Monthly Archives: October 2011

Day 41 of 101: Health stats & my workouts

Good Monday, muh friends! I had great week, and a great weekend. Husbandman got third place in a pretty grueling cyclocross race in Tennessee — go husbandman! When we got back in town it was time to get groceries, including tons of items to restock the pantry. That’s my favorite: a cabinet full of dried fruit, nuts, flour, huge bags of yeast. I feel ready for it all.

I also shared some links with you, and wrote about how awesome I was at meeting most of my three-week goals. And then there was my plan for this week (I think that’s gonna be a new thing; it’s just so nice for this list-making freak).

So annway, what made this week so good? It was the running. Two-and-a-half miles each training day! I averaged a 10-minute mile on day 2!

I’ve gone into each week of this training with the attitude that if the training says I should be running X amount, then obviously it’s what I can do — I’m not mentally preparing to give up. Not one inch.

And I’m already letting my brain wander to … a 10K challenge. As if the 5K is inevitable.

The rest of my food and do week was good — more good workouts (I had to take it easy a couple of day after a nice big hike that winded me); more good-tasting, good-for-me food (tons of quinoa! roasted root vegetables!).

I’m coming to expect that my weeks will just be good, and that some weeks will prove to be great. In other words, no bad weeks. Or if there’s any bad in them, it’ll be very manageable.

This is possibly the best side-effect of eating well and exercising regularly.

Water intake

Light blue area: daily goal of sixty-four ounces
Darker blue area: daily water consumed

Slow and steady wins the race. Saturday was Patrick’s race, when I spent a lot of time in the cold and far away from a bathroom. Drinking lots of water was the last thing on my mind.

Weekly points

Light blue area: extra+activity points
Darker blue area: points consumed each day
Maroon area: daily allotment of twenty-nine points

I repeat, slow and steady wins the race. I didn’t really have an oops-I-ate-too-much day this week. I also didn’t, though, keep to the 32 points a day I’d set out to eat. Maybe this week I’ll do it.

Calories burned

Light blue area: goal of 2,000 calories
Darker blue area: total calories actually burned (increasing with each workout)
Green area: daily calories burned

Yay yay yay! More than 2,000 calories burned! I burned an average of more than 300 calories for each run this week, which is nearly twice what I was burning during my training just a few weeks ago. The runs are longer, obviously, but I think I’m also able to push harder for longer. Go fitness go!

Weight

Opposite land: When the line goes up, I lost weight; when it goes down, I gained.

Starting Monday: 126.2
Ending Sunday: 127.4

If I’d had a bad food/workout week, I’d probably be annoyed that I didn’t lose this week. But as it is, I feel so good about my week that this number is inconsequential. For now.

My workouts

It feels pretty good to have surpassed my 2,000-calorie burn goal. I think in two weeks I’ll be ready to notch it up to a 2,500 goal. So far, I’ve felt good that I’ve been pushing my body just about as hard as I should before I get into the realm of push too hard. I say I’ll be ready to go harder pretty soon, though.

Monday
CYCLE 43 min / 373 calories

Tuesday
RUN 35 min / 283 calories
PUMP 47 min / 186 calories
FLOW 54 min / 206 calories

Wednesday
HIKE 99 min / 529 calories

Thursday
rest

Friday
RUN 35 min / 315 calories

Saturday
rest

Sunday
RUN 35 min / 327 calories

I was happy to get a hike back in the mix, but I forgot how much it tires me out the next day. As I inch toward my new 2,500-calories-burned goal, I think I might try to get the hike in and get a second Body Flow back in my schedule (I only attended on this week! I missed it).

Planning the week: it works!

I loved planning my week ahead last Sunday. It gave me the little bit of structure I needed to make the most of each day. Hey, here goes nothin’ …

Monday
We’re gonna eat: Homemade lasagna. Umm, not using homemade pasta because my arms are tired.
I’m gonna make: My padded laptop sleeve. (Wish me luck!)
I’m gonna write: Health stats and my workouts!

Tuesday
We’re gonna eat: More lasagna (lots of lasagna this week).
I’m gonna make: These spiced apple chips. We’ve had so many treat-y treats in the house (these cinnamon rolls were RIDICULOUS. Amazing and ridiculous). that I’m looking forward to a clean snack. Also, some more energy bars! They’re my new go-to pre-gym nourishment and I’m about to run out.
I’m gonna write: My perfect cracker recipe. Y’all, it’s delicious.

Wednesday
We’re gonna eat: Lasagna. Seriously, we have so much of it. Also, I’ll probably make some vegetables to go with it.
I’m gonna make: Design! Something! Let’s say, I’ll find some quotes I really like. And if I like the poster, maybe I’ll even print them up.
I’m gonna write: My day in food.

Thursday
We’re gonna eat: Quiche! Finally, something different. Specifically, this broccoli quiche (again, because it was yarmy).
I’m gonna make: Quiche! Also, any finishing touches to that laptop sleeve.
I’m gonna write: Running running running. And what goes on in my brain when I do.

Friday
We’re gonna eat: Quiche, please (we do leftovers a lot; it makes meal planning easy).
I’m gonna make: I think I’m going to plan details for the blouse/skirt I’ll make from a pattern. Also, I want to mess with my spreadsheets and squeeze more data from them. So that, too.
I’m gonna write: My laptop sleeve. Hey, if it’s good enough maybe I’ll make this more of a how-to and less of a beginning-sewist’s confessional.

Saturday
We’re gonna eat: Yum yum butternut squash pasta — another recipe from one of the cookbooks we have at home.
I’m gonna make: Oh, nothin’ but dinner.
I’m gonna write: Links for you! I hope you’ll like them.

Sunday
We’re gonna eat: I like not knowing. (But probably pasta leftovers)
I’m gonna make: Nothin’! It’ll be a chill weekend.
I’m gonna write: The new plan for the week ahead.

Day 40 of 101: Meeting little goals

A few weeks ago I was looking to bring more focus to my week, so I set some little goals for myself. I gave myself three weeks to finish them, and now my three weeks are up!

I think I did pretty well. Sometimes goal-setting gets overwhelming. “Will I really be able to finish all my projects? There’s so much to do!” I think I found the secret: modest, modest goals.

Sew another tote bag

Le bag.

Done! And I wrote about it, mostly about how I wish I’d made it a little different, to have that new-project thrill. C’est la vie and all that fine stuff.

Sew myself an outfit

This is me loving the dress I made.

I’m gonna call my “15-minute” dress an outfit. I still need to wear it out-and-about!

16 of the 50 recipes

See this dog? Her snout was inches away from my beer bread while I was taking photos. So I turned the camera on her and what does she do? “No, no. Not me. I wasn’t trying to eat your bread.”

I’ve made the recipes! I’ll be posting about them this week. In the meantime, don’t that beer bread look good? You should make some.

Develop a cycling snack for Patrick

What you see is honey, dates, oats, flax, almonds, cinnamon, chia seeds, and that's it!

I’m so, so close. I’ve got the flavors down, but I need to work on the consistency (it’s a bit too sticky to be convenient as on-the-go food). Still, I’m happy with the recipe as is for myself, so I’ll be posting it soonish!

New goals

This worked so well for me that I’d like to proclaim some new modest goals for the next three weeks:

» One sewing project each week. I already know I want to make a padded laptop cozy to match my new tote bag. And I want to challenge myself to following an actual pattern for a blouse or skirt. Finally, how about I make some formal napkins? When my friend Melizza started getting serious about sewing, she made a collection of great napkins (she sent me the blue ones!). I want to borrow from her ideas; maybe some of her good sewing juju will rub off.

» Another dozen recipes! This fifty recipe challenge is introducing me to so many good foods and new ways of putting them together. In fact, I think I’ll have to renew it once it’s done.

» 10-minute mile in the outdoors! This feels like the most ambitious goal — Patrick and I went on my first street run this morning and I could feel how much I slowed down on those hill climbs (it didn’t feel like I gained too much on the downhills, either). I’d like to run a solid 10-minute pace for the 5K we’ll do Thanksgiving morning.

» Design design design. When I started my 101 Days Project I definitely thought I’d be doing little design projects for fun. I haven’t done a single one! So, over the next three weeks I’d like to: design my own version of a few of those inspirational quote posters popping up all over the place; design holiday cards because … why not?; and design a logo for a personal project muh husbandman’s working on.

Hmm, these are feeling decidedly less modest. Let’s see how I do. (Pretty good, I bet.)

Day 39 of 101: Some links for you

Today I go cheer on my husbandman in a bike race in Bristol, Tenn. Go, Patrick, go! While I’m there, wanna check out what I’ve been checking out this week?

Swiss Miss: We have a strategic plan …

This is my motto these days. Go. Do. Make. I keep meaning to design my own versions of some of these word posters I see (I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to them). Maybe I should put that on my to-do list for this week …

With a Side of Sneakers: Duh, Lindsay. Graots are oats.

It’s funny the things I do know about food: for instance, how the proteins in egg whites are rearranged during whipping to form little cell walls, and how the cells hold the air that’s whipped into them, and how adding sugar strengthens the bonds holding those cell walls together. And the things I don’t know: groats are where oats come from.

Frolic: These canning labels are so cute and simple

Gives me ideas. I’ve been wanting for awhile to make labels for Patrick’s beermaking, but maybe we should have a family label for food gifts we give, too.

Fimby: Going dairy-free.

I love reading about other people’s food journeys, but it can make for a confusing look at my own. Like, I intently read this article (and the ones it links to), but then I bookmark this homemade yogurt how-to (Eating Rules). And this one (Real Food Matters). And these instructions for homemade cheese (also Eating Rules) … And then, of course, there’s the option of going gluten-free (Earth Mama).

Tea and Cookies: Polenta and kale with poached eggs

Damnyum. This dish is calling my name. It might have to go on my list of fifty recipes. I wonder if I could convinced Mr. Scrambed Eggs to eat a soft yolk.

Simply Scratch: Chocolate popcorn

I have this idea for Halloween this year, that Patrick and I should indulge in homemade candies, carve pumpkins and watch scary movies. Doesn’t this popcorn look like it would fit right in?

Are So Happy: The Art of Nurturing

I have always seen myself as a professional nurturer, so to speak. It’s not just about being nice to folks and making cookies. It’s about sometimes drawing on your own energy and happiness to provide those things for someone else. “Art” is a nice way of putting it.

Working Out & Eating In: “How your favorite food are grown”

I had never seen how cashews look before they get to my snack. Nor Brussels sprouts or almonds. To be honest I’d never thought that an almond would look much different than any other nut — in a shell. And Brussels sprouts grow in bundles, right? Like, in bagged bundles? Obviously not. But it’s funny that I’d never questioned how things grow. This was a neat peak!

Day 38 of 101: A new tote, kinda like the first

Le bag.

Well, doesn’t this look familiar?

I didn’t change very much for this tote attempt, and now I’m kind of wishing I had.

I worked diligently to get all my seams and stitches straight, I added boxed corners, and constructed my handles using a different method (more polished, I think).

But when I hung the tote to photograph it, I felt a little shoulder-sag. A little frown-face.

It just wasn’t new enough. I didn’t feel that rush of accomplishment at creating something for the first time.

Aww well. I take it as a good sign — that I want to keep making new things! I want to keep learning new sewing skills.

… I haven’t been scared away yet.

The tote and notes

Perfect fit.

I used my laptop to determine the dimensions for this bag — I wanted something that it would fit snuggly into (after I fit it snuggly into a padded laptop sleeve I plan to make).

Good pockets.

I also sewed a pocket onto the lining, then sewed little subdivisions into it — just right for a phone, a pen, and other odds and ends. If I make more totes, this is where I plan to spend the most time, in developing interior organization that best suits the things I carry.

Fancy.

I used the guidelines in this Craft Snob tutorial to make my handles this time. I wanted to get in the habit of putting in extra effort, and I think they do look more finished. I’ll be using this method for a bit so I can perfect my straight-line and close-to-the-edge skills.

Also, I boxed my corners (using these directions)! I like how this bag-ifies the tote. Also, it was one more skill to get under my belt. I’m all about accumulating new skills …

Blurg burger.

Why? Why why why why why? My thread was sewing up so nicely until I neared the end of this project. Then it started looping on the wrong size of my stitches. I’ve fixed that before by refitting the bobbin. I think I even rethreaded the needle. No luck. It would stitch nicely for a minute and then go loopy.

I’ll figure this out one day. Mark my words.

Next thing’s next

So, time for me to try something new! I’ll be sewing a padded laptop sleeve. Also, I bought some elastic to try making underthings. Also, Patrick bought me a bike cap pattern! Also, I want to make another dress. Also, also, also …

Day 37 of 101: What I’ve learned in group exercise

Since when am I group exercise girl?

Used to be I felt self-conscious in the group setting, even when I found a spot in the back. And I would often measure how well I did in a class by how well I matched my classmates — usually by the end of class I felt I should have done better.

But now my fitness routine is pegged on my training runs and group exercise classes: Body Pump, cycle, Body Flow. In the many weeks since I began the 101 Days Project, I’ve missed only a handful of classes.

In that time I’ve grown to like seeing the same faces day in and day out (they hold me accountable without even trying — I wouldn’t want to have to explain a prolonged absence to the nice folks who say hi and ask how I’m doing). I’ve gotten in better shape; I’ve gained confidence in that group setting; and I’ve learned some things that help me perform better in and out of class.

May I write a little ode to group exercise?

It’s OK to go at your own pace

A couple of months in classes have cured me of my instinct to compare what I can do against what other folks can do.

There is almost always someone in class using less weight, going more slowly, who takes breaks; and the instructors usually give lower-impact options and make it clear everyone should find the pace/weight/position that works for them.

What a load off the shoulders, to be OK with whatever pace works for me. I’ve spun through high-intensity hill climbs during cycle class; I’ve taken a few extra moments to complete reps in Body Pump. On the flip side, I’ve felt more comfortable settling into some of the yoga/pilates positions during Body Flow — I’ll hold some of those poses long after everyone else moved into the next position, simply because it felt good and I wanted to take advantage of it.

Overall, it’s a comfort level with myself that’s changed, and I feel like I get so much more out of class when I’m not using brainpower worrying about how I look or how “well” I’m doing.

On the other hand: push push push!

My cycle instructor — at 5:45 in the morning — has this wonderfully calm way of getting us motivated. He starts most classes saying something like “OK. Let’s start this.” Like, the way someone else my say “Aaaalright! Let’s staaart this!” He means it the same way. But he delivers it: “OK. Let’s start this.”

I love it.

Anyway, his directions during class are exquisite. He breaks down our cycle routine into a handful of intense intervals and lets us know about changes coming up. He uses gearing numbers to suggest our intensity and the RPM numbers to suggest our speed — that makes it really clear what I should be aiming for, and of course he offers lower-intensity options.

What he also does, and what I’ve gotten the most out of, is that he throws out “this should be an 8 on a scale of 10 difficulty. This should hurt. You can do it.”

I’d let these little words of encouragement slip past me the first few weeks. That’s alright — I was focused on keeping up with those easier alternatives he offered.

As I’ve gotten a little more fit, though, I’ve listened more to his cheers to “Push. Push. Push.”

Class hasn’t gotten easier, ever. But the idea of pushing, and hard, has. It’s not enough to break a sweat — I want to explore my boundaries. My approach before had been to work hard enough to meet my boundaries.

The thing about my boundaries is, when I meet one it’s simply the first — the mental boundary I have regarding how much I think I can do. To meet it and not question it doesn’t do justice to what my body is actually capable of.

Some of my most self-satisfied moments have been in that cycle class when I’ve chosen to take it to a level 8 even though I don’t know if I’ll be able to pull it off. Usually I do. When I don’t … well, I never regret having tried.

The “push push push” follows me on my training runs, in my Body Pump class. I’m running two-and-a-half miles continuously. I never would have thought!

Form is function

I love when instructors explain the fine points of say, a squat or downward-facing dog. Obviously I’ve seen down-dog — hands and feet on the ground, butt in the air, legs and back as straight as you can get them. But to hear “move your shoulders away from your ears” creates that moment: “Oh right! Shoulders away from ears! I get it!”, and my back got a little straighter, my spine a little more elongated, and the pose felt more settled.

Classes are peppered with these little notes. I become increasingly likely to hear them as I get more fit — the less I have to concentrate on just barely completing the lift/pose, the more I can tune into the fine points.

“Brace your abs to protect your back.” I get this logistically, but my body registered it one day in Body Pump class when, I guess, my abs were strong enough to do the job properly. Bracing my abs fully makes my whole torso feel like a single working part.

“If you don’t feel this stretch in your quads, tilt your pelvis forward.” And that’s the day I felt, for the first time, this stretch running down the front of my leg. I use the tip during my static lunges, too, keeping my upper body more vertical by checking that my butt is tucked and my pelvis tilted forward.

In fact, I use all of these tips (and I’m sure there’re more) across all exercises, and throughout my day.

If I’m feeling a little lazy, I shake things up with a strong shoulder roll — up, back, then down to get my shoulders further from my ears and my back straighter. When I think of it, I engage my abs — standing, walking, sitting.

Overall I feel more engaged during even simple movements. Like I’m really awake to how I move through my little world.

So, thank you group exercise. I think you helped me do this!

Day 36 of 101: My day in food, distracted edition

Yay for What I Ate Wednesday! And as if it makes a difference: I decided to start tracking my Monday meals, to give me time to edit photos, write something really clever about them, and get the post up first thing Wednesday morning. Also, it gives me a good reason to kick-start my week with productive, happy thoughts about food.

For a day dedicated to documenting what I ate, Monday felt decidedly nonfood-centric. Maybe it’s because my mind was too full with making my first dress. I love a day full of so much doing that eating no longer takes center stage.

Regardless, all my food was yarmy, and I enjoyed when I sat down to eat it. And — and! — I got one of those fifty recipes cooked …

Good morning!

What you see is honey, dates, oats, flax, almonds, cinnamon, chia seeds, and that's it!

About twenty minutes after I woke up, I was snacking on this homemade energy bar and heading out the door to the gym. It’s a tasty way to get my morning boost.

Old friend.

… And as soon as I walked in the door I was greeted — as usual — by this mug full of coffee and cream. Thank you, husbandman!

Asparagus & mushrooms, plus egg and so on. This was good and fluffy. Next time I want to try making it good and creamy.

I did a little experiment with my egg/veggie dish this morning: into the single egg I stirred a tad Greek yogurt and feta, plus fresh dill and chives (I had them on hand for another recipe). I poured that over the sauteed veggies, covered it, and let it cook until it was done.

It was good, but could have been better — I think heavier on the feta than on the yogurt, and dried herbs might have been tastier.

Midmorning snack

Purty.

I snacked on four of these little guys. They’re the cutest, right? Black figs were the only ones I could find (at Fresh Market) for the fig bars I’ll make later this week. Hopefully I’ll use some good sense and leave enough for the recipe.

Lunchtime

Hey, those are homemade crackers.

Man, I was just gonna eat this hummus, etc., but I was hoangry! As soon as I saw it on the plate I thought “more more more!” So I made up a bowl of fruit, etc., to accompany …

Bananas + almond butter + granola

Midafternoon coffee break

Mmmmm.

It helped me make my dress!

Dinner

That green-black thing is what amounts to a butter-fried sage leaf. It might have been the best part of a delicious dish. Also, homemade pasta. I see a pasta roller on our horizon.

Roasted butternut squash and sausage pasta in brown butter sage sauce! Holy crap. Make this thing. It is the best thing I have eaten in a long time. And also, I didn’t know that’s how sage tastes.

This was super easy to make, too. A few steps, sure, but all of them basic.

Eat it eat it eat it!

Day 35 of 101: Sewing my first dress!

This is me loving the dress I made.

It’s almost a shame to call this a dress project. It’s more like a clever-sack project. This clever sack can be a dress, or another kind of dress, yet another kind of dress, even a skirt!

As simple as it is, it was the perfect sewing project to push me into sew-to-wear territory. This territory is dotted with mental landmines, I think. The little bombs that blow up your confidence / patience / creativity.

… But also the little bombs that can blow up in a good way: your confidence / patience / creativity.

I’ve been avoiding clothes-making because I haven’t felt at all ready.

And then this little sack of a dress (to call it that is not doing it any justice whatever) fell into my feed reader. It’s meant to take only fifteen minutes, and “it requires only four seams.” And they’re all straight. Hi. I can do that. (You should go to the tutorial, by the way. It’s a short video that tells the story of the dress much better than I could.)

I made my first version on a whim Saturday, using fabric Patrick’s grandmother had given me (thank you, Grandmother Beeson!). What I didn’t think about was — since I wasn’t using the jersey fabric Ms. Design Fixation used — I’d need to hem every cut edge before I started, to make sure the finished piece looked … finished.

I ended up with lots of frayed edges. But you know what? I wore that dress out in public. Because I was pretty excited to have made something I could wear.

And that’s exactly why I’d followed that whim — I wanted to start exploring the pride-in-having-made feeling. And I wanted to make it so I craved it a little more. And then some more.

Mission accomplished. As soon as I wore that dress out I knew I wanted to try it again, this time keeping in mind the hem issue; and maybe playing with the dimensions of the thing; and fabrics, of course.

I bought more fabric than I needed. You know, to help build the fabric collection that I'm nearly required to have if I'm to consider myself a true sewist.

I headed to JoAnn on Monday and found my fabric. Fabrics. I also found the fabrics I want to use for my tote bag later this week.

The striped linen was for my dress; the other two are the outer and lining fabrics for the tote.

The final dress!

(Halter style, front) Perfect length!

It took me … not fifteen minutes. More like three hours of pinning and pressing and checking lengths. I’m looking forward to all this prep work being second-hand. In the meantime, I don’t mind spending the time to make something look as good as I can.

(Halter style, back) I look sassy, right? Sassy looks good on me.

When I was done, I had a striped linen dress/skirt for which I’d also sewn a “ribbon” of the same fabric. I’m really happy with it. I’m looking forward to wearing it out; and as we head into cooler weather, I think I can make it look super cute layered with a long-sleeved shirt and sweater. Don’t you think?

(Two strap, front) This might be my favorite way to wear it. I see brown boots and maybe something bright red.

(Two-strap, back) I love the crossed ribbon. If I were to change anything, it would maybe be to make my next ribbon longer ...

The linen (which is apparently slippery on the sewing machine? Or maybe I just need more practice with straight lines) ended up making for a highly constructible piece. By which I mean, when I scrunch the dress over or under the ribbon, it all stays in place. So I can make myself little temporary “darts” (as in the halter version). And the two-strap version: I can make that neckline more boat-y, narrower — whatever I want, and I can feel good it’ll stay in place.

I’m tempted to make this dress again, using the excess liner fabric I bought for that tote …

Day 34 of 101: Health stats & my workouts

I was loving my workouts last week. My training runs are getting increasingly demanding, but I wouldn’t say hard or overwhelming. I ran I pushed my hardest yet in cycle class Friday — I got to that point where I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish the circuit the instructor laid out but I forced myself to at least try; and I finished it.

Food was good this week, too. I ate a little too much on Saturday (and the scale was up a little Sunday morning as a result), but not enough to feel a wreck over. I’m loving roasted sweet potatoes this fall (in a leftovers lunch, for example); and I want to pump up my veg-for-breakfast egg dish a few times this week (for energy!).

Overall, a really, really good week.

Water intake

Light blue area: daily goal of sixty-four ounces
Darker blue area: daily water consumed

I was sub-goal only one day this week! Whee!

Points consumed

Light blue area: extra+activity points
Darker blue area: points consumed each day
Maroon area: daily allotment of twenty-nine points

I gotta say, I keep leaving my activity points unused by the end of the week, but at the end of each week I feel well-fed. In fact, I could have done to eat a little less Saturday and still been happy. Maybe this week I’ll try keeping my daily intake to around 32 points and see how I do. Of course, I have two-and-a-half-mile runs scheduled three times this week for my training and I might find myself in need. In which case I will eat eat eat, good good food.

Calories burned

Light blue area: goal of 2,000 calories
Darker blue area: total calories actually burned (increasing with each workout)
Green area: daily calories burned

Again with the busted heart-rate monitor (so I borrowed numbers from past weeks). I think I actually burned more than this, and I’m pretty sure I actually busted past that 2,000 calorie goal.

Weight

Opposite land: When the line goes up, I lost weight; when it goes down, I gained.

Starting Monday: 128.6
Ending Sunday: 127.8

Overall loss, yay! And after a week of good workouts my body feels strong. I have a feeling that over the next few weeks of increasingly intense runs, more rigorous pushing from me in my weight classes, and good eating habits, my body is going to turn into a calorie-burning machine. I dare to predict a sudden weight dip sometime next month.

My workouts

My heart-rate monitor is still acting funny, so instead of leaving this-here area blank I decided to borrow workout numbers from previous weeks for an idea of what I accomplished. I think my numbers were higher (my running was more intense, I could feel myself pushing harder in cycle and even body flow classes). You know, for the record.

Monday
CYCLE 46 min / 370 calories

Tuesday
TRAINING RUN 29 min / 182 calories
BODY PUMP 46 min / 99 calories
BODY FLOW 55 min / 187 calories

Wednesday
rest

Thursday
TRAINING RUN 29 min / 213 calories
BODY PUMP 45 min / 150 calories

Friday
CYCLE 49 min / 392 calories

Saturday
TRAINING RUN 29 min / 224 calories (2.25 miles of continuous running yay!)
BODY FLOW 55 min / 194 calories

Sunday
rest

The only thing I missed this week was my (now) regular hike with Miss Dawg. I was in need of each of my rest days this week, though, so I took them in place of a hike. I gotta get out on a trail this week, though. Maybe Wednesday. The dawg demands it …

Day 33 of 101: Catching up and planning ahead

Today was a Starbucks day.

I’m not gonna lie: it’s been nice to spend the past couple of days just going about my daily business all low-key and not write-y.

But here I am on Sunday, wanting to plan plan plan the next week: meals, projects, writing schedule, etc etc etc.

I have a lot on my plate. I mean, I kind of promised myself I’d: make a fall outfit; cook up sixteen new recipes; make another (more polished) tote bag; and concoct the perfect cycling snack for Patrick. All by one week from today.

And hell if I’m not gonna do all those things.

The recipes — they’re marked, and I’m ready. All the necessaries are on our grocery shopping list.

The dress — I actually found the (simplest, simplest) pattern; have made one (rough) version of it; and I’m ready to tackle it again (and maybe again and again, because it’s the kind of piece that’d be nice to have in different colors).

The tote bag — not much progress, but all it’ll take is a trip through fabric aisles to get me inspired.

The energy bars — man, I’m getting close. Patrick approves of the current recipe I’ve put together, with a few notes. I don’t know … I might have to keep this one close to my vest. I mean, what if I decide I want to be a baker again? [wink wink]

Next-level sh*t

This is where I get hardcore. Watch out, I’m about to be fierce. I’m going to make a daily schedule and publish it right here, right now. I know. I’m getting all tough and scary. You are in awe.

Monday
We’re gonna eat: Roasted butternut squash and sausage pasta
I’m gonna make: That pasta. Also some sweet and salty toasted chickpeas. Also, a dress.
I’m gonna write: About my health stats and workouts from the previous week. Because it’s Monday, and that’s what I write about on Mondays.

Tuesday
We’re gonna eat: Some awesome pasta leftovers.
I’m gonna make: Another dress. Either the first one will be awesome and I’ll want to make another one, or the first will need some improvements so I’ll try it out again. Also, I’ll start some doughnut dough.
I’m gonna write: About the dress.

Wednesday
We’re gonna eat: Pumpkin doughnuts for breakfast, in the middle of the week. Treat! For dinner, baked quinoa patties with roasted sweet potatoes.
I’m gonna make: Those patties. Also, these granola bars. I’ve never made granola bars, and that shocks me.
I’m gonna write: About my day in food. Because it’s Wednesday, and that’s what I write about on Wednesday.

Thursday
We’re gonna eat: The rest of those patties. Probably with eggs and rice, to make it a little different.
I’m gonna make: A tote bag. Coconut maple granola. Also, energy bars. We’re headed to a bike race this weekend and I might want more expert opinions.
I’m gonna write: About what I’m most drawn to in group exercise instructors. I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while. Also, a brief update on my running. I’ve been doing really great so far. Hopefully I can still claim greatness Thursday.

Friday
We’re gonna eat: Something with Patrick’s parents, probably (we’re traveling to Bristol for more cyclocross racing!)
I’m gonna make: Before we leave Roanoke, I’ll make these soft baked fig cereal bars, and I’ll start the dough for these cream cheese cinnamon rolls. I think I’ll pop the unbaked pan in the freezer and make them for a decadent dessert Sunday night. Also, more tote bag.
I’m gonna write: About that tote bag.

Saturday
We’re gonna eat: Who the hell knows. Something to celebrate Patrick working hard in his race.
I’m gonna make: Photos, of Patrick racing.
I’m gonna write: About things I see around the internet that I think you’ll want to see, too.

Sunday
We’re gonna eat: Cinnamon rolls!
I’m gonna make: Hmmm, maybe nothing.
I’m gonna write: A roundup of my three-week goals. There will be a lot of “yay!”s.