Have a Nice Trip

 

This morning I set out on my third day of half marathon training. Five minutes in I found myself face down on the cold concrete sidewalk, bleeding solely from the left side of my body. It was a pathetic sight I'm sure for the one car that drove by. Begrudgingly I'd have to agree with my loving boyfriend who said, "Man I wish I'd seen that." Unfortunately I do have a history of mid-run tumbles. It always seems to happen early in the summer, just as I'm preparing for shorts season.  This knee is gonna look nasty for a while.

For those of you wondering, I did finish my tempo run! (My watch has the proof: 44 minutes!)

 

Gary bandaged me up and kissed by boo-boos. What a cutie.

Ironically my "I <3 Running" water bottle (above) is full of dents. I swear I didn't trip with it. 

Banana Muffins

 

For this first time since this diet started I finally baked something! I found this Banana Oat Muffin

recipe (to stay on the "healthy" side) from Honey & Jam. I used 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, exchanged rolled oats for instant oats, and substituted 3/4 vanilla almond milk for regular milk. I also accidentally doubled up the baking soda (2 tsp instead of 1). Believe me this kind of slip-up isn't unusual for me. One time I forgot the sugar while making brownies...

I brought these puffy little muffins to work on Wednesday morning, where I knew they'd be much appreciated! (They didn't go quite as fast as the cookies and other chocolate confections I usually bring.....curious.)
I thought these were really very good. And I ate far too many for the diet to allow. (But only one after the mid-day carb cut-off!)
I hope Gary doesn't read this.
I have posted a plethora of gluten-free muffins to Pinterest lately. I think I'll make these next.

While muffin making I also threw together a batch of vegan Snickerdoodles to bring to Gary's grandparent's house for dinner last night. His Grandma LOVES 'doodles, and Grandpa is on a vegan diet for the month. They were a big hit! I plan to try this recipe next.

On Track

This morning I completed my first workout for the Lululemon Sea Wheeze Half Marathon! I begrudgingly got my self to the track, reminding myself that I want to be fast(er) come August. Track workouts have never been my favorite, but this morning I found myself enjoying the structure and repetitiveness of it. I did 6x800 with a warm-up and cool-down. I haven't yet looked at my splits (it has been about a year since my last track workout!)

 Today's workout happened to coincide with the half way point of the pre-summer, post-Austin workout Gary and I have subjected ourselves to. Two weeks to go! I was inspired to look up healthy muffin recipes the rest of the day. I decided on this one. More on those tomorrow!

Shoes: Brooks Launch, pants: Lululemon Inspire Crop

Happy 75th

The Golden Gate Bridge celebrated its 75th birthday Sunday with an amazing fireworks display. We had a perfect view from the hills of Tiburon.

Luckily the night was clear of fog.

 

I have such a soft spot for the GGB. To me it means home. Over the years it has been a threshold, marking the last leg of trips home from college, travels in Asia, weekend getaways, and touristy days. I commuted over it for about a year (and I likely will again), and each morning and night I took in the view, always in awe of the changing climate- the fog and the sun clouding or brightening the International Orange, never two sunsets alike. I feel so lucky to have this bridge in my backyard. 

Happy 75th to the Golden Gate!

Happy Memorial Day

 

Spring went by so fast, but I am so excited for the unofficial start of summer. It is without a doubt my very favorite season. Looking forward to sunshine and pool days, margaritas, BBQs, warm evenings, shorts and swim suits!

Photo via Camille Styles

Wine-tasting with JAQK

A few weeks ago I took my sweetie to JAQK Cellars' tasting room in downtown San Francisco. It was a belated birthday gift to him and we made it into a special date night. The wine and food pairing included six wines, a delicious assortment of bread, fruit, meats and cheese, a gregarious host, and six other couples at a community table. JAQK was founded by a team of graphic designers and, as you can imagine, their labels are imaginative and stunning.

My favorite bottle design-wise is Charmed Savignon Blanc (which wasn't poured at the tasting). My favorite, based on flavor, is Bone Dance Merlot. We had a fabulous time and even got to enjoy a glass on the roof. The space would be perfect for an intimate gathering such as a birthday party.

 

Might I recommend the High Roller Cab (with a real poker chip adhered to the bottle).

 

 I hope we find ourselves at JAQK again soon.