WIAW and Countdown to Maui

The countdown has officially begun! We are leaving in T-minus 24 hours, and I have even received my super cool e-boarding pass. We usually fly Southwest, so this will be our first time using our phones to get through security!

We're even all packed up!

Today was crazy at work. But then, this entire year has been crazy. I feel like the days just fly by, which can be great sometimes, but when do I get to breathe and catch up? Summer, I suppose. So as I ran around today, I vaguely remembered that I'm actually supposed to take pictures of my food on Wednesdays. Here's what I ate:

Breakfast on the go

Lunch

Afternoon snack #1

Afternoon snack #2

Dinner - vegetable burritos

:-)

Did you notice we added spinach to our smoothies? We have a bunch we're trying to use up before we leave tomorrow, and I've heard around the blogosphere that spinach in smoothies doesn't affect the taste. Absolutely true, and a great way to squeeze in my 5 fruits and vegetables! The rest of the day involved a lot of peanut-related items. Not shocking, but I could definitely mix it up more. And that veggie burrito was surprisingly delicious! Terry made the taco seasoning, and it tasted perfect.

Among all the cleaning-out-the-fridge-style eating today, I squeezed in a workout. Combining my half marathon training and my Best Body Bootcamp training is working out surprisingly well! Today, Hal Higdon wanted me to run 3 miles or cross train, and Tina suggested another awesome stabilization workout. To satisfy both, I tackled a hodgepodge of cardio (10 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes bike, 5 minutes incline walking) and then hit the stability ball and dumbbells. Tina's moves certainly got me laughing at myself; I giggled every time I fell over during the split squats. The cat found it pretty entertaining, too.

Alright, folks. Off to finish tidying up and get in some cuddles with the kitten before we leave him!

Wait, you're leaving?! PARTY!!!

Ice Bath

How did Tuesday go for you? Did you make it through alright? Sometimes Tuesdays are tough at work because the students seem even more tired than Mondays, but today my kids kept me super energized. I got a LOT done at work, and I'm feeling like I might actually be organized and ready to go on Thursday evening!

Terry was actually home sick today, and he almost never stays home from work. I knew he must have been feeling badly when last night he said he was thinking about calling in sick. But I hope he gets better soon, and I hope he doesn't get me sick, because we are at T-minus two days to our departure for Maui! 

Since the Ter-meister was sick, I was on my own for running today, and I decided to tackle our training program's 4.5 miles on the treadmill. I mentioned yesterday that I'm participating in Tina's Best Body Bootcamp for the next 8 weeks. Yesterday focused on stabilization, which actually made me a little sore today. Today's assignment was cardio - perfect for my training schedule! 

All day, I dreamed about intervals. (Is that weird?) Perhaps because I knew Terry wouldn't be running with me (he hates treadmill running), I got myself all psyched up about a HIIT workout. It was going to be so good. Here was the plan:

Of course, change speeds to your fitness level.

Yeah, it was going to be beautiful and sweaty and exhausting. But here's how it really went down:

• 0:00-6:00: "Hey, treadmill. I'm going to kick your ass today. Well, Britney Spears and I are, anyway."
• 6:00-8:00: "Hmm...my knee's aching a little. Hopefully it just needs a good warm up."
• 7:00-10:00: Stop to stretch/rub knee every minute or so. Guy on the next treadmill asks if I'm okay. "Yep, I'm good." Just, you know, watching my brilliant plan go down the drain.
• 10:00: "Okay! All systems go! Knee feels warm and good! Hello, intervals!"
• 18:00-30:00: "Hmm...my other knee is aching. FML." Keep pace at 6.5.
• 30:00-44:00: "Still a little iffy. Okay, this sucks. So much for the awesome plan. Let's just try to get through 4.5 miles without hurting myself."

So that's what I did. I ran the rest of the way at 6.8 or so mph, bitter at my knees for ruining the potential awesomeness of my exciting new routine. But then, when I had finished, I couldn't help but feel great. Come on, 4.5 miles? Even without crazy intervals, that's pretty great! Setting goals is awesome, but not achieving them is okay, too. As I complained to Terry about my run, I realized that it could have been a lot worse; I could have actually injured myself or not worked out at all. So I got over myself and recited the following:

• One intense workout is not worth getting hurt.
• There will be other days, other runs, other opportunities to go hardcore.
• I'm pushing my body in ways I haven't before, and I need to respect my own limits.
• Listening to my body and honestly assessing my ability/comfort/well-being should always be my priority.

So then I jumped in an ice bath.

What?! Me, the girl who is chilly in 85-degree weather? Well, my friends Kellie and Rox, far more experienced runners than I, recommended soaking (clothes on) in an ice bath after long runs. I know today wasn't exactly long by comparison to some, but my body was obviously aching for some TLC. So I hopped slowly eased in, whining and shrieking the whole way. The cat thought I was crazy.

After just a few minutes, it actually felt pretty good! Apparently it will help reduce swelling and soreness and help my muscles recover faster. It felt best on my sore feet - particularly my surgery foot.

Scout's still a little skeptical, but I'm sold. 

Then again, he hangs out in bags, so who is he to judge?

One other exciting piece of news today:

BLWB business cards! Yeah, that's right, things are getting official around here. I ordered these cards because lately I've noticed lots of situations where people ask me about my blog in person, which is great. But scribbling the name of my blog on an old envelope is not exactly what I would call classy. Plus, it'll be great to have a more official way to keep in contact with folks I might meet at conferences or retreats. So my incredibly talented husband designed a phenomenal logo for the blog!

How amazing is that? And he did it all for free! Well, not for free. I mean, he does eat about 75% of the food I make around here. But still, I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband/VP of Technological Affairs. We ordered the cards through Vista Print, the site that also made our wedding save the dates. The site allows you to upload your own designs, and you can order literally ANYTHING: wedding invitations, magnets, return address labels, keychains, mugs, t-shirts...all at a very reasonable price! Check them out next time you need personalized products!

Dinner tonight came courtesy of a little treat in the mail:

I know Michelle knows where this bad boy is from.

Chipotle! (With sick husband...poor thing.)

My choice: burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, peppers, onions, mild salsa, guacamole, and LOTS of lettuce.

We hadn't been to Chipotle in awhile, but it's actually pretty easy to make healthy choices here. Plus, at buy one, get one free, we couldn't resist!

Lastly, I'd like to share a few fun reads for those needing a Wednesday morning pick-me-up:

• Real food for guys who might think it's girly to care about what you eat
• Tina's ode to breakfast and why breakfast is so important!
• Gina's YouTube workouts roundup - perfect for at-home workouts!

I hope you have a brilliant Wednesday! 

Happy Birthday to My Brother!

That's right, folks, it's this guy's birthday!

Feeding ostriches in Aruba. You know, like usual.

More on that in a minute. I just want to quickly share with you a new adventure that's starting today!

(Source)

Tina is running a program called Best Body Bootcamp, and I will be participating for the next eight weeks. The program focuses on different types of workouts, including stabilization and strength, and I can do it along with my half marathon training.

The program also requires those participating to create two goals for ourselves. Since I already aim to stretch 5 times per week and eat a green vegetable every day, I chose 1) eat 5 different fruits and vegetables every day and 2) go to sleep by 10:30 pm every night. The first could be anyone's goal - I think it's truly difficult to incorporate variety and quantity in our produce intake, but it's a good challenge. The other is because I feel a million times better going to sleep at 10:30 than I do at 11:00, so I need to write down this goal and make it public so I'm accountable.

The really cool thing about this bootcamp is that Tina collected a ton of sponsors! These brands will be providing giveaways to people who stay consistent in the challenge. I only wish I had signed up sooner and told you all about it so you could participate with me! But I have a strong feeling that Tina will be hosting another awesome bootcamp in the future, given the early success of this one. You can check out the sponsors here. So please root me on! If I win a prize, I'll share it with you tell you about it! I'll track most of my progress on Facebook and Twitter, so like/follow me there to get the scoop.


Happy Birthday, Chris!


My older brother, Chris, lives in Concord, California. He is only two years older than I am, so we grew up very close and still talk a lot on the phone, though we don't get to see each other nearly enough.

My favorite memories of my brother include playing Super Mario Brothers 3 on Saturday mornings,  playing the "Make Me Laugh" game (I always lost), and other ridiculous games we made up as kids, like "Skid Kid" where we slid down the hallway in our socks (into mattresses, I think?).

Chris is getting married this fall to his gorgeous fiancee, Ashley.

From our cruise in 2010

Our whole family loves Ashley, and we are so excited to officially be sisters!

Chris and Ashley have two handsome dogs, Achilles and Tango.

Achilles

Tango

 Chris graduated from Chico State University and now works as a Project Manager/Estimator for a major construction company. I've always been jealous that my brother is good at everything he does - skiing, wake boarding, water skiing, sports - and now he's awesome at his job, too. Also, he's fantastic at grilling.

For the most part, my brother and I really couldn't be more different. We look nothing alike -

At my wedding last year

- and those who know us generally can't believe we're from the same parents. He's super laid back and can sleep anywhere; I don't know the meaning of the word relax and usually can't sleep well in my own bed. He's the fun-loving social butterfly, and I'm more serious (though I try not to be) and way less exciting. I was always a book worm; Chris prefers The Simpsons.

We do have a few weird sibling commonalities, though. We both always need to have the TV/radio volume at an increment of 0 or 5. We also both do this weird thing where, when we're driving, we click our teeth when our car aligns with markers on the side of the road, like lampposts. We also both love TV, but that's not super weird.

 Luckily, we get to see Chris and Ashley on Friday in Maui! My whole family will be there, and I can't wait.

This picture made me crack up. What are they looking at? Why so serious? 

Happy birthday, Chris! Love you! (Are you embarrassed?)

Farmers' Market and BBQ

What a beautiful day in LA! Clear skies and 85 degrees - not bad for March 4th! Terry took off super early this morning for some scuba work play, and I slept in a little before making myself another egg-and-bacon wrap. This time I added spinach, and it was delightful.

Bacon, eggs, spinach, pepper jack cheese, and a whole wheat tortilla.

I spent most of the morning puttering around the house, cleaning a little, organizing a little going through some paperwork. Then around 11:15 I decided I would walk to the farmers' market as my cross training. My knee has been aching all day, so I wasn't up for anything high impact, especially after yesterday's run. So I power walked up to the market, about 3.4 miles round trip. I only bought strawberries and a few loaves of bread, so the walk back wasn't too bad - just HOT!

Warm weather = big crowds

Yeah, not a bad walk home

For lunch, I enjoyed my leftover sandwich from Panino from yesterday, at which point my friend Jenn invited Terry and I to a barbecue for dinner.

The weather really was perfect for a barbecue, so I'm glad Jenn and Justin suggested it. We also got to check out a park we've never visited before, and we will definitely be going back! It was beautiful, peaceful, and quite big. Perfect for picnics, outdoor games, and running. Since it's about 3 miles from our apartment, it'll be perfect for our long runs.

Jenn and Justin took care of most of the dinner: BBQ jerk chicken, bok choy, green salad, and homemade guacamole with chips. We provided a fruit salad and some adult beverages. :-) Everything was delicious and perfect for an outdoor meal. During dinner, Terry reminded me that we should try more marinades for chicken, so look forward to that! The highlight for me was Jenn's salad, which included pickled beets and blue cheese. YUM!

Jenn's fresh guacamole

Gettin' fancy with my photo skills

BBQ Jerk chicken

With the grillmaster!

Jenn's salad 

Bananas, kiwi, strawberries, and blueberries

After dinner, a round of bocce in the dark gave us all a good laugh, and we packed up by 6:30! Yes, we are wild party animals. Be jealous. Terry and I stopped at Twist, our favorite frozen yogurt shop, on the way home and split a sweet treat. Now we're settled in for the evening, reading and relaxing before a hectic work week. We leave Thursday evening for Maui!

I hope you had a lovely weekend! What are your goals this week? How are you going to eat healthy and work out?

Santa Ynez Wine Tasting

What a truly wonderful Saturday! Terry and I woke up at the not-too-early, not-too-late time of 7:45 and leisurely prepared for our run. It was HOT in LA today, and even at 9:00 we felt the dry heat sucking all moisture out of our skin and vital organs. Too dramatic? Well, it was a rough one. We drank lots of water yesterday and last night, drank water before our run, and drank water during our run, but we both felt dehydrated the entire time. Any runners our there have suggestions for running in heat? It's only March! Anyway, while it felt terrible, the numbers don't look bad:

I definitely needed a LOT more rest stops throughout the run, but Terry chose a great route. We ran all the way to 4th Street, right above Santa Monica's famous 3rd Street Promenade. And the entire time, we kept saying that we'll be doing our 8-mile run next weekend in Hawaii!! Talk about hot, right?

After our run, I cooked up some eggs and bacon wrapped in a tortilla.

Excellent protein to refuel!

And then we were off to Santa Ynez for wine tasting!

Terry and I love to visit Santa Ynez and have returned about three times per year since our first visit in 2007. We have a few must-see spots that we absolutely recommend for anyone visiting the California Central Coast.

A: Bridlewood Winery
B: Panino
C: Carhartt
D: Foley Estates Winery
E: Lincourt Winery

Happy, relaxing Saturday!

Bridlewood Winery
Bridlewood, known mostly for its phenomenal syrahs, always provides at least two or three syrahs on its tasting list. The reds and blends are our favorites, but we've also found a few whites that we enjoy. The grounds are also truly beautiful, with places to picnic and a horse track below the main grounds. If you become a member, Bridlewood hosts fantastic parties with food, barrel tastings, and opportunities to meet other wine lovers! I think our favorite thing about Bridlewood is the excellent service we receive every time we visit.

Bridlewood Winery

Panino Sandwich Shop

Panino is our favorite lunch spot in Santa Ynez. They have locations in Santa Barbara and Solvang as well, but our favorite is in Los Olivos. My favorite sandwich is the Roast Turkey (#1), which includes the most incredible honey mustard and generous amounts of turkey. Panino has indoor and outdoor seating, some beer and wine options, and a friendly staff.

Enjoyed at Carhartt

Carhartt
Carhartt is a small winery (and very small tasting room!) in Los Olivos. It's completely family-run, and today we were served by mom and son. You won't get better quality service than here. The little patio in the back was the perfect setting for our lunch today!

Foley Wines
We can't say enough good about Foley. It's a little out of the way, but the beautiful drive and seriously delicious wines make it worth the trek. Foley is known more for its red wines, and they are excellent. We like the staff, wines, and the fact that joining the club gives us reciprocal benefits at Foley's sister wineries.

Lincourt Wines
Lincourt was one of our favorites when we first started visiting Solvang, and it's one of the sister wineries to Foley. It is one of the few Central Coast wineries we've found that specializes in white wines. The reds are decent, too, but the sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are particularly great. We've gotten to do several barrel room tastings at Lincourt, which is always great. Our only complaint here is that it gets very crowded (all wineries do, on Saturdays), and the staff tends to appear overwhelmed. Sometimes we get poor service, which is frustrating as wine club members. On the other hand, the grounds are lovely for picnics, and the location is very near the miniature horse farms, which, as my dad says, are "the cutest damn things!"

Other
Andersen Bakery - in the town of Solvang. Delicious and fresh Danish pastries and cookies.
Aebleskiver - at Solvang Restaurant, these sweet treats are similar to waffles or pancakes and are topped with a raspberry jam and powdered sugar.
Paula's Pancakes - Terry's dad grew up near Santa Ynez and introduced us to this terrific restaurant, popular among the locals for Sunday breakfast.

If you have suggestions for must-see places in Santa Ynez, please comment below for readers to see!

The Willingness to Change

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you had a fantastic week and are looking forward to the weekend. Any plans? We're going wine tasting tomorrow! ...After our seven mile run. UGH. As the runs get longer, we dread them more, but we love the feeling of accomplishment afterward. I can only hope the races themselves will feel even better!

Tonight Terry and I met up with two of our friends for dinner at a Japanese market in West LA. Terry, Justin, and April enjoyed some ramen while I ordered the vegetable tempura. Except sushi, I haven't had too much Japanese food, and I reminded myself tonight that we should really take advantage of living in such a diverse city. Within a one-mile radius of our apartment, we can enjoy Persian, French, Italian, Japanese, American, Mexican, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. And Diddy Riese cookies, too. :-)

After dinner, Justin led us on a tour of the market.

Terry just wanted to visit the candy aisle.

Aaaand we bought some.

And now for a completely different topic...

This week, two separate conversations got me thinking about influencing others to be healthy, and I'm eager to hear from you about this one. During a Twitter Fitblog chat on Tuesday, another blogger, Carley, mentioned that she helped inspire a family member lose 25 pounds. She wrote that in order to truly help someone else, they first have to be willing to make the change.

Similarly, at our dinner event with Coach Jim Mora the other night, Coach Mora spoke about not just wanting to succeed but being willing to succeed. That means not just saying or thinking that you want something but actually taking the steps (literally, in some cases) to accomplish it.

The connection here is the willingness. I think it's often easy to dream up goals or fantasize about end results, but lack of willingness to go out and do what we need to do is where we often fail. As for inspiring or motivating others to be healthy, I imagine that Carley's comment is right: You can't help them until they are willing to help themselves.

My question is this: If you have a person in your life who exhibits unhealthy habits, is there anything you can do to influence them to make a change?


Luckily, drug- and alcohol-related problems now have intervention and rehabilitation methods that have proven extremely successful for a lot of people. But these types of programs are less widely available for folks who struggle with diet and exercise issues.


I assume most people have been in a situation where you watch someone you love (hell, even someone you don't really like) hurt themselves or not take care of themselves. But if they are unwilling to or uninterested in making a change, is there a way to help?

I wish I could provide an answer here. But I don't think there is one answer; I think there are options out there that might work in some situations. Here are ways I try to influence others around me:

• Lead by example. If I let my friends know that I can't meet them for happy hour because I need to get my workout in, maybe they'll all be willing to join me for a run - and then we can go get our drinks!
• Gently provide some reading material. Reading In Defense of Food and Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan changed my life, and I'm always happy to suggest them to others. We recommend novels, so why not informative texts, too?
• Invite your loved one(s) to join you for some healthy activities. Maybe you want to try a new healthy recipe at home and invite your friend over to be your taste tester. Maybe you are eager to walk/hike/bike/run a new trail or try a new yoga class and you ask if your sister would join. They may say no, but you can keep trying.
• Take charge. I have to admit that when Terry and I started our 30-day Let's Eat In Challenge (<--my first post!), I was nervous about how others would react. I thought they might not take it seriously and expect us to cheat certain days to hang out with them. Well, my friends completely proved me wrong. When we all decided to get together for a lunch, Terry and I reminded them we'd need to pack something from home (we also were happy to eat separately if they wanted to go to a restaurant). But they all jumped on board! We packed a huge picnic together and enjoyed it immensely. Give people a chance to surprise you!

I do not believe in preaching about my lifestyle, and I certainly don't want others to feel uncomfortable or annoyed around me. But when you love someone, you can't help but worry and wish the best for them. 

I'd LOVE to hear from you about this topic. Have you ever motivated someone else to make positive changes in his or her life? What advice do you have for me or other readers about how to help their loved ones take those first steps? Respond below or e-mail me at abetterlifewithburgers@gmail.com!

Be a Champion

As I mentioned yesterday, Terry and I had the distinct privilege and honor of meeting UCLA's new head football coach, Jim Mora, last night. As ridiculously dedicated Bruin fans, we love our team no matter what, but it's been a rough few years. So when we also got to hear Coach Mora speak about how he is going to transform our players into champions. He even brought a PowerPoint presentation. This stuff was serious.

But as Coach Mora spoke, I realized that becoming a champion in football is very similar to becoming a champion in any aspect of life, particularly healthy living (oh, come on, you knew I was going to tie it in somehow). One part that really stood out to me was the idea of being a champion all the time. He said (I wish I had taken notes, but it was a dinner thing so it would have been super awkward) something like, "To be a champion you need to act like a champion during the game, after the game, and after that."

YES!

You can't just want it ("it" hereafter shall refer to whatever goal you are trying to achieve, whether it be lose weight, stay healthy, eat better, run a marathon, fit in your skinny jeans, walk a mile, you get the idea) sometimes. You have to want it all the time. Every day, yes, but every hour and every minute, too. You have to breathe it. It has to become your focus. That's what champions do.

Champions don't just think about football at practice and games. They find ways to practice more at home, or to eat the best foods for their bodies, or to study the plays... (maybe I should have asked Terry for some help on the football metaphors). The point is, a champion gives 110% on the field (gym, kitchen, whatever) and everywhere else. Another blogger, Fit Food Junkie, brought up a great point yesterday about how we can't complete a crazy workout and then order a pizza. We need to eat, breathe, sleep, work out, live like champions!

Now, that's not to say that the occasional splurge isn't exactly what a champion needs wants. Tonight, after a great day at work and staying to help with our school's track meet, I sat in traffic and dealt with crazy LA drivers that made me want to cry. What did we do? Threw on our running shoes like champions! And ran four miles in the cold (54 degrees is cold after 8 years of living in LA). And then, going against everything I just said, we ran our little booties all the way to Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers, a delicious burger joint in Brentwood.

Post-run cutie

Beer.

Sweet potato fries - fresh and hot and delicious.

Looking so sweaty and excited about my bacon burger.

Terry's VooDoo burger.

But we are excited to be champions in the future, and I would say that I consciously try to think and act like a champion when it comes to my health. Of course, nights like tonight show me that there is always room for improvement!

Are you a huge fan of a sports team? Where do your loyalties lie? 
We're Bruins through and through, but I also root for the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. I won't mention my husband's baseball team here, and I know that will make my brother and future sister-in-law proud.