I’ve moved!
And you can visit me at KnitRunBakeRun (knitrunbakerun.com). Come on down! 🙂
WIAW
Here’s another episode of stuff-I-stuff-my-face-with. Ran 5 easy miles before work. This schedule has been really fun! I think it’s important to appreciate all of the phases of training, you know?
Came home, had a quick scoop of Dymatize with water and then ran off to an early meeting.
After my meeting, I picked up a fruit cup and had it with 2 hard boiled eggs. Also had jasmine tea and a lot of water. Yet another apple for a snack. Sheesh, my foods are repetitive, huh?
Lunch was leftover salad from last night and a grilled chicken breast.
After work, super hungry. I had the 1/2 of a banana I had left in the fridge (also, I kind of like bananas cold!), with some Sunbutter.
Not pictured, but I snacked on about 10 gluten free tortilla chips (totally not necessary I know but I rationalized that at least it’s not candy!) while I was making dinner. I was in a snacky mood.
Dinner was this huge salad with: chickpeas, avocado, steamed broccoli, scallions, green peppers, apples and grapes, with tahini fluffed with white balsamic and lemon juice.
I just painted my nails (again, I know, it’s my new-old obsession. I am reconnecting with it. And I am going to make tea, and maybe read OR if I have a teeny bit of energy left, at least cast on this new knitting project. I got needles for the raccoon pattern today and I’m good to go!
This dark and stormy weather makes for terrible photos. I actually finished a project over Sunday/Monday. I made a big, fluffy cowl for a girlfriend, and all I have are these quick and dirty pics because it’s being mailed to her tomorrow. It’s the Gap-tastic Cowl from Ravelry (free, again!) and I made it with Cascade Eco + in Wild Rose Heather.
The Cupcake Mitts (another Rav freebie) was made on size 3 needles, with some leftover Valley Yarn in DK that I had wanted to use up. I knit most of these before the storm, but finished them up on Sunday.
Michael asked me to make something with apples that was “anything other than baked apples”. Ok FINE. Apple Almond Cake. This is from Enchanted Broccoli Forest, one of the Moosewood Cookbooks. I swapped out gluten free flour. Lovely.
And tonight, I made this happy salad. I have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Um, YUM.
Here is the link for this Sprouts and Apple Salad from Cook for your Life. I added the rest of our celery for extra crunch. That was the only change I made.
And because I can’t go too long without talking about running, I downloaded Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning, and I am ravenously reading it. Taking it a little easy this week on the running. Getting in some more yoga (I did a bunch of handstands before work, during a 60 minute practice and I felt AMAZING! I still do them near the wall but hey, I am trying!), and some weights. I want to come back swinging. I was torn between the 55 or 70 schedules. I am still a little unsure, but I am leaning towards the 55. I am pretty comfortable with mileage around 60 miles a week, so I figured if I have quality training around 55 miles a week, should be good.
And there we have it. I hope you had a less stormy Tuesday!
Review: YogaGlo Subscription
When we moved, one of the things I considered (after selecting a new gym) was: where’s my new yoga studio? There are a couple in the area (nothing walkable however), and they would definitely require a bus or car to get me there. Hmm, not always super convenient. I mean, coming home from work on the train and bus, and then coming home and taking a bus to and from yoga didn’t sound especially om-inducing to me.
My new studio is gorgeous, and the teachers I met were just really great. Again, the location and timing of classes seemed to be an issue.
So, looking around for options, I discovered YogaGlo.
It’s an online yoga community, full of classes. You can customize which kinds of classes you’d like to take, too. That includes not only the type of yoga, but the length of time. Up for a 90 minute session? Definitely. Have 15 minutes and need a deep stretch? That’s an option too.
And in super exciting news: there is a section on yoga for runners. I am in heaven. It really seems to target the areas that are most tight on me. My current favorite instructor is Tiffany Cruikshank. I like her direct approach.
So, your first 2 weeks are free, while you try it out. Otherwise, it’s $18 per month, and you get unlimited classes. I think if you’ve been practicing for a while, and you know the basic poses, and how to self-correct, this could be a great idea. Also, if you’re taking a lot of classes, the cost per classes is super cheap!
All in all, I’m pretty excited about it. And once you get your cat off your mat, you are ready to go.
Weekend things: Newport, RI (Mansions, dahhhling)
We kicked off Friday night with a movie date at Kendall Square Cinema. We went to see The Master. Have you seen this? It’s pretty wild. It’s a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, and I have to say, we thought it was just beautifully shot. If you have a chance, I highly recommend checking it out. What movies have you seen/are you planning to see? I also want to see: War of the Buttons, Argo, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and something I’m totally forgetting the name of (yes, I’m well aware I ended that sentence with a preposition). I will have to see if I can look it up with terrible descriptions and hand gestures. Maybe my laptop will understand and generate the title? Maybe? 🙂
On Saturday, we continued date night into date day. We took a day trip to Newport, RI. It’s really so beautiful this time of year. Southern New England is a little later to change colors of leaves, so we were still able to do some leaf peeping. We had been on one mansion tour before, and we want to see all of them. This time we went to see Marble House (last time, we saw The Breakers). They don’t allow you to take photos inside, but it’s a 56-room Vanderbilt mansion, and about as amazing and well-preserved as you can imagine.
But before that – LUNCH! We decided to go back to Mooring, because we had such a good time last time we went. I got a Riesling and fish tacos (and the chef made them gluten free for me), and Michael got the oysters and a beer. I had a beet salad with shrimp (not pictured) and he had a cioppino which was delicious. And you get to eat lunch on the water!
After walking around for a bit, we grabbed coffee at a place that got great reviews on Yelp – Empire Coffee & Tea. I have to say, it gets five stars from me. I got the pumpkin pie latte. He had an espresso macchiato. The customer service was impeccable, too.
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
Are you in? I am!
I have a mess of things I’ve written, in no real order. And believe it or not, in my former life, I was a creative writing teacher over at the Boston Center for Adult Education. True story. However, my writing has been long neglected. I have swapped it out for other creative pursuits.
My girlfriend Chelsea asked if I would do it with her, as kind of a support group. And I signed up immediately. Heck yes! I would love to do it.
So for 30 days and nights, you too can put your nose to the grindstone (or pen to paper, or however you prefer to write) and get your creative juices flowing.
Here’s a link to sign up. 🙂
Also, I like this guy running with a pencil! I wonder if I can run and write at the same time. Hmmm.
Oh Look – it’s a Thursday Latelies!
Oh 2 other things I wanted to tell you I’m completed enamored with lately. These blogs! Delicious eye candy. Loving them.
- That is all. (Her videos are adorable, and the photos are drool worthy.)
- One Sheepish Girl (Her blush list? Yes, please!)
WIAW (Om nom nom)
Hi hi! It’s What I Ate Wednesday.
I don’t take pictures of how much water I drink everyday but…it’s a lot. I also had a thermos of jasmine tea. One of my favorites. I’m kind of learning I drink a lot of beverages!
Hit the gym for 45 minutes of cross training this morning before getting ready for work. I think I’m gonna run tomorrow! Pretty psyched to get back in a groove. The endorphin rush from the race lingered a while.
Breakfast: coffee, a quick smoothie (we need to go shopping, so this was a little bare): Vega Tropical Tango vegan protein powder, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds, splash of orange juice.
Snacked on an apple with tea later on in the morning. Lunch was spinach salad with chicken breast and BBQ sauce.
I was trying to find yarn on my lunch break (for that raccoon mitt project) but I couldn’t find what I wanted. I got a coffee from Boston Common, but I didn’t really like it. Snack after work – a nice spoonful of Sunbutter. That stuff rules.
Quickly made dinner: pumpkin, egg & egg white scramble with spinach, and a chicken sausage.
Things not pictured: a gluten free oreo thing, couple handfuls of Rice Chex cereal, and a sip of orange juice. Yum.
- Do you plan your meals in advance for the week? We are shopping tomorrow, so I am getting some recipes and a list ready!
- Do you pack your lunch or buy? I pack my lunch everyday. I love making my own meals.
Some knitted things
I’ve been working on a few projects – mainly when we’re hanging out together and watching some of our favorite fall shows (hello Homeland, Dexter, New Girl and Modern Family, just to name a few). With my new commute schedule (read: from a new station closer to the city), I never get a seat on the train, which is when I used to do a bunch of knitting. I simply cannot knit when I’m standing like a sardine! I’m sure the other passengers would be less than amused.
I really need to stop buying random skeins of yarn, just because I like the color/touch. Especially without a project in mind! So since I’m using up yarn, here we go.
The first project is Commuter Fingerless Mitts, and it’s free on Knitty.com. I used the rest of my Western Sky Knits yarn. Loved making this. The buttons I had in my little button collection. Bought them at Windsor Button in downtown Boston. I love to buy buttons. I know my sweet girlfriend Anne agrees with this!
The second project is the Mustard Scarf. It’s free on Ravelry. I used Cascade Eco Cloud yarn for it. I really enjoyed this yarn quite a bit. It’s a chained alpaca, so it doesn’t stretch too much. It was really soft and smooshy and it feels good on the skin. I think it looks better with a coat on, but I was lazy for the picture. It’s a really simple lace pattern and it knit up super quick.
The third was SO fun to knit. It’s the Million Stripes Loop from Ravelry, and it’s about $3.00 for the pattern. I used a bunch of yarns I had, in DK weight. It was a mixture of Plymouth DK and Valley Yarns in DK. It starts with a provisional crochet cast on, and it’s knit on both sides, which I LOVE! The project is completed with a kitchener stitch. It was my first time grafting anything. I will say I definitely made a mistake in the beginning – so it’s hiding on the inside! But once I got going, it was amazing. I am shocked that I got it right!
Finally the last project is the Foliage Hat  – yet another freebie on Ravelry! Ok, I really had fun with this. I love the way it knits up. I used Classic Elite Liberty Wool. I bought 2 skeins of this (and after making the hat, I have one skein and some change), and thinking I might modify this pattern to make matching mitts. Too matchy matchy? Maybe.
Things I’d like to work on next: fair isle! I said this about a year ago (Ack!) and haven’t done it yet. I really want to. I have my eye on a few patterns. Also there are 2 sweaters I would like to knit. Which reminds me – I forgot to get a photo of the sweater I made for myself with my Quince and Co yarn in Puffin. Next time! I made it just as the weather turned warmer, and I haven’t worn it yet.
A sliver of a PR: I need a do-over.
Ok! So I had a 28 second PR. Not making excuses but I’ve been sick for a week. I was doing really well with pacing until Mile 18, and then….there was post-nasal drip. Not gonna lie. I started to feel queasy. Then, I figured I needed to make a new plan: Enter Operation Do Not Puke.
So I went with that. Finished in 3:45:33 on my Garmin (which clocked the course at 26.5) and 3:45:39 on the official clock.
Eh, what can you do. So the NEW PLAN is Hyannis Marathon on 2/24 (registered and got a hotel room today!). I am after that sub 3:40. I am on a mission. I know what I need to work on. My race paced miles at the long distance, and ab work. I have been so lax that I really felt this in my core. Also losing 5 pounds would make me really happy. Shockingly not super sore.
I came home, showered and foam rolled, had some BCAAs and egg scramble with veggies. Rehydrated. And I’ll be back out there tomorrow.
Here’s what it looked like:
OK, Let's Do This! 