P.S. The Cheesecake

I can't believe I forgot to mention the delicious cheesecake Michael and I received for our anniversary. Our dear friend Laura, who lives in Brooklyn, sent us a Junior's cheesecake, which is Michael's favorite. Of course, I love it too, but one of Michael's favorite desserts is cheesecake, and his favorite cheesecake just happens to be a New York classic found only in the Big Apple. Thank God for overnight delivery and dry ice!

And thank you, Laura!!

One Year Anniversary

On May 23, 2009, Michael and I said our vows and became husband and wife. Yesterday, we celebrated our first anniversary. It was a wonderful anniversary weekend. On Saturday, we went to the zoo together and enjoyed seeing the new polar bear exhibit (polar bears are one of my favorite animals).
We also bought a treadmill, and spent half an hour trying to finagle it into the house. It still has yet to make it the basement, which is supposed to be its permanent home. I put it to the test though with a 14 mile run, and the treadmill and I both survived.

For dinner, we tried out a Greek restaurant just up the street that we've been wanting to go to for a while. They had flaming Saganaki, which alone would make me want to return, but the gyro and lamb kabobs were also tasty.

On Sunday morning, I made pancakes for us, and we exchanged cards. Turns out we both purchased Papyrus cards from different Targets last Friday and almost bought the same one. A year in, and we're already thinking alike. We went to church and the grocery store like we always do on Sundays, but in the afternoon we went to see Date Night, which we both thought was funny and appropriate for an anniversary movie. Michael made reservations at Akai Hana for dinner, where we devoured a party boat of sushi. Yum!

The activities were great, but it was the conversation and company that really made this weekend special. I love you, babe!

Durmstrang

Sometimes when I learn or discover something new, what I realize is how little of the world I really know. For example, there was a reference to Sturm and Drang in the book I'm currently reading (Cutting for Stone). At first I thought, That seems so familiar, but I don't know what it means. Naturally, I did what I always do when I don't know something: I Googled it. Apparently, Sturm and Drang was an anti-Enlightenment movement in Germany in the late 18th century, and it is commonly translated as Storm and Stress*. That, however, is not why it was familiar to me. I have not studied much of the various movements in music, art, and literature, not as much as I would have liked anyway. No, it was familiar because of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling named one of the other wizarding schools Durmstrang. I'm sure it's not a coincidental spoonerism, and I'm even more sure that countless people realized this connection long before I did. But in case you didn't, I'm glad I could share my enlightenment with you.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang

Florida trip

Where does the time go? Michael and I went to Florida two and a half weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. A friend of ours from college invited us to her wedding in Anna Maria Island, and we were only too happy to attend. Not only did we get to be the sole representatives from her time in Arizona and be blessed to be a part of this joyous and important occasion in her life, we also got to make a vacation out of it. We spent some time on the beach, ate great food (both wedding-related and at restaurants), and enjoyed seeing the bride and groom and meeting the other guests. After a great couple days of wedding festivities, Michael and I headed back to grandma's to get in some family quality time too. We had lunch at a place called RJ Gators, and I can hardly believe myself, but I tried alligator! That's right. It was in the form of popcorn chicken, but I wouldn't say it tasted like chicken. The texture was somewhere between chicken and clams, but the flavor came mostly from the spicy batter in which it was fried. It was actually pretty good.

The beginning of a bird pyramid

After breakfast on the pier

With the bride before the ceremony

Picture perfect setting for saying "I do"

Making pizza with grandma

Waterlogged

The weather in Columbus lately has been beautiful. I absolutely adore the spring colors, the flowers, the blossoming trees. People always talk about how pretty autumn is, and I agree, but I think spring doesn't get enough credit. Perhaps it is because so many people are suffering from allergies that they have trouble appreciating the beauty surrounding them. I am sorry for those of you who are sufferering, but as I don't have any allergies, I am totally and completely loving spring. The sun, the warmth, the delicious smells and gorgeous sights of all the blooming life.

Of course, all this life needs to be watered. Here comes the rain. On Friday, there was a nice little April shower. Clouds moved in that morning, and when I got home after school, I was pretty sure that if I didn't lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement soon, I might be tempted to stay inside once the drops started falling. About five minutes into the run, I was being misted. It was actually kind of pleasant, but ten minutes later, I was in the middle of a torrential downpour. I could barely see and was 100% soaked through. As I headed home, I was a complete mess. I had one eye closed as water had gotten in and shifted my contact, and I looked like I had just jumped in a lake. Just as I rounded the corner of my street, the rain turned back to mist, naturally, but I was done for. Two and a half miles, and I probably had two and a half cups of water to squeeze out of my clothes and shoes. Despite all that, it really wasn't so bad except I think the water got into the Nike+ sensor in my shoe. It hasn't worked since, so I'm headed out today to get a new one. Note to self: Remove sensor before running in the rain.

Not all things are made equal

Two years ago, when I was living in New York, the city became the first "in the country to implement a law forcing chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price"*. Based on that law, the new health care legislation includes a requirement for chains across the country to post calorie information on their menus and drive-through signs**. I completely support this particular aspect of the law. Sure, I can look up nutrition information online, as I did to get the numbers below. Nearly all restaurants post their food facts on their websites, but I like being able to see in the moment I'm about to order what it is I'm getting. One might think that a burger at one restaurant would be similar, nutritionally, to one at another restaurant. I had assumed that the new blended coffee beverages at McDonald's would be similar to Starbucks' Frappuccinos. I couldn't be more wrong. Out of curiosity, I did some comparing online and discovered the shocking differences between blended coffee beverages all over the place. Here are just a few examples:

Bruegger's Mocha Brueggaccino (16 oz.)

640 calories

29 g of fat

82 g of sugar

0% calcium (is there no milk in there?)

McDonald's Frappe Mocha (16 oz.)

560 calories (480 w/o whipped cream)

24 g of fat (18 w/o whipped cream)

70 g of sugar

25% calcium

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino (16 oz.)

380 calories (260 w/o whipped cream)

15 g of fat (3.5 w/o whipped cream)

47 g of sugar

20% calcium

I could have TWO Starbucks drinks (w/o whipped cream) for fewer calories than either of the other two versions. Maybe some people prefer making uninformed decisions about what they put in their body. Ignorance is bliss and all that. Personally, I'm very much looking forward to calorie counts being posted as soon as possible.

*http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25464987

**http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/business/24menu.html

Oh, the pain

In case any of you in my small group of regular readers out there were under the impression that this marathon training thing is easy, let me clear that right up. It is REALLY challenging. Sure, I've been telling you that the runs are going pretty well. Sure, I've been good about sticking to the training schedule. And sure, I ran 13 miles last Saturday and managed to beat my goal time of 2 hours and 10 minutes. But it is NOT easy.

Last week, the training program really upped my miles. I ran six on Monday, three on Tuesday, six on Wednesday, two on Friday, and thirteen on Saturday, for a total of 30 miles in one week. That's what I used to average in a month. On Wednesday, I felt tired and sluggish. My pace was really slow, and I did not want to keep running. I think there are a lot of factors to how any given run feels and how well I perform. What did I have to eat in the last 24 hours? How much sleep did I get? What's the weather like? How well did I stretch? All these factors coalesce, and I might feel great or miserable. On Saturday, I could tell a huge difference in my energy level from the week before because I had eaten well. However, my quads were killing me for the last four miles because I need to strengthen and stretch them more.

On days, or even on certain miles of a run, when I feel like quitting, I rely on my mind more than my body to get me through. I imagine having Bob or Jillian (from The Biggest Loser) at my side pushing me to keep going the way they push the contestants on their show. I imagine that I'm actually in a race and that any cars or people I see along the way are there to cheer me on. I think about how far I've come, how I can hardly believe this is me running this far, how amazing my feet, ankles, calves, knees, and thighs are for carrying me, for moving me forward. And, like I mentioned last week, I rely on the strength of God and think about how much He has blessed me. If I can do this, I think anyone can. Like so much in life, it really comes down to putting your mind to it.

P.S. I'm still sore from Saturday, and I'm walking around like I just got off a horse. Hopefully a good stretch, followed by today's five miles, and another good long stretch will help ease the pain.