Sunday, July 31, 2022

Workout Recap - Week 31

Sunday, July 24th – Rest Day

Monday, July 25th – Rest Day

Tuesday, July 26th – Rest Day

Wednesday, July 27th – Rest Day

Thursday, July 28th –  Rest Day

Friday, July 29th  Rest Day

Saturday, July 30th – 5K run

After taking two complete weeks off running after my 100-miler, it is time to slowly ease back into this whole thing. (I realize that although my race was two weeks ago, I technically didn't run for the four weeks leading up to the event due to my broken rib, so I'm about six weeks out from any consistent running and know it will take time to rebuild my fitness.)

How were your workouts this past week?

Friday, July 29, 2022

Eating Around the World - 2022 "Challenge" [July - Breakfast]

I came up with a fun "challenge" for the hubby and I to tackle in 2022. You see, we try and limit our eating out to once a week (because I'm frugal like that ;)). With that said, we tend to stick to our tried-and-true favorites (you gotta make the most of those dining-out experiences, right?!). Well, that means we usually eat at the same two restaurants. Hear me out, I am NOT complaining, but I thought it might be a fun "challenge" for the year to try a new place once a month. To take the idea one step further, I thought we could try a different cuisine every month - that way we aren't just trying a new Mexican restaurant every month (because, let's be real, I can never turn down great chips and salsa ;)). Here's how it went:


[Originally this was going to be a single post, but blog readers said they preferred monthly, so ask and you shall receive.] 

January - Indian

February - Korean

March - Pizza

May - Mexican

June - Sandwiches


July - Breakfast

Let me start off by saying breakfast is normally not my jam. I have never been a breakfast food lover. I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so things like pancakes, french toast or waffles have never been a huge draw. I am usually fine grabbing a bar of some sort of calling it a day meal. The hubby, on the other hand, loves breakfast food. He would happily eat breakfast for dinner (or any meal) and be in heaven. As per usual, I jumped on Yelp to see nearby spots to give a try.

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We came across Start Fresh Cafe and thought we'd pop in on one of the only days this month we had available. When the reviews mentioned the "small time diner vibe" I was picturing it in a different spot, but once the hubby and I jumped in the car to head down we both realized where we were going. We drive by all the time {and comment about the "holiday pies" they're always advertising... not sure which holiday ;)} and although it usually looks hoppin', have never gone before now.

By the time we were leaving the sun was popping through the marine layer.

It was definitely a diner vibe, with a counter that felt like it was right out of the 70s (obviously there is NOTHING wrong with that, just thought using the decade might help you visualize the interior). We opted to sit inside (since the pandemic they have added outdoor seating {more of an open sided tent situated in their parking lot}, like most of the restaurants in SoCal who could afford to do so) since it was still a little gray and chilled when we arrived (around 8am on a Saturday).

Note the sign in the upper left corner...
"We don't have wifi. Please talk to each other and pretend it's 1980."

All of the employees we came in contact with seemed super friendly and welcoming. It also seemed like there were quite a few "regulars". I always smile when I hear people ordering "the usual". Oceanside isn't a 'small town' persay (the population from 2020 says it's over 175,000 people), but I like that there are still places where folks feel at home.

Love me some good chalk art!

When you walk in, there are a few cabinets of their fresh pies/ loaves/ muffins/ etc. Of course, the hubby, who has a MAJOR sweet tooth, started drooling almost immediately ;) I wasn't sure if we would get out without a pie in tow.

Couldn't get a great picture due to the reflection in the glass, but you get the idea...

We sat down and had a look over the menu (which was rather large). I knew I could rule out the sweet breakfast stuff (like pancakes, french toast, waffles, etc), so that did make the menu a bit more manageable. I was left with mostly egg meals - scrambles and omelettes. I normally don't eat eggs, but that was sort of what I was left with, so I decided on a veggie omelette (spinach, mushrooms, onions and avocado) with a side of fruit. (It also came with a bread option, but that's way too much for me, so I asked the hubby if he'd want any of the choices and picked the homemade biscuit right away.)

Definitely appreciated all of the avo and the lack of honeydew melon in the fruit cup!

I know, I know, it's strange, but I have a "texture thing"
and I don't like biscuits because of that... 

The hubby went with a breakfast sandwich (without the meat of course) on a croissant and a side of hashbrowns. {I don't like croissants or hashbrowns either... I know, I'm probably pretty weird ;)... Like I said, breakfast food isn't my fave.} 

I remembered seeing folks mentioning the cinnamon rolls on the reviews. I thought I'd see if the hubby would prefer one (and maybe I'd have a few bites) rather than a pie and he decided on that (but did say afterwards that had we not gotten the cinnamon roll he definitely would've ordered a piece of pie and it "might have" made it home to go with his lunch). 

I've never seen butter on a cinnamon roll... but I guess I don't order them... like ever...

The food was all good (although I think my omelette had sat on the counter for a while because it wasn't very warm and we had originally asked that the cinnamon roll come out before our meals but either the waitress forgot or the kitchen was 'just that fast' ). When I asked the hubby, he said he would give the place five stars. He loved the vibe and enjoyed everything he ate (along with the standard drip coffee). Although everything was fine, I told him that I wasn't sure I'd come back. Again, there was nothing wrong with the restaurant or the food, but if we only eat out once a week, I would prefer eating out a lunch or dinner at a place I really enjoyed. I could see us coming back if people were in town or if friends really wanted to do breakfast, but other than that I don't really see me picking a breakfast spot to eat out in general at (especially since I'm normally up 3+ hours before the hubby and don't prefer to wait that long before I eat).

When was the last time you tried a new-to-you restaurant?

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Workout Recap - Week 30

Sunday, July 17th – Rest Day

Monday, July 18th – Rest Day

Tuesday, July 19th – Rest Day

Wednesday, July 20th – Rest Day

Thursday, July 21st –  Rest Day

Friday, July 22nd  Rest Day

Saturday, July 23rd – Rest Day

Even though the majority of my Washington Yeti 100-Miler turned into more of a walk than a run, I still decided I would give myself two full weeks off to let my body recoup (both physically and mentally). I would say I am definitely missing running, but that is probably due to the fact that I didn't run for the FOUR WEEKS leading up to the race because of my broken rib. I am raring to go, for sure, but I want to make sure any micro-tears or potential issues are taken care of before I start pounding the pavement again. I have dealt with my fair share of injury lately and I would much prefer to be safe rather than sorry, so one more week of rest and then I'll start slowly working back into my regular running routine.

How were your workouts this past week?

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Workout Recap - Week 29

Sunday, July 10th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Monday, July 11th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, July 12th – 2 mile run

Wednesday, July 13th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, July 14th –  Rest Day

Friday, July 15th  Washington Yeti 100-Miler 

Saturday, July 16th – Washington Yeti 100-Miler 

Wow. Let's just say there will be A LOT to unpack over the next few days and I hope to have a race recap up soon, but suffice it to say I FINISHED MY FIRST 100-MILER!! The race did NOT go to plan, but I crossed the start line, I crossed the finish line and I tackled 100 miles in between. I will be taking the next two weeks as "rest days" to let my body heal from everything I've put it through (thankfully the only "issue" I currently have is a blister on the bottom of my right foot, but even so, I want to give my body the break it needs/ deserves). Then I'll jump back on the pony for fall marathon training! 

How were your workouts this past week?

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Workout Recap - Week 28

Sunday, July 3rd – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Monday, July 4th – Rest Day

Tuesday, July 5th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday, July 6th – Rest Day

Thursday, July 7th –  60 minutes on the stationary bike

Friday, July 8th  Rest Day

Saturday, July 9th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Another week of biking my miles. And I can't believe it, but the 100-miler is in LESS THAN A WEEK! I'll try running in the next day or two (only a mile or so) to see how it feels and if my rib 'stays together'. Here's to hoping I'm all healed...

How were your workouts this past week?

Friday, July 8, 2022

100-Miler Training : Update #5

Oh my goodness, can you believe I'll be toeing the line of my first 100 mile race ONE WEEK FROM TODAY?! I can't ;)

If you haven't been around my corner of the InterWebs for a while, let's get you caught up because I definitely didn't just make the decision that I'd tackle this incredibly long distance yesterday... There has been A LOT that's gone into this ;)

{I have a terrible memory, thanks to my Fibromyalgia, so these posts are just as much for you as they are for me ;)} 

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I wrapped up the last update sharing I tested positive for COVID and had a pesky cough I was dealing with. I was incredibly lucky in that I didn't have any other symptoms, but not 'that' lucky because, as you will come to find out, the cough wasn't just a little tickle... it was VIOLENT! And, unfortunately for me, it didn't just pack up and leave quietly... 

I don't know if I have ever had to call in sick before... but that all changed with this nasty virus!

So, I published the fourth update on Friday and the following day I had a 30 mile run on the calendar (with a 20-miler on Sunday). Running seemed to be the only time I wasn't coughing, so I was super stoked that I was able to still get in my scheduled mileage. I started my 30 mile run around 3am (I try to get in my weekend miles extremely early so that the hubby and I can still spend time together when we aren't working) and was chugging right along. The run was going amazingly (I actually wasn't even having to take walk breaks that I was doing the previous few months due to a hamstring/ glute/ abductor issue I was rehabbing)... until it wasn't... Around mile 19.5 I felt a little tickle in my throat so I did two or three {what I thought were} insignificant coughs and it stopped me in my tracks. I had an intense pain in my lower left ribs and every breath was painful. As soon as it happened I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish my run. The first thing I did was pull out my phone and get on YouTube to see if there were any stretches I could do in case I had knocked a rib out of place (what I was guessing I might have done). I found some suggestions and was so desperate that I was using the side of a port-o-potty as my "wall" to stretch on. Nothing I was doing helped. At this point it was about 6:30am, so I texted the hubby to see if he'd call me when he woke up. I figured I'd walk until he could come pick me up (because I was worried that if I stopped walking I would start coughing and my back/ rib could NOT handle that). The hubby 'finally' woke up (it was around 8:15am when he saw my text) and was able to meet me after about 7 (slow and painful) walking miles. 

I took walk breaks during mile 12 and 18 to take my fuel, but other than that I was cruising right along...

When I got in the car all I wanted to do was cry but I knew it would be too painful on the rib. I still didn't know what I had done but knew it was extremely painful. (Note: I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia when I was in high school, so I live in a state of constant pain, but I knew this was different.) All I could manage to do was to lay on the ground on bags of ice to try and numb whatever was going on. I also had to do whatever I could to try to prevent any type of coughing because whenever I coughed I had to hold on for dear life. The hubby might have thought I was exaggerating, but I was not.

Source

I told the hubby that if I didn't feel better on Sunday I'd have to go to Urgent Care. And, if you know me, that's HUGE because I normally avoid going to the doctors at all cost (when we were trying to figure out what was wrong with me {eventually I was diagnosed with fibro} I went to so many different doctors and specialists that a part of me may have lost faith in the medical profession...). Come Sunday morning the pain was just as intense (after a night of not sleeping and some coughing, of course), so I called Urgent Care to make sure they could do x-rays on site and made my way down. 

Because, when there is nothing else to do but wait, why not selfie?! 

After about an hour and a half and a few x-rays, we finally figured out the issue. I had fractured my 11th posterior rib. Yep, evidently you can cough your rib right in half. Thankfully it was a clean break and I was told that ribs normally recalcify within 4-6 weeks. (Apparently they don't do surgery or any type of intervention unless there is more than one broken rib, especially because of the location of my break and how close it is to the lung.) The doctor told me that unless I was having shortness of breath or vomiting blood {which indicates the rib has punctured the lung}, it's a "take it easy" sort of thing.

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Yeah, "take it easy", that's funny... Thankfully I was prescribed a muscle relaxer because come Monday I was back at work and on my feet for 9+ hours a day. (By Monday my cough had subsided, I had tested negative for COVID and I was feeling fine healthwise.) I did decide that for the first week I would not walk commute (I normally walk the 3+ miles to work in the morning and the hubby picks me up in the evenings) to avoid any unnecessary jarring of the rib. I also dialed back my lunch walks (I usually walk 60-75 minutes on my lunch break), going a lot slower and for a shorter amount of time. 

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By the second week I was able to get back to walking to work. I also tried jumping on my stationary bike. Biking didn't seem to bother the rib any more than anything else I was doing, so I decided to bike for approximately as long as it would've taken me to run the mileage on my schedule (i.e. if I had 4 miles on the calendar, I biked for 45 minutes and if I had 10 miles, I biked for 90 minutes). It's definitely not ideal, especially two weeks before the BIG race, but I'm hoping that keeping my legs moving and sticking with a routine of waking up for a workout will be beneficial (even if just mentally). 

Nothing too intense with the biking, just keeping the legs moving while I watch a movie/ show.

Today marks three weeks since my last run... Technically I only missed one last "big" workout week and then I was starting to taper, but I'd be lying if I said not having run a single step in the last three wasn't messing with my head a bit.

Thankfully the rib is no longer painful to the touch (that lasted ~10 days) and really only hurts when I do something that expands my ribs quickly (like coughing, sneezing {because sneezing is gross so hold them in...}, etc). Obviously I haven't tried running yet, so I can't say for certain, but I'm praying the rib is recalcifying and will be strong enough come race day.

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Ha, that would be AMAZING if I felt "awesome"... I'll take "good" at this point ;)

Don't get me wrong, I have always heard the sayings that it's better to be healthy and undertrained than injured and overtrained, but I would have much preferred to be perfectly trained ;) Ha, let's be real, this has been a FAR FROM IDEAL training cycle. I mean, shoot, I was having to go to physical therapy to address a hamstring/ glute/ abductor issue I had technically been dealing with since November and was still walking some of my mileage while we were retraining my body that it didn't need to be "scared" any longer. But, I do have to say, at least my legs will be well rested when I get to the starting line come next Friday morning (and I'm hoping the extra time "off" has helped heal the hammy completely!). 

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In all seriousness though, I don't know if I'll be able to run the race. I'm planning as though I will be toeing the line, but I also know there's a possibility my body won't allow it and I'll simply be a spectator come race day. I am really praying that is NOT the case, but I need to be realistic (and not set myself up for devastation come Friday morning if I can't run). Whatever the day brings, I'll be ready for it with a grateful attitude and a {potentially forced} smile on my face. #HereWeGo

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Have you ever broken a bone?

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress?

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Workout Recap - Week 27

Sunday, June 26th – Rest Day

Monday, June 27th – 45 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, June 28th – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday, June 29th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, June 30th –  Rest Day

Friday, July 1st – 90 minutes on the stationary bike

Saturday, July 2nd – Rest Day

The good news is that the rib is no longer painful to the touch. The bad news is that I can still notice the dull pain when I do things like cough, sneeze, lay on my side, etc. I am still "taking it easy" as the urgent care doctor recommended and I biked my miles this week (I biked for approximately the amount of time it would have taken me to run the mileage I had on the calendar). Biking doesn't hurt (but then again, I am more just biking to keep the legs moving and a routine of still waking up for a workout before my day 'starts', it's not like I am really pushing the pedal to the medal ;)). Technically this week was the first week of taper, so I would have been cutting my miles back anyway. Here's to hoping and praying all of the work and training I put in starting since December-ish is enough to get me through to the finish line in two weeks... 

How were your workouts this past week?