Excitement coming!

I haven't sewed in quite some time. I hope you didn't notice the lack of craftiness around here this year. Oh, you did? I'm sorry. I think I just sewed so much for Christmas that I needed a break. But, I recently ended my hiatus with something really great!

Round up your old sweaters and join me back here on Monday for some serious fun! (Serious fun?)

Anyway, just come back and see what I've been up to, pretty please!

February Running Round-Up

We made it to March! Growing up, February was a great month because we got a lot of days off from school. Now that I'm a working woman, I don't get any of those days off. Luckily, we escaped February unscathed weather-wise. I love this "winter" we're having. Driving in the snow is not high on my list of fun things to do.

Unfortunately, February was not a great running month for me as I was battling an unknown injury. I did discover Aleve though. I guess that's a check in the Pro column.

Here's how my workouts played out:

Feb 5: 2 sad mi in 21:00, very painful
Feb 11: 3.15 mi in 30:00, pain during Last mi
Feb 12: 4 mi in 36:36, neg splits, slight pain with aleve
Feb 18: 4 mi in 36:38, 9:30/9:15/9:10/8:50, with aleve
Feb 19: 5 mi in 44:29, with aleve
Feb 21: 3.35 mi in 30:00, w/aleve, 8:56/8:52/8:40 pain at end but felt good otherwise
Feb 25: 3.5 mi in 31:40, some pain, 9:02/9:00/8:56
Feb 26: 5.25 mi in 51:00, pain last 2 mi,, 10:00/9:52/9:35/9:28/9:24
Feb 28: 3.5 mi in 31:20, 9:00/8:52/8:33, some pain

33.75 mi total


Definitely not anywhere near the 50 I was trying to hit. However, I'm still pretty proud of those miles logged because of my injury. I thought for sure I'd have to take a bunch of time off. Unfortunately, as wonderful as Aleve is, I'm still having the pain. Guess I'll keep trying to work through that. I have a follow up appointment with the doctor next week. Maybe he'll have other ideas.

Bad news......I didn't lose any weight this month. I take that back, I continually gain and lose the same 3 lbs. Good news......I did lose 2 1/2 inches. So, I guess something is working, right?

Stay tuned for more miles in March!

Explosive Eighteen

Explosive Eighteen is the 18th (duh) book in the Stephanie Plum mystery series by Janet Evanovich. If you’ve not read the first 17, Stephanie is a bounty hunter working for her cousin’s bail bonding agency. She is often caught in a love triangle with two men, Morelli and Ranger. She also often finds herself caught in unlucky situations with bad guys and the people who have skipped out on their hearings.
In Explosive Eighteen, she’s gotten herself in a real pickle. A passenger next to her on a plane ride has inadvertently given her a photograph of an unknown man that many people, including the FBI, the fake FBI, a crazy man, and another lady, are after. Stephanie, however, threw the photo away and is having trouble convincing them of that fact. Additionally, she’s having trouble with the men in her life and catching her bad guys too.
Does this sound familiar to you? It should if you’ve read any of the previous books in this series. They are quite formulaic. I’m not sure why I keep up with Ms. Plum. The earlier books were very entertaining, often funny, and kept me guessing. Lately, it seems like they’re just being cranked out for the sake of it. Also, the print is so large and the book so brief that this took me under 3 hours to finish. Not a real heavy hitter here. I say even if you’ve been a Plum fan, you can skip this one. And I don’t think I’ll be waiting on hold for the 19th book whenever that is released.


Rating: * 1/2

HAPPY LEAP DAY!

Vacation -- All I Ever Wanted

I am ecstatic! John and I have not one but two vacations booked for this year. I have a vacationing rule. I like to have the next one booked by the time I take the first one. Mission accomplished! In May, we will be setting off for some fun in the Florida sun. In July, we head to Vermont for a family reunion that I haven’t been to in about 8 years and John’s never attended. He better start learning the family tree now, I think. Two very different locations but equal relaxation.
Is there anything better than a trip? I feel badly for those lacking the travel bug. Exploring new places and returning to old spots always provides a great life experience. Within the Florida trip, we are also going to Key West for a couple days. This is very exciting but I need some Key West tips. Place to stay, restaurants not to miss, etc. If you’ve been, help me out! Sometimes I think planning the trip can be just as much fun as taking the actual trip. Well, maybe not just as much but, pretty darn close!
Sadie will not be vacationing with us but she is one lucky girl all the same. She gets to spend both trips with her grandma. Daily walks and a lot less crate time make Sadie a happy camper.

Speaking of Sadie……

 

This is what she did while I was catching up on some blog reading over the weekend. This is just her head on the keyboard. When I stopped typing to take a sip of coffee, she threw her entire body over it. OK, I get the hint. Close the laptop and play with you instead. Coming in loud and clear.

Have a super fantastic day!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I was so excited to come back to Mr. Potter after a brief hiatus. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the 5th book in the popular series by J.K. Rowling. Harry has just entered his 5th year at Hogwart's which means he and all the students are concerned with passing their O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) exams. Unfortuantely, Harry has been haunted by strange dreams again, Dementors visited him over the summer, and a new Ministry employee turned Professor is out to cause trouble for everyone. Very few believe Harry that Voldemort has returned causing much grief to Harry and his friends. Poor Harry.

That, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg and I feel I've said too much already. I really liked this one! It's true, they get better and better. Unfortunately, I have 4 more books in line before I can move onto #6. If I haven't inspired you to start this series, PLEASE hear me pleas. You won't be sorry.

Rating: * * * *

Recipe Reblog #7

OK, I have to come clean. This recipe is not new to me. I didn't cook a new recipe this week. I think that's the first time in 59 weeks. But, I did make this recipe which I have made many times before. I love it so much I wanted to share it with you. Aren't you lucky? If you are a blue cheese lover, specifically gorgonzola, you will LOVE this recipe. If blue cheese isn't your jam, you stink like Taleggio. Just kidding. A lot of people are scared of blue cheese. Don't be! It's so tasty. At least try it first before you dismiss a whole delicious sector du fromage.

Gorgonzola and Walnut Spaghetti: It's a Rachael Ray recipe so it's fast and easy. I mean really easy. I substituted fat free half and half for the heavy cream, my new favorite healthifying step, and it didn't suffer at all. This is a great alternative to a boring alfredo or red sauce. It feels fancy but it's not. Make it for a date night in and crack a bottle of red to go alongside. Mangia!

Injury Report

When I listed my January miles a few weeks back, I mentioned I've been having some pain in my right glute and hamstring. I went to Dr. Google and he told me it was piriformis syndrome that affects your sciatic nerve. All sources said this was manageable with specific stretches and exercises. I did these stretches and exercises religiously to no avail. It wasn't really getting better at all. I had two meltdowns about how I wasn't able to run without pain. TWO! Who am I? I never pegged myself as a person who would be upset about not being able to run.

So, I finally went to see a real doctor. He felt around my butt a bit and then made me bend over and touch my toes about 6 inches from his face while feeling my hamstring. Awkward! Good thing I wasn't wearing a skirt. He proclaimed that it was probably a pulled muscle and that I should just drug myself up prior to running. 2 Aleve an hour before I run for a couple weeks, then come back. If it doesn't work, physical therapy.

I tried this tactic over the weekend except I think I took it too far in advance. I took it 2 hours ahead and then got sidetracked and let John have the treadmill before me. (I'm so nice.) I was able to do 4 miles in 36:38 with negative splits. Good, not great. The pain didn't really show up until the last half mile and that one I ran an 8:50. That's a big improvement. I was really proud of myself until I looked at the run I had logged the previous Sunday sans Aleve and it was 4 miles in 36:36. What the what?! I remember having more pain though so I guess it worked? I'll keep trying this method until early March when I go for my follow up.
With just under a week left in February, it's safe to assume I won't be getting in 50 miles this month. But, I figured that if I ran the January totals for 10 months, I could still hit 500. So, for now, it's okay that February didn't bring as many miles to me as I would have liked.

The doctor is also making me have blood work done tomorrow because I've never had it done before (yes, even though I'm 28). He said everyone should have their cholesterol and other things checked before they're 30. I am super nervous about this. Plus, I can't eat breakfast before having it done either. I'm going to be famished. Luckily, the appointment is first thing in the morning. Wish me luck!

Have you suffered a running injury? What was it and what did you do to recover? Do I have anything to be nervous about while having my blood drawn?