Archive for July, 2012
Olympic Fever
I’m not gonna lie, I spent a good portion of my weekend watching the Olympics. I managed to watch women’s beach volleyball, swimming, gymnastics (both men and women), women’s synchronized diving, table tennis, basketball, tennis and field hockey. I know, right? I swear I left the house too!
I trekked across the river to a birthday party in Arlington on Friday night, ran a rough 6 miles on Saturday, walked through the Dupont Farmer’s market, met a friend for breakfast early Sunday, then went for a crappy 12 mile bike ride and even hit the pool for some laps, Missy Franklin-style.
My run on Saturday was ugly. I did not wake up early enough and got caught in the heat. I needed more than my one water bottle of water and I should have brought some nutrition with me. I ran 3.5 miles, walked half a mile and then ran the last 2 miles. I’m still glad I got it done though, as the triathlon is only two weeks away. My bike ride was off to a good start on Sunday as I started on my second lap around Haines Point. But then I noticed that my right shoe felt kind of weird so I pulled over to take a look and my right cleat was dangling off. I had lost one of the screws and couldn’t clip back in. I cut the ride short and made my way back home with only the left pedal clipped in.
It was really…annoying!
I need to figure out how to get my cleat fixed tonight so I can get some good rides in this week. I took a short break when I got home and cooled off and then went to the pool for some laps. Swimming on Sunday afternoon is fantastic because the pool was practically empty and I only had to share my lane with one other person. Luxurious! I was feeling sluggish but swam 1200 meters and called it a day. I’m looking forward to my rest day tonight which will include some wonderful foam rolling and stretching.
Dupont Farmer’s Market
Haine’s Point
Taking a break after realizing my right cleat was broken.
I’ve totally been loving the swimming and gymnastics but I have to say, I totally loved watching the women’s USA field hockey team play Germany. While they ended up losing 2-1 (which means they don’t get any points toward their total), it was still a great match. The US team really came out of the half with great energy and were so close to tying up the game many times. The US team is young but so physically fit and they have great stick skills. I’m really hoping to watch more of their games. The best part was realizing that two of the player’s on the team are the younger sisters of my friend Sarah! Check them out:
I ended the weekend with some delicious Sweetgreen. Have you tried their new cold pressed juices? The one I had was pretty tasty though such a pricey treat at $6 a bottle.
I’m excited for more Olympic action tonight. My heart totally broke for Jordyn Wieber last night but it’s exciting for Aly Raisman to be it all-around competition. I was also disappointed with Ryan Lochte’s anchor swim in the men’s 4X100meter freestyle relay. I thought Nathan Adrian, Phelps and Cullen Jones all had fantastic legs – but hey, a silver medal is still a medal! Here’s hoping Missy Franklin can win a gold tonight 🙂
GO USA!
Stephanie
Saturday’s workout: 6 mile run
Saturday’s meals highlights: None
Sunday’s workout: 12 bike ride + 1200 meter swim
Sunday’s meals highlights: Sweetgreen for dinner
P.S. Did you see my guest post on PBFingers last week? Check it out here!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Randomness
I have not been drinking enough water lately and need to be better about that. I can’t expect my body to recover from a workout if I’m not hydrating it.
I had the most delicious dinner last night – a huge sweet potato (microwaved for 10 minutes) topped with Mmm Mmm Sauce. It was SO good and the perfect quick dinner fix after my double workout last night.
Speaking of workouts, why do people have no pool etiquette?! I swam in the same lane as a couple who were following a workout plan. They were moving much slower than I was and we finally go into a good rhythm so I didn’t have to keep passing them. However, they kept blocking the wall when they were resting and I was so frustrated that I just flip-turned into them, even pushing off their legs sometimes. I was in the middle of a 500 swim and just didn’t feel like stopping to tell them to move. Was I rude swimmer or were they?
I need to buy new sneakers before I start training for the half at the end of August.
I saw this list of 101 Simple Salad from the New York Times on Lauren Conrad’s website. Yup, Lauren Conrad’s website. I’m thinking about maybe taking a note from Oh She Glows and doing a salad a day challenge in August. Maybe.
Thinking about spinning tonight instead of a bike ride…we’ll see.
What is up with Kristen Stewart? Pull it together, girl.
Stephanie
Tuesday’s workout: 3 mile run + 1350 meter swim
Tuesday’s meals highlights: Sweet potato topped with Mmm Mmm Sauce
Addicted
Last night was a rest day on my training program but I was really in the mood for a good sweat (as if the one I get commuting to/from work isn’t enough!). I thought I’d just go to the Y and see what classes they were offering that night and pick one. Turns out they had a Zumba class at 7:30pm. Perfect!
I had some time to kill before class and actually took some time to explore the Y. It has 7 floors and a ton of different activities. I finally made it up to the full women’s locker room. I had only been using the smaller one that accesses the pool. I also took a 15 minute walk around the track while basketball and Tai Kwon Do happened below me. There was so much energy in the whole place, it was great motivation to work out.
Zumba left me in a sweaty mess and mostly because I am out of Zumba shape. Who knew?! It was a great class that was packed and I really enjoyed the instructor. The class was on the schedule for 45 minutes but we worked it for a full hour. I left feeling great and happy to know that my first group class experience at the Y was a success.
I got home and started cooking up with quinoa, shrimp and veggies. I topped it all with Mmm Mmm Sauce!
Don’t let that picture lie, I continued to add on more sauce as I ate. It was SO good! I still have a ton leftover (I doubled the recipe when I made it on Sunday) and will be using it for the rest of the week. It’s great to have a new staple in the kitchen that is so versatile.
Stephanie
Monday’s workout: Zumba
Monday’s meals highlight: Stir fry dinner with Mmm Mmm Sauce!
After the Weekend
As Stephanie mentioned, we did a race this weekend and after not running for a little over a week, the 8k felt good. And it was really fun to run with Stephanie. It’s good way to get the work out of the way on a Saturday morning. I am trying to rehab my hamstring, which is still giving me some trouble and I don’t want to have any pain when I officially start training for the half marathon. I’ve got some good hamstring exercises and taking more rest days from running and hoping for the best!
Here is a pic from the race, surprised by the photo!
Waiting in line to pick up race packets
I even saw the photographer taking the photo, but not in time to actually try to smile.
I also indulged in a chocolate croissant and baguette post race.
SO good
I learned last week that Orla Kiely designed bedding for Bed Bath and Beyond. I promptly went online and used a gift card we had since our wedding to purchase sheets and two pillows!
I did not purchase this whole set, but I do love the look of it. The comforter might come later!
Speaking of buying things, I came across prints from one of my favorite stationery websites minted.  I specifically had my eye on this one:
We are not in the market for any art at this point in time, but when we are – this is first on my list.
Only 4 more days until the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. This morning on the Today show they were profiling several athletes and I could not stop myself from tearing up.  The thing that I am thinking about the most right now is (and Justin thinks I’m crazy): do I try to watch some of the swimming during the day online or do I cut myself off from all social media and news after a certain time so I can watch the broadcast in prime time and not know who wins?! I know it sounds ridiculous, but I did this in 2004 (pre facebook for me) when the games were in Athens. Luckily for me (thank you Michael Phelps), in 2008 the finals were live in prime time because of the time difference. Not to worry, I will figure something out. Bring on London!!
USA, USA!
Addy
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A Weekend in D.C.
After four weekends in a row on the road, I enjoyed a wonderful weekend home in D.C. It was filled with plenty of fun but plenty of time relaxing on my couch as well. The Dark Knight Rises was pretty epic. If you haven’t seen it, you should go now. I actually kind of want to see it again. Seeing a movie on a Friday night is the perfect way to unwind at the end of a busy work week.
I slept through my alarm on Saturday morning and woke up 10 minutes before I was supposed to meet Addy to run the 8k. Eeek! I rushed like a madwoman around my apartment, hopped in a cab and ended up getting there 15 minutes before start time. Well, it turns out that it didn’t really matter if I had been late because the race started 30 minutes late! Not cool, people. It was a rainy morning and it was muggy and we were just standing there waiting to run. Addy and I jumped into the first start group (even though I was supposed to be in the second group) and started off on the run, eager to be done already.
The entire race took place on a gravel path (the C&O in Georgetown). It rained for part of the run and we started off under a 10:00 minute pace but we soon slowed down and neither of us really cared. We didn’t want to race for a time, we just wanted to get that run in and be done. It was just one of those races. We made it to the half way turn around and were navigating our way back when I rolled my ankle on a rock.
A few curse words, tears and some walking later, we started running again. I probably would have just quit then if Addy hadn’t been there. My ankle was fine but when I rolled it, the first thing I thought of was the triathlon in three weeks and how I just HAD to complete it. I also hadn’t rolled an ankle in years (I know, right) and I think I was just mostly shocked by the feeling.
We finished the race and immediately bee-lined it to the car in search of chocolate croissants at Paul.
Patiently waiting for the race to start.
Post-race fuel from Paul.
I pretty much inhaled this chocolate croissant before we had even pulled away from the bakery. SO good.
Addy and I parted ways and the rest of my Saturday afternoon was filled with a nap, a massive apartment cleaning (I cleaned for 2.5 hours!) and some more delicious eats from Paul (buy early, eat later).
Smoked salmon baguette and a banana
Saturday evening started off with a butcher competition. Yes, a butcher competition. The Whole Foods right next to my apartment was hosting the semi-finals of the Whole Foods “Best Butcher” competition.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect but it was a fantastic event. Whole Foods had set up tents on the roof and there were plenty of tables and chairs to sit down. The $20 ticket included all the food and two beers. You could buy additional beer tickets for $5 cash. I had two Flying Dog Underworld beers – it was different than what I normally drank but totally grew on me.
I enjoyed lots of good eats (some so quickly that I didn’t get to take a photo). Every item was one or two bites so it was easy to enjoy a little of everything.
Thai sausage topped with cilantro, basil, jalapenos, peanuts and more!
Pork belly
Pork chop with arugula and heirloom tomato salad
Lemon vegan cupcake from Sticky Fingers
Not only was the food delicious but it was so cool watching the butchers do their thing. There were four competitors and I missed the first round but the second round was really exciting. They were all given a HUGE slab of meat and had to cut it down to a variety of cuts with minimal waste. It was really incredible watching all of them work. I never knew butchering could be so exciting!
The finished products were really impressive and we got to take a closer look. I snapped a pretty bad photo but it gives you an idea of all the different types of cuts that came off of the slab.
Two trays of cuts
Holy bones!
The butchers at work.
I’m really glad I went to check the event out. It was kind of funny being at Whole Foods for an event while other people were there grocery shopping. I snapped a picture from above the store and I thought it was a cool perspective.
Pretty.
I rounded out the rest of the night with a birthday party and some dancing. Not too shabby of a Saturday night if you ask me.
Sunday included a 20 mile bike ride and my first attempt at Mmm Mmm Sauce. It came out pretty well and tastes delicious. I can’t wait to use it this week for dinner.
Get in my belly!
Hope everyone else had a great weekend!
Stephanie
Saturday’s workout: 4.92 mile run
Saturday’s meals highlight: Snacks at the Butcher Competition
Sunday’s workout: 20 mile bike ride
Sunday’s meals highlights: Mmm Mmm Sauce
Fashion Friday: Step Away from the J.Crew Store
I’ve been giving J.Crew some GREAT business lately. Your welcome.
I wore this to a wedding in Williamsburg. It’s a size too big but it worked! I need to get it altered so it will fit better for future wears 🙂
Purchased at an outlet for $29. I couldn’t resist!
Also purchased at the outlet. It’s super comfy!
I wore this to/from Seattle on the plane and on Friday night in Lake Crescent. It is so comfortable and chic. I got a ton of compliments. Love that!
I bought this in purple and I love it. It’s extremely flattering and a great alternative to all the bikinis I have. I wore it in the chilly lake in Washington and it was great.
Now, off to pay that J.Crew credit card bill….
Stephanie
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )The Weekly List
1. I watched the second Sherlock Holmes movie over the weekend and am totally crushing on Robert Downey Jr.
2. I read the Night Circus in 1.5 days. It was fantastic. Please read it. Go, now.
3. I watched Batman Begins the other night and am ready for The Dark Knight Rises tonight. I feel like all the old episodes of Big Bang Theory that I’ve been watching are turning me into a comic book lover. Weird.
3a. Quick note: It’s really sad to think about what happened last night in Colorado at the midnight showing of the movie. I don’t really understand how people are capable of doing things like that and I am thinking of the families of the victims.
4. It sounds like all I do is watch movies, TV and read books. If only that were true.
5. I almost forgot that Addy and I are running an 8k tomorrow morning. Hello to July’s race. I don’t think it’s going to be my fastest race but it will happen! Here’s hoping for cool weather.
6. I almost put in an application to adopt a dog yesterday.
7. The triathlon is in 23 days and I am not feeling prepared at all. My training has been spotty with all of my weekend travel. I’m not excited about it and I’m just hoping to finish in one piece. What started out as the biggest personal goal of the year for me has turned into a burden and I don’t know if it’s the summer heat or what, but I just don’t feel motivated to prepare for this race at all. I actually feel like I’m still bummed that the June DC triathlon didn’t happen. It would have been so much easier logistically and more fun with my Dad and friends among the spectators. Le sigh. I’m hoping that tomorrow’s 8k will remind me of why I love racing and I can finish up these last 3 weeks of training with a positive outlook and great workouts. I actually thought about dropping out this week but I will complete this race!
8. My sister is engaged and all I can think about is her wedding. I’m obsessed.
I have officially run out of things for this list. Fashion Friday post coming shortly!
Stephanie
P.S. I haven’t posted by workouts or meals because, 1. The workouts have been non-consistent and 2. My meals have been very blah. I need to step it up on both.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Thursday Things
There is only one week until the London Olympics! And because of that, I HAD to buy this Us Weekly Olympic special.
It has not provided me that much new information about any swimmer, but I did get to learn about some gymnasts and track and field athletes I never knew before. What I was hoping for was a large poster to take the place of my Hunger Games Us Weekly special, but no such luck.  While the 170 “Stunning” photos are in fact stunning, I don’t think I can tear any out to hang on the wall. Bring on the Opening Ceremonies!
I am currently reading Scott Jurek’s book Eat and Run. I had read Born to Run and picked this book up after reading a bit about Scott Jurek. I am definitely fascinated by ultra marathoners and how they train to get through those grueling 100 mile races in the middle of the desert or up some crazy high mountains. I like this book for the running aspect, but find the vegan part to be overwhelming. I am so far from eliminating all meat from my diet, but I do sometimes wish I was better about where we buy our meat and knowing where it comes from exactly. In all honesty, it’s just so easy to go over to Whole Foods and grab what we need!  I do think a lot about processed foods and try to limit those as much as possible, but to go completely vegan, I think for me (and Justin) is out of the question.
Speaking of not being vegan, check out this summery cupcake from my fave Georgetown Cupcake.
I was surprised to learn that that wasn’t just food coloring, the icing actually had a hint of lime in it.
I’ve been coveting these shoes and thinking about buying this skirt for the entire day. The idea of our first car payment is looming over my head right now…maybe I should just get one of them?
I spotted some of my fave flowers in Martha’s Vineyard last weekend and couldn’t resist the photo.
Look at all the different colors – so pretty!
All day yesterday, I thought that today was Friday. Alas it is not, but tomorrow is!
Addy
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Seattle on my Mind, Part 2
Where did I leave off? Oh right, all of my friends were heading to the airport to catch their red eyes and I was settling into my hotel room downtown.
View from my hotel room
Oh hey, Space Needle. Fancy seeing you here.
After I checked in, I wandered around downtown just taking in the scene and beautiful weather. I also caught an episode of Newsroom (I don’t have HBO at home) and enjoyed some room service in bed. Oh the hotel life 🙂
I was up bright and early on Tuesday and headed to Lola’s for breakfast. It’s a Tom Douglas restaurant and was highly recommended by multiple friends. I enjoyed such a delicious breakfast there and loved it so much!
Tom’s Big Breakfast – lamb, green beans, corn, onions and a poached egg with toast and yogurt. DELICIOUS!
Smashed potatoes on the side!
After breakfast I headed over to Dahlia’s Bakery for breakfast part two. I am not even a big fan of coconut creme pie but was told I had to try some from there and I had a little bite and oh man, it was delicious. Tom Douglas, you rock.
After all my delicious morning eating, I waited for the shuttle to the airport to catch my flight. I waited. And waited. And waited. The shuttle arrived 25 minutes late! I was then greeted by a HUGE airport security line and for the first time ever, I really thought I was going to miss my flight! I was like a little Mexican jumping bean in line and when I made it up to the ID check I asked the TSA agent if he thought I’d make my flight that was taking off in 15 minutes and he replied, “I don’t know.” Thanks, buddy. Of course, once I went through security I had to have an extra pat-down because I was wearing a long maxi dress and there were no female TSA agents available. I told them I don’t care if it was a man or not, I had a plane to catch!
The pat down finally happened and I was that person running through the airport like a chicken with my head cut off. I was the second to last passenger to board with 10 minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off. The last passenger (or passengers) were a young couple with a newborn. Needless to say, there were no seats together and the flight attendants asked people to move to accommodate this family. No one budged an inch. The man seated across the aisle from me turned to me and was like, let’s get this figured out. And so we did. I ended up in a middle seat in the center of the plane but that family was able to sit together. Good karma anyone?
The flight felt very long to me and was pretty bumpy but I landed in one piece back in Baltimore.
I finally made it to the grocery store last night and am getting back into a good routine after all this travel. I can’t wait to just relax this weekend. Seriously, I’m beyond excited for some QT in my apartment. Traveling is fun but it sure is exhausting!
Stephanie
P.S. The triathlon is in 3 weeks and I’m freaking out. More to come…
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Seattle on my Mind
Hello! I landed back in reality on Monday and have since been playing catch up both at work and in life (aka I still have yet to make it to the grocery store). I managed to survive the past four weekends in a row traveling to four different weddings. They were all so different and all so much fun but man, I am exhausted. I actually kind of feel like I’m coming down with something and am trying to ward it off with rest and lots of liquids. Here’s hoping it doesn’t bloom into full blown sickness.
But, back to this past weekend in Washington!
I hopped an early flight out of Baltimore that flew direct to Seattle, WA. I met up with friends when we landed and we headed to the brand new rental car facility and picked up our elegant Chevy Impala. I love renting a car because you get the idea of owning a new car, even if just for a few days. It reminded me of my Chevy Malibu but was MUCH nicer. We started our journey out to Lake Crescent, WA which first included a ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge. The ferry was huge and I had to remind myself that some people use it every day to commute to work. So different from D.C.!
After our ferry ride we hit the road for a 2.5 hour drive that went through Seqium and Port Angeles. We unfortunately hit a really big storm and with all the one lane roads, our drive was slow and wet. When we arrived at NatureBridge (the campsite where we were staying) the sun was shining and the lake was absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen such a beautiful lake. The water was the perfect blue/green and it was surrounded by huge mountains covered in trees. It was so peaceful.
NatureBridge consisted of a main house and then smaller cabins. It was a simple set up and the perfect location for a small wedding because it was very easy to find everything.
Main house
Friday night kicked off with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner – both of which I wasn’t a part of so I spent time meeting some of the West coast folks and enjoying some dinner outside. It was fantastic. Everyone from the rehearsal dinner came out to the lawn and we all mixed and mingled, enjoying beverages and sitting down by the lake. Later in the night a bonfire was lit and s’mores were made. It was such a great welcome to the state of Washington and such a wonderful start to the wedding weekend.
Saturday morning started nice and early with a very cold dip into the lake. All of my friends suited up and plunged into the 50 degree water for a brisk wake up (and hangover cure) to start the day. The water was very cold when we first jumped in but it was very invigorating and absolutely gorgeous. A group of us then headed up to Hurricane Ridge which was about a 1.5 hour drive from NatureBridge. Most of the drive was spent winding up a mountain. And here is what we saw when we reached the top….
Just taking in the view.
We did a mini hike around the top of the mountain reaching an even higher peak and it was truly amazing. I loved being outdoors and experiencing the beauty of another part of the country. After taking in all we could, we headed back down the mountain for bagel sandwiches in Port Angeloes and then started our trek back to NatureBridge.
When we had left that morning there was no running water at the camp and luckily when we arrived back, an hour before the wedding, the water was up and running once more. PHEW!
The rest of the night was filled with more fun from dancing, cake cutting, bonfires and more. It was such a wonderful wedding and I loved every minute of it.
On Sunday we started the trip back to Seattle to do some exploring there. I was staying the night in Seattle and taking an 11:15am flight back the next day so I was trying to get in as much sight-seeing as I could in that time frame. We hit the streets of Seattle and first went to the Pike Place Market.
Best mac n’ cheese in the world!
The Original Starbucks!
Fresh seafood lunch
With chowder of course
After we had explored the market we went to the public library which was a stunning building.
We then headed to the famous gum wall – ew.
It sure was gross but I had to add my own piece – bright blue is me!
It was then time to call it a night…the end of my trip will have to come in a second post!
Stephanie
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