Adventure time

James is coming to the gym with me tomorrow! Fun! Exercising with a buddy seems like a better plan.

Springtime

Good news...today was better. I think how much I enjoy my run is directly related to how nice it is outside. Today, for example, is balmy and warm. The sky is bright blue and the air smells like spring. Not like flowers, it's still too early for that...it's that early spring smell of damp earth, like when the ground finally thaws. I have no idea where that smell is coming from, since this is North Carolina, and the ground was at no point frozen to begin with.

Anyway, whenever it's a really gorgeous day, I love to be outside...so it makes the running a little more bearable. Clearly yet another argument for moving to Hawaii, where almost every day is beautiful.

One month down, 11 to go...

Today was sort of a big deal for me. I had two options. Suit up and head out for a run, which I wanted to do about as much as I wanted to drive a rusty spike through my ear...or consider my resolution to exercise officially broken by the week of zero physical activity. You can probably guess which I chose, since I likely would not come here to write about my failed resolution.

Anyway, suffice to say after a week of inactivity my run was not at all fun. I got dizzy again, which is really very pitiful when you consider I'm not exactly running a triathlon here. But by god, the point is, I went and did it. I don't really care if I never run three miles, let alone ten, as long as I don't become a sea cow or a dependapotamus. (Which for those of you don't know, is slang for a military dependent wife who weighs 400 pounds and does nothing. I laughed myself sick when I first heard the term.)

The good news is we haven't failed at eating healthy nearly as much as I have failed at exercising. They key for both of us, we discovered, is that we have to find healthy ways to be lazy. Having a tray of pre-cut veggies for snacking helps, for example, and V8 juice does too. We found greek yogurt in single-serving cups with fruit on the bottom, and that's pretty nice too...it doesn't even taste foul, and I double-checked to make sure it's not just full of corn syrup.

Day one all over again, more or less a success. Lets see how tomorrow goes.

Fallen off the wagon

I haven't posted in a while because, to be honest, there hasn't been much to post. I've been on base for several days for various reasons, and it's made it impossible to run...

Anyway, I wont talk about all the things I haven't done, but instead reaffirm that as soon as my schedule normalizes again, I will return to running and working out properly. That is all this post is for.

Weather impeded

Yesterday I missed my workout because I spent the morning and much of the afternoon on base again. I went to an orientation with the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, because I plan to start volunteering with them...with the hours drying up at work now that the holiday season is over, I need something to do with my time. Doing something productive on my off-days will keep me from diving headfirst back into this past summer's off-and-on "Waaaah I'm so worthless why will no one hire me my degree is trash" depression. Besides that, logging hours with an organization that works directly with service members and is...you know, government and stuff...will probably do a lot more for my resume than retail. One day I'll land that big-girl federal job!

Today, unfortunately, the weather is not cooperative. It's been a very rainy month, and today followed that trend, with the lovely addition of 40mph wind gusts. No thank you, getting pelted with rain and then blown into traffic is not on my schedule. It's been a pretty good day, though...despite the weather being too ugly to go outside in, it's nice and warm, so the windows and screen door are open. This, of course, means that Panda is running absolutely wild...she must be entirely recovered from her surgery by now.

I got two exciting phone calls today. I've got an interview scheduled for Monday to work in a store on base...it's still retail, but it pays a bit better, and hopefully the hours would be more regular. That will likely be the deciding factor for me...if they're offering more hours, and at better times, I suspect I'll take it. The other call was from a nearby pharmacy. As some of you know (but have likely forgotten, since I never talk about it) I've been taking an online pharmacy technician course, courtesy of the MyCAA program (basically, free training in a portable career since James is a Marine). I'll be finishing it this week, either today or tomorrow, so I did an application the other day and planned on doing some more soon. Anyway, they called me today, and I'll be taking an online assessment of some kind in the near future. So one interview Monday, with maybe another to come...maybe I can keep this positive momentum going, and I'll get a call for that dream-job too.

Hot hot hot

I would like to submit a formal complaint to every deity that has ever been prayed to. I want to cover all the bases here, and make sure someone gets the memo. I would also like to CC Charles Darwin on this, just in case there is no intelligent design at all, and evolution has no hand to guide it.

Sweating is an inherently flawed mechanism. It works charmingly if the air or the breeze is cool enough to chill the moisture on your body...however, if the breeze is warm, or the air already has enough humidity in it to allow a fish to breathe comfortably, sweating does absolutely nothing. In fact, I would argue that it adds heat to your body by providing an insulating layer of warmth. At the very least, it does nothing more than make you feel sticky and disgusting, and give passing citizens a reason to judge you.

As I'm sure you can surmise, my run was a little toasty today. Running at 70 degrees is much different than at 50, or even at 60. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm thrilled with the weather. It does, however, reinforce to me that as soon as summer hits (or spring, at the rate we're going) I'm going to have to do these runs a lot earlier in the day. Up until now I've been doing them fairly late for the sake of allowing the temperature to rise as high as it could...pretty soon I'm going to be hustling out there at first light, just so I can get it done before the temperatures soar.

Panda is equally pleased by the weather. She loves it when I open up all the windows and the screen door for her, because she likes to sit on the sill and wail at the people in the parking lot. I've read that the Manx breed isn't supposed to be very vocal, but apparently she missed that memo.

Anyway, last night's chicken parm turned out well. Tonight we're going to do some mahi-mahi fillets, probably with something green on the side. I'm not a big fan of fish, but I'm trying to change that, since if I am ever to live in Hawaii it will kind of help. Living on locomocos and POG probably would not improve my health.

Not so bad

Luckily, whatever caused yesterday's weakness was gone by today.

When I went for my run, I tried to focus less on speed and more on proper running form...longer strides, making sure my feet hit heel-to-toe. It actually helped a lot..when I got home, I felt pleasantly tired instead of like I wanted to throw myself into traffic and die. I actually think I could have gone farther than a mile, had the inclination struck me. My muscles still burned, but the pain I've been having in my ankle and knees was much less. I'm really glad, because I was starting to worry about the ankle pain, and whether or not it would put an eventual end to the running. Turns out when you run like a human being instead of like some sort of flat footed rotund beast, it really works. Maybe I'm being optimistic, but even the stretching afterward was better.

Quitting soda is still pretty hard, but I think keeping it out of the apartment is the key. Having a coke when we're out at a movie, or on a date, is probably not so bad. Drinking it like the water of life itself for the whole day is probably the issue.

We've been doing better about cooking here at home the past few days as well...tonight is chicken parm, but with no breading on the chicken. This is fine by me, since I typically prefer chicken without skin or breading anyway...strangely, the prospect of it makes me miss the chicken parm they served at the Gold Rush once every few weeks, also known as "The One Truly Edible Meal of the Month." Not because it was particularly good, but because when the days before had consisted of Mystery Meat Tacos and Discount Shrimp in a Bowl of Horror, the chicken parm seemed like heaven, and we all ate at least two servings of it.

Anyway, with that almost-pleasant nostalgia out of my system, it's time to go do some productive things. I've got some good momentum going today, and I don't want to lose it.

Less than ideal

I haven't posted in a few days because there hasn't been much to post about. I spent most of Friday on base, turning in job applications and going to a Doctor's appointment, so that kept me from running. I would use a gym on base, or just run there, but the prospect of using a shower in a gym afterwards really grosses me out, and I can't overcome that.

Yesterday was another rainy one...the temperature was lovely, close to 70, but it rained pretty heavily throughout the day. I wouldn't mind going for a run in a light rain, or mist, but I'm not about to go out there just to come back looking like I went for a swim. I worked out for a while with the stability ball, so it wasn't a total loss.

I went out for my run today, and it was just awful. I don't know what precisely was the problem, but for some reason I was dizzy the whole time and just couldn't breathe. Maybe low blood sugar? I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it made today really unpleasant. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.

Back on track

The past couple of days have been without a post, and that's because I haven't done much worth posting about. The day before yesterday, I once again just didn't have time for the exercise...yesterday it rained heavily all morning, and I was busy during the afternoon. Unfortunately, I can never make time in the evening, because it's just not a good idea for a young woman to go for a run by herself at night in Jacksonville. I suspect I'll have less trouble fitting them in once the days get a little longer...

I managed to get out there today, though, and suffer through my mile, as well as spending some time exercising with the stability ball. I'm pretty sure there is nothing less dignified or more ridiculous looking than a person wallowing around on a bright blue rubber ball, wishing the belly fat would disappear.

Anyway, I must dutifully report that we have not been doing very well at cooking healthy meals lately. We've eaten out a fair bit, much more often than the rare occasion we're supposed to allow ourselves, and we made the mistake of allowing soda back into the apartment.

I think the problem is that we tried to dive into the healthy cooking too abruptly. Last time we went grocery shopping, we bought the ingredients for one or two healthy dinners, which seemed like a lot of stuff, and made them...but then we didn't get any 'easy' stuff for the rest of the nights. We've got plenty of food, like chicken and such, just not a lot of inspiration of what to do with it that doesn't take 2 hours and 10 extra ingredients. I think next time we shop, we'll have to make sure we have plenty of healthy options for breakfast and lunch, and maybe one or two experimental recipes for dinner, but then some of the "easy" things too. Bottled marinade or shake and bake chicken might not be the final word in health, but it's still a lot better (and cheaper) than going to Cracker Barrel or Red Robin.

Oh, and just so everyone knows, poor Panda is recovering from her surgery and doesn't seem too traumatized by the whole affair. She's mostly back to herself by now, but still moves a little tenderly if she tries to jump too high.

Bare minimum

Went for my run today...not much else to say, but I wanted to note it.

I did a bad, bad thing

Yesterday was the first day I missed my run. For what it's worth, it wasn't due to laziness or lack of desire...I simply worked until close the night before, and had to go in to open yesterday morning. I came home, slept, went back to work, and when I arrived home yesterday evening we just had time to clean up and get the apartment ready for guests. It's been a bit hectic.

So, I'm not going to crucify myself for it or dwell on it too much. I'll just count it as a break day, and start the cycle over. I took my run this morning, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't terribly fast...but, I did it, so that's what counts.

Like a thief in the night

Last night as I went to bed, I thought, "Hmm, I'm not very sore. I guess I didn't do a very good job with that stability ball workout." Muscle pain is sneaky, it seems. It lulls you into a false sense of security, and then pounces on you in your most vulnerable moments...I woke up with abs made of molten pain and with all the muscles across my shoulders and chest screaming.

This is a conversation I had with myself this morning:
"Only 40 degrees out...that's pretty chilly. I should probably wear my cold-weather outfit, not the shorts and t-shirt."
"...Pshhh it's sunny outside it will be FINE."
That ended about as poorly as you would expect. Sunny or not, the violently gusting wind made for a pretty cold run.

Cats do not make good work out buddies

Yesterday was break day, which means of course I did nothing but eat poorly and fail to imbibe more than 10 ounces of water. At the last minute of the day I stretched for like 2 minutes before bed, so I doubt it even counts. I took my comeuppance this morning in the form of an exceedingly painful run, of course, and probably failed to learn anything from the experience once again.

At least it's nice out again...yesterday was probably the dreariest day we've had since I've moved here, so I was glad not to have to go run in it.

I finally got to try out that stability ball today, and I really like it. Add aching abs and arms to my leaden legs, and you've got a snapshot of how horribly out of shape I really am. I've got some incentive, though, since going to the beach to actually lie out and swim will probably be doable in a couple of months. Apparently temperatures go back to nice and warm by April...the water might still be cold, but it'll be nice to bake my ice-white skin back to a semblance of humanity.

Panda, by the way, is really not a good work out partner. When I come back from my run she's great, because she's so excited to see me, and the whole time I'm stretching she hurls herself against me and just purrs and purrs...so it feels like encouragement. The second I bust out that ball, though, she instantly becomes the opposite of helpful.

Doing leg-lifts? She's there to latch onto my leg with all four paws every time it gets near the ground. Trying to get some crunches in? She can't resist the twitch of my hair, and proceeds to scalp me. Push-ups? She sits on the table above my head, and swats me every time I complete one.

Maybe she's just cantankerous today. She's currently pressed up against the screen door, hollering at the upstairs neighbors for making noise on their patio. For such a little cat, she has an enormous set of lungs. Perhaps she was a drill sergeant in another life...that would explain the way she 'motivates' me to work out, I guess.

Somehow this is becoming a cat blog. I'm sorry about that everyone.

Almost perfect

It's an absolutely gorgeous day. I'm typing from our balcony, sitting in the sun. Panda is out here with me, on her ridiculous little harness and leash, and loving every second of it...she throws herself down on the wood and writhes along it as if it were covered in catnip. She loves watching the birds, and the landscapers, and whoever else is out and about in the complex. She also gets herself hopelessly tangled in the patio furniture every 5 minutes or so, but she usually figures out how to get herself out again.

Running was nice today...it seems like the entire town is enjoying the day. My route, which is normally pretty deserted, was full of people walking their dogs and women with strollers. It made me want a puppy, but not a baby. Speaking of which, I applied for a job on base today that sounds pretty awesome (as far as "Non-permanent jobs that do not remotely apply to my degree" go). It's a Monitor position at one of the elementary schools or preschools on base. As far as I can tell it's like being a shepherd to a flock of children...line them up for recess, make sure no one is making handprints in their mashed potatoes or throwing kids off the jungle gym, and watch for escape artists to take the wrong bus. I could totally do all of that.

And now off to the store with me. Wouldn't you know, that damn stability ball I bought is missing the foot pump you used to inflate it...apparently someone opened the box and stole it well before I made my purchase. Why anyone would need a low powered foot pump is anyone's guess.

Gray skies

As if to underscore what I said yesterday, today is drab and gray. I just didn't feel as energetic. The air was heavy and damp because of last night's rain, and 50 degrees feels a lot colder when there's no sun. Well, I went and ran anyway. Not sure how quickly, as I have once again failed to look at the clock. Maybe I should invest in one of those arm-band stopwatches. I'd probably just forget to wear it.

Last night's dinner turned out well. Pasta, salad, and garlic bread...entertainingly enough, none of the adults had any salad, and the two kids were both ecstatic to eat it. And they loved Panda, who was very tolerant of being chased and carted about. She even played with them for a while, though we eventually shut her in the guest room so she could have a little bit of peace.

I did some white chocolate chip craisin cookies, which I think could have turned out better, though James seems to like them. I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe in my cookbook, and just substituted in what I wanted instead. Next time I plan on making them a little smaller, and turning down the heat from the recommended setting...our oven is circa 1969, and is possessed by some form of minor demon that gets its kicks by scorching whatever it can. Add that to the list of Reasons We Would Like to Move Elsewhere.

Oh, and I did finally buy that stability ball. Haven't used it yet, but plan on giving it a try tomorrow when I have some time.

Chinese food is the best fuel

I'm still waiting for the day I wake up and go "Holy shit, I want to RUN." Books, and the internet, and my husband all tell me this will eventually happen. Either they're all liars or I'm a mutant incapable of that reaction. At best, I think "Oh yeah, I need to run. I am okay with this." At worst, on days like today, my thoughts go "Oh dear God I don't want to run. I hate running. Why did I make a blog about this? Maybe I should just lie about it, and eat my weight in Hostess cupcakes." But, dear readers, I did not give in to those base urges. I hauled myself out there and ran my mile.

Once I was out the front door and moving, it actually felt pretty good today. Clearly last night's sweet and sour chicken with fried rice is the optimum fuel for athletic activity...the skeezy Chinese at the Red House will be thrilled to know, I'm sure. I'm all about this cooking healthy thing, don't get me wrong, but we just don't have the energy to do it every single night, and sometimes you just have to give in. I can't handle almond butter and greens all day every day.

Anyway, tonight we'll be having guests, so we're just going to have some easy pasta with store bought sauce. It's a gorgeous day, so in the meanwhile, I plan to spend as much of it outside as possible. I'm exceedingly thankful this winter is so mild, because this would be much more difficult to talk myself into were the weather as miserable as it was last year. Running in shorts and a t-shirt in under a bright blue sky, enjoying the breeze and 60-degree weather is doable for me. Running every day in thermals, fleeces, and cold weather-gear, with the sky steel-gray and threatening, and my nose entirely numb is just not something I am capable of. I'm pretty sure that sentence was not grammatically sound, but I don't care enough to rewrite it.

Off to the store for a couple of itmes...time to finally get that stability ball. No for real this time...not like the other times I've said I'm going to get one and didn't. No, really!

Adventures in dehydration

I took my run this morning and felt like I could have just laid down and died. My muscles ached, my lungs burned, my throat was on fire...One day, I really will learn to drink enough water.

I really have nothing to write today, so I just wanted to acknowledge that I did in fact go for my run. Maybe tomorrow will offer more insights.

At least I remembered to stretch...

I'm really not very good at this whole 'break day' thing. Soda and poptarts don't make for a healthy day's eating. At least I remembered to stretch!

I actually think I do better on the days I've exercised because I feel like eating poorly negates the work I've done. When I haven't done anything, there's not as much guilt associated with my poor (but DELICIOUS) nutrition choices. Sugar and fat and caffiene shouldn't taste so damn good, and green things shouldn't taste so...blah.

Overall it was a pretty good day. James and I went down to Wilmington and talked to the Coast Guard recruiter. I didn't post about it beforehand, because I didn't want anyone (and by that I mean my mother) to hear about it down the grapevine and have a massive aneurysm, but we talked about it earlier, so I can write about it now. It was just a short informational sort of talk, just to see what options I may have...I left feeling pretty good. It's way too late for me to get into the officer program for 2012, but if I don't have a job in my field by this time next year...well, it's definitely worth considering.

After that, we hurried back to base because he had to return to work, and I had a doctor's appointment. I rolled in 20 minutes late, because I'm a gangster like that, and my doctor was somewhere doing an emergency procedure anyway. I rescheduled, and with my new free afternoon, I drove down to Onslow Beach. I spent the rest of the day sitting on a blanket next to the ocean, reading a book and enjoying the sun and wind and sound of the waves. It was glorious.

Back to the grind tomorrow...work and exercise, and no poptarts. Sigh.

Honey makes everything better.

It was really lovely to not have to wear the fleece, gloves, and hat today. I almost threw them all on to go running at 8:00am, until I remembered I don't have to work today...not having to worry about a schedule made it so that I could wait until it warmed up a bit. I don't know how long it took me this time, because I once again forgot to look at the clock on the way out the door. Fail.

I'm glad that tomorrow is my 'day off' from running though...my muscles are getting sore. Pretty sure I can stretch further than when I started though, so that's a plus. I'll be on base with James for a big chunk of tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to hit up the exchange and get a couple things. Namely a stability ball, but if things aren't too pricey, I might pick up a kettlebell or two as well. It's amazing how much cheaper things are, and without the crush of the Wal-Mart crowds. Don't get me wrong, base traffic is usually ugly and the Commissary has 200 people in it at all times...but it's somehow still less irritating than Wal-Mart.

This morning I busted out the Greek yogurt for the first time since my one failed experiment with it in college. I threw a handful of blueberries in, because I was told the only reason I didn't like it last time was because I tried it plain. That was a horrid, horrid lie. Instead of a bowl of thick, bitter slop, I had a bowl of thick, bitter slop with blueberries in it. I suspect anyone who tells you that Greek yogurt tastes good is just a trendy hipster. You know, the kind that only eats organic, and listens to indie, and used to spend all their time drinking non-fat lattes at Starbucks before Starbucks became too mainstream. They probably drink coconut water too. (Which I tried the other day, and will probably try to learn to like. Just like Greek yogurt. I am such a hypocrite.) Anyway, I DID discover that adding a little bit of honey made it palatable. If it's as healthy as people claim, and keeps you feeling full like it's supposed to, I will live with the less-than-stellar taste.

Panda had her appointment with the Vet today, and got her final vaccinations. She found the thermometer less than amusing. She also whipped around and hissed at the Vet when he gave her the needle, which is the first time she's ever done that in her life. She's gonna love it when we tell her it's time to go get her lady bits snipped away.

Well, that's it for today. There's a beef stew simmering away in the crockpot for tonight, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out.

Of separated oils and pink foams

I've made it down to 12 minutes! I'm very pleased by this. I think when I make it to 10, I'll start going a little further. It was obnoxiously cold again today, but I was a little better prepared. A hat, a pair of gloves, and a layer of chapstick really helped. Thank God for Burt's Bees.

I'm glad this frigid nonsense will be over by tomorrow. I'll be happy when I can go back to sunning myself on the porch like a large, pale lizard. The electric bill will be happy when we can turn off the heat again and throw open all the windows.

Anyway, last night's veggie pizza turned out delicious. It's our second attempt at a home-made pizza, and it was much improved from the first. This is due in part to the fact that we learned the importance of flouring the bottom of the crust...last time when we took it off the pan, it left an entire layer of crusty goodness behind. We also had a whole-wheat crust this time, which I personally think tastes better. James made the sauce completely from scratch, and it was fantastic. I say 'we' a lot, but I mostly contributed to this effort by drooling in the background. Occasionally, I was allowed to idly stir the sauce as the excess water boiled off. Did you know that when you blend up tomatoes, the result is pink and foamy? Not remotely appetizing until it sits and boils for a good long while.

Oh, and I managed to get up and eat breakfast. Almond butter and banana on a whole wheat english muffin. Almond butter is not bad, but it's no Jiff. We've got the super-hippy organic kind with absolutely no additives, meaning no sugar, so it's not as sweet...and after a 20-minute battle to get the stupid mason jar open, I had to stir in the oils because apparently when nut butters aren't processed to within an inch of their lives, the oils separate out of the rest of the goop. Gross.

Oh, and Panda is in high spirits today, and apparently at war with all paper products she can get her tiny paws on. Probably acting out since we took her Christmas tree away.

COLD

I had to squeeze my run in a little earlier than normal this morning. It was also the coldest day so far this winter. My hands and ears were completely numb by the time I completed the loop of our apartment community. Note to self: gloves and a hat next time. I honestly feel I should get extra credit for today, for heading out to run despite my deep loathing of cold weather.

We finally managed to get out and get some groceries today, so at least there will be no more burgers and soda. Most of it is stuff we'll actually need to cook or construct ourselves, instead of just tossing in the oven, or adding ground beef.

Now that working until 1am is over, I think I'll see if I can manage to get on a solid sleep schedule as well. Going to bed relatively early isn't hard...I'm just going to have to pick a time to get up, and actually get up. I'm an olympic class sleeper, so that will be a little tough for me. It will help though, I think...as it is, I tend to get up a little later than I should, wait an hour or two, finally get hungry, and then decide that lunch is close enough to just wait. I almost never eat breakfast, which blah blah blah metabolism and all that.

Anyway, off I go! As I sit here, lazy and typing, my poor husband has been slaving away at a home-made veggie pizza. I don't deserve him, but I sure am glad I have him.

Ouch Karma.

Happy New Year! 2012 has arrived and hopefully by the end of it, I wont be a sack of flab and a nutritional black hole.

There was no post yesterday because my ex-cross-country-runner husband informed me I am supposed to take a break from the running every few days, to allow my muscles to heal a little. So there was no running yesterday. Unfortunately, there was a dollar menu cheeseburger for breakfast, soda at an otherwise healthy (I think?) lunch, and pizza at work. I also did not stretch at all yesterday, like an idiot. And I don't think I had a single mouthful of water all day.

So today was really hard. I assume because I didn't utilize my 'day off' properly, and filled my body with crap. I don't know if it actually works like that, but at least in a karmic sense, I assume that was the reason. At any rate, thinking like that might help me say no to the junk in the future.

In other news, James and I are thinking about moving to somewhere else in the area. We're here until at least July, since he has to have knee surgery again, and through conversation with co-workers I've discovered we're paying too much as it is. Besides, Jacksonville kind of sucks. We're thinking about heading to Swansboro, or to Sneads Ferry...or even to North Topsail. All of which are smaller towns, closer to the beach (Topsail IS the beach), and probably easier to get to base from. When we moved here, we thought it would be an easy drive for him since base is so close...in reality, the traffic on the main drag in town turns a twenty minute drive into an hour and a half in the mornings and evenings. In the end, it will probably be more gas and time efficient to live a little further away, but have a route that doesn't go through the front gate.

In light of that, it's back to the local job search for me! It would have been inevitable anyway, as I suspect hours at Victoria's Secret will not be quite so reliable once all the holiday and semi-annual sale fervor has ended. Meanwhile, I'm still sending applications and resumes all over the country for when James is out of the Marines. Keep your fingers crossed for me...I know for a fact I've made it to the second stage of the selection process for my dream job in Honolulu, so maybe, just maybe, this time next year I'll be posting from the islands.