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Friday Favorites II

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Wow, time sure flies…Friday Favorites round 2 is already here!

You might remember that last Friday I made a very official proclamation that Friday would be the day where I detail some of my current favorite things.

Because you know, it’s fun.

Since I started off last Friday’s post with an adorable picture of a smiling puppy, I thought I’d share this piece of PERFECTION.

SLEEPING SANTA PUPPIES. I'm dying.

You’re welcome.

Now, to the second weekly round-up of favorites!

1) Disney Races

Mark my words, this WILL be me. Lumiere and Cogsworth included. I'll also be more sweaty, less tan, and have a bigger smile on my face.

If you are not yet aware of my everlasting love of Disney, well…then you probably have never met me.

Just know, it’s unconditional. Specifically, visiting Disneyland and spending the entire day with a stupid 7-year-old-girl grin on my face. It’s obnoxious, I’m sure, but I just can’t help it.

This being said, I am vowing to do one of the Disney races this year. If you have not heard about this magical phenomenon, let me explain. Both Disneyland and Disneyworld hold marathons and half marathons throughout the year—INSIDE the parks—, and I’m pretty sure that doing one would be the climactic high point of my life. Let me show you the mathematics behind my logic.

Running= love

Disneyland=heaven

Running + Disneyland= omfg I am going to die from giddy hysteria

I actually wanted to add this goal of running a Disney race to my list of Running Wishes from yesterday, but…well, honestly I forgot, but THEN I realized it was more fitting as a Friday Favorites shout out.

Okay, shut me up now. I need to move on. Just know, I will be racing under Sleeping Beauty’s castle sometime in 2012.

BF, you in???

2) Oatmeal

mmmmm!

This favorite is definitely not new…I’ve loved oatmeal for years. However, I’ve recently begun to really appreciate just how good of a post-run meal it is. The above photo shows my ideal oatmeal concoction:

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, cranberries, agave, and a glob of peanut butter on the side (obviously the best part)

This breakfast is a fantastic combination of carbs and protein, and I always feel refueled and ready to go after gobbling this down. Even with no run, this is a great breakfast and one I could eat every single day.

3) Swimming

Again, this is nothing new, but I truly believe that swimming has magical powers that defy logic. Not only does it work all your muscles, but it really strengthens your cardio and gives your metabolism a good’ ole kick in the butt for the whole day. It does all this with NO impact.

I am continually amazed how such a solid, all-body workout can also be therapeutic and promote muscle recovery. This morning, I wasn’t feeling super up to my Friday Spin’n’Swim routine, and so I decided to give my running/cycling muscles a break and went for a long swim instead. Afterwards, I felt rejuvenated and I could hear my running muscles singing a hallelujah  for their break.

Swimming is magical. Everyone should swim.

4) Hilarious satire that combines well-known, classic literature and new-age technology

For example…

my children will be reading the real version

I find this kind of humor very tasteful, smart, and all-around appropriate for demonstrating the horrific truths about the digitization of both our youth and society. I’m really not trying to get all political here, but I think satirical momentos such as “Goodnight iPad” shine an important light on the costs of our constant need for new upgrades, new gadgets, and generally new information.

Another great example of this is the book The History of the World According to Facebook. Highly recommended, and it includes exactly what you think it would.

i.e. FDR liking Winston Churchill’s status.

Good stuff.

5) Pie Samples

how could this not make your day instantaneously better?

So for some reason, all the grocery stores got together and decided, “Hey, for the holiday season…let’s increase dessert sales/perpetuate the obesity epidemic by giving out samples of every type of pie imaginable.”

I’m not kidding…every grocery store around where we live has done this at least once, and you better believe that if there are multiple grocery stores around me—I WILL go to them all.

Anyways, this trend is freaking awesome and it makes my tummy happy and my mood even happier.

A pie pick-me-up.

DUH.

Tell me your favorites! What are you doing this weekend? I need some fun new ideas besides spending hours in Trader Joe’s and Target…both fabulous time fillers {money wasters} btw.

First Friday Favorites!

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Hello! Welcome to my favorite day of the week.

I made a snappy decision this morning that since Fridays are always so magical, and I have an unhealthy amount of gleeful merriment surrounding me, this day of the week on RunBirdieRun will officially be known as…

Friday Favorites!

[Whenever I use the word “gleeful” in describing my mood, 99% of the time it should be translated as “caffeine induced.”]

Since I do not like taking good moods for granted, I decided that Friday is the perfect time of the week to reflect and share some of my favorite things. Some will be very current, some will be things I love all the time but just happen to give frequent accolades to. But no matter what, I will hereby devote some Friday time to proclaiming a few of my favorite things. And the best part? YOU can too! I absolutely adore hearing about the things that people love, and I think it’s a healthy practice to consider the things in your life that make you smile.

Puppies are one of my favorite things. Smiling puppies are even better!

Aside: Please know that the inspiration for this idea came in lieu of my affection for the song, “A Few of My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music, not Oprah.

No, not Oprah…she’s cool, but yea…no.

Also, when you  say “hereby” in any capacity, you are fully committing to whatever decree you are making. So therefore, I’m in!

Moving on…

This week, I wanted to kick off “Friday Favorites” with a little combination of the things I’m currently enamored with and the things that keep me happy day-to-day, just so you can learn a bit more about me 🙂 So without further ado, this Friday, I am favorite-ing…

1) This mash up:

I admit it, I still love Glee. This mashup of “Rumor Has It” and “Someone Like You” hits the nail on the head, and if you love Adele like I do, you won’t be disappointed! I can’t stop listening to it, and it will definitely be making it’s way onto my running playlist soon.

2) Cookie making!

This is a regular past time for me, and it helps me find my happy place. My specialty is chocolate chip, but recently I’ve been experimenting more and trying out all different types of recipes.

OM NOM

My co-worker Leanne and I are competing tonight in a peanut butter cookie showdown. We’re having an annual holiday party, so our colleagues will be voting on who made the better batch. I admittedly have done a lot of shit-talking(I also never said this blog was rated PG), but whatever happens…I got to make cookies, and I will get to eat cookies, therefore I consider it a win.

3) DEXTER!

So BF and I use our Netflix account pretty much for the sole purpose of renting complete seasons of shows and watching them beginning to end. We recently got all caught up on Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother, so we decided something a bit more dark and mysterious was in order.

In a nutshell, this show is awesome. It’s addicting, creepy, interesting, and gives you just the right amount of adrenaline to keep you on your toes (this coming from two people who both dislikes scary movies, I’ll have you know). Highly recommended! I’m hooked.

4) Creeping on Lululemon.com, particularly this section

If websites could have stalkers, I would be on the most wanted list for this place. I cannot stop gawking at literally everything, and my wallet just cries out in horror the whole time. I never really get anything, and when I do it’s after weeks of careful deliberation (I have bad buyer’s remorse), but I can’t help looking at all the pretty things.

5) Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong.

Okay, so I actually finished this book a few weeks ago, but I loved it so much I felt like I had to share. Kristin, yes Lance’s ex-wife, is a contributing writer for Runner’s World and she has now written a few books. This was the first book of her’s I’ve read, and I was so touched by it. She offers so much wisdom on all the things running can offer, especially for women, and her combination of clever personal anecdotes and honest reflections really spoke to me. I tried to read it slowly, because I loved it so much I didn’t want it to end. If you love running, this book will inevitably help inspire and excite you. She also has a blog, check it out!

 

So there you have it!

Five favorites for Friday. So much alliteration, my English major self is all giddy inside.

Looking forward to the weekend…holiday party, seeing Breaking Dawn, long run, and putting up the CHRISTMAS TREE! I should be giggling for two days straight.

Let’s hear some of your favorite things! They can be random, simple, weird, whatever…I’d love to hear, and who knows, maybe it will help widen your Friday smile 🙂

 

Some Thoughts on Cross Training

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Hi! How’re you? If the answer isn’t,”Hey! I’m awesome!” just remember…it’s Friday, there will soon be pie and green bean casserole in your belly, and Christmas music is socially acceptable in less than a week.

Don't even mess. This is Christmas music GOLD.

Can you tell where my brain is right now?

This morning was one of my favorite weekly workouts, Spin ‘n’ Swim. Really creative name I gave it there, huh? The combination is pretty self explanatory: It starts with a spin class with my favorite instructor Jeoff and then finishes with a steady pool workout. I like this combo for a few reasons, but mainly because it combines two different types of cardio and it offers some active relief from the pounding my muscles endure during running. Also, swimming is magical. In all aspects of the word. I didn’t always feel this way though…

I’m currently in my third running life. Running has lives similar to the way cats have lives, by the way. No, not really, but I do believe that our perspective, habits, and overall mentality about running can really change depending on where we are in our lives. With this said, I’ve currently be re-born into running three times, and I have to say I’m loving this third time around. I enjoy my runs more, I became a MARATHONER, and I feel like my relationship with running is at its best. Honeymoon style, nothing but love.

"Never mind the fact that I can no longer walk, I'm a marathoner!" Sorry PDX Marathon, obviously this is not my photo.

Part of the reason I feel so centered as a runner at this point in time is due, in large part, to cross training. I have been very conscious about keeping other activities interspersed in my running routine, and as a result, I don’t get burned out, I haven’t gotten injured(knock on your table please for me), and I’m much more balanced in terms of my physical fitness mentality. I used to be the kind of runner who stuck her nose up to any other kind of “exercise.” Seriously, I was a running brat who thought that the elliptical was for rehab patients and any workout less than a hard 9 miler wasn’t even worth it. Who was I?! A crazed running addict is what, and although I would still say I have the same affinity for a hard running workout, I drove myself into the ground with that mentality. Literally… I got hurt and was excommunicated from the running world for three months.

Lesson learned, something had to change.

I realize I’m rambling a bit, but I do have a point.

Cross training is not only beneficial, fun, and different, but it is necessary for maintaining a healthy and enjoyable running career. I credit the cross training I did alongside my marathon training for my finish time almost more so than my weekly long runs. Yes, I said it. Spinning helps develop speed, and it strengthens the muscles around your running muscles which ultimately improves runs. Spinning is also a great way to strengthen your cardio and get really sweaty (especially if you work with Jeoff) without the heavy impact of running. I could go on and on about spin—for anyone who loves to challenge themselves, listen to loud pump up tunes, and work out with a group, spin is awesome. I’m a lone wolf when it comes to exercise, and even I get a jolt of enthusiasm when I’m on a stationary bike with a bunch of other people. Jeoff also sings along to Lady Gaga and changes lyrics to encourage us even more: “YOU’RE on the edge of GLORY” C’mon, who doesn’t love that??

I’ll save some commentary on swimming for another time, however I want to highly encourage all runners to treat running like any other relationship. Without some TLC (cross training, yoga, and off-time) running can turn on you and your relationship becomes mundane, draining, and ultimately abusive. It sounds cheeky, however I speak from very personal experience when I say that running should not be taken for granted, and one of the keys to a lifelong relationship with this sport is to treat it and your body with respect.

That got serious there, isn’t it supposed to be Friday?

Clearly, this is a topic I care a lot about.

Another long post…what am I a new blogger or something? More pictures to come soon, I promise!

Now I’d love to know…what’s your favorite way to cross train??