be in charge anymore, and near tears as I think about not spending as much time with the girls. I've also spent a lot of time pulling together resources and information for the new Young Women's President. We got together Friday night and I went through my typed, page and a half outline with all of the things I wanted to discuss with her. And I realized this morning that I still forgot something. I wanted to tell her a little bit about each of the girls, and also about how we've done things in the past. I'm hoping she might still want to do some of the fun Summer activities I had started to plan. I know she'll want to do her own thing, but she is brand new in our congregation and in the Young Women's program here, and she seemed to appreciate my thoughts.
The good thing is, I'm not moving away, so I'll still be around to help if anyone has any questions, and I'll still see the girls.
Jason and I are driving 5 girls to upstate New York this Saturday for a giant regional activity and then I'm officially done. I feel completely confused as to what I'm supposed to do with myself. Concentrate on my job? Exercise more? Dedicate more time and effort to the two local organizations who just put me on their boards? Clean the basement? Probably all of those things, really.
I still haven't been given a new responsibility at church. Jason speculated yesterday that maybe Bishop is letting me rest. My swimming buddy told me this morning to enjoy it. I still feel like there's an emptiness where I used to be so consumed with something so important - the girls. Now they're someone else's official responsibility, and it's hard to realize that and relax.
On the other hand, yesterday I conducted the music in Sacrament Meeting and I had a flashback to my huge student ward in college where all I had to do every week was pick the hymns and wave my hand around in front of the congregation and no one really cared if I was right or wrong because half the people never even glanced at me, and the other half didn't know enough to know if I was making mistakes. Sometimes an easy church job with extremely low stakes sounds appealing.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Challenge Update
Today is Day 4 and let's just say Day 3 didn't go exactly as I had planned. I came into work with the intention to go for a walk at some point during the day. It was absolutely gorgeous yesterday. However, as I was walking into the office, I got a call from a client with an emergency*, which I dealt with off and on all day, in addition to another appointment and all of my other work, and I closed that day with a phone call from the same client, and then ran home and got things ready for a Young Women's activity at my house. So, yeah...
However, I would just like to note that despite not seeking out activity, I still managed to get 7300 steps yesterday, which isn't bad for having such a sedentary job and is significantly higher than the days when I just sit at my desk and go home and watch TV. So I'm going to count all the cleaning and running around from last night as "activity" and call it good.
Today, though, I got in a nice 40-minute walk.
Tomorrow, we swim!
*It's never good when your day starts with, "Holy crap!"
However, I would just like to note that despite not seeking out activity, I still managed to get 7300 steps yesterday, which isn't bad for having such a sedentary job and is significantly higher than the days when I just sit at my desk and go home and watch TV. So I'm going to count all the cleaning and running around from last night as "activity" and call it good.
Today, though, I got in a nice 40-minute walk.
Tomorrow, we swim!
*It's never good when your day starts with, "Holy crap!"
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Challenge: 30 Minutes, 30 Days
I was going to write this yesterday, but, you know, other things seemed more important. I'm so glad no one I knew was hurt in the explosions at the Boston Marathon, and I'm so sad about what happened. But I'm heartened by the lovely words and feelings everyone is sharing today.
So I've decided to challenge myself in a way that has worked well in the past: 30 minutes of activity per day for 30 days. I started yesterday with a great 3.4 mile walk first thing in the morning. Today I went for a walk at lunch up the hill to the sporting goods store and back down to work. I bought boxing gloves because tonight my friend and I are going to our second kickboxing class.*
Prepare for blog posts and Facebook updates complaining about the kickboxing soreness. The good thing is, with this challenge, I can't stop moving. I may only go for a walk, or a little swim, but at least I'll be doing something to work through the pain, and I won't be sedentary all day long.
* I say ugh to the pink boxing gloves. For the ladies. The thing is, I like pink. I like the red that I bought better, but I would be more inclined to buy the pink if I didn't feel like someone was patronizing me.
So I've decided to challenge myself in a way that has worked well in the past: 30 minutes of activity per day for 30 days. I started yesterday with a great 3.4 mile walk first thing in the morning. Today I went for a walk at lunch up the hill to the sporting goods store and back down to work. I bought boxing gloves because tonight my friend and I are going to our second kickboxing class.*
Prepare for blog posts and Facebook updates complaining about the kickboxing soreness. The good thing is, with this challenge, I can't stop moving. I may only go for a walk, or a little swim, but at least I'll be doing something to work through the pain, and I won't be sedentary all day long.
* I say ugh to the pink boxing gloves. For the ladies. The thing is, I like pink. I like the red that I bought better, but I would be more inclined to buy the pink if I didn't feel like someone was patronizing me.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Kickboxer
(Wasn't that a bad Steven Seagal movie...? No, wait. IMDB informs me it was Jean-Claude Van Damme.)
Last night, a friend and I checked out a kickboxing class, courtesy of a Rhode Island Monthly* deal. I've never done kickboxing before, but have always been intrigued by it.
Well, it was fantastic. When I say "fantastic", I mean it completely kicked my butt. I don't think I've ever sweat so much, and that might include when we moved during a very hot and muggy July with no air conditioning.
I knew I was in trouble when I was winded and in pain from the WARM-UP. Burpees, jumping jacks, running in place. Gah! Last night I was already having trouble walking. Today I am sore all over, which is great. I have to say, kicking and punching a big bag is pretty gratifying, and toward the end I really felt like I was getting in the groove.
The instructor was a really nice and welcoming guy, who made you laugh even as he was trying to kill you. Everyone else in the class was nice too. There is camaraderie in group suffering! The girl I share a punching bag with told me she's been coming there for a couple of months and she loves it because the workout is always different. (If you're local and want the info on the gym, let me know.)
My friend and I have 4 more kickboxing classes on our deal, and we're going to try to go once a week for the next month. We also have 5 kettlebell classes to use, which is something else I've never done.
Of note: I spent most of yesterday in a deeply fatigued state. I wasn't sure how far I would get in the class, but once we started warming up and my heart started pumping, I was in it all the way, and felt really energized. Which tells me that extreme shingles fatigue is no excuse, and maybe working out might even help with my fatigue. Good to know.
* Non-compensated plug: If you live in Rhode Island, you should get Rhode Island Monthly. It's a really good magazine with lots of useful information and reviews.
Last night, a friend and I checked out a kickboxing class, courtesy of a Rhode Island Monthly* deal. I've never done kickboxing before, but have always been intrigued by it.
Well, it was fantastic. When I say "fantastic", I mean it completely kicked my butt. I don't think I've ever sweat so much, and that might include when we moved during a very hot and muggy July with no air conditioning.
I knew I was in trouble when I was winded and in pain from the WARM-UP. Burpees, jumping jacks, running in place. Gah! Last night I was already having trouble walking. Today I am sore all over, which is great. I have to say, kicking and punching a big bag is pretty gratifying, and toward the end I really felt like I was getting in the groove.
The instructor was a really nice and welcoming guy, who made you laugh even as he was trying to kill you. Everyone else in the class was nice too. There is camaraderie in group suffering! The girl I share a punching bag with told me she's been coming there for a couple of months and she loves it because the workout is always different. (If you're local and want the info on the gym, let me know.)
My friend and I have 4 more kickboxing classes on our deal, and we're going to try to go once a week for the next month. We also have 5 kettlebell classes to use, which is something else I've never done.
Of note: I spent most of yesterday in a deeply fatigued state. I wasn't sure how far I would get in the class, but once we started warming up and my heart started pumping, I was in it all the way, and felt really energized. Which tells me that extreme shingles fatigue is no excuse, and maybe working out might even help with my fatigue. Good to know.
* Non-compensated plug: If you live in Rhode Island, you should get Rhode Island Monthly. It's a really good magazine with lots of useful information and reviews.
Monday, April 08, 2013
Sleepy
I've decided to blame everything that is wrong with me over the next few months on SHINGLES.
The rash is gone and the pain is gone. All told, I think I had a pretty mild case. But the fatigue. Oh, the fatigue!
I honestly don't know if the fatigue is related to the shingles or not, but I'm going to say it is, rather than call myself lazy. I managed to get in a good 2500 yard swim on Saturday morning. My swimming buddy and I decided to do a 20-minute benchmark swim to see where we are. We finished 1100 yards in 20 minutes, which is about on pace for us to swim a mile in a half hour. We can now confidently say that we could swim a mile right this second if we had to. Yeah, we were tired at the end of that 1100 yards, but we weren't dying.
So that's good news for St. John. Even if we only swim once a week for the remaining 7 weeks until the swim, I know we can definitely do a mile.
Starting Saturday afternoon, I started having this off and on headache, accompanied by off and on extreme fatigue. One minute I would be fine, and the next I would want nothing more than to curl up in a corner and go to sleep. When we got home from Evensong yesterday afternoon, I immediately got in my pjs and into bed. Only to get up 10 minutes later, feeling fine, and ready to finish making dinner.
Weird.
This morning my alarm went off to go swim and while I was trying to convince myself to get up, my swimming buddy texted me that she was sick and wouldn't be swimming this morning. Yeah, I could have gotten up. Instead I breathed a sigh of relief and slept for 2 more hours. This is after I went to bed last night about an hour earlier than usual.
Today has been a struggle against the sleepiness. It has not been helped by the fact that it's almost 80 degrees in my office (building management turns on the AC on May 15, never, ever before. At least it's taken this long to get warm outside.) What I would really like to do is go home, break out the hammock in the backyard, and take a nap. Instead, I work. And I have a meeting tonight. Fingers crossed I don't nod off while the client is talking.
Like I said, I have no idea if this is shingles-related, but I would really like whatever is is to stop now and to be able to get back to a normal workout, work and sleep schedule where I don't need 10 hours of sleep just to barely crawl out of bed and sit drowsily at my desk all day.
The rash is gone and the pain is gone. All told, I think I had a pretty mild case. But the fatigue. Oh, the fatigue!
I honestly don't know if the fatigue is related to the shingles or not, but I'm going to say it is, rather than call myself lazy. I managed to get in a good 2500 yard swim on Saturday morning. My swimming buddy and I decided to do a 20-minute benchmark swim to see where we are. We finished 1100 yards in 20 minutes, which is about on pace for us to swim a mile in a half hour. We can now confidently say that we could swim a mile right this second if we had to. Yeah, we were tired at the end of that 1100 yards, but we weren't dying.
So that's good news for St. John. Even if we only swim once a week for the remaining 7 weeks until the swim, I know we can definitely do a mile.
Starting Saturday afternoon, I started having this off and on headache, accompanied by off and on extreme fatigue. One minute I would be fine, and the next I would want nothing more than to curl up in a corner and go to sleep. When we got home from Evensong yesterday afternoon, I immediately got in my pjs and into bed. Only to get up 10 minutes later, feeling fine, and ready to finish making dinner.
Weird.
This morning my alarm went off to go swim and while I was trying to convince myself to get up, my swimming buddy texted me that she was sick and wouldn't be swimming this morning. Yeah, I could have gotten up. Instead I breathed a sigh of relief and slept for 2 more hours. This is after I went to bed last night about an hour earlier than usual.
Today has been a struggle against the sleepiness. It has not been helped by the fact that it's almost 80 degrees in my office (building management turns on the AC on May 15, never, ever before. At least it's taken this long to get warm outside.) What I would really like to do is go home, break out the hammock in the backyard, and take a nap. Instead, I work. And I have a meeting tonight. Fingers crossed I don't nod off while the client is talking.
Like I said, I have no idea if this is shingles-related, but I would really like whatever is is to stop now and to be able to get back to a normal workout, work and sleep schedule where I don't need 10 hours of sleep just to barely crawl out of bed and sit drowsily at my desk all day.
Sunday, April 07, 2013
Recipe: Apple Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
I love the internets. This morning I woke up and thought, I have a tenderloin, Dijon mustard and homemade applesauce. That sounds like the beginnings of a good recipe.
Sure enough, I found this. Only I wanted to use the crock pot since we had to leave at 1 PM for Evensong and wouldn't be back until after 6. So I made some modifications and by the time we got home it smelled SO good in our house.
Jason declared it my best tenderloin ever.
Apple Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
2 1/2 to 3 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
3 T. maple syrup
1 T. fresh rosemary
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 C. applesauce*
Brown tenderloin on all sides in skillet (or IN your slow cooker, if you have a Ninja like I do) and place in crock pot. Combine mustard, maple syrup, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then brush on all sides of tenderloin. Pour applesauce around the tenderloin.
Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove tenderloin from crock pot and let set for 10 minutes before slicing. Use sauce in crock pot as gravy. It's yummy!
* I used homemade applesauce that I canned a couple of years ago. It has cinnamon and cloves in it, so if you use plain applesauce, add about 1 t. cinnamon and 1/4 t. cloves to the applesauce.
Sure enough, I found this. Only I wanted to use the crock pot since we had to leave at 1 PM for Evensong and wouldn't be back until after 6. So I made some modifications and by the time we got home it smelled SO good in our house.
Apple Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
2 1/2 to 3 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
3 T. maple syrup
1 T. fresh rosemary
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 C. applesauce*
Brown tenderloin on all sides in skillet (or IN your slow cooker, if you have a Ninja like I do) and place in crock pot. Combine mustard, maple syrup, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then brush on all sides of tenderloin. Pour applesauce around the tenderloin.
Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove tenderloin from crock pot and let set for 10 minutes before slicing. Use sauce in crock pot as gravy. It's yummy!
* I used homemade applesauce that I canned a couple of years ago. It has cinnamon and cloves in it, so if you use plain applesauce, add about 1 t. cinnamon and 1/4 t. cloves to the applesauce.
Monday, March 25, 2013
A New Day
I swam this morning!
And now I feel like going to sleep. I was determined that today would be the day I also refocus on my clean eating, but I think I may need to have a Diet Coke in a little bit here, or else my head is going to hit the desk. A day of clean eating + a Diet Coke = not TOO terrible, right?
Today the sleepiness is non-shingles-related, at least. It is a legitimate sleepiness brought on by meeting my swimming buddy at 6 AM after not going to sleep until probably midnight-ish. I'm not sure of the time exactly. I tried to go to sleep earlier, but then Jason came upstairs and we spent awhile ruminating on the changes to our church congregation.
(Mormons are weird in that our congregations are organized by geography and yesterday our regional leadership let us know they had decided to split up our congregation among a couple of others, and then add some people from another congregation to ours, simply by changing which town lines make up which boundaries. Anyway, I'm trying to be positive, but if I'm honest, I'm a bit irritated at the results. So is Jason. Thus, we were up late talking about the impact.)
But the real point is, I swam 2100 yards this morning and I'm tired and maybe even a little sore, but it's a start. Again.
And now I feel like going to sleep. I was determined that today would be the day I also refocus on my clean eating, but I think I may need to have a Diet Coke in a little bit here, or else my head is going to hit the desk. A day of clean eating + a Diet Coke = not TOO terrible, right?
Today the sleepiness is non-shingles-related, at least. It is a legitimate sleepiness brought on by meeting my swimming buddy at 6 AM after not going to sleep until probably midnight-ish. I'm not sure of the time exactly. I tried to go to sleep earlier, but then Jason came upstairs and we spent awhile ruminating on the changes to our church congregation.
(Mormons are weird in that our congregations are organized by geography and yesterday our regional leadership let us know they had decided to split up our congregation among a couple of others, and then add some people from another congregation to ours, simply by changing which town lines make up which boundaries. Anyway, I'm trying to be positive, but if I'm honest, I'm a bit irritated at the results. So is Jason. Thus, we were up late talking about the impact.)
But the real point is, I swam 2100 yards this morning and I'm tired and maybe even a little sore, but it's a start. Again.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
This Is Not Going as Planned
It's the first day of Spring! Which, you know, great, except for I feel like time is flying by and I'm not where I wanted to be at this point at all. I'm feeling frustrated, but also pretty philosophical about it, because, what can you do? I can't spend my days angry and shaking my fist at the sky because I've been sick and haven't lost the 10-15 pounds I was hoping to have lost by this point in the year, and I haven't yet been able to train for my St. John swim. It is what it is.
I talked to the other 2 members of my relay team on Sunday night and we're pretty confident that, if pressed, we could all swim our part of the swim right now. It wouldn't be pretty, and we wouldn't post a stellar time, but we could do it. So, really, I have 2 months still to get my pace up to something respectable. I can do that.
Just as soon as I get over the shingles...
Friday through Monday I felt pretty good. I had a fair amount of energy and I needed it because I was really busy. Sunday I didn't take any Alleve at all, which was great. Then I woke up Tuesday morning feeling like I was hit by a truck. I dragged myself downstairs to the loveseat, where I sat for the rest of the day, working from home.
I have a lot more energy today and I'm back at work today. I am itching to get back into the pool, and my fingers are crossed that next week is the week I start back in earnest. However, I don't think I'm going to be ready to join Masters again in 11 days.
The good news is, I've been experimenting with additions for my grain-free cookies and came up with a couple stellar ones. First, Heath bar toffee bits. Second, half semi-sweet chocolate chips/half cinnamon chips. You're welcome.
I talked to the other 2 members of my relay team on Sunday night and we're pretty confident that, if pressed, we could all swim our part of the swim right now. It wouldn't be pretty, and we wouldn't post a stellar time, but we could do it. So, really, I have 2 months still to get my pace up to something respectable. I can do that.
Just as soon as I get over the shingles...
Friday through Monday I felt pretty good. I had a fair amount of energy and I needed it because I was really busy. Sunday I didn't take any Alleve at all, which was great. Then I woke up Tuesday morning feeling like I was hit by a truck. I dragged myself downstairs to the loveseat, where I sat for the rest of the day, working from home.
I have a lot more energy today and I'm back at work today. I am itching to get back into the pool, and my fingers are crossed that next week is the week I start back in earnest. However, I don't think I'm going to be ready to join Masters again in 11 days.
The good news is, I've been experimenting with additions for my grain-free cookies and came up with a couple stellar ones. First, Heath bar toffee bits. Second, half semi-sweet chocolate chips/half cinnamon chips. You're welcome.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Improved Grain-Free Cookies
I've gone on and on about how good these Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies are, but I have to tell you, I made them even better!
First off, I started using butter instead of coconut oil. I love coconut oil, but it definitely gives the cookies a distinctive coconut flavor. If you want chocolate coconut cookies, then by all means, use the coconut oil. People eating strict Paleo don't eat dairy, so I understand making these cookies dairy-free as well as grain-free. However, I've never had a problem with dairy, and we love butter in our home. So butter instead of coconut oil.
Then, I decreased the amount of honey and eventually took out the honey altogether. The first batch I made were very sweet and very honey-tasting. So the next batch I made, I halved the honey in the recipe. Honestly, the chocolate chips add a lot of sweetness to the cookies and you don't need as much sweetener. But the cookies still tasted a lot like honey. Not a bad thing, per se, but not exactly what I was looking for.
So a couple of days ago I sweetened the cookies with a bit of maple syrup. Yum! The cookies don't taste like maple at all, and I think this is the closest I'm going to get to mimicking real chocolate chip cookies. Jason agreed, best cookies yet!
Here's my recipe. I went ahead and doubled the proportions from the original recipe because, frankly, 18 cookies is better than 9.
Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: around 18 cookies
2 1/2 cups ground almond flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of maple syrup
4 teaspoons of water
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (also try butterscotch chips because butterscotch!)
1. Mix all ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Place on cookie sheet and put in the oven at 325 degrees.
3. Cooking time can vary from 10-15 minutes. They are done when they start to brown a little on top.
First off, I started using butter instead of coconut oil. I love coconut oil, but it definitely gives the cookies a distinctive coconut flavor. If you want chocolate coconut cookies, then by all means, use the coconut oil. People eating strict Paleo don't eat dairy, so I understand making these cookies dairy-free as well as grain-free. However, I've never had a problem with dairy, and we love butter in our home. So butter instead of coconut oil.
Then, I decreased the amount of honey and eventually took out the honey altogether. The first batch I made were very sweet and very honey-tasting. So the next batch I made, I halved the honey in the recipe. Honestly, the chocolate chips add a lot of sweetness to the cookies and you don't need as much sweetener. But the cookies still tasted a lot like honey. Not a bad thing, per se, but not exactly what I was looking for.
So a couple of days ago I sweetened the cookies with a bit of maple syrup. Yum! The cookies don't taste like maple at all, and I think this is the closest I'm going to get to mimicking real chocolate chip cookies. Jason agreed, best cookies yet!
Here's my recipe. I went ahead and doubled the proportions from the original recipe because, frankly, 18 cookies is better than 9.
Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: around 18 cookies
2 1/2 cups ground almond flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of maple syrup
4 teaspoons of water
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (also try butterscotch chips because butterscotch!)
1. Mix all ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Place on cookie sheet and put in the oven at 325 degrees.
3. Cooking time can vary from 10-15 minutes. They are done when they start to brown a little on top.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Nicknames
For some reason that even he doesn't remember, Jason calls me "P". I think the last time Jason actually called me "Kelly" was maybe our second or third week of dating. "Kellito" was popular for awhile, but now it's "P", which morphs into "Peasworth" at times.
Nicknames are big in his family. His brother Taylor was "Taylora" then "Lora" then "Lora Bora" and now just "Lobo" or, as Jason likes to call him, "Lobo Grande". Our cat Tiny has about 75 different nicknames, bestowed by both Jason and his brother Brandon. Tinykins, Tiny Whiny, Chutsworth, Pooper, Pooper Charlie, Agent Bauer (following a viewing of a particular episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"). Brandon even taught his 3-year old daughter to call the cat "Pooper Charlie", which I'm pretty sure is what she thinks the cat's actual name is.
(Story: when they visited us last July, we went to a local park to watch the sun set. As we were leaving, I said, "OK, Anya, time to go home." She exclaimed, "Yeah, have to go home and see Pooper Charlie!")
Anyway, ever since my diagnosis on Friday, Jason has taken to calling me "Shingley P", which makes me feel beautiful and like a delicate flower, as you can imagine. Thanks so much, Jason.
Nicknames are big in his family. His brother Taylor was "Taylora" then "Lora" then "Lora Bora" and now just "Lobo" or, as Jason likes to call him, "Lobo Grande". Our cat Tiny has about 75 different nicknames, bestowed by both Jason and his brother Brandon. Tinykins, Tiny Whiny, Chutsworth, Pooper, Pooper Charlie, Agent Bauer (following a viewing of a particular episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"). Brandon even taught his 3-year old daughter to call the cat "Pooper Charlie", which I'm pretty sure is what she thinks the cat's actual name is.
(Story: when they visited us last July, we went to a local park to watch the sun set. As we were leaving, I said, "OK, Anya, time to go home." She exclaimed, "Yeah, have to go home and see Pooper Charlie!")
Anyway, ever since my diagnosis on Friday, Jason has taken to calling me "Shingley P", which makes me feel beautiful and like a delicate flower, as you can imagine. Thanks so much, Jason.
Friday, March 08, 2013
Don't Look At Me, I'm Hideous!
Even though logically I understand that shingles is just a flare up of the long-dormant chicken pox virus, it doesn't change that I've always thought the name "shingles" sounded like something disgusting. Like there should be a sign on our front door crying out "Pestilence!" while I cower inside.
But actually I just have a little rash and my back hurts and the rash hurts and suddenly this afternoon I got really, really tired.
I also got some anti-viral medication that will hopefully keep the rash from spreading any further around my torso.
Based on what people are saying on Facebook about shingles, either I have a really mild case, or it just hasn't really hit me yet. Because, yeah, it hurts, but it's not the worst thing ever. Frankly my crazy awful case of chicken pox when I was 7, when I could only hobble a few steps across my bedroom on the sides of my feet because the bottoms of my feet were covered in pox and I was so insanely itchy and my parents put as much calamine lotion on me as they could to stop the itching and I was a calamine monster and it still didn't really ease the itching that much AND it was Christmas! - THAT was worse than what I've experienced so far.
It's good to know that people nowadays get vaccinated for chicken pox so they won't really catch anything from me. And they'd only catch it if they actually touched my rash, which, ew, and please get out of my personal space.
Knock on wood that this is the worst and I'll be through to the other side soon. Man, am I tired...
But actually I just have a little rash and my back hurts and the rash hurts and suddenly this afternoon I got really, really tired.
I also got some anti-viral medication that will hopefully keep the rash from spreading any further around my torso.
Based on what people are saying on Facebook about shingles, either I have a really mild case, or it just hasn't really hit me yet. Because, yeah, it hurts, but it's not the worst thing ever. Frankly my crazy awful case of chicken pox when I was 7, when I could only hobble a few steps across my bedroom on the sides of my feet because the bottoms of my feet were covered in pox and I was so insanely itchy and my parents put as much calamine lotion on me as they could to stop the itching and I was a calamine monster and it still didn't really ease the itching that much AND it was Christmas! - THAT was worse than what I've experienced so far.
It's good to know that people nowadays get vaccinated for chicken pox so they won't really catch anything from me. And they'd only catch it if they actually touched my rash, which, ew, and please get out of my personal space.
Knock on wood that this is the worst and I'll be through to the other side soon. Man, am I tired...
Thursday, March 07, 2013
I Was Doing Well For A Minute There
Last Saturday my swimming buddy and I swam! Granted, most of that was social kick (the equivalent of going for a long chatty walk, only with kickboards and fins), but we were there, we were in the water, and we swam some laps.
And I don't know about her, but wow, am I out of shape.
Then we did it again on Monday! I got to the pool at 6:30 AM and swam and it was still hard, but it was good too. Actually, we commented to each other on Monday how we had each felt so *good* on Saturday following our swim. Something about being back in the water. It really is my happy place, even if it is a dank, indoor YMCA pool.
The PLAN was to elliptical Tuesday, strength train Wednesday, swim this morning, strength train tomorrow, and swim with my buddy again on Saturday morning.
Tuesday, I was lazy. That's all I got.
Wednesday, I was tired. We got home from choir rehearsal around 10:30, which meant I was in bed asleep around 11:30, and after a full day of busy work followed by choir rehearsal, I wanted to sleep instead of get up at 5:45. I don't even remember my alarm going off, if I'm honest.
This morning we woke up to slushy, slippery snow and an unplowed street. And 40 mile per hour winds. No.
Then I come in today and turns out tomorrow morning I have an 8 AM conference call. Surprise! That means the 6:30-7:30 strength training class won't work out. However, swimming buddy and I might be going on a walk tomorrow after work, depending on how the storm heading our way tonight shakes out.
And we're definitely swimming Saturday!
So I won't be meeting my goals this week, which are to swim 3 days a week and strength train 1 day a week. But at least I'm finally back in the pool.
And I don't know about her, but wow, am I out of shape.
Then we did it again on Monday! I got to the pool at 6:30 AM and swam and it was still hard, but it was good too. Actually, we commented to each other on Monday how we had each felt so *good* on Saturday following our swim. Something about being back in the water. It really is my happy place, even if it is a dank, indoor YMCA pool.
The PLAN was to elliptical Tuesday, strength train Wednesday, swim this morning, strength train tomorrow, and swim with my buddy again on Saturday morning.
Tuesday, I was lazy. That's all I got.
Wednesday, I was tired. We got home from choir rehearsal around 10:30, which meant I was in bed asleep around 11:30, and after a full day of busy work followed by choir rehearsal, I wanted to sleep instead of get up at 5:45. I don't even remember my alarm going off, if I'm honest.
This morning we woke up to slushy, slippery snow and an unplowed street. And 40 mile per hour winds. No.
Then I come in today and turns out tomorrow morning I have an 8 AM conference call. Surprise! That means the 6:30-7:30 strength training class won't work out. However, swimming buddy and I might be going on a walk tomorrow after work, depending on how the storm heading our way tonight shakes out.
And we're definitely swimming Saturday!
So I won't be meeting my goals this week, which are to swim 3 days a week and strength train 1 day a week. But at least I'm finally back in the pool.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Motivation - I Don't Haz It
I'm stuck in my busy work/no motivation to exercise cycle again.
The last couple of weeks, I've been feeling better physically, but work has been busy. I've been coming in early (slightly before 8) and getting home at 8, 8:30, 9. If I'm not home late because of work, I'm home even later because of other obligations (choir, Young Women's, etc.) I don't really feel like going to bed at 10 when I don't get home until 8:30 and still need to eat dinner, and want to hang out with Jason and watch a little TV to decompress.
So I get to bed at 11:30 or 12, and then when the alarm goes off at 5:45, there's no way I'm getting up and going to the gym.
Repeat cycle.
I'm feeling more and more frustrated as the positive healthy steps I made in January feel further and further away. The good news is, I have a deadline: 3 months until the St. John swim. And my swimming buddy and I just made a plan that starting Saturday, we're swimming 3 times a week.
I'm really hopeful that getting back in the pool and having to get up early at least 3 days a week or else my friend will be at the Y all by herself will motivate me to shift my sleeping patterns a little, and motivate me to get out of bed early those other days and make it to strength training.
However, I'm not quite sure how to make work ease up. Dear clients, stop calling for 2 weeks so we can catch up!
The last couple of weeks, I've been feeling better physically, but work has been busy. I've been coming in early (slightly before 8) and getting home at 8, 8:30, 9. If I'm not home late because of work, I'm home even later because of other obligations (choir, Young Women's, etc.) I don't really feel like going to bed at 10 when I don't get home until 8:30 and still need to eat dinner, and want to hang out with Jason and watch a little TV to decompress.
So I get to bed at 11:30 or 12, and then when the alarm goes off at 5:45, there's no way I'm getting up and going to the gym.
Repeat cycle.
I'm feeling more and more frustrated as the positive healthy steps I made in January feel further and further away. The good news is, I have a deadline: 3 months until the St. John swim. And my swimming buddy and I just made a plan that starting Saturday, we're swimming 3 times a week.
I'm really hopeful that getting back in the pool and having to get up early at least 3 days a week or else my friend will be at the Y all by herself will motivate me to shift my sleeping patterns a little, and motivate me to get out of bed early those other days and make it to strength training.
However, I'm not quite sure how to make work ease up. Dear clients, stop calling for 2 weeks so we can catch up!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
A Walking Advertisement for the Flu Shot
Yes, in fact, it's taken me this long to fully get over the flu. I kept thinking I was fine, while I was sitting at my desk doing nothing. Then I would speedwalk with my boss to his car to head to a meeting, or walk up a couple of flights of stairs carrying laundry, and I would be completely out of breath and have a coughing fit (or in the case of the boss, suppress a coughing fit as best I could) and have to sit down and rest for a few minutes.
I'm finally, FINALLY starting to feel normal again and up to working out. I even went for a lunch walk yesterday because I was so sick and tired of stting at my desk, feeling my bum spread ever further.
I took a good first step today and signed up for the swim in St. John! My swimming compadres and I discussed it Monday night and rather than swim side-by-side, we're going to do the relay. The swim can be broken up into 3 chunks (1, 1.25 and 1.25 miles), which is perfect. I'm planning to swim one of the 1.25 mile chunks. Maybe I'll even anchor, like the good ole swim team free relay days.
But, man, am I out of shape! This is going to take some serious training over the next 3 months. I'm excited to get to it finally!
I'm finally, FINALLY starting to feel normal again and up to working out. I even went for a lunch walk yesterday because I was so sick and tired of stting at my desk, feeling my bum spread ever further.
I took a good first step today and signed up for the swim in St. John! My swimming compadres and I discussed it Monday night and rather than swim side-by-side, we're going to do the relay. The swim can be broken up into 3 chunks (1, 1.25 and 1.25 miles), which is perfect. I'm planning to swim one of the 1.25 mile chunks. Maybe I'll even anchor, like the good ole swim team free relay days.
But, man, am I out of shape! This is going to take some serious training over the next 3 months. I'm excited to get to it finally!
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Recipe: Coconut-Crusted Swai
Swai is my new white fish of choice. I think it tastes MUCH better than tilapia (which I always think tastes a bit like dirt), and it's a little firmer than tilapia. Also, it's cheap, when it's actually at the store. I always stock up because it seems like everyone else who shops at my grocery store has discovered swai too and the shelves are empty fairly often.
I thawed some swai for dinner tonight and came up with this recipe on my way home from work. It's my new favorite. Here's the recipe, though some of the measurements are estimates since I eyeballed it, so use your own judgment.
Coconut-Crusted Swai
3 swai filets (or your favorite thin white fish, 4-5 oz each)
2-3 T. coconut oil
1/3 C. coconut flour (or regular flour if you're not worried about gluten)
1 egg
1/4 C. whole milk
2/3 C. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 T. seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus, which goes great with the coconut. Regular salt and pepper would work too.)
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
Put flour in medium-sized bowl. Whisk together egg and milk in a second bowl. Mix coconut and seasoning together on a plate.
After oil is heated, dredge swai filets in flour, then egg and milk, then coconut and seasoning, and place in hot oil. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned. remove from pan to a plate with a paper towel on it (to absorb excess oil). Enjoy!
.jpg)
I thawed some swai for dinner tonight and came up with this recipe on my way home from work. It's my new favorite. Here's the recipe, though some of the measurements are estimates since I eyeballed it, so use your own judgment.
Coconut-Crusted Swai
3 swai filets (or your favorite thin white fish, 4-5 oz each)
2-3 T. coconut oil
1/3 C. coconut flour (or regular flour if you're not worried about gluten)
1 egg
1/4 C. whole milk
2/3 C. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 T. seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus, which goes great with the coconut. Regular salt and pepper would work too.)
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
Put flour in medium-sized bowl. Whisk together egg and milk in a second bowl. Mix coconut and seasoning together on a plate.
After oil is heated, dredge swai filets in flour, then egg and milk, then coconut and seasoning, and place in hot oil. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned. remove from pan to a plate with a paper towel on it (to absorb excess oil). Enjoy!
.jpg)
Stupid Cough
You know what's not conducive to exercising? Heavy breathing and coughing attacks.
I am much, much better. Today for the first time my head isn't very clogged and I think my hearing is back to normal. Sound has been coming through a phlegmy filter for the last week and a half or so. I still have an occasional cough. It gets worse when I do crazy things like get up from my desk and walk around. I still have to sit down and rest after I climb two flights of stairs. My lungs are still recovering, apparently.
So, the upshot is, I have not been to the gym. I didn't swim on Saturday because, really, all I wanted to do was sleep in, take my Mucinex, and be still. I got in 3 1/2 days of work last week and by Friday night I was beat.
Last night I got home late from a work meeting and although I was physically exhausted, I felt really antsy. I'm getting frustrated with not being able to work out, or even go for a decent fast-paced walk, and I'm hoping that's a sign that I'm getting better.
My swimming buddy and I have a plan to swim THIS Saturday. Hopefully my lungs are up to the task.
I am much, much better. Today for the first time my head isn't very clogged and I think my hearing is back to normal. Sound has been coming through a phlegmy filter for the last week and a half or so. I still have an occasional cough. It gets worse when I do crazy things like get up from my desk and walk around. I still have to sit down and rest after I climb two flights of stairs. My lungs are still recovering, apparently.
So, the upshot is, I have not been to the gym. I didn't swim on Saturday because, really, all I wanted to do was sleep in, take my Mucinex, and be still. I got in 3 1/2 days of work last week and by Friday night I was beat.
Last night I got home late from a work meeting and although I was physically exhausted, I felt really antsy. I'm getting frustrated with not being able to work out, or even go for a decent fast-paced walk, and I'm hoping that's a sign that I'm getting better.
My swimming buddy and I have a plan to swim THIS Saturday. Hopefully my lungs are up to the task.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Day 31 - Wrap-Up
I figure since it's the end of the month I should do some sort of wrap up post as to how my New Years Resolutions are going so far even though the flu has knocked a lot of my nicely-laid plans all out of whack.
Aaaanyway...
Let's take a look at what my plans were and see where I am:
Overall I did not excel with the exercising this month. At all. I focused on getting my food in line and getting through the carb withdrawal for the first couple of weeks. I ellipticaled once, I went to one strength training class, and I went for a few long walks.
Still, I lost a little more than 5 pounds this month and at least 10 inches (I haven't officially measured since January 21, but I quickly took my waist, hip and chest measurements the other day just to get an idea and they're all down).
February starts tomorrow and it's time to get serious about exercise. I plan to continue focusing on low-carb, whole foods, because I'm through the carb withdrawal and I feel good, and I'll implement my exercise plan for real.
Less than 4 months until my swim!
Aaaanyway...
Let's take a look at what my plans were and see where I am:
Diet:
GOAL 1) Starting January 1, I am doing Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet for 2 weeks.
Yep. I wasn't perfect, but I was pretty darn good and I felt the benefits immensely.
GOAL 2) After that, I'll probably add in some fruits and sweet potatoes, and
stick to a more Paleo/Primal food plan.
I didn't really add in many carbs, except for if I actively had, say, 4 bites of the Capital Grille's flourless chocolate cake. I pretty much ate protein, fats and non-starchy vegetables otherwise (except during The Flu.)
GOAL 3) I'll see how I feel, but I plan to be strict for 30 days and then
possibly give myself a splurge day.
Well, I wasn't exactly strict for 30 days, so no splurge day this month. I had a dessert here, a piece of candy there, and then ate carbs pretty exclusively while I was sick because that was all that sounded moderately appetizing. No wheat, though, which is good.
Exercise:
GOAL 1) Two strength training classes per week, most likely Monday and Friday
mornings.
GOAL 2) At least two 30-60 minute cardio workouts per week.
GOAL 3) Separate from #2, I'll walk home from work when I can.
Still, I lost a little more than 5 pounds this month and at least 10 inches (I haven't officially measured since January 21, but I quickly took my waist, hip and chest measurements the other day just to get an idea and they're all down).
February starts tomorrow and it's time to get serious about exercise. I plan to continue focusing on low-carb, whole foods, because I'm through the carb withdrawal and I feel good, and I'll implement my exercise plan for real.
Less than 4 months until my swim!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)