tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86038773988877941832024-02-20T18:28:40.858-05:00killing the catA CURIOSITY BLOGArwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-77894953920945784382012-02-17T16:25:00.003-05:002012-02-17T16:27:41.265-05:00karmaNow, I knew better than to acknowledge the slump. I knew that saying out loud that I didn't feel like running lately would make bad things happen. I KNEW this... but I wrote about it anyway. Karma responded by slapping me and then pointing and laughing while it threw popcorn at my face. This is what the last week has looked like:<br />
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<b>Day 1</b>, in which I lose my voice:<br />
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Last Thursday, I went seamlessly from totally normal practicing in the morning to having almost no speaking or singing voice by evening. I felt fine most of the day, so I figured it was just a little bug.<br />
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<b>Day 2</b>, in which I am pretty sick:<br />
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Friday, I woke up feeling pretty rough. I decided to be smart about it and didn't go to school. I took a real sick day -- movies in bed, going to bed early, the whole deal.<br />
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<b>Day 3</b>, in which I say screw you, being sick:<br />
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I felt a little better on Saturday, so I decided to go on a "modified" long run. I was scheduled to do my first 10 miler that day, but I had gotten a little off in the schedule and hadn't gone on as many I was supposed to for the week before. Now, it was like 15 degrees last Saturday, with 15-20 mph winds. The smart thing to do would have been to run three miles (or not run at all) and then go to sleep for like four hours just in case. Instead, I ran 8 RPM (real people miles -- i.e. rolling terrain, including some decent hills, and no flat trail sections). The good news? I totally broke out of my slump! It was awesome! I was psyched to do more RPM long runs! The bad news? It ushered in...<br />
<b><br />
Days 4-6</b>, in which I am REALLY SICK:<br />
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Sunday through Tuesday were mostly spent in bed (except when I was at work), coughing like I had pneumonia and totally unable to sing. When I talked, I sounded like someone who had been smoking a pack a day for about the last forty years. And gargling with bleach. So that wasn't great.<br />
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<b>Day 7</b>, in which things should have turned around:<br />
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Wednesday, I finally felt like I was really starting to get better. I was still coughing a lot, but at this point I was itching to go on a little run. I decided to go on an easy two miler. My shins and feet hurt from the beginning, but I figured I couldn't really do much damage in two miles so I kept going. Turns out that apparently two miles can sometimes be enough (if you are running on cold muscles with crappy form because you feel sore and stiff) to completely f*** up your knee. My left knee has given me trouble in the past, but I am now on day three of hobbling around while it mocks me with its swollen stiffness. Great.<br />
<br />
...so now it's Friday (Day 9), and I'm feeling so much better -- besides some leftover junk that my body is still trying to cough out. It's a beautiful sunny day, about 50 degrees. Everyone and their mom is outside running. And ALL I WANT is to be running, too. Instead, I'm inside feeling lazy and heavy after a week with only two runs, wondering how many days it's going to take for my knee to feel better. And I know that even when it DOES feel better, it's going to be another day or so before I should run so I don't just mess it up again. <br />
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The moral of the story? Be careful what you wish for.Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-33272829911707013062012-02-08T18:13:00.001-05:002012-02-08T18:15:10.147-05:00slumpI am officially in a slump. It seems a little dumb to get in a slump right before a big milestone distance (10 was supposed to be this weekend... I got behind so it will hopefully be next week) and while I'm training for a huge milestone race, but I guess sometimes you don't see stuff coming.<br />
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I'm going to try not to beat myself up about it, especially since when I think about it objectively, it makes sense. The last two weeks (and especially last week) feature a WHOLE lot of stress and being busy and not getting enough sleep. And it's still cold and damp, so forcing myself to get outside isn't the easiest. Take right now, for instance... I'm waiting for the bus to go home, and I know I should run when I get there but all I can think about are pajamas and watching a movie in bed.<br />
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I'm going to try to trick myself out of it... for instance, tonight I'm going to go home and go out for two miles. If I get started and want to do more, that's great, but I'm allowed to not feel guilty if I just do two. And THEN I can have my Annie's spaghettios (complete with soy meatballs!). And a glass of wine. And a movie in bed. And a pony. And a million dollars... or at least a piece of banana bread.<br />
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We'll see how that approach works...Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-62916197519134032782012-01-22T14:26:00.001-05:002012-01-22T15:11:57.476-05:00faster!I don't time my runs often, but today I ran 3 miles in 29:45 - my first timed run under 10:00/mi! It was 9:55, so it was just baaaarely under, but there was still a little ice to contend with and I felt a little heavy today anyway. Hooray!Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-67940463140521452112012-01-21T13:05:00.007-05:002012-01-22T00:18:12.595-05:00trying new thingsIt's been a great week (or couple of weeks) for trying new things, running and otherwise. This week was my birthday, as I'm pretty sure everyone who actually reads this knows, and I decided to celebrate with a few different new things. <br />
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First and probably least exciting of all, I decided to make homemade black bean burgers on Wednesday. Making homemade veggie burgers is NOT difficult, but over the last few years I've still been buying them at the store when I was in the mood for them. I'll tell you right now, those days are over. I used a recipe I found at Daily Garnish, a fantastic blog by a vegetarian chef/marathoner. I looked through other recipes on the site, and everything looks fantastic. If the black bean burgers were any indication, this chick is a genius. <br />
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They were SO DELICIOUS. Cinnamon, coriander, chili powder, cumin, onion powder... I can't even describe them. The recipe made 6, so I froze 4 and can't wait to eat them. In case you want to try them, here's the recipe: http://www.dailygarnish.com/2010/05/vegan-bean-burger-recipe.html/. I will say that I would check on them about 5-10 minutes before the posted cooking end time -- mine could have come out a little earlier. I had mine on a wheat bun with greens and guacamole, yummmm!<br />
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On Thursday (25th birthday), I had a pretty busy/normal schedule and wanted to do something special to make it seem a little more... special. So I went on my first-ever group run with the Bloomington Area Runners Association, or BARA (http://inrunco.com/bara/). I was pretty nervous, because honestly I still feel like a poser runner a lot of the time. These guys absolutely proved me wrong, though! They were sooo welcoming, and I actually found that I could comfortably run the two mile warmup and the three half mile hill repeats (so 3 mi total with the descents)-- which we did in a parking garage and which I shockingly had SO MUCH FUN with -- with two super nice women who have both run several half marathons. It was really the first time that I've felt like a real runner. I couldn't believe that I easily kept pace with these ladies who were far more experienced than I was, but I really did. The feeling of really belonging in this sport was the best birthday present I could have given myself. :) It was also fun that two of the other runners were also 1/19 birthday folks!<br />
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The last chunk of new stuff was definitely my favorite. Last night, Laura and I went to dinner and a bluegrass concert, and it was the most fun. We had dinner at Taste of India, which I've always had kind of a grudge against because they replaced the creperie that used to be there, but it was some of the best Indian food I have ever had in my life. We shared vegetable jhalfrezi, which was spicy and delicious, and masala dosa, which was INCREDIBLE. I hadn't ever had anything like it... it's a South Indian dish that's a thin pancake kind of thing wrapped around a mix of potatoes and chickpeas and served with a delicious coconut chutney and the best sauce of all time. For dessert, we tried both a fantastic mango ice cream and an odd paneer in sweet spiced milk, which reminded me of wet cheesecake and toed the line between delicious and just weird. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time!<br />
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The concert was probably the icing on the cake of the whole week. There was a great local opening act, but the featured band (The Travelin' McCourys) defied description. Probably the best bluegrass I'll ever hear. It was so cool to watch them play off each other while they improvised... it was kind of like getting to sit in on a jam session with some of the best guys out there. I'll leave you with a youtube clip of them:<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQmMEEOlfcA/<br />
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Such a great week! :)Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-9272370958177135922012-01-15T21:21:00.003-05:002012-01-15T21:33:42.023-05:00update!I think I'm officially giving up on consistency. But I also won't try to make anyone read this, so I guess it's cool.<br />
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It seems like it was about fifty years ago now, but I should probably follow up on the 10k from October... It was successful, although it was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated since I hadn't gotten to train much for the distance. Other contributing factors to the feeling-crappy were not eating nearly enough beforehand (two pieces of buttered white toast from a gas station diner that I then smeared PB on is not enough, it turns out. Next question: should this have been a surprise..?) and the freezing wind that I felt like I was running into for at least 4 of the 6 miles. Otherwise I really enjoyed myself. Minster is in the middle of nowhere, and most of the race was out on the highway that runs past a bunch of farms. A lot of families were out in their driveways with signs and boomboxes, which was really fun. I finished in 1:09:32 (11:11 pace), which I was very happy with... especially with how crappy I felt that day. I <i>may</i> have forgotten to attach my timing chip to my shoe, which I noticed about two minutes to the start so I looked at the clock when I crossed each line and subtracted. After, they gave us drinkable yogurt (thanks, nearby Dannon factory!) and I walked around the Oktoberfest and ate and had beer. It was a great first 10k!<br />
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Since then, I've been consistently running about three times a week. I'd really like to be doing four, but during the semester I haven't really been able to make that happen... too many days where I'm away from the apartment from 8-8 or so. Instead, I've tried to be super efficient with those runs -- one normal, one speed, and one long. Some weeks those don't all happen, but it does seem to be working well overall... I'm feeling great and getting faster and running longer!<br />
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Yesterday, I ran 8.5, my longest so far by either a mile or a mile and a half (can't remember), and even though I was wiped out by the end and had snow blowing in my eyes and going up my nose the ENTIRE time, I had a great time. I think I ran it in about 1:35 (11:10 pace), but I was also deliberately keeping it slow. It's cool to know that a slow run in January was the same pace as my pushing-myself 10k in October. I also feel now for the first time like I really am going to be ready for the IU Mini (1/2) Marathon on March 31. I celebrated today by registering -- and it was still early enough to get my $15 off for doing the Mini 5k last year. I'm starting to get excited now!<br />
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I am also about a month away from my first ten miler (I'm increasing mileage super conservatively after last year's burnout), which I'm extremely excited for. Aaaaand I turn 25 this Thursday. Hooray for milestones!Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-19804293739497479422011-09-27T17:47:00.000-04:002011-09-27T17:47:28.156-04:00Longest runOn Saturday, I was supposed to run six miles.<br />
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I did not.<br />
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I ran six and a HALF! <br />
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Thaaaaat means that for the 10k on Sunday, I will have already run FARTHER than the race distance, which is going to be an awesome feeling and great for my overall sense of well-being/preparedness.<br />
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Bring it on! :)Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-38438561658216444402011-09-13T14:08:00.001-04:002011-09-13T14:15:10.391-04:00Still running...Yes, it's true. My last post was in August... 2010. I'm bad at blogging. We all know now.<br />
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For whatever reason, I was sitting at work and thought of the blog and thought that I would write a post, so here I am. Just to give a recap of the last year of running, I am still at it after a few periods of amping things up and a few of no running for several weeks (thanks, Indiana winter). I have run three 5ks, and I'm very proud to say that I improved my time each race:<br />
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HOC 9/18/10 34:32<br />
JB5k 10/23/10 32:35<br />
IU Mini 5k 4/2/11 32:26 (super hilly... sad it wasn't faster but proud!)<br />
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Sadly, that IU Mini 5k was supposed to be the IU Mini Marathon, but I tried to push my body too hard in late December-early February and ended up with a massive case of burnout. I had no idea that overtraining could have a big an effect on your body as it does, but my runs got impossibly hard and I got sick and depressed and all kinds of weird stuff. So I scaled back and just did the 5k.<br />
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These days, I'm (slowly) starting to increase my mileage again. I did a 5 mile this morning, and I'm scheduled to do 6 next week and the week after to prep for the Minster Oktoberfest 10k the first Sunday in October. It will be my first 10k and is also part of a huge Oktoberfest in some random town in Ohio, so it should be a fun day even if the race goes badly. Yay beer! <br />
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To give you an idea of what kind of event this is, here's a picture of the official Minster Oktoberfest bobblehead and the beer that is made explicitly for it:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuA_q_1OfiVZz9TprN2pc8CwGZAc4m94OJjnmuStlP1RsVuejQU_YXxFfNK4uhHlIcLJWx2DP3dazlsgjp6oVVt4ZWqarzipbybd9E4VlSGKsRL_e60c8Wc8cWXpss4ahr-eu_5wNKe0/s1600/Woodenshoe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuA_q_1OfiVZz9TprN2pc8CwGZAc4m94OJjnmuStlP1RsVuejQU_YXxFfNK4uhHlIcLJWx2DP3dazlsgjp6oVVt4ZWqarzipbybd9E4VlSGKsRL_e60c8Wc8cWXpss4ahr-eu_5wNKe0/s320/Woodenshoe2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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After the 10k, I'm going to do a super slow increase basically until April, because I'm planning to do the Mini Marathon for real and I think that my best shot is to be extremely conservative about increasing my mileage. I'll do each new long run distance for two weeks and then have a scale-back week in between. Hopefully it will go better this year!<br />
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So that's what's happening. :)Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-6555223339214602012010-08-11T14:28:00.006-04:002010-08-11T14:38:57.010-04:00trails and treadmillsSorry it's been a few days since writing last -- I was in Missouri all last week on the third Voices of Prometheus tour, and frankly I've just been lazy since then and haven't gotten around to writing.<br />
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I had a fantastic time on the tour, and contrary to my own expectations, I actually got a couple of decent runs in. The most fun was definitely Saturday morning, when Emily and I went running on the beautiful MKT Trail in Columbia. She's almost a year ahead of me in her training, so I started out a little faster than I should have and had to walk for a couple of minutes in the middle, but otherwise we had a nice, easy (for her) 3 mile run. It was fun to run with someone else... although I definitely found out that talking makes running a whole lot harder! Even though it's probably the slowest run that she's had in a <i>while</i>, it was nice to prove to myself that I could run with someone who's significantly ahead of me in speed and endurance.<br />
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The trail itself was great. It's a rails-to-trails project trail, so it was nice and flat -- which is boring to some but perfect for slow me -- and there were lots of other people biking, walking, and running. There were streams and bridges and lots of beautiful trees to look at, and we lucked out and had a pretty mild morning to go along with it. It's definitely a route I'd love to run again in the future... maybe minus the walking. Here are some pictures from the trail's website to give you an idea of what it was like:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc47CX8SDRtWtPzajItN4KqTBq6QEmyWBOHvTYsnHPrxj6_5RXUiCTiMvYSyenE4H48phIQUzalW3Z1YClMU7G_RlCMsFy2cNexHU13bJbvXynCHM47DldN5Sv9IfM3h9e5ZeYUc0Z0E/s1600/mkttrail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc47CX8SDRtWtPzajItN4KqTBq6QEmyWBOHvTYsnHPrxj6_5RXUiCTiMvYSyenE4H48phIQUzalW3Z1YClMU7G_RlCMsFy2cNexHU13bJbvXynCHM47DldN5Sv9IfM3h9e5ZeYUc0Z0E/s320/mkttrail2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeDx9K96zys1asY02XSy9BmT-hbUx3kLxOR6BKzTlgKAIX_1A33iCOe6A6SHfM5erAOEs5k03OAx5fq0CsfrHKm4BL3CnCO3WImNrfgl_QWZTCenzDDOuMzfskYFLEObwT_eaQctc0lM/s1600/mktbabystroller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeDx9K96zys1asY02XSy9BmT-hbUx3kLxOR6BKzTlgKAIX_1A33iCOe6A6SHfM5erAOEs5k03OAx5fq0CsfrHKm4BL3CnCO3WImNrfgl_QWZTCenzDDOuMzfskYFLEObwT_eaQctc0lM/s320/mktbabystroller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
My runs since I've been back have been okay... I did three miles outdoors on Monday, which was okay but certainly confirmed that running mostly in hilly areas when you're starting out can be a little frustrating. I'm sure it will be good in the long run, but they sure do tire me out fast! Yesterday, I woke up pretty late and didn't feel like braving the heat, so I did my first run indoors on the treadmill. It was a pretty mixed experience. The fact that it was cooler than outside was certainly nice, and with the incline set on 2 instead of 1, it felt more or less like running on the road. On the other hand, running inside is just boring, even with the TV on, and I couldn't stop myself from looking at the distance counter every 15 seconds. The other definite downside was that there was no way to avoid finding out my pace and confirming that I actually AM the slowest runner in the world. It was something of an ego blow to find out that a 13 minute mile is pretty much all I can handle -- I ran 2 miles at that pace, and by the end I was pretty beat. Which means that I probably run even <i>slower</i> on my regular runs. Not so good.<br />
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In any case, I know I shouldn't worry about it, and I'm sure I'll keep getting faster with time anyway. Today is a rest day, which is very nice, and then it's back to the races tomorrow -- hopefully culminating in 3.5 on Saturday! Also, I'll be breaking 50 miles since I started running during my run tomorrow morning, which is pretty exciting. It's good to be making progress... even if it is very, very slowly.Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-75613015517193090872010-08-02T20:56:00.002-04:002010-08-11T14:39:44.401-04:00meltdown at three mile... runYes, you read that right -- today was the big day of three mile ownage! I don't know why this is such a huge mental milestone, but I have to say that I am almost more proud of this than of my first mile three months ago. It's just cool to think that I could have gotten up this morning and run a 5k (3.1 mi)! Then again, I'm glad I didn't, because when I got back this morning, it was about half an hour later than I thought it should have been. I didn't time the run because watches stress me out when I'm exercising, but I'm pretty sure that it was pretty slow. Not that it bothers me at this point -- but at some point, I'd like to be faster. Or at least a <i>little</i> faster.<br />
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Slow or not, I definitely did it! The weather was on my side... For the first time I can remember since I started, I didn't walk out the door and think, "gee, it sure is disgusting out here." I guess that the cosmos must have been on my side, too, because not only did I finish without walking at all, but toward the beginning of the run, I found a Dave & Buster's point card lying on the side of the road! I'd say it's pretty likely that there's nothing on it if someone took the time to throw it out of their car, but you never know!<br />
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Just so I don't neglect it, I did also go on a nice trail run with Mike yesterday. I hadn't actually been planning to run yesterday at all, but I'm so glad I did! Even though it was 3:00 in the afternoon and consequently was probably 105 degrees, it was such a blast to run on nice dirt trails through the woods. It's so much easier to let your mind wander and chill out when you're all alone with nature! I did have to stop and walk a couple of times, but that was okay.<br />
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Overall, it was a great couple days of running! Off to Missouri for the VOP gig tomorrow, but hopefully I can find the time to keep running this week. It does NOT excited me that the forecast for Columbia says "oppressive humidity" and that according to the hourly forecast it's even more disgustingly humid and hot in the morning there than here, but I'll live. Fall will get here at some point, I hope...Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-2475808340974131362010-07-30T10:50:00.002-04:002010-07-30T10:54:02.969-04:00blarrgghhh (worst run ever)This morning, I blithely go out to have an easy 2 mile run on a nice flat route. I start running, and for the first three deceptive blocks I think, <i>Wow! I feel great!</i> Then I turn a corner, run roughly 5 seconds of the only hill in the entire route, and realize that I am going to die. The rest of the run is all downhill from here. About 3/4 of a mile in, I actually have to stop and walk a block out of desperation. By the time I get home, I don't even think that I can make it up our cul de sac and driveway -- even though I have been walking for about five minutes at this point.<br />
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BUT... even though I had to walk that block, once I got to the end of it I started running again and I totally finished that run. So it may have been the worst run anyone has ever had (it sure felt like it), I DID finish. Go me!<br />
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Things I've learned from this experience?<br />
1) Oatmeal, bread, okra, rice, and a string cheese are not adequate fuel for running the following day.<br />
2) Don't expect your run to be stellar after only getting 5 1/2 hours of sleep, whether it was intentional or not.<br />
3) I can totally run two miles even when I feel like I'm going to have to lie down on the sidewalk and die. (i.e. I am a badass.)<br />
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Tomorrow? Three miles, here I come!Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-77523179189361513342010-07-29T19:53:00.002-04:002010-07-29T19:54:14.431-04:00my blog in a sea of germanityCompletely random observation, but I just got curious what kinds of blogs would come up randomly using the "Next Blog" button, so I hit it a few times... and then a few more... and then a few more... and apparently my blog is surrounded at this moment by about ten million Deutsche Blogs -- which appears to be the technical term. Just had to share.<br />
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Also, I have obviously redesigned my blog. Hope you like it!<br />
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Be back this weekend to report on Saturday's upcoming attempt at a three-miler!Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-72642105153127263292010-07-27T10:00:00.008-04:002010-07-29T17:07:44.015-04:00the call of the wildSo I walked down to Lake Olmstead again this morning and ran around it, which is about 2.25 miles. This was my first time not running an out-and-back route (when you turn around halfway and go back along the route you just ran), and I was surprised that mentally it was actually harder than an out-and-back... There was something about being at the back of the lake, looking across it, and realizing that I was only halfway around that made the second half really tough -- even though the road around the lake is mostly flat and I ran a quarter of a mile farther on Sunday. Go figure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2a37w9hDRYSkughYsxofUR23DYPEqawWJlyT2Pn9zUKEVapVqrb8KfcQDcVawmuJUBZZMGQ1MZE2DrFmu2AKlC2yO7kkFqXbkfQghbF-lLZkotS1rVqwLhnb5ycqN9U4hRvYegNd5V1M/s1600/on+the+canal+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2a37w9hDRYSkughYsxofUR23DYPEqawWJlyT2Pn9zUKEVapVqrb8KfcQDcVawmuJUBZZMGQ1MZE2DrFmu2AKlC2yO7kkFqXbkfQghbF-lLZkotS1rVqwLhnb5ycqN9U4hRvYegNd5V1M/s320/on+the+canal+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Augusta Canal. (Don't swim in there.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even though it was a tougher morning than I expected, I still had a great time. It's so nice to have something other than houses and yappy dogs and lawnmowers to pay attention to while you're running! At the halfway point at the back of the lake, there was a bridge with the lake on one side and the Augusta Canal on the other, which was really pretty. Even though the canal is probably full of chemicals and nuclear waste from SRS and other unsavory things. As long as you don't get <i>in</i> the canal, though, it's pretty nice. This morning, there was still mist coming up from it, which was really pretty -- although it obnoxiously made it look like it should be a nice cool morning, which it is not.<br />
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The coolest thing about this morning's run was definitely the wildlife! I didn't see anything terribly exciting, but there were two different kinds of ducks (white ones that looked like the Aflac duck and some brown ones that I think were female mallards), some Canada Geese, two geese with red bills (but I can't find pictures that look anything like them, so I guess that one will just have to stay a mystery) and even an egret hanging out in the marshy business at the back of the lake. Of course, the pretty wildlife was probably balanced out by the two palmetto bugs (translation for Yankees: giant flying roaches) I found in the house this morning, half-eaten & disemboweled rodents the outside cat had left for us in the carport, and the squashed frog I saw toward the end of the run, but I won't put pictures of any of those things and we'll all just pretend they didn't happen. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8IjBE3r2aPd0DdWXDU5DIIDdWC2v9h2sY1Rg7YtzTKNnA4tIbnP9mVKCsadL5nwZidFdpcSvyZK0LGUhJdWKc73QH5oJbpu59PA5muh07MAbqE7tTI1suqLLqK_1EIaOyfCVLum39WM/s1600/white+ducks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8IjBE3r2aPd0DdWXDU5DIIDdWC2v9h2sY1Rg7YtzTKNnA4tIbnP9mVKCsadL5nwZidFdpcSvyZK0LGUhJdWKc73QH5oJbpu59PA5muh07MAbqE7tTI1suqLLqK_1EIaOyfCVLum39WM/s320/white+ducks.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nice white ducks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKzXc2CpRP9WW6t_wGUbvz_hFzYogXcR-dk_EPEtlhjAwyiEGbwBhCS3a_ODcuzy2V9ifUu2ikgG4nXYA53lEugMIqgFZVIK4ErQs3NAr2naZNKYBIbrH8hdW3AgBLkVQjVjKdJbF5Vk/s1600/JR69111-mrs-mallard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKzXc2CpRP9WW6t_wGUbvz_hFzYogXcR-dk_EPEtlhjAwyiEGbwBhCS3a_ODcuzy2V9ifUu2ikgG4nXYA53lEugMIqgFZVIK4ErQs3NAr2naZNKYBIbrH8hdW3AgBLkVQjVjKdJbF5Vk/s320/JR69111-mrs-mallard.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Mallard</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjkEc3qrqmBwZJRWUKSOjE-YMMfdIPSSNEL6gzrS1ozvtuwHuJlnsYN6yYVXECYD8ZdEqTOrl6IaUH4yY5JDLeT8wyyitwrYx5FLevKWN5jMPLjvfoUyOHCF9W3rZ6FEjMBJR8Mw8tHw/s1600/95c3642.jpg_Canada_Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjkEc3qrqmBwZJRWUKSOjE-YMMfdIPSSNEL6gzrS1ozvtuwHuJlnsYN6yYVXECYD8ZdEqTOrl6IaUH4yY5JDLeT8wyyitwrYx5FLevKWN5jMPLjvfoUyOHCF9W3rZ6FEjMBJR8Mw8tHw/s320/95c3642.jpg_Canada_Geese.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canada geese</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LQxbmBgDazZWrfSFz7HTDE8pPjKazczjUc0WIomNtM8y-OMslIHKZlztf3MDy8K1cZSJfu0ECKufvLb-j_RAyhq3BB9-F8xB5pIUr3JFvc-bM-aX2E1cF-YwSxkJNILLh_jlunBRUhs/s1600/great+egret.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LQxbmBgDazZWrfSFz7HTDE8pPjKazczjUc0WIomNtM8y-OMslIHKZlztf3MDy8K1cZSJfu0ECKufvLb-j_RAyhq3BB9-F8xB5pIUr3JFvc-bM-aX2E1cF-YwSxkJNILLh_jlunBRUhs/s320/great+egret.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egret!<br />
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</tbody></table>There was also a German Shepherd roaming around without a leash, but thankfully he did not seem to want to eat me -- he actually seemed pretty freaked out when he saw me and ran away. Way to go, guard dog.<br />
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All in all, it was a pretty entertaining morning! 2.5 happens again tomorrow, and hopefully it will be a little easier than today's run was. Should be fun either way! :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikCossUTe8XdiKgMU2UxzhlkC4veqvsodeUmyHTfRO0lDcWjluYRnUxbRV4NbrLkLIp_gX9aNPd1G4tlB_n60IGXWnuzK0kvVO-3yF1xz049MEoGYyMHbfrNzFpazEdw-IVlUuOz_6eM/s1600/german-shepherd1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikCossUTe8XdiKgMU2UxzhlkC4veqvsodeUmyHTfRO0lDcWjluYRnUxbRV4NbrLkLIp_gX9aNPd1G4tlB_n60IGXWnuzK0kvVO-3yF1xz049MEoGYyMHbfrNzFpazEdw-IVlUuOz_6eM/s320/german-shepherd1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epic German Shepherd says goodbye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-45187435641704976792010-07-25T12:38:00.005-04:002010-07-29T17:07:57.890-04:00sheeee's back!So, as you may have gathered by now, the beginning of the most overwhelming semester of my academic career was probably not the best time to start a blog. Six months after my one and only post, I figure it's time to start this thing back up and to revamp a little so I might actually be inclined to write something occasionally.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfhpe8vEIUBxRMW8dp6X_F5w28G0ulI1lNWiDlY2hjPgntP3fGuIxVnqycLy3pEq31HwKTO4zhDY1ffgRQNJA7RZQU6XkdOBF7d15cCibmo98mPFTC8lBxbdxp8DbapZfO3UJkpv224Y/s1600/running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfhpe8vEIUBxRMW8dp6X_F5w28G0ulI1lNWiDlY2hjPgntP3fGuIxVnqycLy3pEq31HwKTO4zhDY1ffgRQNJA7RZQU6XkdOBF7d15cCibmo98mPFTC8lBxbdxp8DbapZfO3UJkpv224Y/s320/running.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(not me)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Instead of focusing only on new things and experiences (of which, admittedly, I have probably had several since I started this pitifully neglected blog, but which I was too lazy to write about), I'm just going to write about things I feel like writing about. Luckily, one of the things I am likely to want to write about a LOT can tie this together and make it something of a goal-achieving-fitness-type blog, because... I am now calling myself a runner!<br />
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I've started the Couch-to-5k program several times in the past two years (because there's nothing like getting together with a seven-days-a-week runner/mutiple-marathon-completer to inspire you to get fit), but I've never gotten very far and have had a lot of trouble breaking the run/walk cycle. I ran a few times this May, but then I got really busy doing the Harrower opera workshop down in Atlanta during June and fell off the wagon again. Then, on the last day of June, something changed. I went out for a "run," which for me had always meant some sort of combination of walking and shuffling/trudging, and I decided on a whim to try slowing down and seeing how far I could actually <i>run</i>. And I ran a mile. Without stopping.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPh77dWHXILNhQJC0XSiYESU-XTbJrCLZdZdd-QFYhR-O2mjg3ipZAQ4TgRJK0qrmfMA9xVq6EYe-yNRBfHyvRJCqGIvOyEldtX2_atJJeECZutgEclV3V9fYApzcaGu1hbWqaGNJZfE/s1600/SCN851-WHLBL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPh77dWHXILNhQJC0XSiYESU-XTbJrCLZdZdd-QFYhR-O2mjg3ipZAQ4TgRJK0qrmfMA9xVq6EYe-yNRBfHyvRJCqGIvOyEldtX2_atJJeECZutgEclV3V9fYApzcaGu1hbWqaGNJZfE/s200/SCN851-WHLBL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Apparently the effort made me lose my mind, because since then, I've been running 4-5 days a week, reading Runners World articles like a woman possessed, logging my runs on mapmyrun.com every day, and I've had a blast doing it. I even got new shoes (Saucony Hurricane 10s), which I adore and which are saving my grateful shins from my overpronating feet. Arguably, July might not be the best month to start running when you're in Georgia, but I figure that this means that by the time the weather is tolerable again, I'll be a REAL runner and I can actually enjoy running 4 or 5 miles on crisp autumn mornings while looking at the trees and other picturesque stuff. <br />
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So far this month, I've run over 26 miles (thanks, Map My Run), and this morning I had my first 2.5 mile run -- which was actually a ton of fun! I had to get up at 7:00 to beat the heat, unfortunately, as I'm in Augusta and managed to come the week that temperatures have been getting to 100 by midday with humidity to match. (The Weather Channel says that the heat index today is supposed to be 110. Yeah.) It was already in the mid-80s by the time I got out the door this, but it wasn't unbearable and it was definitely nice to go a little earlier than usual because I saw lots of people biking and walking their dogs, which was nice. I ran down to Lake Olmstead, which was perfect because it was almost pretty enough to distract me from the fact that I was going farther than I'd ever gone and that my ran ended with a 3/4 mile incline. That part was definitely not cool, but otherwise it was a great morning.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGc1o83gAZqHQuQvVsDM3tv85H_kPIL2KBPseqTGI76FaxUUtk4RixHmamAOaIQxOGJ-JJTH3FwZAVDeNRKjmYyXb31aRdAlxBB0j3weg2-qpi7sAOq_01qQlPhyphenhyphenWDSUReAnw5sxyhTEo/s1600/LakeOlmsteadPark-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGc1o83gAZqHQuQvVsDM3tv85H_kPIL2KBPseqTGI76FaxUUtk4RixHmamAOaIQxOGJ-JJTH3FwZAVDeNRKjmYyXb31aRdAlxBB0j3weg2-qpi7sAOq_01qQlPhyphenhyphenWDSUReAnw5sxyhTEo/s320/LakeOlmsteadPark-30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Olmstead</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
In short, I've caught the running bug. I'm planning on running two 5ks in the fall, Hoosiers Outrun Cancer on Sept. 18 and the Jill Behrman Run for the Endzone on Oct. 23, and my long term goal is to run the IU Mini Marathon (that's 13.1 miles, folks) at the beginning of April. I'll be honest, it's so shocking that the 5ks are even feasible that I can't let myself start thinking about what the half marathon would actually entail, but I figure I've got plenty of time and there's really no reason why I shouldn't be able to do it. I've wanted to really start running for so long now that the thrill of actually getting out and doing it every day might actually get me there! I have to say that when you're coming from nothing, even tiny milestones like running two miles make you feel so superhuman that you want to run around telling everyone how awesome you are. Especially since I'm not really particularly awesome and I doubt that people at the grocery store feel like hearing about the unthinkable two and a half miles I just ran, I figure this blog is the perfect place to get some of that excitement out there. Congratulations, readers.<br />
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Anyway, that's all for now, but I'll post again soon. Really. :)Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8603877398887794183.post-23782040232302012352010-01-22T19:03:00.008-05:002010-07-29T17:08:26.676-04:00it's blogging timeThose of you know know me (read: "all two of you who actually might read this blog") know that things have changed pretty significantly in the last month or so, and I've been trying to think of something new and interesting to do. Making a blog was one of the first things to come to mind, but then I realized that I don't really do enough of any one thing to make a whole blog about it (other than music, but who wants to read about that?), so I decided that the best idea would be the obvious cop-out... to make a blog about <i>doing</i> new things!<br />
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I'm not going to promise that I'll update this at any regular intervals, but I'll certainly update any time I try something new or revisit something after a long hiatus -- and hopefully, the blog will actually inspire me to try some cool stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6GhYK52g6HAjTCzJvloxTZaXYsm2UYVMWVPOaUhhYuVxLgXWL60rwTp38ENz7XR51DOtbEMG0izWaN5E63jXsM0xfy9jRhgqzWauIVcFOgHgjG09y8k0L9KFjR1OG-k-cO_ySnLYwfc/s1600-h/lombardia_005_immagine_risotto_alla_milanese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6GhYK52g6HAjTCzJvloxTZaXYsm2UYVMWVPOaUhhYuVxLgXWL60rwTp38ENz7XR51DOtbEMG0izWaN5E63jXsM0xfy9jRhgqzWauIVcFOgHgjG09y8k0L9KFjR1OG-k-cO_ySnLYwfc/s200/lombardia_005_immagine_risotto_alla_milanese.jpg" width="200" /></a>To start out this extremely ambitious project, which will undoubtedly be read avidly by friends and will ultimately launch me to internet star-dom, I'll share a bit about my adventures making dinner for a few of my friends to celebrate my birthday. When I started thinking about things to make for this dinner, I immediately thought about my very favorite food from the semester I spent abroad: risotto alla milanese! While unbelievably delicious, this risotto is traditionally made with some rather unusual (and expensive) ingredients: saffron and bone marrow. Being a vegetarian -- something I pretty obviously felt free to ignore occasionally when I was in Milan -- I was not about to run out to buy a bottle of marrow, but I did go out in search of saffron. It turns out that while saffron threads are $18 for 1/10 of a gram (yes, that's <b>0.13 grams for 18 dollars</b>) at your friendly neighborhood Kroger, if you actually know about them, you can buy tiny packets of saffron powder at the cash registers at Bloomingfoods. Thanks to the friendly employee on the phone for that handy tidbit. I also learned a fun tidbit from the little saffron packet -- apparently, it takes 75,000 blossoms to produce one pound of the spice, which is why it's the most expensive spice in the world. Makes sense to me! In case you're curious, here's what the flower that saffron comes from looks like:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmi6eE9EEpsCM8gQ2mH0sU3UWwpEeabtWAvLtLS6mZiIdItKj2roTxkC_T_lcQQryTp5zMQPzsKYL2ogpf3Fp5aSDJhp0lLBQipcYGn-q9l5XvIT-6APpQIP8RJ1ZFk5WvG5lmRjBufs/s1600-h/flower6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmi6eE9EEpsCM8gQ2mH0sU3UWwpEeabtWAvLtLS6mZiIdItKj2roTxkC_T_lcQQryTp5zMQPzsKYL2ogpf3Fp5aSDJhp0lLBQipcYGn-q9l5XvIT-6APpQIP8RJ1ZFk5WvG5lmRjBufs/s320/flower6.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So armed with saffron, some very expensive organic arborio (not something you necessarily want to buy at Bloomingfoods, but since I was there...), some spectacularly cheap white and all of the other things I needed to make my neat birthday meal, I got cooking! All in all, things didn't turn out too badly. I didn't think ahead very much and bought too little broth and no butter, so the risotto was not quite as orgasmic as I remembered it being, but the garlic green beans I made as a side were definitely tasty. The chocolate pots de creme I made for dessert were pretty darn tasty, too -- although I did manage to forget that my oven runs about 25 degrees on the hot side, so they were a more like chocolate bricks than chocolate custard. Either way, you can't really go wrong with dark chocolate, whipped cream and raspberries.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyejzoAEz2vmJOO-SrOpG4Co3eyIzJ_aJ6CcbQLjRBWrbRdE9QzPJvGIDUwk0RVypd-5shNe14tT7XUVbV0TOwKK9rB_BcLCvIOmDZLI7FO-lAkXuD0HzV2mO8osr9lLF9lz4c-ZHPPDI/s1600-h/DSCN0695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyejzoAEz2vmJOO-SrOpG4Co3eyIzJ_aJ6CcbQLjRBWrbRdE9QzPJvGIDUwk0RVypd-5shNe14tT7XUVbV0TOwKK9rB_BcLCvIOmDZLI7FO-lAkXuD0HzV2mO8osr9lLF9lz4c-ZHPPDI/s200/DSCN0695.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The star of the evening was definitely the garlic shrimp I made for an appetizer, so a big thank you to Rachel Ray -- who I'm quite honestly not usually crazy about -- for the quickest, easiest, tastiest <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/4-Minute-Spicy-Garlic-Shrimp-107997?scaleto=3">shrimp recipe</a> EVER. Overall, it was a fabulous birthday evening and a very fun thing to do. I may try to stick to a slightly less weird and bone marrow-containing main course for next time so I don't disappoint myself again, but I will almost certainly be having another dinner party sometime in the near future! I'll just finish out with a few pictures from the evening:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RRREMzcCoPXYucKWphDs2LG-TXuVERU4XcKkpgBevQlLMxCN1KSXBMzp23neZSbWtyAB6WR3dX5HROhe8y7VkLMtkGU3JuJpUM2g1kfVg4jWbD6EAstuDo5tf2qbv1Q4Yh54Ffh8VlY/s1600-h/DSCN0702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RRREMzcCoPXYucKWphDs2LG-TXuVERU4XcKkpgBevQlLMxCN1KSXBMzp23neZSbWtyAB6WR3dX5HROhe8y7VkLMtkGU3JuJpUM2g1kfVg4jWbD6EAstuDo5tf2qbv1Q4Yh54Ffh8VlY/s320/DSCN0702.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukU9Bgl8yFdpDXdTr3EAYY0pbv3l33p6bp_TY4UaE9OU5yKLdGIrPxGeWwxAzp7_HLAVvtdAp0L3S0MCiFYEkpOXWUbQ1J1CKH3oVHLKs8ZLFicS4kNEiZ9RE5boD4AR0S3pag4XY7ks/s1600-h/DSCN0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukU9Bgl8yFdpDXdTr3EAYY0pbv3l33p6bp_TY4UaE9OU5yKLdGIrPxGeWwxAzp7_HLAVvtdAp0L3S0MCiFYEkpOXWUbQ1J1CKH3oVHLKs8ZLFicS4kNEiZ9RE5boD4AR0S3pag4XY7ks/s320/DSCN0696.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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And of course, no evening would be complete without my cat doing something weird...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until next time! </div>Arwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068540891914075294noreply@blogger.com7