Long Weekend Recap - The Game Changer

My long weekend plans took a bit of a twist.

I had been day dreaming all week about going for a good run before the race next weekend, biking along the canal, and lounging on the balcony.

Yeah.  That didn't happen.

Well, the lounging happened.

I lounged all over the place!  On the balcony and on the couch.  Why so lazy?  Thursday night I injured my quad playing baseball.  Not quite sure how, but it was super painful and had me limping over the weekend.  After a little internet research I found out that elevation, ice, and wrapping was the way to go.  I don't know about you, but I NEVER know when to use heat and when to use ice.  I'm babying it and am hoping that I might still be able to run next weekend.  We'll see.  Maybe I'll be walking the 5k.  Either way, I think those dreams of kicking my PR in the butt are history.  Might just mean I'll have to do another race this summer.

Anyway...

My sunny Saturday ended up with me tidying the apartment, doing laundry (with breaks to ice and elevate).  I have this thing where I can't actually relax until things are clean.  I also caught up on one of my favourite podcasts - Geeks and Beats. If you love music and love learning tidbits give it a listen. It's great!  It was recommended to me by a friend and I quickly became an addict!  I'm very new to podcasts... I'm not sure why but it's just not something I've gotten into until now.  I guess I just never found one that really could hold my attention.  It's really good while you're cleaning though or making dinner.  I'm suddenly a convert.

I also made chocolate chip cookies.  Yeah, I went a bit domestic with my injury :P  I was having a craving and figured a little baking was a good way to kill time.  Post coming soon of course.  Once I started to feel too caged in on the beautiful day I ventured out to get some more plants and dirt for the balcony.  I spent a fair amount of time on the balcony and felt it needed some more colour.

The balcony garden is starting to take off and I'm getting pretty excited that I just might have some fresh herbs to cook with this summer!  It's really nice to be out there and surrounded by green.

Although I have a little balcony envy.  There's one in the building across the way that I can spy that is just overwhelmingly green.  I need a better strategy for my outdoor space.  I may just need some more tables to put things on so I have levels of green.

See those beautiful violas?

Peas

Look a little closer...

See there?

Those are pea plants.

Theoretically one day they will spill over the side of my pots and one day have peas.  Is there anything better than peas fresh out of the garden?

The idea that I can pop out to the balcony and grab some peas is really exciting to me.  More likely, while I'm reading out there I'll just be munching.

Tomatoes and herbs

I've also got these little guys growing - hopefully by the end of summer they'll be cherry tomato plants.

While I was out I also picked up some impatient plants because they're my favourite and some small basil plants.  I hadn't planned to plant basil but the plants were only 89 cents!  Seriously!  That's so much cheaper than buying basil.

I also picked up a red pepper plant although I'm not certain it will do anything.  If not, oh well.  If yes - yay red peppers!

Yeah, I'm going a little nuts with the balcony planting.  It's the first time I've lived somewhere that the sun won't just scorch everything so I'm getting a bit more optimistic.

Did you do any gardening this weekend? 

Are you a podcast person?  

Any favourite podcasts?

Hot Weather = No Appetite

Ok, this post couldn't be more ill timed as we had a frost warning in effect last night, but it was already written :P  It seems we're having a little reprieve from the summer that apparently arrived very early this year.  Also known as spring!  Hey, look at that :P

You really have to love Ontario weather... especially up here in Ottawa where one week it snowed and just ONE WEEK LATER I was dying of heat stroke out on my run because it was 27 degrees!(That's right around the 80 mark for my Fahrenheit folks).

Don't get me wrong, I love the heat and I love running in the heat but sometimes I need a bit more than 2 days to adjust.  I went from my lungs burning during a run because the wind was cold to my skin burning because the sun was hot.  Yeah... that's the other problem, I forget about important things like sunscreen during those first few runs. Lesson learned.  And an accompanying bout of mega itchy heat rash.  Yup, fun times.

Looking back I think every year when the weather turns warm I write a similar post - about how I am only craving cold foods and start to lose my appetite   It's strange, it really is the first way my body reacts to the changing temperatures.  One major problem with this (both this time of year and right now in particular) is that I'm working out a lot more. Training for the 5k, ensuring my old-lady-hip gets enough yoga, cycling everywhere I can, and I've even joined a softball team.  It's great - but there's a delicate balance between being ok that your appetite just isn't there and, you know, fainting :P

Don't worry, no one is in jeopardy of fainting! Mostly my appetite fails me at the end of the day.  I'll have breakfast, lunch and snacks no problem. But then I come home, I work out, and shower and before I know it it's 8 or 9 pm and I need to eat! I've just become a bit of a food ninja... working in ways to make sure I'm getting enough fruits, veg, protein, and carbs while not feeling like eating much.

So what are some of my favourites?

Right now #1 has been the Protein Packed Green Monster

1.5 scoops of Arbonne vanilla protein shake
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 frozen banan
1/4 cup frozen mango and pinapple chunks
1 tbsp ground flax
Topped up with vanilla almond milk (about 1/2 cup)

Blend well and enjoy!

This tastes great, has fruit, veg, and protein in it. For the version without protein powder (and with peanut butter) you can find that HERE.  Hint: that link also contains a list of ALL the green monster's I've posted.

I'll admit, it's been dinner at least once a week for the past few weeks.  I'm trying to use it max 2x a week though.  I'm not sure why but the idea of drinking my dinner makes me feel like it's not the healthiest option.  Even though it fills me up and is loaded with nutrients, it just feels weird. But, it's PERFECT for a hot night and especially a busy one!

Other warm weather favourites:

• Arugula or spinach salad topped avocado, veggies, trail mix, quinoa, and chicken.  So good.  Just whip it up in a bowl.  I usually top this with some homemade salad dressing that is basically an orange balsamic vinaigrette. Note to self - I should measure and post that recipe sometime :P
• Salad or a side of raw veggies and some smoked salmon.  This is a favourite if I've been out grocery shopping.  
• Top a salad with a diced up turkey or chicken sausage.  This is a great way to get that BBQ taste without all the calories of a pork sausage.
• Sushi - yeah, take it becomes a bit more of an option on those busy nights but sushi always seems like a way to get a fairly balanced meal without going on calorie overload.
• Egg salad or tuna salad on crackers.  To lighten up the tuna (ok this doesn't work for egg) I use a fair amount of lemon juice as well as a little mayo.  The lemon juice means you don't need as much mayo and it's a very refreshing flavour.

What are your favourite warm weather foods?

Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream

No, I'm not kidding.  This post really is about strawberry ice cream.  Because I'm 12.  And strawberry ice cream ROCKS!

More importantly, it's about HOMEMADE dairy free strawberry ice cream!

Also strawberries were the one fruit I had on hand that screamed ice cream.

Remember Freezer Bag Vanilla Ice Cream?

The wacky skill I picked up on Pinterest for being able to make a quick batch of ice cream in 5 minutes?  Yeah, that's the one.

While Ottawa was burried in cold and snow for the past 6 months I wasn't really thinking about ice cream.  But... it's been amazing and sunny the last week or so and getting warmer.  The other night during my "rest" night (while I was out for a 90 minute walk) my route rapped up near the gelato place in my neighbourhood. It seriously took all my willpower to NOT get a cone.  But I was on my way to pick up some amazing sushi so that helped ;)

Well, I decided that enormous amount of willpower called for a healthier (or at least less sugary) dessert made at home.

Strawberry Soy Ice Cream

*modified from this recipe

Recipe makes two servings the size above (ramekin)

1 cup soy milk (not light)
1 tsp vanilla soy creamer (optional)
1.5 tbsp sugar
4-5 ripe strawberries

4 cups ice cubes
1/2 cup salt (table of course)

Combine soy milk, creamer, sugar, and strawberries in a blender.  Puree so the strawberries are the right texture for you (e.g. I like some strawberry chunks!).

Pour mixture into a sandwich sized ziplock bag and close.  Make sure it's closed!  Seriously.  If  it's note closed this will turn "mmm ice cream" into "ugh, mess... everywhere!"

In a large freezer bag add ice cubes and salt.

Put the small bag in the large bag, close well and shake for 5 minutes.* Remove the small bag, give it a quick rinse with cold water to get rid of the salt, remove from the bag and enjoy.

Seriously, it's that easy!

*Hint - I couldn't hold onto a bag of ice that long so I popped the whole thing in a large bowl and shook it on the counter.

I love that you can choose your milk and your flavour.  Genius.  Hell, you could make an mix of flavours and have a taste of everything :P

What other fruit would you want to try in this recipe?

I think blueberry might be next for me!

On Training

Let me start this post by saying - I don't follow a fitness schedule.

Usually.

For the most part I love exercise and I just do what I feel like doing and try to spread it around.  There have been times over the years when I've developed and followed workout schedules but that was usually because I was having trouble staying at it so I would tick it off as I went.  For me it was more about ensuring I was moving my butt and also ensuring that I was getting a good balance of different activities.  I've learned that my body responds the best when I'm varying my activities.

Even when I was learning to run and adding time.  I started on a treadmill so I would just pay attention to the time and try to run longer.  No specific schedule, just at my own pace.

There's only one problem with this - I'm absolutely a creature of habit.  Like stuck in a rut kind of creature of habit. I form a routine VERY quickly.  While this can be helpful when trying to change a bad habit (or a curse when establishing a bad one)... it also makes it difficult for me to vary what I'm doing.

For instance - two summers ago when I got my new bike I was all about cycling.  I don't think I ran for 3 or 4 weeks.  And when I did my hip went nuts.

This also goes for yoga.  I go through phases (usually in the winter) where I will do yoga 3-5 times a week and then when the weather gets warmer and I don't want to be in a class I struggle to fit it in 1x a week.

So why all this talk of schedules?

Well, I was able to snag a bib for the sold out 5k of Ottawa Race Weekend this year.  I ran it last year and loved it.  I had planned to do the 10k but when I started training I started having some back problems again and had to rest... that combined with needing all my back power for packing and moving over the winter meant I wasn't even back up to running 5k until a few weeks ago.

Basically, I'm doing the 5k again.

I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm happy to be running again.  And if this training scheduled goes well I might even be back to where I was at this time last year!

It dawned on me a few days ago that April is over!!  Seriously, where did April go?  Might have something to do with the fact that it snowed here in mid April   Ugh.  Not impressed mother nature!  But luckily right at the end it turned around and we've been having some sunshine and warm weather.

So despite saying I'm running for fun and just happy to be able to run, I would like to beat my PR for race weekend... which for the way my runs have been going lately, will take some training.  Not that my PR is by any means a great time, but it's my PR and I wan't to kick it's butt :P

So here's what' I'm doing...

• Running 3x a week (2x 5k and 1 run at my discretion.  Sometimes I need a quick 2.5k)
• Yoga 1-2x a week (Basically 1 class and at least 1 other time self directed)
• Strength train - 2x a week
• STRETCH and FOAM ROLL - no joke.  This is the key to me not being injured because my hip isn't back in 100% form yet.

If that sounds complicated... know that I actually have an excel spreadsheet where I've broken down that day's "primary activity" and "secondary activity" allowing myself to change things for weather and how I'm feeling.  Including scheduled yoga classes and everything.  Yes. I'm aware I'm a nerd :P  But if that's how I keep the variety in there (so I don't get injured)  while training and being so focused on one activity then that's what I have to do.

Sounds like I'm going to be busy the next few weeks!

Bring on the race!

Does vacation have to be over?

So technically I've been MIA again... but for an even better reason this time.

I was on vacation!

It had been a while since I'd taken one and I could definitely feel the need to get out of the country for a while!  It was a short one (4 days) so I was worried it wouldn't have the desired effect... luckily I returned refreshed and ready to be back to normal.

It helps that when I came back the weather got warmer and sunny quickly.  This year's never ending winter was really starting to make me feel nutty... I mean snow in the end of April?  Come on!

So where was I?

I was in one of my favourite cities in the world (that I've visited so far anyway) New York!

Central Park Pond

It was great, I had amazing food, walked 100+ blocks a day, went to museums, wandered NYC neighbourhoods, attended a Tribeca Film Festival panel, and even found time for a little shopping.  The best part was, since I've been to NYC a few times I didn't really do much touristy stuff - just enjoyed the city.  Not to mention all the trees were in bloom so it was extra beautiful.  Magnolia and cherry blossoms everywhere.

It was great :)

The other amazing part was that it was the first time I vacationed solo.  I travel solo for work all the time but this was a little different.  And frankly, it was amazing!  I've always had great people to travel with in the past but this was just different.

The other highlight for me was walking along The High Line - this great reclaimed space along the west side of the city.  This used to be railroad tracks (which are still very much there) but gardens and walk ways have been added.  It's this great combination of industrial and natural space and offers a great view of the city (mostly through Chelsea and the Meatpacking District).

Oh NYC... till we meet again!  I can't wait!

Do you have a city or place you keep going back to?