Oh hello. I thought I’d pop in today with some random discoveries around the internets that inspire me, things I’ve enjoyed and found interesting. Apologies for going AWOL last week–I was putting in the final training for my first half-marathon upstate. I ran it successfully, coming in at my goal time for all 13.5 miles (yes, apparently I didn’t start at the front of the starting line). I certainly could run faster, but the biggest takeaway from the race was that at the last minute I thought it might be cool to have people cheering for me so I enlisted my dad, the only one willing to wake up at dawn to drive me to the race and then hang around in the rain for a few hours. Never having run an individual race before, I actually didn’t think it would be important to have people cheering me on because I’m such a lone ranger all the time, but when I rounded mile 7 lost in my thoughts, pushing myself in the rain and I saw my dad there with his cell phone camera ready and cheering me on I was so happy.
At mile 11, running up Purgatory Road (aptly named, probably for the huge hill) I unexpectedly ran into my old neighbors from growing up. I used to babysit for their kids when I was a kid. They were volunteers to guide the way in the race. As I ran by I recognized them through their rain coats and hats. I couldn’t believe they were there. For perspective, of the 50 people that we had at our wedding a few years ago, they were two of our invites. It gave me the energy to get up the hill.
When I was finally in the homestretch, I heard footsteps behind me. Someone had saved their energy for the last mile and was trying to pass me. I’d never actually run more than 11 miles straight, but I certainly wasn’t going to let anyone eclipse me at the last second. I picked up the pace despite my aching legs and ran through the finish line triumphant (according to my own made up running standards). But I couldn’t find my dad. I was kind of sad that I had no one to cheer for me, but then I heard him yelling my name and he caught me in a rare emotional moment holding the medal. Then we took some selfies and I ate the hot veggie pasta and oatmeal cookies the wonderful volunteers provided while we watched some other finishers come in. We got in the car before we started to freeze. As we pulled into my parents house, my mom and husband were getting out of their warm beds — just in time for real breakfast. I’ll have to attempt the waffles my mom served.
All in all it was a memorable experience and I plan to do it again. There really is a meditative joy in running.
I know I keep teasing you with my new flour mixes. I’ve been testing a few fall recipes as well as some baked goods. As a little hint we’ve got some squash-related main dishes coming up and some Turkish-inspired mains. Now that the race is done and some of the fall holidays are out of the way, I’ll be back in the kitchen, keeping the place warm and cozy.
Before the race we went to my cousin’s wedding in Cape Cod and shot a thousand pictures of that magical place. I’ve shared a few here. Below you’ll find a trail of my internet inspiration. Have a wonderful weekend! I’ll hit you up next week with a new recipe.
- I may be late to the avo toast revolution, but late is better than never. How is this a trend that took me so long to adopt?
- Speaking of trends, I’ve been a little bit skeptical of late with regard to the ubiquity of bullet proof coffee. As one who is particularly conscious about heart health I can’t understand how this could be good for you long term. I emailed my cousin who is a heart surgeon and he didn’t dismiss the idea completely, though he wasn’t agreeing with it. I did a little more research and it looks like the argument might be that inducing ketosis, which happens when you eat a high fat, low carb diet, might increase lipid particle size and affect certain ratios, among other things, which may be more accurate indicators of heart health than LDL alone. I just worry that a guaranteed elevated LDL may not be a sustainable plan for long term health.
- Did you ever wonder if we were living in the Matrix? Every once in a while I do wonder about our place in the universe, but dismiss the idea that we’re the characters in a dream or someone else’s video game. Elon Musk thinks we are living in a simulation.
- I’ve been thinking a lot about dedicating more time to wellness. I’ve found myself torn between wanting to be my own boss in this area and having a career in the corporate world. While I no longer measure success by the corporate standards thrust upon me by the legal field, I know I have some self-limiting beliefs, whether they’re grounded in reality or not, they inhibit certain risks that could lead to positive change and I grapple with that.
- Have you ever seen a whale breach the surface? I haven’t, but this video was both scary and beautiful.
- I’ve listened to Dr. Neal Bernard talk on the Rich Roll podcast, but his new book expands upon the Blue zones that Dan Buettner talks about for longevity. He was also on the podcast.
- And lastly is it better to invest in things or experiences. This guy puts his Vitamix and Lin Manuel Miranda to the test.
More recipes next week! xo
Yay! I loved your description of the marathon. Cold, rain, and early… I would proably have stayed in bed. So brave of you – and your dad, who must have been so cold standing there waiting for you to pass – to have gone through with it. It is wonderful that you enjoyed it so much. I glanced at some of your links, and those avocado toast recipes are all mouthwatering; I want them all, but unless I get the half-rotten Peruvian avocados that are currently sold at supermarkets, I’ll have to wait another month or two for French and Spanish avocado season. A good thing it’s a winter fruit, as it makes a perfect, satisfying mid-afternoon snack. Bulletproof coffee… ugh, I keep hearing about this new fad, especially since travelling to the US, but really, like any other food, it is all a matter of moderation and balance. Any food can eventually turn into poison if you have too much of it! Oh well… and those “self-limiting beliefs”… they are so ingrained in our minds! But you’ll move on when you’re ready; be kind and patient with yourself, but keep your eyes – and mind – open for change!
Thanks for such a beautiful comment. Interesting links right? I’m glad you can get some avocados more locally. I’m obsessed with them. I do agree with variety in diet. Bulletproof coffee…i’m a bit of purist when it comes to coffee anyway so…Thanks for the reminder about being patient with change. You’re one of the few people who I know who’ve ever been in my office! So funny. Be well! xoxo
these photos are beautiful! and your description of the half marathon was great — it made me remember my first and … not really miss it. 🙂 around mile 7-8, i got hungry, mile 10 my feet hurt and then mile 12 i was practically bawling. i was so relieved to be done.
I hear you completely. I think I had the same experience. I was hungry then in pain. And I was so mad at the girl who I heard coming in behind me at the last minute that I ran the last mile as fast as the first one which damn near killed me, but no way girl. Just no. I went for a run yesterday and I was really slow. I’m not 100% sure why, but maybe because I took 11 days off for all these other activities. Cape Cod really is beautiful. I love that you’ve experienced some of these races. I have a whole new respect for marathoners now. Enjoy your weekend!
Congratulations on finishing your half marathon! That is so sweet of your dad to cheer you on, especially in the cold rain. 🙂 I love the beautiful photos in this post too. And I’m glad you are enjoying the sweet rewards of running and contemplating wellness and a meaningful life. Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much, Jenny. They all really do work together and it is nice to have some support along the way. I love that you contemplate the same things. 🙂 Be well!
Well done – I knew you could do it!
Your cousin’s wedding looks like a fabulous celebration – I’m going to a Catalan wedding next week in the Consejo de Ciento, followed by and afternoon reception and then another evening reception here: http://www.messynessychic.com/2014/12/16/the-hidden-feast-in-a-barcelona-factory-after-dark/
It promises to be quite a feast, though it’s a bit dark for photography. I’m considering setting up a studio in the corner (no kidding).
As someone who filmed and photographed everything as a teenager and onwards, I liked the Warhol like idea of life being a film. However, if one films everything, when does one get to watch it? As humans, the last century has been the first time where everything could be recorded, but I think we are getting to the point where less is definitely a lot more 🙂
Wow that reception is going to be off the hook! Thanks so much for the congrats. You should definitely set up the film or at least photograph using a faster lens. It’s so unique in that spot. I completely agree with you about being in an age where less is more. With facetime and social media it’s like there’s nothing that goes undocumented. It’s not natural. Nor does it seem very artistic. Weddings are fun. My favorite part is the cake (i know you don’t like cake, but it’s still my fave) and the booze. Enjoy, MD! PS. I emailed Jetpack and they said they were pushing out a fix to the wordpress response issue this week. I hope it works. I don’t know why the plugin stopped working either. I need to become more savvy.
Yes, I think the reception will be quite amazing. I did have some fantastic cake in Barcelona few years ago, where the cream was actually Mascarpone and it was the best cake I’ve ever tasted.
Your response showed up in WP, so hopefully Jetpack have fixed it. The problem may be something dynamic in the code relative to a WP update. So Probably a conflict.
Hasta pronto 🙂
That cake sounds amazing. Glad they fixed the issue. Que te diviertas!
hold up hold up! Did your blog get a lil makeover recently? It’s look so sleek and modern, Amanda!!
Ok but seriously, congratulations again on having run that half marathon, reading this I shared your happiness that your dad was there to witness you bring in an accomplishment like that, you go girl!!
Great pictures from the wedding too, from the looks of it the weather was warm and accommodating 🙂
looking forward to all the goodies you have coming our way, teasing us like this!
<3 <3 <3
Thanks for your sweet comment. I think I’ve been slowly adjusting the site over time, adding code here and there, but I haven’t quite figured out how to get it to translate perfectly to portable devices. Thanks so much for your kudos about the race. So sweet. And the wedding for the weather was perfect. Have a great weekend! It’s always so great to hear from you. xoxo
Same here!!
And if you’re a premium WP member or if you’ve managed to get all fancy and buy a Business WP plan, then you get free WP IT support to help you out, especially on the mobile view part.
I’ve used them a number of times and every single one of their support staff is wonderful
Oh wow. I’m self-hosted now so I have to figure a lot of things out myself. There’s a serious learning curve, but a big community of people who have so much knowledge that are helpful if you have time and ability to read through it. It’s an adventure.
Congratulations on the half marathon! Well done. I’m not a runner but I understand what you mean by meditative joy…I like that. And weddings on Cape Cod are my favorite – that’s where my husband and I got married! Such a magical, special spot. I’m looking forward to your fall recipes.
Thank you, Hannah! So cool that you got married there too! We got engaged there actually. I guess it’s just so beautiful it inspires romance. I’m looking forward to sharing the fall recipes and to reading all of your fall adventures too. Be well! xo
Gosh I think I hadnt read this post yet! I was then so excited about you doing your half marathon, and so proud of you. Such a coincidence that you bumped into your old friends at the 11 mile mark.
I had sort of stopped running -some life things got in the way- but am back at it now. Not doing any half marathons thank you, but just got some running gear that should equip me through the colder months (so I can’t use the “its too cold” excuse) and I’ve gone running a few times this week.
Very interesting your links, especially re- coffee and I also often think we live in a matrix. I’m big on avo toast too. So funny, Mr H though I had invented avo toast (he obviously doesn’t live in the food blogging world) and was so disappointed when he accidentally came across it in the internet recently hahaha
xxx
So funny that you’d write this today. I had put in for a lottery for the NYC half a and I got in last night. Does this mean I have to run in winter?! We’ll have to train in cold weather together!
Yes we’ll have to! 🙂 You’ll have to more than though, as I don’t have any intention of running that much, lol…
I thought getting in would be a long shot :/