Wait – I still exist?!
Yea… I swear I do still exist. I swear I’m trying to make this thing work!
But… When you start a new job and go through a terrible breakup all in one week… It may make you want to disappear from the world for awhile. So, that’s exactly what I did.
Now that I’m finally settled in the new job (and loving it – something I’ve never been able to say about a job before!) and finally starting to feel like myself post-breakup again, it’s time to show my face in the world again.
Kids, breakups suck (as I’m sure most of you know). They suck everything out of you. Yes, I still may be contemplating becoming a lonely old spinster with 50 dogs (not so much of a cat person).
Want to know what helps with getting through a breakup? Marathon training. Man that stuff takes up your whole life. But hey – running does a mind (and body) good. It’s a better way to drown your sorrows than drinking in a bar (although…that may have been done as well…)
So, I apologize for my loooong hiatus, but I hope you’ll forgive me, and I hope to be able to come back and still have an interesting enough life for you all to want to read about!
Question:
What do you do to get through a breakup?
Any secret marathon training tips anyone wants to share?!
First Day!
Just a quick update – things have been busy lately! My parents came in to visit this past weekend, so I was running around and eating far too much with them (exactly what I like to do).
I started my new job today! I was really nervous – I always am before new things, but I had a successful first day! It consisted of learning more than I think my brain could handle but it all seems really interesting, and I can’t wait to get fully situated in the position.
To add to my first day back to doing something, I started a new class tonight, which began 15 minutes after I left work – good thing it’s only 3 blocks away. By the time I got home and walked the dog, it was 9:30 and I was STARVING. No time for dinner pictures – I only managed to fry up a couple of eggs, with avocado and salsa, and promptly devoured it in 3.67 seconds.
All in all, a great day (especially for a Monday). The best part of my day? These flowers that were waiting for me when I got home – Boyfriend really is the best. I was so surprised, he’s not usually the flower type. Major brownie points won 
. They’re beautiful!!
Frigid
Is anyone else at the point of dreading every time you have to step foot outside? No joke, I spent an extra $25 on concert ticket surcharges to buy them online Tuesday so I didn’t have to go out to the actual concert venue in the cold. Pathetic (both me and the weather). I think anyone and everyone in the north right now is on the same level. Not to mention there is no snow in NYC – I don’t mind cold winter weather if it actually looks like winter!
In big news… I start a new job on MONDAY! I decided to part ways with my previous job after 2.5 years of being unhappy with it, by that point the unhappiness had started seeping into my personal life, and I really felt like it was just taking over. While it wasn’t easy to leave a job with nothing else lined up (especially when living in an expensive city…), I knew I didn’t really have a choice – it had to be done. It was scary, and I’ve definitely had moments of wondering if I made the right choice, but I know I 100% did – I finally feel on track in my life, I feel like I took back control, and I’m back to the happy Lindsay I used to be. Plus – quitting my job actually helped me decide what I really wanted to do with my life, so I guess it’s true, the good does come with the bad!
Since my 4-month vacation is coming to an end this week, it was now or never to make a trip out to CT to have my mother take me to Costco. My mom always brings me giant bags of frozen fish and shrimp, but I’ve been wanting to go to Costco to see what other goodies I could get her to bring me – I don’t think I’ve been to a Costco since college, I needed to go back! It was a successful trip, being made all the more successful by a last minute purchase of dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds… ummm YES. Delicious.
Since I can’t make a trip to CT without having a girl’s lunch with my mom, she took me to Southport to a Japanese restaurant they had been to this past weekend with one of my dad’s business associates. The restaurant, Wafu, was SO GOOD. Apparently the guy who opened it originally came from Nobu.
Their menus are on iPads. How cool is that?!
My mom and I started with Asian Pizzas, which were drool worthy. It had a mix of raw fish, avocado, ginger, spicy sauce. Basically, it was heaven in the shape of a pizza.
We were trying to decide what else to get after this, but it was really filling, so we each decided on a miso soup and one roll. The miso soup was actually the best I’ve had – it didn’t taste like liquid salt, which it usually does in restaurants, even though I still always order it. I also had a tuna roll, which was the perfect ratio of tuna:rice, mostly tuna, just a spot of rice. I told my mom that the next time I’m home this is the only place I’ll eat.
In terms of workouts, I’ve been trying to stick to my marathon training schedule this week – but it’s really hard to stay motivated when it’s so cold out and I just want to stay on the couch with my heater running on full force. It’s far too cold for me to run outside (I’m a wuss for the cold, but I also just can’t breath in such cold temps), so I’ve been running on the treadmill all week, and it’s KILLING me. So dull. I did 5 miles last night after I got back from CT. I’m supposed to do 3 today, but my parents are coming into NYC this Saturday, so I won’t have time to do my long run then, so I’m planning to do it tomorrow. Instead of my run today, I’m heading to a spin class at the gym – maybe not the best idea when my body is feeling pretty tired, but I never said I was smart…
To end this wordy post… BF and I were cuddling on the couch last night watching Nashville (love), and Mazey just had to fit herself in between us, I couldn’t stop laughing over her scrunched up face! Is it time for doggie botox? (Joking, joking, I’m not a terrible person, I swear).
How cold is it where you live?
What is your favorite type of cuisine? I flip flop between Japanese and authentic Mexican (not TexMex)
Just Call Me “Chef”
Dinner Friday night = SUCCESS!
(again, apologies for crappy iPhone photos…)
Foil-baked salmon, topped with basil pesto and tomato slices, with roasted zucchini/summer squash and garlic mashed potatoes. YUM. I have to give myself a pat on the back for this one – Boyfriend liked it, and he wasn’t even just saying that, it was really good!
I finally got a long run in yesterday, back on track with marathon training! 9 miles through Central Park, done and done.
And of course, there’s nothing better than a post-long run protein smoothie (especially when I’m ACHING from Central Park hills and Jillian’s 30-Day Shred.
(hellllllooooooo tasty)
We went out to celebrate a friend’s belated birthday last night, and a combination of being sick and just not drinking much period… led to 3 drinks and a headache this morning. This is where coffee and eggs come in.
Sauteed kale, 2 fried eggs, and avocado. Copious amounts of hot sauce and salsa were added post photo, but it looks much prettier pre-dousing. Obviously, multiple cups of coffee go along with this.
Heading to a sports bar tonight to watch the Patriots game! I’ll always be a Boston sports girl at heart, no matter how long I live in New York.
Favorite football team? Or, do you just watch the games for the tasty food and cute boys? (Been there, done that).
What’s you’re favorite post-long run snack?
Can I Cook?
I am attempting this http://www.preventionrd.com/2012/03/foil-baked-basil-pesto-salmon/ for dinner tonight. Wish me luck. I’m making garlic mashed potatoes and roasted zucchini/summer squash with it. Boyfriend is still stuck at work (BOO, I’m hungry), so I started the potatoes, since those can sit and just be reheated.
I’m vying for girlfriend of the year award for 2013, I’m thinking this is a good start to the year .
And because I’ve been boring with photos for today:
I spent a full 12 minutes (I timed it) standing at City Hall park with Mazey today. You see, she has a thing for squirrels. These squirrels are lucky, they’re behind bars, away from Mazey, because I’m sure they’re just petrified of her killer bark. Mazey has big hopes and dreams that someday, she will catch these squirrels.
Also, I bought her a new collar today (I think her Santa one was sooooooo 3 weeks ago). Anything cuter than pink with candy hearts? No. Picture will come if she ever sits still long enough for me to take one (unlikely).
Help Me, Jillian
I decided against my 3-mile scheduled run yesterday. I’ve been using the 3-milers to help me with speed, so I’ve been doing them as interval workouts on the treadmill, and I think my fellow gym-goers have had enough of me hacking up a lung on the treadmill for one week, so I had a 40-minute elliptical workout instead – no coughing!! Woohoo (it’s the little things that make me happy.)
I was supposed to meet a friend of a late lunch, but his lectures ran even later than planned, so it never happened. I did wait around to eat, though, and not eating makes me a very unhappy camper. Post-workout I had a smoothie, made with 1/2 a frozen banana, some frozen berries, chia seeds, and almond milk. Clearly, that doesn’t fill me, so after waiting around until 3:30… I was STARVING. Not to mention, while walking my dog, I started feeling incredibly light-headed. I had been having this feeling A LOT in the past, even within an hour of eating a supposedly filling meal. This is partially what has led me to my current gluten-free diet, I found it happened more often after gluten-filled meals than others. Apparently, this also happens when I don’t have a legitimate meal for hours on end. In case you haven’t noticed, I eat. A lot.
(smoooooooothie. yum)
So I had a veggie burger on a piece of GF toast (Udi’s, this is my first time trying it, I was sort of skeptical about GF bread products – but I like it!), along with some leftover veggies from dinner the night before.
Boyfriend finally came over last night – between me being sick last week, and him being sick earlier this week (different sickness – I didn’t get him sick!!), I had only seen him Saturday night for a wedding. I had dinner before he arrived because I was a hungry hippo (a kitchen sink salad, it was hideous, I couldn’t bring myself to photograph it). We caught up on the past two weeks of Nashville – please tell me you watch this?! Boyfriend loves country music, and I have to admit he’s really gotten me into it. I love the show – I never really cared for Hayden Panettiere, but I have to admit she doesn’t annoy me as much as I thought she would.
Breakfast today was a boring/ugly yogurt (plain Chobani) and pear bowl, one of my favorites.
Also, it was supposed to be a rest day, but I’m feeling antsy in my apartment, so I just tried a Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred video. Ouch. I don’t do much strength training (shame on me), and I really felt this video, but I think I definitely want to try more. I hear so much about Jillian and her videos, and people say they do what they’re supposed to, soooooo maybe Jillian can help me?! I did a month of Bar Method classes this summer, and I was by far the most toned I had ever been, but the classes are too expensive to keep up, and I’m definitely feeling the flab of the holidays settling in for the long run.
So, help me! What are your favorite strength workouts? Classes? DVDs? Motivation? I really hate just using weights in the gym.
Terrible.
I’m terrible at posting. I’ve still been trying to get over this silly cold, which has a cough that seems to never want to go away. Seriously, I sound like I’ve had a 2 pack a day habit for the past 20 years… (apparently I’ve been smoking since I was 4). I finally went to the doctor, and he prescribed me some cough syrup, but since it has codeine, I feel like I can only take it before I sleep, since, you know, I appreciate having a clear mind throughout the day.
Also, I had a job interview yesterday! It’s not necessarily for a position I’d love to have, but since I’m really hoping to be starting school part-time in the fall (fingers crossed), it seems like a great position that won’t take up too much time outside the workplace, with steady hours so I wouldn’t have to worry about skipping out on work to get to class. The office environment seems great, which is definitely high on my list after my last job. Everyone, send good luck vibes my way!!
I’ve also decided I’m going to start actually photographing my food. I’m not a gourmet chef by any means (no matter what my boyfriend tells me – he can’t even cook chicken, he’s not a legitimate judge), but in trying to think of directions this baby can go, I know I have to bring weight loss/maintenance into the picture (haha – get it? Picture?) somehow.
You see (and I will do a full post on this subject at some point) I’ve lost about 85+ pounds since my high school days, which is something I was always really sensitive about talking about, since I was so self-conscious about my weight in those days. Since then, I’ve been able to maintain my weight in a place where I’m really happy with it, and I’ve been able to eat what I want, in moderation of course (usually). But life is also sending me a curveball again, in the form of a possible gluten sensitivity, so I’m currently working on an “elimination diet”, and trying out a GF diet to see how it affects my body.
In short, my diet can be… interesting. (To me at least, I won’t lie, I eat a lot of repeat meals). But I also want to be able to keep myself accountable for what I’m eating.
So, for that loooooong introduction (I’m sorry about that…), here is my breakfast array:
I’ve had eggs a lot lately, and I just couldn’t bring myself to make them again this morning (also.. I only had one egg left, and I refuse to go to the store before I eat) So, I had a… fruity array. 1/2 a grapefruit, some cantaloupe, a pear with some peanut butter (chances are VERY high that I will be going back for more PB), and some coffee with almond milk (there will be more than one cup of this, my crack)
I also had a raspberry Chobani, with some chia seeds thrown in for fun. I usually only eat the plain nonfat Chobani, but this one was in my fridge still from my sister visiting over Christmas, and you know it’s against the law to let Chobani expire without eating it, right?
I have 3 miles on my training schedule for today, but to be honest, this cold has really taken my energy levels down. I had to run my 5 miles on the treadmill yesterday, since I figured running in the cold rain wouldn’t do well for my weakened immune system… And treadmill running just.. wears me down. I figure by lunch time I’ll be ready for a good workout, I’m planning on 3 miles of intervals.
So, in addition to sending me good luck job vibes, send me Lindsay get off your butt vibes, too? Thanks.
What is your favorite breakfast? Or what is your usual weekday breakfast?
What do you do when you have a workout planned and just don’t have the motivation for it?
NyQuil, You’ve Failed Me
I’m so, so disappointed in NyQuil, it’s always been my old faithful, my go-to when I’m sick (or when I know I NEED a good night sleep – hello college exam periods!).
I took some last night, and I was STILL up all night, hacking away like an 80-year-old with a 2-pack a day habit. Womp womp. So I’m spending YET another day on my couch with Mazey moo. Fun fact: sick days are not fun when you regularly spend your days on your own anyways – I enjoyed them much more when it meant a day away from the office.
I was feeling so… blah this morning when I woke up, I bought some Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free pancake mix, and I’ve really been wanting to try it out, but I just don’t have the energy for it, so I had… orange juice and a Chobani yogurt. Lunch… chicken soup, what else? I’m convinced this will heal me – I have a wedding to go to on Saturday night! I need to be 100% to enjoy the food, dance floor, cake, and open bar .
Since I’m boring and sick on the couch and not doing anything, I’ll share a FUN FACT about me. (Ok, it’s not really that fun, I’m sorry, the cough medicine I got is now getting to my head).
I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair until high school (not that uncommon, I’m sure), and even then, I was only allowed to have SUBTLE highlights. My mom liked my hair too much to let me change it. So, I’m a natural blonde, but my senior year in college, I decided on a whim to go brown – my mom freaked out, clearly. It only lasted through winter/spring, and then I got sick of having to continuously go to the salon to touch up the roots. This past fall I went back to brown (only this time…I’m more of an auburn-y red), thanks to a mini quarter life crisis. I love it, but I’m starting to get sick of having to continuously go in for the upkeep again (I know, I’m lazy). Plus, it’s sort of expensive… SO.
What do you think? Blonde v Brunette?
or 
ALSO what do you usually do when your sick? All my usual go-to’s are failing me! Maybe I just need Boyfriend to bring me a big box of chocolates (HINT HINT).
Chicken Soup for the Soul (or the sick)
I went to bed with a scratchy throat – I figured it was just my RIDICULOUSLY dry apartment (I have a humidifier…I may just be too lazy to dig it out of my closet).
I woke up with a still scratchy throat, only now it also hurt, my nose was stuffed, I had a massive headache, and I just generally felt BLAH. So I did what anyone would do when they’re feeling sick… get up and go to the gym to sweat out whatever I was coming down with (scientifically proven to work, no?).
..It didn’t work. I’ve gradually felt more blah as the day has gone on. So.. I cleaned, then when I remembered just how much I hate cleaning, I went to Barnes & Noble, got myself a soy chai latte, and read some marathon training books (I’m supposed to start my training schedule… today!)
Since mom’s know best, I called mine up and asked if she would come into the city to feed me. I guess a little cold doesn’t warrant a 2 hour train ride for one meal. I was given strict instructions to go buy some ingredients for chicken soup.
Rotisserie chicken, carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth. Easy peasy. Throw it all in a pot (maybe saute those veggies first), let it simmer for 20ish minutes, and voila – chicken soup for the sick!
(Forgive my crappy iPhone pictures – sick me has no interest in taking out my real camera)
So, let’s hope this chicken soup stuff works! I’m off to watch this week’s episode of Revenge (please tell me you watch this?!), cuddle with my dog, and be totally overdramatic about this little cold.
What is your favorite sick food?
Favorite tv show?!
PIE
Seriously, I love pie. Said pie that Boyfriend presented me with post-10k Saturday was eaten after dinner that night (even I can’t justify apple pie at 9am). …After a dinner of take-out Chinese food (chicken and broccoli YES PLEASE). One of my more gluttonous food days – and I LOVED IT.
Sometimes, you just need to say, eff it, I’m going to eat what I want. I work hard day in and day out to eat what everyone tells me is good for me, I exercise my butt off, sometimes, I just want food that tastes so wrong.
So that’s what I did. Chinese food takeout, apple pie and ice cream, cuddling on the couch with Boyfriend and dog – an ideal Saturday night after an early morning race.
Sunday was spent lounging, with a break in the lounging to have lunch with Boyfriend’s parents – it was their 49th anniversary on Saturday! We went to Claw, on 9th Ave. His mother had read about their lobster rolls. I decided on a lump crab omelet (I can’t say no to eggs), but Boyfriend had lobster bisque and a lobster roll – a ton of lobster in both. We decided that it would be worth the trek to Midtown West to go back there at some point.
Monday = bore-day. Plain Chobani with a chopped up pear, spin class, massive salad the size of my head (perhaps larger), bore, bore, bore. (Legitimately, that’s all I did today… that and spend hours searching jobs/brainstorming application essay ideas).
Do Monday’s ever feel like blah days to you? Especially after a food-filled weekend?
Who remembers (or looking forward to…) college application essays? I feel like I’ve been transported back to 12th grade with trying to come up with grad school essay ideas.
