Well, crap.
After resolving to make the most of my last real week of training, I totally and utterly failed to do that. My new running shoes literally made my feet bleed. (I considered posting photos of my bloody shoe, but decided to spare you all. Imagine, if you will, a shoe, but with blood. Like that. Annoyingly, my actual feet look fine, with teensy little scabs and teensy little blisters on them, but I swear, they hurt like crazy and bled everywhere, and I feel wussy complaining about them, like I deserve to have more gruesome wounds to prove to you all how I suffered.) I ran 8 miles in the evil shoes over a few days early last week and finally just gave up. If I laced them tight enough not to abrade my ankle skin off, then they compressed the top of my foot and I got instant shin splints. If I didn't lace them that tightly, then the bleeding. Shin splints or bleeding... so many choices.
After I gave up on the shoes (screw you, shoes!) I was planning on giving my feet a day to scab over and then get back in the game in my old, decrepit, mud-covered shoes. But I got a cold, so I skipped another day to rest up. Then I went to the doctor and got a tetanus shot, which apparently I was overdue for, thinking I could do a short run later that day. But no. The cold + tetanus shot = DEAD.
DEAD. I literally (literally! Not figuratively!) slept from about 9pm Friday until 4pm Saturday. Then I was up for a whopping three total hours, with some intermittent napping, before calling it quits and heading back to bed on Saturday night. Sunday was also a day of much sleeping, but I managed a few short errands with the Husband in between all the napping and movie-watching and soup-eating. Sheesh.
So... yeah. I am still recovering from my illness/vaccination, I don't have good shoes, and I haven't had a good long run in weeks. I ran two miles today at the gym on a slow slow pace to see how recovered I am and to try to "taper" properly for a good race, as though that were still possible. Basically, this half marathon is looming at the end of my week with a dark malevolence and I am trudging toward it with a sense of bitter resignation.
No matter what, I am doing this thing. So I have to get my head and my feet ready for Sunday and make the best of the situation. Hopefully we'll have nice weather and I'll have some fun.
Half Marathon Training Update
This week we set out to do a 12 mile run, but after 11 miles, I just couldn't run anymore. My hips were aching, my knees hurt and I was so so so tired. So we walked the last mile, and I feel... defeated.
I have learned an important lesson, though, and one I hope it's not too late to apply to this race: DO NOT SKIP YOUR SHORT RUNS.
Running 3 miles a day or so, 3-4 times per week, is essential. Looking back at my training log, the long runs that went well, where we upped our pace, where I felt good, those were all at the end of a week where I'd put the miles in and trained consistently. In recent weeks, I've gotten lazy during the week and let myself skip some short runs, and man, that has been brutal on the long runs each weekend. So, lesson learned.
I've got two weeks left, and I'm going to be super diligent about the short runs this week, put in a solid 8 miles this weekend, and then taper down to race day on April 3.
In other news, I went to Road Runner Sports today and did their Shoe Dog shoe finder. I was really impressed and I really think I got a great pair of shoes and lots of great information. Here's hoping that the shoes work out well. I've only put 250 miles on my last pair, but I am starting to feel every stride in my shins, and that's really not good. Bonus: my new shoes are not pink, which was more of a challenge than one might think. Why are so many women's running shoes white and pink? Why?
I have learned an important lesson, though, and one I hope it's not too late to apply to this race: DO NOT SKIP YOUR SHORT RUNS.
Running 3 miles a day or so, 3-4 times per week, is essential. Looking back at my training log, the long runs that went well, where we upped our pace, where I felt good, those were all at the end of a week where I'd put the miles in and trained consistently. In recent weeks, I've gotten lazy during the week and let myself skip some short runs, and man, that has been brutal on the long runs each weekend. So, lesson learned.
I've got two weeks left, and I'm going to be super diligent about the short runs this week, put in a solid 8 miles this weekend, and then taper down to race day on April 3.
In other news, I went to Road Runner Sports today and did their Shoe Dog shoe finder. I was really impressed and I really think I got a great pair of shoes and lots of great information. Here's hoping that the shoes work out well. I've only put 250 miles on my last pair, but I am starting to feel every stride in my shins, and that's really not good. Bonus: my new shoes are not pink, which was more of a challenge than one might think. Why are so many women's running shoes white and pink? Why?
Chorizo Lentil Stew
We had a salad planned for dinner tonight, but it was cold and rainy and I felt like having something warm and comforting instead, so I put this together with what we had on hand. It was delicious.
Chorizo Lentil Stew
Nouns:
2 cups dry lentils
3 links chicken chorizo, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/2 cup OJ
additional water as needed cover lentils
Verbs:
Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and add the carrots, celery, onion and chorizo, stirring over medium high heat for several minutes. Add the lentils, broth, spices and chili garlic sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until lentils are done. Add more water if necessary. When the lentils are done, add the OJ and stir to combine. Simmer 1-2 more minutes, and serve.
Yummy!
Half Marathon Training Program Update
This week, we decided to do some hill training. There are some pretty decent hills on the half marathon course and we've been training mostly on the flat. So my running buddy and I, we agreed to tackle some hills. Fortunately, my running buddy lives in the middle of a whole bunch of hills, such that it's impossible to run more than a few blocks in any direction from his house without wishing you were dead. Yay.
Rather than mapping a route, we decided to just go on an adventure, with the GPS running program on his smartphone tracking our route, pace and mileage for us. Neat!
We set out in the rain, and I was immediately soaked. My feet and the last six inches of my pants were sodden after a mere ten minutes, and we planned to be out for two hours, so I was prepared for some real fun.
We were going slowly, because of the hills and the rain and perhaps because my running buddy was a teensy bit hungover. After about a half hour, we agreed that we didn't need to run all twelve of our planned miles. Maybe only 10? After another ten minutes or so, we were opening negotiations on perhaps stopping after 9. Or 8. It was a rough run.
Then, we turned a corner and came upon THE HILL.
I grew up in the foothills of the rockies and there is not a flat street in my whole hometown, but this hill, this was the most imposing urban climb I'd ever seen. It just kept going up and up and up. We stared at the hill. It glistened dully in the rain. I may have whimpered. Ever the optimist, Jared urged me on. He said some crazy things about how "we can do this!" and "this hill is our bitch!" He was, not surprisingly, wrong.
I tried. I ran. I ran and I ran. My chest burned and my legs were on fire and my butt muscles screamed. I slowed. Jared kept up a running monologue of encouragement. I think I managed to whimper, and somehow to say "how (gasp) can you (gasp) still (gasp) talk!?!" About two thirds of the way up the hill, I gave up. I surrendered. We walked the rest of the way up the hill and I stood at the top, recovering my breath, for a few minutes before we started running again. That hill kicked my ass.
We took a picture of the hill, in hopes that we could convey to others its sheer magnitude, but the picture doesn't really capture it. I found this picture on google maps:
View Larger Map
But it's all sunny and friendly looking, and you can't really appreciate the hilliness of this hill and the sheer evil it exuded in the rain. Still, look at the horizon at the top of the hill; really look at where the blue meets the grey. Maybe you will understand. Or maybe I have completely lost my mind about this hill. Probably the latter.
Anyway, so we only ran 9 miles. After the hill, I was toast. We never got up to a decent pace, and I never quite recovered. My knees were aching on all the downslopes and my chest was tight on all the upslopes. It wasn't my best run ever. I hope I get in some good ones before the race and get my confidence back and reclaim that sense of running empowerment that got me hooked in the first place. It's there; I know it is. I think the race will help me find it, and I think that this time, I've trained better, I'm more experienced and better prepared, and I'm going to find out what I can really do. It's exciting.
After the race, which is only a few weeks away now, I had planned to take the rest of April off from formal training and long runs, and then start fresh May 1 with Marathon training. My first marathon. What a goal! But now... now I have a new goal. And intermediate goal. Before I run a marathon, I am going to beat that hill. After the half, I am going to go over there, and I am going to run that hill, bottom to top, whatever it takes. Hear this, hill, it is ON.
Rather than mapping a route, we decided to just go on an adventure, with the GPS running program on his smartphone tracking our route, pace and mileage for us. Neat!
We set out in the rain, and I was immediately soaked. My feet and the last six inches of my pants were sodden after a mere ten minutes, and we planned to be out for two hours, so I was prepared for some real fun.
We were going slowly, because of the hills and the rain and perhaps because my running buddy was a teensy bit hungover. After about a half hour, we agreed that we didn't need to run all twelve of our planned miles. Maybe only 10? After another ten minutes or so, we were opening negotiations on perhaps stopping after 9. Or 8. It was a rough run.
Then, we turned a corner and came upon THE HILL.
I grew up in the foothills of the rockies and there is not a flat street in my whole hometown, but this hill, this was the most imposing urban climb I'd ever seen. It just kept going up and up and up. We stared at the hill. It glistened dully in the rain. I may have whimpered. Ever the optimist, Jared urged me on. He said some crazy things about how "we can do this!" and "this hill is our bitch!" He was, not surprisingly, wrong.
I tried. I ran. I ran and I ran. My chest burned and my legs were on fire and my butt muscles screamed. I slowed. Jared kept up a running monologue of encouragement. I think I managed to whimper, and somehow to say "how (gasp) can you (gasp) still (gasp) talk!?!" About two thirds of the way up the hill, I gave up. I surrendered. We walked the rest of the way up the hill and I stood at the top, recovering my breath, for a few minutes before we started running again. That hill kicked my ass.
We took a picture of the hill, in hopes that we could convey to others its sheer magnitude, but the picture doesn't really capture it. I found this picture on google maps:
View Larger Map
But it's all sunny and friendly looking, and you can't really appreciate the hilliness of this hill and the sheer evil it exuded in the rain. Still, look at the horizon at the top of the hill; really look at where the blue meets the grey. Maybe you will understand. Or maybe I have completely lost my mind about this hill. Probably the latter.
Anyway, so we only ran 9 miles. After the hill, I was toast. We never got up to a decent pace, and I never quite recovered. My knees were aching on all the downslopes and my chest was tight on all the upslopes. It wasn't my best run ever. I hope I get in some good ones before the race and get my confidence back and reclaim that sense of running empowerment that got me hooked in the first place. It's there; I know it is. I think the race will help me find it, and I think that this time, I've trained better, I'm more experienced and better prepared, and I'm going to find out what I can really do. It's exciting.
After the race, which is only a few weeks away now, I had planned to take the rest of April off from formal training and long runs, and then start fresh May 1 with Marathon training. My first marathon. What a goal! But now... now I have a new goal. And intermediate goal. Before I run a marathon, I am going to beat that hill. After the half, I am going to go over there, and I am going to run that hill, bottom to top, whatever it takes. Hear this, hill, it is ON.
Stuffed Shells
I made these for a friend who comes over for dinner a lot on weeknights because he's out of town every weekend. These are a great make-ahead dish, and I will keep them in my repertoire for entertaining for that reason, and because they are they perfect combination of delicious, easy, and impressive.
Stuffed Shells
Nouns:
1 box large shell noodles (I think a box is about a pound? I don't know. A box.)
1 large container of ricotta (in my grocery store, they have large and small options in ricotta, but I am dumb and didn't write down how many ounces, so you know, get the big one if there is one, and if there isn't, get two small ones.)
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 egg
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 bag shredded Italian cheese blend, or a few ounces of shredded mozzarella and shredded Parmesan
Verbs:
Make the pasta according to package directions. Or how you normally make pasta. I assume you know how to make pasta. So make it. Okay.
Defrost the spinach and squeeze the liquid out of it by wrapping it up and gently pressing it with a clean kitchen towel that you don't mind dyeing green. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and egg. Add some garlic or basil or parsley if you are so inclined. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray or lightly grease it with olive oil. Spoon the cheese mixture into the shells one by one, arranging them in a single layer in the baking dish. If you are making this dish ahead, then stop, cover the baking dish, and stick it in the fridge. If not, carry on with the rest of the directions.
Preheat oven to 375. Pour of the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Bake until bubbly and the cheese is slightly browned, about 25 minutes.
YUM!
Stuffed Shells
Nouns:
1 box large shell noodles (I think a box is about a pound? I don't know. A box.)
1 large container of ricotta (in my grocery store, they have large and small options in ricotta, but I am dumb and didn't write down how many ounces, so you know, get the big one if there is one, and if there isn't, get two small ones.)
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 egg
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 bag shredded Italian cheese blend, or a few ounces of shredded mozzarella and shredded Parmesan
Verbs:
Make the pasta according to package directions. Or how you normally make pasta. I assume you know how to make pasta. So make it. Okay.
Defrost the spinach and squeeze the liquid out of it by wrapping it up and gently pressing it with a clean kitchen towel that you don't mind dyeing green. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta and egg. Add some garlic or basil or parsley if you are so inclined. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray or lightly grease it with olive oil. Spoon the cheese mixture into the shells one by one, arranging them in a single layer in the baking dish. If you are making this dish ahead, then stop, cover the baking dish, and stick it in the fridge. If not, carry on with the rest of the directions.
Preheat oven to 375. Pour of the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Bake until bubbly and the cheese is slightly browned, about 25 minutes.
YUM!
Flan!
I love Flan.
I seriously, seriously, love it.
It is possibly the most perfect non-chocolate dessert in the world. When I lived in Spain, I ate flan every day, because you could buy single servings of it for a euro at the bakery I passed every day on my way to and from the metro and I just couldn't quite maintain the willpower to walk by twice a day without stopping in. It was fabulous. I would not recommend eating it every day, though, unless you've been thinking to yourself, "you know, I am just entirely too skinny these days! I could really use some padding around the middle." In which case... yes. Daily flan is for you!
This is my favorite flan recipe. It is a simple custard, without the sweetened condensed milk or other canned dairy products common to flan recipes. It is just milk, sugar and eggs. Perfection. You will need 6 Ramekins for this. If you don't have ramekins, go get some. They are cheap and seriously useful.
Flan
Nouns:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/8 cup sugar
Verbs:
Preheat oven to 350. Put the ramekins in a large baking dish and add a half inch or so of hot water to the dish so the bottoms of the ramekins are submerged, but the water is not so high that a slosh would get the insides of the ramekins wet.
In a small saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup sugar over medium high heat, stirring constantly and watching to be sure the sugar caramelizes, but doesn't burn. As soon as the sugar is all melted and caramel colored, spoon it into the bottom of the ramekins. It will harden as soon as it hits the ramekin, so drizzle it carefully to coat the whole floor of each one. Then, simmer the milk over medium heat. Do not let the milk boil. While the milk is simmering, whisk the eggs and egg yolks together for two to three minutes. Gently, gradually, add the milk to the eggs, stirring constantly. Do not add the hot milk too quickly or your eggs will curdle. You will have scrambled eggs, and while those are great, they are not flan. Flan is way better than scrambled eggs. So be patient. Once the eggs and milk are combined, stir in the remaining 3/8 cup sugar. Pour the mixture into the ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes. Chill in the fridge for two hours before serving, or up to several days.
When it is time to serve, run a knife around the edge of the flan to separate it from the dish, then invert the ramekin over a plate such that the caramel-y bottom of the flan is now on the top and caramel sauce pours off the top and down the sides.
Like this:
I seriously, seriously, love it.
It is possibly the most perfect non-chocolate dessert in the world. When I lived in Spain, I ate flan every day, because you could buy single servings of it for a euro at the bakery I passed every day on my way to and from the metro and I just couldn't quite maintain the willpower to walk by twice a day without stopping in. It was fabulous. I would not recommend eating it every day, though, unless you've been thinking to yourself, "you know, I am just entirely too skinny these days! I could really use some padding around the middle." In which case... yes. Daily flan is for you!
This is my favorite flan recipe. It is a simple custard, without the sweetened condensed milk or other canned dairy products common to flan recipes. It is just milk, sugar and eggs. Perfection. You will need 6 Ramekins for this. If you don't have ramekins, go get some. They are cheap and seriously useful.
Flan
Nouns:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/8 cup sugar
Verbs:
Preheat oven to 350. Put the ramekins in a large baking dish and add a half inch or so of hot water to the dish so the bottoms of the ramekins are submerged, but the water is not so high that a slosh would get the insides of the ramekins wet.
In a small saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup sugar over medium high heat, stirring constantly and watching to be sure the sugar caramelizes, but doesn't burn. As soon as the sugar is all melted and caramel colored, spoon it into the bottom of the ramekins. It will harden as soon as it hits the ramekin, so drizzle it carefully to coat the whole floor of each one. Then, simmer the milk over medium heat. Do not let the milk boil. While the milk is simmering, whisk the eggs and egg yolks together for two to three minutes. Gently, gradually, add the milk to the eggs, stirring constantly. Do not add the hot milk too quickly or your eggs will curdle. You will have scrambled eggs, and while those are great, they are not flan. Flan is way better than scrambled eggs. So be patient. Once the eggs and milk are combined, stir in the remaining 3/8 cup sugar. Pour the mixture into the ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes. Chill in the fridge for two hours before serving, or up to several days.
When it is time to serve, run a knife around the edge of the flan to separate it from the dish, then invert the ramekin over a plate such that the caramel-y bottom of the flan is now on the top and caramel sauce pours off the top and down the sides.
Like this:
Paella!
I have made paella a few times, but tonight it turned out really really well, so I have decided to commit this version to paper (or virtual paper, or whatever) so I can duplicate it. And... so can you! Hurray.
This is loosely based on one of the many paellas my host mother in Spain made, though hers, of course, had ham. Everything in Spain has ham. I have never seen so much ham in my life. When I asked a professor about it, you know "why all the ham?" She looked at me in puzzlement, and said "Jamon? Jamon is en LUJO! Es un Lujo!" Ham is a luxury. Apparently, for the Spanish, the height of decadence is ham. They are crazy about the ham. I had not yet gone mammal-free when I lived in Spain, and thank goodness, or I'd have starved to death. Anyway, so this is a pretty authentic Spanish paella, except that it lacks ham. Feel free to add some if you like, or some other pork product, like Chorizo or bacon. Or you could add more seafood, like mussels, squid or langoustines. Also feel free to sub in other veggies, like lima beans, peppers, or whatever you have on hand. Paella is like minestrone, in that it's a great place to stick all your leftovers, and that within limits, you can all kinds of things without messing up its essential Paella-ness.
Paella de Pollo y Camarones
Nouns:
4 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin on
1 lb raw shrimp in their shells, 21-25 count
1 small jar diced pimientos
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups pearl rice
4 cups chicken stock
pinch saffron threads
1 tsp paprika
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peas
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
olive oil
Lemon Wedges, for garnish
Verbs:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan, simmer the broth with the saffron threads and paprika. Keep it hot, but not boiling. At the same time, in a large, flat-bottomed pan, preferably a paella pan, fry the chicken thighs in a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat until browned on both sides. This will spit and spatter like an angry komodo dragon, so it is helpful to have a splatter screen. If you don't have one, stand back. When the chicken is browned, arrange the chicken on the outer edges of the pan and add the onions to the middle, stirring once or twice. Fry the onions for two minutes, then add the tomatoes and pimientos. Fry for two minutes or so, then add garlic. Stir once or twice and fry for another few minutes until mixture is starting to caramelize. Add the rice, stirring to be sure the rice is evenly distributed in the pan and evenly coated with olive oil. Ladle in the broth mixture until the rice is all submerged. Boil for several minutes, then reduce heat and add the remaining liquid. Simmer for five minutes or until enough of the liquid is absorbed so that it is not all sloshy and the rice is more or less level with the top of the liquid. Arrange the shrimp on top of the rice mixture. Do not stir! Spread the beans and peas over the top and cover the whole thing with tinfoil. Then, pop it in the oven for 15-30 minutes. It is done when the liquid is all absorbed, the shrimp are tender but not overdone, and the chicken juices run clear. This is a magical and difficult-to-pinpoint moment, one that I usually miss, such that my rice is still a little hard or my shrimp are leathery and overdone, but if you watch carefully and hit the sweet spot, then the paella is SO SO good. Serve with lemon wedges and a nice Rioja.
YUM.
 |
This is the "Paradise of Ham" a ham museum/shop in
Madrid that I have actually been to. In fact, I have been to
the "Paradise of Ham III." Unfortunately, I couldn't
find my own photo of this place, so I had to use a random
one from the internets.
|
Paella de Pollo y Camarones
Nouns:
4 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin on
1 lb raw shrimp in their shells, 21-25 count
1 small jar diced pimientos
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups pearl rice
4 cups chicken stock
pinch saffron threads
1 tsp paprika
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peas
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
olive oil
Lemon Wedges, for garnish
Verbs:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan, simmer the broth with the saffron threads and paprika. Keep it hot, but not boiling. At the same time, in a large, flat-bottomed pan, preferably a paella pan, fry the chicken thighs in a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat until browned on both sides. This will spit and spatter like an angry komodo dragon, so it is helpful to have a splatter screen. If you don't have one, stand back. When the chicken is browned, arrange the chicken on the outer edges of the pan and add the onions to the middle, stirring once or twice. Fry the onions for two minutes, then add the tomatoes and pimientos. Fry for two minutes or so, then add garlic. Stir once or twice and fry for another few minutes until mixture is starting to caramelize. Add the rice, stirring to be sure the rice is evenly distributed in the pan and evenly coated with olive oil. Ladle in the broth mixture until the rice is all submerged. Boil for several minutes, then reduce heat and add the remaining liquid. Simmer for five minutes or until enough of the liquid is absorbed so that it is not all sloshy and the rice is more or less level with the top of the liquid. Arrange the shrimp on top of the rice mixture. Do not stir! Spread the beans and peas over the top and cover the whole thing with tinfoil. Then, pop it in the oven for 15-30 minutes. It is done when the liquid is all absorbed, the shrimp are tender but not overdone, and the chicken juices run clear. This is a magical and difficult-to-pinpoint moment, one that I usually miss, such that my rice is still a little hard or my shrimp are leathery and overdone, but if you watch carefully and hit the sweet spot, then the paella is SO SO good. Serve with lemon wedges and a nice Rioja.
YUM.
To ask, or not to ask?
Today at work I confronted an ever-more-frequent conundrum: is it okay to ask a woman if she's pregnant? And if so, when is it okay?
My general rule for this is: never. It is NEVER okay. I mean, that's a very personal question, and there are many good reasons a person might not want to answer. Directly asking puts the person in the position of having to lie to you if they aren't ready to go public with the news yet, and I don't like doing that. In fact, I recently called out a coworker for asking me if I'm pregnant. (No, and also, WTF? Do I LOOK pregnant? Is it so wrong to want a milkshake at 8am? Sheesh.) But, maybe I'm wrong? Maybe sometimes you can ask? Let's back up.
My no-asking rule comes from experience. When I was a teenager waiting tables in a diner, I had a regular customer who dressed like she was pregnant. She was a pretty big girl, but it was her her wardrobe choices, more than her size, that led stranger after stranger to happily chirp, "when are you due?!?" at her. To which she generally grumbled "I'm not." Her clothes were definitely late nineties preggo style, no question, and so to an extent I wondered why she brought it on herself, since she clearly found it annoying to be constantly asked about her nonexistent baby and reminded that she could stand to lose a few pounds. One day she actually snapped at someone who asked her, and said "I should get to wear comfortable clothes without nosy strangers asking me about the contents of my uterus!" And, you know, she was totally right about that. So... you can't ask someone who looks pregnant if she's pregnant; that's rude.
At that same diner, one of my fellow waitresses was pregnant. She shared her happy news with us after 10 weeks or so, and we were all very excited for her. I didn't have any shifts with her for a week or two, and then when I saw her again, I asked her, all smiles, for a baby update. And she burst into tears. She'd miscarried. And was devastated. So... you can't even ask someone you know is pregnant if they are pregnant, because the answer might be something they aren't really wanting to discuss with you.
And, finally I know that you should not ask someone who doesn't look pregnant if she's pregnant. There are many unpleasant scenarios there: 1. she's probably not, and you just implied that she's fat. 2. she's trying to get pregnant, and you just reminded her of her struggles. 3. she is pregnant, but isn't ready to tell anyone and now has to lie. 4. she doesn't want to have kids and isn't pregnant, but her mother, her mother in law, and random people at work tell her all the time that she ought to be and she's sick of it and it isn't frankly your damn business.
BUT- today I came upon a group of coworkers discussing baby names at length and in a way that did not seem hypothetical, and to my knowledge, none of them was expecting. What to do? I dithered, but stayed silent, except to object to the name Gunter, on general principles. Gunter is a terrible name regardless of who might be expecting. My friend Kali (hi, Kali!) came in, listened to the conversation for a while, and helpfully asked the room at large "is someone pregnant?" Erica happily confirmed that she is, indeed. (Congrats, Erica!) And, I felt like Kali had gotten it right. In that situation, it seemed okay. So, perhaps one can generally inquire of a group if that group is loudly and publicly discussing baby names? Is that the only exception to the rule?
| Assuming, of course, that she hasn't chosen this helpful shirt. |
My general rule for this is: never. It is NEVER okay. I mean, that's a very personal question, and there are many good reasons a person might not want to answer. Directly asking puts the person in the position of having to lie to you if they aren't ready to go public with the news yet, and I don't like doing that. In fact, I recently called out a coworker for asking me if I'm pregnant. (No, and also, WTF? Do I LOOK pregnant? Is it so wrong to want a milkshake at 8am? Sheesh.) But, maybe I'm wrong? Maybe sometimes you can ask? Let's back up.
 |
| Like this, but larger. Much. |
My no-asking rule comes from experience. When I was a teenager waiting tables in a diner, I had a regular customer who dressed like she was pregnant. She was a pretty big girl, but it was her her wardrobe choices, more than her size, that led stranger after stranger to happily chirp, "when are you due?!?" at her. To which she generally grumbled "I'm not." Her clothes were definitely late nineties preggo style, no question, and so to an extent I wondered why she brought it on herself, since she clearly found it annoying to be constantly asked about her nonexistent baby and reminded that she could stand to lose a few pounds. One day she actually snapped at someone who asked her, and said "I should get to wear comfortable clothes without nosy strangers asking me about the contents of my uterus!" And, you know, she was totally right about that. So... you can't ask someone who looks pregnant if she's pregnant; that's rude.
At that same diner, one of my fellow waitresses was pregnant. She shared her happy news with us after 10 weeks or so, and we were all very excited for her. I didn't have any shifts with her for a week or two, and then when I saw her again, I asked her, all smiles, for a baby update. And she burst into tears. She'd miscarried. And was devastated. So... you can't even ask someone you know is pregnant if they are pregnant, because the answer might be something they aren't really wanting to discuss with you.
And, finally I know that you should not ask someone who doesn't look pregnant if she's pregnant. There are many unpleasant scenarios there: 1. she's probably not, and you just implied that she's fat. 2. she's trying to get pregnant, and you just reminded her of her struggles. 3. she is pregnant, but isn't ready to tell anyone and now has to lie. 4. she doesn't want to have kids and isn't pregnant, but her mother, her mother in law, and random people at work tell her all the time that she ought to be and she's sick of it and it isn't frankly your damn business.
BUT- today I came upon a group of coworkers discussing baby names at length and in a way that did not seem hypothetical, and to my knowledge, none of them was expecting. What to do? I dithered, but stayed silent, except to object to the name Gunter, on general principles. Gunter is a terrible name regardless of who might be expecting. My friend Kali (hi, Kali!) came in, listened to the conversation for a while, and helpfully asked the room at large "is someone pregnant?" Erica happily confirmed that she is, indeed. (Congrats, Erica!) And, I felt like Kali had gotten it right. In that situation, it seemed okay. So, perhaps one can generally inquire of a group if that group is loudly and publicly discussing baby names? Is that the only exception to the rule?
Spiced Apple Oatmeal Muffins
I cobbled this recipe together from random things we happened to have on hand and from several recipes I found online. They are surprisingly yummy!
Spiced Apple Oatmeal Muffins
Nouns-
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg
1 apple, cored and diced
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp wheat bran
Verbs:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 12-muffin muffin tin; do NOT fill the tin with muffin cups (this is bad move- trust me, I know). Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Mix all the wet ingredients except the apple in a separate bowl until combined. Gradually add the dry to the wet. Then add the apple. Pour into the muffin cups until full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
 |
| (See how I put these in paper muffin cups to bake? Don't do that.) |
Nouns-
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg
1 apple, cored and diced
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp wheat bran
Verbs:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 12-muffin muffin tin; do NOT fill the tin with muffin cups (this is bad move- trust me, I know). Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Mix all the wet ingredients except the apple in a separate bowl until combined. Gradually add the dry to the wet. Then add the apple. Pour into the muffin cups until full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
Half Marathon Training, Week 9 (I think... is this week 8? who knows)
Training was a bit complicated this week because I was gone all weekend in Vancouver. I didn't bring my running stuff with me because I didn't want to take time out of my too-short visit with my friend Angie in order to run, and because I was not super confident of my ability to run anywhere in downtown Vancouver without getting really lost. I have absolutely no sense of direction or spacial relative intelligence, so I never know where I am in relation to other things or where things are in relation to other things. Vancouver is essentially a giant assemblage of glittering, glass-fronted buildings that are virtually indistinguishable from each other and there's no way I could navigate it competently. So... no running over the weekend.
I had some good runs last week, but I took Friday, Saturday and Sunday off because of travel, so Monday was looking pretty rough; I had to get in my long run by myself (bleh) on a weekday (bleh) on the treadmill (bleh!). I compromised and ran three miles at lunch with my running buddy, and then 6 miles alone on the treadmill at the gym after work. I don't know if splitting the workout was as effective training-wise, but hopefully it won't set me back too far. The bigger concern, though, is that I seem to have done something hinky to my knee on that second run. It was hurting a bit on the treadmill, but I wasn't too concerned until I tried to go out for my lunch run yesterday, and (ow!) something was definitely awry.
The back of my knee was hurting a lot on the upswing of my stride, and while it didn't hurt to put weight on it as I ran, I could feel my hamstring tightening more than normal with each step, like it was compensating for something amiss when I landed on my left foot. Bummer. The internets say that my hamstring tendon was probably inflamed, and that jives with my history of tendinitis.
I rested the knee yesterday and only walked, plus I iced it and took lots of advil. (Icing one's knee is very difficult when one is a. at work and b. in a dress.) Today it feels fine and I did a short, low-speed lunch run with no problems. Whew! Hopefully that's the end of that story. I don't need knee issues this close to the race.
Today's lunch run was great for another reason, too. My friend Sarah (hi, Sarah!) has recently decided that she likes running with a group, and so she joined in with me and my usual running buddy, Jared. It was really great to have her along because I don't get to see her much, and one of my favorite things about running is that it really can be a social activity. It was also great to share see how adding another person can change our dynamic, and it made me really appreciate how much running with other people can do for you. It's fun, it's motivating, and it helps push you to go faster, longer, better, or to rest and relax, depending on what's needed. Sarah says she'll join us more often from here on out, which I think is great.
Yay.
Meal Plan
This week, The Husband did the meal plan, because I was out of town over the weekend in gorgeous Vancouver, BC. We have had/are having:
Kielbasa, Fingerling Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts Bake
Pita Pockets with Falafel
Shepherd's Pie
Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken and Dumplins
Curried Lentils
Yes, this is a lot of leftover stuff from last week that didn't quite get made, so it's boring. Sorry. I'll try to jazz things up in the near future with some new recipes.
Training Widget
Race Schedule Widget