Today's Run Oozes Awesomeness (for real)

I'm fairly certain that I just had the best run ever.

Ever.

And it's a taper for next Sunday's half marathon. And it was partially in the rain and almost in the dark.

Simple awesomeness just oozes from this experience. Here's why...

Blurry with excitement about the new trail

My running buddy Eleanor is back from a stress fracture in her foot and a busted hand (different injuries on different days from doing different things) and I couldn't be happier that she is healed and ready to run.

Plus...

Today marked the grand opening of a new trail in my county. I didn't know about this, but E did. She's got a pulse on stuff like that (for which I am grateful!).

AND... Part of the reason it was such a great run is that I fueled right for today. I need to remember today as a case study for how WELL I can do. (Obviously I have plenty of examples of what not to do. Finally a good one to recall!)

So here's the math:

   excellent running partner return
+ wicked awesome new trail
+ eating right today
-  technology of any kind
= --------------------------------------
truly magnificent eight mile taper run

We also saw pigs. Real little (and big) oinkers!

Someone's little piggies enjoying the freshly made mud

I haven't had a run that felt THIS good in months. Specifically, I haven't had a run this good since before I lost my job. I got the Warner Bros. Roadrunner legs feeling. I was breathing well despite the humidity. I felt solid for all eight miles.

Adventures in Gardening: Homemade Red Sauce

Yesterday I made my own sauce. I didn't know what to expect since I'd never done it before, but it was truly simple!

Here are my raw ingredients.

My garden's yield

 
No, I didn't put cucumbers in my sauce... That picture is just what I picked from my garden that day--about 30 tomatoes and two cucumbers! I didn't know how many tomatoes I'd get from four plants... I grew these plants from seeds--heirlooms from my bf's uncle--and they've been quite fruitful (pun intended). :)

(Not pictured: chopped red onion. I bought it pre-chopped because I really dislike cutting onions.)

I chopped and chopped and then simmered my veggies in olive oil.

Then I added the stars of the show: my sweet, sweet tomatoes!

I got all my ingredients mixed together. Looking delicious. And the smell? Oh, it's heavenly.

All the tomatoes cooked down nicely over the course of an hour. 

I thickened it up a little and it was ready to serve.

We ate fresh pasta from Giovanni Rana (our favorite). I have additional fresh pasta to eat with the leftover sauce!

This year's garden is just about kaput, but I'm inspired for next year already!

Conquering Asthma: breathing through my nose

I'm excited to share that I'm making significant progress on my asthma problem.

How do I know? Did I go to the doctor? (No, I don't even have insurance right now, so that's out of the question.) How do I know I'm getting better?

I ran my entire 12 mile long run on Sunday while breathing through my nose. That's right--no open mouth breathing, no gasping, no out-of-breath feelings. I ran 12 miles straight and didn't lose my breath. Not even going up (several) hills.

This is HUGE! I've been trying to breathe through my nose more as I run to help filter the air I take in (something useful when pollen and allergens are nature's confetti), but this was the first real run I did with NO mouth breathing.

I'm delighted.

I still take my rescue inhaler with me (better safe than sorry), and I still take my asthma medications every day (though getting them at a reasonable cost soon may be difficult if I don't find a way to get health insurance). But I feel so FREE when I don't need to THINK about breathing. Free! Free, at last!

This is a milestone for me. My body is strong enough to run the distance and my lungs can now keep up. I feel incredible.

Sunshine Award: My time in the sun

I was nominated to receive the Sunshine Award by my pal Becki at Fighting for Wellness! This award is given to those who inspire us and bring sunshine into the lives of those who nominate others.

The relationship I have with Becki is purely online, so I feel special to be included in her nominees. We met through her blog. I've been part of fundraising for her first marathon, my own Arbonne Fit Kit experience, and a Facebook-based holiday wellness challenge. It's delightful to know someone who cares about many of the same things that I do. What a sweetheart!

Here are the rules for the Sunshine Award:

1. Include award logo in a post on your blog.
2. Link to the person who nominated you.
3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award. 

Okay, so here are the questions Becki asked me...

1. When is your favorite time of day to work out?

Usually I like to run after work. Sometimes it's a struggle to get myself going, but once I'm running I am fine. If we're talking the weekend, then I enjoy Saturday late morning.

2. What is something you never thought you'd be able to do, but you've accomplished in spite of the obstacles?

Well, I'm a runner, which is a huge accomplishment for me. After breaking my left foot twice in college (I'm really good on crutches), my podiatrist told me the only time I should run would be to run away from something. Fortunately my foot is stronger than she thought. I started running almost two years ago (November 2011) and haven't looked back. I've struggled with my asthma more than my foot pain, but I still persevere with my asthma because it's actually gotten a lot better from running. I run as part of the fabulous Oiselle Volée team and couldn't be happier about that.

3. Do you have a go-to splurge item? What is it and when do you have it?

Oiselle gear. Gosh, I could buy every item they ever made. It's high-quality, fashionable running clothes for women. And the logo is a bird! I love, love, love birds! I try to reward myself with "mental money" for doing tough stuff (usually $1 per tough thing). When the mental money adds up to $100, which takes awhile, then I allow myself to shop. Who doesn't love new running gear?!

4. How do you make time for yourself?

I try to make every morning breakfast about just breakfast so I can chill a little, eat, read a magazine, or just sit in the quiet to wake up. Some mornings this isn't possible, but I like not rushing around to get going.

5. Where would you live if money were no object?

Probably San Francisco so I could enjoy a balmy summer. Then again, visiting Nevada and Utah were awesome because of the desert air and beautiful scenery. Ooo, but if we're going to get particular, I could easily live at Fallingwater here in Pennsylvania. What an awesome place.

6. Who is your go-to person for advice when you're trying to make a tough decision?

I have one friend I've known since middle school (you know who you are) and we take turns bending each others' ears. We don't get to talk or see each other much these days (heck, we're in different time zones!), but she always finds a way to help me. I always call her. 

7. What is the strangest food or fitness trend you've tried?

Anything I list isn't weird enough. It's been awhile since I tried anything truly outrageous. But I've tried liver. (Could we just not call it by its anatomical name? It would be much more appetizing, I think.)

8. What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months?

Right now planning the next 12 months seems basically impossible because of my situation. One day at a time is enough. But hopefully I'll be able to get on my feet financially with a new job. I'm hoping my teaching gig will continue to go well too. 

9. What is your favorite childhood memory or family tradition?

When my youngest brother was born, I was only 6 years-old. I couldn't contain my excitement. I made him toys out of paper and tape--a rattle (crumpled paper with some rice in it, taped shut) and a doll (tissues folded up and taped together, with rubber bands for legs and arms). I spelled his name wrong on the card I made, which was a travesty because my name was always spelled wrong (!), but mom said it was okay. I loved having a baby brother. 

10. Do you follow a strict food and fitness plan or wing it? 

Oh, I definitely wing it a little too much. I have a training calendar I'm not following too well right now and I need to get back on that wagon. I also haven't been super careful about what I eat since doing the Arbonne Fit Kit in June. I like to plan things, but things like this in my own life seem to take last place sometimes.  

My 10 Nominees

1. Abby (@nycrunninggirl) 

Oiselle teammate and fellow nap aficionado :)

2. Katie (@katieeand)

Oiselle teammate and has a whole tab for "Puppies" on her blog

3. Danielle (@FoodosaurusRex) 

Oiselle teammate and super foodie friend

4. Kristy (@pghrunner)

hometown Pittsburgh girl I met at a race who knows her running game

5. Paulette (@paulettezf) 

Oiselle teammate and wicked awesome runner

6. Ayesha (@musingfootfalls) 

Oiselle teammate and darling of the SW

7. Catherine (@eatrabbitfood) at Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth, 

inspiring "you can do it" attitude and great pro-veggie blogger

8. Amanda (@risenbird) at One Mile to Go, 

Twitter pal who kicks my butt motivates me 

9. Sarah (@sarahchan) 

Oiselle teammate and beautiful newlywed

10. Regina (@rfaura) 

Oiselle teammate and awesome mommy-runner inspiration

And here are my questions for you, ladies!

1. What one thing do you do before you work out? (Race day superstition? Habit? Helpful hint?)
2. How do you keep running when you are mentally spent?
3. Since you're all on Twitter: what do you get out of your interactions on Twitter?
4. Do you go to races alone or is someone waiting there for you/running with you? Any reason why?
5. Would you rather run in boiling humidity or below zero temps? Why?
6. What is your favorite OMG-I-shouldn't-be-eating-this-but-it's-delicious snack?
7. Why do you blog? What's your motivation?
8. Someone is giving you a million dollars, but you can't spend it on yourself: what would you do?
9. What are your two favorite songs to listen to when running?
10. Have you ever struggled to get motivated? What helped? (If you haven't struggled with motivation, what keeps you going?)

Knit the Bridge

It's Pittsburgh. We've got bridges. Lots of them. You might say they're our thing. (You might also swear at them under your breath when trying to get around our city because somehow you're on the wrong side of the river... This still happens to me.)

What's cool is when the iconic, oh-so-necessary-for-transportation bridges become the hallmark of something *else* really cool. Like what's happening right now with Knit the Bridge.

There is a group of amazingly organized, talented, and dedicated knitters who have literally yarn bombed an entire bridge. Don't believe me? Check out these incredible pictures. (From the Allegheny County Facebook page.)

It's appropriate that they've bombed the Warhol Bridge (7th Street Bridge) since Andy Warhol probably would've loved something all-involved, attention-getting and of-the-moment like this.

From Allegheny County's Facebook page:

Knit the Bridge is a grassroots, community-led arts project that brought communities throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania together to create a large-scale, aesthetically stunning, fiberarts installation on Allegheny County's Andy Warhol Bridge, which spans the Allegheny River and connects Downtown Pittsburgh to the North Side.

In conjunction with Fiberart International 2013, the intention of Knit the Bridge is to celebrate the history of Pittsburgh as a city of bridges and steel, as well as our region's thriving, contemporary arts scene. Coming out of the street art and contemporary craft movements, yarn bombing is a bright, beautiful way to celebrate public space. Unlike graffiti, yarn bombing can be done without any damage to historic structures and is temporary and easily removable. 

 Check out the video of the installation here: http://knitthebridge.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/the-bridge-goes-up/

Birthday!!!

It's August, meaning it's the best month to be born... Or I might be a little biased because next Tuesday is my birthday!

My boyfriend picks on me because I celebrate all month, but I think since adults don't normally throw birthday parties that I'm entitled to spread the joy all month. August is my birthday month... 8:13 on the clock is my birthday time... You get the pattern. :)

This year I am hoping for my birthday present of a full-time job. (Yes, it's listed on my Amazon wish list.) That'd be great. But if that doesn't happen, feel free to send any Oiselle apparel, or race entries in my general direction. ;)

Let the countdown begin!

Knitting my first baby blanket

I started on this awhile ago and without any real idea of how long it would take to knit, but I'm finally finished knitting my first baby blanket!


It's for one of my dear friends (a professor of mine from college who I've become close with) who had her baby in February. Sure, I would've liked to have the blanket done for his big debut, but like I said... I had no clear idea of what it would take to knit a crib-sized blanket.

I love it. The blanket is soft, snugly knit, and very textured. There's a seed-stich border and the knit/purl combo in the pattern I used makes knitted squares separated by lines of purls for a nice grid look.

The yarn is machine washable--very baby- and user-friendly thanks to soft knit acrylic and wool Plymouth Yarn.

I washed the blanket when I was done knitting it and cleaning up loose edges. Now I have it all wrapped up for gift giving!

I'm so excited to give my blanket to my friend for her sweet little one!

I'll be adding the blanket to my Knitting tab (at the top of my blog) as my latest accomplishment. :)

I'm on Team Ignite! (plus coupon code)

I'm delighted to report that I'm now part of Team Ignite, with Ignite Naturals!

As an ambassador for Ignite, I'd love to share my initial review of the electrolyte beverage mix. I love the dragon fruit!

Want to try it? Use my coupon code for 10% off! (IN0720)

I'm looking forward to being part of the team and learning more about the all-natural approach Ignite takes with its products. Real ingredients for real health!

Grammarissa in Glamour Magazine

You read that right. I'm in the June issue of Glamour!

My feedback is, anyway. :-D If you haven't read this article, find page 168 in the April 2013 issue. It's worth a read. (The article is not available online.)