April Come She Will

April come she will

When streams are ripe and swelled with rain

Is March seriously over?

Well, I guess it's time for a monthly recap, isn't it?

New Years Resolutions

1. End the year lighter than I started it.  On track, kind of.  I did gain, but I still weigh less than I did on Jan. 1.  Plus I've got a plan to turn that around, which I'll blog about soon.  So I'm gonna count that as a success.

2. Run a 10k.  I ran a 5k on Saturday, so I'm on track with training.  Another success!

March Goals

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I'm only 1 for 4...

1. Stay on the 10k/half marathon training program.  Yes, I did that.  I've done two 4 mile runs, and a 5k on Saturday.

2. Read at least one book.  Nope.  I'm about 100 pages into my current book, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.  Until about 50 pages, I was ready to give up.  Now I'm pushing through, because it is good, but it's not a light read by any means.

3. Finish painting the house.  Nope.  We are so close.  So, so close.  But not quite close enough that I can check this off my list.  The living room is completely primed and one of the walls is done.  We need to do the other three in a different color.  Should be done this week (fingers crossed).  I promise there will be pictures later this week or early next.

4. Go for at least one hike.  Nope.  The front yard took over our weekends this month, and I saved this one for the last minute, and planned a hike for March 31.  But my plans were foiled by a thunderstorm forecast and the fact that I had to pick between painting and hiking.  I thought about counting my 5k as a hike, but that felt like cheating.

April Goals

This is gonna look similar...

1. Stay on my 1/2 marathon training program.

2. Read at least one book (this can include finishing Gilead).

3. Go for at least one hike.

4. Get and estimate on the flooring and figure out a plan for flooring + new doors.  Part of this is up in the air depending on how much new floors are going to cost and a family member's travel plans, but I'd like to make some noticeable progress, even if it's just putting a concrete plan together.

Veggie Chase 5k Recap

My blog is about vegging out.  So when I saw a 5k called the Veggie Chase, it sounded like fate.  Fate I tell you.  Also, it worked into my training schedule and I hadn't done a 5k since November, so there's that too.

So I got up at the crack of dawn and trekked down to Elk Grove.

Obligatory pre-race picture

Okay, Elk Grove is only about 7 miles from my house, but it felt early.

The course itself was pretty straightforward.  Nice and flat, mostly in the park and adjoining high school, with a little jaunt into a neighborhood, which was fun because the neighbors came out to cheer.  I'd do a mile-by-mile, but there's not very much variation in a 3.1 mile, flat course.  But the highlight was that my pace was 12:31, which put me finishing within 10 seconds of my time in the Davis Turkey Trot in November.  So I didn't lose any ground over the winter, and I'm in a good place to start this season.

So 5 kilometers, and 38:53 later, I was done!

Meleagris gallopavo

When you think of turkeys, what do you think of?

This?

The internet is really full of gif-gold, isn't it?

Or a wild bird terrorizing your neighborhood?

Little did we know that when we bought this house, we were moving into the home turf of a turkey gang.

According to National Geographic, wild turkeys are native to North America, one of only two domesticated birds that can say that.  By the early 20th century, wild turkeys' range was vastly reduced.  But in the 1940s, wild turkey reintroductions had started and now they are everywhere.

And I mean EVERYWHERE, including my front yard.

This hen is pretty harmless, but it's spring, which means the toms are aggressive.  As in, charging Matt when he's on a bike aggressive.  We saw a flock of them surround a car.

Everyone told me that homeownership would bring unexpected challenges, but I didn't imagine they would involve fighting off a turkey.

Done-ish

Yard Part 1.0 is DONE.

Grass is planted, roses are pruned and transplanted, now we just wait and hope it grows.

Liebster Awards!

Back in January, TK at Freak Out In Color, nominated me for a Liebster Award.  I'm just now getting around to it...

But thanks!

Freak Out In Color is one of my favorites, so it's worth checking out in the meantime.

Here goes...

How it works: Share eleven facts about yourself. Answer eleven questions from the person who gave you the award. Nominate eleven blogs and list eleven questions for them to answer.

Eleven Facts:

1.  In the last 10 years, I've lived in 5 states: Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, and California.  6 if you count the 4 months I lived in New Mexico, and 2 countries, if you count the semester I lived in Ecuador.

2.  I was a competitive cross country skier in high school.

I know it's not from high school, or skiing, but it's me in the snow.

3.  I was also a competitive debater, in high school and college.

4. And I married a boy from the debate team.

Before

After

5.  The Oregon and Northern California Coasts are my two most favorite places.

6.  Even though I get terribly sea sick.

7. The Redwoods are a close second.

8.  My favorite food is spaghetti.  It's been spaghetti for as long as I can remember.

9.  I'm very claustrophobic.

10. My favorite movies are "The American President" and "The Princess Bride".

 

11. I have an irrational fear of vampires.  I have ever since a bat got into my grandparents' cabin when I was half way through "Dracula."

  

Taylor's Questions

1. What is your favorite thing about yourself?

I know it sounds conceited, but I like to think that I'm pretty smart.  I have nice blue eyes too.  Those are completely beyond my control, but I'll take credit for them anyway.

2. If you could visit any planet (besides Earth, obvi), where would you go?  Assuming you won't die due to atmospheric conditions.

Probably Saturn.

3. What's the earliest memory you have?

Picking apples at an orchard.  Not sure where, but it involved a hay ride, I think.

4.  What's your favorite color, and what do you think this says about you?

Purple, and I think it says I like purple.  I like most cool colors (I'm also a big fan of green and blue) but I've never really thought about why.

5. Have you ever broken a bone?  Tell us the story.

Nope.

6. Where do you want to be in five years?

Still in Sacramento.

7. If you had your choice between living forever, but never finding true love, or finding your soulmate but only living until age 50, which would you pick?

Soulmate, no question.

8. Who is your celebrity doppelganger?

Leslie Knope.

I don't actually look like her, but I kinda want to be her.  Does that count?

9. Who is on your "Freebie Five" list, IE the five celebrities you can bang without it being considered cheating?

This is a weird question considering my mother and mother in law read this blog.  I'm not going to go there.

10. What was your dream job when you were a little kid?

The normal - a doctor, an astronaut, a marine biologist.

For a brief moment, I wanted to live in rural Alaska and raise dog sled teams.

11. What is your biggest regret?

Honestly, I can't think of any big ones.  I guess that I didn't get my weight under control in high school, but writing it out makes it sound so serious, when I don't think it deserves this spot.

My Questions

1. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

2. What is your favorite TV show on right now?

3. What was your first pet's name?

4. What's the best book you read in the last year?

5. Spring or fall?

6. Something new you learned recently?

7. How do you relieve stress?

8.  What's your biggest pet peeve?

9. What's one thing you wish you could do that you can't?

10. What's your dream vacation?

11. What's one thing you can't leave the house without?

And finally, the nominated blogs:

1. The Cheesefries Stands Alone

2. Leah: The Kind Weight Watcher

3. Deliciously Incoherent

4. Life Deluxe

Um, I don't have any more that TK didn't already name.  We run in the same blogging circles.  So 4 will have to do.  If you want to nominate yourself, go ahead and do it in the comments.

Stress

That was me a couple weeks ago.  Work was just a little crazy.  But when your boss's boss's boss's boss's boss (or someone up there) says that he's coming to town and he wants something done so he can sign it, it's going to get done.  I know Leslie would approve (or at least understand).

So now that I'm caught up on sleep, it's a good time to think about how I deal with stress.

True, but not a very WW-friendly way to deal with it.

Another solution, but it hurts.  Or at least concerns your coworkers.

The truth is, I'm a stress eater.  I crave carbs when I'm stressed.  And honestly?  They don't actually make me feel better, they just make me feel full and kind of sick.  I guess that takes my mind off the stress?

The worst part of stress eating for me is that it feels like a waste of points.  Because I love eating, and I love good food.  So I get kinda pissed at myself when I use up points stress eating on food I don't actually enjoy, and then I have to turn down food I actually want, and actually would enjoy.  It's just not worth it.

So this time, I tried to take a slightly healthier route for stress relief.  Here is a short list, add yours in the comments:

1. Take a hot shower
2. Go for a run
3. Go for a walk
4. Drink a cup of coffee or tea
5. Yoga
6. Read a book
7. Veg out in front of the TV and knit

Some Random Thoughts

A few things that came to me during my 4 mile run today...

1. Running outside is about 1000000000% better than running on a treadmill.

2. The fact that it's perfect weather for running outside makes me happy right now, but also makes me a little worried.  If it's this warm in March, what's July going to be like?  My guess is somewhere between unbearable and Hades.

This is why the rest of the country hates Californians.  Because while you're all getting snowed on, I'm complaining about this.

3. To all the people that told me about the Galloway method, YOU'RE RIGHT!  I'm kind of lazy, so you'd think that I'd hear that you can walk, and be all over that, but for some reason I fought it.  But I used the run/walk intervals today and shaved almost a full minute off my pace.  Plus I didn't feel like dying at the end.

4. On that note, I realized that if I'm ever feeling kind of crappy, and wondering if a run will make me feel better, 9 out of 10 times, the answer is a resounding YES!

How I felt before my run

I tried to find a picture of my cats acting like how I felt after my run, but they're pretty lazy (lazier than me) so they looked just about the same.  But I promise I have a lot of energy right now!

5. People that walk on the wrong side of the street are annoying.  Bikers that bike on the sidewalk when there is a nice, wide, clear bike lane, and then don't yield to runners are much, much more annoying.

6. Now that I have a smart phone, I need to build a good running station on Pandora.  I found one called "Running Music Radio" that worked, but I don't love it.  I like KT Tunstall, and pop similar to that (steady beat but not too fast), but those stations have too much Norah Jones mixed in, and I don't want to be fussing with my phone while running.  So any suggestions?

7. To all the people that suggested a Heart Rate Monitor to calculate calories burned, you were also right.  Based on what I burned today, I've probably been overestimating calories burned, which may explain my weight loss plateau and my feelings on Thursday.  You mean I can't just out exercise a bad diet?  I really wish it worked that way, but turns out it doesn't.

Good Saturday Morning

Kona Coffee from Hawaii and a rose from my garden.

This is how every Saturday should start.

Pity Party's Over

Believe it or not I was a little upset last night.

Because gaining weight sucks.

But this morning, I've decided that giving up sucks more.

And I am the master of my own destiny, blah, blah, blah.  But seriously, one thing I've learned through my weight loss journey is that positive attitudes are contagious.  And really do help me stay on track.

So here's some inspirational pictures from the internet so I can convince myself that I can do this.

Blah

That's how I'm feeling about weight loss lately.  I missed two meetings in a row, so when I weighed in Wednesday morning I was unsurprised to see a slight gain.

Upset, but unsurprised.

On the fitness front, I feel great.  I'm taking classes at the gym, running, biking, and all around feeling good.

I know I can knock that gain out of the way in a week, but that's not really the point.  The scale's just not moving.

I've been bouncing around the same 10 pounds for months now.  At least I'm not gaining?

I don't understand why this is so hard.

And that's how I feel about that.

Yoga For Runners

I wrote last week that I've been taking a Yoga Body Sculpt class at my gym.  On top of coming out of the class feeling somehow energized and relaxed at the same time, I think I've found new favorite sequence.  This stretch feels AMAZING after a long run, so I thought I'd share...

1. Cobra Pose

2. Into Child's Pose

3. Into Downward Dog

4. Into Runner's Lunge

5. Into Warrior I

6. Then Warrior II

7. Reverse Warrior

8. And finally into Side Angle

And then repeat for the other side.  By the time I've been through it twice (one for each side) I've pretty much stretched everything I need to stretch after a long run, and I feel FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC!

Homeownership Update...

I thought there would be more of these.  When everyone said everything will take longer than you planned, I laughed.  Surely, that won't be us.

But alas, we're still painting.  Spring has caught up to us, and the garden won't wait until we're done.

It's okay though, Matt and I both enjoy being in the yard.  It should tell you something that most of our Christmas presents from the Meyer parents and the Shields parents revolved around the garden:

So the last few weekends have been spent turning this:

Into this:

It's okay if you can't see a difference.  I didn't take a very good "before" picture, and it's still clearly a work in progress.  But here's a little bit of what we've been doing.

Pulling Ivy

I'm cheating, because you saw this picture last week.  But look where Matt's sitting.  Now look at the picture above.  It's ALL GONE.  Now the challenge is to keep it gone.

Pruning

If you've never pruned before, it takes some nerves.  Because you're turning this:

Into this:

And this:

Into this:

Yikes.  But after consulting my New Western Garden Book (thanks mom and dad!) and reassurance from my mother in law, I'm pretty sure I did the right thing.

If I didn't, I'll know in a few weeks when all my neighbors have blooming yards and I still have sticks.  Fingers crossed!