RunnerBelle

Today was my first run in over two weeks and post surgery.  It felt awesome!!!  Well except for around 3.75 miles when I got a side stitch.  I played it safe though and started walking.  Finished out our 4.5 mile run on a high note. For most of the run we were around a 9.5 minute mile.  Nice and easy, nothing felt bad for the most part.

Prior to our run I had an unphotogenic banana and watered down oj.

Breakfast was post run.

BREAKFAST- plain greek yogurt, loads of fruit & some walnuts and a side of toast with PB and some OJ.  A tropical location requires fresh fruit.  My mom almost got me loads of oats, thankfully they waited till I arrived.  Cold weather = oats.  Warm weather = fruit.

Breakfast guests…..

After breakfast, we lounged and slowly got ready to head out.  We hit up the World Wide Sportsman, The Moorings and a few other spots.

Walking around The Moorings.

By the time we were done exploring it was after 1pm.  We hit up the Islamorada Fish Market for a few lunch items and head home.

LUNCH- conch salad, cheese (brie & goat), crackers, smoked amberjack, and cole slaw………oh and a Heineken

After lunch the hubby and I went for a paddle in the kayak, ventured along the shore and under the bridge to the gulf side.  Then returned to the house to lounge in the hammock.

Eventually we cleaned ourselves up and head to the Lorelei for the sunset and an appetizer. (unpictured Red Stripe & conch fritters)

DINNER – back at the casa was yellow tail snapper, roasted potatoes and salad.

The yellow tail was caught by my step dad prior to our arrival.  It was delish!!  We had hoped to go fishing tomorrow, but unfortunately my step-dad’s friends have to pull their boat out for a boat show this weekend.  So no fishing for us.  Instead I think we might head to the Theater of the Sea tomorrow.  It is just a short walk away and sounds interesting.

I am so happy I was able to run to day!!!  I never felt out of the breathe  it was just making sure the bouncing around wasn’t doing any damage.  Hopefully I can get anothe run in tomorrow!!

When do you usually fit in your work out on vacation? Usually I am all about the morning, get it done first thing and then relax.

Hope you had a great day!!

Britt

Hello from the BEAUTIFUL Florida Keys. 

My favorite place to park myself at the house my mom & step-dad rent.

It has been a LONG LONG day.  My alarm went off at 1:45am this morning, so that we could catch the 2:30am bus to the airport. Meanwhile I went to bed a little before 11pm. So a long day on very little sleep.

We got to the airport so early freakin Dunkin Donuts wasn’t even open yet!!  We had a 5:45am flight to Atlanta, then from Atlanta we headed to Key West.  Fortunately Dunkin opened before we had to board our plane.

BREAKFAST- veggie egg white flatbread & regular French Vanilla coffee

(have a picture, just experiencing technical difficulties uploading it)

Our flight left Boston on time, yay, and we actually arrived early in Atlanta.  We both needed a snack to tide us over.

SNACK- fresh fruit cup w/ pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes and blackberries.  (holy expensive but good)

(technical difficulties with this picture too)

We hopped our flight to Key West and relaxed.  We found out we were on Delta’s first passenger filled 737-700 landing in Key West.   If you have ever been to Key West you know small island, small airport….. small runway.  It was NOT the most gentle of landings, but we stopped on the runway!  Success!!

Originally I our game plan was to have lunch in Key West, as we landed at noon time.  However everyone seemed to think heading to Islamorada was a good idea.  HOLY.  HUNGER.   I was ready to chew my arm off.  Luckily my always prepared Mom had some almonds to snack on.  Despite the almonds, we were all ravenous.  We got to the house, unloaded and then headed down the street to the Island Grill.

The Island Grill came highly recommended so we were excited for lunch.  We opted to sit outside on their beach area.  It was SO wonderful to have warm beautiful sunshine beating down on us….. although my dermatologist would not approve….. I was getting my vitamin D though!

Cue fruity cold beverage……

Mango Margarita……. aaaahhhh

The hubby started off with a fruity drink too, pina colada……. despite being strong it wasn’t that tasty unfortunately.  My mango margarita was pretty darn good though and definitely hit the spot!!

My step-dad had a fabulous idea to get some peel and eat shrimp.  We all dove in.  Yum!  Good seasoning, nothing too over the top.

LUNCH/DINNER

The fish tacos on the appetizer menu sounded perfect.  It was mahi mahi that I could get grilled or crunchy, I went for the grilled and it was served with cabbage, chipolte, fresh salsa, sour cream and avocado  It was delish!!!

After dinner we did some grocery shopping, had some wine and sat down by the water, then moved up to the deck once the no-see-ums attacked.  Since we ate so late,  I opted for no dinner.  Its only 7:30 and I’m getting ready to read and then hit the hay.  I don’t want to sleep in too late tomorrow,  I am hoping to get a morning run in with my mom.  My FIRST post-surgery run!! 

Do you sleep late on vacation or do you still rise and shine at your normal time? I vary depending on what we are up to.  I think the Islamorada portion of our trip will involve earlier bed times, while Key West will involve later nights and therefore sleeping in later.

Hope you had a good hump day!!

Britt

I got the green light today from the doctor to get back to running.    She said to take it easy at first and listen to my body, but I’m healing really well!! (see previous posts, if you don’t know what I”m talking about…. had an ovarian cyst removed)

Unfortunately I was crazy busy today and now have to finish packing, so my first run post surgery will be in the FL Keys!!

I have to admit, one of the items on my to-do list was …… a spray tan.  I decided to try it out for vacation.  Since I haven’t been able to workout like, I thought a little bronzing would help me feel better. Right now it seems a tad extreme, but it still has the guide color in it and I cannot shower it off till tomorrow morning.  So we will see.  Plus I think being in a more tropical location will help it seem more appropriate. 

Operation eat more fruits & veggies seems to going well.

BREAKFAST- Green Monster!  2 big handfuls spinach, 1 cup milk, 1/2 scoop soy protein powder, 1T ground flax, banana, some ice

This times TWO, it was HUGE.

SNACK- cantaloupe & greek yogurt

LUNCH- sandwich thin w/ turkey, spinach, tomato, hummus and little mozzarella.  side of wheat thins.

My afternoon at work was a tad chaotic.  I had my performance evaluation and had THREE reports to tweak for upper management before I left.  I got it all done though!!  Yay!

Then it was on to spray tanning and then a drink with a friend.  Envision a beautiful cosmo. 

DINNER- Veggies!!  Stir fried swiss chard, kobocha, carrots (I had roasted the kobocha & carrots earlier in the week)

I just snacked on another banana too. Need to eat the fruit before we leave!!

Alright time to finish packing and get to bed, we have a VERY early bus to the airport tomorrow.  Ugh…. I HATE flying.  I’ll be so happy when we are safely on the ground in Key West.  I am crossing fingers the house in Islamorada has Wi-FI.  If you don’t hear from me, you know what is up.

How do you handle the stress of getting ready for a trip? I’m a big fan of lists.  I make a list of things I don’t want to forget, that I need to do, etc.  Makes me feel like I have a bit of a safety net.

Hope you had a great day!!

Britt

and another one to go….. till I’m on VACATION!!!  Yay!

It was a dreary rainy day here too.  Lots of melting snow and then fog tonight.  Bring on the sun and warm temperatures!!!

Despite all the dreariness it was a good day.  I got lots of fruits and veggies in, as well as a short workout.

BREAKFAST- jar outs! With some almond butter, ground flax and Kashi Heart to Heart

SNACKS- banana & later on some grapes

WORKOUT

-20 minutes on the treadmill, 4-6% incline at 4mph
-quick bi’s and tri’s, stayed light as I’m not suppose to be lifting heavy

• bicep curls, 12lbs, 17-20 reps, 3 times
• overhead extensions, 8lbs (one arm at a time) 15-17 reps, 3 times

LUNCH- big ol’ salad of spinach, tomato, roasted brussels, roasted kobocha squash, little mozzarella cheese

Not quite sure what all the kobocha squash fuss is about, its good but its not knock my socks off good.  I’ll definitely get it again though.

SNACK- Cantaloupe & plain greek yogurt

DINNER- was in two parts tonight as I had to be gone most of the night.  Sandwich thin w/ hummus.

Roasted veggies- brussels & carrots.  I got the carrots on Saturday at the local farmers market, they are so yummy!  Local & organic!  I just sprayed them both with olive oil, little pepper & salt

I’m now chilling and getting caught up on a little Real Housewives of Orange County.  I probably should be finishing up packing, but I’ll just hold off till tomorrow night…. the last minute scramble.

What are your favorite winter veggies?  What is your favorite way to prepare them? I’m up for trying new things like kobocha at least once.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Britt

I headed back to the gym this weekend!

I definitely am easing back into it though and took it easy.  It has been so incredibly hard resting.  I had to go back.

WORKOUTS
Saturday I did the recumbent bike for about 20 minutes.  At first I had the resistance up a bit too much,  the machine kept thinking I was pausing as I apparently was not peddling fast enough!  I started getting made at the thing.  But once I backed off the resistance the situation improved.

Today I tried out elliptical and the treadmill (3.5 mph @ 4% incline for a mile).  I did each for about 15 minutes.  I felt pretty good, although some of the stitches in one spot were rubbing a bit so it was just slightly uncomfortable after awhile.  Going from the elliptical to the treadmill at least changed the motion a little bit and helped.

I have my post surgery appointment on Tuesday, so hopefully I’ll get the stitches taken out then……… and maybe get a blessing to start running.  I hope to be able to go on some short runs while we are on vacation.  Crossing fingers!

EATS
The weekend of food went largely undocumented.  I’ll admit I was lazy.

VACATION
I cannot wait!  I started packing today.  I tried to be good and put together actual outfits and use the pieces in more than one outfit. I hate when I pack by throwing things into my suitcase and then arrive at my destination to find I have no good outfits.  I am trying to be optimistic about my situation so I packed a few pairs of running shorts. 

Hope y’all had a great weekend!

Did you accomplish your fitness goals for the weekend? I am SO happy I at least got back to the gym for an easy workout.

Have a great night!

Britt

I felt like crap.  LOL

Well I had just had my laparoscopy surgery and was enjoying the lovely after affects of it and anesthesia.

What a difference a week makes!  I feel great considering.  I’m just so antsy to RUN!  Or even just to workout.  I had thought about hitting the gym today, just to bike or walk…. but figured I’d hold off for one more day.  I have been dragging a bit after last night’s event.

I was on camera duty, taking pictures of the awards recipients and the event in general.  The irony is my hubby is the one that has worked as a professional photographer, not me…. but he was hosting the event as he is the director of the organization.

Couple pictures to give you an idea of  the event….

Before the crowds arrived.

And then once they filled it up.

The venue was awesome.  Its basically just an empty old mill building.  So it was a big open space with an old industrial feel to it.  There were over 200 people attending and all went so well.  It was really a great event, so proud of the hubby and his staff. 

After the event was over we headed out for some drinks…. the worker bees needed to de-stress after the big event.  I was the first to head home at midnight!  Crazy kids and on a school night too!

So on to food.

Today’s eats.

BREAKFAST- oats made with 1/2 almond milk, 1/2 water, dash of vanilla, ground flax, almond butter and some Kashi H2H

For lunch I headed to my usually Friday lunch spot that I go to with my mom.  She is in the FL Keys though….  So I called her on my way there.    She made me jealous of their 80 degree temps!  Soon enough I’ll be there and enjoying them too!

I got my lunch to go and ate it back at work.

LUNCH- Wasabi Tuna Salad & cheese on multi grain bread w/ some of their addictive crunch salad

It filled me right up.  I’m still pretty full and that was over 5 hours ago.

We are getting ready now to venture out and meet up with some friends for a drink, although…… I’m not sure how long we will last.  I know the hubby is dragging a bit from last night.  Also not sure what is on tap for dinner.  Just winging it tonight I guess.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!

What do you have planned? Any great workouts you are looking forward to?

We are laying low.  Might start packing for vacation, as it involves pulling out the summer clothes that are stored away for the winter.  Yes we New Englanders have to rotate our clothing.  Well at least this one does.

Happy Weekend!

Britt

Ended up having  late night at a function the hubby was putting on last night.  Blogging will resume shortly.  

I do have to share this FABULOUS cookie I ended the evening with though!  It is a Lemon Ricotta Cookie, pure heaven.  Love love love these cookies. 

They are made by a fabulous local bakery called North End North.  Delish!

Happy Friday!!!! 

Britt

It has snowed 3 days in a row now!  At least it is a pretty snow.  This morning was absolutely gorgeous, as it actually stopped for a bit…. blue sky, fresh snow coating the trees, sun coming up.  Would have been great for a run!

Instead I headed to work, where I remembered to snap a picture.

Yeah… I got there a little early. LOL

Meanwhile while we are dealing with all this snow, I’m getting calls, emails, text messages from two different people in the FL Keys.  Yes, two.  My mom and step dad are in Islamorada and my Sister-in-law is in Key West.  They seem oh so sympathetic when I tell them its been snowing for 3 days. At least my mom went to great lengths to read my blog.    She went to the Islamorada Library for internet access, but had to get help for the library to get access to my blog site.  Now there is a dedicated mom.

The eats….

BREAKFAST- oats w/ almond milk, little vanilla extract, ground flax and almond butter

SNACK- got a Kashi trail mix bar in the mail yesterday, so I had that.  Love their granola bars.

LUNCH- whipped up some tempeh, spinach & red pepper w/ soy sauce while I was home to walk the pooch

SNACK- plain greek yogurt w/ some almond butter & ground flax

DINNER- TJ’s mahi mahi w/ some carrots & left over stir fry on the side.  Love their frozen marinated fish, so easy to cook and delish!

I’m now finally enjoying relaxing on the sofa.  Ahhh…..

Any time I am up for too long walking I get horrible shoulder pain.  So annoying.  This is still an after affect of the carbon dioxide the pumped me up with.  I’ll be so happy when it finally leaves me system.  It could be worse, at least the recovery from the laparoscopy is MUCH shorter than the surgery it used to require.  I am very thankful for that!

I am also thankful for how clean my house is.  The cleaning crew did an awesome job cleaning it on Monday!  I LOVE my Christmas present (once a month cleaning for a few months).  Its much easier to keep a house clean, when it is really clean.     Or at least it seems that way.

Are you a clean freak?  Or a clutter freak?  (yes they do differ)  Or both?  Or neither. I go in cycles.  Usually you can tell how chaotic my life is by the condition of my house.  LOL

Hope you had a great day!

Britt

I was checking out some of the health/fitness articles on MSNBC and came across one that discusses the benefits of a little padding in the derriere.  I definitely carry my extra weight in my butt and thighs.  It is annoying when shopping for pants, but all the studies seem to keep showing that its better than having it all in my tummy.  I do agree that its not an easy area to lose the fat from.  Despite marathons & kettlebell…. it stays, doesn’t seem to be slowing me down though.

What is slowing me down is this recovery process.  Ugh.  I know I complain a lot.  Sorry.  It is just frustrating to know I should be well into marathon training now and I’m NOT.  I am feeling better though!!  I was back to work today.  Only had some shoulder aches a few times and some stomach cramps when I was sitting for too long.  It helped to recline a bit in my seat, so I wasn’t squishing my tummy as much.  Currently I’m enjoying the bucky, I was tempted to bring it to work today.

FOOD!  It went largely undocumented today…. forgot my iphone, yes I am a slacker and just use my iphone.

Breakfast- oats w/ water & almond milk, ground flax and almond butter.  small side of pineapple chunks.

Snack- 1/2 cup of Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon

Lunch- Hugh Jass Salad…. mixed greens, artichokes, tofu, green beans, peas, broccoli, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, snap peas, black olives, little feta and some balsamic vinaigrette (felt like I needed lots of veggies)

Snack- Nature Valley Granola Bar

Dinner- had nothing planned so I made some pasta that we had gotten in a Christmas gift basket, authentic Italian made pasta!

It was very colorful and the sauce was delish. Just wish we had some parmesan to grate on top.

The poor hubby is out snowblowing & shoveling.  We got MORE snow today.  It just kept coming down, I had no idea we were suppose to get so much!  I feel bad I cannot help with cleaning, but I tried clearing off the front steps when I took the pooch out…. its a heavy wet snow and that did not go over well with my stomach.  So I’m on the sofa with bucky…… watching the biggest loser.

Now that I’m feeling better I think I’ll get back to tracking calories till I can get more active.  I’m just worried I’ll back on the pounds before we even go on vacation!!  Yep…. VACATION, next week!  I cannot wait.  We are leaving a week from tomorrow. 

Have you ever had a time where you could not workout?  Did you do anything to prevent weight gain?

Goodnight!

Britt

Sorry no blogging over the weekend.  I wasn’t feeling spectacular and wasn’t really eating or doing anything all that exciting.

Except for last night.

While settling down to watch the Golden Globes, the hubby went upstairs to read….. then came down saying there was a huge fire at the apartments behind our house. And there was a HUGE fire.  There were flames shooting out of the top floor of the 3 story building.

We headed up to our 3rd floor to look out the window and check out the situation.  The fire department arrived and had the ladder truck up, about 5 other towns responded some with ladder trucks as well.

Eventually we ventured out to check out the situation, my IL’s had also walked down from their house.

After being out for a little while I started to not feel so hot.  But I had to take the long way back to our house as the smoke was too thick the way we originally headed over.  I walked very slowly.  I still feel crampy and bloated all over…. I think its from carbon dioxide they inflated my abdomen with during the surgery.  I just feel kind of gurgly if that makes sense.  I was so happy to get home as it had started snowing fairly heavy along the way, so I was a wet cold mess by the time we got home.

My MIL let me borrow this great thing from her called a Bucky

It is filled with buckwheat and you can heat it up in the microwave.  It is pure heavy.  It feels so good on my crampy areas.  You can actually also throw it in the freezer too if you need something cold. I have it on me right now, so nice and warm….. especially on a cold snowy day when you are feeling blah.

We didn’t get to sleep last night till well after midnight, even then the firefighters were still going at it.  The hubby borrowed a scanner from his dad, so he was listening to it while looking out the window.  It was a bit scary, as we have several friends who are firefighters and we could hear a few had gone in for a bit.  So I had such a hard time falling asleep with all of that, plus it was my first night sans the percocet.  I also kept coughing, which is slightly painful at the moment.

We checked the news this morning and fortunately everyone made it out of the apartment building.  The building is definitely a loss though.  And our house is smelling rather smokey, as the wind was blowing lots of smoke towards our house for awhile. Fortunately we are getting it cleaned today (one of my Christmas presents!!), hopefully they have something to freshen it up a bit.

So obviously I’m not feeling 100% yet, so I decided to take another day off from work.  The thought of going to work and dealing with snow were just a bit much for me.  So Reggie & I are hanging at my IL’s house for the day. 

So far I’ve enjoyed some oats I prepped and brought with me…..

And lots of pomegranate white tea.  Currently hanging with Martha….already watched some Ellen.

What’s your favorite show to watch when you are home sick during the week?  Or do you read?

Have a great Monday!!!

Britt