Do old habits always die hard?

"They" (you know, that anonymous group of people who say and do a lot of things), say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit.

I disagree.

Yes, it may take several weeks to develop a new habit. And some things will take a while to work out of our system. But some habits are altogether too easy to break.

I have been working out several times a week for more than two years. A few muscle pulls have sidelined me temporarily, but I fought my way back to 3-5 weekly workouts as soon as I could.

And then this summer hit. Moving into a new house and everything that went with it consumed most of May. Daily workouts became a question instead of a statement. Then school let out and mornings became unstructured and un-regimented. My five-morning-a-week workout routine became hit-or-miss (and that's a charitable description.)

So I'm not sure "they" are right. It didn't take 21 days to break me of daily workouts. In fact, it was really easy to let my routine slip away.

I'm determined to get back to working out several days a week, and get my running distances back to a respectable length. But I'm not sure this will ever become a true habit that I would have to work hard to break.

Happy habits,

It's the little things.

Our shower saga continues. Every day we pass by our gorgeous new shower, which has yet to be used.  Because it has no door.  The door is ordered, and is promised (pinky promised) for delivery next Tuesday.  (I'm holding you to that, Mr. Shower Door Guy!)

So in the meantime, we have used the upstairs shower (nothing like feeling like a houseguest in your own home, shlepping towel and toiletries in and out of someone else's bathroom...) On workout mornings, we have availed ourselves of the YMCA's showers.

The Y's showers are like most public showers:  hit or miss. Some have broken knobs or drippy showerheads, some have skimpy shower curtains, some don't get much water pressure or much hot water, or both.  I think I've personally identified all the sub-par showers on the women's side.  But a few mornings ago, as I turned off my shower, I heard another one going. Full blast.  And lots of steam rolling out, like it was a nice HOT shower.  I made a mental note of the location and checked myself into that shower stall yesterday morning after a 5K run.  I counted it pure joy.  It blasted me with hot water, and lots of it. And a shower curtain that didn't gap and flap in the breeze.

When we were driving home I mentioned my happy discovery to Mr. Official.  His response? 

"I bet our new shower will have great pressure and lots of hot water too...if we ever get to use it."

Here's to showers of blessings, and lessons of patience.  And to nice hot showers.

Happy day!

Holiday Sprint: The final lap

I know, I know...there is another major holiday a week after Christmas. But since we tend to usher in the new year pretty casually, I count this week as the last lap of my holiday race. Whatever we happen to do after December 25 is not planned or orchestrated by yours truly.

I am beyond thrilled to be able to RUN this last lap. Yes, as of last Wednesday, I am once again running. Not as far or fast as I was prior to the calf strain, but I will take any form of running I can get, even if it's only 5 minutes at a time and at a poky pace of 5 MPH or thereabouts. Speed and endurance will be back soon enough.

The final bit of cookie and candy-making is wrapping up today, the cards are going in the mail, the shopping is closer to being done (we got sidetracked by some house shopping this weekend...) and so now we will scurry to finish the last few to-do's and settle in to enjoy the holidays.

Happy sprinting,

Holiday Sprint Week 5: Time is the only thing sprinting around here

It is Week 5 of the holiday sprint and Week 8 without running.  This has to be God's way of giving me a heaping helping of patience, which I'm pretty sure I haven't asked for in a very long time.  (I stopped praying for patience when I figured out it doesn't come in an easy-to-swallow form.)

The good news is, I'm steadily throwing on more weight in Body Pump and getting better at Pilates and yoga.  The bad news is the calf is still not healed.  It is getting better, though and one of these days it will be fully healed.  Next week will be another opportunity to test it and my fingers and toes are crossed it will hold up to a mile or two.

At the risk of sounding like a rank amateur compared to my hard-charging Christmas-shopping friends, our tree goes up later this week - yes, just three weeks before Christmas.  We are planning our third annual family outing to a local tree farm on Saturday morning. 

For those who think it's de rigueur to have your tree up for at least a full month or more, it's not.  Nearly three decades of tree decorating tells me that a 3-week run is plenty long.  No other holiday gets to take over my entire house or dominate our schedule for weeks on end.  After the trees go up (yes, plural - a UT tree goes up in the bonus room and a small one in the kitchen), it will be time for a baking/candy making marathon next week. My tentative plans include these family favorite cookies:

1. Grandma's Date Pinwheels
2. Cherry-filled Thumbprints
3. Iced Sugar Cookies
4. Gwen's Gingersnaps
5. Almond Crescents

and candies:

1. Homemade Peppermint Patties
2. Toffee
3. Pretzel Turtles
4. Fudge
5. Black Walnut Divinity
6. Cookie Truffles (Oreo and maybe gingersnap or Nutter-Butters with white icing)

And a new recipe to make it an even dozen; or two new ones to make it a baker's dozen.  I'm not sure what the new additions will be yet, but every year I like to try at least a few new treats.  No, we won't eat all these confections all by ourselves.  I will send a platter with Mr. Official for his co-workers and take some to neighbors and friends.  Once the cookies and candies are done, it will be time to wrap up the Christmas shopping; it has to be done before December 18, since that's a very special date for Mr. Official and me.

Happy sprinting,

Week 4 Without Running: The Timeout Continues

Well, I did the bad thing: I pushed for a run on Monday (as soon as I hit week 4). "Surely the recommended 5 to 8 week recovery for a moderate calf strain doesn't apply to me!," said my optimistic self. Alas, it apparently does so I and my calf are back in timeout.

Hopefully it's only a small setback, as I didn't push it to another "pop" but in hindsight it was probably a foolhardy thing to do. I'm thankful for my live-in massage therapist who vigorously worked out the knotted calf while gently chastising me for not respecting the age of my ligaments and joints.  To which I say, "harrumph" (because it is too early to say "humbug.")

This long timeout has forced me to get more creative with my exercise repertoire, which has turned out to be good:  who knew I could become a fan of group workouts?  Of course, next week, I plan to try another run. And the week after, and the week after, until I'm fully healed and running without pain (or Advil.)

Happy healing,

Week 3 Without Running

I am really hoping this calf muscle strain is ready to become a thing of the past, but I won't push my luck too soon (an attempted run is on tap for later this week, just to see how it's doing.  I'm prepared to wave the white flag if it isn't completely  healed.)

In the meantime, our YMCA has launched a new Body Pump workout and I'm pretty sure my body is almost twice the age of the average person in this class.  I was barely able to sit down (or stand up) after my trial run with it last week, but I'm a firm believer in "that which does not kill us makes us stronger," so Monday morning, I went back for round two, which meant my stride was less than graceful when I accompanied Mr. Official to the football officials' banquet last night. Next class is Wednesday, then Friday.

On the in-between days, I can tuck in pilates and yoga.  My only problem is going to be when the calf muscle is fit for running; what am I willing to give up, or will I find myself working out twice a day?  (There are arguably worse things I could do with my time, but there ARE only so many hours in the day.)

Today is voting day, and since I didn't vote early, I will be among those procrastinators who will wait in line to vote at my local polling place.  Then I'm headed for Cheekwood to see the Chihuly exhibit during its last week in Nashville. 



Happy Tuesday,

Be careful what you ask for

Earlier this week I mentioned UT's bye week (and whined a little about how busy we were on the "off" weekend.) I even joked about how maybe I would get my own "bye" day on Tuesday.  I'm not superstitious, but...

During fall break, I took a week-plus off from my daily runs to allow a pesky calf muscle some time to heal.  As soon as we were back home, I started my early mornings with a run once again, but by Wednesday of last week, I had to admit the twinge was getting worse after each run.  So, I hit "pause" again and took almost a full week off again for healing, this time with the addition of daily Ibuprofen and a quick DIY calf massage each morning.  On Tuesday morning this week, I hit the gym bright and early, hoping everything would be back to normal.

Even though I stretched extensively, the calf was still tight. I hoped it would loosen up as I got further into the run - instead, less than a quarter-mile in, I felt a "pop" in the calf, followed by excruciating pain up and down the muscle.

So it was off the treadmill, hobble out to the car, and ice it down when I got home. A pilates class later in the day helped somewhat, or maybe it was just doubling up on Ibuprofen throughout the day that made things feel better.

Mr. Official (who loves to diagnose injuries - especially sports-related injuries) was kind enough to give it a deep tissue massage. Here's hoping he will take pity on me and repeat it nightly while the calf heals fully.

I guess I got what I wished for - according to the experts, a Grade Two strain can take several weeks to recover from.  So for now, it's yoga, tai chi and pilates, but no running for me - looks like my wish for a "bye" week was granted, right on schedule.

Not-so-happy-anything,

Misfortune: uninvited but never unescorted

You know that old superstition:  bad things come in threes, misfortunes never occur singly.   Or the inverse: third time is the charm.

This week I'm gearing up for a yummy brunch with my Highland Heights secret sisters.  I've been eagerly looking forward to this for a long time - it's a new event for this year and will kick off the 4th annual cookbook, which is - of course - brunch recipes.  We're also doing something special for our members heading off to college.  (Shhhh, it's a secret.)  The morning promises to be a lot of fun.

And the summer months have seen me backslide on my New Year's resolution to show more hospitality, so this will help make up for lost ground.  (If you have 15 or 20 people over at once, that's the equivalent of least 4 or 5 small dinner parties, right?)

As I work on getting everything just perfect for my guests, I've already had two mini-catastrophes occur:

1) The light switch in the hall bathroom shorted out a few nights ago.  As in smoke drifting from the switch.  Eeek!  Fortunately we caught it before it caught anything else on fire.   (Sidebar to dad:  Yes, I checked the wiring and insulation in the attic before going to bed.)  Back when this house was built, they still used real metal boxes for switches and plugs.  Made of real steel, probably forged right here in the  good old US of A.  We'll pull new wiring and replace the switch, but the box is intact and I don't think I'll have to do any touch-up painting or drywall patching.

 2) I've managed to severely injure my right foot this week.  I'm gimping around, unable to put full weight on it.  Some day I will learn to listen to my body - the foot was tender after Monday's run, but I was determined to get in a good run on Tuesday, too.  And now I'll pay the price for my stubbornness by hobbling for a few more days and gobbling naproxen caplets like they're candy.  And the weeds are NOT going to get pulled like I had planned.

But my real concern is, when will the other proverbial shoe drop?  Does the printer running out of toner count as a bona fide third catastrophe?  (New cartridge won't arrive until next week.)  These things come in threes, or so *they* say.  (Then again, *they* say a lot of stuff that isn't based on fact.)  But just to be safe, keep your fingers crossed for me, and maybe toss a little salt over your shoulder if you get a chance, okay?

August 30 Postscript: My third mishap was indeed technology related, but in other (better) news, my foot is nearly 100% again , the electrical connections in our house are good to go, the brunch went swimmingly and the toner cartridges arrived courtesy of good ol' UPS today.

Just for today...

I will honor God by spending time in prayer and meditation today, and encouraging our youth at the Bible Bowl season finale tonight.

I will honor my employer by taking care of those things entrusted to me to oversee, and take care of the paperwork stacking up on my desk.

I will honor my body by eating healthy and working out. (A few weeks of slipshod eating habits have taken their toll. The scale and my clothes do not lie. But it was back on the wagon and treadmill as of today.)

I will honor my family with a cleaner home to enjoy this evening.

I cannot ruminate enough to undue the things of the past, and I cannot worry about tomorrow, or put things off, because it may be too late.

I will not attain perfection today. But I can use today perfectly, to the degree that I make full and complete use of it. I can live in the present, and do my best to be a good steward of the time, talents, and money I have been blessed with. Just for today.

So I will try to live out Matthew 6:34: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Just for today.

What a weekend

This weekend started off with a bang when two families joined us for dinner on Friday night. Children edged out the adults (7 to 6, I think), and the dog had a blast being chased around by squealing kids. As soon as the guests left, the pooch was sacked out; we joined her in slumber not long after. Other than a slightly sticky kitchen floor (thanks to overly large disposable plates and a too-narrow trashcan - my bad) the house came through practically unscathed. Which meant Saturday was pretty typical: piano lesson, a trip to Sonic, and some afternoon shopping (I am merely the financier on those excursions.)

Saturday night was our annual newcomer's dinner at Highland Heights - always a lot of fun getting to meet our newest members and learning some interesting trivia about one another. A huge thanks to all those who put it together each year!

Then daylight saving time arrived this morning. Now, for the record, I love, love, love longer days. I love the imminent arrival of spring. But oh what a price we pay to get there. Whew. I think I'd give up the extra hour in the fall if we didn't have to torture ourselves every spring. In case that wasn't enough to seriously mess with my Circadian rhythm, we'll be headed into Eastern Time in a few days, so we'll lose another hour of precious morning snooze time. Double ugh.

I am happy to report I ran 11.25 miles last week. (No, not all at once...unlike my marathon-training friends.) My short term goal is to run 4 miles a day (at least 3 times a week) over the next few weeks, then start aiming for 5 miles at a stretch. I have been told (by my all-wise BIL) that if I can break the 5-mile barrier, I'll be ready to start preparing for a long run (i.e., half or full marathon.) I'm not sure I really want or need to do that, but since my original comment last April was, "I wonder how long it would take me to train for a half-marathon?" I guess I'll keep pushing and see where it takes me.

Makin' Marsala Monday

We awoke this morning to more snow - a half inch or more covered the grass, and a sheen of ice lay on the roads. We slid across the parking lot at the YMCA before the crack of dawn...we're too old to be doing that sort of thing. We could fall and break something.

After the parking lot antics, I got in a 3 mile run, averaging somewhere around 10.5 minutes per. Not bad - just need to do it more frequently. Signed up DD for swim team again, and she got in about an hour in the pool on her own this afternoon. Spring break is just a few weeks away - South Carolina, here we come! Neither of us can do much about the pale skin that will be suddenly exposed to broad daylight, but who wants to be pale and flabby? A pretty good motivator to kick up the exercise regimen a notch or two.

Following Michael Chu's Cooking for Engineers' version of chicken marsala, I had to ad lib on the heavy cream (a little half and half, and a little butter), I served it up with some buttery/pesto-ey noodles, a fresh tossed Romaine salad and garlic bread. Not bad for a Monday night dinner.

Tomorrow is a stick-to-your-ribs family favorite: beef brisket in the crockpot all day. With some yummy au gratin potatoes on the side and probably some homemade bread, too. The weather forecast is shaping up to be another hearty dinner sort of day.

Since all the dinner leftovers wouldn't fit back in the fridge, I cleaned it out. And I discovered that indeed yogurt can go bad. And that you should always look at the date before you lick the lid. Mmmm.

3.75 @10.54 min/mi = tired to the nth degree

I should have just sucked it up and ran the last 1/4 mile, but my legs and feet (and back!) were tired, so I stopped short of my goal. Whimper, whimper. But it did feel really good to get in *almost* 4 miles this morning. And I'm finally hitting a good stride - just a few more clicks and I'll be at 10 minutes/mile. I'll never be the fastest runner in the world, but I'm zeroing in on a respectable pace, all things considered (like my advancing age, the relatively short length of time I've been running, how seriously I take it, etc.)

The local weathermen are predicting a snowfall of epic proportions tomorrow. Histrionics to boost ratings, probably. But along with everyone else in the southeastern U.S. (and parts of the Midwest), I will be hitting the grocery store today and hoping the weather holds up so we can make it to Perfect North tomorrow night without incident.

I guess I should stock up on potatoes while I'm grocery shopping - the pooch has decided she's soooo hungry she is willing to steal potatoes from the pantry and gnaw on them when I'm not looking. This morning, I nearly tripped over a spud lying on the floor near her second bed (yes, the princess has two beds.) It had doggy slobber on it, so it had to be her. (Plus she just looked guilty. And hungry.) Dieting is fit for neither man nor beast, it would seem...

Taking a cue from nature

After the fun and frenzy of December, it's time to return to everyday living and routine. I think I'm ready to do that, even though that means no more staying up late or sleeping in.

This morning was the transition back to workweek routine and schedule, although our plans to rise and shine and hit the YMCA were hampered by a very warm and cozy bed, and temps in the teens outside. (Tomorrow will be a different story, and the warm bed will not win out.) As I stumbled to the kitchen and poured a cup of steaming coffee, I looked outside and realized snow was gently falling. Some big flakes, mostly small ones, drifted down silently...I guess someone forgot to tell them it's too cold to snow.

My eyes then caught movement toward the back of the property where several deer were slowly making their way across, nibbling on anything they could find to eat. That's always bad news for my young trees and shrubs, but it's still a very peaceful sight.

My first thought was pure whimsy: maybe nature was also struggling to get back in the workday routine. My second thought was an appreciation for the slower pace that is nature's routine. We humans would be well advised to emulate that slower pace instead of hurrying and scurrying about all day. My reverie was cut short when the dog tried to chase the deer and the cat tried to chase the dog. Fortunately, our "Milo and Otis" look out for one another, and the dog penned the cat in the greenhouse until she could be caught and brought back inside.

Yesterday I made runzas and a loaf of cinnamon-swirl bread. With a forecast showing nothing but cold temperatures for at least a week, I think a hearty pot of stick-to-your-ribs chicken soup will be on tonight's menu, with grilled cheese or runzas on the side. And I think I'll try moving at a steady - but slightly slower - pace today. And maybe even take a stroll across the yard while the snow is gently falling.

Dinnertime!

A new year is here, that means new recipes to try alongside the family favorites.

I spent a leisurely morning copying and printing off my favorite Christmas cookie and candy recipes for a new holiday notebook. Hopefully it will make me ultra-efficient next December when it's time to start the holiday baking. I'll have my tried-and-true recipes all in one spot, instead of having to remember which notebook or recipe box to peek in. (I didn't limit this to just sweets, but also our brunch and supper favorites, plus my Christmas card list, and even some holiday decorating ideas I snagged from here and there. My goal is to make this notebook function as my constant companion during the holidays, with everything I need at my fingertips.)

After the recipe books and clippings were all tucked away, I managed to finally clean off my desk. That meant a reward: my 2010 desk blotter is out and quickly filling up. And for now, it's still visible. Give me a few days of junk mail deluge, and it might be buried again. Such is life...

Tonight's menu includes this slimmed-down baby back rib recipe from Men's Health magazine's "Cook This Not That" column, plus our traditional blackeyed pea/avocado salad (recipe courtesy of my dear friend Pam), plus cheese biscuits like Jim & Nick's BBQ, and a pineapple upside-down cake. Confession time: I haven't made a P-U-D cake in....well, decades I guess. But I've got fresh pineapple left over from the holidays, and it would be a shame to waste it, especially when there are some really yummy recipes out there.

It's a good thing today's itinerary includes an afternoon run, then some prep time before tomorrow's Bible class where I hope my Powerpoint-backed lesson will impress the third-graders with a glimpse into first century life in Corinth and amaze them with details like the weight of Roman soldier tents (half a ton - who knew?)