Archives

Thanksgiving 2016

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving full of family and delicious food! I know I did!

I got into the spirit early with some pumpkin spice Cheerios pre-Turkey Trot.

img_0697

And took my annual pre-trot Charlie picture.

img_0004

I did the Silicon Valley Turkey Tort, the biggest in the world. 28,000 people! It gets bigger every year! Normally I do the 10k, which starts before the 5k. This year I did the 5k, and they did a mass start for the 5 and 10k. That created a logistical nightmare. Each corral was supposed to start at a different time, but that wasn’t well publicized so it seemed like a lot of people started in earlier corrals. Parking was a nightmare with road closures. I ended up having to jump out of the car half a mile from the start because my mom was not going to be able to park anywhere and traffic was a terrible.

img_0699

I ended up running with my phone, which was so necessary for communication. I made it to the start with plenty of time though.

img_0705 img_0704 img_0702

And then finally we were off! I am not capable of running a race without a time goal, so I set the modest goal of below an 8:45 pace for the 5k. It was not too crazy crowded at the start, but with the corral issues, the deeper into the race I went, the more I ran into walkers who went in earlier corrals. It got pretty clogged up in the last mile or so.

I was feeling really good on the run. No issues, not too tired.

img_0708

Despite the initial issues, my mom ended up getting to an ideal place on the course. She was at around mile 2.5, but in the finishers’ village because the course looped back around from there. She got some truly awkward running pictures, because I was looking at my watch and calling out the distance to her because she didn’t know where on the course she was or when to expect me to finish.

img_0014 img_0017

The mile markers were measuring a little short on my watch, but I crossed the finish line at exactly 3.1! Perfect!

img_0709

I finished in 26:17, which I was more than happy with, and to be honest, a little surprised! I’ve only been running 2 days per week, but it goes to show you fitness in other areas carries over!

img_0024

The free Noosa yogurt after the race served as the perfect pre-Thanskgiving breakfast!

img_0710

Then, we had to do a quick-ish turn-around to make the drive to Napa!

img_0711

I’ve had this skirt for a while, but I feel like I never get an occasion to wear it!

As is our tradition, we spent our Thanksgiving in Napa. We’ve gone to Napa every year for as long as I can remember. It’s absolutely gorgeous here this time of year.

img_0026 img_0031

Please note my lips in the above pictures. Blue. My lips turn blue so fast when it’s cold!

This year my Grandma from Florida joined us for the holiday!

img_0033 img_0034

We went to a big fancy buffet, like we usually do. We shared a bottle of champagne for the table, and of course I requested we get the pink one! It looks so festive!

img_0713

Salad course was first:

img_0714 img_0715

I got a green bean, mushroom, grape, and picked onion salad, assorted cheeses with dried fruit, and the star of the meal, pumpkin soup with gruyere. I go to the same buffet every year, and the soup is always the best part.

Main course:

img_0719

Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy (it probably had some gluten so I didn’t want to go crazy), roasted cauliflower, and of course, cranberry sauce.

Guys, my ability to eat is just sad. While I don’t suffer many flare-ups and issues from my stomach condition anymore, I still have zero ability to eat large amounts of food. I couldn’t even finish this plate. I think my 81 year old grandma out-ate me.

Before getting my main course, I checked out the beautiful desserts and came up with a game plan. My family takes buffets seriously.

img_0716 img_0717 img_0718

I had a chocolate mouse cup filled with blackberry mousse, and then split pumpkin pie an pumpkin cheesecake with my mom. Pumpkin cheesecake was my main motivator for trying to see what happened when I eat gluten. I still avoided the crust, but felt confident enough that I didn’t have to worry about crumbs here or there!

img_0720

Again, my eating performance was abysmal but the food was delicious!

After our afternoon feast, we checked into our room and relaxed and digested for a while before heading out to see a movie—another Thanksgiving tradition! We saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and I think everyone enjoyed it! I read all the Harry Potter books when I was younger and enjoyed them, but I’m not a fanatic. So coming from a non-fanatic, it was a good movie! I thought the relationship Newt had with his animals was adorable and relatable to me!

The movie ended pretty late, so we ended up not actually eating another meal that day. I was pretty hungry at that point, but an early bedtime won out since I don’t even know what time zone I’m on right now!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

 

Thanksgiving Week

Hello! I’m currently in Napa. My parents are watching basketball-not really my thing. I’m all about baseball! But the Warriors are currently making history so that’s cool.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I’ve had a great week so far.

Tuesday I picked up my Turkey Trot bib!

IMG_4839

I also went to home Crossfit, which is always fun! The WOD was a length chipper: 100 double unders, 50 deadlifts (95#), 50 burpees, 50 kb swings.

For dinner, we had a crockpot meal-chicken caccitore! Served over a bed of spinach.

IMG_4841

I also made some persimmon bread. I used my classic banana bread recipe, but substituted 6 peeled and blended persimmons.

IMG_4842 IMG_4847 IMG_4846 IMG_4848

Wednesday was spent at a killer spin class, and then relaxing with my kitty. He’s a fan of my heated blanket!

IMG_4856

For dinner, we made salad with persimmons and goat cheese, and then a spaghetti squash “macaroni” and cheese. Topped with lightly roasted tomatoes and basil.

IMG_4862 IMG_4863

My Thanksgiving began with a 10k Turkey Trot! This is my 3rd year doing the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. It’s the biggest in the world!

IMG_0131

It was quite chilly-low 30s on the drive up. I came prepared.

IMG_0134

A minute before the race started, I dropped my layers minus some ear warmers and gloves.

IMG_0146

This race was fun! I tried to keep a pace that was challenging but not so uncomfortable that the race wouldn’t be fun. 2 days ago I realized I ran this race 2 minutes faster than I had been thinking. I remembered 1/3 of the way into the race was that was because my last 10k over the summer was at that slower pace! I realized this as I was cruising at a much faster pace than that haha.

IMG_0298 IMG_4865

30 seconds faster than last year-I’ll take it!

After the race, we had a snack and then cleaned up before heading up to Napa.

IMG_0303 IMG_4872 IMG_0316 IMG_0309

We met my grandpa and uncle there, and then it was time for the buffet!

IMG_4874 IMG_4875

The highlight, as always, was the butternut squash soup. It’s ridiculously creamy and tastes just like fall. My salad plate featured vegetarian sushi, beet salad which I added goat cheese to, and some cheeses with grapes and honey.

I didn’t catch a picture of my main plain but I has some turkey, mashed potatoes, a taste of sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and roasted carrots.

Dessert was exciting as always.

IMG_4877 IMG_4878 IMG_4879

My dessert was the inside of white chocolate cranberry cheesecake, the inside of pumpkin pie, chocolate covered strawberries, and a little chocolate cup with raspberry mousse.

IMG_4876

After the big meal, we gelled out in our hotel room watching The Good Wife.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me…

One amazing family.

Last year’s Day 1.

Well, today is the first day of the countdown to my blogiversary! How perfect that it falls right around Thanksgiving.

My family is seriously the best. Cats and dogs included.

They get up before 6am on a holiday to go to a turkey trot with me.

Last year vs this year:

IMG_5455 IMG_0145

Gotta love my kitty!

IMG_0158

The race went well. Last year I went out super fast and was DYING for most of the race. This time I reigned my pace in so it was a more fun experience!

IMG_0563

IMG_0142

Last year there was a guy who ran the whole race dressed as a pirate while carrying a pirate ship. I think the same guy this year was dressed as the death star.

Much less heavy!

IMG_0565

Anyways, so grateful for my family. After cleaning ourselves up, we headed to Napa for the big meal, and stopped by to see my grandparents.

IMG_0584 IMG_0590 IMG_0174

I also love my pets, despite the fact that I’m very allergic to them…

IMG_0157

Then, we arrived in Napa and it was time for the feast!

IMG_0178

 

We went to a buffet, and the set up was absolutely beautiful.

IMG_0180

IMG_0183

 

They labeled everything with pumpkins! How cute is that? Plate #1 was salad+soup. The soup. Guys. It was amazing. It was pumpkin with gruyere, and the best part is that they had the recipe listed on a pumpkin so I WILL be making it.

Plate #2:

IMG_0184

And of course, desserts. My family takes buffets seriously, especially the desserts. We don’t mess around with the tiny dessert plates.

IMG_0181 IMG_0182

^The set up, not my plate unfortunately. Here’s my plate:

IMG_0185

Pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate cake, chocolate mouse cake, mango cake, pudding cup, and chocolate covered strawberry. The chocolate cake may have been my favorite this year!

I have to say, I’m all for healthy living but Thanksgiving is not the time to worry about that. Although in my old age I feel like I haven’t eaten at much at Thanksgiving as in the past-I miss being a growing teenager with a bottomless stomach!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoyed good food with their loved ones. I know I have a lot to be thankful for!

IMG_0189

 

 

Preparations for Holiday Racing

Happy Friday! We made it! Yay! I actually was able to get my big assignment finished last night, which is a huge load off my shoulders!

This is what I made:

IMG_0011

Luckily we didn’t have to do any graphics for this assignment, and I just had to work on game play. I have played enough Yahtzee now to last a lifetime.

Not going to lie, I like days better that include 3 straight meals. It seems simpler and more in order. Which is weird. Either way, yesterday was one of those days. My morning began with an hour of spin on my own, followed by breakfast.

IMG_0002

I think the pancake was whole wheat cinnamon? Plus the typical yogurt bowl.

Then I settled in to a coffeeshop to work on the above assignment.

IMG_0003

I had coffee Mon-Thurs this week and I think about half of those days it was unnecessary. This was way too strong and I was WIRED.

Lunch before lab was same old, same old. My last freezer meal :'(

IMG_0006

After lab, I really wanted to go to Crossfit because it was squat day, and we’re following a specific program, but my feet were bothering me and I had a lot of work so I skipped it.

IMG_0009

Dinner was a mix of a whole bunch of things-edamame, potstickers (chicken and veg), butternut squash, barley, and teriyaki chicken. For dessert, I had hot chocolate cake with fudge. With ice cream in a separate bowl so it wouldn’t melt.

IMG_0010

I’ve gotten into the bad habit of having dessert at the dining hall more often than not, so something to work on. This was delicious though.

And those were my 3 meals!

Now onto running talk.

I feel like I’m not at all in speed shape, unfortunately. I’m doing a Turkey Trot 10k, and it definitely will not be a PR. On the plus side, I have been running 6 miles a lot lately, so the distance should be fine. In mid-December, I’m doing the Santa Run 5k that I’ve done the past 2 years. Last year I tried to PR this race (spoiler alert-didn’t happen), but this year I know I’m not going to be close because that’s in a month! That being said, some speed work is definitely in order. I’ve been doing Friday morning track workouts, although not super consistently. This morning was 10x400m, and I feel like in the last few repeats I was starting to get in the groove of running faster. I think next week’s track workout will be longer and not as fast, in preparation for the 10k. In addition, I think for now I’m going to make Monday afternoons (I only have 2 more of these of normal classes though) treadmill runs. These will vary somewhat, although for next week I’m thinking I’ll do 2 miles @ 8:00 pace, plus 10 2:00 intervals at 7:30. I did a shorter version of this last Monday, and I think after that I’m ready to kick it up a notch! To be honest, my main PR goal races will be in the winter-probably the same ones I did last year! So I have plenty of time. Right now, my running isn’t super focused, which I’m enjoying, but some speed workouts will be good for me!

What are your upcoming goals?

On The First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me…

One AMAZING family. I am so thankful. And how appropriate that the first day of Christmas fall on Thanksgiving? They are the best. Image

Even though my sister is in Michigan right now!

Today just proves how awesome my family is. My parents woke up at the crack of dawn (well, it was dark) to take to and support me in a Turkey Trot.

ImageImageImage

Also-so much respect for this guy: he ran the whole 10k with the ship!

ImageImage

I had plans to take a fast for me but still easy pace of 9:00. I went out pretty fast-my first mile was 8:10-so clearly I have no ability to not go hard. This race was pretty hard, but definitely a ton of fun. And it was nice to see my race pace in the 8s again!Image

ImageImageImageImageImage

 

After cleaning up, we headed to my Grandma’s house. She really outdid herself on the cooking front this year. I was SO blown away. Check out all these desserts-dark chocolate pecan pie, key lime pie, pumpkin cheesecake-all from scratch.

ImageImage

We had a 24 pound turkey (for 6 people), mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, 3 types of cranberry sauce, ambrosia with homegrown oranges, butternut squash soup, green beans, rolls, orange maple sweet potatoes.

ImageImage

Check out that concentration!

ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

So thankful. I have no words.

What are you thankful for?