Monthly Archives: August 2011

Training Tuesday Week 1 and Tractor Brewery

Posted on by

5

Today will be my first “Training Tuesday” highlighting my half-marathon preparation which officially kicked off on Saturday.  I’m not gonna lie…eating more carbs and not feeling guilty about it has been a nice change!

Most experts agree that before jumping into training for a half marathon, you should have been doing 3-4 mile runs for about 6 months.

WEEK 1 TRAINING PLAN:

SATURDAY: Easy 3 mile run

SUNDAY: Run for 1 hour and then stop (hopefully not too far away to get back!)

MONDAY: Easy 3 mile run, weight-lifting (legs)

TUESDAY: Interval training: 1.5 mile warm-up jog, 5 sets of alternating 5-k speed quarter miles with jogging quarter miles (so…10 times around the track: 5 at a brisk pace, 5 at a jog pace), 3/4 mile cool down jog/walk, weight-lifting (upper body)

WEDNESDAY: Easy 3 mile run, weightlifting (legs)

THURSDAY: 30 minute “tempo” run (10 minute easy jog, 15 minutes at 10-k pace, 5 minutes cool-down jog), weight-lifting (upper body)

FRIDAY: off day…this can be used to make up any missed workouts, or can include swimming, yoga, or Pilates

I did also want to share some quick thoughts and pictures from our Friday night excursion to the new microbrewery, Tractor Brewing Company that just opened up on August 5th in Nob Hill (on Tulane behind Starbucks).  This brewery is based out of Los Lunas, and their Albuquerque location makes yet another locally owned microbrewery for us to choose from.  Beer is carbs, so I figure I’m loading up on running energy.

They have a clever website name: GetPlowed.com

They have a dog friendly patio which Giuseppe loved.

They have an open air atmosphere with a great indoor/outdoor space.

They don’t serve food, but we saw several people getting pizza walked over from Slice Parlor.

Fixed and Free (a fixed gear bike shop) is next door, so you get to do some people watching (Aaron liked bike watching)

As for the beer: we did a taster (everything but the IPA) and decided we like the Double Plow Oatmeal Stout and the Haymaker Honey Wheat the best.  I wasn’t a fan of their regular Pale Ale, but IPA fans should enjoy it.  All the other regular and seasonal selections were good too.

This place is great, friendly service, good beer, and we definitely plan on going back!

Also noteworthy from this weekend…. a man walking a goat down Central (which is unusual even for that neighborhood!).

Now, as I go wallow in my miserable soreness, watch out for Dan who will be taking over Lavender Parking tomorrow for the great Blog Swap!

13.1 Reasons to Run a Half Marathon

Posted on by

0

WOO HOO! Made it to Friday! In these crazy times, the prospect of 2 full days of complete freedom from obligation is pretty exciting!

Last night, Aaron, Giuseppe, and I decided to frolic in the rare rain storm, and took a walk down the street to get frozen yogurt.  During that walk, Aaron mentioned something about how 2 HOUR long runs were in our near future.  YIKES!

Our half marathon training kicks off this weekend.  Both Aaron and I have pretty ambitious goals: He wants to average a 7 minute mile, and I want to finish in under 1:45.  Because we both have a long way to go to get there (I have a much longer way than Aaron), we are doing the “advanced” training plan…in other words, we aren’t training just to finish, we’re training to beat a lot of people. Needless to say, I’m trying to prepare myself mentally for what I’m about to put myself through.

I came across this list yesterday on facebook, and thought it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend, AND the Lavender Half Marathon Training.  Thanks to the US Half Marathon, and Active.com for thinking up a list after my own  heart!

ballardadventures.com

13.1 REASONS TO RUN A HALF MARATHON

1. It’s a challenging, but manageable distance. The marathon has the appeal of scaling Mount Everest, but just as in preparing to scale Mount Everest, preparing to run 26.2 miles is no walk in the park. If you’re brand new to the sport, you’re likely looking at six to nine months of consistent marathon training including long runs of 3 hours or more.

The half marathon may lack the “sexiness” of the full marathon, but most new runners with three months of training can conquer a half marathon. Long runs likely won’t exceed two hours. There is some commitment involved with half marathon training, but it doesn’t have to consume your life.

2. You’re not ready for a full marathon. There could be a variety of reasons why this is the case. Maybe you didn’t allow enough time to train. Maybe it seems too daunting. Perhaps a slight injury compromised your training. Your work schedule is too demanding. Whatever the reason, the half marathon is still a challenging distance and 13.1 miles is nothing to sneeze at.

3. There are countless races to choose from.  The number of half marathons taking place throughout the year has simply exploded the past few years. It’s the fastest growing race distance out there and unquestionably the most popular race distance. Virtually every weekend you can count on one or multiple half marathons taking place within driving distance of your home.  So, you’ve got no shortage of options when it comes to a half marathon race.

Just a small selection of races to choose from. halfmarathons.net

4. You have a thing for bling. Many races include all kinds of perks and amenities to draw runners to the starting line. One such amenity is the ubiquitous race medal. The bigger the race, the bigger (and gaudier) the medal you’ll typically receive at the finish line. Medals now double as coasters, bottle openers and more. If you complete more than one half marathon in a particular race series (for example, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Series), it’s likely you’ll get a special medal for your multiple efforts. So, if you’ve got a penchant for the bling, half marathons will hook you up.

I like this one! running.about.com

5. You’re contemplating ramping up for a full marathon. Before signing up for a full marathon, you should probably have at least one half marathon under your belt. You can run most of the 13.1 miles at your target marathon pace and gauge how far you are from swinging this pace for 26.2 miles. An alternative approach is to go for broke and use your race result to project a theoretical marathon time. If you’ve never participated in a race, and a marathon is on the calendar, a half marathon can be a nice dress rehearsal for the full.

6. You want to recover quickly. It can literally take weeks to fully recover from a marathon. It’s not uncommon to feel a bit flat, fatigued, and a bit off long after you’ve completed 26.2 miles. The half marathon is taxing, but even if you run a hard half marathon, the recovery window for 13.1 miles is much shorter than that of the full.

7. There is less injury risk with a half marathon versus a full marathon. Injuries are the bane of any runner’s existence. One of the big factors that contribute to running related injuries is training. To be more specific, overtraining increases the risk of running related aggravations and injuries. The higher the weekly mileage generally the higher the risk of running related. Needless to say, you’re not going to log nearly as many miles gearing up for a half marathon versus a full marathon.

8. You like to party. As mentioned earlier, the perks and amenities at races today are staggering. Aside from the gaudy ‘bling’ one typically receives, there is almost always some kind of post-race party or celebration. Destination Races sells out all practically all of its wine country-themed events to some degree because of the post-race wine tastings following the race.  The anti-oxidants can speed recovery and augment the runner’s high. Live music often accompanies the imbibing of said anti-oxidants. If you like to party, the half marathon may be your distance.

Aaron at the Will Run For Beer post race party

9. You want to take your running fitness to the next level. The 5K and 10K are wonderful entry-level distances for new runners. But, stepping up to the half marathon distance from the 5K or 10K distance will result in a veritable quantum leap in running fitness due to increases in mileage and the likely addition of one (or more) days of running.

10. You want to burn some extra calories. A mile generally burns about 100 calories. If you’re currently logging mileage consistent with running 5Ks and/or 10Ks, you’re burning some decent calories. But, upping your mileage will not only take your running fitness to the next level, it will also boost your caloric burn.

11. You want new kicks.  If you are stepping up from the 5K or 10K distance, logging a few extra miles each week will undoubtedly necessitate the purchasing of an additional pair or shoes or two. So, if you’ve been eyeing the hot new pair of Nikes at your local running specialty store, sign up for a half and pull the trigger as you’ll likely need them soon.

Newton Running Shoes runningshoeslondon.co.uk

12. Your wardrobe needs upgrading. If you’re going to be logging more miles, that may very well mean you’re running more days per week than you have previously.  These extra days of running will make it easy to rationalize upgrading your running wardrobe.

New lululomon outfit! freakyeahyoga.tumblr.com

13. You like to travel. Given the range of half marathons out there, there are ample opportunities to parlay a half marathon into a running-infused vacation. Do you want to see what New Orleans has to offer? The New Orleans Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon in early March is only a flight away.  Want to explore a more tropical location? The ING Miami Half Marathon in late January might be right up your alley.

bartyasso.com

13.1. It’s there. Runners are explorers at the end of the day. As soon as we conquer one running goal, it’s almost inevitable that we’ll look toward the next one. Once you’ve logged a 5K, a 10K, and/or a 12K, it’s almost inevitable the half marathon will beckon you to the starting line. Then, it may very well be on to the marathon.

What I’m Loving Wednesday: August 10

Posted on by

0

So, it is Wednesday, and I am linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love for What I Love Wednesday.

I tried this out last week, and I think my mood improved drastically because of it.   Despite my goal to always be positive and thankful for what I have, by Wednesday, I am so over not having enough hours in a day, spending the majority of my life at work, trying to keep the house clean (or getting mad that the house isn’t clean and I don’t feel like fixing it), etc., etc.,  I forget to stop and love life for a minute.  I am grumpy and I want to complain about everything, and curl up into a little ball of self with a bottle of wine until the weekend comes.  This week especially has been draining because the world seems to be in complete disarray (SO thankful I’m not mature enough to be investing…I’d be having a heart attack every few minutes).  What I Love Wednesday actually forces me to be positive and find things in the world that don’t suck. So, here it is: What I am loving this Wednesday.

1) Pan Am…the new ABC series: So I don’t really know what this will be about, and I hardly ever watch Network TV, but I completely support any measure to live out the early 60′s.  Since Mad Men seems to be doing everything it can not to be on my TV, I think I may have to substitute with this lovely looking series.

daemonstv.com

2) Pretending that purchasing a lotto ticket means we’re actually going to win.  We always talk about winning the lottery.  After a long day of work it seems like a reasonable solutions.  But I truthfully think the last time I bought a ticket was on my 18th birthday.  This week, Aaron actually bought two tickets.  We’re already talking about what we’re going to do when we win tonight.  You won’t be hearing from me tomorrow because I will be on a first class flight to Tahiti.

3) British Accents: I know the riots are terrifying.  Seeing this beautiful city and those old beautiful buildings on fire is heartbreaking.  But all I can think of when they interview the rioters is, “my, what lovely accents they have.”  Only the Brits can make angry frustration sound charming.  But seriously, STOP RIOTING.

4) Proving horoscopes wrong: I don’t believe in horoscopes.  But not only do I subscribe to a daily horoscope email, but I actually open it and read it everyday.  When (like yesterday), my horoscope predicts that I will have a bad day and then I don’t, I kind of feel like, in the battle between Amy and the Universe, Amy wins big time. Take that, Universe.

5) Daily Pinterest Find: I wish Pinterest would have been around when I got married.  I’ve gotten so many ideas for my (hopefully) non-existent future wedding.  In the meantime, I couldn’t pick just one favorite this morning.

I’m positive Aaron has an extra bike that he wouldn’t mind having converted into this lovely garden accessory.  Get it? Lavender? Get it?

Occasionally I dabble into fancy cupcakes.  I would love to create something this beautiful.

I love finding crafts on Pinterest that I’ve thought of first (actually I think Pottery Barn may have inspired this one for me).  Though a slightly different variation than my Pinterest find, all my wine corks go into a lantern display.

6) Hans Von Walter: Jeopardy is on a summer vacation right now, so they are showing reruns.  This week is college semi-finals week, and I have decided that I love contestant Hans Von Walter.  Not only does he have a cool name, but by the looks of him, I would be less surprised if he was named anything else in the world.  Plus, he swept the competition, earning so much money during the normal rounds that he didn’t have to wager a cent during Final Jeopardy to win.  He also (incorrectly) answered the Daily Doubles with witty answers (“nomad hyphen people”).

7) Lite radio: I usually don’t listen to Lite radio unless it is Christmastime, but there is a nationwide Clear Channel competition to win tickets (plus airfare and hotel) to the I Heart Radio music festival in Las Vegas.  Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, etc., etc., etc. will be performing and I kind of want to go.  About 5 times a day they have a cue to call, and if you are the 20th nationwide caller,  you win.  I have been dialing like crazy.  Lite Radio is the only station locally participating that I want to listen to, and it turns out, I’ve been missing out by ignoring it all this time.  Where else can you hear Shania, Duran Duran, Michael Buble, and Phil Collin’s version of True Colors all in a 20 minute span?

playjones.com

8. Pawn Stars: Despite myself, I can watch hours of Pawn Stars on the History Channel.  Although in real life I try to avoid pawn stores like the plague, I want to go to Vegas just so I can see a Houdini straight jacket or other crazy historical artifact.  Because historians and experts are called in to consult on most purchases, I kind of feel like I’m learning something.  The stars of the show are doing a local Gold and Silver show in a couple of weeks.  I don’t think I’d actually buy tickets because basically you have no guarantee to actually see the stars. BUT!  I’m trying to win VIP Meet and Greet tickets by texting my radio station prize line every few minutes….I’m determined to win SOMETHING this week.

inc.com

9) Late Summer Rose Bloom: This year has not been kind to plants in New Mexico.  First, we had warm temperatures in late January causing all the plants to come out of hibernation, only to have the first week of February hit record low -20 degree temperatures (which NEVER happens), causing them to all to die.  The ones that survived have had no water this summer.  Our poor rose had such a mediocre blooming season, but all of the sudden yesterday, a new group blossomed.

10) My little family: Because how could I not?

Happy Wednesday!

Another Weekend Comes to Pass

Posted on by

2

Even though the Lavenders all had a rather long and mediocre Monday (Aaron got so frustrated that he went out and bought 2 Powerball tickets), in our minds we are still basking in the gloriously (and dangerously) sunny weekend.  Not that I’m complaining about the amazing sunshine, but we could use a lot of rain.

This was the last weekend before our half marathon training begins.  Even though I know the first few weeks of training won’t be too much different from the mileage we put in on the weekends now (we did  5. 75 on Saturday and a little over 3 yesterday), knowing that next weekend I will have to start a dedicated regimen of weights, core work, distance running, yoga, and track workouts makes me feel sleepy and sad.

BUT, that is in the future.  For this weekend, I got away with eating bad food, drinking cheap wine, and running 3 miles at an average of 9:30 a mile (which is even bad by my standards).  Stupid Garmin and its stupid reminders at how slow I run…

Saturday was my mom’s birthday, so it was spent doing mom birthday things like shopping for presents and trying to get the wait staff at Trombinos to do a loud obnoxious birthday song for her (that mission failed miserably).

After a rather tasty, rich, creamy Italian feast that won’t as possible starting next Saturday, Aaron and I decided it was time to try out our new Houdini!

A couple of weeks ago in a moment of epic Friday night failure, Aaron broke the cork screw.  Luckily it was broken in the process of getting the cork out so we were still able to have our wine.  The next day we headed over to William Sonoma to pick out our new cork screw only to realize that we are not yet so pretentious that we are willing to spend $95 on (a super fancy amazingly beautiful) cork screw.  So, we got the slightly cheaper cousin at Target: The Houdini.

I’ve heard a lot of good about the pricey Rabbit cork screw, but I’m not quite sure what the rabbit does that the Houdini doesn’t. I haven’t been more impressed with a household knickknack… maybe ever.

Step 1: cut the foil in one fast, neat swirl.

Step 2: Place the Houdini over the cork, and push the lever (which screws into the cork without much effort on your part!).

Step 3: Retract the lever to painlessly pull out the cork.  No broken cork parts in your wine, no wasted time trying to get the stupid cork out.  Just pure cork extraction perfection.

Step 4: Get nice husband to get the cork out of the Houdini while you enjoy the wine.

Now, we are Casa Rondena members so we get 2 bottles of good wine a month,  not to mention we have a  wine rack full of impressive bottles.  However, sometimes Saturday nights call for buying a Costco sized bottle of Barefoot.

On Sunday morning, after our 3 mile run (and after Crazy Aaron got back from his 26 mile bike ride following our 3 mile run), I figured he deserved some Mimosa, and I thought I would join in because no one should have to drink Mimosa alone.  Luckily, we had a bottle of St. Clair mimosa waiting in the refrigerator for the occasion.  I figure since we will have to be eating for fitness very soon, a celebratory Mimosa was more than necessary.

Sunday afternoon found us at Hallenbrick Brewery, which is one of those little dive pubs in the middle of the Industrial District behind Jefferson.

Hallenbrick usually has 2 or 3 of their microbrews (I love the Adobe Stout) and a limited selection of other local favorites.  We like going there because it is hardly ever crowded,  it is pajamas casual, AND Giuseppe is more than welcome.  Plus, the bar seems to attract friendly people.  Definitely the type of place where you stay longer than you anticipate because you’re having such good conversation with strangers.  This was the case yesterday.

What lovely taps

Not only did we chance upon ANOTHER Westie, but we also met a group of people who have a running/socialization group (“a drinking club with a running problem”) and they even talked us into joining their Red Dress Run Fundraiser on August 20th.  Basically, I will have an excuse to buy a new red dress (I think Aaron is even planning on squeezing into one!), and the total run is only 5 miles but you stop at 4 different breweries along the way.  Seeing as how 4 of the 5 people who were part of this group were guys, I think this has the potential to be a very interesting event.  We were even invited to join one of their runs, though from the sound of it, there is more socializing than actual running so we may have to participate sparingly now that we will be doing our”serious” training.

Giuseppe and his new friend (or mortal enemy) Oso

We ended the night and weekend with a viewing of The Goonies, which reinforced my belief that Oregon is cool, and that I have a chance of one day stumbling upon a pirate ship.

And then it was Monday again.

Giuseppe’s Movie Premire

Posted on by

4

This evening I came home from work to find Aaron completely engrossed with something on the computer.  This hardly ever happens.  Aside from looking at bicycle websites, Aaron spends no time on the computer.   So, if that wasn’t weird enough, I couldn’t be more surprised with what he was actually doing.

I’m not sure what brought this all on, but Aaron decided to unleash his inner Spielberg yesterday afternoon and create a short film documenting Giuseppe’s day.  Turns out, Aaron isn’t completely untalented when it comes to casting, scripting, shooting, directing, and editing videos.

So, here it is folks: the premiere of Giuseppe: The Life of a Puppy, Part 1.  Filmed on location at my mom’s house, the streets of Albuquerque, and my backyard (don’t judge the dirt…it doesn’t rain here).  Soundtrack courtesy of Kid Cudi and David Guetta (Memories).  Edited using Microsoft Movie Maker.  Directed by Aaron.  Starring Giuseppe.

What I’m Loving Wednesday: August 3

Posted on by

0

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been doing a lot of blog stalking. I find a blog, read it, then click on links to other blogs on that blog’s blogroll, and keep going and going and going until I feel like I have made 100 new friends from all over the place who don’t know that I know them.  Turns out this blog thing is a very imtimate form of social media that may extend even beyond facebook and twitter in its ability to connect people.  Despite the obvious creepy factor,  the blogosphere is an exciting arena with so much information and common experiences to be shared.

One of the things I’ve noticed on many of these blogs are these theme days were everyone writes about the same thing and links to the other people writing about the things they’re writing about.  Its like Homecoming Spirit Week for the blogging world without the cheesy “Lei your date” jokes.

Lord knows how I found “This Kind of Love,” ( she has a pirate themed classroom, so she must be cool) but I thought her theme day of “What I’m Loving Wednesday” would be a fun one to start off with because I love a lot of things, and well, it is Wednesday.  So here goes: my first attempt at being a blogger/linking/theme day type person.

What I’m loving on this, the first Wednesday of August:

1) The Frontier Airlines Colorado Sale:  Aaron and I  booked our flights to Denver for $30 each way! I spent more at Lululemon this weekend than I did on my round trip flight to another state.

2) Lululemon.  In general, all workout clothes seem to look the same.  Lululemon makes clothes that make me excited to workout, and Lord knows I know I need all of the excitement and motivation I can get.  I bought the World’s cutest running shirt this weekend (the maroon one on the left) to add to my collection.

My Lululemon collection

3) Bulldozing mayor:  I would be more than a little upset if my car fell victim to this angry mayor’s approach to solving the illegal parking problem, but I bet this Mercedes owner will think twice before parking in a no parking zone again.

4) Surprise Flowers: I love that Aaron never lets my flower vase go empty for too long

5) Phone dates with old friends:  The longer I’m out of college (yikes…4 years now), the less I talk to people who I knew in California.  After a few months hiatus, last night I finally caught up with friend and Bridesmaid Kaitlin.

via Pinterest

6) Lady gaga’s cancer response:  Yesterday Lady Gaga was a guest on The View.  This is the way all pop stars should answer serious questions.  After learning about an FDA warning about hot dogs increasing the risk of colon cancer: “I think hot dogs are just jealous that cigarettes are more controversial.”

Aceshowbiz.com

7) New shoes: Last week I bought too many pairs of shoes.  After a shoe shopping binge over the weekend, I did some online shopping late last week.  I had been stalking these ones since the came out, and finally last Wednesday, I came across a 40% off clearance sale for them, and I couldn’t resist. I’ve already worn them twice.

8. Kate Middleton Grocery Shopping: I don’t know why a Dutchess/wife of the future king would be doing her own grocery shopping, but such a lovely reminder that the royals are just like us, but prettier and with nicer clothing.

people.com

9) Printerest is my new source for internet images.  You’re almost guranteed not to get any ugly pictures but instead find a ton of beautifulness.  Of a huge selection, this was my favorite find of the morning.  I want my future house to look like this (this is obviously after the huge promotion, pay raise, and relocation).

10) Giuseppe.  Probably half the pictures I take are of his overwhelming cuteness.  This is a picture of him trying to eat the air conditioning while riding in the car.

Well, there it is.  My attempt to be a blogger cool kid.  Happy Wednesday! (aka 16 working hours until the weekend!).