My Night as a Vegan

As I get older, I find that the more people I meet the more unique experiences I have. Sometimes, they’re experiences I never thought I’d even consider. Like last week when my roommate—who is vegan—convinced me to go to her favorite vegan restaurant: The Chicago Diner.

The diner, whose slogan in “Meat free since ’83,” serves all vegan meals off a menu that resembles that of a regular (non-vegan) restaurant.

We started off with an appetizer of Buffalo wings with vegan ranch dressing. The “wings” looked like boneless spare ribs, but the spicy sauce made them taste very much like Buffalo wings you’d get anywhere else. Minus the taste of chicken… I’m not that easy to fool.

For my entrée, I ordered the Radical Reuben… with dairy cheese (they have dairy or vegan cheeze… cheese is where I draw the line especially when given the option and the other is spelled with a ‘z’). My sandwich, served on marble rye, was made of corned beef seitan, grilled onions, peppers, sauerkraut and vegan Thousand Island dressing. I have no idea what seitan is, but it kind of looked like those homemade Steak ‘Em strips my mom used to make when we were kids (except it looked like the slices of meat before they were cooked). The sandwich was delicious and there were so many flavors that I probably never would have known it was vegan if I was served it out of this context.

For dessert, we split a vegan milkshake. It was awesome. It tasted the exact same as a regular milkshake (or frappe as we call them in New England). And you know me, when it comes to dessert, I need the real thing.

I left way too full and satisfied, two feelings I never would have ever previously associated with eating vegan. While I enjoyed this experience, it didn’t convince me to abandon hamburgers. Eating vegan seems very difficult and I love food too much to give any of it up. But I was glad for this new experience--and for my roommate who showed me a different side of life. 

Running on Empty

I forgot how hard it is to train for a half marathon. Yesterday marked two months until the half marathon Erin and I are running in Newport, RI and I find myself questioning whether or not I can do this.

Two weeks ago I switched over to full training mode and started following a 12-week plan I found online. I tried to keep up with the nearly daily workouts, capped by a five-mile long run that weekend. Well, as has happened before, I wore myself out and ended up getting sick (the jury is still out as to whether it was allergies or an actual bug).

This happened last year when I started training as well. Last fall, I was much sicker and missed more than two weeks. This time I missed all week and a long run. It’s very discouraging to get psyched up and start rolling along only to be halted by illness or injury.

With two months to go, I’ve lost a precious week and will once again miss this weekend’s long run because I will be home for my sister's baby shower. I am going to try to squeeze my long run in during the week, but six miles is hard to “squeeze” in after working a full day (if you’re a runner, you know what I mean). Training for a half is a big enough hill to climb, but now I have to try to make up for lost time… all while being mindful of how hard I am pushing myself to make sure I don’t wear myself down to nothing again!

So, the million dollar question is, while training plans look great on paper, what happens when life gets in the way? I guess I’ll find out. If anyone has any tips, please feel free to let me know!

NYR Mileage Update:  206.3 miles to go until I reach my goal of running 500 miles in 2012!

These are a few of my favorite things....

Not to go all Sound of Music on you, but there are two things that have recently come into my life and changed it for the better and they have quickly become two of my favorrrrite thingssss! 

CSA Share
A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share provides members with a box of fresh, locally grown produce every week. This box is full of random produce—some I have never seen or heard of before. When Corey and Jamie signed up for it this spring, and asked if I wanted to split it, I decided against it because I didn’t think it would be worth it for me. However, there have been a couple weeks the two of them haven’t been able to get there share and I picked it up (and used it) in their place. At first I had no idea what to do with things like Swiss chard, kale or lemongrass. I looked up recipes so it wouldn’t go to waste—soon, cooking new things with fresh produce became addicting. Even without the CSA produce, I’ve continued to buy my own fresh stuff (sometimes even at the farmer’s market) and experimenting with ingredients and recipes like never before. I feel healthier and putting together creative dishes helps boost my confidence, as cooking is now one of my best skills!

I also have to give a shout out to Pinterest. I refused to join another social networking site, but when I finally caved I realized how many amazing recipes and cooking ideas I had at my fingertips. I’ve been printing them out like crazy and have even tried several of them, some successfully (homemade ice cream sandwich substitutes) and so not so successful (beet chips—burned)!

And I already decided that next year I will definitely sign up a CSA share for myself! I’m also thankful for my job, which has allowed me to spend a little extra on better food ingredients! Peace out, Healthy Choice meals and rice and beans!

Heart Rate Monitor Watch
I had been looking into getting one of these for a while, ever since my doctor told me last year that in order to lose more weight I needed to elevate my heart rate during my workouts. I’m bad at making big purchases, so I kept putting it off. Then a couple weeks ago I received a package (I love getting mail!)—it was the watch, a belated birthday present from Sean and Monika.

I’ve started wearing it all of the time. Even my trainer loves it—after a set of exercises she asks to check my heart rate to see if she is pushing me hard enough. Sometimes it works against me and I end up running up and down stairs with a medicine ball…

But it really come in handy during my cardio workouts. During a run or spinning class I know if I need to push harder or if I’m slacking. After a few times of pushing my heart rate and upping my effort, I feel so much better! I had definitely been running too slowly for where I needed to be and the heart rate monitor is helping me make the most of my workouts every time. There is nothing worse than putting in the effort to a workout but not getting all you can from it. For this reason alone, my new heart rate monitor watch has been invaluable.

Knowing I am eating more healthfully (fresh ingredients, homemade) and pushing myself harder at the gym, I have deserted counting every calorie I put in my mouth (wait, did someone say dessert?!). I still keep an eye on portions and have learned a lot of the last year about what I should and shouldn’t be indulging in, but if it gets out of hand I’ll have to go back to counting, even though it drives me crazy! Until then, I’ll continue on this path with my two new favorite things as my trusted companions.

Paying it Forward and Playing in the Sand

This weekend, I ran my first race of 2012. Kind of hard to believe that with all the running I’ve done this year it’s the only official race I’ve run. And it was on the beach.

 On Saturday, two coworkers and I took on the Beach Dash, a 5K obstacle course run put together by the creators of the Warrior Dash (the military-style mud runs with crazy obstacles). I figured this wouldn’t be as tough as the Warrior Dash seeing it was on the beach and the beach is always fun. And I had seen pictures of previous Beach Dash’s in other cities that included a beach ball pit and a water noodle forest.

Neither of those things was there. In their places were large wooden structures you had to run, jump and climb over. Not to mention flat wooden slabs you had to slide down once your got to the other side (I was mostly worried about getting a splinter in my ass!), rope blankets you had to army crawl under, sand mounds you had to climb, and water pools you had to wade through and then continue running with now water-logged sneakers that felt like cement shoes.

Oh yeah, and it torrential down poured for the first mile, so fierce and so sideways that it whipped and stung your skin like pieces of hail. After the down pour let up, the steady rain felt good on our sweaty bodies and washed away the sand and grass that had started to build up. 

Me and Elizabeth posing post race.



This felt like the longest 5K I’ve ever run (no wonder you got a medal and a beer at the end!). I can’t imagine how my coworker Elizabeth felt—it was her first race ever. At the time we registered, she had wanted to get more involved in fitness activities and she agreed to do it with me. My philosophy was that everyone has to start somewhere and this seemed like a fun place to begin. I never would have started running half marathons if it wasn’t for the encouragement of my former coworkers Kristin and Abby, so it was time to pay it forward and help someone else achieve something they never thought they could do.

All three of us in our fancy new hats.

I ran with her the entire time and she did great. She pushed herself to run after taking brief walking breaks and conquered all but two of the obstacles (I didn’t do one of them either). And when she came down funny on her ankle after one of the last obstacles, she walked it off and came running across the finish line like a champ. I was so proud of her!

And then we all drank beer and played in the sand for a few hours in our new pineapple hats … and lived happily ever after.

As an extras bonus, the race officially put me over the halfway mark of my New Year’s Resolution to run 500 miles—I currently have 247.54 miles to go! I think I’ll avoid the beach and any wooden structures in the next half.

I'm Back.. and Bigger and Better

So, it's been a longggg time since my last post (sorry Monika!), but a lot has been going on. Just as I had one foot out the door and on the way back to Massachusetts in February, I was offered a job in Chicago and decided to continue to be a Boston girl in the Windy City.

And I've been rewarded for remaining Chicago Hopeful. My new job has been busy yet fulfilling, and I even had the opportunity to spend nearly two weeks in Bangkok for work. I have since learned more about myself and my abilities than I even knew were there. But that's enough of that.

Through it all, it's been a little difficult keeping up with my weight-loss journey. I got stressed and burned out from counting calories so I stopped, this time for my mental health. I decided to enlist the help of a trainer in February and have since been working on my strength and toning. My hope was that my three sessions a month (in addition to the workouts I follow and do on my own) would help boost me over the plateau and catapult me back into the weight loss battle.

I've also stepped up my running. Instead of making my New Year's resolution something like "lost weight," I followed Jamie and Corey's goal of "run 500 miles in 2012." This goal--and a very mild winter--have kept me moving all year (with the exception of being sick a couple times and working 24-7 in Bangkok for two weeks) and I am about halfway through the 500 miles! I've haven't been running as much seeing it's been 100 degrees and humid since mid-June here.  

I haven't lost much more weight according to the scale, but I think my body has started to change and look more toned and in shape. I feel guilty paying for a trainer and having my gym membership as one of my most expensive bills each month, but I'd never do this on my own.  And like someone said to me when I was signing up (and it kind of stuck with me): There is no better investment than your health.

Here's to being healthy.. and some more regular blog posts!

Here come the baked goods...

It's hard enough to stick to your diet on normal days. But throw in working in an office obsessed with sharing goodies combined with the holidays, and you pretty much get a dieter's nightmare.

I've been good so far, taking a bite or a slice only here and there, but I have a feeling my willpower might wilt in the coming week. Yesterday there was chocolate overload in the work kitchen. A giant chocolate trifle cake was delivered to us, and a coworker brought in pounds of different chocolaty greatness as a thank you to us all for our support during his recent illness.

Thankfully I only worked a half day so I didn't have to be around all of it all day, but I did eat a handful of Jordan almonds before I left. I mean, how can you pass those up!?

I was proud that the only thing I wanted from the cake was this plastic reindeer which served as one of the festive toppers. Whenever I look at him--Steph and I have named him Skinny Pete--I will be reminded of my will power and hope its magical powers will help me resist the influx of baked goods that is to come. Also, Skinny Pete has a special place in my heart because he's made of cheap plastic, making him a little rough around the edges and discolored in spots, notably his pasty white legs. He doesn't have a perfect body, just like me. Move over Rudolph, there's a new reject reindeer in town!

Nothing says Christmas like some cookies

Embracing the holiday spirit has had me obsessed with the idea of making sugar cut-out cookies just like I've always made with my family. It was our tradition growing up, and as we've gotten older, I still insist on making them when I come home. My mom and dad (although I think he secretly enjoyed it) humored me and come Christmas we'd be stuck with dozens of sugar cookies coated in sprinkles that no one wanted to eat. They never have a chance next to the peppermint bark and chocolate magic cookies my mom makes.

Anyways, I convinced my friend Greg to make them with me this weekend. So on Sunday, after the Patriots game, I schlepped over to his apartment and we had at it. I got stuck with the job of rolling the dough (although in this case all we had was the smooth end of a mallet--my hand was killing me from the pointy side pressing against my hand) and cutting out the festive shapes. The entire time, I thought about how my parents got stuck with these same jobs every year, leaving us kids the fun part of decorating them, which we would tire of and quit halfway through, leaving them more to do.

By the time we were finished, we had 6 dozen cookies and, per tradition, no one to eat them. I had a few (and even more of the raw dough.. whoops!) but I just really wanted to make them more than I ever wanted to eat them. Looks like I'll be giving them away as some early Christmas presents! Except my traditional "Kim" cookie... which I always make with the leftover dough and slash my name in it with a butter knife and cover with sprinkles. I'll be eating that.

Special thanks to Greg for amusing me and to my Mom and Dad for putting up with us all those years in the name of tradition. And Mom, you're off the hook this year :)