sidebar | life and training 11.14 – 11.20
Happy Thanksgiving week! How in the FUQ is it already that time?
I am both gladdened and saddened by the arrival of Thanksgiving. Of all the winter holidays, it’s certainly my favorite (as I’ve said a dozen million times); the leadup and the actual day are equally as enjoyable for me. It’ll be a wonderful day, without a doubt, but I’m always a bit downtrodden when it comes and goes.
J and I held our own little Thanksgiving over the weekend, which was a lovely time. I shoo him out of the kitchen for the most part and curate the menu, though he’s always responsible for the pumpkin pie. He does a great job! We broke open a bottle of cabernet sauvignon we bought in San Jose earlier this year and started with a big salad modeled off my Harvest Fig and Kale Crunch Salad. I then brought out some of the stuffing I warmed back up in the oven and a pile of Crispy Cheddar Ranch Potato Stacks. J adores those. For the main, I swapped for scallops in my One Skillet Tuscan Gnocchi, omitting the gnocchi. We finished off with rather large slices of his pumpkin pie. It was a perfect, slow evening of eats and chats. Probably didn’t leave the table for two hours. Just how it should be.
Then the next morning, I readied myself to unload the dishwasher only to find that everything was still caked in grime. I tried again and the tub wouldn’t fill with water. Bit demoralizing. J took apart the contraption while I was at work but couldn’t find the culprit, so a lot of the day was spent intermittently washing dishes straight after I used them to prevent a pile up. Not a good time. Hoping we can gain some insight in the upcoming days and, even more so, that the fix ends up being less involved. Horseshit.
Dudes, I need to start Christmas shopping. I’ve been quietly posting holiday gift guides these past couple weeks (none this past, I was quite busy with Thanksgiving content, but I’ll have a fresh new one next week!) and so far have a kitchen and dining guide and an active lifestyles guide. Really encourage you to check them out and see about any good deals, I’m sure there’s lots out there with Black Friday looming! For myself, I’ve been procrastinating gift-buying since I don’t love any of the small ideas I’ve come up with. The older I get, the harder it is to buy for others. Likewise, I’m also a pain in the ass to buy for since I never want anyone to spend money on me, unless I REALLY dig something. Like an espresso machine.
This week I’m following my own Thanksgiving Guide and getting the bulk of my grocery shopping done on Monday. I’d imagine the crowds will still suck, but probably not more than on Wednesday. I’ll fill in the gaps on Wednesday if I forgot something or need extra of a component that I might’ve used throughout the week of recipe testing, but I’ll probably do that at a less-crowded venue than TJs. Place is a nightmare around the holidays.
Speaking of The Guide, I hope some of you found it useful for planning our your dishes. I’m definitely making the brussels sprouts salad on Thursday, but leaning towards salmon for my main – a recipe I adore and will definitely post soon! Mom’s providing stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie. Gonna be a well-rounded feast for a mere two people. Woot!
Wherever you are, I hope you find good company, great food, and all the comforts Thanksgiving encourages. If you don’t celebrate, well, have a great Thursday, and you still deserve the aforementioned nourishment.
The Fuck We Eating This Week?
A savory meatball stew…
A delightful one skillet salmon dinner…
A cheesy, spicy pasta dinner…
Two I(or three) amazing Christmas cookies you’ll definitely want in your cookie box…
A Few Things I’m Digging
Stuffing…Loving the Kale Apple and Sage Croissant Stuffing. It’s somehow even better a couple days later, probably from absorbing all the delicious broth and butter.
Ring…Linjer’s moon ring is so delicate and gorgeous, an heirloom-like piece just as they claim. It also shipped pretty quickly and came with a cute pouch for storing.
Candle…The Hearth and Hand Mulled Spice candle is so relaxing to burn. It has a nice comforting scent that doesn’t overpower but is definitely noticeable through the vicinity surrounding where it flickers away.
Shops and Wish List
Fashion
Target…Really fascinated by the coatigan sweater, it looks so cozy and diverse. This velour jumpsuit is really elegant for holiday parties or for New Years, or my birthday. Wearable with knee high boots, leggings, and a black skirt, methinks. Also like this acid wash hoodie for throwing on around the house, and if the feather yarn sweatpants come back in stock I am all over them. Softest things I own. I’m probably just attracted to the fuzziness of this fur tote handbag and I’m not really sure what I’d style it with, but I’ll keep it in mind…I’d like to upgrade my activewear, and gain some pieces I can multipurpose for running or for leisure. Eyeing these sculpt leggings, could use a black pair, or these seamless cableknit leggings.
Beauty
Naturium…Need a refresh on some goodies, picking up the retinol for sure and interested in the BHA 2% liquid.
Vichy…Thinking I’ll give their 1.5% hyalauronic acid treatment a go. Claims to have a good pumpkin effect and contains vitamin C.
Week in Training
Monday, 11.14: 8.31 miles, 10:50 pace
One last treadmill trot before heading home. Well, sort of…A couple hours after I finished we found out our flight was delayed a whopping 5 hours, and then had to navigate that mess of a scenario I talked about above. Woopee.
Tuesday, 11.15: 10.12 miles, 10:52 pace + 35 minute upper body
Running outside after a bout on the treadmill always feels weird, but once I warmed up my body figured out what was happening. Felt okay out, sticky, but I think we’ve a cold front coming so perhaps this is one of the last days of the unseasonable warmth. One can hope!
Strength:
- 3 x 10 straight arm pulldown 41#
- 3 x 10 triceps extension 40#
- 3 x 10 ea. arnold 15#
- 3 x 10 chest press 70#
- 3 x 15 ea. concentration curl 15#
- Core work
Wednesday, 11.16: 8.68 miles, 10:57 pace
Really low mood this morning, but rain came down around miles 2-3 of my run and I absolutely love running in gentle showers. Made me feel a bit better.
Strength:
- 4 x 12 elevated deadlift 80#
- 3 x 12 sissy squat 20#
- 3 x 15 ea. supported single leg deadlift 40#
- 2 x 20 ea. foot over dumbbell
- 3 x 18 elevated sumo squat 40#
- Various core exercises
Thursday, 11.17: 4.05 mile walk (1:04:00)
Friday, 11.18: 7.56 miles, 11:15 pace
Little brisk this morning! Around 50 and very windy so I bundled up and was nice and toasty through the run. Didn’t expect this amount of slowness but hey, I felt good and that’s all that counts.
Saturday, 11.19: 10.52 miles, 11:24 pace + 35 minute full body
Brisk wind but again, dressed toasty enough to feel good during the trot. There was a race planned for where I run so I watched the volunteers slowly set up and close down the roads – it was very quiet on the path as is, which made for a peaceful run.
Strength:
- 3 x 10 bench press 30#
- 3 x 10 diamond squat 65#
- 3 x 10 leg extension 130#
- 4 x 12 plie squat 65#
- 3 x 12 ea. triceps extension 15#
- 3 x 15 around the world 20#
- 3 x 12 sumo deadlift 65#
Sunday, 11.20: 4.05 mile walk (1:02:00)
Total running mileage: 45.2
