Vacation

Today I got in the car and left two little monsters at home. I did squeeze in an early three mile run though.

I snapped some pictures in the car.

Crazy multi-colored ice cream place that I need to keep in mind for later.

We had dinner at the Sign of the Mermaid.

It is a kitschy local place in an old house.

They had an interesting imported beer selection. This was a dark German beer that was really good. 

We had clams and muscles in garlic butter broth to start. They were delicious.

We both had salads and J had French Onion soup. He said it was the best French Onion soup he has ever had.

The Lady Wellington for J which is lobster, shrimp, and scallops baked in phyllo dough.

I had shrimp stuffed with spinach and goat cheese.

J and I both give the Sign of the Mermaid two big thumbs up.

After this massive amount of eating, we walked around and explored the area around the hotel.

In honor of the Fitness Friday link-up, how do you stick with your exercise routine and eat healthy while on vacation?

I plan on running most days while we are here because running by the beach is such a treat. We also packed healthy snacks for the car ride and the beach.

Food Love

Just came back from the store with a few items for our upcoming trip.

Nothing has done more to help my digestive issues than having Kefir or a drinkable yogurt like the Siggi’s everyday. I mostly use it in cereal instead of milk but also like to drink it.

Single servings so you don’t have to pick just one. Makes everything taste better.

These are for J. It was difficult to wean him off of Pop Tarts and super sugary cereal but we can compromise with these.

Todays lunch and last nights Man Meal of Turkey Chili.

– Ground Turkey Breast

– Three peppers (assorted colors)

– Garlic

– Chili Powder

– Ground Cumin

– Red Pepper

– Two cans of (BPA- Free) kidney beans

– One tetra-pack of diced tomatoes (24 ounces)

Served here on bed of greens and topped with a bit of salsa. Easy and a huge crowd pleaser.

Now I have to pack, do laundry, and find a bathing suit that is neither horrible and makes my butt look cute.

Weekly Workouts 7/17/11

A little late this week but it still counts!

Sunday: Long run just under 4.5 miles

Monday: Power Circuit Training with Jackie Warner

Tuesday: 1 Mile warm-up at easy pace followed by 3x Hills and a 1 mile cool down. Nike Training Club for 30 minutes.

Wednesday: 30 Minute Elliptical plus full body strength training.

Thursday: Running 45 minutes easy pace

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 Mile Long Run

Weekly Goals:

Relax! I’m taking sometime off this week to relax with J before he goes back to school (and I only see him over a book) for the next year.

Keep being consistent. Planning my workouts and sticking to the plan works for me. I have been blowing off some of my strength sessions lately and am noticing it.

Get organized. I really need to clean out my car and get my office in shape.

In other news, I came in to work this morning and Norka’s desk looked like this.

My desk looked as crappy as ever but at least it did not get leaked on from our leaky ceiling.

What are your goals for this week?

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Harry Potter and Anthony’s

Usually Sunday is for grocery shopping, laundry, and True Blood but not this Sunday. J and I are huge Potterheads (Potterites, Potterers), we were dying to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2.

First, there was some eating.

 

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza. We started with a shared house salad with gorgonzola.

We ordered the a new menu addition which is cauliflower, breadcrumbs, and cheese. It was different but the roasted cauliflower and saltiness of the cheeses on the charred thin crust, made for good eats.

We had some time to kill before movie started and walked around Pointe Orlando.

Wish I could have gotten a better picture of this cutout but people kept walking in front of it.

Did you know that the theaters will give these to you when they no longer need them? J does and he is always pointing out which ones would look awesome in our garage.

The movie was in 3D on the IMAX which I liked. I am not over 3D when it is done well. If you are a fan of the books, you will not be disappointed in how they wrap everything up. It is an apt end to a movie franchise which took movies about books to an entirely different level. I am sad for the franchise to be over but hope that sometime (in this or the next decade) we do get a new series from J.K. Rowling.

Will you go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2? If you did see it, did you like it?

Long Slow Sunday

I finally got to run today! This week has been crazy with the Central Florida Bloggers Conference, rain, and a meeting on Monday, I have gotten off track. Today I was able to push past the 3.5 mile distance that has been plaguing me from the last time I was sick.

Red faced and stinky but still smiling!

In other news, J and I think our cats may be plotting something.

We did get them a new cat tree which was spendy and a pain to put together. Of course, they are barely interested in it.

Alia checking it out.

One more thing to make this post the most random of all time. Publix is finally carrying BPA free beans.

I could only find them in the Kidney variety but still it is progress.

Now we are off to see to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2. I am really excited but kind of sad because I really love the books and the movies.

Central Florida Blogger Conference

Today I attended the first Central Florida Blogger Conference held just north of Orlando. I want to thank Bess for all of her hard work in putting together such a wonderful event. It was an amazing experience and I learned so much.

I also was able to eat at my first food truck. Hello, Big Wheel Truck where have you been my whole life?

The menu was amazing.

Service with a smile.

That’s my friend Norka who hung with me the whole day.

I had the green salad with shrimp. Yum!

Amazing artichoke hearts for Norka.

Now I am wishing there was a food truck near my work.

The conference included a few heavy hitter Central Florida bloggers. Meghann from Meals and Miles talked about Monetizing Your Blog with Missy Ward. J from J’s Everyday Fashion talked about knowing your niche and her unique way of using Facebook as a platform itself. Lee from MySentimentExactLee helped out us newer bloggers with Blogging 101.  

One of my favorite parts of the conference, besides the food, was a breakout session held by blog type. The fit bloggers spent time introducing themselves and discussed ways to get together as a group. We have a lot in common, like running, and it was nice to be around likeminded people. I hope to have a chance to do so again in the future.

After the conference was a mixer at The Eden Bar at The Enzian Theater. They had a few contests, I won one, yay for fast fingers on the twitter. Norka and I shared a veggie pizza which was pretty good.

What a whirlwind day! I have so many ideas swirling around in my head for all of the excellent information. I just cannot wait to implement them here.

Have you ever gone to a blogger conference or met-up with other bloggers?

Are you fit?

Fitness is subjective. Are you fit when you can run a 5K? Run a marathon? Hold a plank for five minutes? Is it a number on the scale?

I started on a journey for fitness and good health after being diagnosed with Graves Disease.
From the Mayo Clinic:

Graves’ disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). While a number of disorders may result in hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease is the most common cause. 

The only cure is irradiating the thyroid, that typically leads to hypothyroidism, which is then regulated with medication. It generally leads to a life with a slow metabolism and weight fluctuations.

Nearly two years after taking the radioactive iodine, I am lucky to still have some thyroid function. It may even be enough to have a normal metabolism or to stop taking medication for it.

After the diagnoses, I knew that paying extra attention to how I eat and moving everyday would be essential. It has become part of my life and I feel better than I did before.

Fitness for me is not numbers on the scale or pants size. It is the strength I feel after a hard workout. The power I feel after running a distance that would have been impossible a year ago. It really is knowing that you can live with a health setback and it can make you stronger.

How do you define fitness?

Has exercise helped overcome or live with a health issue?

Present to myself

I had a hard time getting my butt outside for a run today. It might be the heat or just general laziness but I was finally able to convince myself.

It was hot. It was sticky. Halfway through UPS brought me a present that was perfect for a hot, sticky run.

Bondi Bands!

I ordered three from Tina at Carrots’N Cake through Open Sky. Not only does my hair get in my face while I run, I am a heavy sweater and there is nothing fun about sunscreen dripping into your eyes.

After my run. (Yes, I am awesome at taking pictures of myself. Look how hard I am concentrating)

Worked like a charm and would highly recommend.

Sadly, during my run I started to get a pain in my foot and a slight twinge in my knee. Decided to call it and book myself a date with this guy.

I have not used it in awhile and I should be using it.

I think I may need new shoes.

Have you gotten any new running accessories recently?

Weekly Workouts 7/12/11

Sunday: Elliptical 30 Minutes & Upper Body Strength

Monday: Rest (I have a meeting with county DEC after work.)

Tuesday: Run 45 minutes at an easy pace

Wednesday: Jackie Warner Power Circuit Training Full-Body

Thursday: 1 Mile warm-up at followed by 3x hill repeats at 8min/mile with a 1 mile cool-down & Abs

Friday: Elliptical 30 minutes or more & Lower Body Strength

Saturday: Long Run at easy pace of at least 4 miles

Goals:

Get more sleep. I end up getting into bed at a reasonable hour most nights but often end up watching TV in bed. Terrible I know!

Be positive. I have a tendency to focus on the negative and really want to work on that.

Keep being creative with healthy meals that J will eat.

Keep my mileage going up. I am kind of in a rut with my running workouts. It has been difficult to get passed 3.5 miles. I do not know if it is the heat or a mental issue but with half training starting at the end of the month, I really need to get there.

What are your plans/goals for the coming week?