Goodbye, Summer!
I know- summer doesn’t actually end until September 21- and in South Florida, the heat and humidity will stick around through October. But school starts Monday, so I’m declaring the summer season to be OVER, at least for those of us on the early school schedule (side note- on this week’s Girl Next Door podcast they said Arizona schools started in July- eep!!!) Last week I lamented that I didn’t accomplish enough this summer- but now I’ve changed my mind. The summer wasn’t so bad after all. In the comment section of that post, Birchie reminded me that I accomplished the daunting task of staying on a very restrictive diet. Well… YES I DID. I started an anti-candida diet on May 25, stayed on it for seven weeks, went off it in some ways while I traveled, and am now finishing up the last four weeks of it. I say I’m finishing it because… my digestion is now in a good place! I’m just about ready to slowly add back certain things (not to go on and on about it, but starting with my beloved Earl Grey tea. I’m thinking “T-Day” will be next Wednesday). That is a big thing! Also… I had a really great run today. I ran five miles outside in the heat, and I remember how hard that was at the beginning of the summer. Sometimes it’s hard to see progress unless you take a step back- but I started the summer recovering from a big race and nursing a hamstring injury. Now I feel like I’m ready to start some serious training. Progress! Strength-wise… I guess you could say I was consistent. I did go to the gym, just not often enough. But I didn’t get any weaker! Seriously- this will be a rollover goal for fall. I read a lot… traveled with my son, chauffeured my daughter to the gym, and to Tampa for a flute workshop. I worked, had a week of “jury duty” (aka I stayed home and cleaned out my closet) and oh yes, I had pink eye for the first time. Like everything else in life, you have to take the good with the bad. Maybe it’s not actually fall yet, but we’re starting Quintile 4, and I’m ready for it! Top photo by arty on Unsplash
Reading! And, Update on the Update
First things first! Yesterday I mentioned green tea has been making me nauseous. One suggestion on the internet is to make sure it’s very hot, which seems to help (don’t ask me why). When I’m drinking it at home, I can put it in the microwave when it starts to cool down- this doesn’t work of course if I’m sitting at Starbucks. I drank my tea piping hot today and had no issues. Let’s talk about reading! I finished three very different books this week. First up was: I think you would describe this as “cozy fantasy” which isn’t a genre I would normally be interested in. But my son really wanted me to read this, so I did, and enjoyed it. It’s a magical story about… a moving castle, and the odd cast of characters who live there. There’s a witch, lots of magic spells, a dog, and some romance. It’s very cute, and I appreciated the humor. But because “cozy fantasy” isn’t my genre, I wouldn’t go on to read any of the other books in this series. Next, for something completely different, I read: This is a police procedural set in Norway. In the first chapter, a six-year-old girl is found hanging lifeless from a tree and dressed in doll’s clothes. Around her neck is a sign that says “I’m traveling alone.” A serial killer is on the loose. Despite the grizzly premise, I liked this book! We get a lot of details about the personal lives of the two investigators, which I enjoyed. In the past I haven’t loved police procedurals, but these days I’m liking them more and more. There’s a second book in this series, which I’ll read at some point. There are so many books on my TBR, I don’t want to repeat authors right now. But I’ll get back to it. And then, for another change of pace, I read: I had complicated feelings about this one. Meredith from Currently Reading Podcast absolutely loved it, so I went in with high expectations. This book is described as “a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each.” The writing could be described as “poetic”, and I prefer a more straightforward writing style in my novels. The storylines of obsessive, unrequited love seemed fairy tale-ish to me, and I don’t love that. BUT! It is a mystery, and the ending is very, very satisfying. But it’s long and convoluted- I’m glad I read it to see what the hype is about, but I wouldn’t read anything else by this author. Next up… a mystery that takes place in Palm Beach, Florida: Have you read any of these books? What are you reading now? Top photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash
Diet Update and Thoughts on Moderation
My biggest diet update is that I hate green tea. Oh wait- that’s not new. What IS new is that green tea seems to be making me nauseous these days. I googled it, and it’s a thing- other people complain about it as well. WHY? There are several explanations, none of which make a lot of sense to me. Some people blame the tannins (but they’re in black tea as well) or the fact that green tea lowers your blood sugar. Whatever- I think it’s because my body doesn’t want to drink grass anymore. I’m considering an herbal tea option, so you know I’m really desperate. Two more weeks, people… and then I’m bringing back the Earl Grey. In running news, I’ve noticed that I’m craving long runs again. Actually, I’m just craving something different, and I feel like I’ve had a very (VERY) low level of depression all summer long (other than the week of my trip). Nothing terrible- but life just seems very one-note. I purposely kept the running to a minimum to heal up the ongoing hamstring issue, and that, combined with my diet, has left me feeling flat. I realized- I don’t LIKE moderation. I don’t want life to go along pleasantly but uneventfully- I want to run 20 miles, and then spend the rest of the day reading on the couch. I want to do back-to-back long runs, and celebrate with a Subway sandwich and Coke Zero. I want to observe the start of football season by drinking beer and eating nachos. I’m not sure all these ups and downs are good for a person. I knew someone once who told me he didn’t celebrate any holidays, because he didn’t believe in having highs and lows in life. YIKES. I love holidays!!! I do get sad when they’re over, but it seems worth it to me because I enjoy celebrating so much. I like having highs and lows! However… I’m pretty sure my digestive issues stem from too many highs and lows. When I was younger, I did a lot of binge eating, followed by no eating at all. I’m sure years of that wreaked havoc on my system, and while I don’t go to those extremes anymore, there’s still some of that mentality left. Moving forward, I have to figure out how to put the things I love back into my life without causing negative issues. I have some ideas- including using UCAN as a running fuel (a low glycemic, slow releasing starch) as opposed to sugary gels, and continuing to eat big salads for dinner most nights- but I’m not sure I can- or want to- change my all-or-nothing mentality. SIGH. Why does this have to be so hard? Why can’t I just eat and enjoy it and feel good? How did this all get so complicated??? Are you a person who likes moderation, or more of a “highs and lows” person? Any advice for the green tea issue? (Yes, Jenny- stop drinking it). Top photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Weekly Rundown- Accepting What I Cannot Change
Hey there! Thanks for stopping by the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah. I had a good week- it was nice to get back to a normal schedule after my trip and then “jury duty” (I did nothing but call in every night to find out I wasn’t needed the next day- it still messed up my work schedule). I even came to a place of acceptance with the heat- my runs still feel like a steamy, hot slog, but I’m not ranting and raving against it anymore. Progress! Here’s how it all went down: Sunday 4 mile run before work. I’ve been working a lot of Sundays lately to make up for hours I missed, and as I said- I’ll be glad to get back to a normal schedule. Monday Leg day at the gym! Hip thrusts, squats, glute press machine… the usual. Tuesday I planned to run on the treadmill at the gym after work, but had a last minute pivot. I decided to do an upper body strength workout and save the run for the next day. Since I’m not a body builder (ahem, obviously) I just focus on the big moves. Horizontal push (bench press), vertical push (overhead press with dumbbells), horizontal pull (rows) and vertical pull (lat pulldowns). Done! Wednesday 5 mile run outside! This is why I postponed my run- I knew I wanted to run a little longer, and couldn’t face a treadmill run over 4 miles. I added some strides at the end of this run- boy, my legs really don’t want to go fast. Also it was hot AF, but I was glad to be out there. Thursday Core and hip stability exercises. I lump a bunch of things together under the category of “hip stability” including Runner’s Touch, one leg sit to stand, and side planks with leg lifts. I also added some regular planks for core work. Friday 4 mile run. It was hot! I survived. Saturday Off. I didn’t actually plan to take the day off, but it just sort of happened. That’s okay! Sunday On tap- long run! By “long” I mean 7 miles. I haven’t gone that far since last April, and I’m looking forward to it. Then… WAFFLES! Now this is how a Sunday should be… I’m glad I don’t have to go to work! How’s the summer heat where you are? Are you acclimated to it? Top photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash