noses

french, non-addictive nose spray for my annoying head cold.

i meant for there to be a get fit update this week, and for what it's worth, before last friday, i was trucking along quite well!

and then a series of three things happened:

i got a bit lazy and took three days off. then i ran one day with plans to run four days straight to get back on track.

on day two of that four-day plan, my bus was heading back to site after a meeting in phnom penh, and we had a crash.  everyone was incredibly lucky and nobody had any major injuries, including myself.  i was sitting in the very front, and besides a bruised knee from slamming into the partition in front of me and a small scrape on my arm, i had zero issues.  it was a bit terrifying but definitely the best of a terrible scenario, with everyone safe. 

needless to say, i didn't feel up to running that afternoon, and my knee was in some pain, so i took the next two days off too.

fuzzy pic of the action- people crawling out of the smashed front window as the door was compromised in the accident.

and then third, i got sick. a flu turned head cold sidelined me and has for a few days.

irony is, that friday i was heading back to site, our medical team offered me my annual flu shot which i turned down for the time being.  and then promptly got a flu-ish thing three days later. le sigh.

this weekend will be birthday celebration part one, and chris has promised to buy me a box of chocolates from this delicious chocolate shop near the peace corps office.  i'm quite excited!

cheers all. how's your week?

a personal revolution

Today, I washed a pair of my socks for the first time in over a year.

I know that sounds terribly disgusting but it actually isn't- I hadn't worn the socks but twice or three times and for no longer than thirty minutes each time.

These socks directly correlate the amount of true-blue-pushing-myself-body-movement I've given myself in the entire fourteen months of living here in Cambodia.

And these past ten days, I've worn them four times and pushed myself to a sweaty, messy limit each time.  And those other days? I mostly exercised in my undies inside my house, sans-socks, but still sweaty and messy those times too.

I'm having a revolution of sorts. A personal revolution.

I have felt it coming on for a few months now (really, a few years if we consider all the yo-yo up and down eating/exercising plans I've been "following" inconsistently for the last five years.) There must have been a tipping point and I think I reached it, and I tipped. Fell, more like?!

Something feels different this time?  Something feels like I actually want to be a more healthful person. Not just thin, like I was in college, but strong. I want to have the strength of mind to conquer my lazy, squishy body, the strength of soul to do it even when it's hard, and the strength of hundreds of muscles working together to carry me forward every single day for many years to come.

Part of it has to be the confluence of a desire to have children sometime in the next few years, and the need to possess a strong, flexible, healthy body to do so. 

Part of it must be the realization that with one year left in Cambodia, I'll never have this time in my life again, where I have a very self-driven work schedule and ample free time to more than just exist- and if I don't spend a little bit of time, every single day, trying to improve myself, I'm wasting it. 

Part of it was the last weeks spent with Paige and our talks in the pool and over dinner revolving around that same timeline we have for ourselves for babies, and families, and the few roads to happiness we're excited to take, and seeing her having used the last few months to build that strong, healthful body that can carry her across the finish line in a half marathon and look forward to do it again. 

And part of it is a plethora of fantastic inspiration of powerful blogging women, who remind me that it's never too late to become the muscular, fit woman that I was as a girl.

Whatever it is, its something I'm loving every minute of- every single drop of sweat, every single soaking sports bra I peel off after a good "run," every single second that I push my legs to carry me forward just one.step.more.

I've been keeping a daily log of sorts of how the first ten days have felt. I'll be back later today with that story, and tomorrow with the nutrition side of this personal revolution- because it's not just about the movement I'm making, it's also about what's powering my muscles to do so.

You with me?

seeking an addiction to h-two-oh.

one of the most endearing things about my husband is his penchant to think about my blog, check it, and refer to it when i come up with crazy ideas.

(example given: me: "i'd really like to [insert random idea i'd had]" chris: "i know, i read about it on your blog already. let's do it.")

while bobbing around in the gulf of tonkin in northern vietnam a few weeks ago, chris mentioned an article he'd read that claimed that many american were getting nearly fifty percent of their calories from sugary drinks, and that if we gave up these drinks, the average person would lose ten pounds in a year.

while i can't find that article specifically, i did find a few that discuss the implications of sugary drinks and obesity, like this one from cnn that was published just two days ago.

which of course, has me thinking about that small obsession i have with those small little cans.  you know the ones...

le sigh.

on vacation, i happily enjoyed two cans a day of these lovely, delicious, caramel-hued bubbilicious drinks.  that's about three hundred additional calories each day.

crap.

so i decided: who wouldn't like to lose ten pounds in a year? certainly, this girl wouldn't hate it. (and really, if you add up an average of a coca a day for a year, that's more like twenty pounds a year. eek.)

so.

we're going to give this a little experiment.  i've given up coca cola and coca light (diet coke) before. i've endured the headaches (god, that makes it sounds like i'm an actual addict) and that in itself is a reason to make the official switch from sugary drinks to...

water.

(our medical officer would be so proud.)

a great article written on the cnn blog eatocracy last fall said it best when they noted that some people can enjoy a soda without it being the.thing.you.look.forward.to.each.day. some people don't let out that relaxing sigh- like it's the fix they've been waiting for.

so, here it goes.  officially for the next six months, one soda per week- diet, regular, or otherwise.  no other sugary drinks (like the amazing, delicious coffees readily available here), unless that is the substitute for the one soda.

i'll let you all know how it goes.

anyone else a coca addict who has turned in their badge for other, less delicious drinks?

Docs and blues and tunes

Fair warning: this blog is mainly about nothing, other than frustrations of being an adult.

My favorite about Wednesdays is something that comes from Tuesdays, because every Wednesday I get to spend a joyful half an hour listening to my freshly downloaded Glee tunes.  Tonight's episode was not only full of delicious Britney vocals, but also amazing one liners I will promptly replay whenever I want to scream tomorrow out of frustration.

Why might I be frustrated tomorrow? Because I will be no doubt have a large number of emails to respond to given that today I took a sick day to attend to most of my annual doctor appointments.  That's one visit to my gyno/general practitioner (there's nothing better than a speculum, ladies, right?), one very overdue visit to an actually qualified dentist (that one 15 minute "cleaning" with a dentist in Baltimore doesn't really register on my radar), and a very expensive optometrist appointment, as I had to get new glasses to replace my four year old prescription.

Beyond that, I had to get a tetanus booster, polio booster, vaccination and a TB test; 4 vials of blood drawn for 8 different blood tests AND I have four...count them FOUR small cavities I have to get filled.  My GP also suggested I have some moles removed that look interesting.  Yep, I need a follow up visits to both my doctor and dentist.  Of course, now I am completely freaked out about my moles and can only imagine the worst case scenarios.

My arms are already INCREDIBLY sore from my shots; I received the needles around noon and by 3 pm, it was getting a bit painful to lift my purse. By 6 pm, it hurt to raise my arm to shoulder height.  How did we do this as babies?!  Since I couldn't have my mom, I got ice cream to assuage my sore body.

Why might I need all of these doctors appointments? Well, Topher and I have been officially nominated for an amazing opportunity and the longest and most arduous step in the process is a thorough and very complete medical examination.  It can sometimes take up to six months to complete all of these steps, but we're hoping to get it all sent back by the end of October.

Did I mention that Topher had no cavities and his form is already filled out perfectly? Boo hiss.

I'm also considering jumping on the bandwagon of vlogging.  It's very hard to find the time to write and edit posts, but a five minute video every other day? Potentially doable....

What's new in your life? Good? Bad? In between?

the signs of overworking

I generally work longer than typical hours- my job is not a 9 to 5 job, which is a large part of the reason I love it.  I am a part of something bigger than myself, a national movement to end educational inequity.

In fact, in my employee handbook, it states that my salary is based on a fifty hour work week and that is what I should average throughout the year.  Typically, I'm over, but it doesn't always feel like.

Until it does.

I can always tell when I have been working too many hours.  There are two very large signs:

1. It's summer and the days are longer however I still leave for work as the sun rises and get home after the sun has set.
2. My time awake, at home, is less than my total time at work including my commute.  
1. Example given: I commute and work from 7:15 to 9:15 (14 hours), am awake at home from 9:15-11:15 (2 hours), sleep from 11:15 to 6:45 (7.5 hours) and wake up and repeat.

What are your signs of overworking?

Nothing breaks up a day on the couch like a 1.5 mile run

Topher just walked downstairs and said:
"You know, it's not often that we sit around and do nothing together.  We should do it more."

I wholeheartedly agree, dear sir.  We spent the daylight hours enjoying Netflix movies, Harry Potter and our adorably annoying dog.

However, we did break the monotony of sitting on our asses by going for a run. It's a gorgeous day evening and so much cooler than it's been here in the DC area- a mere 80 instead of 95.  I could almost feel a cool breeze.

Now, here's the sitch, friends.  I like to claim myself as athletic.  I was overwhelmingly invested in soccer in my younger years and when that lost its fun, I ran cross country.  Somewhere, in the last six years (as I've discussed, at length), I lost my athleticism.

Now, this wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for my husband.  Yes, my wonderful husband.  You see, he is currently much more athletic and much more fit than I.

And I hate it.  In his younger years, he did NOT play year-round sports like I.  He was active, yes, but athletic? He'll hate me for saying so, but I wouldn't have put him in that category.  Then, a year ago, we both realized our impeding marriage and the flub from the college and grad school years were taking their toll on our fitness and our bodies.

So we started running.  At first, we both struggled with a mile.  Fast forward one year later, and he can run 3 miles without too much hassle and I still want to cut off my legs and cry after a mile and a half.  What sucks is that I know why he's more athletic than me and there isn't much I can do about it.

To begin with, he has more time.  He gets home before me, when daylight is usually still present and can go for a run around our neighborhood.  Secondly, he by far has more will power and stamina than me.  He's the one that encourages us to run on weekends, drags me pouting to the track, and is able to choose the water over the diet Coke.  If it weren't for him, I really might eat Magic Shell more often than I drank water.

Finally, he's reached that ultimate place as a runner that you dream of- that place where running feels better than NOT running.  Where your body practically begs you to go running because it craves it, physically and hormone-releasing-ly.  Where the first mile sucks, but usually you can push yourself on because a) you've done it before and you know it's not too bad and/or b) you're actually experiencing that runner's high that makes the act of pounding the pavement FULFILLING.

Topher has said on multiple occasions he feels younger now than he did even a year ago because he's more physically fit.  When I hear that, I want to hug and punch him.  I'm so proud of his will power, his stamina, his athleticism, his commitment to health and movement.  And I'm jealous that here I am, the one that isn't.  I don't take losing well, and it's a bit just like losing.

Luckily, my husband is humble and helps me move past my sore-loser-ness every time I want to punch him.  He lets me give him running tips because he knows if I can't do, I'll teach.  He lets me pout but encourages me to run anyway.  And he lets me fire words like "patronizing" at him when we both know all he's doing is pushing me to keep going and keep running.

So cheers, husband, for winning.  But watch you're back- because I will get my athleticism back and you won't be able to lap me on our said little loop someday. :)

It's been a really exhausting two weeks.

That's probably no excuse for being MIA, but I'm back! I'm sorry for the absence and I probably lost a few readers with my lackluster posting...hope you come back!

Work has been pretty hectic, overly stressful and incredibly time consuming these past two weeks. Anyone else?

In the vein of complete honestly, let me share this: I've dedicated myself to running 3 miles in under 35 minutes (a sad place to start, but a start at least), have gotten quite close, haven't eaten meat but once when I broke down on a very long day and had a McDonald's happy meal (which, actually, was totally worth it and delicious), have lost two pounds, and one night ate cheese on bread and chocolate Magic Shell for dinner.

The last statement above was clearly a poor life decision and the worst 1200 calories I've eaten in a long while.  It also, was delicious.  Anyone else know the joy of Magic Shell?

It's like the chocolate from dipped cones and I.love.it.so.much.  I drink it straight from the bottle. It's shameful. And I've just shared it with the world wide web.  

What's your shameful pleasure?

I used to hate eggplant

And now I lurve it!

There have been many, many delicious meat-free meals this past week (nearly all of which Topher crafted...) and I had to share two of my favorites with you!

The first was quite simple and born of my desire to eat guacamole.  Toph obliged and whipped up his classic, delicious gauc and a summer salad with yummy strawberries.

Aren't you loving our challis style cups I made us buy a few years back at the Renaissance Festival?

Yum, gaucamole!

There are few things better in the summer than fresh strawberries.

The dinner was light, simple and delicious.

Tonight, we went to Trader Joe's for some yummy, over priced, organic fruits and veggies.  Last weekend, I gave eggplant another try (I've always liked the flavor but hated the slimy, chewy texture) in the form of eggplant parmesan and I actually liked it.  So we bought some at Trader Joe's tonight and Topher tried to make it extra crispy.

I was a bit worried, and asked him if we could make something additional to, so he whipped up some delicious home made pizza with mozzarella and roma tomatoes.

Both were delicious!

Happy dining, from our kitchen to yours!

Goal Setting is Key

In my company I work for, we love setting goals.  I mean, LOVE it.  It gives us focus, a destination, and a way to measure progress, both qualitative and quantitative.

I've always been a goal setting person. I remember when I was seven, in second grade, and one Sunday I sat at my desk and set some summer and life goals for myself.  My summer goals included reading as many Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins as possible (I think I set a number of 7 a week) and my life goals included going to Harvard or Stanford.

I didn't end up going to Harvard or Stanford, but I did leave Idaho for the east, and attended college in Washington, DC. I also remember distinctly that I ended up reading something like 100 books that summer.  What can I say, I love to read?

In that similar vein, an amazing woman I work with shared the way she turned a work excel goal setting template into a workable document that set goals for the next year of her life.  I definitely view this woman as a mentor and I was SO EXCITED because it seemed right up my alley and personality!

It's still a work in progress, but I wanted to share my current goals for the next year.  Like my work compadre, I've centered them around growing in mind, body and spirit.  To clarify, I've classified spiritual as something that makes me a happier, more complete person.  Here are the goals I've come up with so far:

So, you can see that some of them are "easy" to track weekly and others are less quantitative and more qualitative in nature.  You also might be saying "why the hell is she going to say one thing that makes her happy to be married to Chris? What does that have to do with her spirit?"

Well, I am often stressed, from work, life, etc.  I often (read: almost always) take it out on Topher. I hate this about myself.  I am so happy, so lucky to be married to this amazing man, and I want to remind him, and in turn, myself, WHY, every single day.  I want a more complete spirit and for me, that comes from knowing and reminding myself of the joy that comes from everyday life, and marriage.

Have you ever set personal, life goals and tracked them in excel? Anyone? Anyone?  Anybody inspired?

Veggie Updates and In Lieu of My Total Opinion...

I have now had two official full days of vegetarianism (I'm not talking about my failures yet, but they may have involved Wendy's and an hour of getting lost on the way back from jury duty) and my self-importance and pride is kicking in- I feel like a better version of myself and had to stop myself tonight from maligning Topher for his meat-eating choices.  I was happy at myself and pissed that he wasn't commending me on my awesome life choices, so I began debating him on how he could know so much about the chemicals humans ingest from corn-fed cows and still eat meat.

As if we didn't watch Food Inc. together two months ago, and I didn't continue to go about my normal life, eating a crap ton of meat and sugar.  As if choosing to eat meat is worse than choosing to not go the gym, which I chose on a regular basis for the last two months?  I don't want to go veggie if I'm going to turn into this warped person who feels superior for what I eat, or don't eat.

I wish I was totally kidding, but I'm only half joking- there's something about "giving up" a part of your lifestyle than can easily turn you into a self righteous biotch.  I'd rather not admit that I became a self-righteous biotch for about an hour tonight, but, well, if I'm bluntly honest with others, I guess I ought to be with myself too. So, I became a self-righteous biotch for an hour tonight.

Proof:

Tonight after going to the gym with Topher, we stopped at an Afghan restaurant we frequent where I used to get some delicious lamb. This meal, I rocked the "Vegetarian Plate" and tried to force myself to eat something I truly detest- cooked, slimy spinach.  I enjoyed the chickpeas and eggplant but was trying so hard to be good to my body and eat this overcooked mush of spinach.  I thought to myself "so what if all the nutrients have been boiled out of these? It's better for me than that lamb Topher's downing!" I'M SUCH A VEGETARIAN JERK.

So, I'm done being a vegetarian jerk.  Feel free to check me if and/or when I get to preachy or self-important on here.

While I complete my thoughts on why I am officially going vegetarian (there are a myriad of why's and thoughts in my head, and I'm doing my best to lay them out, all straight like for ya) here are some reasons for going veggie. I've bolded the ones that resonate most with me.

• If we continue to clear forests in the U.S. to raise cattle at the present rate, there will be no forests left in 50 years.
• The water used to produce 10 lbs of steak is equivalent to the average consumption of water for an entire household for an entire year.
• Fishing with drift (and other modern) nets weakens and destroys ecosystems by indiscriminately killing billions of sea creatures and disrupting the sea bed.
• Mass farmed chickens are crammed into battery cages with up to 3 other birds; they are unable to even spread their wings and many cannot stand up.
• Veal calves are confined in stalls in the dark, unable to move.
• Meat is full of traces of antibiotics, hormones, toxins produced by stress and pesticide residues that become concentrated from all the crops they have eaten.
• Farmed animals contain up to 50% saturated fat in their bodies.
• Vegetarians have 24% reduced risk of getting heart disease.
• 80% of food poisoning is due to infected meat.

Going Veggie: Day 1 Officially

For the past three weeks, I have been vowing to go vegetarian.  A number of factors have played into this desire, which, when I have more time and energy, I'll go very deeply into.

I've been sick for the last week and today was the first day that I felt less achy and more hungry.  So of course I wanted to try out going vegetarian. Topher was on board (though he, and every friend I have, maintains I won't do it. Which, of course, given my ridic stubbornness, makes me even more resolute to go veggie) and we began the day with some delicious, meat free smoothies. Side note, I'd be pretty disgusted to find a meat-filled smoothie. Blech.

We combined frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries...

Yes, that is a package of Ballpark hot dogs beneath our frozen fruit. I'll miss hot dogs.

...a banana...

...some skim milk, ice, nonfat vanilla yogurt and vanilla protein powder...

...and created deliciousness!

Yum!

With some cheese and crackers for lunch, noodles and tofu for dinner and cheese popcorn for snack, I was doing well.

Until I took a bite of Topher's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Damn.

Trying again tomorrow! Tips?! It's ok if you say "suck it and eat meat." Topher does every day :)

Lost the hotness

Yes, I've lost my hotness. I have three months to get back in fighting shape for my trash the dress sesh in October.

I have gained 10 pounds since our May 1st wedding.

How? How did this happen?

I'm sure this didn't help...

Pounds of left over wedding cake...

Or this...

19 or 20 frozen drinks over the course of ten days IMMEDIATELY after the wedding...

And as if this was good!

3 large, square meals with dessert every.damn.day for the last two months.

Oh, and of course...

Vats of wine and champagne and beer.  For real, like 10 beers myself on the 4th of July.

Let's just say there hasn't been a lot of this...

This is supposed to symbolize exercise.  Walking in rapids is exercise! I'm still sore and it was three days ago.

So I guess the above is how it happened.

Last summer, Topher and I dallied with the idea of running a mini-triathalon.  After a year, he can now run a consecutive three miles, and I...well, my former-cross-country-ass hasn't had time to run or work out in a good three months. Now, Topher wants to run a 5k together in August.

Well, shite.  Guess  I need to get my lard ass of the couch, stop eating dessert and re-join Weight Watchers.

Here we go.

Anyone have any tips for losing the marriage ten?