Fabulous Run

Here's what three things I'm obsessed with this week... I need to find a gym, like whoa. I did a work out yesterday that hurt so bad. I am so out of shape. Sure I've been running, but I haven't been doing any kind of resistance or weight training. Travel Babbles did a post yesterday called Around the World Wednesday and it made me realize how much I want to travel again. I haven't gone anywhere since London and I haven't gone anywhere not for work since Mexico in 2011. It's been too long! I need to go to Sephora. Now. I am out of my all time favorite chapstick. It is a little pricey at $22.50, but Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment is phenomenal. And it does last a while 

I just saw this post through Scandal's facebook page. And my first thought was...only 10?  Turns out Cosmo put this list out and it is so true. 1. Based on a true story. Olivia Pope's character aka the Head Bitch In Charge is based off of real-life crisis handler, Judy Smith. 2. Kerry Washington, who plays Olivia Pope, is pretty much perfect for this role. She makes you want to buy every single one of Liv's outfits. Power suit, anyone? 3. There is always some type of cuh-razy love triangle going on. 4. One week you hate a character, the next you love 'em. I'm looking at you, Mellie. JK, I still hate you. 5. It's real. So very, very, very real. Interracial relationships, a gay politician, black babies being adopted...this is the type of stuff you want to see on TV. 6. You will get emotional and love every single moment of it. 7. The scripting is compelling. There are so many times where you will be like, did he/she just say... 8. The twists and turns don...

Some random facts about me... I believe... ...that travel should be a part of life ...that laughing til you cry is one of the best feelings in the world ...that a glass of wine a day will keep the doctor away ...that I could be a vegetarian only if I was allowed two cheat days a month ...that there should be one line in every airport/store for people who have their shit together ...that everyone will eventually find that one special person to share their life with ...that, someday, everything will make perfect sense ...that a well-tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men Me (R) and my bestie Alexa (L) in London...miss you! I... ...have a twin sister ...can hold a serious grudge. Most of the time, for about five minutes ...really want a french bulldog puppy ...am addicted to tv. and reading. ...would do anything for my friends and family ..."train" for half marathons bc if I didn't have a goal, I prob wouldn't work out ...eat when I...

One of the girls at work said to me a few weeks ago "you didn't realize that once you moved here you wouldn't get to sleep in on weekends anymore, did you?" And for the most part...that's true! Oh how I miss sleeping in. This weekend I volunteered at the Great West Indoor Track & Field Conference Championships. My friend who is a coach there had volunteered for me during race weekend, so I said I would return the favor. This meant Saturday and Sunday alarms set for 6:45am. ugh. But I got to work the horizontal jumps and even one of the pole vault fields. They were long days but it was entertaining. And my friends' team won both the men's and women's titles. Then it was time for the Oscars! I had wanted to have a party, but now I'm a little glad I didn't. I accidentally took a two hour nap when I got home from the meet and missed some of the red carpet. oops. I want to say it was one of the longest awards shows ever, but it was prob...

I'm headed out to volunteer at a track meet. Just remember...

I don't know what it was on Sunday morning but I just did not want to run. No particular reason, I just wasn't feeling it. We stopped by the breakfast to use the bathroom before heading out to the start line. It was chilly, but not too cold. With only four weeks of training behind us,  I was very anxious once we got there. Once the gun went off it took us almost 13 minutes to cross the start line and the course was pretty crowded for the first few miles. My fastest mile was number 7! I was feeling good until 8 when my hamstring started acting up again. And it just kept getting worse. And oh my god the hills. I was not ready for that. But honestly I don't remember much from the race. I just know that I had to get through it. When I hit mile 11 I was still with E and K, but I knew if I stayed with them I would quit. I just had to get done as fast as I could. Mile 13 was my third-fastest mile. And then it was over. 2:16:49. Not my best day. There's always the next ...

Back to my regularly scheduled programming...here's what three things I'm obsessed with this week. I got my first pair of compression socks. From Lululemon. I didn't know how I would feel about them for a half marathon so first I wore them in the 5k two weeks ago. They were comfortable enough that I decided to try them out in Austin. I don't know if I noticed enough of a difference in how my legs felt but at least I liked the way the looked. So I bought another pair Weds after work. Now if only they would bring back the black ones. While I was searching lulu's website in vain for more socks I came across these arm warmers . And I Want them! Now, I know I live in Houston. And it's hot here. But I just really want them for some reason. This might be my next race. I'm not sure yet. We're trying to plan out our schedule at the office. I've never done a Rock 'n' Roll race, mainly because the entry fees are so high. But if the other girls ...

It's been too long since my last post but I have a good excuse. I left Friday afternoon to drive to Austin, Texas. On Sunday I ran the Austin Half Marathon with some girls from work and then we drove to Canyon Lake for some relaxation time. Just got back yesterday afternoon. I'll write a full recap soon, but in the meantime enjoy this sunset that I saw Monday evening.

At 10:30pm last night I still had not packed a thing. But at least I had my wash done and had baked another batch of berry cobblers. I have to be ready to go when I leave for work this morning. Me and a few of the girls are leaving the office just after lunch to head over to Austin and get ready for the Livestrong Austin Half Marathon. We'll be working a booth at the Expo on Saturday before we run the half on Sunday. I'm looking forward to the trip. I've never really been anywhere in Texas outside of Houston. I mean, once in college I went to San Antonio for a wedding. But I barely remember that. And I'm looking forward to having Monday and Tuesday off as well. It's really my first extended time off since the race. And I want to relax! So here goes nothing. I've only been running for about four weeks. Plenty of time. I will, at least, finish. I hope.

I love this recipe. It is super easy to make. I think of them more as cupcakes or muffins but whatever. They're yummy. And I usually use blueberries. Now every time I read this recipe (it was a favorite of my boss' in Stamford) it says about how no matter what you do, they will stick to the bottom of the pan and I've never had that problem. Until last night. Oh well, nobody is perfect. Listen to how easy this is... 2 cups Self-rising Flour (You Must Use Self-rising) 2 cups Sugar 2 cups Milk 2 sticks Butter, Melted 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 2 cups Fresh Raspberries (or any other berry) Extra Sugar For Sprinkling Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour with sugar, then whisk in milk. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla. Pour 1/4 cup batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle a few raspberries on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges. So easy. And so delicious. It is my go to when I'm feeling the need to bake...

So Sunday was the Rhythm and Blues half marathon and 5k in Houston. E and I signed up for the 5k even though we usually take Sundays off bc our long runs are on Saturday. Saturday we ran 8.5 at an ok pace. It was chilly with a breeze, perfect running weather. But we ran to Memorial Park for for a loop from E's place. As soon as we set foot in the park my hamstring started to tighten up so I just tried to take it easy after that. I stepped outside Sunday morning and just knew it was not going to be a good day. It was warm and really humid. E and I both said later we felt like we had never run before during that first mile. But we just kept going and ran the race. It wasn't real pretty, but it's over now. Leaving for Austin in 5 days!

It's been an odd week so far and I'm not really sure why. Ok, I am sure why, I'm just not willing to share right now. Either way, here's what three things I'm obsessed with right now. From here to there ...a new blog I've been following. Helly Hansen . Maybe it's time to bring a new brand into my life. Italy. I somehow stumbled into this blog over the weekend that led me to the info that I am (possibly) eligible to apply for Italian citizenship based on my ancestry so I would hold dual citizenship with the U.S. and Italy. How cool would that be? (But why are Houston 's and Philadelphia 's consulate requirements different?)

It's February and you know what that means...it's time for everyone's favorite Hallmark holiday - Valentine's Day. I haven't always been a hater of V Day. Usually just when I don't have anyone to share it with even though I wasn't really that into it when I was with someone. Thoughtful gifts and homemade dinners were the way for me. BUT...that doesn't mean I don't like to look. Below are some of my fave gift guides I've seen this year. To & From Magazine (143 pages of goodies!) Travel Babbles gifts under $45...I bought myself #15! Made by Girl' s picks for Valentine's Day And this hat . Just because.

I made one of my pinterest recipes . Finally. Martha Stewart's one pot pasta. It's a very easy recipe. Boil Penne pasta for 6 minutes less than al dente; add broccoli florets, and cook until Penne is al dente. Drain; return to the pot, and toss with a couple of crushed garlic cloves, some olive oil, the zest and juice of a lemon, salt and pepper, and plenty of parmesan cheese. I left out the lemon juice but followed the rest of the directions. I made a full batch so that I could take some for lunch during the week. It was great when I was eating it right out of the pot. But when I would reheat at the office, most of the flavor disappeared. I couldn't taste the cheese hardly at all. Overall I think it's a great dish IF you're eating it right away. As leftovers, maybe if I added a bit more oil and cheese right before reheating it would have been better. 

This sounds like a good idea for tonight...  Take a sip of your drink every time… -Sean stares pensively into the distance as a voiceover describes: -his heartbreak on Emily Maynard’s season of The Bachelorette -his desire to find his wife -how much he want kids -A girl describes a fellow contestant as: -catty -manipulative -fake -not here for the right reasons -Sean tells one of the girls: -he’s glad they’re there -he wouldn’t want to share this moment with anyone else -he has a “special connection” with them -Sean is shirtless -Sean kisses one of the bachelorettes -Sean is shown working out/playing sports -a form of transportation other than a car is used on a date -Any of the girls describes their relationship with Sean as: -meant to be -best friends in love -comfortable -natural -anyone is going on a long walk on a beach -Sean says he believes his future wife is in the room -Anyone says the one thing missing in their life is a special person to shar...

Ever since race weekend I've been wanting to get a massage. All that built up stress and tension in my shoulders has been bothering me. And after an 11.5 mile run on Saturday where my right hamstring never loosened up, I decided it was finally time to make an appointment. There are these chains around here, Massage Envy, Massage Heights, etc that are open seven days a week. So I called around until I found a place that could see me this weekend. They asked if there were any specific areas I needed worked on - right hamstring - and told me to show up 10-15 mins early. So on Sunday I arrived for my 3pm appointment at 2:45. They had me sit and fill out paperwork, where again, I stressed what areas needed the most work. My masseuse did not come to get me until 3:05. She took me to my room, asked me specific problem areas - right hamstring - and then left me alone for 10 mins. Now I'm already antsy bc we're starting late. Laying face up, she starts with my neck, then arms,...

I can't believe January is over already. And I feel like I've been making these statements for the past two years. I can't believe it's already June...or How did I miss March... So what do I have to show for 2013 so far? I made is through my first Race Weekend - no small feat. And now I'm "training" for my first half marathon of the year...it's in two weeks! I have a long run to do tomorrow but no other plans for this weekend. Since I haven't done much in Texas since I moved here, I'm thinking about taking a road trip on Sunday. Nowhere where I will go though - Galveston maybe. Even if I don't go on a road trip somewhere I want to get out an actually do something. We'll see what happens.