What I've been up to

Oh my gosh, it's been nearly a month since I've written! I've been busy settling in and enjoying Portland, but of course that means I've been putting off blogging for far too long.

Our drive up to Portland was exhausting but went really well, in that everything made it up in 1 piece and we didn't have any significant Penske-truck-pulling-a-trailer mishaps, but Dr. Hubby swears that he will never drive a moving truck again!


Our apartment is wonderful and nearly done- once I hang up our pictures and figure out where to store the colony of computer related cords living in the corner of our front room I'll post a bunch of pictures. :) I love it because we actually managed to avoid cramming every inch of it with furniture. Having a bit of space makes it feel very peaceful. That being said, we still feel like we have too much stuff and took another car load of things to goodwill once we got here. I also love our location- Munjoy Hill feels a lot like the Marigny in New Orleans and we are close to the water, a gorgeous park, tons of restaurants, a coffee shop, and a gourmet/healthy food market.

Portland is amazing. Living here right now really does feel like being on vacation. My "office" is a sunroom that had a great view of Casco Bay and I walk my dogs in the Eastern Promenade (a big park leading down to the bay) every day. I've taken them down to the beach a few times but they are horrified by the fact that the water moves! They really love being in the park though and when it's not crowded we take them off their leashes and let them run back and forth between us. Bernie, lazy creature that he is, kind of gamely trots along until he gets too tired, but Hereaux SPRINTS with this big doggie grin on his face. He is in doggie heaven here!

Eastern Promenade after a rain

The happiest I've ever seen my dogs

I've found a lot of things I love about Portland already- The weather, of course, is perfect. I've also joined a yoga studio that I really love, I run a weekly 5K race (and have plans to run many more races), I've gone to to Farmer's Market and tried every strange veggie I found (fiddleheads! kohlrabi! salad greens with edible flowers! garlic scapes!), I've done a First Friday Art Walk, I watched the 4th of July Fireworks over the Prom from my porch, I've eaten at a lot of great restaurants, and I've cooked some pretty good meals here as well. And of course, the only pictures I've taken have been of dogs and food. :)

Fiddleheads! (and grilled chicken)

Periwinkles- aka snails! I basically pulled these out of a tide pool and boiled them- they were tasted like clams!

Speaking of clams- this guy was the size of my palm. Divine paired with fresh bread from the Standard Baking Co.

I also really like how environmentally friendly Portland is. Gone are the days of having to drive to find a place to recycle (and only being able to recycle newspapers). We have free curbside recycling and we definitely generate more recycling than actual trash because they take everything. It's awesome. Less awesome is having to pay $1 per special trash bag to get rid of our trash, but in all honesty, I appreciate the incentive to not just throw away stuff. Because we are total cheapos, we've also started a compost bin (despite the fact that I have a black thumb and kill every plant I try to grow) and I have been saving a bag of veggie scraps in the freezer for stock. I actually made my first veggie stock on Monday and plan to make chicken stock from the bones of last night's roast chicken tomorrow.

Working at home is going pretty well- I've been able to meet or exceed all of my deadlines so far and I really enjoy wearing yoga pants all the time, eating omelets whenever I want to, and painting my nails unprofessional colors. :) It can feel a little isolating but I'm making a point to actually leave the house every day (and walking the dogs doesn't count) which helps me feel more connected to the outside world.

In the next few weeks I'm looking forward to camping in Acadia National Park (Dr. Hubby talked me into getting us new tent and me a sleeping bag), running more races, going to the Farmer's Market more regularly (I've missed the past 2 weeks), doing a walking tour of the Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill, and taking a trip back to New Orleans for work (I need my boudin fix!). I'll also be going to D.C. soon to visit friends, and will be celebrating my 30th birthday in NYC with my inlaws since my brother-in-law is turning 3o three days after I do!

There are a lot of things I want to do but don't have concrete plans for too- trail running, getting out on the water (be it in a kayak, paddle board or real boat, I'm not picky!), skiing and snowshoeing this winter, and making friends and workout buddies.

Overall, I miss my family and friends but am incredibly thrilled to finally living in Portland. I still walk around and think to myself- I can't believe I actually live here. :) So far, the adventure is going well!

Fast!!!

I can't decide if the guy in this Zappos video really loves or really hates his job....

My big news is that my marathon weekend is finally here. I've been preparing all week by going to bed early, eating lots of pasta, and drinking tons of water! Wish me luck- hopefully I'll go fast. :)

Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon 2: Electric Boogaloo

Last year, the 1/2 Marathon was my first ever. This year it was my third. I'm proud to say that today I set a new personal record, beating last year's time by 2 minutes (and last month's time by 10!), running 13.1 miles in 1:56:57.
Much like last year- it was SO COLD this morning. Driving over, my car thermometer said it was 38 degrees! Fortunately, it was pretty sunny and by the end of the race it was in the mid-50's. Overall, it was a gorgeous day for a run and the time really flew by for me for the most part. Around 10.5 miles, I started really flagging and my running buddy Margee had to remind me to eat the Gu chomps I had in my belt, and the last 3 miles were pretty tough. Fortunately, I knew that I had a good shot at a new PR which kept me motivated!

Pros of this race:
The T-shirt is long sleeved and the design always makes me smile. What's better than a long sleeved race t-shirt? A long sleeved race t-shirt with a rocket on it!
Whatever energy drink they provided tasted really good. It wasn't too sweet at all.
After the race, there were Nilla Wafers and cups of hot chicken soup. Bliss!!
It's a fast run- flat and uncrowded.
It's cheap- it was $25 prior to Nov. 22 and $30 on race day.

Cons:
If you run this race alone, you will be bored. It's a small race and there are long stretches where there aren't that many people. It's also not all that scenic- you're running down a road with woods and nondescript buildings along side it for the most part. There are a couple airplanes and booster tanks at one point, but that's about it.

Overall- I like to run this race because I'm on the coast anyway for Thanksgiving and it's a great excuse to eat all the stuffing I can fit in my face. :) Also, I've gotten times I'm proud of both years I've run it. If the opportunity arises, I'd definitely run it again!

As for recovery, I'm doing basically the same thing I did after the Jazz Half Marathon- today I got home, napped, did runner's yoga, then took an Epsom salt bath. Tomorrow, I'll be doing a lot of walking b/c I'm going to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival with a bunch of my friends. So far I'm in more pain than I was last time, but I think that's b/c I had to drive half an hour back to my parents' house after the race and then an hour and a half back to New Orleans this evening, so my legs are kind of stiff. They're not too bad though!

How did you spend your long weekend?

Finish Line

I found a picture of me, Margee, and Jen finishing the Jazz Half in the photo album from their website. I'm making a pretty tortured face. Can you tell I was pushing it at the end?
Also, how amazing are Margee's pink leopard leggings? :)

Jazz Half Marathon Recap

I ran the Jazz Half Marathon this morning and it was a great race. I finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes, which is longer than my first half marathon, but not by much. The key differences were that this race was very slow and crowded for the first few miles and we stopped and took some pictures along the way. It made for a fun, no pressure race, which was nice. The course stared by the Convention Center, wound it's way through the central business district, then went up St. Charles Ave., around Audubon Park, and back to the Convention Center, so for the most part, it was pretty scenic. I ran with my friends Jen and Margee, which was great. They're both really good runners and keeping up with them helps me push myself to go faster. And they dressed up in 80's attire as well, which was really fun.
I'm trying to apply myself to my recovery this time b/c I had a very poor recovery last year. It was really cold, I had to ride for 45 minutes in the car to get back to my parents' house, and they didn't really grasp the concept of resting one's legs and kept asking me to get up and go do stuff until I finally gave up and went home to New Orleans so I could get some rest. I remember being sore for like a week. This time, I want to be able to run again by next weekend.
After the race and after party, I went home, showered, and took a two hour nap. I woke up feeling like a new person (I find napping really helps me heal) so I got up, ate some lunch, and went to the grocery store. Despite the benefits of napping, I do get really stiff if I sit around too much after my nap. After my grocery run, I chilled out for a little while, snacked on chips and salsa, then did some chores. Next I did a 10 minute Yoga for Runners video that left my legs feeling much looser. I started this post, then saved it and went to get Mexican food with my friends. Now that I'm home, I'm going to watch a movie and soak in Epsom Salts.
As of right now, I'm feeling pretty good- slightly stiff and sore, but I've felt worse after some long training runs. I'm not going to end up sitting on the couch with bags of frozen veggies on my knees at any rate.
My plan for tomorrow is to continue with my active recovery by swimming a few easy laps at the gym, then going to a Saint's tailgate. Who Dat!
I'll leave you with some pictures taken by Jen, one of my fellow 80's girl runners. (Other bloggers who I saw today were Grace, Lindsey, and Keith. It was Lindsey and Keith's first half, so congrats to them!)

Before the start of the race- it was dark!

In front of a spooky house on St. Charles Ave.

Jesus of the Porta-Potties

Post Race Party
Eating Kung Pao Chicken and rocking some truly awful bangs

Eek!!

My half marathon is tomorrow!!!! I'm definitely sitting on the borderline between excited and nervous. Wish me luck! :)

p.s. I've edited this to add my costume for the race! 80's workout girl! :)

Race Update

Sorry for the long absence! I don't really have a ton to say, but I did want to write a quick update on my race plans. I've decided to skip the Gulf Coast Half Marathon on Oct. 10 and run the Jazz Half Marathon on Oct. 30 instead. I've made this decision for several reasons. First of all, both my 9 mile and my 10 mile long runs were bad. I expected the 9 miler to be bad because I ran a tough race the day before (but felt like I needed to stick to my training plan anyway) but the 10 miler took me by surprise. Let's put it this way: it was so bad that it was actually a 9.5 miler. Basically, it was insanely hot which took me by surprise (since it's cooled down a little bit here at least) and around mile 6 I stepped in a puddle and spent the next 3.5 miles rubbing the skin off my feet. So when I hit my door and realized I'd only gone 9.5 miles, I decided to call it a day. And we won't even talk about time.
My next reason is that my running buddy Margee hurt her foot and doesn't feel confident that she'll be well in time for the Gulf Coast Half Marathon.
And finally, the Jazz Half is $10 cheaper until the end of the month!
After Margee and I talked it over this weekend, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I went out and ran the best 6 miles (it was a "short" long run week) I've run in a long time. (It was also pretty cool Sunday evening, which had to have helped!)
The good run plus the extra training time is making me feel much less worried! I don't really pressure myself to race at a certain pace, but I don't want to get out there and do really poorly compared to my half last year, which is what I think would have happened had I raced on Oct. 10.
In other news, I discovered an awesome oatmeal topping this morning! Unsweetened apple sauce and walnuts- give it a try!!

The Great Outdoors

This weekend was pretty full! On Friday night, we went out to a birthday dinner for our friend Jon at Gautreau's. I went to dinner at Gautreau's for my birthday almost a year ago, and I was pretty happy to go back because the food is amazing. This time I had the bay scallops appetizer, the wild mushroom pirogi's, and the chocolate terrine for dessert. Bliss!
On Saturday we went canoeing on the Okatoma River in Seminary, Ms. Seminary is about half an hour north of Hattiesburg, Ms- where I went to college. It's always nice to drive near Southern Miss, if only b/c I have an excuse to yell "Southern Mississippi To The Top!" and annoy everyone else in the vehicle. :) Canoeing was actually a lot more strenuous that I thought it would be, and I was somewhat concerned that it would screw up my energy levels for the race I ran today. Fortunately, I slept like a rock last night and woke up with plenty of energy.
Today's race was the Spillway Classic. It's a 5K trail run in Norco, La- which is about half an hour away from New Orleans. I really love this race! The first mile is actually pretty miserable b/c you run on top of the levee and it is flat and hot, but then you run down the levee, through a giant mud puddle (more on that later), and then follow a winding path through the woods that requires you to jump over roots and logs, and duck under branches and fallen trees. The water hazard varies in size, but this year it was a 2.5- so not all that hazardous, but big enough that the mud was unavoidable. The mud is fun, but my favorite part is by far the woods. I think it's because you get to dart around and jump over things- it's just a lot of fun, and more interesting than running in a straight line on a flat surface. During the run, I found myself wishing that I could do a 10K of just trails.
I was also really pleased with my time this year. You can't come close to a PR because the once you are in the woods, there is no room to pass people, and going through the mud is also really slow- but I beat my time from last year by a full minute! I also got a medal that doubles as a bottle opener, which I plan to put to good use. :)
I've spent the rest of the day being pretty low key. I took a nap and went to the grocery store, then watched a movie and made spaghetti with shrimp and clams.

What is your favorite outdoorsy activity? Mine are running, day hiking, and skiing.

Run for Home

I didn't do very much this weekend. I planned to be productive on Friday afternoon until my darling fiance decided to make mint juleps at 4pm. Of course, he didn't have any mint, so we ended up sipping a combination of bourbon, simple syrup, and peppermint schnapps which was surprisingly tasty. We ended up having dinner at Ciro's Cote Sud- a little neighborhood french restaurant on Maple St. that I love. (And if you live in the area, they deliver!!) I almost always get their pate plate, but this time I had a bowl of french onion soup and the duck confit salad. I also split a tart tatin with my darling fiance for dessert.
On Saturday, we woke up prior to the crack of dawn because we were running the Run for Home 5K at Zephyr field in Metairie. Since I didn't pick up our race numbers on Friday evening (due to the "mint juleps" and the fact that I would have had to drive out there from my house at 5:30 pm), we got to the ball park around 6:45 because we thought there would be a line of people waiting to get their numbers. We were wrong. There were only about 50 runners in the race and we could have gotten there at 7:30 and been fine.
The run itself was nice- it mainly consisted of loops around a running trail that circled the ball park and Lafreniere park which is next to it. The weather, however, was pretty unpleasant. It was 80 degrees at 6am and incredibly humid- this did not change by the time the race started at 8. The only good thing was that it was really windy. Running into a headwind isn't great for time, but it did help to cool me off a little. We both did pretty well at the race and technically PR'd- my darling fiance's time was 27:10 and mine was 27:12. (I haven't run a 5 or 10 K race since last spring when I was just getting started, so it's not hard for me to PR this year. If I PR at any races next year, then I'll be excited- haha!)
The best thing about the race, though, was that it was an absolute bargain. For a $25 entry fee (proceeds going to Lighthouse for the Blind) you got a race T-shirt (which was actually pretty cute), 2 baseball tickets to a Zephyr's game, and entry into the raffle at the end of the race. They raffled off a ton of stuff and since it was a small race- the chances were really good. I won a gift certificate to Mr. Ed's Restaurant (And trust, me, I never win anything). I've never been there so I am excited to try them out! :)
I spent the rest of the weekend pretty much being lazy. I took a nap when I got home, then made pizza for dinner (I swear by the pizza dough you can pick up at Whole Foods- so good!). I did half spinach and goat cheese, half mozzarella, basil and prosciutto, and cracked an egg in the middle. I really prefer homemade pizza now because I love coming up with creative toppings. A few weeks ago I did tomato sauce, spinach, thinly sliced yellow squash and hunks of mozzarella and loved it!
After dinner, we remember that it was Free Comic Book Day and decided to take advantage of it by going to Crescent City Comics. We ended up getting some free comic books and buying a couple of other ones. The guys at the Crescent City Comics also gave us some free beer and had queso dip from Sarita's for people to try. It was excellent but extremely spicy. After that, we went home and sat on our porch and read comic books for the rest of the night.
On Sunday, we pretty much sat around the house all day and worked on our wedding website. It's almost done- thanks to my darling fiance who did *tons* of work on it! It has to be ready for when we send out our Save the Dates- but that still gives us some time because although we got them yesterday, I still have to address them all!
I actually really enjoyed the fact that I didn't really do that much this weekend. It's nice to stay home and I found myself on Monday wishing I had another day to hibernate.