Alright 2012, lets make some goals.

I didn’t really make New Years resolutions or goals for 2011, however I did accomplish many wonderful things.

I PRd in the Hartford Half Marathon in Oct. 1:53

My sisters boyfriend and I!

 

 

 

I traveled to Chicago to run and to see my wonderful old college roommate

I went to VEGAS! Vegas baby! As well as the Hoover Damn and Fire Valley

I raised almost 1,000 dollars for the Childrens Hospital at Dartmouth for a race I didn’t get to run due to Hurricane Irene. ( still happy I raised so much though!!) 

Across from my house. Grafton didn't fair so well in the Hurricane.

I applied to grad schools

I took the GREs. Yuck.

I ran. A lot. I want to run more.

I went to Maine on vacation with Greg.

I paid 5 dollars to ride an elevator to the top of this bridge...then chickend out and made Greg go alone. Sorry Greg

.

Gregs families farm in Maine. I love it here.

Overall, 2011 was a success. I learned a lot about myself and about others.

This year I want to make some goals.

Running:

*Run my FIRST FULL MARATHON

*Run at least 4 half marathons.  Different states would be preferable.

*Try to beat my half PR

*Get used to running with fuel. Gels, beans, candy, whatever I can manage.

Life:

*Get into grad school. Please and thank you!

*Travel to the west coast

*Try oatmeal for breakfast more often. On that note, get more creative with my breakfast in general.

*Dominate Physics 2. Last required class needed for PT school.

*Procrastinate less. Instead of just making lists, I need to cross things off ASAP

*Blog more regularly. I really really want to make this happen. I enjoy writing, I just tend to put it low on my priority list which means I don’t blog daily. I am going to make every effort to be more consistent.

 * Drink more water. This I really really need to work on. Tea and Coffee don’t count.

*Return my library books on time! It’s only 10 cents per day they are late, but I tend to owe them 70-90 cents every time I go. Oops.

I’m loving all of these goals. Some may come true, others may not. Either way, I do better with goals. I like to push myself (I.E the PR and the physics class) and work with something to look forward too.

Happy New Years Eve eve.

Will run for chocolate.

Greg and I came back to Boston last night. It was an uneventful drive with much less traffic than we had anticipated.

I planned to wake up yesterday morning and go for a nice long run. I was thinking at least 6 miles. This was a great idea, but once I got outside I realized how slippery the roads were and shortened my run to 3.5 really hilly miles. Good enough.

I spent yesterday morning/afternoon in Manchester VT with my mom, sister, and my sisters boyfriend. We shopped and had a late breakfast. I didn’t get much, but that was okay since I really didn’t need much after Christmas. I bought 2 shirts and a sweater, for a total of around 30 bucks. Can’t beat those prices for Gap and Banana Republic.

Last night when Greg and I came back to Boston we made some steak tips we picked up at a local grocery store near us in VT and then plunked down on the coach for a viewing of Top Chef. Perfect way to end the day.

This morning I got my butt in gear in terms of exercise. I subbed a spin class, had a client, and then went for a 6.5 mile run with Stacy. It’s nice because she doesn’t have to work at all this week so we can run for longer and at random times. It’s nice. I think I definitely deserve my hot chocolate with mini marshmallows that's on the menu as soon as I’m done writing this.

Tomorrow is another busy day, but it’s nice that it’s a shorter work week. I was just talking with my roommate Matt who is running the Vermont City Marathon with me in May and we realized that we start out 18 week programs the end of Jan! I sort of knew it was coming, but seeing the date made it real.

I also signed up for the Hyannis Half Marathon in Feb. Should be a cold, good time!

Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

The Most Wonderful Time of the year

 Hi everyone!!

Sorry I’ve been MIA the past week. I broke the charger to my computer and when I ordered a new one I accidentally sent it to my house in VT not Boston. Oops! I figured I would just get it this weekend when I came home so I didn’t have my parents bother sending it down to Somerville. I’ve been stealing Gregs computer as much as possible but with the holiday life got a little busy.

So, I’m back!

The past week I’ve not been running too much. I ran on Monday, Tue, Thurs and haven’t ran since. I’m alright with this. I needed a little break and I was so busy with work and holiday shopping that some days time got away from me before I even realized I hadn't ran.

I plan on getting in a longer hilly run tomorrow around my town in good old SOVT. I love it here. Running is so much fun and it’s always a little bit of a challenge compared to the flatter streets of Boston. I sure hope this feels good given that I’ve been eating cookies and candy for the last 2 days. Totally fine with it.

I plan to get back on track with my running next week and will start to gear up for my marathon training which starts towards the end of Jan! Whoohooo!!

This years Christmas was WONDERFUL. I have loved every second of being home this year. We had a wonderful Christmas eve gathering last night with friends and family, and today we lounged around and enjoyed each others company.

 We opened presented this morning and then had a late breakfast of bacons, eggs, and toast. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera in Boston so I haven’t taken any pictures. I’ll see if I can get some off my moms camera before I head back tomorrow.

I received some great sweaters and warm clothing, as well as many little running accessories so I can run when it’s still dark in the morning without being terrified of someone not seeing me and hitting me.

Greg bought me snowshoes this year, which I think is fantastic. I’ve never been snow shoes but he and Matt both own a pair so I’m very excited to get out on some trails and learn.

I received my Garmin last year from Greg for Christmas. I just looked and realized that since Christmas last year, I have run 926 miles with my Garmin! I’m pretty proud of that. I went on a few runs without my Garmin this year, but not many. There are some days when I look at it every 20 seconds, and other days when I forgot I have it on and don't look at all. I enjoy running without it sometimes. It feels very carefree, but I enjoy looking at the data and pushing myself.

I’m guessing this coming year I will run more than 926 since I will be training for my first full marathon plus I already have a few half I'm signed up for. Hyannis in Feb and D.C in March.

Tomorrows game plan is my morning run and then over to Manchester VT to the outlets for some post-Christmas sales, and to exchange/return a few things for my dad and brother.

Merry Christmas everyone!! Have a safe and wonderful evening.

Tis the Holiday Season

I love this time of year.

Its been a busy week for Greg and I. I’ve finished up most of my Christmas shopping this week. Thank goodness for Amazon! I only have a few more small things to pick up and then I’m done.

Last night Greg and I went to a Hanukah party hosted by the parents of two kids I babysit for. The party was really fun. It was mostly adults who had children between the ages of 3-8, but they were all working professionals and very interesting to talk with.

There were lots of Latkes! Who doesn’t like fried potato? I had gone for a long run in the morning and then ran errands all day so I was defiantly in “need” of fried potato cakes! With applesauce please. What better way to fuel for a 5k the next morning.

Even though it’s cold, and its harder to motivate myself to get out the door and run, or do errands I always feel better after.

After a freezing cold run I always feel a slight sense of pride that I went out and I braved the cold or unwelcoming weather conditions others might shy away from.

On that freezing cold note, this morning was the 5k Jingle Bell Run in Davis sq.  They caped the race at 7 thousand participants and the race sold out weeks before.  I have never seen so many people in santa costumes in my life! People got very creative and there were even a few reindeer and sleigh combinations. I was extra impressed by a police officer who was sitting in his car blocking traffic playing Christmas music from his phone into the speaker coming off the police cruiser.  It was great!

The downfall of the race was how extremely COLD it was!! I ran the 2 miles into Davis sq and then waited around inside the BSC for the race to start. It was around 20 degrees; with the wind it was around 10. NOT warm! I was honestly not warm until the 2^nd mile of the 5k. Probably the coldest run I have ever been a part of but it was soo much fun!

I ran with my coworker, and we just ran and enjoyed the company of 7 thousand other crazy cold people. We maintained around 10 min mile pace, more because it was almost impossible to go any faster with the amount of people. This race was for fun and not worth wasting energy and warmth trying to dodge and pass people.

After the race today we lounged around watching football and snacking. Perfect Sunday. I had a client at 5 so while I was training Greg and Matt went and picked up BBQ from Blue Ribbon in Arlington.

It’s a wonderful time of year. I hope everyone is enjoying this last week leading up for Christmas as much as I am.

Christmas Survey

It's been a nice week here in Boston.
I did some Christmas shopping
I  went to a Holiday party.
I made a great vegitarian dish last night off of Pinterest
http://teaandlimpets-food.blogspot.com/2011/02/chana-masala-chick-pea-curry.html
 Chana Masala (Chickpea curry)

Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 fresh hot pepper, minced (optional)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala or curry powder or both
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup of dried chickpeas, cooked (or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained)
1 can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. amchoor powder (optional)
1 tsbp. butter
cayenne pepper or hot chili powder to taste
salt to taste

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the onion in the olive oil until soft and golden brown.  Add the garlic and hot pepper, if using, and stir, cooking until soft and fragrant.  Add the sugar and spices and stir to coat the onions, keeping the ingredients moving so that they cook but do not stick too much to the pan.  Add the chickpeas and tomatoes, stirring to combine, and scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the saucepan.  If using amchoor, add it now.  Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer to bring the flavors together for 10 minutes, adding a bit of water if the curry becomes thicker than you desire.  Stir in the butter before serving.


 It was great. I added a little more of some of the spices as desired. Filling and healthy. I served it with rice, but I'm sure any type of grain would be good.


I fought a cold and won!

I only did minimal exercise in attempt to survive to this weekend filled with fun things. I didn't want to be sick anymore so I rested and drank tea and hung around the house waaaay more than I usually would. Finally feeling better. No temp, minimal sniffles, and no headache. Winning!

Today I am trying to finish up my Christmas shopping and plan for next week when life gets a little busy.
I submitted all of my grad school applications 2 days ago so I'm feeling good and relaxed for now.

Since I haven't been running or doing too much of anything exciting I figured i would entertain you with a Christmas Survey. I stole this from Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers (http://www.pbfingers.com/)

5 Questions: Holiday Style

• Eggnog or hot chocolate?
• Hot Chocolate!

• Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
• Wrap them.

• Colored lights on tree/house or white?
• White lights on tree and lots of ornaments.

• Do you hang mistletoe?
• No, but we should. Where does one get mistletoe?

• When do you hang your decorations up?
• A week or two after Thanksgiving. Usually around Dec 6th

• What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
• Scalloped potatoes and Christmas breakfast!

• Favorite holiday memory as a child?
• Sleeping with my twin sister on the floor of my brothers room EVERY YEAR for Christmas eve until we were about 13

• What is on your Christmas wish list?
• Safe travels for everyone.

• Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve?
• We used to open one present every Christmas Eve. Now we have a party so we tend to leave all of the present opening until Christmas morning

• How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
• Lots of lights and as many ornaments as we can fit. It’s always beautiful.

• Snow? Love it or dread it?
• Love it! I’m from Vermont after all.

• Real tree or fake tree?
• REAL!!!

• Do you remember your favorite gift?
• I have a bathrobe from a few years ago that I love and wear as soon as it starts getting cold in the mornings. Also my Garmin from Greg last year.

• What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?
• Spending time with friends and family.

• What is your favorite holiday dessert?
• Just one? Ummm I suppose sugar cookies, but I also like peppermint bark, and anything with chocolate. I’m a fat kid at heart.

• What is your favorite tradition?
• Our Christmas eve party.

• What tops your tree?
• At home in VT its an angel. In Boston it’s a gold star.

• Do you prefer giving or receiving?
• Giving. 100%

• What is your favorite Christmas song?
• Straight No Chaser – 12 days

• Candy canes, yuck or yum?
• Yumm

• Favorite Christmas movie?
• El.

• What do you leave for Santa?
•  Cookies and milk for Santa. Baby carrots for the reindeer.

• Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
•  We do stockings first, and then go around in somewhat of a circle as everyone unwraps a gift. We continue until everyone is done. We then have a big breakfast and hang out the house in our PJs most of the day. It’s glorious.

• Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
• I don’t mind the mall, but I don’t have enough time. So online.

• Christmas letter or Christmas card?
• Letter. I like knowing what family and friends are up too

Happy Friday everyone!

Some days you just need rest.

So my brilliant idea that perhaps running would “cure” my cold, failed. Miserably. I felt really crummy all day yesterday after my weekend of running and Monday of running even more. I did some strength training yesterday but then couldn’t muster the strength to run after with Stacy. Sorry Stace. Today I wanted to run. I felt better, and I knew I could probably get a few miles in, but I knew better. The voice inside my head, and the one of my mom on the other side of the phone said “DON’T DO IT!” So I didn’t.  I’m still pretty tired and have been running a low-grade temp so I figured there is no need to push it. My body is asking for a break. Don’t worry body, I heard you!

Today I had a few clients in the morning and then came home and got to work on the rest of my grad school applications! YAY! It feels good to be done. I just have to figure out how to submit my GRE scores to all of my schools and I’ll be finished!

Tonight is leftover lasagna that I made Monday using a recipe I found on pinterest.  It was my first time on the site and I’m pretty sure I wasted about 30 min just looking at random things before I even got to the recipe.

I also managed to figure out the majority of my Christmas shopping today. I haven’t bought or ordered everything yet, but I at least feel better knowing that I have a list and good ideas on hand for most of my friends and family.

For now I am laying low. I’m drinking lots of water and tea and hoping that since Dayquil didn’t really help that Sudafed will. Here goes nothing!

Happy hump day everyone!

Running legs and a runny nose

Saturday was spent running errands. I went for a 7 mile run in the am and then had a few clients. After I was done Greg, Matt and I headed over to Harvard for their ceramics sale. It was super fun and we each found some stuff for Christmas presents and for the apartment.

 Greg then had a dentist appointment so Matt and I went to work cleaning the apartment. We spent a solid hour and the place looked GREAT! Spic and span, just the way I like it!

After Greg got home we headed over to Costco then Panera for lunch. Yum! Salad and half sandwich please? On our way home we detoured to Trader Joes to get some wine and a few odds and ends including chocolate covered pretzel crisps. I made Greg dispose of them sometime yesterday since it’s all I had been eating for two days.

After Trader Joes we finally headed home. All errands complete. Food, a few xmas presents, and decorations purchased! We got home with plenty of time to get food going, decorate a little, and change into our holiday sweaters. I’ll put pictures up soon but I have to steal them from Matt.

The party was a lot of fun. We played Apples to Apples while people arrived and then an intense and very long sequence of Jenga games ensued. Everyone played at one time or another and there was lots of food, cookies, and alcohol for everyone. The party was a  major success. I ended up bailing around 1:30am and going into our room to go to sleep. I was exhausted and had a 5k to run the next morning.

Sunday morning I got up around 8:45 after going to be close to 2am and got ready for the race. It was chilly, around 28 degrees. I got all dressed up and then had the smart idea of cutting the sleeves off of my Holiday sweater and slipped that on over my running gear. ( again,pictures will be stolen from Matt and posted later) A little holiday spirit would make me run faster I thought. I headed out the door around 9:30 and run the mile into Central sq. I met up with Stacy and her friend Lauren who were also running the 5k Winter Classic and we went to go grab our bibs and race shirts.

The race was a course I had run before at other races sponsored by the Asguard in Central. Stacy, Lauren and I all decided to run together and just chat and have fun with the race. There were some fantastic costumes including full on gingerbread man, Santas, elves, and a few red tutus.

We ran the race in  27ish min holding an 8:44pace. Not bad given that none of us wanted to “race” the 5k and we talked the entire time. After the race ended I ran back home and showered.Completing around 5.5 miles total for the day. After a shower and some food I headed over to Target to ruturn a few things and get a little Christmas shopping done. Successful on both accounts.

I had a client last night and then went and picked my brother up from the airport. When I got back, Stacy and Lauren came over for Thai food and little wine. It was fun to have friends over, and a nice relaxing way to end a busy week and busier weekend.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty crappy. I had a stuffy nose and super dry lips. I dragged myself to my 5:45am client and then came home around 7 to sleep until 8:30. I had made plans to run with Stacy and Lauren again today before Lauren heads back to Maine tonight. I wasn’t feeling great but figured a little exercise would help.

I’m still not sure exercising when you’re obviously sick is the best plan, but I’m stubborn and I really like running so I went for it. I felt pretty good on the run, however I felt just as crappy when I got home. I’m hoping the two Dayquil I took around 9:30am will help soon. Given that it’s currently almost 1pm  my hopes are dwindling. All and all I busted out 6.5 slow miles today and that’s good enough for me. No need to push it and really regret it later.

I have a little more work today and then I’m subbing a Total Body Conditioning class tonight at 7:30. I hope my constant sniffles are not too much of a distraction for the members taking the class!

Happy Monday everyone!