Sunday nights

For a year or more now a friend of ours and we (the Boy + I) have been getting together for Sunday dinner. It started as a way to see a show that aired every Sunday but now it's just a standing date.
We used to alternate venues. Her place one weekend, the next ours. Lately though, it's been more of who wants to cook something specific or who is really busy and can't cook or we go out because none of us feel much like cooking (or really really want some Ethiopian food). It's often simple food. Comfort food that one would want at the end of a week or simple food at the end of a really bad weekend. I mean really simple, I made lentil soup and bread or salad (I forget which) the Sunday before thanksgiving to prepare for the gorging.
Sometimes we add friends, sometimes we don't.
Sometimes we have wine or beer, sometimes we don't.
Sometimes we even move it to midweek.
It's always so wonderful. Even on those Sunday's when I am dreading the upcoming week, the Sunday dinners make it better. Something I look forward to and cherish as our constant.
Tonight was chickpeas with potatoes and rice. Simple but combined with easy conversation, it really made my evening.

Microblogging is the new blogging

It seems like I tweet so much more often than I post to this blog. I really should be better about it but my short attention span is gratified by the one liners and yet my verbosity is infuriated with the 140 character limit.

I'm training for the 3M this year. I'm also running for asha again.

I hope to finish the half in under two hours but I'll also accept 2:00:59. Wish me luck.

Et Tu Butt

I did a tri relay today. 15 miles on my hybrid bike.
My bike and my butt conspired against me and ruined my ride. And the hills helped in that conspiracy too. It was fine most of the way. Then with 5 miles to go, my left sit bone started to hurt. As I was registering that, the chain on the bike fell of and lodged itself between the shafty-thingy and the other metallic thingamabob. It took me 5 minutes to pry that thing out and put it on the correct geary-whatsit. I take that five minutes off my time. The stupidity of my bike cannot (and will not) count against me!
So now I must buy a new road bike and make this right. I must restore my honour as not-so-awful cyclist (who doesn't really cycle except to commute).

Thus ends the story of how I was once again betrayed by my butt.

Speed workouts are back

I suppose it's time I started to actually train to meet my half marathon goal. I've been running regularly since the Austin half but just running. No speed work and no hills (unless they are part of the long run route).
The party is apparently coming to an end.
I did my first tempo run last Tuesday. 5 miles or 3 miles and then 2 miles depending on whether you believe in a water break during a tempo run. The 5 mile tempo went smashingly well. The 3 then 2 mile version, not so well. I did my last two miles slower than the first three. I'm chalking this up to the weather.
Here, I can even prove it mathematically:
Heat + Humidity = slower G
There! Now, it has to be true.

So yesterday, I did some fartleks on the indoor track. I forgot my watch at home so I did it by distance instead of time. 1.5 laps on (i.e. fast) .5 laps off (slow). Approximately 2.5 mins on, 1 min off. Once my body got past the shock of running in 75 degree weather, it adjusted pretty well.
I used to run on the indoor track after I tore my ACL but before I had surgery for it. While it can get monotonous; running on the treadmill really puts it in perspective. I would rather run on the track even though its only 1/7th of a mile long. Treadmills are too rickety for me. I sway too much on them.
Trick to running on an indoor track, it seems, is to have something else to do. Speed work may be the best suited to an indoor track when it's ridiculously hot or cold outside. So the plan is to do speed work once and week. I made the mistake of mentioning this to my trainer and she may have me do hills once a week too.
I really, really hate hill workouts. Like "why is the sky clouded over today but it's still 100 degrees outside" hate.

Currently Craving

Baked sweet potato with butter and brown sugar
Broccoli (steamed with salt and pepper)
And I think I'm craving ice cream too. That might be the heat at play.

I really really craving the sweet potato, don't know why. I tend to not like them usually except in baked or mashed form.

Alternative titles

Apparently the authors of Skinny bitch are planning to create a new book for men (as read on Jezebel).
I think that we need alternatives to their version of healthy eating and I would like to suggest a few titles to those books should anyone consider writing one.

So, listed below are the ones I came up with. Feel free to add your own.

"I eat full fat dairy for my skin: I heard that on a science podcast so it must be true"

"And that one too: a complete anthology of my favourite cookies"

"2 out of 2 moms agree food IS love"

"Protein nuggets from veggie heaven are the devil and I will have their food baby"

Biscuit

I ate a biscuit, big whoop. Right?
Well, I ate it even though I didn't want it.
I didn't want it to go to waste so I ate it. It was awful. Made to taste like a powdery hockey puck. The thing is, I was going to waste the remaining four anyways. There was no way I would eat the remaining by myself or feed anyone else with them.
But I still ate one. It upset my stomach. It also messed up my day in food. Too much fat, trans fat, refined wheat etc etc.

Mostly, it tasted bad. If I had waited two seconds and thought about it, I would have known I didn't want it. But I ate it so quickly, I didn't even have time to complete a thought.
I wonder if I've been doing this a lot, eating food really quickly so that I don't think about whether I even need it.

There were many reasons I ate that atrocity:
don't waste all of them
don't waste that last bite/half
want something sweet/salty/spicy
eat it because I've gotten used to the mouthfeel.

There's just one reason to not eat it:
It tastes bad.

Next time, I'll remember that.

Random thoughts

- Why do I bother styling my hair? All I do is find new ways to sweat the style out and the frizz back in. Example, spinning.
-Why do I feel so proud of that resulting sweat? When I used to grapple long ago, the sweat on my shirt was never just mine. But the activities I do now create sweat that I get to see and knowing that I made it makes me really proud. A little too proud. I looked at my shirt the other day and thought to myself "That's all mine!"
- Why do I think that after meeting with my amazing personal trainer (lets call her Trainer Jo) I won't sweat enough to need a shower? Once I had to shower in my socks and towel off using my shirt.

Help wanted

I've been injured. The SI joint issue morphed into a Hoffa's pad impingement (the fat behind me knee cap was pinched). I couldn't run the marathon I had planned. It's not so bad, I got to start all kinds of other activities I can now ignore (like aquajogging). I also discovered that I'm not just someone who is fond of activity. I genuinely like running. I look forward to it. Or I may just look forward to being done with it. Either way.

I've been running a few months now. Even getting regular at it. And cross training regularly too! I know. Good job G, right? Wait a tic.
I irritated my plantar fascia on one side and the abductor on the opposite side of the foot. I can't run for a week. Contrary to the obvious reaction, I think this is good thing. You see, I have never been able to pronounce the name of this muscle (or is it a tendon?) before. Now, I'll get all sorts of practice.

Friend: Howz the training going?

G: It was going well but I'm not running this week.

Friend: What's going on?

G: I injured my plantar fascia (and some other muscle)

See? Serendipitous is what I call it.
But I digress. After a few days of some pain, today was the first day I have been able to walk around comfortably. So of course, my first thought is:

I should go for a run!

That way I could test out whether I am actually feeling good or just imagining it. That thought is then followed by:

So if I run today, then I could keep my 12 mile run planned for saturday

These thoughts have led me to conclude that I need an injury sponsor. So here's the ad I plan to post. Reply if you meet the requirements:

Needed, an injury sponsor to help a runner. This runner has been injured several times and tends to run on healing injuries to 'test' them out. She also likes to use logic that can be (generously) referred to as frightening flights of fancy.
Must be available for phone calls or hot chocolate or bourbon at odd times of the day (i.e. lunch or midnight). Must not be the runner's running buddy (without meaning to, they only encourage her). Must not be runner's spouse (he only makes loud sighs of annoyance and resignation). Must be able to sound simultaneously sympathetic and authoritative. Must not yell no matter how frustrated.

I think I got it all.