Evil In Frozen Form

So, I went to the gym today, as part of my let's-get-healthy-and-don't-forget-you'll-be-living-on-a-lake-this-summer plan.

I had a great workout, pushed myself, felt awesome, blahblahblah--you get the point.

Exiting the gym, I turned the corner to begin my delightful, 10 minute walk home, and there it was: the white truck of doom.

The ice cream truck.

Now, mind you, I'm (obviously) not a super crazy health nut, I believe in moderation, and it's been lovely weather for a Good Humor bar and a stroll. However, I had just had this awesome workout, and didn't want to be tempted by a popsicle of lactose-y goodness.

Walking back to my apartment, of course, I passed a bazillion (Note: Not a real estimate) people walking with ice cream. Boo!

Almost home, I ducked into the nearby organic store and purchased some vegan udon noodles and an orange--I was going to be a good dobby!

I turned on to my street, proud of my healthy decisions, when I heard it...

Dee dee ding ding dumdedum ta da, dee dee dedum dee ding ding!

Alright, typing it out doesn't quite express the terror of it, but it was the Good Humor song--another (or perhaps the same?) ice cream truck was behind me! Curses!

I didn't change my stride, but merely laughed to myself about how I couldn't seem to avoid the frozen milk of terror. But, I stayed strong, and am currently enjoying my noodles.

I'll just have to start watching my back when I'm out in the neighborhood--I'm pretty sure the Good Humor man is out to get me...

Dee dee dedum dee ding ding!

Bad Cheese, Very Bad

Sorry about the lack of updates--but, it's not from my slacking off!

No, no. This comes from having the worst food poisoning I have ever had, which started on Thursday and left me dehydrated until yesterday (Sunday). Yeah, not awesome at all (though I did lose 6 pounds after the first 15 hours or so...nope, still not awesome). My appetite is finally back, though I'm really mostly craving eggs for some odd reason...

Eggs. Either I'm turning into a dinosaur or I need to reset my protein levels.

Yeah, probably dinosaur.

Not Veggie

Funny thing.

I like vegetarian meals, food substitutions, and the like. However, the second my sister suggests going to a vegetarian restaurant, I develop a strong craving for meat.

Soy milk? Awesome. Veggie burgers? Swell. Big ol' salads with a garden's range of produce? Whoopie. Meat-free restaurants? Do not want.

Ever.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast.

I had a tomato, mushroom, and garlic omelet, made with Eggbeaters and a dash of olive oil. Strawberries and grapes on the side, with a big ol' mug of hot water with grapefruit juice (an alternative to tea, just to mix things up).

Waaaay better than stale Poptarts.

Eating healthy for the win.

Om Nom Nom Discoveries

Yesterday--after having worked out and done laundry and being, overall, quite productive--I did some grocery shopping.

Now, I may have mentioned this before, but I love grocery shopping, seriously! I mean, I am quite the fan of food, but I like the imagination boost you I get from taking my piggy self to market. All along the aisles lay possibilities--ideas for dinner parties, birthdays, or just really weird pizza toppings... Ah, heaven!

But, I digress. Still high on my workout endorphins, I was totally excited to buy healthy food! Plus, with the gorgeous weather we had yesterday, the fruit and vegetable stands looked especially tempting. Strawberries, mushrooms, tomatoes on the vine--needless to say, I had an awesome salad for lunch.

I also am beginning to lean towards more organic foods; I found an amazing organic guacamole which, when paired with organic baked corn chips, makes for quite the healthy snack. Plus, if you get the chance to watch the documentary "The Future of Food" (view it for free on Hulu), you'll be amazed at what's been happening to our produce, as far as genetic modification goes--foods that have been legally labeled as organic are some of the few that don't have weird science going on inside their DNA structures.

Another documentary I recently viewed (and also available on Hulu) is "Super Size Me," Morgan Spurlock's filmed 30-day McDonald's binge. Now, don't worry, I'm not getting obsessive about what I'm eating (and I won't lie, McD's still sounds awesome, to a point), but it's fascinating when you really take the time to see what we put into our food and, therefore, our bodies.

For example, eating a bagel is equivalent to eating 5 slices of bread--way more than should be eaten in one sitting! As an alternative to this, I've discovered Bagel Thins--and yes, they are as awesome as you can imagine. Only 110 calories and with 5 grams of fiber, these slices of toasted excellence are a great way (especially when adding on low-fat cream cheese) to get fill that bagel craving without eating enough bread for 3 people.

*I should probably mention, once again, that I am not paid by any corporation/company to promote their products. I just like talking about what I like. Don't sue!*

Bagels, guacamole, cream cheese--it is possible to eat what you like and have it taste real, without suffering the consequences. It may take a little more time to prepare, but real food tastes better and is better for you!

And on that note, I'm feeling peckish for a plum. Yum!

Hi There, Remember Me?

Once upon a time, a girl started a blog.

She was pretty good about updating it, but a few months in she had a (of many) quarter-life crisis. Yeah, it would totally be one of many... But, regardless! Then, just as she was super bummed out and searching for new jobs (shock!) in new cities (awe!) and considering going back to being a brunette (gasp!), things started to turn around.

Moral of the story, the First: Things get better.
Moral of the story, the Second: It helps to be prepared to mix things up.

I'm not sure if anyone still reads this, but whether or not they do, I'm going to start updating again. I recently obtained an awesome new day job and even more recently (read: three days ago) was offered a contract for a summer performance job! Today I went to the gym for the first time in months--yikes--and have revamped my eating habits. I am starting to love salads--wha?!

Don't worry, bacon's still my buddy, we're just in a long-distance relationship.

So, once again, I find myself starting over--and that's ok. I forgive myself for my slip ups, and that's important; you can't move forward until you let go of what's happened in the past.

It's a new day, and I'm on an awesome path :) And it certainly helps that I've got a ukulele and frozen yogurt to keep me going. Little victories.

I'm back!

Tonight!!

Brief Update:

1. Had a mad-stressful two weeks, but am now getting my life together (awesome).
2. For one new challenge, I have decided to learn to play the ukulele, a tenor one (super cool)!
3. After 3 canceled flights, a switch of airlines, and one delayed flight, I made it down South (phew).
4. I've got a bunch of Canadian recipes I'll be trying out over the next few weeks (yum), because it's...
5. THE BEGINNING OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS (HOORAY)!!!

Am very excited :) Whee!

Pump You Up!

Went to the gym for the first time since Disney.

It wasn't bad, or painful; in fact, I was really quite excited to be working out again!

But, now I need to figure out a goal to focus on that somehow requires working out. Like, I enjoy working out by itself, but I feel (at least for now) that it will be easier to keep it up if it's tied to something specific. Working out for a purpose (and not just lose weight/get healthy).

Hmm. I do have an audition coming up, but I won't speak on that quite yet.

It's time for turkey hot dogs, anyway.

What's Next?

I'm really eager to start training again. For something. Anything!

While searching for inspiration, I have had recommended to me quite a few interesting challenges I should attempt: the Iditarod, the Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, triathlons, etc.

While I do enjoy hot dogs, I fear the annual eating contest might set me back, as far as a weight loss goal goes :) That, my friends, is one of my upcoming goals--this will be elaborated in my next post.

There is a yoga studio not too far from where I live that has a 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge, which I'm very interested in trying (though perhaps I should do one day's worth to see if I like Bikram, first)!

Aside from weight-loss goals and yoga challenges, I really am very interested in new races I can attempt. I came across a great site the other day, Running In the USA, where you can search by state, month, type of race, etc. It's a wonderful resource if you're looking to find something nearby, or are planning a vacation and want a marathon in the middle of it. For the fun.

Seriously, though: my sister and I are definitely signing up for the Peachtree Road Race in July (the world's largest 10k road race), and I'm looking into the Inaugural Wine and Dine Half Marathon in October. I encourage you to check out Running In the USA, just to see what races are near you--you might be surprised at how many are going on!

Oh! And here's some exciting news: I am typing this entry on my new computer, whee! It's a happy little laptop I've decided to name "Thinky." Yes, folks, anthropomorphizing inanimate objects is fun. And see how many big words I just used? "Thinky" is making me smarter already.
Cheerio!

I'm Still Here, But My Laptop is Not

This is the first time in over two weeks that I have turned on my computer--it is seriously broken, and trying desperately to fight off a virus!

I tried updating from my iPhone but, apparently, one of the few things it cannot do is update using blogspot. Boo.

Regardless, I am hoping my computer will stay on long enough so that I might post an entry, considering it's only FOUR DAYS UNTIL THE MARATHON.

Yeah, holy poop.

To sum up the past few weeks: my long runs haven't been great, my right hip is slightly wonky, and I'm terrified by the fact that I may be running in 40 degree weather. Not awesome.

In spite of all this, however, I am really excited for Sunday! I keep going over the course in my mind (it is, after all, one I know well), and watching fellow marathoners' videos of their past Disney run experiences, and while it is definitely scary, I am actually looking forward to it!

I'll admit: between Thanksgiving and now, my training has not been good. I have not been as motivated, nor have I been working as hard as I could have. I'm not denying the fact that I may have screwed myself over. However, I really am still of the mindset that I want to FINISH. I don't want some incredible time, I just want to finish the race.

But I do know that I may have cheated myself out of even that. Not trying to set myself up to fail, but I know that there is a chance I won't be able to finish. It is after all, a marathon, a huge undertaking. But, I won't punish myself if I can't make it. These past 4 months have been incredible, and I plan to continue with training and working out and even--yup--blogging after it's all over on Sunday.

If not this marathon, than you better believe I'll be hitting up another.

This goal was, all along, not about the end result, but about the process. I now enjoy working out and heading to the gym. I'm trying my best to eat healthier. I want to keep training so I can sign up for other races. Maybe one day, I'll be seeing how fast I can run a race.

I really am quite proud of what I've accomplished :) I can almost taste those turkey legs.

Lapin, Lapin!

Rabbit, rabbit!

Yes, folks, it's the start of a new month, and nothing says "motivation" quite like knowing you have that one month (and a little bit) left to go until you complete an event that (supposedly) killed its first participant.

In case you're confused by the beginning of this entry: supposedly, on the first day of the month, if the first words you speak are "rabbit, rabbit" you'll have luck all month long.

And, hey, I fully support the use of luck in my training :) I'm off to buy carrots.

Whee!

What Ho, Veggie Sausage! Away!

Yes, sports fans, I am back on track!

While power walking is still my favorite method of transportation (behind cars, planes, and private jets), I jogged a third of my mileage today!

I'm also excited to whip up a veggie sausage-egg beaters omelette!

And, what's this, my friends? A blog posted a mere ONE DAY after another?!

GASP, gentle readers. Gasp.

I've got to tell you, homedogs, I'm feeling pretty awesome right now.

Bask in the awesome, generic-nickname-for-group. There are 6 weeks to go--holy poop--and this thing might actually work.

It's veggie sausage time. Booyah!

I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing

I've returned from Thanksgiving break renewed! Save for the 50 gazillion pounds I gained.

Yes, I'm back in my city, ready to really force myself to get a-trainin' for this here marathon thing. It kind of helps that NBC's Universal Sports channel is starting to do all this promotional stuff for Vancouver and that gets me totally psyched to be in training for anything, really.

But, anyway. Back to Turkey Week: I had two chances to train with my sister amidst the cooking and eating and napping and eating and touristing and ohholycrapeatingsomuch.

Training with my sister was not easy. She is better at this than me, and slowed herself down considerably on my account. She pushed me much harder than I have pushed myself. She got pissed off and so did I. It's a very good thing that we've been training in different cities.

And there was no way to escape the flood of emotion and insecurity that rushed in as we jogged around the mall. This thing is still scary as all hell, and it is hard to pinpoint where the fear comes from, where it's based. I mean, I know it's hard work and exhausting but I know I can finish the marathon--so why so scared? I just don't know.

When I wasn't bugging the heck out of my sister, I did, however, get some good advice from her. She told me that I should switch over to non-cotton running gear, to avoid the inevitable chafing (yikes!), and should also invest in Body Glide, another anti-chafing product which is applied to areas of the body prone to blisters and rubbing (feet, for example).

I need all the help I can get during these last weeks of training. And it's scary as hell and emotional and I'm not quite sure how to deal with it except to just get up and keep going.

Eeee.

It's Aliiiiive!

And by "it," I mean me.

I know, I know: I have been absent for quite some time, and I do feel very bad for that!

But, I have good news :) My old job is done and I have moved on to my new one, which has a better schedule for me and won't leave me so exhausted, which means no more posts about "Waah waah, tired boooo."

Also good news: I leave tomorrow to travel to my sister's home, where I'll be spending Thanksgiving! This is especially nice because we will--for the first time--be running together. Though, I must admit, I am somewhat nervous about this; even though I know she'll be understanding of my pacing and such, I hope I don't annoy her with my Pokey the Puppy speed.

In non-training news, I hope everyone who reads this (no matter how few!) has a lovely Turkey Day and mini-break. Make sure to watch the parade--a lot of my coworkers from my new job are in it (did I mention my new job is fantastic?)!

Keep a special eye out for the man in red and his special hello (a touch to the nose)!

Gobble gobble, friends--I'm returning in full force.

Quickie 5

Pokey the Puppy Posts an Update!

1) I need to buy more veggie sausages.

2) I've been doing some music comparisons whilst running--as in, what tunes work best for training. My discoveries will be discussed in the following post.

3) Has anyone seen the new "V" remake? It's delicious fun.

4) That had absolutely nothing to do with training.

5) Unless of course we were invaded by aliens--then I bet I'd be glad that I'd been learning how to run further and better.

6) I could totally outrun aliens.

iPhone and iTired and iEat Trail Mix Oh My!

Well, gentle readers, I deliver my apologies. Yesterday I was supposed to give you a fun post that wasn't laced with professions of my exhaustion. Instead, you got no post at all!

Well, I aim to rectify this situation; the following blog entry will be explosively awesome!
It will at least have more than five sentences.

Lately, I have been stretching more intensely than I usually have. My muscles have been much more tense and sore (I'm sure a combination of increasing miles and colder weather), but I'm hoping that stretching and Advil will make the ugh-feelings go away.

Also, I downloaded a fantastic application for my iPhone a few weeks ago! I have mentioned MapMyRun before, but did you know that it has an application for iPhone? It does, and now I shall elaborate on it: MapMyRun for iPhone has GPS tracking, so you can chart your pace, average speed, and distance while you run/walk/bike, etc!

You can then save your data and have it sent to your online MapMyRun account, and so begin further documenting your progress! Though the application isn't entirely accurate--after all, it's an iPhone being tracked by GPS--it is a fun way to (kind of) keep track!

In other Holly news: I have gotten madly into trail mix, all kinds. Sweet and spicy with cayenne pepper, decadent with dark chocolate, super crunchy with soy nuts.

Especially on days when I don't have time to get a real lunch/dinner during work, trail mix has been my nutty savior. Full of protein and good fats and berries, oh my! I recommend trail mix to those of you who feel too busy to pack real lunches during the work day or need a quick treat to beat hunger.

Call it scroggin, gorp, or "hippie stuff"--just have an open mind, and try your own variations :) It's really quite delightful!

I Am Carnivore. Rawr!

If I were a dinosaur, I would definitely be a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I mean, aside from being the coolest dinosaur ever, the T-Rex ate a lot of meat.
And I like burgers.
See? Total connection.

However, despite my T-Rex tendencies, I enjoy veggie sausage, turkey burgers, and soy milk. I have had delicious vegan cookies and amazing vegetarian lasagna. Being the foodie that I am, I enjoy both the Boca and the Burger!

I bring up this subject because my sister is, in fact, a vegan. More specifically, a "90% vegan." She hasn't always been vegan, hasn't always been vegetarian, but this is how she lives now, and I am very proud of her for it! She has made me some incredible vegan pumpkin-oatmeal cookies that rival any that have eggs in 'em.

Anywho: I bring this up because, while I keep mentioning the turkey legs and magical bacon that exist in Disney World, it's important to know about the vegetarian and vegan options available, too.

Walt Disney World may have fantastic hot dogs, but there are also great salads and veggie burgers available at the quick-service restaurants, and almost all table-service locations have vegetarian (if not vegan) options on the menus. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and vegan baked goods are also commonly available at food stands throughout the parks.

One of the most amazing things about Disney is their ability to not just accommodate, but to go above and beyond the dietary needs of their guests. By calling the WDW Dine phone line, you can give advance notice of the dietary requirements of your party--be it vegan, vegetarian, kosher, gluten-free, etc.

Once you let the restaurants and chefs of Disney know about your dietary needs, that's where the fun begins! Disney's chefs are able to make some truly remarkable vegan dishes, and better than me attempting to describe them, I suggest you check out this blog: Vegan Satori.

My sister, of course, was the one to point me towards this particular entry, describing the author's wonderful experiences eating vegan in Walt Disney World. The meals actually sound quite tempting, and I may even give them a shot!

After I enjoy a dozen corn dog nuggets at Casey's Corner, of course.

It's Like Fall In Your Belly

There is no better feeling after working out than a strong autumn wind on your face, seeing little kids gleefully get out of school, and then coming home to a pumpkin-candle-scented apartment and eating granola.

Quickie 4

Sorry for the wait, folks! It's been a busy week, so here's what's up:

1) This has not been my strongest week; I've been pretty exhausted between training and work.

2) My hip joint is bothering me less, but still, boo.

3) I'm starting to not hate fake bacon. Fakeon. Facon. Whatever.

I am sure, however, that the moment I taste real bacon again, I will cry with happiness.

Sigh.

Whee, Progress!

Today marks the end of the first week of training, bringing my sister and me ever closer to the big finish in January!

I must admit, when I got started today, all I could think was how I haven't really been able to run for more than a few minutes at a time (not to mention, my right hip-leg joint has been bothering me). But, I decided to try a new method: I would power walk for a few minutes (no slower than a 15 minute mile) and then run for one or two at a 12 minute mile pace.

This helped me so much! Using this method, I'll be able to work up to power walking for a couple minutes and running for at least five, and then switch to running entirely. See, just when I'm feeling down, I realize that not all hope is lost.

Also exciting news: I bought a scale and have finally started tracking my weight. I must be nuts to put it out here in the open, but it doesn't sound embarrassing when I think about the fact that I'll be making such progress.

Now, I've never been obese, but I've never been the healthiest weight I should (except for that time in 8th grade when I had the stomach flu and mouth/sinus surgery within weeks of each other--I looked awesome).

When I first moved up here, I was around 180 lbs, the heaviest I've ever been. This was a result of senior year stress, auditions, and discovering McDonald's chicken sandwiches. Mmm.

When I went home for a few doctor's appointments at the end of August, I was down to 167.

Today I weighed 160 lbs.

Seriously, I could not be happier to type that number; even knowing that total strangers and good friends will be completely aware of how much I weigh doesn't bother me. I have come a long way and am so excited to think of where I'll be in January:

Healthier, a runner, the right weight, and (oh yeah) in Disney World.

Whee!