Through Green Eyes

So long 2011, Hello 2012!

2011-12-30T13:00:00.001-05:00

Well look at that – it’s December 30th! I hope everyone has had some wonderful holidays :) Olle and I spent Christmas eve/day together (it was my first Christmas without my family) then spent the next few days with family and friends.

Olle and I went on a nice 9.7 mile run on Christmas Eve then stopped at a chocolaterie to get some hot chocolate.

I set up the ambience for a nice romantic dinner and he prepared us a traditional Swedish Christmas dinner complete with pickled herring, ham and a delicious potato dish!

The next morning I went for a 3 mile run (and came *this* close to spraining my ankle).

Then it was time to open presents! I was absolutely spoiled by Olle – so much so that he pretty much has carte blanche to watch as much basketball as he wants! ;) What made it extra fun though is that we skyped with my parents that morning so it was almost like we were all together :)

I have to say, 2011 has been a great year for me and I feel extremely lucky. Here’s a recap:

I became a lawyer

2011 brought with it the end of articling and my call to the bar! I feel so lucky to have a job, work in a field that I enjoy and with people that I love.

I obtained my Master’s

In Law. While articling. ‘nuff said (haha! but seriously – it was tough).

I ran 2 half-marathons

2010 was supposed to be the year but because of injury, my first half-marathon had to be put off until 2011. It was an amazing experience that I got to enjoy with Olle. I get goose bumps just thinking about it :)

I ran a marathon

I had barely begun training for my first half-marathon that I was offered an opportunity that I simply could not pass – running the ING New York City Marathon. This was probably one of the best decisions I have ever taken in my life and it was truly a leap of faith – just months ago I would have been certain that it was not something I could do. And then – I did it!

I moved out – and in with Olle

Even though I had technically been living “on my own” (with my sister) since my parents moved to Geneva, it was in their house with no bills. Now, I’m living with Olle in the loveliest apartment and I couldn’t be happier :)

My sister’s health as been amazing!

After a bit of a scare in January, she has bounced back and *knock on wood* is doing just great :)

I travelled

I was able to take a break after my articling and visited Switzerland and Italy. I also went to Toronto and NYC with Olle.

In 2012 I want to…

get back on track. It’s as simple as that. I will kick off January with my No Sugar Challenge but will add a few other challenges in there – like sticking to my calories and working out a bit more (I’ve been taking it easy since the marathon).
do more marathons . I am eyeing the Ottawa Marathon in May and another one in the Fall which I would do with Olle – possibly Montreal or Toronto.
keep in touch with friends. It can be hard to juggle work, commuting and working out. I want to make more of an effort to keep in touch with my amazing friends who live not so close (Carolyn and Erika, I’m looking at you!) – it is so important.
do more travel. My parents are coming back in August so I want to try to visit them one last time in the Spring – that would include London because my dad will be working there. I will also be going to B.C. for Amber’s wedding and will also get to finally meet Lisa!

What have you accomplished in 2011? What will 2012 bring for you?

Dishcrawl

2011-11-30T18:04:00.001-05:00

Last week, Olle and I went on our very first Dishcrawl. What the hell is that, you may ask. Well, let me enlighten you!

A dishcrawl follows the same concept as a pub crawl: you basically go from restaurant to restaurant. In fact, you go to four different restaurants and try some of their specialties at each. There is usually a theme or it is centred around an area. This time, we discovered Little Italy!

The night started off at Allegro where we tried some of their antipasti (fried calamari, fried zucchini, olives and sausages) and got to mingle a bit with other dishcrawlers.

We then made our way to Divino (my favorite restaurant that night I think!). I loved the restaurant’s open kitchen concept! We actually had our meal in one of their “tasting” rooms. We first had an olive oil tasting (had never done that before) which was interesting and quite good because you could actually taste all the flavours in the olive oil.

Then we had some tuna tartar which was out of this world!

And finally we had some gnocchi in tomato sauce that just melted in your mouth!

We then headed over to Il Primo. The owner was super nice but I have to say, it was not one of my favorites… The food was pretty basic and not all that Italian-sounding to me! I think we were also a bit spoiled after Divino’s amazing food and beautiful presentation…

We finished off the dishcrawl at Roma where we had dessert: olive oil and orange cake accompanied by olive oil ice cream with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Wow. That, my friends, was delicious. What made it even better is that it is definitely not something I would have gone for usually but it was so worth it!

Another great thing about the Dishcrawl is that you get to meet some like-minded people who are, hopefully, as food-obsessed as you are. We hit it off with two girls who made the night a lot more fun as we discussed the food and the whole dishcrawling experience.

I definitely look forward to going to another one!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Olle and I are now the proud owners of… a fresh Christmas tree!!! We went to a tree farm to cut our own and it was just so much fun! We first went on a tractor ride to the tree-cutting location.

Then we wandered around for about 20 minutes trying to find the perfect tree. We then got to work sawing (and by “we” I mean “he).

Then we hauled it off back to the tractor! We were even given hot chocolate and cookies :)

The only problem now is that it has fallen… which has never happened to me before. It’s a good thing we weren’t done putting up the Christmas decorations!

Do you guys have dishcrawls in your area? And are you early birds when it comes to holiday decorations or do you wait until just a few days before?

It’s time to get cookin’!

2011-11-25T17:30:00.001-05:00

You are probably looking quizzically at your google reader thinking: what, another post from Anaïs so soon? It hasn't been months! Something must be wrong...

Nothing's wrong! I just have some recipes I really want to share with all of you :)

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this on the blog or not (probably not) but Olle and I have moved in together in a lovely heritage apartment in the Glebe. Olle chose it on his own because I was in Europe at the time - and he did a great job!

We have now been living together for two months and have settled into a cozy routine - I do most of the cooking, and he does most of the dishes! Fine by me ;) I am definitely finding it very helpful to have someone to cook for every night (and not just myself). That way, I don't come home and simply nibble on junk all night long and I actually make a healthy and filling meal.

Here are two recipes I have made in the past week which have been mind-blowingly delicious - and one of them is my very own creation!!! I recommend you make these very soon ;)

This first one is ideal for a Sunday night dinner, preferably if it is snowing outside. Or if the snow fails to show... make it anyways!

Beef and Guinness Savoury Pie

adapted from Jamie Oliver's Cooking at Home

• olive oil
• 3 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 30g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
• 1 package of mushrooms, quartered
• 1kg brisket of beef or stewing beef, cut into 2cm cubes
• a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 440ml can of Guinness (no lager, please!)
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 200g freshly grated Cheddar cheese
• 500g best-quality ready-made all-butter puff pastry
• 1 large free-range or organic egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. In a large ovenproof pan, heat a glug of olive oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes – try not to colour them too much. Turn the heat up, add the garlic, butter, carrots and celery and scatter in the mushrooms. Mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, a pinch of salt and a level teaspoon of pepper.

2. Fry fast for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours. Remove the pan from the oven and give the stew a stir. Put it back into the oven and continue to cook it for another hour, or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick. A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the hob and reduce until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese, then season carefully and leave to cool slightly.

3. Cut about a third of the pastry off the block. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll both pieces of pastry out evenly with a floured rolling pin to the thickness of a pound coin. Butter a deep pie dish, then line with the larger sheet, leaving the edges dangling over the side. Tip the stew into your lined dish and even it out before sprinkling over the remaining cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.

4. Cut the other rolled sheet of pastry to fit the top of the pie dish and criss-cross it lightly with a sharp knife. Place it over the top of the pie and fold the overhanging pastry on to the pastry lid to make it look nice and rustic. Brush the top with beaten egg, then bake the pie directly on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, until the pastry is cooked, puffed and golden.

Amazingly Colourful Winter Veg Soup

(ha! Totally made this sound like Jamie Oliver!)

This soup is to be made if your boyfriend surprises you with flowers on your thirteen month anniversary (who does that??) and you need to find a way to show him exactly how much you love him :)

1 carton of chicken or vegetable broth

1 can of coconut milk

2 peeled and cubed sweet potatoes

1 jalapeno, chopped

Kale, leaves torn (as much or little as you'd like)

1 red pepper, diced

1 can of red lentils (regular lentils if you can't find any, like me!)

A few glugs of Frank's Red Hot Sauce in each bowl (do it! It really adds to the taste)

1. Bring broth and coconut milk to a boil.

2. Add cubed sweet potatoes, jalapeno and kale and reduce to a simmer.

3. Shortly before the sweet potatoes can easily be poked by a fork, add the red pepper.

4. Once the sweet potatoes have cooked through, add the lentils and return to a simmer.

5. Serve right away! And add that Frank's red hot sauce. I swear it makes the difference!!

Enjoy!

Where dreams are made

2011-11-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

Well guys, I can now officially say that I am a marathoner! To think that back in January 2009, I was dreading and struggling through my short 5k runs. I should also say that I could not have gotten that far without your support, comments, and blogs – so thank you!!!

Olle and I headed to the airport this past Friday after work. We got a great deal on some flights but had to go through Toronto, so we only arrived in New York around 11:00 and made it to my friend Nadia’s place around midnight. We hadn’t seen each other in a while so we obviously chit chatted until 2:00 am… and had to be up by 8:00 am to leave with her!

Nadia went off to class and Olle and I slowly made our way to the Expo where I had to pick up my race kit (quite an awesome kit if I may say so – and the race shirt looks awesome!).

And look who I bumped into:

Two previous contestants from The Biggest Loser! I totally thought it was someone I personally knew until I recognized the dad and then it clicked ;)

We then stopped for brunch at a diner close by and spent the rest of the day wandering around Central Park and the surrounding area.

After freshening up, we headed out for the pre-race dinner! We had a delicious meal (see below) and had a blast – and then it hit me: “Holy crap. I’m running a marathon tomorrow. A marathon! I’ll still be running it around 2pm… and 3pm…”. So yeah – I was freaking out! Everyone calmed me down and I even managed to get to bed at a reasonable time (10:30?) while Nadia and Olle planned out where they would meet up with me along the race course.

I barely slept that night. I was sleeping but waking every hour… so I was pretty thankful for the time change. Then 5:00 am rolled around and it was time for me to get up. I munched on two pieces of bread we took from the restaurant (we had forgotten to get some) smeared with a bit of PB and half a banana.

I attempted to get coffee from the Dunkin Donuts next door but it would appear that I was up too early! I got dressed and then it was out the door so I could meet my team at the Park Central Hotel.

I dropped off my bag of belongings (there was an after-party planned) and managed to find my teammates among the throngs of firefighters/policemen. Then we all packed into some buses and headed for Staten Island! Along the ride I got to know some of my teammates better (all amazing people!) as well as some of the firefighters. It turns out the guy I was sitting next to has been coming to Ottawa with other firefighters for the past few years to play in Hope Volleyball Fest!

We then headed to the FDNY/NYPD zone to wait for our time to go. I grabbed a bite from a stale bagel (bleh) and FINALLY some coffee. I also emptied my bladder about a million times… and then it was time to line up! Nerves were definitely getting to me but excitement was also starting to come through. And look who was in my corral!!

Yup, someone else from The Biggest Loser! He was there with two other contestants.

We slowly made our way onto the toll road and then we were off!

Now I was DEFINITELY getting excited!!! The music, the people, and later the cheering.. woah!

Here are my splits:

Mile 1: ?
Mile 2: ?
Mile 3: 10:20
Mile 4: ?
Mile 5: 10:24
Mile 6: 10:25
Mile 7: ?
Mile 8: 10:24
Mile 9: 10:28
Mile 10: 10:26
Mile 11: 10:26
Mile 12: 10:28
Mile 13: 10:32
Mile 14: 10:33
Mile 15: 10:38
Mile 16: 10:44
Mile 17: 10:46
Mile 18: 10:50
Mile 19: 10:50
Mile 20: 10:57
Mile 21: 11:02
Mile 22: 11:06
Mile 23: ?
Mile 24: 11:17
Mile 25: 11:19
Mile 26: 11:20
Finish: 10:01

To be honest, it would be hard to describe how each mile felt. As soon as we got started it all became a blur. I was running, but the miles and the time weren’t registering. All I could think was “I’m doing this!” or “This is New York!” and I was more engrossed in the cheering and the views than the running.

I do remember thinking that the first few miles went by in a flash. I knew Olle would be meeting me at mile 8 (which would usually register as: almost 1.5 hours of running) but this time it seemed to approach extremely fast. Next thing I knew, I was telling my running partner (someone from the FDNY fundraising team, who really kept my pace up!) that Olle was there and I had to go see him!

I then met Olle again at mile 14.5 – which made me barely understand the fact that at that point I had completed over a half-marathon.

After that I started getting extreme cramping in the front of my thigh. I tried to run through it (because I didn’t want Darrin who was running with me to get a bad time) but in the end that probably didn’t help at all…

I think it was around mile 17 that I told Darrin to just go ahead because I needed to walk for slightly longer. I still had to stop a few times throughout to squat down and stretch my thighs.

I started running alone on bridge #2 I think (or was it 3?) and that’s when I finally started looking at all the facebook messages and emails I had gotten since the race had started. I started getting so emotional that I began hyperventilating! And let me tell you – it’s not easy to run while hyperventilating!

I actually got emotional and teary-eyed quite a lot throughout the rest of the race – whenever I would think of my family and friends and all of the support I received, or when I saw runners meeting their family/friends along the route… and then I would start hyperventilating (crazy!).

The cheering was phenomenal. It almost made me forget I had been running for hours. Finally, at mile 22 I met up with Olle, my friend Nadia and her friend Katie. It was so good to see them! They gave my aching thighs a bit of extra energy :)

Every mile after that seemed to take forever (probably because I was running slower) but I just had to keep telling myself “You’ve done 4 (or 3 or 2) mile runs before and they are so short! You’re almost there!”. Yes, there was a lot of talking to myself!

The crowds thickened up again closer to the finish line and it helped carry me through. Finally, I saw the sign that said “400 feet”, and soon after that the countdown began… and then I could see the finish line… and sprinted for it!” (well, as much as my lead legs would allow me).

And then I thought – It’s over. I can stop running now. And happiness overflowed. I couldn’t believe I had done it (I’m getting teary-eyed writing this). I had done something I truly believed I could not do only a few months ago. Only a minute or two after crossing the finish line, I got a call from my mom. I answered and finally let it out – I burst out crying. I just cried on the phone with her for a few minutes and finally was able to share some of the experience with her :)

Once I hung up though, I started feeling absolutely awful and so nauseous… I managed to hold it in but barely. The hour + walk to the exit was one of the worst things I’ve experienced. I felt so hot and nauseous and almost claustrophobic. And then once I made it out – I got lost! I was finally able to meet Olle and my friends at the hotel around 5:30. I barely touched our celebratory dinner but the appetite definitely came back the next day!

I have to say, I’m quite proud with how my body handled this marathon! The knee was a bit sore following it but got 100% after one day; I was able to walk around New York; and 80% of my muscle soreness went away after 3 days. I didn’t even get one blister! IDID get a bruised a toenail though… but it’s my first ever and I’m kind of proud of it ;)

What an experience… I still have more to say about it but will keep it for later :) It has definitely given me the marathon bug (possibly even the ultra bug but we’ll see).

I will never forget this :)

Baths and Birthday Feast

2011-08-03T15:03:00.001-04:00

I thought nothing could top our outing to the Rocher de Naye, but I was proven wrong! On Monday we headed for the Bains de Lavey – an outdoor spa with thermal waters from the mountains. They also have oriental spas (such as a steam room) as well as a nordik one (with saunas and ice baths). We have a similar one in Ottawa which was just as beautiful but in a different way.

This outdoor spa is in a valley in the Alps, so you can imagine how breath-taking the view is!

You swim from the locker room to the outside, where the water is a perfect lukewarm temperature. Throughout there are lots of different types of water fountains. There are even some places where you can lie down and its like you’re in your very own hot tub. And in the middle, there’s this current that takes you in a circle! (see below)

My favorite part was the sauna. Actually, that’s a lie. It’s what comes after – the ice bath!!! I absolutely love it. You really don’t feel how icy cold it is because you are already so hot. However, you do feel your legs get all tingly – it’s the best feeling! I did that four times I believe.

All in all a beautiful and relaxing day :)

And today, it’s my dad’s birthday! He’s the lucky one because he often gets to have the whole family around (whereas other times, the family is usually spread out over a few continents).

My dad loves food just as much as I do, so I prepared two delicious things for him. For lunch, we had the following.

Quinoa and lentil salad

This recipe is extremely easy, healthy, and delicious. This is what you’ll need:

1.25 cups of dry quinoa
1 can of lentils (more or less depending on what you like)
1.75 cups of quartered cherry tomatoes
1 red pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 red onion, diced
fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil
3 limes, juiced
1.5 tsp of cumin
sprinkle of sea salt

Cook quinoa according to package. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and the dressing.

Makes 10 servings of 1.5 generous cups
Calories: 217; Fat: 9.7 g; Carbs: 27.5 g; Protein: 6.9 g

I usually have it with some Food Should Taste Good olive chips or olive bread. And add some feta. Then you have lots of leftovers :)

Inspired from Eat Live Run’s recipe.

We then had cheese-filled chocolate. Yes. Cheese-filled chocolate. It’s not like there was a piece of cheese wrapped in chocolate but cheese was mixed in with the filling. Delish!!

P.E.I. (aka Prince Edward Island) Chowder

For dinner, my dad requested a P.E.I. Chowder. Apparently, he had some when my family visited the province and has been dreaming about it ever since. I took it upon myself to recreate it.

2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped fennel
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of white wine
2 cups of fish stock
4 oz of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
4 oz salmon
4 oz scallops
4 oz cod
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup of whipping cream OR lobster chowder
mini bread bowls

Note: for the sea food, you can replace with whatever you like and change the quantities as well.

Other note: I added way more seafood and had to double the liquids.

Put butter in Dutch oven with the the onion, celery, fennel and salt. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the seafood and simmer for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the seafood and vegetables and set aside in a bowl.

Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the potatoes. Cover and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved seafood and vegetables, and add the lobster chowder. Heat through.

Cut off the top of the bread rolls, empty it, and serve the chowder in them. Yum!!!

Serves 8
Calories (without bread): 181; Fat: 4.4 g; Carbs: 20.2 g; Protein: 13.2 g

Recipe inspired from here.

I know I already have too many recipes, but once I’m back in Ottawa I will be remaking my Mom’s Clafouti recipe. This one was made with prunes but it is usually made with cherries. The “dough” is sort of like pancake batter. Anyways, it is deeelicious and very light for a dessert!

Serving size: 1/5th
Calories: 127; Fat: 1.8 g; Carbs: 24.2 g; Protein: 4.5 g

Double rainbows and lavender

2011-08-01T11:36:00.001-04:00

Another week of marathon training has ended- week 2 to be more precise! I'm not going to lie to you - every run but one was extremely hard. I'm not too sure why. Maybe it's the hills, or the heat?

Usually when I run in Geneva, I head out to the Lake and run along there. I managed to try out a new route which, after a short mile, took me there:

Yes, beautiful, middle of nowhere. And I got lost.

You can’t see the hills, but let me tell you: they were there. The next run following that was only 3 miles long but it felt like 26. By the time my 11-mile run loomed Saturday morning, I was actually apprehensive of going on a long run for the first time in quite a while.

I woke up at 8:30am to allow me time to fuel up and digest. I had a toast with jam and half a banana, with a steaming mug of coffee. After reading some more of my book (the Game of Thrones series), I felt i was ready to head out with my camelbak and a date.

Thankfully, this run was great!!! It was only my second run over 10 miles long since the half marathon so I didn't push myself too hard because my goal was simply to finish.

I started on one side of the lake and ended up on the other :) The day was mostly cool and my run was very meditative, even if it felt like all I did was think the whole time.

After most runs, I've headed up to my parents rooftop pool - isn't it gorgeous??

I absolutely love the lavender :)

We even got a double rainbow!

Yesterday though, my run was followed by... A hike!! To the Mont Saleve. We all loved it so the following day we headed to yet another hike at the Rocher de Naye. I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves :) (mostly).

The “nostalgic” train that took us up.

We were greeted by groundhogs.

And an Alpine Garden.

Can you tell it was a little steep?

And there we go!! If you guys ever visit Switzerland, this is one place you must see :)

Geneva in the sunshine

2011-07-26T10:54:00.001-04:00

It’s that time of the year again – the time when I get to go spend some time in Europe with my parents! I don’t know what I will do when they move back to Canada, because it really seems like I feel the need to be in Europe at least once a year… What an expensive feeling lol!

There is a difference this time around: I have to fit in my marathon training! The schedule I posted on here last time said I should have started about 3 weeks ago but *surprise*, I injured my foot playing soccer. It was extremely painful but thankfully I only sprained a ligament at the top of my foot and it is 80% better. I was able to go back to running (and my revised training plan) last week.

Europe usually gets major heat waves in the summer but it seems that this year, North America suffered but not Geneva. My run this morning was so cool and beautiful I didn’t even take any water (I actually regretted that but I still made it home alive!). I couldn’t help but remember the last time I ran in Geneva – right around Christmastime and it was cold and extremely windy!

With my run finally out of the way, my parents took me to visit Evian, where the Evian water is bottled!

“Welcome to our factory”

We walked around the town and through its market. My name is popular here:

For those who do not have sphinx eyes, look at what’s written in the black watch! (and the yellow one… and the green one!).

We slowly made our way to the public access to the source, where people are free to fill their water bottles. We forgot to bring one but I still managed to take a little slurp.

For lunch, we also stopped at this adorable little place where they served a warm tartine with a salad. This one was tomato and goat cheese and was delish!

All in all, a very cute little spot!

Marathon training update:

I’ve had to change my training schedule and was going to put up the new one but unfortunately I saved the document in such a way that it is not compatible with a PC (of course). I’ll try to put it up in the next post.

A focus of mine with this training is the nutrition aspect of it. I definitely do not want to gain weight, and would even like to lose a little bit of weight (without underfeeding myself obviously). As a result, I am being very careful to eat more frequently with smaller portions at official meal times, getting lots of veggies/fruits, and making sure my runs are fuelled by eating a bit before and a bit after. Hopefully this will pay off!

I have one month left to raise money for the New York Firefighters Foundation, you can donate by clicking here!

Pinch me: I'm running the New York Marathon!!!

2011-06-23T11:20:00.006-04:00

I know - I can't believe it either!!! I wanted to run a marathon in the next few years but hadn't actually planned to do it so quickly... But then, one of my acquaintances mentioned he was putting a team together to run on behalf of the New York Firefighters Association and that's when I told myself that it was the opportunity of a lifetime that I simply could not pass!

The big date is November 6, 2011. I'll be honest, I am freaking out just a teeny tiny little bit... On the one hand, I have to run 26.2 miles (yikes!) but I also have to raise $3,500 by September 2011. This will mark the 10th year since the events of 9/11 which is why I feel even more excited about running it this year and with the help of the NYFD. Running is great, but running for a cause is even more amazing :)

So on that note, I would love to have your help to raise money! By clicking here you will be redirected to my fund-raising website. Any help is truly appreciated and please forward it to friends and family who may be interested! :)

With the help of Amber and Lisa, I've put together a training plan. Looking at it makes me break into a cold sweat because that is a LOT of running, but it's also exciting :) The only thing that is worrying me a little bit is that since the half marathon, I haven't had a super run and I haven't really enjoyed them either...

Can you guys even see this or is it too small?

It could be because this is the first summer that I truly get to spend running - the two other summers since I started running, I've had to deal with injuries (sprained ankle, messed up knee...).

Races

I did a 10k on Father's Day and finished it in 53'46" which I was VERY happy with (my goal was to do it under 55). I'm also going to be doing a 5k on Canada Day (July 1) and intend to beat my PR, which is 25'16". Really though, it's for fun :)

So peeps - please help me fundraise! On another note - is there something on your list of things "to do" that is actually going to get done this year??

Let me tell you what's for dinner

2011-06-09T11:14:00.014-04:00

I feel like 90% of all my posts in the past year have focused on running. I love writing about running, of course, but I missed the food aspect of this blog... Truth be told though, I haven't had much time to make meals that were blog worthy in the past year... It was mostly a random assembly of what was in my fridge, tried and true recipes that you have already all heard about, or ODB's (delicious) cooking.

But finally (finally!!), I have come out of my cooking rut. With these recipes, you will have something healthy, easy, and most importantly DELICIOUS to make on a busy weeknight. Seriously, it's been tested by a busy gal right here ;)

I'm always trying to get more fish in my diet, but it's difficult, for the simple reason that I never really crave fish. This is where fish tacos come in.

Fish tacos for the fish indifferent

Ingredients

300 g of flaky fish (like cod)
1/2 cup of flour
3/4 cup of beer
1/4 cup of olive oil

small tortillas
shredded cabbage
radishes sliced very thinly
salsa
guacamole
oregano

Sauce

3/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp minced capers

Mix the flour and beer together. Heat a pan on mid-high heat and heat olive oil. When the oil has heated, put in the fish. [Oviously, it doesn't have to be be in batter! It could be cooked in the oven with some lime juice] After about 10 minutes, when the fish has started cooking, break it up into smaller pieces. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

Mix the ingredients for the sauce together.

Assemble everything in a tortilla: the fish, radishes, cabbage, guacamole, salsa, and the sauce!

(Sorry for the awful picture - it's what happens when you don't have your camera, your iPhone died, and you're stuck with your boyfriends phone...).

The best mac and cheese

Okay so this recipe isn't healthy... but I always pair it with an amazingly delicious salad so I feel like maybe it balances things out a little bit ;) It's the perfect dish for when you need some comfort food, which is why I made it for my friend and her family earlier this week. They loved it, and I know you will too!

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1.5 cups of milk
2 tbsp of dijon mustard
Box of pasta - I like penne
300 grams extra old cheddar, shredded
150 grams havarti (or other cheese), shredded
100 grams of parmesan, shredded

Preheat oven to 400*.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Once cooked, pour into a pan (don't know the dimensions but see picture below).

Melt the butter with the flour over medium heat. Whisk for 30 seconds. Add the milk, and whisk for another 30 minutes.

Add the cheese and mix until melted. Add the dijon (adjust to your liking - and I like a lot!). Pour onto pan and mix thoroughly with the pasta.

Cook at 400* for 15 minutes. Enjoy with a lovely salad :)

And some delicious blondies!

Being a spectator

I've now run quite a few races, and quite a few of these have been done with ODB - which I love to do. And we either finish the races together, or he runs ahead and is waiting for me at the finish line, although this means that there is never anyone waiting for him at the finish line.

Ever since we began training for the half marathon, ODB has turned into a running machine - and a speedy one at that. He's won a 5k and has now set his sight on trying to win more.

So this past weekend, he signed up for a 5k and I decided to not run with him, and instead cheer him on from the sidelines! He had trained so hard with speedwork and all that it was extremely exciting for the both of us :)

And off they went!!

These were the longest 18 minutes of my life... I was actually thinking there was a good chance I might see ODB come around the corner with no one else around him!

Unfortunately, the course was a bit strange and bottlenecked after the start line so he got held back at the start, but he still managed to finish 7th!!!!!!!! I was so so so so soooo very proud of him :)

But all of this is definitely making me want to race, so we're signed up for a 10k next weekend ;)

We did it! Half Marathon race recap

2011-05-30T21:29:00.001-04:00

The runner’s high is slowly wearing off but I am still both overly excited that I achieved one of my most important goals, that I got to accomplish it with someone I love and that I DID it!!! I never doubted myself but before the race, for some reason, I was definitely wavering, thinking “it’s been so long since my last long run [2 weeks] maybe I can’t do it anymore” and many other random thoughts. ODB just kept laughing and telling me we’d be fine.

The night before the race, we did our carbo-loading with my pizza (that was Amber’s great idea!).

The nerves were getting to me so I was only able to go to sleep around 11:30 p.m. and woke up many times throughout the night to make sure my alarm was on.

Finally, 7:00 came around and it was to wake up! I ate a larabar and had a cup of coffee, and prepared for the race.

We headed to the race at 8:15 and I was lucky enough to have a parking spot right by the race.

When we got there, we were just flabbergasted by the number of people. There were over 9,000 people signed up for the National Capital Half Marathon! This weekend is called the Ottawa Race Weekend and so there is quite a bit of hype surrounding this event :)

At 9:00, the race finally began! It took us about 8 minutes to actually get from where we were to the starting line.

ODB wants me to mention that the mile splits below are approximate because they don’t add up to our final times (lol). My guess is that we did so much zigzagging around that we must’ve covered more ground than 13.1 (that was my fault, I waaaay underestimated our finishing time and we started way back).

Mile 1 – 9:29

The start was slow because there were soooo many people. All you could see ahead was a sea of bobbing heads. ODB and I just tried to find empty spots and dodged walkers/slow runners, always trying to keep one another in sight.

Mile 2 – 9:31

Still very slow.

Mile 3 – 9:04

We were finally able to pick up some speed and took off at a good pace. At this point, I was quite happy with myself because I always run/walk – and never just run nonstop. So far it was looking good, but I didn’t want to say anything and jinx myself. After all, this was JUST the beginning!

Mile 4 – 9:15

There was another water station and once again, I only walked through it – no walking other than this! I couldn’t believe how well this run was going. My muscles were feeling great, I was happy, and it seemed all of Ottawa were cheering us on!

Mile 5 – 9:04

I started off this mile with a Gu gel I had brought along with me. It also started raining at this point, which felt great for a bit because we were all hot and it was so humid!

Mile 6 – 9:56

A few of my friends were supposed to come watch the race but because of the terrible weather, everyone stayed home (I really can’t blame them). However, I spotted one of my coworkers who lives in the area and it just made me so happy to see a familiar face!

Mile 7 – 8:37

The Gu gel must’ve started kicking in at this point because ODB and I were just flying. I felt SO amazing and couldn’t believe how great this was going!

Mile 8 – 8:48

I’m totally surprised at how fast ODB and I ran this mile (and the next), because he started having some intestinal issues due to the gatorade (we now know: no more gatorade for him!). They were really painful so we walked a lot. And when we ran, we were SPRINTING (even through the big hills) because that was the only time he didn’t feel the pain. When he told me that I was totally thinking: are you serious?? lol!!

Mile 9 – 8:51

At this point ODB was really not feeling good and we were actively looking for a bathroom. We were walking a lot during this mile, but when we ran, we sprinted! We were even stopped for a few minutes while he went to the bathroom!

Mile 10 – 9:00

Feeling much better, we both took off :)

Mile 11 – 9:23

Most of this mile was done over a bridge. I took a bit of a gel I had grabbed from one of the stations to hold me over until the end of the race, because I was finally starting to feel some tightness in my muscles.

Mile 12 – 9:25

This mile went well too but the course started to get a bit crowded again (i think this is we merged with quite a few marathoners at this point). I was started to get a little tired and I walked a bit at the start of the mile. I also couldn’t believe we were so close to completing the race!

Mile 13.1 – 9:15

As we got closer to the Finish Line, the crowd cheering us on got bigger and louder, and I was started getting pretty emotional. I almost cried but then told myself I should at least wait until the end of the race!

ODB kept wanting to sprint but I wanted to have enough energy to spring at the end so I kept tugging at his sleeve to let him know he should slow down a bit. Finally, we were at the 300 meter mark.

ODB looked at each other, told each other “I love you” and started sprinting, finishing the race beautifully :) (Side note: I’m totally getting emotional again as I’m writing this!)

And surprise: we both finished the race in 2:10:58!!! (well, technically I finished 0.01 seconds faster but no one is counting ;)

We also enjoyed a nice relaxing afternoon afterwards, when the sunshine finally decided to came out ( a few hours too late?).

What I’m taking away from this

This was so much fun!! I had a great racing day and felt amazing the entire time :)
Racing with someone is great – I would have done it by myself but I’m so glad ODB and I did it together, for the training, the preparation and the race itself.
Thank god for the people who cheer you on – at the race, on facebook, wherever :)
My iPhone did not like the rainy weather! Thankfully I purchased a spybelt (as recommended by Amber) but it was still very VERY hard to use after the race…
I’m not feeling too sore right now, the only place that’s feeling quite tight though i sdeep in the back of my left thigh… but that spot has been bothering me for a while. The front of my thighs is also pretty sore.
Seeing the people who collapsed/needed medical help along the way was kind of scary… I felt so bad for them, was hoping they would recuperate and was hoping the same thing wouldn’t happen to me!
The race is a blur. I know I have a pretty detailed race report but as I was running it it seemed to go by so fast! It’s crazy!
And congrats to Adi for finishing the half marathon as well!!!

Music to my ears

2011-05-25T19:38:00.010-04:00

Aaaah, Spring is here - can you tell?

The trees are blooming...

The chicks are wandering...

And the tulips are out!

ODB and I have been playing tourist in our own city and it's kind of nice I have to say - makes you see your town in a whole new way!

I even did "Yoga in the Tulips" - it was fun but could have been much better.

I also celebrated yet another year of being older... can't believe I'm now 24!

Best cake ever - from my favorite cupcake place!
Someone knows me well ;)

The half marathon is here!

Believe it or not folks, I am going to be running my first half marathon this Sunday, at 9:15 a.m.! Part of me is already feeling the pre-race jitters but another part of me knows it will be fun and 100% doable.

Because I have been so busy for the past... well... year, I unfortunately wasn't able to document my training but overall it went great. ODB and I started our training on Frebruary 21, 2011 (I wanted to give him enough time to adjust to long distances since he had only run once in the past year before starting the training). It was actually pretty nice knowing that we had more than enough time ahead of us to prepare.

Another great thing is that I didn't get injured once!! *knock on wood - there's still a few days before the half marathon!!* And ironically enough, I've been needing new shoes since the beginning of the training plan but I haven't found the right pair (more on that next time) so I've been using my old ones. All my runs have been fairly enjoyable - I even thoroughly enjoyed my 12 mile run and felt like I could have run for another 12!

And now, the half marathon is upon us. ODB and I will be running it together, even though he could definitely finish it must faster if he didn't stay next to me. But I think that for both our first half, it'll be an even better experience because we'll be running it together :)

Now, the topic du jour is this: what should go on my half marathon playlist? I'd love to hear everyone's suggestions, although I should preface this by saying that I'm pretty picky about what I listen to... Someone asked me last week what kind of music I liked to listen to on my runs and my answer was "the worst music" aka the top 40. I can't help it, it tends to have the best beat for me to run to! I already have a few songs in mind, and they are either recent enough that they don't bore me, or they make me think of a specific run I've had which I think will be great motivation for the race!

So what are your suggestions?

Finding your stride

2011-05-08T18:33:00.003-04:00

What do tea, oysters and running all have in common? Answer: I used to hate them all, and now love them!

My friend Lisa has asked me for a special post on how to get into running. She knows that running is more than just a workout for me, but also that it used to be one of the things I dreaded!

I got into running back in January 2009 as a means to an end: I wanted to lose weight. Every time I laced my running shoes, a mental battle would ensue: why should I do this? I hate running! It hurts my lungs, it hurts my legs, plus I don't exactly look like a runner!

Little by little, these thoughts became less frequent. Running was no longer dreaded, and even became a passion. Now, I actually look forward to running! It's a way for me to escape life's stresses, enjoy the outdoors and often the company of others (that's not to say that occasionally I don't have to literally force myself to get out the door).

But how can you go from hating the exercise to loving it? Here are some tips!

The setting makes a difference

Yes, you can get into running by using the treadmill. I didn't really have much of a choice since I got started right in the middle of the winter. But it definitely won't make things easy. Instead, I suggest finding a nice trail in your area. It will help you take your mind off of the fact that you have to run!

Running in Italy

Running in Geneva!

Look good, feel good

Everyone says that running is one of the cheapest activities you can take up, and technically, it's true: all you need are comfy shoes, shorts and a t-shirt. However, knowing that you look good thanks to good quality sportswear will definitely help you want to get out and about. My personal favorite is anything Lululemon but you can also find some good quality and affordable sportswear at places like Costco, Wal-Mart or Winners.

Good company

Olle and I are currently training for the Ottawa Half-Marathon (and it's coming up: May 29th!!!). It's been a very busy past few months as you guys could probably tell from the lack of posts: I was in the final stages of writing my research paper for my research paper to complete my Masters and I was quite busy at work. So sometimes, I really did not want to get out and go running! Having someone that keeps you accountable is extremely helpful: Olle would always be able to get me up and I was always so thankful as soon as we got going.

Set some goals

Summer is coming up and there are plenty of races to enter, ranging from fun family runs to more popular races. Why not sign up for one? It will give you something to work towards and give some meaning to these tough runs.

Most importantly though: go out and have fun! It might be hard right now but it will get easier and the benefits you will get from running will be countless!

It's also possible that running is just not for you, and there is no reason to force yourself to do something you don't enjoy! There are so many activities out there that are just waiting for you to find and enjoy :) BUT I am proof that sometimes the only thing keeping you from finding a new passion is yourself!

What are your tips on getting into a running routine? Do you enjoy running?

ps: many of you have requested it ad it's finally there - you can now sign up to receive email notifications when I update the blog!

The Blogger Returns!

2011-05-07T23:28:00.015-04:00

I'm going to skip the whole "I will never be a bad blogger" speech and just get right into it. Let's just dive right back into it shall we?

This weekend, I had a lovely visitor: Amber from Girl With The Red Hair! It has been awesome to hang out with someone who loves talking about food and running as much as I do :) Once I got off work on Friday Amber had a special request: she wanted poutine! (which is a typical french canadian dish). So off we went to the Elgin Street Diner!

The poutine was quite excellent and we shared it because we knew we would be heading off to dinner not that much later.

We then went to some must-see sights: the Canadian Parliament!

Saturday morning, me, my bf (Olle aka ODB) and Amber had all signed up for a 5k race. Amber may have run 4 half-marathons and one marathon, but this was her first 5k and she did great! I was slightly slower that my last one and finished in 25'16". Olle, on the other hand... won the race!! Granted, it was an unofficial race but still :)

We then treated ourselves to brunch at the Scone Witch and for once I was able to take a picture before scarfing my food down:

Breakfast of champions:

Later on that day, we grabbed some cupcakes from Thimblecakes:

Amber and I both loved the decor:

We finished the afternoon with a walk along the Canal to spot some of the tulip from the Tulip Festival:

So yes, I am back to blogging! My paper is done and work is back to normal - I am actually getting the summer off before I return to my firm as a family law lawyer :) So you will hear much more from me :)

Anti-Gravity Yoga... Say What???

2011-03-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

Whew, what a week (or two) it's been... Other than work, here's what's been taking up my time!

Anti-Gravity Yoga (really!!)

You know how there are fad diets? Well, in my opinion, there are also fad exercises. And I'm sure that for the most part, I'm being totally opinionated, but exercises such as yoga mixed with boxing and things like that seem a bit weird to me. I remember hearing about anti-gravity yoga a while back. It's yoga that's done in part with the help of a fabric "hammock" and when done right, it looks a bit like Cirque du Soleil. I definitely thought it sounded cool, but was a bit weary and I definitely never thought I'd get the opportunity to try it.

About a month ago, I quit Goodlife and joined a new gym - The Athletic Club. I've never liked Goodlife and really, never liked gyms all that much. I much prefer going to yoga classes (real yoga, not gym yoga), running at home or even better, outside! But this gym is AMAZING!!!! My coworker and I can't stop talking about how much we love it - we're always looking forward to the next time we get to go and which new class to try. The yoga classes (including HOT YOGA) kick our butt every time.

One of the classes they offer is... you guessed it, anti-gravity yoga! So I was definitely psyched to try it, and a bit afraid that I'd fall. But the instructor was great at explaining everything and in the end, it was a whole lot of fun! We got to hang upside down, hover over the ground, and do some weight exercises.

Because this was an introductory class, I didn't leave the room sweating. It was fun but I was definitely glad that I had been able to get a run in before. However, let me tell you... today, I am HURTING. My back, shoulders, triceps, and abs, are on fire. So all in all - a great workout!

Half-marathon training

The training is going extremely well so far! My body is feeling great (no aches in the knees), and I'm not having any trouble fitting in my runs. Granted, this is only week 3... but still! And I have a good feeling about it... I have to say, the thought that I might get injured again is definitely haunting me, but little by little I'm starting to think about the fact that maybe it won't happen this time and I'll be able to do it :)

Plus, look at the beautiful scenery I get to see:

Finally, I'd just like to point out a little moment of pride that I had! At my new gym, they make you do a fitness assessment. My biological is 22 (yay!) but even better than that - my VO2 is apparently qualified as "elite" and I rank in the 99th percentile with 74.4!!!! :)

So peeps: what's the weirdest exercise that you've tried??

{Source}

Feast of Love

2011-02-24T21:36:00.012-05:00

What did everyone have planned for Valentine’s Day? (Yes, I’m extremely late in asking this, but it’s better late than never right?) I know it’s a commercial holiday and all but I just like the extra opportunity to spend some time with my closest peeps :) Last year I spent it with my besties watching reruns of Sex and the City and drinking Pomtinis, and this year, ODB and I decided to make a feast!

We have been trying out the Ottawa restaurants on a regular basis so I was thinking that staying in and cooking together might actually be even more romantic – and it was! We had a great time cooking together, and an even better time devouring it all ;)

We started off with an arugula salad with prosciutto crisps and gorgonzola. Prosciutto crisps are so fancy looking and yet so easy to make! Put some parchment paper on a baking sheet, line up your prosciutto, cover with more parchment paper and an additional baking sheet. Cook at 350* for 10-12 minutes and break into pieces!

Next, we had spaghetti vongole a la Jamie Oliver with fresh clams – it was so delicious!

Yum!!!

Setting the mood with some bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar:

And finally for dessert: lava cake with pink whipped cream and raspberries :)

Half-Marathon

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned that I’ve signed up for the half-marathon again this year, but I have! Part of me feels like it’s crazy seeing as how I reaaaally don’t want to reinjure myself, but another part of me knows that I can do it, and I think the following things will ensure that I complete it this time around:

I’m not doing it alone: knowing that I have someone to train with and who is going through the same schedule is really reassuring.
I’ve tweaked my training plan. Last year, I was hell-bent on only running 3 times a week thinking that I would avoid injury that way. Instead, I’m pretty sure it’s the reason why I got hurt: I was running only 3 times a week, yes, but after week 5 or so all of my runs were 7 miles or longer! This time, I’m running 3 times a week, with 2 runs of about 5 miles throughout the training, one shorter run (ranging from 1 mile to about 4 miles, sometimes a bit more) and a long run on the week-end.
If it doesn’t feel good, I’ll take a break. Last year I waited until I had to limp home to realize something wasn’t right. If something feels off, I will take a break and not be ashamed of it.

In other news, I also baked this delightful birthday cake, which had delicious chocolate buttercream frosting!

And 6 layers!

Dashing through the snow

2011-02-09T21:48:00.006-05:00

Raise your hand if winter and snow means you need to hibernate! I totally used to think so. Winter to me used to mean hot chocolate, a fireplace (or the DVD kind - same thing), and cuddling with a good book and a comfy blanket. Winter still means this, but I've also found that there is a multitude of activities that can be done outdoors! And let me tell you - I've been taking full advantage of this :)

Skating

Most of you must know that Ottawa is home to the longest skating rink on Earth, otherwise known as the Rideau Canal! It's obviously a blast to go ice skating and that's nothing new even to me, but I've been making an effort to go weekly since it's opened. Sometimes the ice can be pretty bad (read: there are holes everywhere) but most of the time it's nice and smooth, you can smell the beavertails and if you're lucky, there's a light snow falling.

Cross-country skiing

Before this year, I had gone cross-country skiing once before. When I was about 9. All I remembered was that I most likely didn't hate it (lol). Anyways I had been toying with the idea of giving it a try and then in September some friends of mine told me there was a huge sale going on so I caved and bought all the necessary equipment! I figured if I can run, I can ski :P

I've gone skiing twice so far and have LOVED it! The first time ODB and I, along with another couple, went skiing in the Gatineau Park. What was supposed to be an hour-long trek turned into 3.5 hours... And long story short, I hadn't eaten all day (we were supposed to have brunch but didn't) and it was one of the coldest days we had had (over -30*C) which resulted in me getting extremely close to fainting about 2.5 hours in... Other than that it was a blast and definitely made me want to try it again!

We also found some trails very close to my house (where I usually run actually!) and gave it a try there as well. It allowed us to practice our downhills because we're both pretty bad - but we've improved!

In my neighbourhood :)

And of course... running!

Ever since I started working downtown close to the canal, I've dreamt of running home after work once in a while. The route is just gorgeous - along the canal, past the arboretum, and my neighbourhood - totalling over 8 miles. I would have done it already but as you guys remember, my knee wasn't doing so good in the summer and I've only recently started to increase my mileage.

Well, tonight, I decided to give it a try! (I was actually going to do this last night but I forgot some of my stuff and it was extremely cold) Tonight was gorgeous with pretty, thick snow falling down, and not too cold. The run went extremely well and I had a pretty good pace throughout - finished 8.6 miles in 90'12"! There was quite a bit of snow on the trails too which I expected to slow me down even more. I definitely felt like I could have continued for another 4.5 ;) To say I have a runner's high right now would be an understatement!! I wish I could have taken pictures but it most likely wouldn't have come out as beautiful as it really was.

No-Sugar - done!

In other news, I completed the no-sugar challenge once again! I had no problems doing it this year - I guess I'm getting used to it? Anyways maybe it was because I was too busy to even think about sugar but I did not get an actual craving until January 30th (at which point I was like "you're almost done, so you CAN have chocolate!!!"). The last 2 days were somewhat hard but it's done :) I even baked blondies (blonde brownies) during January and didn't even feel like licking the spoon!
What's your favourite winter activity - be it sports-related or not? Other than all of the above, I just love being snowed in, not that that ever happens in Ottawa!

New Year's Resolution - super late

2011-01-27T21:43:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone!! It's been so long, you have all probably forgotten about me... It's ok. I get it! I'd like to thank Melina, Amber and Lisa for reminding me that this blog still exists!

One of my resolutions this year is to not forget about this blog!. We'll see how that goes :)

I feel like I should do a little update on what's happened since the last time I posted! Here it goes:

I am totally back to running!!! I finally decided to go see a sports doctor and was told that I most likely have runner's knee (what a surprise) and that thankfully she could not detect any damage. Literally a few days later, I decided to try going for a short run, and surprise: no pain!!! I've been running 15-20 miles a week .
I've also gotten the racing bug! I ran a 5k in 25'44" (!!!) and an 8k in 41'45". I'm also going to give another shot at trying to run a half-marathon, but I won't be doing it alone which I think will help! He even ran that 8k with me back in November and we finished in exactly the same time :)

5k!

For the holidays I went to visit my parents in Geneva and we took a family trip to London - I had never been there! Of course, I immediately looked up races and signed up for a new Year's day 10k! It took place in Hyde Park and went along the Serpentine.

And finally, my resolutions for 2011: keep up with the blog (I really felt like a part of me was missing when I wasn't blogging at all), try my very best to stay injury free, and no sugar for the month of January! That last one is almost over and it has gone so well this year. Barely any cravings - I even baked blondies for the boyfriend (ODB), sister and work and didn't feel tempted to have any!

Finally, I'd like to dedicate this post to Rick, aka the Running Warrior. The week-end that I finally got back to running - and was already thinking about what I was going to post - Rick passed away. It was really such a shock - he was such a great guy and a great supporter. He would cheer me on when I was doing great and give me the push I needed when I was down. Every time I run a little thought goes to him.

So hopefully I am back for good!!! I have been cooking lots of delicious things and so had ODB and I can't wait to share it with you all :)

Gotta Run

2010-09-19T01:11:00.007-04:00

The (past) week started off in the most perfect way possible: with a pain-free run!

Yes, you read that right! I ran, and had no pain during or afterward! Let me tell you, that was the best runner's high :) Obviously, this was far from as a good a run as I used to have: I did just under 5km in 40 minutes. It involved alternating 1.5 minutes of walking and 1.5 minutes of running. But I enjoyed it and I relished in the fact that the tide might be turning for me, running wise :) I would love to be able to enjoy an outdoor run this fall... I miss that so much!

The Yin to my Yang

My friend Laurel really wanted to give this Yin/Yang class a try, and after much convincing, I agreed to go with her. The class description seemed interesting:

"Designed to offer the balancing effects of yin (passive) and yang (active) styles of yoga. The first half of each class begins with Sun Salutations and flows through energetic yang-style Hatha standing postures. Quiet, passive and more contemplative seated Yin postures will follow. The class concludes with pranayama and relaxation. "

Seemed like a relaxing way to end the week! So Laurel and I headed to class, ready from some easy and calming stretches.

Boy, were we wrong.

The first half of the 90 minute class was quite active, with lots of sun salutations and chatarungas. That was fine. And I knew the second half would involve more stretches.

However, what I didn't know was that we would hold these stretches for extremely long periods of time. I want to say 10 minutes but know that I may be exaggerating. We held the Dragon pose (pretty much like a lunge with your extending leg on the floor, like Eagle pose) for such a long time, I could feel my muscles burning like crazy! The instructor explained that we were putting ourselves in an uncomfortable situation in a safe environment to be able to see how we react to it, and apply it to real life. However... ouch. It was painful.

Laurel and I soothed our sore muscles with pizza at my place:

Followed with some pear and gruyere pie! I usually make it with pastry dough but Laurel isn't a fan so instead we used graham cracker crust. The filling is very easy: sliced pears drizzled in lime juice (and cornstarch if you need it), some cinnamon and about 1/4 cup of sugar, mixed in with some shredded gruyere. I also sprinkle some on the crust.

It was really good, but it was 100 times better the following day! I started making this pie after watching the movie Waitress and it's been one of my go-to desserts ever since :) Somehow though I had totally forgotten about this recipe until my mom mentioned it!

What's your signature recipe? Do you ever rediscover old recipes you had forgotten about?

Ultimate what??

2010-09-12T21:51:00.004-04:00

Going out of your comfort zone can be tough - let me tell you, I love my routines. BUT, when I do manage to step out of my routine, I realize it's actually quite a lot of fun. I've gone out of my comfort zone quite a bit in the past year, and I've done it again. I have joined an ultimate frisbee team!!

Full disclosure: before today, I had only touched a frisbee maybe twice in my life. And I definitely had no idea what the rules were.

Today was the first game of the season. My friend Anne was the only person I knew on the entire team, so I was a bit apprehensive about how it was all going to go. To maximize the amount of exercise, I decided to bike to the park, which took about 25 minutes. While I would've loved for today to have been a sunny fall day, it was cold and dreary. And drizzly.

{Image taken from here}

I'm not sure if anyone has ever played ultimate, but it's quite fun! It's sort of like football in the sense that you want to get a touch down of sorts. And you have to block people to stop them from throwing the frisbee. In a nutshell. It's actually waaaaay more complicated than it seems. I was confused throughout the game, and pretty sure I was running the wrong way half the time. Oh, and the games are 1.5 to 2 hours long!

What I loved about it though is that you're doing sprints all the time! So it's definitely more of a work out than volleyball was. Although my knee is feeling it a bit now. Ugh.

Bottom line: I loved that I got to meet some great new people, got some exercise, and had an excuse to use my bike ;)

Has anyone played ultimate before? Or touched a frisbee? ;) Do you play team sports?

The Pasta Monster

2010-09-06T17:45:00.007-04:00

I know it seems like I start every post with a comment on a weather or the seasons, but here it goes: it's fall. I actually like this season quite a lot, even with all its rainy days. I'm technically not going back to school this fall (as in: not stepping foot in a classroom) but the fall weather just gets me right back into working mode, which is great for my research paper ;) It's also making me think of running so I will give it another shot this week.

Ever since I saw this post on Eat Live Run about making fresh pasta, I have had this nagging thought stuck in my head: maybe, just maybe, making fresh pasta is easy. In that case, why have I not tried that yet???

I had no choice left but to give it a shot. So I decided to recreate my all-time favorite fresh pasta recipe that I had tried at a restaurant once upon a time: pumpkin ravioli with tomato sauce, sprinkled with goat cheese and candied pecans. I substituted candied pecans for regular walnuts, because that's all I had.

I followed Jenna's instructions, but quadrupled the recipe (hey, if it's good, I want leftovers!!). First off: my volcano erupted. I guess the little well of flour wasn't deep enough because I was still missing an egg and liquid starting flowing over. My sister was laughing at me. But, in the end, it worked, and after a while I had a lovely ball of eggy dough, which I rolled out after letting it rest for about an hour. I probably should've let it rest a bit longer because when I cut it into slices, they sort of shrank:

Anyways. I added the filling: 1 cup of pumpkin puree mixed with 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and 2 TBSP of shredded parmesan.

To be topped with: tomato sauce, goat cheese and walnuts.

And voila!!! It was SO delicious!!! Totally as good as it had been at the restaurant :)

Oh, and here's my adorable bike:

Unfortunately, I don't know what the chances are of me biking in this week because it's going to be totally rainy... Hope you all have a good week! I'll be making myself my first pumpkin oatmeal tomorrow so I have that to look forward to :)

What's your favorite fall treat?

Time goes by

2010-08-14T21:54:00.014-04:00

So should I pretend months have not gone by or pick up from I left off? I can hear a collective bad blogger being whispered... But I think I'll be good from on. And I will try much harder!!

I've been thinking a lot these past few days (it happens, sometimes ;) ). A year ago, I was coming back from a wonderful holiday in Italy, heartbroken. A lot has happened since then. I'm getting close to completing my Master's in Law, I'm over 4 months into my law articles, and I've gotten much closer to all of my friends... and myself!

However... I'm pretty much at the same weight as I was a year ago. It's not a huge deal - I'm happy with my body. However, I still want to drop a few lbs - for all sorts of reasons. I'm 5'4" - so not all that tall, and I'm in the higher range of my happy weight.

And as I've said about 5 times in the past year - I'm doing something about it!!!

First off, I got a new bike!! Well, it's a used bike (a 2008 Giant) but it looks new and runs (cycles?) sooo much more smoothly than my old one. I'll post pictures in the next post! I love it so much I feel like naming it - may need some help with that ;)

Gymming it

So last post, I mentioned how much I was hating the gym - it felt impersonal, boring, and made me feel lonely. However, my lovely friend Nadia decided to join me! Monday through Wednesday, we hit the gym together and we've overall been doing great at not skipping out on each other. We've mostly been doing the treadmill (with me speed0-walking) but we're starting to include weights as well, and sometimes it's the elliptical.

Once a week (at least), I commute by bike. Sometimes it's straight to work, but if it's on a Monday through Wednesday I actually bike to the gym and do a tiny work-out too! And then after work I bike home. I think now that I have a new bike it will be a LOT more fun than it's been.

I'm also starting to go swimming with my friend Laurel on Thursdays and am very excited about that because I've missed swimming :)

And finally on Fridays, it's spinning in the morning.

I also sometimes squeeze in yoga - hatha on Tuesday with a coworker, power on Monday nights and when I can, Moksha yoga (a 60 minute community class for $5!) on Friday nights.

It sounds like a lot but I try to squeeze in as much as I can when I have the time so that when I'm busy, I don't feel too bad about having to cancel one or two activities.

Running, one of these days

I've tried running a bit (alternating 1.5 minutes running at 5.8 mph and walking at 4.0) for 30 minutes but my knee felt funny after. It wasn't painful per say, but it was a bit uncomfortable. Which is why I'm looking into the Vibram Five Fingers (which sounds very dirty as it's been pointed out to me) but since I just bought a bike it's going to have to wait a bit...

I know I should really just bite the bullet and go see a sports injury doctor but when? There's no time for that!

Food

I've also been doing so much better with food, with night still being a trouble area because by the time I get home I'm starving! So I'm now trying to eat dinner right away when I get home and that's been helping.

I've been loving my herb garden - including this monster basil plant!

Cute little signs that my sister made me to put in my potted plants
so I know the name of the herbs :)

And with this gorgeous local eggs, I made...

... fresh pasta alla carbonara with zucchini from the farmer's market! I altered Jamie Oliver's recipe just a bit :)

I also made blueberry pie!

And apparently, Ontario makes grapes! Aren't they adorable??

And finally, today, the weirdest thing happened. On my way home I had the hugest craving for a vegetable juice. It was insane! Thankfully I just noticed that Booster's Juice now makes juices! So I stopped by (even if I have a juicer, lol) and got this: carrot, apple, beets and some ginger.

So that's that (for now). Thanks for sticking around :)

Went for my first Pumpkin Spice nonfat half-sweet latte... anyone else??

Days of Summer

2010-07-18T15:32:00.001-04:00

I have to say, we are finally having a nice summer in Ottawa (I think). Summer 2008 was extremely rainy, and summer 2009 was rainy on the week-ends... In other words: not so summery! But this summer we've had the heat, the sun, and it's happened on the week-ends as well, so I'm a happy girl :)

Another great thing about summer is that it always reminds me how beautiful and important nature is. I love waking up on the week-end, making my breakfast and sitting outside, enjoying the scenery.

Just looking at this picture makes me smile :)

And this week-end, I finally decided to make some iced tea! I don't usually sweeten my tea but I added two tablespoons of agave nectar to 2 quarts of iced tea, and along with the lime that I put in, it totally tastes like summer!

Speaking of summer, Mexico was absolutely awesome! I don't even know where to start. I loved every minute of it, and it was a great mix of fun, culture, reality and relaxation.

Mexico's historic centre

Teotihuacan, or the stairmaster from hell!

Absolutely delicious mexican food!

Flower plantations in Xochimilco

Cuernavaca

These past few weeks saw many improvements! I'm eating healthy again, tracking what I eat, and going to the gym. Plus, I walk at least 30 minutes a day, but don't include that in my workout. I just think of it as regular movin', which burns a few extra calories :)

I'm itching to start running again, but I want to give myself the summer off so I can get back into for good in the fall - pain-free. I've been dreaming about running though so it's really hard to stop myself from increasing the speed on the treadmill when I'm speed-walking. I wouldn't say that I have pain anymore (thankfully), but my knee still gets sore from time to time. Sometimes randomly, sometimes after I use the stairmaster.

I'm also slowly feeling the urge to start cooking again! But I have to find an easy, summery recipe...

What's your favourite thing(s) about summer? Oh, and I just finished reading a truly great book: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Has anyone else read it??

And below: a video of Xochimilco, with gondolas, canals, and music!

I AM BACK, she proclaimed

2010-06-30T11:08:00.006-04:00

At least, I think I am...

I can't believe it has been two months since my last post... Although my friends have been reminding me fairly frequently of the fact that I haven't updated the blog in a long time, I'm still sort of shocked by it!

Update

First, let me update you all on what has been happening, bullet-point style:

I did not run the half-marathon. My knee didn't get better in time, and truth be told, it is still not better. Who knew an "irritated patella tendon" could make my life so miserable?
I have been working - a lot! There's been days where I have worked 14 hours, and week-ends haven't been off limits... which explains my lack of time to post! Thankfully, I'm loving the job, my coworkers, and being downtown :)
I am leaving for Mexico City in a few hours - my dad is working there for a few weeks and he offered to pay for my trip to go visit him! How could I possibly say no?? :)

Now, believe it or not, there's quite a bit of news on the healthy eating/living front...

The Good

I haven't gained weight - or maybe 1 lb but it fluctuates up and down.
I have joined a gym.
I'm drinking a kale-cucumber-carrot-apple-beet juice as I'm writing!
I am acknowledging The Bad (see below) and am actually making an effort.

The Bad (be forewarned - it's a long list!)

I am so bored at the gym. The only thing I enjoy doing is the stairmaster, but I think it's not helping my knee... it's not making it hurt per se, but it's not helping it heal either. I also hate the spin classes there - they seem so scripted and fake (some girls actually scream "woohoo!!!!" at some of the 6:00am classes...). And the weirdest thing is, when I go to the gym, I just feel so lonely... Anyone else??
I am so, SO ashamed of how I have been eating... There's days where I've had MAYBE 100 calories by the time I get home at 8:00pm, and then I'm too tired to eat. Other days, I'm too lazy to cook, or to even chop a vegetable, so chips and oreos seem like a decent well-rounded meal. This is also why I haven't been posting... I was just too ashamed :(
This, in turn, has made me feel like crap. I should totally be taking a multivitamin right now... I'm sure there's more bad stuff but I just can't remember it all!

Take yesterday for example. I happened to be running errands before coming home and thought to myself "hmm, I'd love some pringles!". Thankfully, I told myself "no. NO. this isn't a good thing to eat! If you're going to be eating something, have some VEGETABLES!!!!". So I made a compromise. I would drink a vegetable juice, and in return I could have some chips. Ugh. And I know it's probably all in my head, but after drinking that juice, I felt SO much better, my skin had some color to it, and I just overall looked so much better, happier, and healthier!

Anyways, I think I had a turning point this week and that things will be getting better nutritionally from this point on.

I'm going to try to update more frequently (I think once a week should be manageable) and will do my best to catch up on all my readers' blogs, but I can't guarantee anything...

To end this on a more positive note, I went to this super cool cafe called Aunt Olive's which is in a vintage shop with Carolyn and we had an awesome lunch:

Yum! It was so good :) Okay I must go and finish packing!!!

So, what has everyone been up to?

The first step

2010-05-09T00:22:00.001-04:00

Well, my first day (and week) at work has come and gone, and I just really wanted to update you all on how well it went!

I spent all of Sunday mentally preparing for my return to the work field, and really, the beginning of actual work life (not just a summer job or part time as it had been before). I had a few errands to run – like grocery shopping so I would have lots of fresh produce – but still managed to enjoy my last day of official freedom! I took a walk around the neighborhood with my sister since I didn’t want to run or bike just yet, and once we got home it was time for Gossip Girl! So we snuggled up in my bed to watch it :)

I also had prepared my lunch:

Clockwise (in order that it was supposed to be eaten): carrots with hummus, salad (2.5 cups mixed greens, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1/2 cup red pepper, 2 cocktail tomatoes, 1.5 T goat cheese and my honey-dijon-EVOO-white wine vinegar dressing), Stonyfield yogurt and a Larabar. The lunch itself was missing a bit of protein but I had forgotten to soak my chickpeas :( I have to be honest, my lunches sort of went downhill as the week went on. They were still healthy, but not quite as balanced.

Oh, and another funny thing: ever since I’ve started working, I’ve had no appetite. I think while I was spending my days researching for my research paper, I would start to feel the first ounce of hunger as soon as it came. But since now I’m busy and always on the go, I don’t even think about being hungry!

Anyways, after a week of full-time work, I can definitely see how staying healthy while working can be a challenge. When you get home, making lunch for the next day is not quite on your list of things you’d want to do. Neither is making dinner. I managed to make it work this week thanks to leftovers and careful preparation over the week-end.

Strangely enough, I actually think that fitting in my work-outs will be the easiest part. If I hadn’t been consistently working out regularly for the past year and 1/2, it might have been harder. But now, if I DON’T work out, that’s when I feel weird. I’ve actually been feeling a bit down from lack of running… I attempted a short run during the week and the pain in my knee started up right away. I’ll give a shot to running and walking at a ratio of 3:1 and hopefully that will work out better!

The week-end finally came, and it was time to celebrate my 23rd birthday with my friends!!! It was so lovely to see all of my friends at the same table :) I think I’ve come quite far in the past year, but without my lovely friends, I don’t know that I would be where I am right now. Their support and love is so important and I wish I could let them know that every single day!

Carolyn actually baked a cake and brought it to the restaurant :) It melts my heart to know that I am lucky enough to be friends with such great gals!!!

Oh, and did I mention that I won a Larabar package at the Women’s Show??? Yes. I did.

It’s like they read my mind: my favorite flavors,
aka apple pie, key lime pie and peanut butter.

What’s your favorite work day snack? This is going to sound like I’m trying to promote them, but really, I love Larabars. It makes me feel like I’m having a treat when really, I’m having a healthy snack.

With a little bit of luck

2010-05-01T14:53:00.001-04:00

Do you ever got those days where you feel like nothing is going your way? You miss your bus, you burn your food, you go for an outdoor run because it’s so sunny but oh no – now it’s thundering? I hate those days. But if it means that once in a while I get a day where everything goes right, then I will endure them.

Friday of last week was one of those days – where everything goes right. It started off with a great spin class, followed by a rushed drive home to shower and make myself pretty for a conference on immigration law. If you must know, this is what I look like when I’m NOT in my exercise clothes.

The day was going great, I was doing lots of networking and meeting some genuinely nice people. I learned lots of helpful information for my research paper. Then at the first break, I noticed that I had a missed call – from a firm for which I interviewed. I hadn’t mentioned it on here because everything that is meant to happen in the near future which I mention on the blog never ends up happening… It’s like I’m cursed or something!

Anyways, long story short, I am finally going to be doing my articling (internship) at a great Ottawa firm starting on Monday! I’m so excited for this new chapter of my life to start!

Training Update

I went on a 10 mile run last week-end which went great – for the most part. I finished in about 1h42 which I’m very proud of in general, but when you add in the MONSTER HILLS that were on the route, I think it’s kind of an awesome time. Only problem is, my knee started to hurt for the last 2 miles – a lot. I still finished but had to do some major icing once I got back to my friend’s place. Then later on in the day, I realized that I had trouble going down the stairs because bending my knee/leg was way too painful. We’re now Saturday, and I STILL have pain. Definitely not as bad, but it’s still there. So I have an appointment with the physiotherapist on Wednesday and hopefully they will help me figure out what to do :) I’ve barely been exercising since then… and I can’t tell you how much I miss running and being active. I miss the serotonin release and the sweat and running under leafy trees. Hopefully on Thursday I’ll be able to go running :)

Life + health

So, it will DEFINITELY be interesting to see how I will manage to fit in my job, training for the half, and exercise and healthy eating in general. I’ve already planned that I will get up at 6 every day to do my work-outs (getting it out of the way will be key I think), and I know that there will be times when I will bike home from work too! And hopefully I’ll have the energy to cook healthy meals for myself :)

Oh and before I go, here are a few pics of the new work outfits I got myself (I look awful in them so just look at the clothes!):

And for fans of Jake from The Bachelor, I saw him this week-end! He was speaking at the National Women’s Show! He even danced the cha-cha for the audience ;)

What’s your best tip for staying healthy when you’re busy? I definitely like the idea of preparing my lunches the night before – and planning all my workouts!

Food for Fuel: a guest post

2010-04-26T10:20:00.001-04:00

Good morning everyone! I’m finishing up my paper due for my last course (and I’m preparing an exciting post for later this week) so I figured this was a perfect time for a guest post! Stephanie is behind the blog 9 Weightloss and manages to combine useful nutritional information and wittiness – gotta love that!

FOOD FOR FUEL: How Athletes (and Everyone Else) Should Eat

Anais is a runner. She's hardcore. I'm a yogini. There are hardcore yoginis, but I'm not one of them. However, I live in Ground Zero of Hardcore, aka Boulder, CO. People bike 20 miles and THEN eat breakfast. So you could call me the Hardcore Slacker of Boulder.

I also help women improve their relationship with food - I'm a psychotherapist and holistic nutritionist. So while I admit I am no triathlete, I do know what y'all should eat. And quite honestly? It's not all that different from what the rest of us eat...with a few slight adjustments.

First thing's first. If there's one thing to take away from this post, it's the importance of quality. Our population has gotten sicker and sicker over the years, and it's due in no small part to all the fake food we eat. Think back to what your ancestors were feasting on: whole, unprocessed, local foods...because that's all there was. We humans evolved in concert with our environment, so it makes sense that the plants and animals are best suited, nutritionally and energetically, to support us...rather than those undigestible fake foods (or, as Michael Pollan so eloquently put it, "edible foodlike substances").

Next, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all diet. There isn't. Billy Bob the marathoner may love salad. Lillie Lou the triathlete might get indigestion from raw vegetables. Some people do fine with grains, while for others they trigger cravings and cause rapid weight gain. Some people function well on a vegetarian diet, while others truly need red meat. It's crucial to pay attention to your body and physical sensations, rather than going on autopilot and simply eating what you've heard you're "supposed to eat".

Finally, I want to emphasize how CRUCIAL fat and protein are, especially to people who are building muscle! Fat, in particular, has been unfairly demonized. I'm of the opinion that we need all kinds of fat, and that includes animal fat, for optimal health. Fat's a crucial energy source. It keeps us fuller for longer (preventing us from reaching for those cookies and candy), allows us to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, and provides structure for the membranes of our cells, among other things. Protein, too, has many functions, including being a key structural component of our nerves, tissues and bones.

Finding the right diet for you can be complicated. Follow these three steps and you're off to a great start.

- Eat a well-rounded diet containing all three macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbs)

- Make sure your food is as clean (local, organic, REAL) as possible

- Pay attention to your body to hear what it likes and what it doesn't

- And, of course, visit my blog at www.9weightloss.com for the truth about nutrition and weight loss!

Stephanie Small received her BA from Yale University, her MSW from Smith College School for Social Work, and her Certificate in Nutrition Education from Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. In 2008 she founded www.threesistersnutrition.com, a phone-based practice helping women create a positive relationship with food. She happily blogs on holistic approaches to weight loss, nutrition, recipes and food politics for www.9weightloss.com. Having spent so many years enslaved to sugar, she is committed to helping others find freedom through their food choices. She is also pro-fat and pro-carb.

What’s your favorite food for fuel? I’m finding that vegetable juices give me major energy and I love it!

I don’t think bees are the only busy ones…

2010-04-20T09:41:00.001-04:00

Guys, I’m at a loss for words. Your comments were at the same time eye-opening, caring, honest and inspiring. I’m not even sure why I’m so lucky as to have such great readers :) From your great input, I’ve established that:

It’s normal, or at the very least not unheard of, to gain weight during training (confirmed by this very interesting article that Amber shared with me).
I really should just focus on my training, for multiple reasons, one of which being the sense of accomplishment that I will feel!
I still feel great in my clothes – heck, I think I look better than I ever have (even bought my first pair of real shorts – that I will actually wear in public!).
Nutrition is key! As long as I’m eating good-for-me food (and okay, maybe watching my portions a bit ;) ) then I’m on the right track!
The scale isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You know I love the scale – I even wrote a post on it. But I’m definitely rethinking the relationship. I didn’t think it had such a hold on me but obviously it does!! You all reminded me that I’m worth more than the number that’s on it, even though it can be quite rewarding.

Whew! Now that that’s out of the way, I wanted to share some good eats with you!

Made my sister a birthday cake! It was one of the best cakes ever! Recipe: take an organic cake mix, puree some blackberries and spread on bottom cake and spread some chocolate icing at the bottom of the top. Put more icing over the whole cake and cover with strawberries!!! Yum!

Then I made… juice! In this monster: 1 beet, 1/2 cuke, 1 big carrot, 1 small bunch of kale and a small apple!

I may not look happy to drink it but it was actually delicious!!!

Then I made another one: small beet, 1/2 cuke, small apple, big carrot and a bit of ginger! I’m loving those juices and all the nutrients that are squeezed into it!

And on the topic of food, I’ve finally caved and watched Jamie’s Food Revolution and I’m quite impressed (duh!). I don’t know why it took me so long to check it out – I’m such a fan of Jamie Oliver! If Joni Mitchell taught some how to love, then he certainly taught me how to cook! So I’m very happy to see he’s putting his ideas to good work and helping out :)

Oh, and this past week-end, I ran a killer-fast (for me) 6 miles with Megan! We finished it in 57’36” and I think I could’ve gone faster had I not had spinning the day before ;)

I have a busy week ahead! I’m inviligating some exams at school, I’m attending a conference on immigration (doesn’t that sound fancy lol!), but there is also some fun stuff planned ;) I wish I could say that I’ll be able to relax during the week-end, but I have one last paper to finish…

What’s one food you’ve always been afraid to try – and finally realized it wasn’t so bad??

I used to hate brussels sprouts but found a perfect recipe for them and now I love them :)

Confession, and it ain’t pretty…

2010-04-16T09:09:00.001-04:00

Before I get down to business, head on over to the lovely Stephanie’s blog 9 Weightloss, where did a guest post on running! You’re in for a treat too because she’ll be doing a guest post for me next week on nutrition :)

The Confession

I’m definitely the type of person who likes to keep my struggles to myself. If I could, everyone (include my friends and parents) would think that my life was only made up of rainbows and hopping bunnies, and that nothing was ever wrong and that I never had a hard time at anything.

What I usually do is that I’ll try to fix whatever problem is going on in my life before anyone else has to know. And then, when it’s all good, I’ll mention it in passing (usually to my mom) and laugh about it because now it’s all good!

I was hoping to do just that with you, my readers. But unfortunately I don’t seem to be able to fix this one which is why I need your help.

Remember when I went to Florida and I was ecstatic about losing 2 lbs? I was down to 142.5 and couldn’t wait until I could tell you all that I had gotten down to 139. Unfortunately, after this (and coincidentally, once my training for the half started), I gained these lbs back, just like that. And then I plateaud. And then I gained some more.

I’m now at 149. Back where I was when I left for Italy last summer. When I weighed myself this morning and saw this morning, I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream and hit something and say that it wasn’t fair. Really, I still do. But while I was showering after a strenuous spin class, I realized that that won’t help at all. Instead, I’ve come up with a list of things I’ve resolved to do to actually do something about it:

Keep track of every single calorie in AND out. I’m aiming for 1800-2000 calories a day. I thought I knew what I was eating without necessarily writing it down but obviously I must’ve gotten too lenient.
Eat as much real food as I can. Grains, fruits, veggies, all as natural as it gets.
No food past dinner (I would say past a certain time but I always eat dinner at random hours).
Ask for your help!

What really scares me is that I’m not entirely sure that I know what I’m doing wrong. I’m working out more than I ever have in my entire life (6 times a week!) and didn’t think I was eating ALL that much… More than usual (and definitely at least 2000 cal a day) but I thought that with all the exercise I was doing than it was alright? I think the worst is at night. That’s when I probably have way more calories than I really need. So yeah. I’m scared. I’m scared that I won’t be able to lose it back, and that I’ll keep gaining.

Anyways, as Carolyn told me, my half will be done and over with by the end of May and then I’ll be able to go back to working out for weightloss and not for training.

So guys: help me out. Any tips for getting out of plateaus? (or really, let’s call it what it is: weight gain). What about tips for losing weight while training? Or really, anything that comes to mind…

And what’s your attitude when you’re struggling with something?

Ice, Ice, Baby

2010-04-12T14:13:00.001-04:00

So, contrary to appearances, I am back among the living! Sorry for the temporary hiatus, I was finishing up a paper and when I wasn’t doing that, I just really didn’t feel like being in front of a screen. Ok, there may also have been a touch of procrastination in there… but I’m back :)

I think to slowly get back into it, I will do a bullet/picture post. Much easier!

I went back to Montreal for Easter and it was great to see all of my family again! We had some amazing meals, and some good laughs too ;) I even got to see Carolyn’s house! (How weird is that: we met in Ottawa going to University, but she lives on the same STREET as my aunt!

When I got back from Montreal, I really felt like napping and digesting my food but instead I went for my scheduled run. It was extremely painful because I had done a 75 minute spin class the day before…
After that run, I took my first ice bath. It was excruciating, but I kept telling myself that I was jumping into a lake or something… In the end it was great for my legs though!
I got a foam roller and LOVE it! I was very sceptical at how useful it could really be, but it’s true, it really does work! The muscles above my knee had been extremely tight for the past few weeks and after I roll for a few minutes they feel as lose as… jello?
My dad, sister and I went to the restaurant to celebrate my (future) birthday and we had an amaaaazing meal! We went to Domus Cafe, one of my favorite restaurants in Ottawa because it showcases local and seasonal food!

Lobster bisque. I thought it would fill me up,
but there wasn’t all that much :P

Duck confit with eggplant mash, chutney and potatoes. Yum!

And of course, dessert. This would be chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream that rolled around in the plate.

Plus my parents got me this environmentally friendly bag for my birthday (which is not even this month ha!). The bag is made out of the tarp that covers trucks! And the handles are made out of seatbelts… how cool is that! Freitag is super popular in Europe ;)

I went on a 9 mile run Sunday morning and killed it! Did my 9 miles in 91’11”. I should thank my new favorite running song, “I want you” by Fefe Dobson. Seriously, when it was on, I checked and I was running at a 6’51” pace!!! And felt great!!
A few weeks ago, I won one of Joanna’s giveaways at A Cup of Jo! I received the package today, full of goodies from Papermash! If you click on it you can hopefully see more closely how gorgeous it all is! My fave are the wine tags, they are so hilariously cute! I gave one of the notebooks to my sister for her birthday and she loved it :)

Now that spring is most definitely around the corner (really, it’s there!), does anyone have any big plans?

Runtimatum

2010-04-02T11:29:00.001-04:00

This week has been full of pretty good runs – even my “short” ones! I’ve been taking everyone’s advice and mentally preparing myself for them as much as I would for my long runs, and it seems to be working! The mind is such a funny thing…

Speaking of which, for those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you know that on Tuesdays, Carolyn and I go for a run together. Just this Tuesday we were talking about how great it was that we were actually able to fit them in both our busy schedules, but also how far Carolyn had come since the beginning of the winter! Because I was training for the half-marathon, I guess I had pretty much told her that if she wanted to run with me, I was going to have to do the amount of miles I had set for myself, so she’d have to tag along… pretty much, a runtimatum. I’m so impressed with the fact that she actually followed through – I know that last year, when my regular runs were 3 miles, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone on any 5 mile runs weekly! Plus, this week, we ran 6 miles together – her longest ever! How cool is that???

It was a beautiful run too, through the Rockliffe neighbourhood. We passed by the gigantic hole where I sprained my ankle:

Told you I’d take a picture! It doesn’t look so big, but it was.
Plus, there’s actually a little tree growing in it??

We also went through some gorgeous trails. Such a nice area to run in!!! Where I live, I think I’ve sort of tapped out all the nice areas to run… which is really just one. The rest is all on big roads and I find it a little gross to get all the exhaust fumes from cars and trucks…

Sweat

It’s funny to see how people sweat differently. I think compared to most girls, I sweat a LOT. And that used to really bother me. But now, I think it’s cool ;) It shows off my hard work, plus I think it’s sexy! Do you sweat a lot?

And finally, this is what I’m up to this week-end: drinking from my Easter mug, and reading philosophy on my drive to Montreal to see my family.

What are you guys up to this week-end?

Say no to butt cracks

2010-03-29T11:15:00.001-04:00

My house has a new temporary resident: my dad! He is visiting from Geneva, and it is quite awesome because he is pampering my sister and I. Seriously: he’s only been here for a bit over a day, and he’s cleaned the kitchen (every tiny little corner), made us risotto, and replenished the fridge. In one word: awesome!!!

This morning I was up bright and early as usual to go to bikram yoga with Megan. I am still amazed that I now have almost no problem waking up at 6:00 am! It used to be a mental battle every time!

Anyway, it was an interesting class. My mind was all over the place (one minute I was thinking of all the applications I have to send, and the next I was wondering what I should make for lunch). It was hard to be present and focus on my postures but I managed anyway! Until…

From the beginning of the class Megan and I had noticed this middle-aged man who was wearing very airy/flowy/flimsy and tiny white shorts. We had a feeling this might become nauseating at one point or another during the class, but we had no idea how much! He decided to stay asleep for the second half of the class and had his legs up (not sure how to explain), and long story short: WE COULD SEE HIS ENTIRE BUTT!!! EWWWWW!!!! Seriously, do people not KNOW that if you wear shorts like that, underwear might be a good idea?? The woman behind him actually moved her mat to the right because she couldn’t stand the sight…

Where have you run?

The other day I was thinking of all the cool places where I’ve decided to lace up my sneakers and go for a run so I figured I should do a little picture slideshow!

New York

This was a few days after my first 5K, and really at this point, I still thought a 5K was one of the hardest things ever!

Tuscany

Tuscany and its rolling hills tested my strength! You can’t tell by this picture but it was just hill after hill after hill. The views more than made up for it though :)

Geneva

I feel like I run in Geneva fairly frequently, and I have my routes all figured out. I still get lost at times but that almost makes it more fun!

Avignon

I ran through Avignon’s parking lots, and under the pont d’Avignon! It was crummy weather, but compared to Canada’s wintery cold, I thought it was quite nice!

Florida

As lovely as all this sand was, these runs were akin to torture at times. One thing is for sure though, it did wonders for my speed and my strength!

I can’t wait to keep adding more places to the list!

Where have you run?

Sunshine on the horizon

2010-03-26T12:10:00.001-04:00

I just became extremely giddy when I saw this little gem:

Sunshine!!!!

(although I just rechecked and it’s not looking QUITE so lovely but so what!)

Do you want to hear something silly? I used to think I didn’t LOVE summer and its hot temperatures. Don’t get me wrong: I was happy to see some sunshine, but there were a lot of cons that accompanied the pros. And really, I kept telling myself it had nothing to do with the fact that I was heavier, but it totally did.

I didn’t want to wear cute sundresses because I felt like an elephant in them. And I didn’t like the hot weather because I would get so hot and became uncomfortably aware of my body.

Needless to say, those thoughts are gone. While I may not yet be where I want to be, I definitely can’t wait to wear those sundresses and feel the hot sunshine on my skin (while wearing SPF, of course!).

Training Update

As per Amber’s request, it would appear that a training update would be in order!

Training has technically just started, even though it feels like I’ve been training for months already! Because I only run 3 times a week, I don’t ever have really short runs, my shortest being 5 miles. And lately, I’ve been finding THOSE really hard!

For example, this past week-end, I did 9 miles on the treadmill. Could’ve been awful, but I did it while watching Run, Fat Boy, Run, one of my fave movies, so it wasn’t so bad. Anyways, the 9 miles went by quickly, no issues, I even felt like I could’ve kept going! And then the 5 mile run that followed was excruciating. Go figure!

Along with that, I’m really trying to improve my nutrition. This article on diet for runners was really interesting. Even though I was aware of most of what they said, it put it into perspective again that I need to eat for fuel. And I’m still combining this with trying to lose weight. Not easy, but I was prepared for this. I would still REALLY love to be down to 135 by the time the half comes around, but I’m patient :) Anyways, I’ve started writing down my food again, so I don’t mindlessly eat a lot of chocolate, when instead I could’ve had some form of protein or fibre that would have fuelled me!

And one last note on the half-marathon: I just learned that my mom is going to be there to watch me!!!

She will be flying in from Geneva to see this and my sister’s graduation, so I’m extremely excited!!! Hope this was a satisfactory update :)

POM Wonderful Review

Back in December (on the same day that I learned that I passed the bar exam, in fact!), Molly from POM Wonderful contacted me to do a review of their products. She was kind enough to send me four coupons to try them out!

Very excited, I headed to the store and got four different kinds: Pomegranate, Pomegranate Mango, Pomegranate Kiwi, and their tea: Pomegranate Lychee.

On Valentine’s Day I had some of my girlfriends over and we made some Posmos: cosmos, with POM juice! I tried them all separately before mixing them. We all agreed that they were delicious (and made the BEST drinks – seriously will be making them again!). I loved the tart yet sweet taste, and knowing how chockfull of antioxidants this was! I loved the Mango one, I thought it was the one where the extra flavor popped the most.

I also tried it in a POM seltzer form (with the plain pomegranate one): I don’t usually drink juice, so this was a nice way to incorporate some of it without it being too sweet. Plus it added a bit of fun to my regular sparkling water!

As for the tea, it was extremely refreshing! A bit on the sweet side, but i know that it’s because most people enjoy it this way.

So there you have it! Do you guys generally drink juice? I used to but cut it out last year, simply because I prefer to eat an actual fruit most of the time :)

You better get up!!

2010-03-22T21:06:00.001-04:00

As you can tell from lack of posting, the past week has been hectic! I am keeping up with my promises of anti-procrastination and started writing one of my paper a whole MONTH before it is due. I will be done with it at some point this week, but after that it will be time to focus on some work for my Masters. After April 9th, I will be able to breathe a bit better :)

As usual, around “exam time” (or paper time, in my case), my life always turns into a juggling act. Some things fall by the wayside, but others I make a priority of accomplishing. Working out is obviously one of those.

I used to easily be able to leave my workouts until later in the afternoon, but this semester, that has been a recipe for disaster! Almost every time that I have left my work outs ’til the afternoon it has been a real pain trying to get them done. Now when my alarm goes off in the morning and I want to stay in bed and sleep longer, I tell myself “if you don’t do it now, you’ll have to do it later on today” and it really helps me get up. This morning was just such a day! I had to be up at 6am to go to yoga and had been sleeping so well (thanks to my newfound love: earplugs!!) that I was very tempted to skip out on my class. I remembered how busy the rest of my day was looking and realized that it was now or never, so off to yoga I went! It’s a good thing I went too because Megan showed up as well! This class stretched out all my sore and tight muscles from running. It even helped with my knee… it had been cracking CONSTANTLY and it’s now stopped. I’m not complaining!

Recipes!

I also have a few recipes that I would like to share with all of you! The first one is a little recreation that I made! When we were in Florida, I had this southwest chicken salad with a honey dijon dressing on our last night. It was SO so good. Obviously, it was not so good for my body… But since I’d been craving it and Iguana Mia was nowhere close, I decided to recreate it at home, but healthier! It came up to 368 calories per my calculation. Here’s the recipe:

Southwestern Chicken salad with honey dijon dressing
Serves 2

2 heads of romaine lettuce
4 oz of grilled chicken
3 tomatoes cut into pieces
2 tacos (can be omitted to be even healthier!)
1/2 cucumber
Grated light cheddar or tex mex cheese (I used 1/4 cup)
(and any other vegetables you’d like to add!)

Honey dijon dressing
1/3 cup of nonfat yogurt
3 tbsp of honey
3 tbsp of dijon mustard (you can put less, I just love dijon!)
1 tbsp of light mayo
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar

Papaya Parfait
(adapted from this post)

3/4 cup cubed papaya
3/4 cup nonfat yogurt
1 tbsp honey
sprinkle of granola

Puree the papaya, then layer with yogurt. Top with the honey and granola.

Has anyone else been cursed by all the Easter chocolate? I have to stop buying it… I’m partial to the Reese’s Eggies and the cream eggs… oh boy!!! What’s your favorite Easter treat?

To the end of the world

2010-03-15T21:36:00.001-04:00

That’s what my week-end run felt like.

I honestly don’t mind running on the treadmill. When I have my favourite shows tivoed, it makes life a breeze and I love anything that gets me multitasking ;) BUT, because my long runs have been increasingly long in preparation for the half-marathon, it does get a bit boring. I think one hour on the treadmill is my limit.

All this to say that all week long, I psyched myself for a nice 8 mile outdoor run on Sunday. I decided to run from my house to university. For those of you who are familiar with Ottawa, I went through Mooney’s Bay and Colonel By, and decided I would bus back afterwards.

We had been having gorgeous weather for the past week, but as fate would have it, Sunday was not quite as nice. Not only did I have to deal with losing an hour of sleep thanks to daylight saving, but I woke up to horrendous weather: it was barely above 0 degrees C, and it was raining quite a bit. Turns out some of that rain was hail at times: fun.

I didn’t let it get me down. I put on some long shorts (my leggings would have been better, in hindsight) and an extra layer on top, and I had the presence of mind to cover my ears as well. My hands were not so lucky because I didn’t think of wearing gloves.

There was absolutely no one on the streets when I left the house. Not even cars! The beginning of the 8 mile run was the same route that I usually take on my (what used to be) long 5 mile runs, and it was crazy to see how much I’ve improved in just a few months! It used to be TOUGH. And yesterday, up until about mile 5 it was a breeze (ok, a cold one, but still!).

Going through Mooney’s Bay was a little less fun because it got really windy there, and there were huge patches of ice that I had to slow down for and walk on.

I finally got onto Colonel By and knew that at that point, I was already half way done! I was starting to get pretty cold though but it was really only my hands. At that point my shuffle decided to give up on me, probably because of the rain. It was fully charged but just decided to stop working. Has this happened to anyone else??

It made the last few miles a bit tougher but I still managed. I even kept a good pace even though I was tired because of the cold, and the fear of missing the bus that would take me home. By the time I was done I could barely move my hands because they were so cold! Even after a really warm shower my fingers were moving super slowly and my hands were colorless. All better now though! All this to say that I’m very excited for warmer weather to come and to have more adventurous long runs like this one :) It’s so fun to actually GO somewhere when you’re running, don’t you think?

The truth and the lies

Truth: I played a little girl on a tv show when I lived in France! I guess it’s more accurate to say that it was a re-enactment more than anything, but still! I played a girl who had leukemia. My “parents” gave me a bear in the show and I still have it somewhere :)

Yes, you can laugh at this picture!

Some more truths:

I’ve never had chicken pox OR cavities!
I’ve never played soccer (except at school). I’m awful at it. I’m surprised no one thought I played soccer?? lol!
I realized the other day that I have very few guy friends. I used to have a ton though, where did they all go??
I used to play the piano and the flute and was in a youth orchestra – we even did a little tour in Scandinavia!
Some of my previous boyfriends include the following nationalities: Australian, French, American, German, and of course Canadian ;)
I was bitten (on the face) by a german shepherd when I was little and had another scary dog experience and because of that, I’m still a little scared of big jumpy dogs!

Sorry about how late I’ve been catching up on all your blogs, I’m trying to finish all my papers by the end of March! So in the spirit of relaxation, what do you like to do to relax?

Canadian running boot camp

2010-03-11T13:57:00.001-05:00

My friend Carolyn and I have been getting together on Tuesdays to watch Lost and make dinner for each other. This Tuesday, we added another item to the routine: going running together!

Carolyn and I ran the 5k together back in May and it was on her favorite 5 mile course that I sprained my ankle. It was that same route that we took yesterday!

It’s quite a beautiful course actually, apart from the ankle cracking memories it brings (ha!). We even saw the hole in which I fell and let me tell you, it was pretty big! Next time I’ll take a picture. We went through some Rockliffe park neighbourhoods with beautifully gigantic houses (it’s one of the nicest parts of Ottawa) then along the Ottawa River and finished through a nice quiet neighbourhood.

Someone mentioned in the last post how great it is that I have a lot of friends who enjoy being active and working out with me, and I couldn’t agree more! We both got something different out of this run: for me, it was a run that reminded me how FUN running is. I went a bit slower than I usually do, the sun was shining and the weather was mild and over all, it was just a great and fun run :) There was even a little boot camp part in the run because part of the trails were COVERED in inches of snow which felt a lot like running in sand!

Purple and orange

Last night I made an amazing meal. It was visually appealing and tasted as good as it looked! I unfroze some of the butternut squash gnocchi that I had made some time ago and made Jamie Oliver’s braised red cabbage with apples recipe. Oh my God guys. This combination was just so, SO good. Next dinner party I have, I will be serving this exact meal. And imagine how beautiful it would look with some greens on the side?? Perfect!!

Blog Lovin’

The inspiring Amy over at Please Don’t Eat Me! (love that name!) gave me the “Creative Writer” award some time ago and I kept forgetting to put it up so here we go!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Here are my 6 lies and 1 truth:

I have had both the chicken pox and multiple cavities.
When I was a kid I used to play soccer and was quite agile at kicking the ball in any direction I wanted it to go.
I have way more guys friends than girl friends.
I wish I had learned to play musical instruments when I was a child, unfortunately, I never took any lessons.
When I lived in France I played a little girl on a tv show for one episode.
I’ve only ever dated Canadian guys.
I’ve always loved dogs, big and small, and was never scared of them!

I’m awarding this to all of you, so tell me some truths and lies about you :) And try to guess which one is my truth ;)

Madonna is a tough one

2010-03-06T12:04:00.001-05:00

I feel like three days were squeezed into my Friday and I am now paying for it on this lovely Saturday morning.

Friday morning, Megan and I went to our regular 6:30am Spinning class. We were both a little disappointed because our regular instructor wasn’t there, and to top it off, we were DEFINITELY disappointed when we heard the music… The instructor (who was a young woman) played such weird songs… mostly country music. Anyways it was definitely not the type of music that makes you want to bike on top of gigantic hills. Plus the class itself was a bit on the boring side (just a lot of repetition). Nevertheless, this was still spinning so we still had a pretty good workout. The most fun part of our day was going to happen later on though!

{Source}

At 7:45pm, we went to the yoga studio for a Madonna flow workshop!!! On the website it said that it was going to be a 1h30 vinyasa class with Madonna music playing. We both thought it would be more of a stretching class and had plans to go out with some friends afterwards.

When we got there, the entire room was decorated with multi-color Christmas lights and there was even a disco ball on the ceiling! I wish I had had my camera to take pictures, it was really quite neat!

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Very quickly the room got packed! We were pretty much packed like sardines and the level of estrogen in that room must’ve been quite high with all the girls! All we could hear were girls gabbing and let’s face it, Megan and I were as well, but it totally added to the fun of the night!

Then the actual class started. It was actually an ashtanga class which I have already taken before and they are NOT a piece of cake! After a few sun salutations I was already sweating and my hair was definitely not in shape for going out afterwards…

While the class was intense it was still so relaxing at the same time. The lights were off except for the Christmas lights and the disco ball which was actually really soothing! The class also included sporadic spurts of dancing which I thought really improved the stretches of a lot of postures – go figure! – and made it all that much more fun! Megan and I decided that we would TOTALLY take that workshop again and really make it a full-on girl’s night the next time ;)

By the time class was over it was too late to go out so instead we had a vanilla roibos tea latte at Starbucks. When I got home my muscles were already feeling so sore so I ran myself a bath and it reaaaally helped. I am very aware of ALL the muscles I used as I’m typing but I think it could’ve been a lot worse. I’m very happy today is my rest day because my muscles need it!

Hope you all have a great week-end – what are you up to?

What workouts or classes do you ever find so fun that you don’t even realize they are exercise??

March Goals

2010-03-03T17:44:00.001-05:00

I totally can’t believe it’s March already. Seriously, where did the time go?? I feel like just yesterday I was excited about Christmas!

I had a little bout of procrastination but I feel like I’m finally back in the game and ready to tackle my training for my half-marathon, school work and job applications! In the spirit of this, I decided to put on paper some goals that I have for the month:

Keep on track with exercising. I’m actually very proud of my work-outs since I’ve been back from Florida. I’ve been working out 6 times a week, with a lot of variety and intensity and I’m always happy to do it! I haven’t had to play mental games to get myself on the treadmill so I just want it to stay that way :)
Eat nutritionally-denser food. Because of all the exercising I’ve been doing, my appetite has shot through the roof. It’s like nothing can satisfy me! Thankfully it seems to have gotten back to a normal level but during those 2 weeks of intense appetite, I would reach for snacky foods like… chocolate. For the same amount of calories I could’ve had a more well-rounded snack which probably would’ve kept me full longer, and at least I would’ve refuelled my body with nutrients.
Get all my papers out of the way! Starting tomorrow I’m going to kick my research into gear so I can be done with my two assignments before March is done. Then, it will be time to tackle my final one: the research paper!
Stick to my half-marathon plan! As you guys can see, I put it below (hopefully you can click on it and see a bigger version – and let me know if I’m running too much or not enough).

Fun with friends

I feel so lucky because I have spent the past few days hanging out with all my good friends! Friends are good for the soul – I’m feeling so happy from seeing all of them and having some good laughs!

On Friday I had dinner at one of my friend’s house, who is always talking about how she never cooks. So I was definitely surprised to hear that she would be making dinner, but you know what? It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had! She made us jasmine rice with chicken, peppers, mushrooms and mango!!! I was so happy to be taking home a doggy bag :P

I also had book club over the week-end where we discussed The Secret Life of Bees (love that book!) and Katie, who was hosting it, had the great idea of having us try one of the character’s favorite drink: coke with peanuts! (or in our case, Coke Zero) I don’t know that I would drink it regularly but I just thought it was such a fun way to bring the book to life :)

And yesterday, Carolyn came over to have dinner at my house and watch lost and we unfroze some of my falafels and had them in greek pita with a tzatziki/tahini sauce and cabbage, cucumbers and a perfectly ripe tomato. It was GOOD!!!

Speaking of books, what’s YOUR favorite book right now? Or if that’s too hard to answer, what are you reading? I’m reading I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb and can’t wait to read some more of his stuff!

Cleaning your house, room by room

2010-02-23T15:30:00.000-05:00

Great comments on the last post, where we discussed splurges and saves! I should mention that another thing I splurge on is magazines. Shape, SELF and Glamour are must-reads for me. They allow me to wind down for a bit and educate myself on health, beauty, and life in general.

On Monday I took a break from intense cover letter writing to take a peek at the new SELF magazine. What was supposed to be a 10 minute quick break turned into a slightly longer one because I started to read this piece written by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger and Catherine Birndorf, M.D. about cleaning your house, on a metaphorical level.

In the article, they equate our lives to a house, in which different rooms represent different aspects of our lives. For example, the office is where we deal with work-related problems, the bathroom with weight and self-esteem issues, etc. I thought the metaphor was so spot-on and visually understandable.

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When you think about it, “cleaning up” is so important, both metaphorically and literally. A messy house often indicates a messy life, as the reality hit Hoarders shows. Just last week I was having trouble focusing on school work and would procrastinate to no end. I had even started getting pretty bad insomnia again. So the next morning I finally cleaned up my office, my bedroom, and the kitchen, and I was then able to sit down and put in a few very productive hours of work (now, I only have the rest of the house to tackle lol).

There is also a 10th room which is “a room of one's own. It might be a sunny porch, a cozy corner, a mental space (even an activity such as a walk or jog) where you reflect on your life and your role in the world. How can you do more of what you love? You contemplate the big existential questions here.” (Self March 2010, p. 115)

As the article states, when one room is messy, it often impacts the rest of the house; similarly, if one room gets cleaned up it can improve the household in general as well.

I just really enjoyed the article not necessarily in order to follow each and every advice step by step but mostly as a way to remind us all the importance that our surroundings can have on us and what can happen when we let one area of our life impact the rest.

There are a few rooms in my life that need cleaning. Well first, my real house needs cleaning! :) The office is the room I’m most concerned about: it isn’t really messy as much as it is lacking furniture. Once I get a job, another area of my life will be organized and will make the rest of me feel more fulfilled.

The bathroom is currently undergoing remodelling. I have the plan of what it will look like so the room itself is not too messy, but it’s not perfect yet. It is still a gigantic improvement compared to the teeny cramped space it used to be!

I also want to point out that I am fine with the bedroom/family room. I may not be in a relationship but I have plenty of amazing friendship and a supportive family which are keeping me very emotionally fulfilled and happy :)

What about you: what rooms need some cleaning up? Which rooms are you happy with?

Splurge vs. Save

2010-02-22T10:41:00.001-05:00

Good morning lovelies!

I woke up bright and early this morning to go to my favorite Bikram Yoga class and after a good sweat (and shower) I’m finally sitting down to have breakfast. I think I’ve mentioned before that for some reason, I have craved waffles with nut butter and jelly every. single. morning for the past few months. I switch it around once in a while but keep on wanting my waffles for breakfast!

I used to get these:

The Nature’s Path waffles are organic, the list of ingredients is short and simple, and they taste GOOD! If I could, I would still be buying those… Only problem? They are expensive!! And since it’s an every day occurrence for me, I couldn’t logically keep buying the Nature’s Path brand when I could get these Eggo waffles:

…for half the price and two extra waffles. The list of ingredients is definitely not as short and simple but they are whole wheat and have about the same nutritional information. Although apparently, there seems to be an Eggo waffle shortage (that would explain why I barely ever see them in stores!) so I may have to splurge once in a while :)

I Still Splurge

There are obviously a few products that I still get even if they put a good dent in my monthly grocery bill:

Crofter’s Jam: I can’t buy any other jam now. I’ve tried, but always end up disappointed and feel like it takes me FOREVER to finish it, so now I just stick with Crofter’s :)

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Hazelnut butter: to me it ALMOST tastes like Nutella, and it’s amazing in oatmeal!

So it appears that half my breakfast is splurge, and the other half isn’t :P It’s better than nothing I guess!

On a separate note, I’m not sure if it’s because of all the exercise I have been doing, but I have been ravenous!

What products do you feel good splurging on and which ones aren’t worth the money?

Goodies and spinning

2010-02-19T11:24:00.001-05:00

Look what came in the mail on Wednesday:

I won Jolene’s giveaway and pretty much fell into foodie heaven and beauty products galore!! I can’t even put into words how excited I was! Just to name a few that have me salivating, I can’t wait to have my first Glo bar, some amazing grass and coconut truffle tea???

You are too sweet Jolene, thank you so much! :)

I also made a pretty good soup if I may say so myself:

Curried lentil soup, on the same day that Kristen over at Change of Pace made lentil soup as well! Great minds think alike ;)

Back to spinning!

This morning I finally headed back to Friday morning spinning classes! I had a late volleyball game last night and to celebrate our first victory we went out for a beer, and while it was all quite fun, by the time I was ready to get into bed it was past midnight and I had to be up by 6am… And if you count how long it actually took me to fall asleep, well, let’s just say that by the time my alarm went off I felt as though I had just fallen asleep!

It’s funny all the things you can do before 8am! I ended up having a killer workout at the RA Centre spinning classes with an amazing instructor! He really pushed us and made the class go 10 minutes over time! I never thought I’d say this but I was so happy he did :)

I also met a girl who did the same law program as me but graduated a year early and she told me a bit about her articling so that was also quite instructive!

And after class I chatted a bit with the instructor who happens to train people for marathons and half and he offered to look over my training plan! He gave me lots of great tips too and I absorbed all of them like a sponge!

I then celebrated by having a boiling shower (I was feeling super cold!) and a green monster with some of the chocolate Amazing Superfood that Jolene sent me! I had no mangoes so it was really just banana, spinach and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It smelled awful but overall it was pretty good!

I have a packed week-end ahead of me: celebrating a girlfriend’s birthday, brunch with a friend I haven’t seen in a while, potentially seeing Valentine’s Day, and of course, a lot of school work :)

What are you up to this week-end?

Let’s talk about food

2010-02-17T13:41:00.002-05:00

I’m not a food blogger by any means, but I still really enjoy taking pictures of food that is either aesthetically pleasing, absolutely delicious, or even better: both!

There’s been a few recipes/meals that I’ve been meaning to share with you and now seems to be the best time to do it!

Jilian’s mess, with an egg

Jilian is always talking about one of her favorite easy meals to do: her rice mess! She was enough to provide step by step instructions which I recreated pretty much immediately. Basically, you mix together some rice, salsa, and laughing cow cheese. I decided to add my own personal touch by adding… a poached egg!

This is too delicious for words. And in my mind, it’s comfort food at it’s best!

Look at how gooey it is… yum!

Yummy salads

What do you get when you mix spinach, 2 hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers and some kabocha squash (oh, and a drizzle of asian sesame vinaigrette)? The best lunch on the go!!

Friendly Spaghetti

Carolyn was too sweet and made me some of her famous spaghetti sauce (and it’s GOOD!). I was so happy to have that last night because I have been on an anti-cooking spree. With some kabocha squash on the side (and some lean meatballs added) it made for the perfect lazy meal!

Falafel
(adapted from here)

Some of you may remember me talking about one of the most amazing meals I had had at l’As du Falafel back in Paris a few months ago. I had figured out pretty much all the ingredients so decided to recreate it at home!

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
sprinkle of salt
1 clove of garlic
2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp of flour
1 egg
vegetable oil
2 cooked or marinated baby eggplants
chopped tomato (garnish)
chopped zucchini (garnish)
chopped cabbage (garnish)
tzatziki sauce, yogurt, tahini (for sauce)
pita bread

Place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak overnight then drain. (You can also used canned chickpeas, just double the amount of dried chickpeas and drain)
Chop the onion, herbs and garlic in the food processor, then remove.
Pass the chickpeas in the food processor until roughly chopped but not pureed.
In a bowl, combine the chickpea mixture with the onion/herbs, egg, cumin, baking powder and flour. Mix well.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Form chickpea into balls (walnut-sized) or patties.
Heat some oil in a skillet and fry them, a few minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
Stuff pita with zucchini, cabbage and eggplants. Add falafel balls. Add some of the tzatziki-yogurt-tahini sauce and sprinkle with chopped tomato.

All the ingredients for assembly: cabbage, zucchini, eggplants and falafel balls.

All together!

Any fun recipes you’d like to share? Also, does anyone have a better way of making falafel – i.e. that does not involve frying?

Giveaway winner!

2010-02-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

I decided to pick the winner by hand (as opposed to using a random number generator) because a few had answered but selflessly didn’t wish to partake in the giveaway :P

So the winner is…

Shoshanah! Just email me your address and your loot will be on its way! :)

Thanks everyone for participating!

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-14T12:46:00.001-05:00

We’re in February, and in my mind, that means the winter is coming to an end soon (I know, I’m in denial). Since we still have a few months left before being to feel lush green grass under our feet, I figure I might as well make the most out of the winter time!

There are so many great outdoor activities that can be done during Winter, like cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, etc. Plus, working out outside actually makes you burn more calories (basically, because we’re so cold). For example, I have been making great use of the Rideau Canal!

When the weather is nice, skating is such a great way to spend an afternoon. I’m not gonna lie though: I fell. My knees still hurt from it and are getting purpler by the second!. But there was a consolation prize:

Beaver Tails! I had the cinnamon, sugar
and lemon juice one, which is deeelicious!

The nice weather made me come out for brunch on Saturday morning too! Funny thing: I used to not enjoy morning workouts (I’m pretty sure I’ve written a post about there somewhere) but since I’ve been back from Florida that’s all I’ve been doing! And I’m definitely enjoying them more!

Anyways, I met Carolyn, her boyfriend and her sister at the Scone Witch for one of their amazing brunch. Apart from a little mix-up (I was waiting for them at the wrong location, then got lost – twice) we had a blast! I had “The Brunch” – scrambled eggs with Mediterranean veggies and goat cheese, salad, fruit, and a vanilla scone with some of their amazing jam. It was so beautiful and I meant to take a picture for you guys but by the time we actually got our food I was starving and wolfed the whole thing down!

And because I was in the area, I knew I had to stop by Isobel’s bakery to pick up some cupcakes for Valentine’s day!

Top row first, from left to right: chocolate raspberry, chocolate and white chocolate, key lime pie, chocolate ganache, lemon, and just plain chocolate with funky icing! I had the chocolate raspberry one because it actually got squooshed on the ride home… and I will most likely have the key lime pie one as well at some point!

Are there any special activities you like to do during the winter?

Also, don’t forget to enter my giveaway! You have until Monday at 11:00 am EST. Hope you all have a great Valentine’s day with the people you love!

Training Questions and Giveaway

2010-02-10T11:58:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for your sweet comments on my last post, they warmed my heart! :)

I also just wanted to point out that I have been doing awesome with my work outs – working out 6 times a week! (just look at my work out recap on the side bar to the right). Yesterday, I ran 5 miles, then in the afternoon went skating on the Rideau canal for pretty much an hour and 1/2!

As I have mentioned in passing a few times, I am officially signed up for the Ottawa Half-Marathon which will take place on May 30th.

I’m not going to lie: I am scared. Whenever I look at the map of the course, I think to myself “Driving this would be long!”. At other times, I remember that I will be training for this which should make the whole process a lot less painful!

Which brings me to my inquiry: I need a training plan! I know that they usually span over a 12-week period, so training should officially begin in March.

I would want to include a few things into it. I want to run 3 times a week, leaving 3 days for cross-training (yoga, weights and spinning or swimming). I run 5 miles at a time usually and I sort of don’t want to run less than that at a time…

With that said, what would you recommend as a training plan or where should I look?

Giveaway

For all your sweet comments, here is a sweet giveaway!

I have assembled a few of my favorite things here:

Swiss milk chocolate, Earl Grey Kusmi Tea, Peanut butter and jelly larabar and…

…Cherry and Chili dark chocolate, Annie’s White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, and some Christmas Chai tea!

I know it’s a weird mix of stuff but I love it all :)

To enter, leave a comment telling me something interesting about where you’re from or where you’re currently living. For example, Ottawa, has the world’s largest skating rink!

For extra entries, let me know in a separate comment if you’ve tweeted or blogged about it.

You have until Monday Feb. 15th at 11:00am EST to enter!

ps: check out Jolene's "Things I LOVE" giveaway over at Everyday Foodie!

In 1 year: Strong and Confident

2010-02-05T10:18:00.003-05:00

This date almost went by without me noticing, but today is my 1 year blogaversary. Yup, one year ago I mustered up the courage to create my own blog after reading many Glamour blogs (like Vitamin G) and Girl With The Red Hair.

Originally, this was my little secret. Amber was literally the only one who knew about it!!! I’m not too sure why I didn’t want to share it with friends and family… The point of this blog was to help me lose weight and keep me accountable, so I guess part of me was hoping that they hadn’t noticed that I needed to lose weight yet? By keeping it a secret, I was still a bit in denial as to how much help I needed I think… Little by little I started to get more readers, and the weight began melting away.

A year ago, I was a girl with very little self-confidence. Nothing was going my way, whether it be health-wise or professionally. I can’t even begin to tell you the changes that have occurred in me since I started the blog. Yes, I lost over 35 lbs and that’s great, but it is so much more than that.

I now have total confidence in my self, inside and out. I know that I am a strong woman and that I can handle anything that’s thrown at me. Even better: I actually love myself now! I know this sounds totally self-centered, but if you had asked me what I love about myself a year ago, the list would’ve been pretty tiny. So the fact that I changed – for the better – is amazing to me!

I don’t keep this blog a secret anymore. I have the readers from the blogging world, but I’ve also told my friends and family about it now (hi everyone!).

Not afraid to tell people now!

I want to thank you all for sticking with me, from the beginning when I could barely run a few minutes without being out of breath, to now, when I am training for my first half-marathon in May! All your comments and insights have helped me become a better person; you’ve helped me when I was down and congratulated me when I was doing good.

I’ve got a little giveaway planned to celebrate which I should be revealing sometime next week!

Tell me: what’s the biggest change you’ve seen in yourself?

ps: Happy early Birthday to Lisa!!!

pps: Happy 5 YEAR Anniversary to Amber and Eric!

The Sunshine State

2010-02-03T12:26:00.001-05:00

Oh guys, I love Florida!!

I had never gone somewhere warm in the middle of winter, and I just may be hooked! It was so nice to catch some rays, relax, and read something fun for a change :)

Three of my friends flew out last Saturday, and my friend Megan and I had to wake up at 3:30 on a Sunday morning to fly to Fort Lauderdale. Our friends picked us up and off we were to Miami! We stopped at this restaurant on South Beach for some lunch and 2 for 1 Margaritas and this was the size of them:

We were all laughing thinking “Woah, this was a REALLY good deal, we really got two good ones in there”. And when we were done, the waitress comes down and says “Ready for round two?” and we all looked at each other thinking: this was only ONE of them???

The rest of the week we mostly relaxed by the pool or by the beach but of course also did some shopping!

The soundtrack for the trip was Glee. We listened to it pretty much non-stop when we were in the car!

We went out to a few fun restaurants (the best one was Iguana Mia – anyone heard of it??).

On our last night :(

Then this past Saturday, it was time to head home :( We once again had to get up at 3:30am because we had to drive almost 2 hours to the airport. My friends all had an early flight but mine was at 6:30pm so I decided (after much convincing) to spend the day in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The bus ride there was super SUPER sketchy (everyone was drunk. At 8:30am on a Saturday) but once I was on Las Olas Boulevard and walking on the beach I had a great time. I actually ended up walking for at least 3 hours that day and had a great time!

Healthy Talk

I think we all did pretty good staying fairly healthy while being over there. Our first morning there we pretty much all went for a run!! I ended up running on the beach on 2 days (KILLER workout, my thighs were in so much pain after!) and one day on the sidewalk.

Proof!

Eating-wise we’d have a healthy breakfast (I had oatmeal with greek yogurt, some banana and PB), a light lunch (mostly consisting of veggies and hummus with an Arnold thin wheat bread) and then we would have lunch out somewhere.

I actually managed to lose weight while being there – go figure. It wasn’t my intent but I’m still glad :)

Now I’m back home, with a fairly good tan and some great memories!

No-Sugar Challengers: a parting word

2010-01-31T12:44:00.001-05:00

So I’m back from Florida! There is so much to tell but I will do the recap post in a few days.

In the meanwhile, I just wanted to say a few things to those who will be going back to sugar on Monday.

If you’re anything like me, you have planned what your imaginary February 1st will be like. I would start the day with pancakes (duh!) and maple syrup, for lunch I will probably have a variety of chocolate with cookies on the side, and for dinner, waffles. With whipped cream.

Does that actually sound like a good idea? No.

Just keep in mind when you finish the challenge, that at that point you are free to eat as much sugar as you want, but it doesn’t mean you need to act on that. You have all the time in the world to try out all the sugary snacks you’ve been craving, so take it slow on your first day back. You will be happier with yourself if you spread out the above-mentioned feast ;) (Full disclosure: I’m still planning on having those pancakes!). Chances are, once you are allowed to have whatever you’re craving, you may not even want it!

Florida Sugar Mountain?

I’ll be honest with you: I had some sugar while in Florida. I hate the idea of diets in general and I definitely don’t believe that they should stop you from having fun. Like Lizzie when she went to St. Lucia, I indulged in a few sugary treats, such as $1 margaritas (I dare you to say no that!!). I had a few pieces of candy too when the girls and I would stay up to talk. In my opinion though, it could have been much worse. I said no to pop (except yesterday when we drove back to the airport and I thought I was very close to getting sick in the car :S ), didn’t even have chocolate, and still had my morning oatmeal without added sugar.

I do hope that no one feels I’ve let them down, because that was not my intention. I felt a tinge of guilt whenever something sugary would pass my mouth! I don’t regret it though, and I guess that’s the point.

You would think that this being my second time, I would have nothing to learn, and yet I did. I learned to love oatmeal without any added sugar, and to truly look everywhere for it. I loved that so many of you participated in your own way, even my mom and brother have been doing it! I found some new substitutes to use (sweetened vs. unsweetened almond milk), but also learned that some sugar isn’t always a bad thing :)

What did you learn this month with this challenge? And for those of you who didn’t participate, how are your New Year’s resolutions going so far?

I can’t wait to tell you all about Florida!

Winter Run

2010-01-20T16:41:00.001-05:00

I guess it wouldn’t be very hard to believe if I told you I had never run outdoor in the frigid Canadian winter. But, as of today, that is no longer true!!

Carolyn and I decided that after our morning class, we would grab a bite and head out on the canal trails for a 4 mile run. Just a bit before that though, we went to the Nike store to return my shoes (long story, but bottom line, they were NOT good for my feet) and I got some new ones which I am in love with – so much so that I ran an extra mile once I got home just to try them out! More about that in a later post…

So, our run! I’m not the type of person who WANTS to go run with other people. I like my quiet time and/or TV time as I am exercising. And yet, every time I do go for a run with someone I always love it and end up having a great time!

It was exactly the case today. The weather was quite mild, we were both dressed weather-appropriate (always helps!), and we chit-chatted most of the way while still going at a pretty good pace!

We also noted that it would’ve been a perfect day
to bring along a camera… Oh well.
{Source}

Carolyn has been there from day 1 of my fitness journey, I did my first running race with her (see below taken at the 5K we did last May) and it was just great to head out together :)

Florida!

You would think that after being gone for a month over the holidays I would want to stay home, right? Wrong! I was presented with a deal I couldn’t refuse, so I am headed to Florida!!!

My friend’s uncle owns a condo which he usually rents out, but next week (which I happen to have off) hadn’t been rented off to anyone, so me and 4 friends are going to be heading down there from this Sunday to Saturday 30th! PLUS, I used my Aeroplan miles (similar to air miles) and was able to fly there and back for $75!! See what I mean?? How could I say no to that?

This is my first girls trip so I am super excited!! :) I’ve visited friends before but never travelled somewhere unknown and with so many girls (yes, I’ve never been to Florida. Go figure!). I don’t know if I’ll be able to post down there but we’ll see :)

A poaching story

Finally, I have to finish off with a post about the most amazing and beautiful food: the poached egg.

I had made poached eggs before, but it was always while using this little poach pod:

Sure it wasn’t too messy and they always came out esthetically perfect, but I find that it always tasted a bit like plastic and non-stick spray. I had a total craving the other day so I decided to make poached eggs the real way: boil water, add a splash of vinegar, reduce to a simmer. Crack an egg in a ramekin/small dish, and pour in the centre. Cook for 3-4 minutes. And voila. Yum!

Do you usually go somewhere for March break? (next week is my March break because we have a January semester and then a Winter semester from Feb.-April). I’ve never experienced “March” break so I’m super excited!!! :)

The most controversial debate

2010-01-18T13:13:00.001-05:00

What am I referring to?

The scale of course!

The scale used to be referred to as the key item that could help someone in their weight-loss journey. It is always honest, and will tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. And yet, in the past few years, we have started to look at it as a traitor who can ruin our day in an instant. Everywhere, we see articles titled “I lost weight by throwing away my scale!”.

So what gives? Is that hatred really warranted?

The main reason why people seem to view the scale differently is two-fold. First, seeing a bad number can definitely dampen your mood, which can then lead you back to your bad habits, mostly for those who self-medicate with food. Second, it is so easy to become slightly obsessive with the scale, which can then lead to other problems.

To be sure, it is an individual decision, and I don’t think that it will be the same for everyone. For me, the scale has been key to my success. That’s not to say that I didn’t hover over the obsessive line… I remember at one point, when I was doing really good, I would actually weigh myself about 10 times a day. Why? I have no idea!! I think it was mostly because I just couldn’t believe that I was finally losing the weight, and that it was staying off!

The reason why I will never ditch the scale is because when I do, it’s not a good sign. It means that I’m afraid of what it will tell me, because I know I haven’t been doing good… Whereas when I know I’ve been doing all that I need to do, I want to get on the scale because I want to see the positive results I’ve worked for!

No-Sugar Challenge Oops Moment:

As promised, here is a delicious soup that I concocted with the help of my mom! I didn’t follow any actual recipe, but rather just cut up a butternut squash (a fairly small one) and a sweet potato, covered them in water and added some broth powder (you could use regular broth or water or a mix of both) and cooked it on high for about 30 minutes. Then, I used the immersion blender and had this beauty for lunch:

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato soup with some parsley on top (don’t put too much though!) in my cute bowl
my parents got me in Annecy!

In regards to my No-Sugar Challenge oops moment… Well. You all know how I love my pizza and usually have it about once a week? Well I never even thought of looking at the ingredients in the pizza sauce that I was using. And the other day, when I was cooking for some friends, a word in the ingredient list jumped at me: SUGAR. No!!! It definitely goes to show that you have to check everything because non-necessary sugar is hiding everywhere! Tomatoes are so sweet on their own I never even thought to check the ingredients there.

What’s your opinion on the scale debate? Necessary or doing more harm than good?
And for the no-sugar challengers out there, we’re over halfway through! Is it getting easier?

Give me my routine back!

2010-01-12T16:17:00.001-05:00

Great news: I’ve got a cold! Not really the runny-nose kind, but rather the endless-coughing-every-time-I-breathe kind. I really wanted to go for a run on Sunday but everything was getting in my way to keep me from doing it! The ironic thing is that on Saturday night when I went to sleep, I was unsure of whether or not I’d be able to run, not because I was sick, but because of a HUGE blister that I got from my new running shoes under my foot (I thought about putting up the picture, but I would gross you all out). Turns out the point was moot, since I can’t breathe properly :)

All I have been wanting to do lately is get back to my routine and do my work-outs as planned and yet everything is getting in my way! Does it ever get like that for you? Life gets so hectic sometimes that “routine” becomes “special” because it is just so rare to have a normal week!

Let me explain.

I am a list/schedule lover. Everything that can be put on a list will be on a list. Examples? List of books to read, List of movies to rent, List of things to do, and let’s not forget my intensely detailed day-to-day schedule (sometimes I write down when I should go down for coffee).

So yeah, I like having a routine. I like knowing that on Mondays, I have this class, and after this class I will go home and workout, and after that I’ll do some homework.

Lately, almost nothing has gone according to plan and lots of little things have made pretty much everyday far from routine. Which in turn, means that finding time to work out, and then actually doing it, has been a PAIN in the bum!

It’s not like making myself work-out is ever easy. I enjoy most of my work-outs now, but every time something gets in the way I need more and more energy to force myself to do it. On the upside, it means that every time I do work-out instead of watching TV, it’s like a little victory which I do celebrate.

Still. Is it too much to ask for a normal week once in a while?

No-Sugar Challenge Update:

The first few days were a breeze for me. My sweet tooth was still feeling satisfied from all the sweets I ingested over the holidays (like this gorgeous strawberry meringue below!).

This was eaten, but before Jan. 1st!

I had a busy and tiring week-end and I have to say, that’s when my urge for sweets kicked back in. All I wanted was a brownie, or a cookie, or anything else that mixed carbs and sugar! Don’t worry, I didn’t cave. But here’s an snack idea for when a craving hits (or when you’re going to the movie theatre but know there’ll be nothing healthy to eat there): Apple with natural peanut butter (or other natural nut butter).

What about you? Do you like having a routine? Or do you find all those changes exciting because they keep you on your toes?

Home Sweet Home!

2010-01-06T15:53:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry if I have been M.I.A. lately! I came home on Sunday (way later than I was supposed to) and since then I have been taking a January class – same class every morning at 8:30 – so I haven’t had time to recuperate on sleep and life has been hectic! Which explains why I’m behind on everyone’s blogs, but no worries, I intend to catch up today :P

This is the sunrise on the day that I left… beautiful!

I don’t have enough energy to write full sentences, so here’s my life these past few days, bullet-style:

Lots of delays at the airport because of the weather, so we got home at 8:30pm instead of 4:30pm. By the time I got to bed, it was 10:30pm (so really, 4:30 am Geneva-time) and I only got 8 hours of sleep before having to get up at 6:30. It’s going to be like that all week and I need to recuperate!
I got locked out of my house yesterday. Fun. And I didn’t have any work with me to do and I was tired and my feet were soaking wet and I walked for pretty much an hour (long story) – and I was literally on the verge of tears. My sister saved the day by coming to meet me with a key.
I haven’t had a chance to work-out since … Friday?? Thankfully, I’ve done a lot of walking, so I don’t feel too bad. As soon as I’m done with this I’m going to go for a run and it will be on the treadmill which, strangely enough, I sort of missed!
No-Sugar Challenge: going surprisingly well!! I’m such a sugar-lover, and for some reason I’m not craving it at all. Must be because I may or may not have overdone it on the sugar in December… The temptations have been there though! On the plane (the dessert is the only good part of the food), when I was locked out and went to Starbucks and was starving, when my friend Carolyn was having delicious chocolate chip cookies, or when my family had a Galette des Rois (pie with almond paste inside) I didn’t eat this. I swear!
I got some belated Christmas presents from Carolyn! How cool is she??
Yoga toesocks, a book on Sleep (one of my fave activities), and Sugar cookie Celestial Seasoning’s tea!!

Whew, can’t believe I wrote this much… This was supposed to be a short post!

What about you: how has it been going back to the grind? And for all you No-Sugar challengers, how are you finding it?

No-Sugar Challenge Survival Kit

2010-01-01T09:24:00.001-05:00

Since I’ve had some feedback from some of you wanting to do the No-Sugar Challenge with me, I’ve decided to write up a post on how exactly it works and some tips for surviving the month :) If you’re confused as to what I’m talking about, check out the last post on resolutions.

Rules:

During the month of January, we’re going to limit or completely remove our added-sugar intake. That includes artificial sweetener and Stevia.
This means that fruits and vegetables are in, sugar and sweeteners are out. Honey and agave nectar seem to be on the in-between line as they are natural, but in order to not do this for nothing, I would remove them from your diet for the month of January.
You can adapt the challenge to your “level”. If it’s your first time. If there is 1g of sugar in a can, it’s up to you whether or not you want to have it or not. I will be limiting my amount of fruit servings to 3 a day but if it’s your first time feel free to have as much fruit as you need.

Now here are some tips to help you through the month!

Tip #1: Obvious foods you can’t eat

That would be chocolate. And anything chocolate-related.

Anything canned is also a potential sugar-mine. Definitely check the ingredients list to check whether or not there is actual sugar in there or if the sugar is there because of a fruit/vegetable.

No sugar or sweetener in the coffee. That was the hard part for me – I was definitely using one or the other! But I cut it out and haven’t looked back since then. I even tried to “treat” myself to a coffee with some sugar during exam time and it was just too gross!

No jam or other sweet things we like to add to our food!

Tip #2: So what should I eat?

Whether it’s sugar in coffee, jam on your PB&J sandwich or a post-dinner chocolate snack, sugar is actually all around us. So what can you eat when you remove all that??

For breakfast, I will replace the sweet component with a fruit. Banana on toast (with natural PB which has no added sugar), or add a banana to my plain yogurt, or in my oatmeal.

For lunch, when I’d usually get a canned soup – I’ll make one! It’s so easy. You can make pumpkin soup for example simply by heating canned pumpkin with some broth (or even just water).

Tip #3: What are some easy switches I can make?

Because there was no sugar in my coffee anymore, I just decided to put in some more milk. Nothing wrong with that, and it made it taste a little “sweeter”.

Also, as I’ve mentioned, fruits are a great way to replace the fake sweetness you used to get from certain sugary things.

If you’re used to having a granola bar or any other kind of sweet snack, larabars make a great substitute. Their ingredients are generally only dried fruit and nuts. They were kind of a life-saver this past January!

If you’re used to having soda, replace this with seltzer water (with a lemon or lime too if you’d like). You’ll get the fizzy without the sweet.

If you’re partial to having a square of chocolate or bowl of ice cream before bed, make yourself a new ritual! Have some herbal tea right before bed (or other kind if you don’t mind the caffeine). Or, take up knitting or some similar task to keep your mind occupied and not think about that piece of chocolate you would usually be having!

Tip #4: What if I get a really bad craving?

There will probably be a day when all you can think of is chocolate or your Coke/Diet Coke you’d usually be having. Hint: keep clementines on hand. They’re sweet and will keep your cravings in check!

If it gets really bad, just think of what you’re trying to accomplish by cutting out sugar. Is it to kick-start your weightloss? Form some good habits? This challenge is only a month-long. What you’ll take away from it will be worth the cravings.

Tip#5: Making the challenge fun!

Last January, I still wanted to be able to treat myself without having to resort to a piece of chocolate. So I shelled out the money for some cool food products (like Larabars).

I also decided that I would treat myself to some funky fruits that I wouldn’t generally have. So I tried kumquats, bought persimmons, and other tropical fruits you don’t usually buy!

Overall, I have learned (and kept) some great habits through this challenge. I haven’t gone back to putting sugar/sweetener in my coffee, I don’t rely on artificial sweeteners anymore, I don’t drink soda, I try to make my own soup more often, and the list goes on! I’m sure you will all take something different from this challenge :)

That’s all I can think of for now, but I will let you know what else I come up with as it comes along!

Also, readers, feel free to share your tips with us!

Resolutions

2009-12-31T10:55:00.001-05:00

The world resolution is an interesting one. As is common around this time of year, it can refer to our firm desire to achieve a certain task. It can also refer to something coming to an end. So in this mindset, I thought I would not only share with you the resolutions I have set for myself for the year to come, but also the resolutions from the year 2009 – in other words, what I have achieved.

2009 was definitely an interesting and eventful year. I almost want to say that it was perhaps one of the years throughout which I changed the most, in many ways – physically, emotionally, and internally.

This past January, I decided to cut out added sugars and sweeteners from my diet for a month. It also coincided with my decision to get healthy and fit (blogging happened a bit later). I’ve always made very general and vague New Year’s Resolutions (Lose weight! Be happy!) but this time I tackled it head on by deciding first to go through with the no-sugar challenge, to work out at least 4 times a week, and to write down what I ate using Self.com.

The best part? I actually went through with it, and managed to lose 35 lbs in a year!

So to sum it up, here is what I achieved in 2009:

Had no added sugar or sweeteners during January ‘09 (more on the challenge itself below).
Became a runner!
I have kept up with my workout regime throughout the entire year! I’d say that 95% of the time I stuck to 4+ workouts a week, and the other 5% (either due to injury, travel, etc.) I definitely worked out at least once or was at least active in some other way. I have never kept a workout routine for this long ever.
Lost 35 lbs
Became a blogger
Passed the Ontario Bar exams!
Became single, has not regretted it and is totally enjoying it :)

And finally, here are my resolutions for the 2010:

Do the January No-Sugar Challenge again! So this means no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners. Sugars from fruits and vegetables are fine, but because this is my second time around I will also limit myself to a maximum of 3 servings of fruit a day. Care to join me?
Lose another 30 lbs. I can see myself being 125, but I’m not going to force it if it isn’t happening. I definitely have some weight left to lose (I’m not even 5’4”!) so I will kick up the workouts when I get back home!
Run a half-marathon before I turn 23 – so the Ottawa Half-Marathon the first week-end of May will be perfect ;)
Don’t procrastinate as much. I proved to myself this past December that I can work without waiting until the last minute!
Keep making time for myself (direct consequence of the previous one). I already know the importance of taking time for me, but I don’t want to forget it!

I know I could have more, but I’m just going to come up with my resolutions as the year passes! I actually just came back from a run to finish the year on a good note – but it was not a good run. My body wasn’t cooperating (probably because of the cheese and potato filled lunch I had had not that long before). But, the way I see it, this run was very representative of 2009: it was hard, but I kept going at it, and succeeded!

Happy New Year everyone! How are you celebrating? We’re doing it family style!

Also, is anyone interesting in joining me in the no-sugar challenge?

A grey Christmas

2009-12-28T05:20:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had some wonderful holidays and took some time to relax and enjoy their family and friends! We had a wonderful time both in Avignon and here when we got back. Here’s a bit of recap!

It snowed the night before we were supposed to leave and we almost thought our trip might be cancelled!

We woke up to this beautiful sunrise – which shows how early we hit the road!

When we got to Avignon, it was raining. It rained on our last day, and it rained in between. We actually left a day early because we simply couldn’t take sightseeing in the rain for one more day! Avignon was a cute town, and I’m sure that it’s a lot more fun when it’s the summer, warm, and sunny! I think we still made the best of it. For a few years (centuries?) the Pope resided there so there were some beautiful buildings to see (like the Papal Palace).

That region also seemed to love my name: I found a “restaurant” named after me, as well as a wine (a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée d’Anaïs!) :P It’s very exciting for me because I never see my name being used like this!

And let’s not forget the amazing food!

Great wine!

Avocado mousse with cobb salad

Red snapper with tapenade and calamari over polenta.

Apple tart with dulce de leche ice cream (all that was one meal!!)

Because of the rain, we left on the morning of the 24th, instead of the morning of the 25th. This means that we weren’t able to try out Provence’s Thirteen Desserts in a restaurant! So what did we do? We recreated it at home!

Official thirteen desserts: fougasse and pompe (kind of like brioche but one is with butter, the other with olive oil), light nougat, dark nougat, jam, caliçons, pâte de fruit (coings), mandarines and pears, dates or dried prunes, figs, nuts. We also had leftover marshmallows, marrons glacés and my grandmother’s fruit cake. Obviously we did NOT eat all of this (and we are five), but let’s just say that I am all sugared out!

Running

Believe it or not, I managed to go running while I was in Avignon! I really didn’t want to get up, but I knew I’d be MUCH happier if I did (and I’d be able to enjoy the food that much more).

I also headed out for a perfect 5 mile run on the December 25th! The weather was fairly nice (I didn’t need 500 layers to keep warm) and I followed the run-walk-run times that I wanted to!

Apparently, there is shopping on the menu for today… How are you enjoying your remaining days off?

Au revoir, à bientôt!

2009-12-20T07:27:00.001-05:00

I have to say, I’m a bit speechless. There is no doubt in my mind that these have probably been the best 4 days in my life! This trip was perfect. So perfect that I even came up with an equation for it:

Perfect trip = not too touristy sightseeing + spending 24/7 with best friend + great food + seeing old friends + making new friends + shopping. Hope I didn’t forget anything there!

I know I said there were no words to describe how amazing this trip was, but I’ll try! Thursday began by a stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, just to see it in all its snowy splendor.

We then met up with some High School friends back from when Erika and I both lived in Washington D.C. We hadn’t seen those girls since we were about 14! It was so great to catch up, and the fact that this was done at Angelina’s only made this better and sweeter. Angelina’s apparently makes the best hot chocolate in Paris. I have to say, it was quite amazing, and quite similar to drinking liquid chocolate. As if that wasn’t sweet enough, I decided to try their other specialty: the Mont-Blanc. Meringue, whipping cream, and chestnut spread in vermicelle. Yum!

While we had to part with one of the girls, our other friend tagged along with Erika and I for some window shopping. We checked out the window displays at the Galleries Lafayette. It brought back so many memories from when I was little living in Paris and we would go see them before Christmas. I think they were a little creepy this year, but still amazing. We even went inside to do some shopping and I got some Kusmi Christmas Tea (more on that later!).

We walked around some more and I just had to snap a picture of the window displays at Ladurée (where they make the most amazing macarons!).

We walked around until the sun was just about setting, and checked out the Christmas Market on the Champs Élysées.

Our day was not over though! At 9:30, we had some reservations for dinner at Bistroy Les Papilles, probably one of my favourite restaurants! A friend from Ottawa who is currently living in London, D, was supposed to meet up with us but her flight was delayed so it was just Erika and I. Still, we had a blast, and amazing food to go with it!

The meal began with the best soup in the world. A velouté of potatoes and leaks, with some lardons, croutons and other delicious things at the bottom.

Next, we had something similar to boeuf bourgignon, except better (because I usually hate it) with some roasted vegetables on the side. I am obviously the worst vegetarian ever.

Following was the cheese course: Fourme d’Ambert with a prune. The mix of flavors was delicious, even though that cheese was a little too moldy for my taste…

The meal ended with a panna cota with a caramel sauce and a marmalade at the bottom. This picture does not do this justice!

The restaurant itself has such an inviting vibe, with wine lining up the walls. We left the restaurant around 11:30 with a full stomach to say the least!

The next day, we finally met up with D and her friend! We all had such a blast together. I knew it was my last day (I was leaving that night to go back to Geneva), but I was so tempted to stay a few extra days so we could have hung out the four of us together some more! We walked around Paris in the freezing cold, stopped by the Mosque (beautiful building and the biggest one in Paris – and for anyone who has seen Paris, je t’aime, it’s in the movie!). We then walked around the Pantheon.

After an hour or so of walking in the cold we were all in need of a hot meal. Erika knew of this adorable crêperie, so that is where we had lunch! We got a salty crêpe first (crêpe bretonne), then a sweet one. The first was typically french: ham, cheese, and egg, but there was also some salad, tomatoes, and a vinaigrette. I thought it would be weird but it was absolutely delicious!

And for the sweet one, I had one with nutella of course!

We then walked around some more, got some macarons, and some mulled wine!

And after that, it was time for me to go…

Everything about this trip was great! For once, I barely planned anything before going, and yet everything seemed to fall into place!

I didn’t go running as I had planned, mostly because of the snow and the super icy sidewalks. I did manage to do some yoga which I am quite proud of (from a podcast for the first time, too!), and we literally walked for about 5 hours at least per day. So I think healthwise, it was also a successful trip!

My family and I are heading to Avignon tomorrow and I won’t be back until Christmas Day, so I hope you all have nice Holidays!

Paris, je t’aime

2009-12-17T10:43:00.001-05:00

I had to wake up super early Wednesday morning in order to board my train to Paris, and was there extra early, per usual. The train ride started off on a cold note – literally. The wagon I was in had no heat, and after an HOUR (my feet were numb) they finally moved us.

It snowed almost the whole train ride, first in Geneva (see below) and then in little towns, up until about an hour from Paris. Once there, Erika was there to greet me!! I knew I could count on her strawberry blonde hair to help me spot her!

If you look closely you can see snowflakes!

We caught up over a (very long) lunch and it was just so great, it’s like only a few days had gone by since we last saw each other! Since I used to move frequently, I would get to know people for 5 years, max. She’s one of the only ones I’ve stayed in close contact with and I love it – we’ve now been friends for over 11 years!

Anywho, Erika still had some classes so I spent some of Wednesday night tackling… resumes/cover letters *gulp*. It was done while listening to Christmas music and sipping some hot tea. I couldn’t help but laugh and think – really, you’re working while in Paris?? But honestly, my time couldn’t have been spent better. I got a lot done, plus I was tired + it was super cold outside! And I got my reply from the Bar licensing process – I passed the last exam!! Woohoo!!

Once she got home we actually went to one of her friend’s cocktail party which was fun, and meant that I wasn’t a complete loser :P

Then Thursday morning we had a delicious Parisian breakfast:

Croissant, Pain aux raisins, Chestnut spread and nutella.
With delicious milk!

But first, we noticed the SNOW outside!!!!!!

How crazy cool is that? Unfortunately, it did mean that we were going to be walking in snow the whole day…

And we were off to go walk around the Marais.

We had a few crazy moments:

Then we had lunch at l’As de Falafel, recommended by my favorite guide ever (Frommer’s Day by Day guides), littlebrownpen, and Erika. Obviously we couldn’t go wrong! The sandwich was so good! The falafels were simply perfect, lots of veggies (including delicious eggplants)… it was the perfectly warming lunch :)

Because we weren’t completely thawed out after lunch we stopped by a department store, and realized that I can really look like that dog:

We were even able to go inside Notre-Dame because there was no line!

Then we wandered over to l’Ile St-Louis, and wished it wasn’t so cold so we could have ice cream at Berthillon.

We then headed back home where we gleefully warmed our feet by the heater while drinking some tea. While Erika went to class, I actually did some yoga! Erika’s apartment would be so perfect for practicing yoga, and I told her that that was a great reason to pick it up :P

We are going to finish off a great day with some cheese fondue that I brought over from Switzerland.

Paris is definitely one of my fave cities – I didn’t like it when I was younger but it has so grown on me!

Have you had the chance to return to some cities you’ve visited before? This is one of the first times that I get to do that – it’s kind of cool!

ps: Check out Lisa’s wonderful giveaway – she’s making a beautiful scarf and the winner gets to pick the color! How cool is that??

Planes, market and a run

2009-12-14T10:10:00.001-05:00

Hello my lovelies!

I have finally arrived in Geneva, and it seems like the Canadian cold has followed me here… It even snowed on Saturday! But let’s back up a bit…

Friday afternoon I made my way to the airport, only to realize that, among the few things I had forgotten to pack… my coat was one of them! How does this even happen to me… Luckily, we live close to the airport and my dad (who was visiting) rushed back to the airport and managed to bring the right coat on the 2nd try ;)

My carry-on was packed full with my laptop, purse, books, coat, shoes, scarf… And it got searched at every security check. The first time because of the metal buckles on my shoes, and the 2nd time because I had forgotten a small swiss army knife in my purse!!! Who does that?? You’d think it was my first time flying…

I had forgotten to change my meal to vegetarian for the plane, so I had *lasagna* with beef… I’m not going to beat myself up over it but I did feel pretty guilty. I nursed some red wine while watching (500) Days of Summer (not too bad), Post-Grad (better than I thought it would be) and 9 (pretty disappointing). I did not sleep at all on the flight to Frankfurt. Then on the flight to Geneva I slept maybe 10 minutes?

When I arrived around 11, I thought I would be super tired but somehow I had some energy in me! As soon as we arrived, my mom and I went to Carouges to go see the Christmas market before my lack of sleep caught up with me.

It was beautiful! Lots of Christmassy things around :) We walked around while drinking some hot spiced wine (which I love), then stopped for lunch at a little restaurant and had steamed mussels!

Pardon my tired look…

Once home, I had a 2 hour nap and managed to stay up until 10:30pm.

Then, I slept for… 14 hours!! Blissful, uninterrupted sleep. I may have woken up once for a second but that was it. This means I was up at 2:30 pm. Crazy!

I had a quick lunch, then my mom, brother and when to the old town to go see a play (Le médecin malgré lui de Molière – it was a modern take on it and very good!), and we got out in time to see the parade for the Fête de l’Escalade (which marks the day when Geneva was attacked by surprise by the Savoyards but managed to fight them off).

Once home, I was starving and we had poached salmon with a bit of pasta and some braised brussel sprouts in mustard sauce. Delicious!

I didn’t sleep so well this past night but when I got up, I went for a 5 mile run! It wasn’t my best run but I was very proud of myself for actually getting up and going. I looked SO weird though: I was wearing grey leggings with my black capris over them, with a purple shirt, burgundy overshirt and brown sweater, and wearing my mom’s furry ear muffs… But, it kept me warm and that’s what matters!

It was SUPER windy!

Next post will most likely be done from Paris!

So, we know that in order to get my work out in, I will dress like a weirdo (really should’ve taken a picture). What will you do in order to get your work out in?