Tuesdays

I enjoy Tuesdays. By Tuesday, everyone has had a chance to ease into their week. There isn't the unknown that comes with a Monday (what sort of work piled up over the weekend, or how many emails will I walk into?). It's a nice little stepping stone into the rest of the week.

I stumbled across this quote the other day, and it is a great reminder to not limit yourself:

 My boss was gone for a week, so we spent the greater part of yesterday morning playing catch-up on some projects. We focused a bit on one of my projects- the newsletter. When you deal with a bunch of doctors, it's so important to translate their "doctor-speak" into something that is easily understandable and interesting for your audience. So I've challenged myself to think outside the box a bit more when I'm planning and writing content.

Things I'm looking forward to this week: 

1. Sleeping in (finally) on Sunday.
2. Massage Sunday afternoon ( I am a firm believer that incorporating massage as part of a training plan is a must- seriously.)
3. Baylor v. UT game on Saturday

In Fantasy Football news: 

I have two wins, and two losses under my belt. I think my players are just getting warmed up :)

In marathon training news:

We ran 10 miles on Saturday morning. They were an awesome 10 miles. My goal for this particular run, was to run smart. I didn't want to walk away with a headache. We had some gorgeous cloud cover for this particular run and started off slow to warm up. We ran around the golf course at Hermann Park and Rice University. I drank water when I felt thirsty- not every-time we passed a water fountain. I ate my chomps around mile 5. We finished a little over our intended race pace, but felt really good after the run. I made sure to stretch properly, as well as use the foam roller on my muscles following our run. I was headache-free and pain-free after this run! This weekend we are going for 13!

Here is a helpful article I found on hydration!

Happy Tuesday!

Fueling for a Long Run

Fueling is the #1 thing about running a long race that makes me nervous. I'm not one of those that experiences the "runner's flu," or even those other stomach issues mid or post-race. I do, however, experience some crazy bad headaches. Like- almost migraine status headaches- always following long runs.

I think now is a fantastic time to mention that I do occasionally suffer from migraines, but am currently on medication that controls them- and I've been migraine free for several years, and probably average about 1 (maybe) a year. Thank goodness!

Now, for shorter runs (8 miles and under) my headaches are typically nonexistent. But anything over 8, and I can expect to suffer from a pretty decent headache for most of the day. I have found that my GU Chomps, (Cranberry Apple is my go-to flavor because it isn't too sweet) have helped alot, especially if I eat them around mile 8. I don't ever have a taste for anything too sugary mid-run and prefer to keep my running snacks fairly neutral.

A friend told me about the Honey Stingers, so I picked some up last night after bootcamp to try on our long run this weekend! I got the pink lemonade flavor.

 

 Aaron stumbled across the Nuun tablets at this year's Austin Marathon, and we have been hooked ever since. We love them during a bike ride- and Aaron drinks them after a run. I'm more of a water and/or chocolate milk kind of girl post-run.Watermelon is my favorite. They have electrolytes and don't have a ton of extra sugar. And because I think my headaches might be due to a sodium deficiency, which is totally probable- I might start hydrating with Nuun tablets before, during and after my longer runs! They have so many different flavors to choose from- and they even have one that supports breast cancer awareness: 

 What are your go-to methods for hydrating and fueling during a long run? I'd love to know!

100th Post and 5 Milestones I'm Celebrating this September

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I've officially hit my 100th post for the blog, so it is officially a reason to celebrate! I think it's important to celebrate milestones- big or small. So here are five milestones I'm celebrating this September: 

1. We are officially in the 70's (at least this week) in Houston. I'm not a morning runner, but I sure wished I was able to get up and out for a quick run this morning. I'm so hoping all of our training in the heat and humidity will make us stronger runners in this cooler weather. Oh yeah, and cooler weather means that our fall decorations are finally legitimate. I stocked up on a few more decorations this weekend, and I'll be sharing some more of our fall decor over the next couple of weeks. 

2. Upping our marathon mileage: We are officially increasing the mileage week by week in preparation for the Chevron Houston Marathon. We are at a solid 8 miles and going for 10 this weekend. I'm struggling with headaches after my longer runs (nothing new), which has a lot to do with some fueling issues I need to fix, as well as hydration issues.

Bright colors make me happy during long runs!

• Note: my go-to fuel for long races are the GU Chomps (like little fruit snacks) I swear by the apple-cranberry flavor because they aren't too sweet. They are easy to eat and run at the same time. When I eat these - typically around mile 8 or 9 during a race, I feel much better during recovery and it cuts my headaches down dramatically.  I'll have to do another post on other types of fuel I have experimented with during my runs.

 

3. Pedicures to keep my running toenails under control: You're probably wondering why I'm considering a pedicure as one of my milestones.... Well, you see, my second toenail on each foot, have both been running casualties over the years. I'm sad to say I lost both of them this past December. Sad Days. It really is the strangest thing- it's just those two problem toes. Gross, I know- probably a bit of TMI. I have actually been able to maintain my toenails this time around. Go team! It is almost impossible as a runner to have pretty feet- which is slightly embarrassing, given the fact that I do enjoy wearing my peep-toed heels to work. This time, I was determined to keep my toenails around. They do this really gross thing where they will actually start growing a second toenail underneath, turn completely black and then pop off. (I'm embarrassed I'm even sharing this). My trick this time around? A proper pedicure. Aaron and I have both been getting them- and I've found that by constantly maintaining your toenails has been a huge help at keeping them healthy. They haven't turned black yet! In all honesty, I'm not a huge fan of pedicures, because I feel like they are too time consuming, but this time around-they are worth it. 

 Any other toe-nail-less runners out there? Any tricks you've used that work?

4. A Promotion:

I've always said "work hard, play hard." I am in the school of thought that you need to work hard- like really hard- to get what you want. When it comes to my career, I work as hard as I can- because why wouldn't you? I'm happy to be surrounded by others who share the same philosophy! I had an email pop across my window from my boss a few weeks ago- a meeting invite. Strange. He doesn't normally do formal meeting invites. I thought he wanted to talk about October. Because October- October is busy. Remember that ebb and the flow? Well, right now, I'm feeling like I'm caught in a riptide. And as for the 2x2? There's not a whole lot more that can fit. I thought our discussion would revolve around the logistics of October. But then, people surprise you. He called me in to let me know that he appreciated my work and that I was receiving a promotion. I get to do the same thing, with a little more selectiveness on some of the other activities that take up some of my time and I can focus more of my attention on expanding our content (digital and written) as necessary!

If you're interested, you can see some of my articles on the Huffington Post! (another item on my bucket list)!

Now, it's still kind of on the hush hush, but I'll be official soon. :)

Now that deserves an adult beverage:

Remember this? We finally tried our Dancing Bee Winery wine, and it was pretty delish! This was the driest of the options, and we have one more Raspberry Melomel to try. You can definitely taste the honey (60%). Such a neat concept!

     

5.  I feel physically stronger than I have ever been. I have tweaked my diet a bit, by adding in more protein than I have before, as well as incorporating raw fruits and veggies every day, starting with my morning smoothie. I've seen a huge difference in my performance, as well as in my recovery after a long run. The yoga has really helped with my flexibility and my endurance is improving thanks to stronger muscles from bootcamp. I am looking forward to hopefully achieving that PR during the 1/2 marathon in Dallas in December. My energy levels are fantastic and I feel ready to tackle every day (after my cup of coffee). And as always, my mind is going like 50 miles per hour, that I could probably work a bit on quieting the mind!   

Workouts this week: A fast 5k Monday evening, yoga Tuesday evening, bike-ride Wednesday evening and bootcamp tonight!

Happy Thursday!

Fall Favorites+Marathon Update

I've been trying to hold out until the official first day of fall. I'll admit- I've caved a few times- and had my first PSL of the season at the very beginning of September. It's been a slippery slope since then. I've had a few PSL's here and there and some pumpkin creamer may or may not have slipped into my morning coffee, but this weekend. This weekend- things got real. And by real, I mean the roomie and I got a bit crazy and full-fledged decorated the house for fall. Oh well, in a few days, we will be official.

And by official, I mean- I've already started busting out my neutrals:

This was from my event Monday evening. We brought in a zen master to speak on mindfulness in healthcare!

 Before I launch into the fall pics, let me discuss marathon training. I had a moment a couple of weeks ago, where I was tired of training in the heat, I got pooped on by a bird, and I just wasn't sure if I could up my mileage in time for the January marathon. I wanted so badly to drop down to the half. But, the weather got cooler this weekend, and upping my mileage the past two weeks hasn't been an issue, so I'm back in the right frame of mind.

We knocked out a 6-mile run last weekend and an easy 7-miler this past weekend- and honestly, felt like we could have gone longer. Pace was slightly above my intended race pace. The weather this weekend was perfect for a run. We started off at 8 in the morning, and it was probably about 80 degrees, but it was misting outside, so it felt nice. I didn't have any issues, but probably need to re-think my morning fuel as I increase the mileage. Fueling during long runs is the thing that makes me most nervous during races.

We ended the weekend with a 22-mile bike-ride on Sunday! Yoga was yesterday, and he led us through some great lower back stretches, a run tonight, and bootcamp tomorrow! I'll go anywhere from 8-10 miles this weekend depending on the time I have (I have to work Saturday), and probably throw in another bike ride.

Now, for fall:

And that is just the outside! We've since added some gourds and pumpkins to enhance the curb appeal- and are adding to the inside as well! I'll be back tomorrow with some other fall favorites, as well as some details about the outdoor decor!

Happy Hump Day!

Workday Wisdom and Life Lately in Photos - 5 Words or Less

Life has been crazy in the good kind of way lately. Remember this post on slowing down? Well, I hit the nail on the head, and that isn't happening anytime soon. This space has been neglected lately, but I'm not apologizing. Sometimes, when the tasks out-number the time, it's important to prioritize the things you can logically accomplish- and put items that can go on the back burner- on the back burner non-apologetically.

I've been preparing for a big meeting that happened yesterday afternoon. And by big, I mean B-I-G. It went well, and I happy to say we are moving forward with a B-I-G project. What I can say for now (as this remains semi-confidential at the moment)- is that hard work pays off. I am more professionally satisfied today (4 and 1/2 years) into my big-girl job than I was when I first started. It takes some time to sit back, re-evaluate and really listen to what type of work speaks to you.

My advice to those just starting out:  do your very best always.

• Be polite to everyone without exception-always. you might never know in which capacity you might need their help. 
• Do your very best at every little thing-always. what you might consider to be a minimal task, might be a big deal to someone else. 
• Cross your t's and dot your i's- always. professionalism is always important. run that quick, five-second spell check before you send off an email. I'm much more inclined to take someone seriously if they don't have misspellings or grammar mistakes in the body of their email. 
•  Be professional-always. even in the break-room. dress appropriately, speak and act appropriately- always. I would rather have someone judge me based on my work, than a conversation gone awry in the break-room.
• Work hard-always. you don't get ahead without hard work. period. there will be long hours and tasks you might not always want to do. nothing should be beneath you, because everyone has to start somewhere. do your best at every little thing and people will take notice. 

That being said, as I start off my 28th year (my birthday was Sunday), I feel so incredibly thankful and hopeful for the year ahead. If it's anything like 27, we are in for quite the ride. I'm looking forward to making more memories this year ahead. Thank you all for the birthday wishes and the celebrations. I feel loved and my heart is so full! 

Krob's first time kayaking:

Picture with the fake Orbit:

First Baylor game this season:

Sawyer supports the Baylor Bears: 

LOVE my Barrington Baylor crossbody:

Sweet snuggles with my puppydog: 

Birthday cabana at Hotel Galvez:

Birthday friends: 

Birthday Kendra Scott bling: 

Our view from Hotel Galvez: 

Birthday brunch decorations: 

Weekend Wrap-Up Part 2

So yes, this weekend deserves two wrap-up posts for two very special reasons.

So remember this? I was mistaken, and the fantasy football draft actually occurred last Wednesday (I thought it was Thursday), which meant some last minute research and some hectic drafting. I have an "okay" team, although I did end up with LeSean McCoy (who currently has a sore thumb) and my own Baylor Bear, Kendall Wright (I had to have one Baylor Bear on my team).

While I was frantically drafting consulting with my appropriately researched spreadsheet, I received a call. From Andy. Who was supposed to be in Puerto Rico. I was torn. I was drafting (which is clearly important), but what if she needed some sort of help? So, I picked a player, and called her back. No response. She called back- during my turn. I was stressed, so I called her back after my turn. No response. We finally connected. She got engaged!!!!!! And I could NOT BELIEVE I MISSED HER CALL FOR THE FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT!!!! Neither could she. I was kind of shocked, but not really (it was definitely coming) and SO happy for her! Not to mention her ring is gorgeous, and Coco made it so special for her! It makes my heart happy! That being said:

It was HOT

 1. Coco has an excellent poker face - it's that lawyer in him. Aaron and I asked him a couple of weeks ago when he was talking about the Puerto Rico trip if he was going to propose, and he (very smoothly) said he wasn't. He tricked me for sure!

2. We had a celebration on Saturday night so obviously, Krob and I had to put together a gift! So we ran around Saturday grabbing things Andy might need:

How cute is this card?

Our basket

Contents:

• Bride's Guide of Checklists
• Champagne
• Notepad
• Bridal magazine (we went with the Knot and Houston Weddings)
• Bride Panties (sooo... .Target has a super cute bridal line now, so we obviously had to take advantage)

Since Jenny was in town, we all had to partake in pedicures Saturday afternoon:

Krob, Jenny, me, Aaron

Then, we rushed to get ready for our Restaurant Week dinner, which I'll talk about tomorrow. After dinner, we rushed over to West Alabama Ice House for the celebration, then back over to Boheme for some additional celebrating.

Krob, Kim, me, Jenny

Love these ladies! And I love that we are still friends ten years later. We all met our freshman year at Baylor!!!!

And hey- in the market for a man gift? Aaron thought he should get Cody a congratulatory man-gift to celebrate the engagement. So he picked out a nice bottle of this: 

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Weekend Wrap-Up

Wow- so this space has been slightly neglected. The second half of my week got the better of me, but work hard, play hard :)

Friday: 

I knew I needed some fuel for my day ahead. I had a big meeting and lots of other items on the agenda for the day. I typically start my mornings off with a green smoothie. Not only are they delicious, but they are packed with nutrients to get my days off on the right track. I will also not forget to give a shoutout to my coffee, which certainly helps as well. The thing I enjoy most about my green smoothies, is that you can mix and match the ingredients for something new each day. I also enjoy my smoothies before a long run.

 

 

 

Frozen mango, ripe banana, spinach, fresh figs, ice cubes and almond milk (unsweetened vanilla)

The base for my green smoothie is as follows:

• 1 handful of spinach (organic- spinach is a member of the dirty dozen) **If you haven't heard about the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen, take some time to educate yourself. It has to do with the pesticides found in many of our everyday produce**
• 1 ripe banana
• 4 ice cubes
• 1 cup of almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla. Almond milk contains more calcium than regular milk)

I typically switch up the rest of my ingredients depending on my mood. You can add in some of the following:

• Flaxseed
• Strawberries (dirty dozen)
• Blueberries (dirty dozen)
• Peaches (dirty dozen)
• Blackberries
• Pineapple (clean 15)
• Greek Yogurt (non-fat)
• Frozen mangoes (my personal fave- part of the clean 15)
• The list goes on and on..... 

I needed a bit more fuel for my Friday, so I added in fresh figs (delish) and some of my favorite frozen mango to my smoothie base. As you can see, I love my Trader Joes!


My meeting on Friday was a business lunch. We headed over to Trevisio in the Medical Center for lunch so we wouldn't have to venture too far from the office. While my boss and I were waiting for the rest of the participants to show up- I looked up- and saw my Grand-big (back from my sorority days) sitting right across the room. It was so nice to see her and catch up for a brief second- and we will for sure be meeting for lunch soon! I had the salmon and it was delish!

Friday Evening

I headed out of the office fairly late on Friday, but I felt like I got several things off my plate that needed to get finished. I got home, walked the dog and wanted a low key evening to finish off the crazy week. So, Aaron and I decided to try a new taco place we had been wanting to try: Bodega's Taco Shop in the Museum District. They had tacos, live music and margaritas- so how could we pass that up? We sat outside and caught up on our week. The food was okay, but I think I prefer Torchy's Tacos a bit better. I had the fish tacos and Aaron had the salmon tacos- both were okay, but did the trick. After, I had been wanting to try Cloud 10 Creamery in the Village. Now, if you haven't heard of Cloud 10, it is a gourmet ice cream shop, and the chef is Chris Leung- the pastry chef from Kata Robata. He concocts flavors that are out of the ordinary, but so delicious.

I had the cucumber sorbet, along with the vanilla bean. Aaron had the mango sorbet. All were delicious!

Saturday

Saturday was our long run. Aaron and I knocked out our 5 mile run by 9:30. And boy, was it already hot outside. I don't think I've ever been so drenched in sweat. We ran at race pace- and the legs felt good. Overall, I was pretty pleased with the run, but so looking forward to some cooler fall temps.

I was taking Sawyer on a quick walk before my shower, and I got a phone call from my old roommate and great friend, Jenny. We were sorority sisters, college friends and roomies for two years. She was going to come to Houston on a whim and wanted to know if we were busy. Which-if your long time friend decides to come play- you would clear your schedule too.

Krob and I had to clean the house furiously put a few things back in place and run around to get a gift, which I'll get to tomorrow. But just so you know, my heart is full. Remember this post on friendships, well my friends deliver- big time. They make me laugh, they inspire me with how smart and creative they are and we make time for each other when busy schedules don't always allow!  So for now, I'm going into this week with a full heart and a full schedule. I'll share more about the weekend tomorrow, but I'll leave you with this gem first:

We couldn't do an impromptu girl's weekend without a proper pedicure!

Happy Monday - Aaron and I are about to up our running mileage this evening, and of course, we need to watch Bachelor in Paradise. Quality television.