Everyone Has to Start Somewhere: #100DaysofFitness - Day 1

Yesterday morning was my first day back at the pool, as I had mentioned.  So far so good with the meniscus, my knee is a bit tight but not intolerable.  Post-workout, I'm in the locker room and I overhear a conversation between two women about how crowded the parking lot and locker rooms were, to which the other replied that she shouldn't sweat it, most of the New Years resolvers would be dropping off soon enough.  While I certainly have been one of "those' people in the past bemoaning the onslaught of newcomers into the gym every January, and getting annoyed when "my" locker was being used by a new comer or by the lack of available parking-  being on the other side of the coin… i.e. A new resolver (even if its not technically a New Years resolution), I couldn't help but realize how judgmental the collective we can be.    Instead of criticizing the new members, maybe reach out and make a friend.  Everyone needs encouragement everyone  even those who have been at the gym for years and years.  We should be celebrating the fact that people took the step to better themselves rather than cutting them down because they inconvenienced us.  Even if these new years resolvers didn't hear those specific comments, certainly their own self doubt, and perhaps similar comments from other people weigh them down enough that they do drop off and stop coming. So instead of discouraging people, we can all make an effort instead to encourage people.  Even if it means having to walk ALL the way from the back of the parking lot into the gym (I mean, really we're all there for exercise anyway), and even if it means having to get a locker ALL the way in the front/back instead of settled nicely in the middle by the showers -  maybe one person will stay encouraged enough to see their goals through.  So, that’s my take away for the day.  Everyone- even the storied athletes started with Day 1.  Find a new someone tomorrow or the next time you are at the gym, and help them to Day 2, Day 14, Day 86, whatever it is.  There's enough discouragement out there, lets try encouragement for a change :)  

My Meniscus & Me: A Soap Opera

Hello - Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy New Year - etc.  Yep, it's been a long, long while since I've posted.  According to the lovely reminder on the back end of Blogger, it informed me the last time I logged in was June.  Yay me.   So the quick and dirty on what's been going on of late.  As you know I was having major problems with my knee.  After a second opinion and a lot of smarmy comments about someone like me (read:fat) doing triathlons and how dangerous for my joints it was... it was finally determined that I did in fact have a tear in my meniscus.  Unfortunately the tear is too small to warrant surgery.  So, its just a waiting game.  It can take up to a year for a non-surgically repaired meniscal tear to heal.  I have good days, I have bad days.  I was having a lot of good days Thanksgiving through Pre-Christmas. I thought 'Hey! Look at me! I'm on the road to recovery!'  Then, I hosted Christmas Eve...and I didn't just host Xmas eve- I repainted three rooms in my house, reorganized as a result of the new paint-  we refinished our cabinets in the kitchen and just all-in-all did a whole lot of work the 2 or so weeks leading up to XMAS. (In our defense, it wasn't just some psychotic need to give our house a quick face lift-  we had been entertaining the idea of selling our house and had filled cracks, painted ceilings, updated trim over the summer, and had to "finish" our facelift work).  Christmas eve comes, dinner is yum family has fun. I get up off the sofa to say goodbye to someone and BAM! Back to square one - well really like square 4 1/2.   Then the ice storms cometh and well, its not really easy for a meniscus to heal when its a skating rink and a snowy desert as far as the eye can see.  Unstable snow isn't exactly the best thing for a trying-to-heal unstable knee to be walking on.  Needless to say, XMAS injury has been slow going healing wise.

HOWEVER- I'm determined to help the healing progress further.  I need to build the muscles in my legs and core back up- Im thinking that if those are stronger that will take some of the pressure off the joint.  So its back into the pool I go.

I saw a blog a few days ago about a woman who committed to 100 days of fitness.  In exactly 100 days from today Mr. Millie and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary on a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.    I have made this whole 100 days of fitness thing my new goal (here's hoping I can stick to it)

Tomorrow morning is my first day back in the pool.  We'll see how good of friends the old meniscus and I are post-workout.  I'm going to take it slow and mentally Im committing to 100 days of fitness, of course Im simultaneously afraid of mentally committing to this because of my stinkin' knee.  But, I have the pool - which is low impact and one of those bouncy medicine balls here at home, and I'm hoping between the two I can commit to doing *something* every day.  Let's hope.

Major fingers crossed that tomorrow post- workout I don't have another meniscal episode

This is for the Haters

So-  the knee doctor says I should never do triathlons.  Fine.  But that doesn't mean that my entire training world has to end.  Papa Millie and my younger sister and I are once again hitting the relay circuit.  August 4th, we'll be rocking our pee yellow shirts in the  Naperville Triathlon.  I'll be doing the swim leg again.

It gives me a reason to refocus.  It gives me a reason to get my butt back into the pool.  Time to refocus, reevaluate and reestablish goals.

Obviously the knee isn't 100% - so the first week or so - and possibly longer depending on how quickly the knee adapts will simply be adjusting to swimming again.  The eventual goal (by the time the Tri rolls around in August)  will be a 20 minute mile.  Doable I think, it's like 2 months away- well like 6 weeks.

My -hope- is that I can wake up early in the morning, swim, and then head into work- hopefully killing 2 birds with one stone. #1 Avoiding ridiculous stop and go traffic now that every main artery out of this stinkin city is under construction simultaneously (geniuses that work at the village, I swear)... additionally, it gives me an "excuse" to get into the gym every morning.  I'm going to shoot for three times a week for now....  I'm hoping eventually to get it up to five or six but I dont want to over reach or over commit.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, back into the pool I go!


One- Two- THREE P's.

At Your Weight, You Shouldn't Be Doing Triathlons Anyway

Okay, its been forever and I don't really even have the right to ask anyone to open this and read it.  I mean, I'm like the worst fair weather friend ever.  As I've discussed ad nauseum I have never ending issues with my left knee.  

I've become a huge fan of Ivanka Trump shoes (they're super cute)  but very slippery.  One rainy day, my foot slid off a curb-  it wasn't a far slide, and I'm sure someone without bad knees would have just moved along like nothing happened other than getting a bit of a jolt.  Me however, hyper extended my knee.  After a week of not being able to walk on it, I went to an Orthopedist to see if maybe I tore something.  I went to OAD Orthopedics   and I have never been so flabbergasted at a doctor in my life. The Dr spent all of five minutes with me.  Looked at my XRays pulled at my knee a bit told me it was a sprain and there was nothing he could do.  I asked about a brace he told me their were no better than what I could get at Walgreens.  Pain killers- he told me to take something over the counter.  I told him I couldn't even walk on the knee-  it was just a bad sprain. Crutches?  No they weren't necessary either, the joint needed to move not be immobile.   If I didnt feel better in 4-6 weeks come back and he'd do an MRI.  He said according to my xrays there was arthritis building up in my knee and I'd probably need knee replacement surgery when I was older.  Great, but my need is immediate.  I literally CAN NOT WALK on my knee without intense pain.  And of course, his parting words, "With your knee you shouldn't be running...  and at your weight, you shouldn't be doing triathlons anyway."

Um- excuse me?  You know-  you read all these articles about health care and the cost of obesity on the average person and how expensive it is to insure heavy people etc etc because they never go to the doctors.  Given this experience, I can understand why some people wouldn't want to go.  Why would they want to when they great universally treated badly simply because they are heavy?  

Personally, since I clearly have experience in triathlon and was able to successfully complete them on multiple occasions-  wouldn't it be better to take me seriously as an athlete instead of just looking at me as a number?  

I get it- I have a really bad knee and triathlon isn't wise for the knee... but he didn't say "because you have a bad knee don't do triathlons" he said "Because of your weight don't do triathlons" and suggested I do something low impact, like swimming.

Which brings me back to the issue at hand. If I can't even WALK - how am I supposed to swim?  

This doctors appointment was either three or four weeks ago- Ive lost track now.  I was slowly starting to heal, I was even able to walk straight, but the joint still felt unstable  like anything would cause it to "go out"... I know there is something wrong with this joint.  Twice since then now, just the slightest wrong movement has caused it to "tweak" again -  I'm sitting here right now with my leg up and iced because I was sitting in a too-deep chair this morning and tried to get out of it (and it was essentially akin to straightening after doing a deep squat) and putting the slightest weight on it had me in tears.

I'm sending out an S.O.S.  I need a recommendation on a knee doctor.  Preferably one who also has experience with feet-  as I have blogged about before, my left foot turns in slightly - a childhood issue that never corrected itself.  I know the two are connected.  

If you are in the Chicago area-  Western Suburbs preferably, and you know of a doctor who a. will not just see me as a pathetic fat girl with a knee problem...  and has helped you with a joint issue- please please let me know.  I'm desperate-  and any suggestions would be appreciated.  I refuse to go back and see Mr. Five Minutes is too much time spent on you-  at OAD 

Getting Back on the Horse... No One Mentioned it was a Clydesdale

Picture acquired from Anything Equine

UGH.  That is really all I have the strength to even type.  U.G.H.  If you follow me on Facebook  you may have noticed that my work outs with Brutus started again this week.

The month of December between holiday parties and getting sick-  like a step away from pneumonia sick- resulted in a full four weeks of once again stepping back from working out.  This week was my reintroduction to being beaten up by Brutus.  They say absence makes the heart grow fonder... in his case I think absence gives him too much time to think up really masochistic ways of showing me how much he missed me.  Can we say one workout of every form of squat imaginable.  That was Wednesday, its now Sunday and I can finally sit again without groaning.  Or beating my arms into a bloody pulp with with weights and resistance bands to the point that even brushing my teeth made me whimper?  That pain finally started to fade away yesterday (just in time for tomorrow's workout...goooooodie! )

I also have made a deal with him that I will check in to Lifetime every time I am at the pool so that he knows I'm sticking with my workout schedule...so guess where I was bright and early this morning and yesterday morning?  You got it in the pool.  Though I can't complain on that one.. it made me realize just how much I missed it -  plus the pool workout made the ache in my arms go away.

Over the course of the past few weeks, whilst unable to work out but starting to feel slightly better, I decided that I have way too much junk in my house.  Like, we really should be on an episode of clothes hoarders.  Mr Millie and I both suffer from "But one day this will fit me again" syndrome.  I finally had enough.  We don't have a big house, and our master was built long before Master Bedrooms were truly "Master Bedrooms" and not just the biggest bedroom in the house-  so we have a VERY small closet.  I went through that thing like a crazy woman -  SEVEN Bags worth of clothes went to Goodwill and STILL my closet is packed.  I know I need to condense more, and I really need to detach emotionally from a lot of those clothes.  I keep hanging on to things because they have memories associated with them, and not because I'll ever wear them again.  Same with Mr. Millie- He more so with me (I mean honestly he has Tshirts from every Civil War battlefield he has ever visited...has he ever worn ANY of those TShirts? No.  When I suggested we take them and turn them into a blanket since he never wears them anyway- he acted as if I suggested we take our dogs to the shelter and give them away.  They're TSHIRTS... and ugly ones at that, collecting dust in the closet. )

It's a process, I know.  And eventually we'll get to the point where our house is pretty and organized... I'm not expecting Martha Stewart, but at least to the point where I can actually close my closet doors and to where I know where everything is so I'm not running around like a mad woman at 6:30 in the morning going "I Know I have a black sweater where is it?"  and then have to change because I can't find the dumb black sweater.

That's about it for now.  I know there was more i wanted to share-   I always sound so introspective and wise when I'm composing posts in my head as I swim.. but then its out of the pool and "dang its cold"  followed by "ugh whats with all the kids"  which then leads to "Hmm a post workout recovery shake sounds good"  followed by a drive home and "lalala- I love being able to listen to my Ipod in my car"  and then off to the grocery store.. and then FINALLY I'm home in front of my computer and I have absolutely NO idea what I had intended on saying.  *heavy sigh*

So I'll wrap it up now!

Trying to Find My Way Back

I know- its been a really, really long time.  At the never ending badgering suggestion of some friends, I decided to blow off the dust from the old blog and tri again.  Speaking of Tris... the knee- not so great. Running- probably never going to be something I can do.  So, I find myself stuck in this in between place of not knowing really where I'm going anymore.  Tri's are probably out of the question for the moment. This summer, if I can hack it I think I'm going to try for some swimming races in Indiana and Wisconsin (Sidenote: What do these swimming races have against Illinois? Last I checked there is a HUGE lake right smack dab at the top of the state that a certain THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY borders)  but hey, what do I know.

If you follow SMT on Facebook, you probably noticed I've been checking into Brutus new gym---  yep the dynamic duo is back in action.  He has a new gym that close to me (yay)  so  we're working out TWICE (yes, twice) a week now...  and after our separation, I have a sneaking suspicion that Brutus jumped on that 50 Shades of Gray bandwagon this summer and *might* be under the impression that being whipped into shape also should include pain, and agony.  I'm quite certain that Brutus has become a masochist... okay he probably was before too but now it's like to the Nth degree.  I am a sweaty, drippy puddle of goo at the end of every session... not that I'm complaining (Brutus if you are reading this I am NOT complaining.. *whimper* please go easy on me tomorrow)

I have a new job which I love (yay for employment)  and I'm slowly trying to find my way back again. My issue now is trying to figure out how to get back into the pool- as my old gym (Lifetime) while t was close to the old job  is nowhere near the new one... and their other locations are also nowhere near the new job.  Sadly, there isn't a gym within any sensible radius of the new job...   I wish that there was just a place with a pool -  just a pool- thats all I need.  When I was a kid, I used to be able to go and swim at the local high school for like $2 bucks a day or something like that... I'd even do that if they still offered it.  I don't need fancy schmancy gyms or classes or spas and juice bars just me and the pool.

I tried convincing my husband the cost/benefits of installing an indoor, in-ground pool in our backyard (or what woudl be left of our back yard if we added a pool)...  he didn't go for it.  Damn.

Anyhow~ I'm still not quite sure where I'm headed or what I'll be doing... but hopefully I'll be taking the blog along for the ride.

Inspirational Women, In Honor of Mother's Day #CleverHaiti and #spon

This Mother's Day, I'm working with Clever Girls in support of Macy's Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the "trade, not aid" program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake. Thank you to Macy's Heart of Haiti for sponsoring my participation in this “Share Your Heart" promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Taken in Minnesota- on a boat.
She was re-entacting the "Titanic" scene.

In Honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to tell you about a truly inspirational woman.  She is no longer with us, she passed away a few years ago, but having been lucky enough to know her, I am honored to be able to share with you an interesting story about her.  This is my husband's grandma.  Her name was Lenore.  My husband and I have known each other since 1997, so by extension, I've known Joe's grandma for roughly the same amount of time.  You always learn such interesting stories about people at their funerals.  Lenore was no exception to this.

She was a nurse during World War II.  My husband's grandfather, John Henry, was a marine stationed in the South Pacific.  Their love was like many during that time frame.  Letters back and forth, during one of the countries bleakest times.  However, Lenore, so worried about her (eventual) husband's safety, she prayed daily for his safe return.  In her daily prayers, she also promised that in exchange for John's safe return, she would give up her favorite drink:  coffee.  Quite a sacrifice for a nurse.  John made it home safe and sound. They got married had and raised 7 kids.  Lenore worked the graveyard shift at the hospital so she could stay at home during the day and take care of her kids.  And for her entire life-  she never - never- drank another cup of coffee again... because that is what she had promised in exchange for John Henry's safe return.

I usually refrain from talking about religion, because there are a gamut of beliefs and views out there... but this is not necessarily about faith.  Her commitment to her promise speaks volumes about the amount of faith, commitment and love she had both for God and her husband.  Lenore is a perfect example of someone we should all strive to be like.  Committed 100% to whatever it is that we strive to accomplish.   Being "all in" in regards to loving, and believing that faith in a person and your commitment to them is all that you need to get through life, is something we can all aspire to do.  Regardless of religion or even relationship...  that level of commitment can be applied to practically anything in our lives, and is something we can all strive for.  And, for me personally,  she is someone I aspire to be on a daily basis.  To live your life with that much faith, and that much commitment to your faith, to me is absolutely inspirational.   I love that I am able to share a piece of her with all of you, especially on a significant day such as Mother's Day.

What is Macy’s Heart of Haiti? Heart of Haiti is a “Trade, Not Aid” initiative launched by artist and social entrepreneur, Willa Shalit, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Macy’s. Already, Heart of Haiti has led to employment of 750 artists in Haiti, providing financial benefits for an estimated 8,500 people in the country. Each item is a one-of-a-kind design and handmade by a Haitian master artisan from raw materials such as recycled oil drums, wrought iron, papier-mâché and stone. The collection features more than 40 home decor items including quilts, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and paintings and is made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood.   Heart of Haiti products are available online at Macy’s.com.

Emotional Hard Limit

It's been a while, I know.  Ive been at a loss as to what to say or how to say what I need to.  The weeks of abuse I have imparted on my limbs in an attempt to force them into submission,  unfortunately reared up in protest- and I have been sidelined by the orthopedist.  Meaning-  no triathlons for me- all season, unless as he so aptly put it- I want knee replacement surgery by the time Im 40.  He told me I need PT to strengthen the muscles in my quads and calves to help support the knee joint and no running- not even on an elliptical.

This has become another nail in the proverbial coffin of my ever depleting self worth.  Yet another thing that I have managed to not do right.  I know the saying goes that shit rolls down hill-  well, I feel like Im sitting in the valley, and it just keeps piling on.

I have hit my limit of things I can take on, fret over, or even entertain.  I am just really overwhelmed right now, and am going to be taking a step back.  I haven't blogged in a while anyway, but I need to take a time out and reevaluate and refocus the plan going forward.

I have a blog post due which I already agreed to, discussing  Macy's Heart of Haiti project, which I blogged about last year as well- but after that post, I'm going to be going dark for a while as I regroup.

To Running On Our 2 Month Anniversary

Dear Running,

Things just aren't working out with us.  Why the disconnect?  I am reminded of a Beatles Song...

You say "Yes", I say "No".You say "Stop" and I say "Go, go, go".Oh no.You say "Goodbye" and I say "Hello, hello, hello".I don't know why you say "Goodbye", I say "Hello, hello, hello".I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello.I say "High", you say "Low".You say "Why?" And I say "I don't know".

We're at the 2 month mark.  We should be friends by now.. or at least frenemies.  I don't know why you make me hurt so much.  You're making it very hard to like you.  No matter where we spend time together, on a treadmill, a bike path, grass, sidewalks, asphalt-  the story is always the same.  The only time we get along is on an elliptical.  As much as I hate to say it, I think I may want to leave you for walking.  Walking and I are just better friends than us right now-  and you and I can keep in touch via the elliptical.  I don't know what to do with you running.  Part of me says that we should cut our losses, and part of me thinks that maybe we still need to push through our rocky patch.  But when do you know when to give up and cut your losses and when do you know to push through?    I've decided that you and I need to get some counseling.  I'm planning to see a specialist next week about the pain you cause me...  maybe, as another Beatles song goes "We Can Work It Out".

I Am The Face of Bullying

Thanks to The Bully Project for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website to join the movement and learn more.

This is me (in the Pink Esprit)  at age 11, at the beginning of Junior High.  That's when it started.  The names, the jokes behind my back, the passing of notes about me in classes...  I didn't have a whole lot of friends.  My "old" friends had moved on to their new social circles in their new junior high. I was trying to navigate my way and find a place within friend structures that had been established in kindergarten or later on in grade school.  My parents were divorcing (practically unheard of in a Catholic school), I was having issues with knees (which developed into full blown knee problems) and essentially my world was falling apart.  It was a battle zone at home, and a battle zone at school.  Because of my knees,  I had to miss a lot of gym class... then because I was teased for always missing gym class  I would just miss school all together thinking that would solve the problem.  Instead it only increased the fodder. Teachers, students, they all joined in on the fun. My 8th grade year book has a "where will they be in 20 years" at the back of it... mine says "She will finally have come to school enough days to graduate".


There are lots of different forms of bullying.. not just the slam a kid up against the lockers kind.  Girls don't deal in physical bullying.  Girls get psychological.  Girls get mean.  I wish I could say that I am one of those people who will stand up to you and make you back down-  or at least try to tell you my 7th and 8th grade self was.  I wasn't, however.  By nature, I'm a pleaser.  When people don't like me, instead of brushing it off with an "I don't care" attitude, I spend too much time and energy trying to figure out why they don't like me.. and how I can get them to like me.  Couple this with a kid who has been "trained" to emotionally ball into a fetal position and surrender instead of standing their ground when having to battle the "mean girls" (and in all actuality, the "mean guys" too), because of the battleground in their home.  What happens when a bully realizes you are an easy target that isn't going to fight back and isnt going to tell on them?  


Once I graduated from that school and moved on to my high school I thought everthing would be different, it would all change now that I was in a new school getting a fresh start with dozens of other girls also getting a fresh start in a new school. Unfortunately I was battle weary and really had a hard time trusting anyone...and not everytime but there were enough times even in high school where I had put my trust in someone only to have it shredded and passed around a very small school like a toy.  I withdrew, kept to myself,  secretly hoping to be noticed, liked, befriended.  I was the "weird" one that people knew but didn't socialize with...  who wasn't an outcast, but didn't get invited to parties either.  Some of those people still feel I'm the "weird" one... but the difference now? I really couldn't care less.  


Adult me realizes that if people are still judging you based on who  they think  you used to be... that they aren't even worth a second of thought.  They do not deserve to rent out space in your head or heart.  Adult me, wants every child who is bullied to know that while those words hurt and sometimes its hard to muddle through another day,  that it will be o.k. 

While some people may think that you are a 

... the problem is with them  not you.  

I've made my peace with my past.  While I would never, ever want to re-live it; I have accepted what it was, and have used it to fuel me on the days when I feel unmotivated.  There were days when I was young, when I got so low, and the emotional pain was so bad, that I would have rather been dead than have to endure another day of being the butt of everyone's jokes.  I look back on those days now amazed  that I would ever let small minded people force me to hate myself that much.  


Because if I had rolled over and let the haters win, 




                                                            I would be here

                                                  
                                                               Instead of here

Bullying is a very serious issue these days, and The Bully Project, a movie about child victims of bullying is a must see for parents and their children.  What better way to open the dialogue with your child about bullying, bullies, and the effects of unkind words, than a night out together watching this film.  Please take a moment to view the trailer below.  











I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Find showings in your area for The Bully Project and buy tickets here.

Channeling Your Inner Flintstone

I don't know if this is common everywhere,  but here in Chicago there is a joke that everything is "like ten minutes away"  even if in reality is like 45.  So, yesterday when I decided to ditch the gas guzzling SUV in favor for the bike to run my handful of errands I figured "those stores are like a minute down the street they're not far at ALL  I can easily take my bikes to run my errands".  Fast forward a few hours and a soaking wet, saddle sore Me grumbling back into my driveway and switching out the bike for the car.

There were a few problems with my plan.

1.  While everything appears to be close when you're in your car, driving possibly ten (ok maybe 15) miles over the speed limit.. of course everything appears close.    I made it to one of my four stores on bike.

2.  When riding a bike and trying to wear your purchases in a pack on your back, it really throws off your ability to balance, especially when said things are heavy and shift frequently.

3.  I do not live in a bike friendly area.  Every street is at least four lanes, if not more.  Most lights do not have cross walks or those little pedestrian thingies that you can push to get the traffic to stop.  In addition, its apparently illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk (which I learned last year)  but even still- the sidewalks in this town are almost non-existent,.. and when there is a sidewalk it stops suddenly and inexplicably.


So  the movies got returned, and I picked up a few things at the Jewel... but after that I said bleep this, rode home and drove to my other errands.  It never dawned on me that the Jewel that I drive to practically every day (not just for the jewel theres like a billion things in that strip mall that I frequent)  is actually four miles from my house-  it does not seem that far to me at all.     So a total of 8 very slow, expletive filled miles yesterday in place of the car.  Id say that is enough of a contribution towards being green for one day :)

When Is Sharing, Whining?

A friend of mine  mentioned that my blog recently has gotten whiny.  I read it over, and I don't see any instances where I'm whining but perhaps my tongue-in-cheek, self deprecating humor sounds whiny.  Whining is not my intent, and so many times in blogging (or even writing anything really at all), I can be thinking of what I am saying one way  (think sarcastic, acerbic or biting)  and it can be perceived as another (whining).  So if my writing has come off as whining it was not meant that way.  I have actually been really cognizant of what I post and say, because well I am out of a job and it does suck but this blog is not a "lets sit around and have a pity party" blog.   But, it made me think-  when is sharing simply sharing, and when is it whining?  If I talk about how sore I am, is that sharing in my daily experience or is it whining about how hard it is?  What is the line that divides the two.

We all have days when all we want to do is sit and complain but how do you tell when your "one day of complaints" has morphed into three, or five, or a month?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Return to Me

Dear Running,

Yes, its been a while, I know.  No- I wasn't trying to give you the slip, briefly making eye contact with you in the hallways and ducking into the bathrooms real quick so you didn't see me.  I know you probably feel left out, with all the time that walking and I have spent together over the past few week.  Walking and I became very very close last week, I won't deny it.  We spent way too much time together.  So much so, that I actually had to take a time out from walking every once in a while and be friends with something called a cab.

But don't worry running.  We're not in a fight.  I'm back  to my old routine now.  Yesterday didn't go so well did it?  You and I just can't seem to find any middle ground ...  its either nothing at all, or a pained brief existence together.  Hopefully the rest of the week goes better than yesterday did.

I'll see you again on Wednesday.

Spring Break???.....

Wow, I honestly did not think that it had been this long since I blogged.  I write all these great snappy things in my head as Im working out- and apparently that has tricked me into believe I actually make it to the computer to download them from the ole brain onto the ole blog. -heavy sigh-  and they were so funny too.  Well, I thought they were anyway.

So, I'm on "spring break" this week. Um, yay?  Yeah.. not so much.  Apparently "Spring Break" has become synonymous with "you have a week of no classes so guess what, you get to write research papers. Are you kidding me.  Its like ridiculously gorgeous outside, and what am I doing? Trying to devour 400 page books in order to spit them out into a semi-sensical 10 page paper, by Saturday.  I love school.  I love school  I love school.  No really, if I say it enough, it will be true right?  Wait- if that's the case "I love a million dollars....  I love a million dollars... I love a million dollars"... oh wait.. even more "I love a size 8 body.... I love a size 8 body (Id even take a 10..or even a 12... hell who am I kidding I'll take a 14!)

Ok, enough with the silliness.  Its week two of Tri training.  Can I tell you how never endingly tired I am?  I swear, every morning I curse myself for not sticking with a training regimen through the winter.  I think my entire body is in complete shock.  I ache all over, all the time.  Im hoping that by next week my body will finally stop throwing a temper tantrum and just put up and shut up.  Of course, next week, I won't be around all that much.  I have an "employment conference" that I'm attending in hopes to network and see if I can find a job through non-traditional means.  I'll try blogging from the hotel room, but I can't promise much.  I am planning on bringing my workout clothes with me- and I can say "oh yeah, Im going to work out every day"  and I sincerely hope I can stick with it while Im gone, but Im not so sure about that either... but we will try and keep positive.

That's really it for now. I heard its going to be almost 80 tomorrow and I am so taking my bike out for a ride!  I am loving this weather.  Though knowing what a jerkface mother nature is, I have a feeling she is going to dump me with a mid-April blizzard or something - at a time that will really screw up my training- I can just feel it.

Alright everyone-  get out there and enjoy the gorgeous weather!!!

Allergies... or am I sick, again?

So- I dont know if its because the wind is blowing and there wasn't really a winter, and so lots of dead moldy stuff is all over the place (and of course I decided to take on running outside in the wind).. but oh my goodness. If I am getting a sinus infection I swear I'm going to be so ticked.  I seriously JUST got over that super virus that everyone was getting last week and now block sinuses, never ending sneezing, blocked ears.  Im going with allergies (Im praying its allergies)  but it is seriously putting a damper on my training (I mean, a girl needs to breathe in order to exercise).  So, today's workout was cut short.  Grr.  In all honesty I should have probably picked bike over swim, but I figured I would try to swim first (hoping the chlorine would dry out the ole sinuses)  and it didn't.  The inability to breathe only made me more miserable, and after twenty minutes (hey, at least I got the required in)  I gave up.  Instead of heading upstairs to the bike machines, I went home.  Not a good way to start out week one.  So, tomorrow, will be running and biking instead of just running.  I'm also so bummed that with as beautiful of a day that it was outside (temperature wise) the never ending rushes of wind prevented me from enjoying a bike ride outside.  I had so wanted to train in the warm weather.  Maybe tomorrow will be rain-less and warmer than they are expecting!

Anyhow, unfortunately I have nothing pithy nor entertaining to say.  It's late, I'm tuckered- and I still have stinkin homework to do.

Against the Wind

Dear Running,

No, really there is nothing I enjoy more than getting an extra hard workout running in 40 MPH winds.  I mean, it's character building right?  So what is my headphones kept getting blow out of my ears, that the wind was blowing so hard I couldn't hear the tone change on my c25K IPOD program signaling between walking and running changes, and lets not forget the actual effort involved in trying to work with you whilst fighting against the wind.  I know I only spent a scant 90 seconds with you today before I left you for your friend, walking,  but it wasn't personal today.  I mean honestly, when faced with those kinds of conditions who really wants to spend any time with you anyway?

Thursday will be better, hopefully.

The Eye of the Tiger (aka Triathlon Training, Day 1)

I'm looking at the lyrics to "Eye of the Tiger" and really it doesn't *quite* fit for day one of a 16 week training regimen but hey, we'll go with it.

Day One.  At almost ten o'clock all I can say is, owie.  I felt fine earlier.  Now, I'm a tad sore and seriously cursing my winter laziness.  How Im going to meet up with the Mean Girl tomorrow, I have no clue.  Thankfully my mean girl time tomorrow is only a blessed 12 minutes.  However,I have been contemplating this all day.  When it says "run: 12 minutes:  does that mean twelve minutes of attempted run(wog) time  or twelve minutes TOTAL.  Because the Couch to 5K has a 5 minute warm up followed by 12 minutes of Wogging (well its longer than that- but I would stop it at 12) -  but that means Im doing a total of 17 minutes and not 12.  I don't remember what I did last time I trained.  I think I am just going to do 17 since 5 is just walking to prep for running.

It seriously feels like March came out of nowhere.  I still cant believe its already time to start training.  I thought I had a few more weeks, therefore I am not mentally prepared at all, which is seriously hampering the old motivation.  It took me at least thirty minutes this morning to psyche myself up to get out the door and go workout.  Not a good way to start down a 16 week path, thats for sure.

But I'm just gonna fake it til I make it.  One of these days, the  motivation (hopefully) catches up with the action.  Until then, well all I can do is keep on keeping on.

Just to refresh...  I'm following the 16 Week Spring "balanced" plan on Beginner Triathlete.com

This was Week 1, Day 1:

12 Min Swim ( I actually did 15 because I like rounder numbers with more defined cut offs)
24 Minute Bike (I stuck with 24 minutes on this one lol)

15 Minute Swim:  I managed 750m  (which is the Tri distance. So, yay me for not slipping over the winter.  I can only go up from here)
24 Minute Bike:  I did roughly 4 1/2 miles in 24 minutes, which comes down to about 6 minutes a mile.  This will have to improve big time. But, it was my first time riding in a while- so the stamina can only build from here.  I seriously forgot how badly riding hurts your rear end when you aren't used to it.

Alright, this tired lass is heading off to bed.

Hollywoods Definition of Beauty

We bid adieu to awards season this past weekend.  It is, my favorite time of the year.  I have to say however, that I am so excited to see mainstream designers now working with plus sized actresses for their red carpet moment.    And when I say designers, I mean- the heavy hitters.  The ones whose names you hear being dropped from the super skinny actresses as they strut down the carpet.  Names like Bagdley Mishka, Marina Renaldi and Tadashi Shoji.

Nikki Blonsky in a dress from IGIGI

If you remember back to 2008 when Nikki Blonsky was nominated for her role in "Hairspray"  the award season Red Carpets were essentially a fat free zone.  I still cringe thinking about poor Nikki having to discuss (repeatedly, as I believe she wore them through the whole season)  that she was wearing "IGIGI"  -  not that there is anything wrong with IGIGI  I have worn them often to weddings and special events-  but thats the point  *I*  Have worn them.  Me-  with my normal, non celebrity paycheck.  The Oscars (and all the other award shows)  are something special for these actresses.  Something that they dream about from the time they decide that they want to be actors.  EVERYONE, regardless of size, should be catered to in the same manner.  A plus sized gal shouldn't have to (like Nikki Blonsky did)  purchase a dress off the rack, that every other plus sized woman out there has either worn or seen.

And Finally *FINALLY*  designers are seeing the light!  They have decided *HALLELUJAH* that "you know what,  those big girl deserve to be princesses for the day as well."  -Sound the  trumpets-!

And look at the beautiful dresses that the plus sized gals came out in this year

Melissa McCarthy in Bagdley Mishka

Melissa McCarthy in Marina Renaldi 

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji 

And, who can forget Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique last year at the Oscars 

In Marchesa 

Mo'Nique in Tadashi Shoji

So BRAVO to the fashion industry for FINALLY allowing the plus sized girls a moment to sparkle as well.  If you could see me, I'd give you a standing ovation for finally cracking open that mold, tossing it aside, and realizing that BEAUTY  and TALENT  are SIZELESS.

Holy Cow- When Did March Get Here?

Crudola!  How did March sneak up so stinking fast!?!  Okay technically March doesn't arrive until tomorrow (thank you Leap Year)  but, the beginning of March marks *sound the trumpets*  Triathlon Training Season (okay, perhaps instead of trumpets it should really be murderous screams).  I can't believe its upon us already.  I was so hoping that running and I would be friends before Tri training started. So much for that idea.  My first planned Triathlon  is the She Rox Triathlon in Naperville, IL.  It's on June 10th.  So, this Sunday will mark 16 weeks for me.  If you are planning on tackling the triathlon this summer, find your event date and count 16 weeks back from there-  that is your "start" date for full boat Triathlon training.  I'm going to be following the schedule from Beginner Triathlete  .. the one hyper linked here is the 16-week "Balanced" schedule.  For someone who is weaker in one area or another, you can find running focused (which, I guess I really should follow instead of the "balanced one"), a bike focused and a swim focused schedule as well- dependent on what your weakest leg is.    I still can not believe it's already time to start training.  Hopefully here in Chicago the beautiful weather promised this week is a sign that spring will be here early (please PLEASE no mid April blizzards)..  thereby allowing for as many outside training days as possible.  Its so much better to train on actual ground rather than train on machines.

So, I had originally planned to do this race with Emmie from Skinny Emmie but she is having all kinds of problems with her foot of late- and is STILL stuck in her boot-  so I will be flying this race solo.  If anyone has ever thought "hmm, I should do a triathlon"  you could always train alongside/participate with ME :)  We could be besties!  Seriously!

Think about.  You have until Monday before having to jump feet first into training insanity.  You can do it though.  Because, seriously, if I can, you can.

The Cauliflower Conundrum

As I discussed last week on my Facebook Page , I had an over abundance of veggies at the end of the week yet to be used for meals.  I finally decided after hemming and hawing to make Cauliflower Gratin, a recipe from my sisters blog Plant Food Fabulous .  Now, Julia Childs I am not... we all know this.  But I figured, it's cauliflower, some cheese and some breadcrumbs ... how hard can it be.  Yeah... that was mistake #1.

The recipe is as follows:

Cauliflower Gratin 

2 tablespoons butter- I used Olive Oil Instead

1 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves of garlic, mined

1 large head of cauliflower, cored and diced in 1" cubes- I think mine was more a "medium" head, possibly even a "smallish" head.

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour- No Flour- so instead I used Hemp Protein (which in my defense is labeled a "flour substitute")

2 cups cream- Omitted, opted for 4 cups of milk instead

2 cups milk

8 ounces sharp cheddar

6 ounces smoked cheddar- I only had a Shredded Mixture of some form, so used that instead

1/4 cup grated parmesan- at least I had this 

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup parsley, minced

a pinch of salt and pepper 

Considering that food pretty much hates me, therefore, I have to constantly be mindful of pesky things like calories and fat, I immediately omitted the cream and most of the butter (except where absolutely necessary), opting instead of olive oil.  I am admittedly the most germ a phobic person when it comes to food and how long things can be kept without them going bad.  Therefore, things don't last very long in my fridge.  As a result of that, I'm not a person who just has items on the fly to use or utilize- because I never know how long things truly last before going bad.  So, Im not the kind of person that has tons of cheeses or lots of vegetables to use on a whim  or even an over abundance of butter or milk, or flour.  Which is how I get into these situations a lot of times of not having all of the ingredients and making do with what Ive got.  

Anyway, the instructions referenced utilizing a linked cheese sauce from a previous recipe.  But, I didn't actually follow the link to figure out exactly how to make it-  I just figured it was a matter of combining the butter and the flour and the cheese and the milk to make a sauce.  Which-  I did.  I think the fact that I had four cups of milk and not 2 of milk 2 of cream probably resulted in a less than thick sauce.  Perhaps also the fact that I used Hemp instead of Flour may have been the case as well.  But regardless, the sauce did not really thicken to anything more than the consistency of a soup.  I figured though it would distribute more in the baking.  I followed the rest of the instructions with the onions and the garlic and the cauliflower and combined everything into a dish.  I don't have a fancy gratin pan.. so I used a casserole dish instead.  Covered it and baked it.  Fifty minutes later, it essentially looked like Cauliflower Soup.  Or- really, cauliflower floating in a cheesy, green soup. (Yes mine was green because of the Hemp...)  Instead of actually presenting it as it to my husband for dinner (which would have resulted in copious amounts of laughter Im sure).. I decided instead to blend it up and turn it into a soup.  Which helped to thicken it into a nice consistency, and despite the green color actually tasted quite wonderful.    Obviously, since it was soup I omitted the breadcrumbs.  While I could consider this a "Dinner Disaster"  since I failed to produce a beautiful bubbly Gratin like Ms. Plant Food Fabulous has on her site... I was able to rescue this from dinner obscurity into a very delicious, and satisfying (especially since it was cold and snowy)  soup.  I paired it with some boxed cornbread from Trader Joe's and made it a very delicious meal.  :)

I therefore, am putting this one in the "win" column.  :)  No pictures unfortunately.. I forgot to take one of the soup, and really the before pictures of my attempt at gratin would only make you laugh :)