This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately, but first, I want to add a disclaimer. I am going to start including a focus on losing weight in my blog posts, so if you don't want to read about that or feel it would trigger unhealthy feelings for you, please feel free to skip. Any blog title after this one with just the date in the title will be weight-loss related.
I have never been a chunky girl - growing up, I ate whatever I wanted (literally, whatever). People always said "that will catch up with you someday", but it never happened. Even throughout my four years of college, I never gained more than a few pounds at a time. In the past year or so, though, two years out of college, the pounds have been creeping on. I now weigh 15 pounds more than I did all through college and high school, and I'm at my highest weight ever. I've also been inconsistent with exercise lately, and the results are not pretty. I'm still not considered "overweight" by the BMI scale or probably, by most of the population, but I am a good 15-20 pounds heavier and a lot less fit and toned than I'd like to be.
I have have moments of attempting healthy eating in the past, but none have ever really lasted. In the past month or so, I've gotten a lot better - even counting calories, meal planning, and logging food on a regular basis, and stringing together a few good days in a row. But I haven't quite managed to get past the slips/cheat meals/cheat days and put in a consistently good week. I also haven't managed to have a consistently good week of exercise in longer than I care to admit. My excuse has been that working full-time takes up so much time, and I have so many other things to do, and life gets in the way, and... But no more excuses. So there are my first two goals: one consistent week of eating healthy (no slips or cheat meals), and one consistent week of exercise (a mix of both cardio AND strength training).
Wish me luck!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Backpack Report: Eastern WA, 6/24-6/26/2011 - new pics added!
Pics on top are from DBF's camera... enjoy!
The view from the trailhead, which we reached around 7:30 PM after leaving straight from Seattle around 4:30. We drove through a crazy rainstorm on Snoqualmie Pass and were glad when it was relatively drier on the east side of the mountains! Unfortunately, we had forgotten to print out the map/directions for where we were going, and we ended up unknowingly at the wrong trailhead.
We planned to head up the trail for a few miles, camp, and then make our way to this summit the next morning...
However, we soon had an inkling that we weren't on the right trail or even the right mountain. The trail was soaking wet and slippery with mud and multiple creek crossings, and snow began to appear about a mile after we began the hike. The trail we had meant to go on was reported to be snow-free 3-4 miles up.
Eventually, we lost the trail entirely and agreed that we were definitely not where we had planned to go. It was starting to get dark, though, so we decided to keep going and look for a dry place to camp.
The patches of snow on the trail were fairly deep and slippery and made for slow going, particularly when we kept postholing and sinking up to our knees in the snow. I even almost fell in a creek that was hidden underneath the snow.
We finally managed to locate a relatively level, snow-free and dry spot and set up camp right before it got dark. Luckily the rain held off, and we managed to stay relatively warm and dry throughout the night.
The next morning we woke up to a bluebird day - bright blue skies, sunny and warm. We had breakfast at this nice little spot and then decided to do some exploring. We were about halfway up one of the walls of the Esmerelda Basin (we later learned, upon consulting a map) and decided to do some off trail scrambling to get up to a viewpoint.
The barely visible rocky peak was our goal. The route was not incredibly steep until we got out of the trees onto a snowfield, and spent an hour or two tentatively picking our way up patches of snow and scree. It was very slow and frustrating going both up and down because, well, I'm afraid of heights!! But the view from the ledge we made it to was very striking and rewarding. The pics from the viewpoint are on DBF's camera so hopefully I will get a chance to post them soon!
Shortly after we reached our tent from this exploring mission, clouds began to roll in over the basin, and we decided to head further out into eastern Washington and do a night of car camping in somewhere with sunnier weather. We ended up camping along the Cle Elum river near Roslyn, in a gorgeous riverside campsite. We set up a fire pit on the rocky island in the middle of the river and ate dinner and drank beers under the stars. It was a warm and cozy night, and we woke up to brilliant blue skies and a warm, sunny morning before reluctantly heading back towards Seattle.
We didn't really end up going where we had planned, and the hiking was definitely challenging, but all in all it ended up being a great weekend!
The view from the trailhead, which we reached around 7:30 PM after leaving straight from Seattle around 4:30. We drove through a crazy rainstorm on Snoqualmie Pass and were glad when it was relatively drier on the east side of the mountains! Unfortunately, we had forgotten to print out the map/directions for where we were going, and we ended up unknowingly at the wrong trailhead.
We planned to head up the trail for a few miles, camp, and then make our way to this summit the next morning...
However, we soon had an inkling that we weren't on the right trail or even the right mountain. The trail was soaking wet and slippery with mud and multiple creek crossings, and snow began to appear about a mile after we began the hike. The trail we had meant to go on was reported to be snow-free 3-4 miles up. 
Eventually, we lost the trail entirely and agreed that we were definitely not where we had planned to go. It was starting to get dark, though, so we decided to keep going and look for a dry place to camp.
The patches of snow on the trail were fairly deep and slippery and made for slow going, particularly when we kept postholing and sinking up to our knees in the snow. I even almost fell in a creek that was hidden underneath the snow.
We finally managed to locate a relatively level, snow-free and dry spot and set up camp right before it got dark. Luckily the rain held off, and we managed to stay relatively warm and dry throughout the night.
The next morning we woke up to a bluebird day - bright blue skies, sunny and warm. We had breakfast at this nice little spot and then decided to do some exploring. We were about halfway up one of the walls of the Esmerelda Basin (we later learned, upon consulting a map) and decided to do some off trail scrambling to get up to a viewpoint.
The barely visible rocky peak was our goal. The route was not incredibly steep until we got out of the trees onto a snowfield, and spent an hour or two tentatively picking our way up patches of snow and scree. It was very slow and frustrating going both up and down because, well, I'm afraid of heights!! But the view from the ledge we made it to was very striking and rewarding. The pics from the viewpoint are on DBF's camera so hopefully I will get a chance to post them soon!
Shortly after we reached our tent from this exploring mission, clouds began to roll in over the basin, and we decided to head further out into eastern Washington and do a night of car camping in somewhere with sunnier weather. We ended up camping along the Cle Elum river near Roslyn, in a gorgeous riverside campsite. We set up a fire pit on the rocky island in the middle of the river and ate dinner and drank beers under the stars. It was a warm and cozy night, and we woke up to brilliant blue skies and a warm, sunny morning before reluctantly heading back towards Seattle.
We didn't really end up going where we had planned, and the hiking was definitely challenging, but all in all it ended up being a great weekend!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Upcoming races (for reals!!)
This is my list of upcoming races that I have actually signed up and paid for:
July 15, 2011 - Warrior Dash (3.4 miles)
July 22, 2011 - Seafair Sprint Triathlon relay - swim leg (800M swim)
August 27, 2011 - Lake Sammamish Sprint Triathlon (800M swim, 14 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)
September 10, 2011 - Lake Stevens Olympic Triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run)
I might also throw in the Torchlight 8K run at the end of July if a) I can afford it and b) other people want to do it too. I might potentially try a 1/2 Ironman at the end of September, but only if training goes *really* well. And hopefully a marathon or at least a half later in the fall too!
I just got new running shoes this past weekend, so time to buckle down on some good summer training!
July 15, 2011 - Warrior Dash (3.4 miles)
July 22, 2011 - Seafair Sprint Triathlon relay - swim leg (800M swim)
August 27, 2011 - Lake Sammamish Sprint Triathlon (800M swim, 14 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)
September 10, 2011 - Lake Stevens Olympic Triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run)
I might also throw in the Torchlight 8K run at the end of July if a) I can afford it and b) other people want to do it too. I might potentially try a 1/2 Ironman at the end of September, but only if training goes *really* well. And hopefully a marathon or at least a half later in the fall too!
I just got new running shoes this past weekend, so time to buckle down on some good summer training!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Bike news!!
Today was a pretty perfect day weather-wise for bike riding, and we took advantage of it with a nice ride out to Ballard Locks and then to Golden Gardens. There were a few biking firsts for me on this ride:
1. First time riding clipped in for a reasonable distance (we ended up going almost 19 miles). My left clip was too tight for the first half but once we stopped at a bike shop and got it loosened, they were great!
2. First time biking on the road. This was a little bit scary, particularly in trafficky spots, but it was good for me to practice getting in and out of the clips quickly!
3. First hilly bike ride of the year (especially coming up Stevens Way on UW's campus).
4. First time hitting 16 mph pretty consistently and getting up to 19-20 at top speed.
There were definitely several parts that pushed my comfort zone (biking has never been my strongest/most comfortable phase, and the added getting used to the clips and the road were interesting), but it was definitely helpful and I think I'll feel a lot more confident next time I'm biking something easy like the Burke-Gilman trail!
1. First time riding clipped in for a reasonable distance (we ended up going almost 19 miles). My left clip was too tight for the first half but once we stopped at a bike shop and got it loosened, they were great!
2. First time biking on the road. This was a little bit scary, particularly in trafficky spots, but it was good for me to practice getting in and out of the clips quickly!
3. First hilly bike ride of the year (especially coming up Stevens Way on UW's campus).
4. First time hitting 16 mph pretty consistently and getting up to 19-20 at top speed.
There were definitely several parts that pushed my comfort zone (biking has never been my strongest/most comfortable phase, and the added getting used to the clips and the road were interesting), but it was definitely helpful and I think I'll feel a lot more confident next time I'm biking something easy like the Burke-Gilman trail!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Baking Report - 6/6/2011
I've decided to keep this blog going and make it a bit more well-rounded by adding some hiking/camping reports in addition to the running and triathlon stuff... and might as well add some baking/cooking to it as well!
I made a final round of study treats for Nolan tonight - homemade guacamole, chips, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (above left), and cheesecake cookie dough bars (above right). The cookies and guac turned out yummy (hard to screw those up, pretty basic), and I have to give the cheesecake bars a rave review - they are super rich but soooo delicious, and pretty easy to make. Here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
Crust: 1 1/2 cup graham cracker cookie crumbs, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted), 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Cheesecake filling: 10 ounces cream cheese (softened), 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg (room temperature), 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Cookie dough filling: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened), 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour, 1 cup chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, rack positioned in middle
2. Line 9x9 pan with foil (extending over edges of pan), butter the foil
3. Stir graham cracker cookie crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are moistened, mix in chocolate chips and press crumb mixture into bottom of pan
4. Bake 6 minutes, set aside
5. Mix filling and cookie dough
6. Pour cheesecake filling over crust
7. Drop teaspoonfuls of cookie dough on top of cheesecake filling
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees, until the top feels dry and firm and looks set if shaken gently
9. Drizzle 1/3 cup melted chocolate chips in lines over the top
10. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour
Hike Report: Pratt Lake, 5/29/2011
Decided to head up for a hike on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, as that was supposed to be the nice day. Go figure Seattle weather reports, it was actually Saturday that was sunny. Sunday was cloudy but luckily not raining!
We headed up I-90 to the Granite Mountain trailhead. The trail was dry for the first mile or two, and we were considering heading up Granite, but given that we both had packs and were wary of snow/avalanche conditions, we took the less steep route towards Pratt Lake. It was a 4-5 mile hike each way, the elevation gain a lot more gradual than up to the Granite Lookout. About 1.5-2 miles in after several waterfall crossings, we hit snow... a LOT of snow. It was all packed down, so it was fine to walk on, but I think towards the lake there was at least 4-5 feet of snow. It was weird walking around so close to the treetops!
Near the lake, we got out onto the open ridge and decided to climb up the snowfield (bottom picture) for a lunch break. Being afraid of heights, this part sketched me out a little bit, but I figure it's always good to push out of your comfort zone a little bit. I fell a few times in the snow and even more slipping and sliding back down on the trail, but all in all it was a good hike and good to get some pack time in. No rain, and good company!
Peek-a-boo view of Pratt Lake from our lunch spot. The clouds/fog were rolling in by the time we finished.
This was a pretty steep lunch spot for someone who is afraid of heights!!
We headed up I-90 to the Granite Mountain trailhead. The trail was dry for the first mile or two, and we were considering heading up Granite, but given that we both had packs and were wary of snow/avalanche conditions, we took the less steep route towards Pratt Lake. It was a 4-5 mile hike each way, the elevation gain a lot more gradual than up to the Granite Lookout. About 1.5-2 miles in after several waterfall crossings, we hit snow... a LOT of snow. It was all packed down, so it was fine to walk on, but I think towards the lake there was at least 4-5 feet of snow. It was weird walking around so close to the treetops!
Near the lake, we got out onto the open ridge and decided to climb up the snowfield (bottom picture) for a lunch break. Being afraid of heights, this part sketched me out a little bit, but I figure it's always good to push out of your comfort zone a little bit. I fell a few times in the snow and even more slipping and sliding back down on the trail, but all in all it was a good hike and good to get some pack time in. No rain, and good company!
Peek-a-boo view of Pratt Lake from our lunch spot. The clouds/fog were rolling in by the time we finished.
This was a pretty steep lunch spot for someone who is afraid of heights!!
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