(Belated) Friday love

(Friday) Pre-workout fuel: Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread
(Friday) Workout: Ran 5.25 miles in 44 minutes, 52 seconds; average pace, 8:33.

I had no love for Friday. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't find it in me. Sad but true. If it gives you any indication, though, my day started off with a visit to the dentist's office. It was there that I found out that I have not one but two cavities - on either side of my mouth - and more than likely will have to have them filled separately. Boo!

It's not all gray skies and ugly puppies in Kim-ville. There are still things making me happy.

Food. I was just sort of staring blankly in the frozen food aisle on Monday, tired from our trip to Louisville. (Note to self: Taking a day off to recover from vacation was the best idea ever.) I had selected Mark's meals/lunches for the week and was trying to see if anything appealed to me. While they might not have been the M&M cookie ice cream sandwiches that looked so good, I decided to give the Morningstar Farms Grillers California Turk'y burger a try. Let me tell you - it was a good decision. I've enjoyed them all week on sandwich thins with a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle and lettuce, tomato, onion and red pepper slices.

Fitness. It seemed like such a splurge but I bit the bullet this week and ordered the Brooks Nightlife Infiniti Half-Zip to wear on my early-morning runs. It ended up being $53.95 at Running Warehouse after clicking to the site from Skinny Runner and using the 10 percent discount. The pullover seems a bit ridiculous - I think I look like a bug in it - but it is bright. And visible in the dark. Safety first, I guess.

Life. I borrowed "Wicked" on audio book from the library to listen to on the way down to Louisville (I hate flipping through stations trying to find something decent.) I was a bit surprised at the raunchiness of the prose but have since found myself hooked on the story. After growing up to hate the Wicked Witch of the West, it's a bit odd to find this more likable side.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Three Things Thursday: Pure insanity

Pre-workout fuel: Cinnabon Cream of Wheat
Workout: Ran 3.95 miles in 34 minutes, 18 seconds; average pace, 8:41.


1. It might not look like much but inside that glass was a breakfast of insane tastiness: Banana Split Yogurt Parfait. I just kind of thought of it last night while I was watching "Survivor." Layered in the glass was:

1/4 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 1/4 teaspoon sugar-free, fat-free instant chocolate pudding
1/3 banana, diced
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain mixed with a touch of sweetener)
Pineapple pieces
1/3 banana, diced
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain mixed with a touch of sweetener)
1 tablespoon no sugar added raspberry jam
1/3 banana, diced

I made this all last night and let it set in the fridge. When I pulled it out to eat, I topped it with a few walnut pieces. YUM!

2. I've decided that it no longer matters to me if I "match" during a run. In fact, I probably looked like a color-blind preschooler dressed me this morning. I had on my Three Rivers Running Co. 12K shirt (turquoise/teal blue with lime accents), my black tempo shorts with fuchsia and white accents and my white Under Armour hat with fuchsia accents. It was insane but at least I was visible to any drivers out there.

3. And the most insane thing of all ... I just registered for my first trail run, which just happens to be in two weeks. It's a mere 15.9 miles around Oubache State Park just about 45 minutes south of where I live. Yeah. I'm going to blame "L" for this one, after her post as to why you should run it. Of course, she didn't say I had to run the three loops. I could have done one. But as my grandma said yesterday (in reference to the Thanksgiving 10K), "Six miles? That's barely worth putting your shoes on for."

What a loser

Pre-workout fuel: Life Banana Bread Walnut bar with peanut butter
Workout: 50 minutes "Biggest Loser: Power Sculpt" and 2+ mile walk with Denali.


Can you believe it? I'm on the cover Esquire magazine. Seriously. I am. Mark always tells me how great a cook sexy I am, and this is the photo he's been looking at while waiting for "Wheel of Fortune" to start. It must be. After all, the photo is labeled sexiest woman alive.

Anyway ... that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm hear to throw in my 4 cents (yes, I get 4) about last night's "Biggest Loser."

You see, I was watching the second half of the show this morning as I ate my pumpkin chip pancakes and drank my coffee. I saw the weigh-in get thrown, Jillian getting all exasperated and the "Where Are They Now?" clip.

(Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert!)

Rick was looking awesome. He was down 120 pounds, eating good dinners with his family and playing with his grandchildren. Of course, those caught-on-camera moments are probably the only times he has seen his family since leaving the ranch.

The 54-year-old shared that since he's been home, he works out 1.5-2 hours before work, 1.5 hours after work, goes home and eats dinner and the heads back to the gym to workout for another 1.5 hours.

Hold. The. Phone. Seriously. That's up to FIVE HOURS a day of exercise. Count 'em: 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5. And I've been thinking that the next two weeks of level 3 "Boot Camp"/"Power Sculpt" might be too time consuming at just shy of an hour when you factor in runs/walks with Denali and my desire to shower before work.

I don't know how he does it. More importantly, I don't know how he is going to keep doing it. One of the most important factors in any weight-loss effort is doing something that you can MAINTAIN over a lifetime. I exercise no differently now than I did when I was losing weight. I really don't eat that differently, either. I just eat more of the same things (and put chocolate chips in my pancakes).

What do you think? Do you consider Rick's efforts to be healthy, well, healthy?

Fancy foot work

Pre-workout fuel: Cinnamon raisin English muffin with peanut butter
Workout: Ran 7.15 miles in 1 hour, 1 minute and 21 seconds; average pace, 8:35.

It might be just 9 a.m. but I am going to go ahead and call this day a success.

I got in a good run. I shaved my legs. I started a load of laundry. I even limited myself to two cups of coffee.

But, oh, those wonderful things aren't why the day is really a success.

Wait for it.


Wait for it.


Wait for it.


Two of my three missing socks have turned up! I now have four complete, matching pairs of running socks - one for each day that I run during the week. No more doing laundry all the time or being lazy and wearing stinky socks cotton socks.

Where were they, you ask? One was discovered by Mark when he pulled out his weekend bag to pack for Louisville. The other I found on top of the clean laundry in the basket, just days after I rejoiced in the finding of sock No. 1 and mentioning to Mark that I was still missing another sock. Quite curious, if I do say so my self.

Of course, I could blame Denali. He definitely seems like the kind of dog that enjoys wearing women's socks when no one is around.

Enjoy your meal

Pre-workout fuel: Cinnamon raisin English muffin with peanut butter
Workout: 55 minutes "Biggest Loser: Boot Camp" and two walks with Denali, totaling ~4 miles.

I planned everything to the "T." Lunch at Ramsi's Cafe, dinner at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. Breakfast at Wild Eggs, lunch in Bardstown, dinner at P.F. Chang's. And, rounding out the trip would be breakfast at Toast on Market.

I was on vacation, and I was going to enjoy it.

But as I stared at the menu at Mammy's Kitchen in Bardstown, I ran through unhealthy option after unhealthy option. Bourbon hot dogs, salads with cheese and potato sticks. There were hot browns and patty melts. Fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese sandwiches. Some - not all - of it sounded good. I just couldn't bring myself to order any of it - even though I had day-dreamed about trying a BLT with fried green tomatoes.

So I sat. And stared. I let the server take Mark's order and insisted that she give it to the cooks. I gave serious thought to grabbing a latte down the street and eating the almonds in my purse as a make-shift lunch - just enough to take the edge off.

As if to read my mind, Mark asked me if I was going to eat. He told me that I had to eat. After all, this wasn't the first time I had been in the middle of an internal struggle at a restaurant. The first time I left without eating and ended up a cranky mess, writhing on the kitchen floor, unable to select anything from the fridge.

I had no "kitchen floor" option today. And Mark didn't want cranky on the list, either.

He did his best to pull me out, reminding me that I was on vacation. He pointed out menu items that he thought I would like. I think he might have offered to split his food (a bourbon dog) with me.

No need, I told him. I'll suck it up. I selected three items - a tuna melt, grilled cheese with bacon and tomato and a bourbon burger - and asked the server to pick one. She said they were all good but the grilled cheese was her favorite.


I still couldn't shake the feelings of guilt as the sandwich came out. Thick, buttery bread. Crispy bacon and plenty of cheese. A plate full of potato chips. I quickly put half the chips on a separate plate and blotted the grease off the sandwich. Then I ate. I ate the sandwich, a pretty delicious one, because I was hungry and I needed it.

Did I enjoy it, though, as I hoped? I wish I could say yes. I wish I could say that I was able to walk away from my fears for just a moment and trust myself. But I can't. I can only say that I'm trying to win this struggle - learning to relax I balance weight loss, maintenance and healthy eating. I want to get there. Really, I do. I just don't know how.

Any advice?

Milling around

Pre-workout fuel: Cherry Larabar
Workout: Ran 6 miles in 53 minutes, 56 seconds; average pace, 8:59.

Yes, I ran on vacation. On the friggin' treadmill at the hotel. And let me tell you, I hated nearly every second of it. Just like I thought I would. I felt slow, uncomfortable and uncoordinated. I even tried 800s (I did four at 7.5) in an effort to overcome boredom and find my pace but no such luck. Treadmill running is just not for me.

But it's over ... just like my trip to Louisville. The trip, though, was as great as the run was bad.

I ate some great food.


I drank a lot of coffee.


I learned that I do not like gambling.


I reaffirmed my dislike for the smell of bourbon, much less the taste.


Even still, I enjoyed two bourbon tours.


I met Jack Daniels at Fourth Street Live.



And decided that Kentucky in October is absolutely gorgeous.