As expected, this past week was insane. I tried very hard to embrace the chaos the end of the year brings but, as you know, chaos is definitely not my thing.
I hate yard sales, clearance sales, and anything else that isn’t well organized and laid out for me in brand shiny newness. This past week was my yard sale of messiness, stress and dear God help me – baking. *insert horror film scream here*
WEEK OF DECEMBER 14, 2015
RUNNING
I only ran three times this past week since I came down with the nastiest eye infection you can imagine. That’s what I get for volunteering in my kids classroom as much as I did. Obviously that needs to stop immediately.
The runs I did were excellent:
Tuesday: Trail run with an ultra running friend who promised to show me some trails after my Runner’s World trail race experience.
It was so much fun and so gorgeous and am definitely incorporating more of these in the coming months.
Deb and I after about an hour of trail running on a perfect day!
Wednesday: 5 miles prior to Barre class. My legs were pretty tired from the IronStrength workout I did on Monday and then trail running on Tuesday, so I figured I would take it easy and not look at my watch. Well, whatdayaknow? 7:43 average pace. My body is just feeling that pace right now and I’m loving it.
Thursday: At this point I was already coming down with a cold but I had planned for weeks to meet up with my coach! I ran about four miles, nothing major, but some of it at 5K pace. It was a great workout and she was able to film me so we could break down my form. Afterward she gave me some great drills, which I will be sharing soon!
Total mileage: 16.5
SWIMMING
When I met up with my coach (Coach Rocket Science) is was to do two things – check my run form and really check my swim form and film both. As you may know, my swim technique leaves a lot to be desired…or so I thought.
CRS came prepared with an underwater camera! It looked just like a selfie stick except you stick your camera in the water. Amazeballs.
Ok, this is so not me but the camera was kinda like this, except she was running beside me poolside, to film my strokes. I should have asked her if I could have taken a selfie.
It was humbling, to say the least, to see myself swimming – GAH! I was pleasantly surprised at my flip turns but horrified about how I’m dropping my left arm on my “catch.” I won’t bore you with the details but I have a lot to work on next time I get in the pool.
The good news is that it’s all very easily fixable, and I corrected most of it that same day, and we were able to film it again so I could see the change. I’m hoping to get some of the footage so I can share it with you guys. It was pretty amazing….the camera, not the swimming.
Pool time total: 1 hour 30 minutes over two sessions
CYCLING
This was almost non-existent since I was running and strength training in the first part of the week. I was “saving” some cycling for what was supposed to be another unseasonably warm weekend but alas, I fell down with the eye plague and was only able to hit the bike trainer once.
Total mileage: 25/1 hour
STRENGTH TRAINING
Have you done Dr. Metzl’s IronStrength workouts? You absolutely should! I’m telling you, this workout never fails to completely kick my ass and it also works everything runners need – hamstrings, hips, glutes, core and back. I wrote this recap on it a while ago, but it bears repeating.
I also went to Barre (of course) and it’s getting more challenging! This week was mix up of music and we added some bands. #MyLegsAreCrying
GEAR
Due to having a very, very, very extended fall here in the Northeast, I came to the conclusion that I needed more running vests. I have two but, one of them is reflective neon so obviously I cannot be expected to wear that during the daytime.
Oddly enough, Oiselle was having a sale this time of year so…
I first tested it out on the bike. Two big thumbs up!
The Oiselle Gilman Vest. Not just for running bitches. It’s lightweight, blocks the wind (on the bike so I’m sure it will have zero issue on a run), washes well and no chafing from the zipper. You have done it again birds!
FUEL
I know I love my children because I am willing to bake with them, even though most times it turns into an epic fail. I would also like to declare that Pinterest is a liar!
I now know how people feel when I say “I have an easy 8 miler today.” If you’re new to running (as I am to cooking and baking) there is nothing easy about it!
I thought it would be fun to let the boys choose a holiday cookie they would like to make from Pinterest. I was horribly, horribly wrong. Here’s why:
Grinch Cookies
This is what they looked like on Pinterest:
And this is what mine looked like:
The boys did all the ones with the colors. Sadly, I was in charge of the rest.
You know what the issue is? Where in the sam hell are you supposed to find red candy hearts at Christmas you assholes? Why didn’t that recipe come with a warning like: YOU NEED TO BUY ONE OF THE INGREDIENTS FOR THESE LAST FEBRUARY. GOOD LUCK.
Jerks.
I was a glutton for punishment, and was seeking revenge on Pinterest, when I foolishly tried again. This time, something much harder because, you know, f-you Pinterest!
Santa Cupcakes
This is what they looked like on Pinterest:
This is what mine looked like:
You’re probably thinking they look pretty good. Well yes, yes they do. Those three look ok. Those are the only three that look like that.
First off, you had to make the damn frosting! Little did I know, when buying butter, eggs and powered sugar, I was really buying ingredients for what I could have bought from a can! Who makes their own frosting? The amish? You know what the other trouble with that is? Homemade frosting (at least my version) hardens very quickly, like a rock, and then things like mini marshmallows (that I had to actually cut in half!) don’t stick to it.
The rest of the cupcakes looked like this:
This is what defeat looks like.
THINGS I LOVE
The view from my window.
Obviously I hated being sick and basically laying on the couch all day Saturday, but this was my view:
Instead of sitting there feeling sorry for myself, I tried to be grateful. I will only be sick for a few days and I have so much to be thankful for, including this view of my tree and the lake below. #Gratitude
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH
I can sum this up in two words: Star Wars
Is the madness over yet or are adults still wearing costumes to movie theaters and losing their minds over not getting or getting tickets?
The worst thing I have seen yet, relating to this madness, is this:
This is from Runner’s World! My beloved of all publications. It pains me to see it and, what’s worse, I will probably see people running races in these outfits. #MakeItStop
READING
Here’s some good fucking news: New Research Says Swearing Is a Sign of a Healthy Brain | By Rafi Schwartz for Good via Science Direct
A folk assumption about colloquial speech is that taboo words are used because speakers cannot find better words with which to express themselves: because speakers lack vocabulary. A competing possibility is that fluency is fluency regardless of subject matter—that there is no reason to propose a difference in lexicon size and ease of access for taboo as opposed to emotionally neutral words.”
Obviously, I’m a genius.
RANDOM QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In related news: It finally happened. My boys said the dreaded F word. However, I feel like it’s a victory of sorts because:
#1 – They are six. I think that’s fairly old to have no clue what that word is, and to not have uttered it until now.
#2 – When asked they miraculously stated they did not hear it from me but some punk on YouTube. However, this is just another example proving they do not listen to me.
How could such vulgarity come out of these mouths?
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
I will be luxuriating in all the post-holiday loveliness until January 4th. See you on the other side…
How was your week?
Have any Pinterest fails you care to share?
How old were your kids when they dropped the f-bomb for the first time?
OMGOSH YOUR PINTEREST FAILS.
I swear my entire cooking and baking life is one big fail and I now see that as a gift.
When people invite me over they ALWAYS LET ME BRING WINE or DRINKS and never ask me to bring a dish 🙂
xoxo
I am trying my best to achieve “drink only” status. I’m getting close 🙂
I have zero decorating skills so I feel your Pinterest fails. My delicate sprinkling of crushed candy canes results in dumping it all in one spot. Happy holidays Allie!!
I knew we were friends for yet another reason. Thank you Angela!
I should be embarassed but if Star Wars was my thing I might be inclined to race in one of those outfits to be honest. Ha…
I agree though with the end of the year…I always feel like there are a bunch of loose ends to tie up.
I am all for “doing your thing” and doing it big!…this is just one thing I do not get. At all.
Good luck tying up all your loose ends!
Haha, love your cupcakes. I’m sure those Pinterest Martha Stewart types are only posting their A game too…it’s just like FB for cooks. You know, those obnoxious parents who post their kids’ straight A report cards? Or for me right now it’s the damn college acceptance letters…or their kids’ first F-bombs…
Keep on keepin’ on…
I will continue fighting the good (and honest) fight Wendy! Have no fear! Thank you and you’re so right about the Pinterest peeps only posting their A game. Sheesh.
So sorry about the eye infection but I’m happy you were able to get your runs/barre/swim on!!
Ok you MUST come to my house or I MUST come to yours. I make my own frosting with my eyes closed and it never ever gets hard?!?! Do you have a stand mixer? Did you let the eggs come to room temperature?! I have SO many questions!!!
I wish you guys the best and the happiest of merry Christmas and I hope you get to truly relax and enjoy. For the first time in years I’m also taking a break (only publishing posts that are way overdue sporadically) so I will see you on the 4th!!
Nellie, I just have to say your passion for the homemade frosting making is just another reason why I love you!! xo
AGREED!!! I just love how much she wants to help me. Obviously I need to take a Nellie cooking lesson. #work
I am laughing so hard at this!
1. Yes, please come to my home and teach me your ways.
2. Room temperature eggs? Say what?
3. A stand mixer? Um, does a hand mixer count? Probably not.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your amazing family!!!!…and thank you for attempting to help my baking fails!
Another fucking great post!! I never swear, well rarely swear, however a family member took advantage of my mom financially so there’s been a lot of swearing in my head. Relieved to know I can let loose! My daughter dropped the f bomb last week, she’s 10 and grounded from Pinterest for a week. (She’s a Pinterest junkie).
Tried to reply last week, I’m definitely tech challenged…ill keep u posted on the trails, they are in Ellington.
You can always speak freely here.
I guess you should be happy she didn’t drop the F bomb before 10. That is very old, indeed 🙂
Thanks for the heads up on the Ellington trails…
I actually love baking with kids because I can blame the decorating on them- I am so not gifted in that area! But yours really don’t look as bad as you think. That’s awesome that your coach videotaped you- such great info to have!
I swear you can usually never tell between mine and the kids, so I feel you on that one!
Having my coach tape me was amazing. You know how great it is to actually SEE the form corrections you need when you can look at it in super slo mo. Very cool.
Well–did you see the article this week about people who swear having superb vocabularies? There you go–your boys are prodigies!
And I love that you are as miserable at baking as I am. It will never be my thing and my daughter could do it every day. Ugly holiday treats for the win!
Vests rule if you ask me. I am such an overheater and it never gets all that cold around here (except last winter) so it is my go-to piece. Love that purple one.
Have a very merry Christmas my friend! Looking forward to seeing you in 2016!
We are so on the same wavelength and I just love that 🙂
Thank you so much and have a great holiday and new year!!
Nothing good ever comes out of volunteering in the kids’ classroom for me, so I stopped doing that years ago. I have absolutely no desire to see the Star Wars movie, but I may just have to do a little holiday baking with my daughter this week….hope you are feeling better soon.
Yes and hell yes!!…good luck with the baking. If you and your daughter bake as well as you yoga, you should have no issue 🙂 Loved that pic on Facebook.
I do not even attempt the pinterest things. Are you kidding? We’re doing gingerbread house kits this year. Let’s just see if I can assemble 8 of them before the little people descend on my house on Wednesday to decorate. Seriously, I’m trying really really hard not to get stressed and swept up with the chaos but man, it feels inevitable! Two other things: 1) please take a swim selfie next time and 2) don’t you want to run a race in that R2D2 costume? xo Happy Happy to you!
LOLOLOL!!!
I actually just found pre-assembled gingerbread houses so all you need to do is frost and decorate them. I seriously yelled out with elation in the store. Finally, a win!!
Good luck with yours and thanks for the laugh!
I am crying, CRYING laughing at the zoomed out view of those cupcakes. I am also giggling at what must have been going through your head as you were cutting mini marshmallows in half. Also, you DEFINITELY should have had CRS let you take a selfie with that pool stick. She knows you’re a blogger – you get a free pass. Also, I can’t believe Miles and Vaughn got all the way to 6. Let’s just say I am hanging my head in shame and leave it at that!
This is the highest compliment – thank you!! I seriously could not believe I was standing there, as a grown ass woman, cutting MINI marshmallows with a scissor!!!! WTF?
I didn’t even ask her to take a selfie – she was ALL business. I did ask her to send me the film so I’ll have to remind her.
I was seriously so glad, when I started telling my friends, that 6 turned out to be “old” when dropping the F bomb for the first time. You are in very good company my friend!
Have a great holiday!!! xoxoxo
I love Star Wars and already saw the new movie, but I agree so much – the hype and dressing up is getting a little carried away. My husband and I actually bought tickets at a 21+ theater that banned lightsabers and other props, because we wanted to see the movie, not endure ComicCon the Star Wars edition.
I Pinterest-fail so hard at Christmas time! I’m laughing so hard reading your descriptions on those recipes because they are too true! My sister has a collection of photos of my fails that I dread she’ll post to the internet someday.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
“Not endure ComicCon the Star Wars edition” – hilarious!!!…and that is exactly what I’m talking about.
You should proudly post your internet fails. Some of that stuff is really just ridiculous!…and misery loves company.
Happy Holidays!
I always love the pictures you post. And your boys…they are growing so fast. Oh my goodness!
Even the cookies?? You really love me 🙂
Yes, they are WAY too big. Make it stop!
I need to try those strength workouts. Also those pinterest fails made me laugh out loud. Most things I try never come out quite like the photos. I am sorry to disappoint but I totally will dress up as a star wars character for a halloween or star wars race!
OMG I totally saw your FB pics and you looked adorable! Somehow, you getting dressed up as R2D2 is acceptable 🙂
Oh my gosh. LMAO. Pinterest is such a liar! The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to buy cookie dough from the store that you can slice and bake.
The star wars thing is killing me! Please make it go away!
Hope you are feeling better!
SUCH a liar! And yes, a box or roll of cookies, one egg, some oil, in the oven and BAM – cookies! Better yet, go to the store and buy them already made 🙂
So glad you agree about Star Wars!! Is it bad in Brazil? Please say no.
I’m feeling MUCH better – thank you!
OMG, I”m dying. You are having an amazing extended fall!! I think we all are, it’s great isn’t it? I will NOT complain about lack of snow! Ok, first of all, I need to give you a tutorial in homemade frosting because mine has never been rock hard and oh btw, I’m NOT Amish 😛 We are drowning in f’ing Star Wars and it just won’t stop. I think everything under my freaking tree is about Star Wars. Ok, so as for the F bomb. Mine have not said it yet, but I’ve had to start turning on the parental controls on the ipad because my oldest has been searching for pictures of different Pokemon (don’t get me started on Pokemon…WTF is the point of it? I just don’t get it.) characters and has been pulling up some not so good stuff. He likes to pull up pictures and then draw them. Well, let me tell you a funny story. I was on my treadmill downstairs one day and he brought me down a picture that he had drawn. It was a picture of a Pokemon character and underneath it it said “I love cocaine.” I think I about fell off the treadmill. We had a discussion about it and he was mortified, but the crap they can pull up is scary!! I told a friend about the situation and she said, “well, it could be worse, at least he picked the rich people drug”….bahahahaha…true, it could have been meth. Oh gosh, I’m going to hell.
OMG I am laughing so hard!!!! I mean, it’s not really funny but, on the other hand, it’s hysterical!!!! The internet can be very dangerous for little ears and eyes. You would not believe some of the “cartoons” that have popped up for Scooby Doo – OMG!
You will someday need to teach me your frosting ways. I obviously did it all wrong!!
Hope you had a great holiday and are still having some time off this week before the new year 🙂
I just love your sense of humor. I giggle everytime I read your blog. The all out honesty is so refreshing! Your holiday baking with the kids is awesome and even if they didn’t turn out all pinter-esty at least you all had fun baking in the kitchen . . . F#@$ Yeah! Are you sure that they didn’t learn that word from you? Ha . . . I dread the time when my kids discover those things! Anyways, Have a wonderful holiday and New Year too!
We definitely had a ton of fun making all the stuff…well, mostly. Plus I got to retell all the stories to my amazingly gifted-in-the-kitchen aunts when we served them and it was good for a laugh all over again.
Thanks so much Sandra! Hope you had a great holiday with your family and that zero f-bombs were dropped by the kids 🙂
Just when I thought I couldn’t love you any more, you use the expression “sam hell.” HAHAHAHA!
Merry Christmas!!!
LOL – glad you love 1940s expressions as much as I do 🙂 I also use “hot minute” whenever possible.
Hope you had a fabulous holiday!
Merry Christmas to you and your family! You always make me laugh so much! So where do I begin … Great week of workouts amidst all the chaos and I would like my easy pace to be 7:43 🙂 Love the Pinterest before and after shots. Hilarious. Sometimes you can find those hearts at Michael’s. LOL! I’ve never watched Star Wars and I have no shame in admitting it. Oh, the F-word 🙂 Hugs! xoxo
Thanks Jesica!!
At the check-out in the supermarket, when I was ranting to the cashier about the candy hearts, she also suggested Michael’s. I told her the only place I hate more then the grocery store is Michael’s!!!
If you watch ANY Star Wars, it should be the first one. That’s really all you need.
Hope you had a great holiday and are gearing up for the new year!!
HAHAHAHA this post cracked me up. Love it! You are my favorite because you are the only other runner I know who loves barre as much as I do. And those cupcakes…DYING. My Pinterest inspirations NEVER come out so I’m gonna call yours a win. xx
It really is just us when it comes to Barre!! We need to stick together 🙂
I’m calling them a win too since I actually took the time to shop for the ingredients and make them! Plus, they were all gobbled up, no problem 🙂
Thanks Courtney!! Happy New Year!
Pinterest is the devil. Did you see my Christmas tree pancakes? However I curious if the grinch cookies are just sugar cookies with food coloring? Because you know I want to fall into another Pintrest trap where I get pissed my creation totally sucks!! Happy New Year!!!
LOL! I did not see the Christmas Tree pancakes but I would love too. That sounds very challenging!!
The grinch cookies were actually made from white cake mix. Very odd but they tasted a lot better then they looked. And yes, green food coloring and they now have candy hearts friggin’ everywhere so that won’t be an issue 🙂 Good luck!