Jan 29, 2011

Insomnia

Am I the only person with seemingly constant insomnia? Ugh. I am so tired of it. It is 2am and we are leaving at 8am. I think I'm going to just get some stuff done and then sleep...sometime. Somewhere. I'm sure it will be fine. I have just been sleeping so poorly lately. I just lay there (lie there? I can never remember) eyes wide open. Stupid body. Get with it! I feel tired, and then am just wide awake.

 I finally found my camera cord, so I thought I would grace y'all with a picture. The husband is in it. I'm not sure how excited he would be about me posting his picture just out there, so I made him a clever disguise. This is much better. I'm sure he would agree. If I asked him first.


No one will recognize him now! hahaha.


This is us at the Sugar Bowl. Before the Hogs lost in spectacular fashion. Story of our lives.

Jan 27, 2011

Burning Calories through Cleaning

I'm trying to get my house together in preparation for us going to Orlando. Does anyone else clean their house before a trip? I just can't stand to come home to a messy house. And I'm always scared our house will be broken into and everyone will see our house looking crazy. To be fair, that has actually happened! I came home from a rotation at the VA to find cops in my driveway. Someone broke into the house and stole the TV and my laptop-just grabbed what they could from the first room. The laptop really, really hurt because it was mine and I was using it while doing my Dietetic Internship so it had ALL my school stuff on it. So, yeah, the house was a wreck that day and I had to tell a cop "No. It is ok. It always looks like this!"

So today I'm getting my calorie burn from house work instead of the treadmill. It definitely doesn't count as cardio exercise, but light to moderate cleaning actually burns a decent amount of calories. I got curious about how many calories are expended, so I made this table!

Based on 60 mins of:

125 lbs
150 lbs
175 lbs
Sweeping Floors

131
156
183
Mopping

143
170
199
Light Housecleaning

86
102
119
Moderate Housecleaning

143
170
199
Washing Dishes

74
88
103
Vacuuming

143
170
199
Cooking

86
68
80
Ironing

74
88
103
Laundry-Standing

57
68
80
Scrubbing Floors/Tub

160
190
199




source
Calorie Lab is a great website to figure out calories burned. They have millions of activities to choose from.

Ok. Now I need to stop talking about cleaning and actually get to cleaning!















































Jan 25, 2011

I'm so Fancy

Recruiters should totally try to buy our affections through steak, because it works. The dinner last night actually turned out to be pretty fun-it was a big group of people from our home state who all live here. The head recruiter was from my hometown! Older than I am, but he went to the same elementary, jr. high, and high school I did. It did make me homesick, though.
The dinner itself was amazing. Started with a great salad-Honey Roasted Pears, Dried Cranberries, Watercress, Shaved Onions, Sugared Walnuts, Stilton Cheese in a Shallot Rasberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. I love salads that are mostly fruit.

I had the filet-top right (not my pictures). It was so, so good. Buttermilk Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cabernet Smoked Onions and Black Pepper Demi-Glace. I could've eaten two it was so good. Dessert was either peanut butter pie (which I made my husband order so I could taste!) or butterscotch creme brulee. I never order or eat creme brulee, but this one was unbelievably good. All of the residents were joking around about only getting to eat at restaurants like this when work pays for it.

Oh dear. I just looked at the brunch menu and now must have this: Banana Foster Shortstack-Buttermilk Pancakes layered with Roasted Bananas in a Traditional Foster's Sauce with Crumbled Pralines, Onion Braised Andouille & Chantilly Cream. How amazing does that sound? It would be worth the 847 miles I would have to run to work it off. I really am promoting health, wellness, and proper nutrition here aren't I?


It actually ended up being really fun. Our table had an interesting conversation about obesity/childhood health/public policy. We had 3 M.D.s, one R.D. (me), one pharmacist, and one guy with a MBA/MPA so it was a good conversation. My thoughts on public health and nutrition have really changed since moving here and actually being in situations rather than just reading about them or theorizing...but that is maybe a post for another day!

Jan 24, 2011

Winter blahs

I really, really hate winter. I can't stand it. And I live in the South, where winter isn't that bad! I compulsively check the 10 day forecast in hopes that the temps will magically be in the 70s in February. That's totally rational, right? It just forces me into hermit mode. I don't want to leave the house-it is too cold! I'm so looking forward to the roughly 2 weeks it is a comfortable temperature outside.

Mercifully, we have a trip to Orlando planned soon. Harry Potter Land here I come!! I am like a 5 yo in how excited I am about going to Harry Potter. Y'all don't understand . I should probably do some laundry and start packing.

I'm just about to jump on the treadmill in preparation for the dinner out we are having tonight. Despite the fact that the husband doesn't finish residency for another 2.5 years, he is being actively recruited. I'm all for open bar and free dinner, though! The place we are going to tonight has something called a New Orleans Praline Cheesecake. THOSE ARE MY 3 FAVORITE THINGS: NOLA, PRALINES, CHEESECAKE. We actually were in NOLA for the Cotton Bowl and I wanted to eat my bodyweight in pralines. They are magic. I should not order this, right? I need to run a preemptive 37 miles or so. I want to take pictures of the sure to be fancy food tonight, but I feel like that is a little tacky at a free dinner for work. meh.

Jan 20, 2011

PEOPLE. I HAD A GREAT RUN TODAY.

I wish I had a way of making this sparkle and blink, b/c it was that good. I ran continuously for 1.5 miles. I know for most people that is super easy, but not me! And I ran it 0.5 mph faster than I was running my terrible one on Sunday. Maybe b/c I took 2 days off? I don't know. I just decided to run at a pace that felt good for as long as I could.  Covered up the display and went. I definitely think the mindset of running on my own schedule vs. C25k helped me go a lot further b/c I wasn't just trying to get through the crappy running part until I could walk.

And I felt so good. Tired, but not super painful. My back didn't bother me at all. AT ALL. I can not remember any activity in the past, oh, 5 or so years that hasn't made my back hurt. I have this weird spot on the top, front of my thigh that bothers me, and I wasn't careful when I started walking so it started hurting straight off. I got off the tm, and stretched and stretched and then warmed up with good form and felt totally fine. I didn't even think about my back! Usually it hurts immediately, and I either deal or try to distract myself. It just straight up didn't bother me and it never crossed my mind. And I had been having a somewhat bad back day!

It was amazing. I was in that magical, happy land that runners (and I use that word describing myself extremely loosely) love. I felt like I could go forever...my lungs did not feel that way after awhile though. I can not believe I had a virtually pain free run. It makes me want to run all the time!
Dear Carrie:

GO RUN, LAZY BUM.

sincerely,
Future Carrie

also

HAPPY NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER'S DAY EVERYONE!!

Jan 17, 2011

Couch to 5k?

I'm not doing it officially. I'm just wondering about it as a tool. I have done it in the past and got up to running a full 3 miles...but that was long ago in a pre-back injury time. I had such a good run the other day I thought maybe I could jump in and use it. I had just been running/walking amounts that felt good and thought maybe I should do a C25K run for motivation.

Ugh. I don't know. I definitely needed more food in me before any run that day. I felt all nauseous and light headed about half way into it. The average person doesn't really need to carb load before a run under 5 miles, and I definitely am not some kind of elite athlete that needs to plan pre-running fuel. I just felt icky and lethargic and dizzy. After the run, and the post run eating like a horse, I felt great though. Super energetic. Thanks, endorphins! I don't know if it was the lack of food before, or b/c I was timing intervals but I was just dragging.

Oh well. At least I tried! That counts for something. 

Jan 14, 2011

Friday run

I actually had a really good run tonight! And I am not one who has good runs very often.

I always warm up and start slow. But, I usually don't start slow enough and end up feeling like I am sprinting after 5 minutes! I am not a fast runner, but I generally don't pace myself well. I went at what felt like a slow, slow pace where it was barely more than a quick walk. But! It actually felt good! I ran much further than I usually do in my first bout of running. I usually do run/walk intervals. I tell myself it is for the high calorie benefits from interval training...but really it is because my endurance is shot. I just kept running and felt good and like I could run a long time-usually I am counting down the seconds. I just kept pushing myself for another quarter of a mile or another minute and on and on. I had built a new playlist for running which also helped tremendously.

 Even though endurance wise I felt great...my SI joint did not feel great. It always hurts, so it isn't like I'm going to have a pain free run. It just ached more than usual and I found myself wishing for my back brace. I think I might not have stretched enough beforehand. I also think I had been taking some NSAIDs before my last run, so that might have helped my pain level last time. Note: I am not recommending drugs to get you through your runs!! Just trying to id what makes a good vs bad run. I really want to build my endurance because, oddly enough, it is less painful to run than walk. I don't know if it is the shorter strides or what. I've been stretching my hip flexors quite a bit and that has helped tremendously with my upper quad pain. I know that my back is super tight and my abs are, um, not so I find myself wanting to bend over and stretch. I'm going to work on abs and kind of bending forward more as I run.

But I ran further at a time than I have in maybe a year! And it felt good! Miracle!

--again, I am only speaking as someone with back problems and what has been my experience as a patient.

uh oh

I just found out they make a peanut butter snickers.


I can not overemphasize how desperately I need this in my life. And belly. Immediately.

my puppies

Sisters : ) They love each other and have so much fun. I have fun photographing the various ways they like to sleep on each other.
If I can ever get this playlist downloaded, I am getting on the treadmill.

Jan 13, 2011

Running with injuries

In an effort to 1) encourage myself to exercise and 2) figure out how to make it more fun and enjoyable--I'm going to be talking about my walking hard core running on the treadmill. It is way too cold to run outside!

So, my body is pretty messed up in that it barely works. I have a super fun little ligament problem that makes it where my joints subluxate or completely dislocate. I've always had it, and it primarily presented in my knees-I  have dislocated my kneecaps more times than I can count. About 6 years ago it started in my SI joint, and now I have some muscle imbalances and activity can really hurt. All this to say: I have to be SUPER careful when I exercise. I am working right now on form and endurance...definitely not speed! Let me tell you, it sucks to have to think about each step. Makes it seem like you have been on the treadmill forever.

Amazingly, I had a pretty good run last night with a minimum of pain. I ran on Monday and had to stop pretty early because my hip was hurting. I take really long steps I guess. When I would step forward with my left foot it would stretch and hurt all at the top/front of my right thigh. So I was focusing on taking really really short steps...and it worked! It is a miracle when any kind of treatment or theory works for me! I am generally the outlier. So I was able to go for longer than I usually can : ) And it was actually fun and felt good! Usually it just hurts and eventually I come to a limping, leg dragging stop. So I'm calling it a MIRACLE. 

**please note, I am not qualified to talk about injuries and treatment. I am only talking about my experience as a chronic patient.

Jan 12, 2011

Confession #1


I love Diet Coke. And regular Coke. A lot. I know I need to drink less Diet Coke. It has no nutritional value. But I love it. I occasionally think about quitting...but I really don't want to. I do want to cut down, but I could never give up my precious forever.

Jan 11, 2011

blah blah Compose

Testing

Just trying to figure out this whole blogging thing!