sidebar | life and training 11.8 – 11.14

Hooray, travel week! As you read, we’re up in Pennsylvania enjoying some seriously cool weather and a change of scenery, as well as the lingering buzz of a miniature Thanksgiving shared by my sis, our boyfriends, and myself. The trip is fairly short, as we return Tuesday evening, but after that we’ve only a week until Thanksgiving. Weeeee!

Thankfully, our travel Saturday went much more smoothly than when we visited Chicago. No delays, a comfortable layover, ease finding our hotel and my sister’s abode. We encountered a good deal of turbulence in the sky but you can’t really blame anyone for that other than Mother Nature. I became irrationally hyped about the presence of orange juice on the in-flight beverage menu, even though it was Minute Maid and shitty. Perhaps it’s the normalcy brought by extended drink offerings. Who knows.

On Saturday evening we met K (my sister) and D (her boyfriend) at their place and drove to Vincenzo’s Ristorante for a late dinner. The waitress had a whole bundle of sticks up her ass, but the food was delectable and we passed a couple solid hours making fun of one another and catching up, as is wont when all four of us convene. Photos below. We started out with bread, herbed butter, and wines (I got a really nice rosé), a plate of fried calamari and marinara, and I dove headlong into an 8oz branzino filet with vegetables and risotto. J and I shared a cappuccino gelato scoop to top off our culinary adventure. I’ve been trying this whole intuitive eating thing and so far I think I’m actually getting my body’s cues in check. I was very full by the end of the night, but not rolling on the floor ready to hurl.

Aaaaand then Sunday happened and intuitive eating went straight into the dumpster. We had an honest to goodness feast and I think I loaded myself with more snacks than anything. The others drank a good deal of beer and we shared a pitcher of the Cranberry Pomegranate Mulled Wine Sangria, even D liked it. Unheard of. To our main spread I provided the stuffed shells and butternut squash salad, substituting pumpkin and sweet potatoes respectively (K doesn’t have a food processor or a peeler so I wasn’t about to mangle myself for squash). The night closed with slices of The Caramel Macchiato Cake, special requested by my sister. We all were in comas by then, by J and I made it safely to our hotel with full stomachs and happy hearts.

Pennsylvania Photo Dump

Above: fried calamari and marinara, branzino special with risotto, cappuccino gelato from Vincenzo’s Ristorante in Douglassville.

Us four being morons

The spread. K provided the stuffing, potatoes, and a whole cooked chicken for the chicken-eaters. She did an awesome job.

FMG 2021 Thanksgiving Menu and Guide

Have you checked out the Thanksgiving Menu and Guide – Vegetarian-Friendly Dining yet? This curated list takes all the panic out of your punch and creates a seamless base on which you can build your best holiday. Recipes, tips, and tableware linked, all in one place. Find the guide here and tell me – what’s your number one bit of advice for a celebratory Thanksgiving?

A Few Things I’m Digging

Cheeseboards…This shouldn’t be surprising. I’ve a slew of board concepts on FMG, from a summery Caprese Brunch Bar to the Fresh Fig and Olive Bruschetta Cheeseboard, a spooky Haunted Harvest Board to the multifunctional Bagels and Eggs Brunch Board. This week I developed a holiday board I’m real thrilled to share in the upcoming days! EVEN BETTER was that in the making of said board, we got to host a friend for the occasion. Felt apt for the giant mass of dairy I curated.

Trader Joes Candy Cane Green Tea… You might recall me mentioning that I usually avoid coffee in the morning on days I use my preworkout. I’ve found my midmorning crashes lessen since I cut out my post-training cup of heart jolting, but I still enjoy a nice drink that isn’t water to warm up and cozy down. I added this decaf green tea in my rotation and I absolutely love it for the upcoming holiday season and hopefully cooler environment.

Cranberry Pomegranate Mulled Wine Sangria…Honestly, this pitcher is a total gem. I left it in the fridge a couple days and my God, it tasted even better than on day one! Find the recipe here and be sure to bookmark it for Thanksgiving because you trying it would make a Kellie very happy and your tastebuds even happier. I served it with my cheeseboard on Friday and it earned the adoration of my esteemed guest, and again Sunday, which I already mentioned so I won’t go into that whole ordeal again.

Versed skincare products... Versed is a vegan, cruelty-free brand I’ve been trying over the last month or so, and I’m seriously impressed with the condition of my complexion in this trial period. I dab on the Stroke of Brilliance Brightening Serum in the morning and the Just Breathe Clarifying Serum at night. I hope to pick up a few more pieces in their line, specifically the Sunday Morning Antioxidant Oil Serum and the Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm.

Not sponsored whatsoever.

Week in Training

Monday, 11.8: 6.33 miles, 10:16 pace + 52 minute back & biceps

After this run I decided from now forth I need to heart rate train. Doesn’t matter how slow the paces become, clearly something is not clicking and I need to pursue another avenue to make running more normalized again. 54 degrees and glorious outside, so my soul was quite happy to be free. I even wore sleeves!

Strength:

• 2 x 8 underhand row/3 x 5 underhand row
• 4 x 8 biceps curl
• 2 x 10/3 x 8 lat pulldown
• 4 x 8 hammer curl
• 4 x 10 bent arm side raise
• 4 x 10 incline biceps curl
• 4 x (15 stability ball leg drops/15 hamstring curls/30 deadbugs/30 second hollow rock)

Tuesday, 11.9: 3.11 miles, 11:16 pace + 45 minute shoulders & triceps + 1,250 yard swim (27:12)

I’m not exactly following Maffetone-style heart rate training, instead catering my limit to the line between easy/moderate and a harder effort. I averaged 156 bpm for this 35 minute run, which is leastwise a place to start. I’m hoping things ease up if I’m consistent with this strategy. Lovely morning and enjoyed truly being outdoors. Followed up my work shift with a peaceful swim.

Strength:

• 4 x 6 ea. single arm Arnold press
• 2 x 10/2 x 6 triceps extension
• 3 x 10 chest fly
• 4 x 12 lying barbell skullcrusher
• 4 x 10 front raise
• 4 x 10 ea. triceps kickback
• 4 x (10 bench leg drops/15 ea. toe taps/20 sprinter crunch)

Wednesday, 11.10: 5.43 miles, 11:59 pace + 52 minute legs

Welp, that’s the end of Maffetone for me. 160 bpm with multiple 12 minute miles in a 65 minute span. Sad.

Strength:

• 2 x 10/2 x 8 curtsy lunge
• 4 x 8 ea. single leg deadlift
• 4 x 10 ea. weighted donkey kick
• 4 x 15 calf raise
• 4 x 10 ea. single leg hip thrust
• 4 x 10 front squat
• 4 x (10 ea. standing clams/20 toe taps/30 bicycles/40 flutter kicks)

Thursday, 11.11: 3.3 miles, 10:36 pace + 45 minute back & biceps

I find it annoying that all I’ve wanted to do is run despite its rather shitty manifestations. I felt okay here, the numbers weren’t consistent with that, but I liked being outside in the quiet to start my morning.

Strength:

• 3 x 5/2 x 8 biceps curl
• 4 x 6 row
• 3 x 8 narrow row to wide row
• 4 x 12 reverse grip curl
• 4 x 10 lat pulldown
• 4 x 10 preacher curl (various weights)
• 4 x 10 back extensions
• 2 x (10 inchworms/15 ea. jackknife/30 crunch) ran out of time else I would’ve done more sets!

Friday, 11.12: 7 miles, 10:38 pace

Most of this run was pretty same-same, but by the end my heart rate and breathing actually felt, and seemed, much more normal. Perhaps a sign of returning strength?

Saturday, 11.13: 4.47 miles, 10:05 pace + 48 minute legs

Still an elevated heart rate, but my breathing felt smoother! 45 minute run/walk followed by leg day. I wasn’t too inspired for the latter but still managed to get a good session done before flying about the house for an hour preparing for our flight.

Sunday, 11.14: 3.71 miles, 16:11 pace treadmill walk

1 hour of walking on the treadmill for my active recovery, and before a day of gorging myself silly with my sister and our dudes during a mini Thanksgiving celebration!

Total running mileage: 29.6

Total swimming yardage: 1,250