see Sam run Saturdays: Bitch Mode: ON

I know I've been absent on Here Comes Healthy Little Me for a few Saturdays, I do apologize and I'll tell you why I've been MIA...

My life is bat shit crazy right now.

I am a grad student. That should be explanation enough, but allow me to elaborate.

This summer marks the third summer I've lived in North Carolina. I came here for the sole purpose of obtaining a Master's degree in science, specifically in the field of geology (specifically, specifically in the sub-field of invertebrate paleontology). It's suppose to take two years, but a variety of things have happened and, let's face it, I'm not deeply passionate about my research (my true love is for the world of vertebrates), so it has taken a bit longer than usual to grind out a thesis. I am suppose to defend said thesis at the end of July.

 How much have I gotten completed?

I'd say a solid 50% and I may be exaggerating a tad.

Also, since I don't get paid in the summer for being a teaching assistant at the local university, I needed to acquire a job - because I like to eat and have running water. I was encouraged to apply for a position as an instructor at the university's prestigious  marine oriented summer camp (attended primarily by children of the area's nerdy, wealthy, white well-to-do's). I SEVERELY underestimated the work, time and professionalism/seriousness this camp expects from its employees. Every staff member is at the tip-top of their field, they all have significant research experience, have studied abroad, and in every way make you feel like you're dragging your knuckles on the ground and grunting to communicate. This is no regular summer camp, people. (It has it's perks like kayaking, snorkeling, being out on a research vessel, shark dissecting etc...)

 Anyway, it has required training for the past week from 9:00am to 4:30pm (out in the sun) and oh, did I mention in order to be employed you must be Lifeguard certified (I guess people don't want their kids to drown-pshh)? And so lifeguard training is from 6:00pm until 9:00pm three days a week. For those three days out of the week I am home for literally 30-45 minutes and I fall into bed when I walk through the door that night so I can be semi awake by 6:30am the next morning to start it all over again.

On top of that our house is for rent and we have strange people ringing our doorbell and scheduling appointments to come view the house at all times of the day.

On top, TOP of that my husband is/has moved back to Georgia to attend grad school for himself (and has come home for the weekend before he's gone until I move out and I move in with yours truly, HealthyLittleMe, until the middle of August).

On top, top, TOP of that I have two dogs that need to be walked.

On top, top, top, TOP of that I have a cold (and my hair turned a beautiful shade of green from chlorine).

On top, top, top, top, TOP of that there's that pesky thesis to finish (I'll pay mediocre money for you to write it for me).

I know this is a fitness related blog and so here's how my diet and exercise routine looks at the moment:

Breakfast: 6:30am- toothpaste

Lunch: 12:00pm- sandwhiches, pizza, fruit cups or whatever camp decided to feed us that day for lunch.

Snack: 4:30pm- spoonful of peanut butter and/or cookies

Dinner: 9:30pm- Ramen noodles (chicken flavor)

Exercise: Moving equipment from storage to van, from van to classrooms; kayaking marsh/estuaries; swimming 300+ meters; learning water rescue skills and pulling people out of the YMCA pool and onto backboards; running to and from the car.

I also demolished an ENTIRE package of Chips Ahoy cookies in two days. By myself. It was the highlight of my week (other than hubby coming home, of course).

That's why I've been MIA for a bit. I apologize, readers. I hope to be able to contribute more substantial content in the near future, but until then, be prepared to to hear my whining, stories of unruly camp kids, and maybe the rare positive/motivated nugget thrown in here and there.

Happy Saturday. Make the most of it! (I'm going to spend the remaining hours with the hubs and my fur babies before all three disappear back to Georgia tomorrow.) August can't arrive soon enough!

PS- The heat index was 104 Thursday... WTF?!

Domestic Little Me

So, my 10k got cancelled. Womp womp.

And as nervous as I was about it, I'm actually really bummed that it's not happening. But there might be a 5k I can jump in that Saturday morning at a local Blueberry Festival so whatever. What's a girl to do?

Yesterday's dinner party-ish turned out great. My inner-feminist screams at me when I say this but, someone should seriously buy me a frilly apron because my domestic skills are on point. And by "on point", I mean I can successfully somewhat follow a recipe, mix wine and fruit together in a pitcher, and serve dinner on paper plates. But hey - still an improvement from my old self!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad - a nice, summery take on pasta salad.

(PS - don't drink a Big Gulp of coffee before snapping pictures or your shit will look shaky like this)

I got the recipe here.

And my new favorite thing to make in the kitchen - SANGRIA! It's super easy to make and let's face it: you look classy as shit when you serve it to your guests.

Here's the Healthy Little Me Quick Guide to sangria. You will need:

• Fruit - a lot of it and a lot of different kinds. You really can't go wrong here but I used lemons, orange, limes, blueberries, grapes, and strawberries. (Last time I threw in some peaches and kiwi - it's really whatever you have or want to use.)
• Wine - You probably need two or three bottles of it. I usually use Cabernet Sauvignon but you could do a white sangria and use white wine, too. My trick is this: use one bottle of nice wine and one bottle of cheap wine (no one will ever notice and you won't go broke making it). Oak Creek $3 and some $7 wine from Chile I found at Trader Joe's. The cool thing about sangria is that it's easy to remake on the spot when your running out but still have thirsty mouths. Add another bottle of wine to the pitcher with some sparking water and BOOM! more for everyone.
• Tonic water/Club Soda/Ginger Ale - but I actually use the sparking fruit flavored water because it has no calories and tastes better. I use the lemon/lime kind. Annnnd it's super cheap (I think I paid $0.60 for a liter).
• Some people tell you to add Brandy and if you want to be an overachiever, go right ahead. To me, this is an extra step that involves me having to visit the liquor store and you honestly don't notice its absence so I never use it.

And BAM! Put it in the fridge for a few hours and you're golden!

Nice wine, cheap wine, and sparkling water.

I totally forgot to snap some photos of the kabobs but they were equally delicious. I did half chicken/half steak with red onions, red bell pepper, zucchini, and squash.

So yeah, I'm high-fiving myself for putting that little dinner together. It's definitely leaps and bounds from my old dinner parties of hotdogs and PBR.

What are some delicious summer recipes that you like to use?

Slow Poke - The Curse of the 12 Minute Mile

Lately my running has been, well, lacking. And I don't know what's up.

Since the 10k in April, I've maintained a constant running schedule with 2 to 4 mile runs. When scheduling permits (and it usually does), I've tried keeping with this around 4 times per week. And I'm definitely getting the mileage in - but I am getting slower! What?!

Yesterday I ran 3.71 miles and BARELY kept a 12 minute mile pace. During the weekend of running, I was kicking out a 10:30 (ish) mile. WHAT GIVES, BODY?

I've blamed it on more than one things:

• heat
• elevation (I travel a lot to different places)
• hillyness of route
• diet for that day
• hydration
• music
• nail polish color (okay, now I'm kidding)

But no matter what I blame it on, non of these parameters are accountable for my running in general. So they can't really be fully blameable. (Yep, just made that word up - go with it).

I honestly think this is it: I am burnt out on running. I run ALL of the time (especially when I'm in North Carolina - and I've been here for almost a month). So here's my little experiment that I'm going to try: no more running until Saturday. I'm going to see if taking a few days off and just plain not running does anything to help. Why Saturday? I have a 10k on Saturday, that's why!

I'm actually more nervous about this 10k than the last one. Well - I am and I'm not. Since I've already ran a 10k and gotten the whole "first time" nerves out of the way, I'm not nervous about the race itself. But I am nervous about the actual running and getting a decent time part. I'm pretty sure I can run 6.2 miles without stopping (fingers crossed for no brutal cramps this time) but I'm not sure that I'll be able to get a decent or even better time than last time. Oh well! This is one of many races and I'm not going to psych myself out. 

Sometime's you've got to remember that running is just one easy concept:

putting one foot in front of the other

So these next few days will be kind of tough. Running isn't just exercise for me - it's therapy at this point. It's my me time. But I'm interested to see if this break is just what the doctor ordered...

Regardless, I still need exercise. I mean, it is bikini season and the fro-yo bar down the street needs a little counterbalance every day so I'm planning to kick it with some workout DVD's, a little bike riding, and dog walking (although my dog walks super slow so that's barely considered aerobic).

Tonight I'm having my friend E and her boyfriend over for a little dinner get together. I've really been stepping up my domestic skills in the last year and am excited to put my hostess pants on and entertain.

On the menu for tonight: sangria, chicken and beef kabobs, and a Mediterranean quinoa salad. If everything goes well, you can expect pictures and recipes on the blog tomorrow!

Brady Bands and their awesome-ness

Gooooood morning! 

I don't know about you, but I've had a nice productive morning so far.

• I woke up to the boyfriend complaining about cat puke in the kitchen
• Cleaned up said cat puke (it is my cat)
• Washed my hands (duh!)
• Made a little iced coffee with yesterday's coffee leftovers
• Made blueberry oatmeal
• Watched a little Today Show
• And then read something that made me cry my eyes out

Yeah, about that last one. One of my favorite bloggers had a guest post today from a chick named Amy who is also the creator of one of my new favorite finds, Brady Bands. Now I knew from purchasing these bands before that every purchase helps to fight childhood cancer but I didn't know exactly how close this cause was to Amy until I read this post. 

And now I want to buy every Brady Band she has. 

Butttttt let's be real - home girl has bills to pay. So I just bought another 4.

Brady Bands are these magical non-slip headbands that I wear when I work out. I have that annoying baby fine hair that never holds any cute hairstyles for long and whenever I wear those normal grocery store headbands, I am constantly readjusting them to keep them in place. Not these bad boys - no, no, no.

Brady Bands have this velvety material on the inside that seriously makes the band NOT MOVE. It's amazing.

The only downside to Brady Bands? They get stinky after a long run or a few workouts. But no biggie! I throw them in the washer with my clothes and BOOM! they're back in action.

I just bought 4 this morning. It was a remarkably good deal too because she has a coupon code right now for $1 off each headband for every purchase of 4 or more so I got all 4 for around $22. And this time I got some cute ones! Stay tuned for pictures when I receive them later this week (the shipping is pretty quick, holla!).

*Disclaimer: I was not in any way paid to review Brady Bands. And I paid for everyone of them at full price. Hell - this lady doesn't even know that I'm talking about her today... this is my own personal stream of consciousness. 

What are you going to do to make your Tuesday awesome?

Boobless and Twitter - but not together.

First things first. I got a Twitter account.

I am so 2006 over here. Until yesterday, I felt pretty confident in my social media expertise. Annnnd then I got on Twitter and suddenly felt like a 100 year old woman trying to figure out e-mail. And then I saw something about some crap called Keek? And SnapChat? I can't handle all of this junk... I'll get the hang of it, I guess.

Wanna follow me? Of course you do. I'm too mentally slow to figure out how to add the Twitter button to my blog (SOMEONE HELP ME!) but my handle is @HealthLittleMe so jump on it!

Today I'm going to speak on behalf of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Remember that time see Sam run complained about her big boob greatness? Yeah, well I'm here to tell you that this grass is always greener on the other side. 

The one problem with me losing around 20 pounds? 
My small boobs have become even SMALLER. 

I'm saying these bad boys are INVERTED. And all of a sudden, I've started to develop a small boob complex about myself. I yearn to be able to walk around without a bra on and not get mistaken for a 10 year old boy. I'd love to be able to have actual cleavage; I'd kill for some side boob action in a tank top. Jesus all I want is a true A cup - is that too much to ask?!?

The other day I was in Victoria's Secret doing my usual panty shopping when an all too enthusiastic salesgirl approached me to ask if I'd been measured lately. Me, in all my flatchested-ness (which was even worse at that moment because I was wearing a sportsbra) all but fell to her feet sobbing. Help me! I wanted to cry. This was definitely a rare moment for me because I'm too much of a cheapskate to ever speak to anyone in a sales position; I know they want to sell me their most expensive shit they've got. But at this particular moment, I was ready to drop some cash on my lack of a rack. $50 is cheaper than a boob job, right? And this whole no boob thing is started to seriously eff with my confidence. 

30 minutes and 5 bras later, and I proudly marched out of that store with a Bombshell push-up in hand. That bad boy adds 2 cup sizes and makes me look like I have a legitimate pair of knockers. Crisis averted and boob job plans delayed.

Don't get me wrong - I actually like having little boobs. But there's a difference in LITTLE boobs and NO boobs. 

Being Positive Polly, I tried to convince myself that being flatchested is cool.

I mean, I can and have gone for a run before with no bra on. And didn't even notice the difference. (see Sam run is shaking her fists at me right now, I know it.)

I can also do the downward dog in Yoga without motorboating myself. (I went to Yoga once with a BIG busted friend and she was having a time!)

I can rock those little strapless bikinis on the beach. 

I can wear something backless and go sans bra.

I'm not saying being flatchested doesn't have its perks - see what I did there? I'm just saying when I'm wearing regular clothes I feel a little... without.

All of my flat chested women - what tricks do you use to make your boobs look bigger?

Happy Thursday, people. 

Short Spandex and my Love/Hate relationship

So I finally cashed in a gift card for Dick's Sporting Goods that I received for my birthday. I'm honestly way too cheap to shop in that store but nothing helps you break out of your skin like spending someone else's money. 

And the verdict is: I love that place. All of the cute running clothes? I wanted to dive in head first and never leave. I can't tell you how hard it was to stay within my gift card amount, actually I may have gone a teensy weensy bit over but whatever.

I told y'all the other day how hot the summer is in North Carolina. Given my recent struggles to beat the heat, I decided to take a plunge and buy something very new to me.

I bought compression shorts.

It wasn't easy. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that there are currently around 50 different types of compression shorts sold at Dick's. And man some of those things are TINY! I mean they look like underwear. I chose something kind of in the middle - not too too short but still short (the long ones I tried on did absolutely nothing for my short thick legs). And as much as I want to be, I'm not in love with them.

I made the boyfriend snap this picture yesterday after my run. I told him to, "try to get the most flattering picture you can," and this is what I got.

The Pros:

• These are made by Under Armor and the fabric is AMAZING! I know my butt was super sweaty after yesterday's morning run but touching the fabric, you couldn't tell. 
• They definitely beat the heat - when I do need to run in the hot-ass afternoon sun, I'll definitely be rocking with these.

The Cons:

• They definitely ride up when I run. I literally felt like I was running in my underwear yesterday - which I guess I'm cool with but I should probably pay attention to the area of town I'm in when I'm wearing these.
• I feel SUPER self-conscious in them. Y'all I am PROUD of my legs and what they are able to do. I've put some SERIOUS mileage on these gams since the beginning of the year and I really do think they are looking better and better (I'm rocking skinny jeans on the REGULAR for Pete's sake). But I'm not 100% comfortable in these things - there is something about a pair of tight spandex shorts that makes even skinny girls feel a tad insecure. 

But hey! I ripped the tags off of them and threw away the receipt so they are HERE TO STAY! I'll warm up to them eventually.. right?

Speaking of my legs and the badass things they are capable of doing, I signed up for another race yesterday. Yep, I'll be running a 10k next Saturday for a Father's Day themed run. Y'all know I'm a sucker for a good race t-shirt (although see Sam run thinks I have a hidden shrine somewhere because I never wear them) and because it's the Dash for Dad, they are printing mi padre's name on the back of my t-shirt! 

HAPPY HUMP DAY, everyone. 

Haters gon' hate.

Okay - first thing first. 

I've jumped on the wagon with see Sam run and I'm here to tell you that the 30 day squat challenge sucks. 

It doesn't suck at first. That first day seems pretty easy. And so does the second day. And then you wake up on day 3 and have no clue why it hurts to walk up stairs. And then you get to day 4 and PRAISE HIM for the word "rest". Annnnd that's where I'm at right now.

But today's post isn't about the squat challenge - it's about something else. The summer. And, here comes the shocker, WHY I HATE THE SUMMER IN NC.

If you're from a humid hot place, I don't need to spell it out for you.

But if you're not, let me tell y'all this: summertime in North Carolina is MISERABLE for running, and walking, and drinking... okay I'm just being dramatic with the whole drinking thing but whatevs. 

I dropped the boyfriend off at his summer class the other day (10 AM - 12 PM) and decided to go for a little run around the campus while I waited on him. Let's just say I'm about to barf even thinking of it now. 85 degrees and as humid as a steam room filled with hot baking grease. The shade was farce and the sun was hot. I tried my best to keep my mind off of it - but it's hard to ignore the blend of sweat and last night's mascara as it slowly drips into your eyeball while you're trying to ignore the heat and listen to some Flo Rida. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Just yesterday I tried walking the dog 5 BLOCKS to the nearest crack, uhhh, coffee shop at like 9 AM. Annnnd once we returned, she laid on the cold hardwood floor in the dining room covered in wet wash clothes and in front of a box fan for like three hours. Shit is real, y'all.

So for the next few months, I will be running, walking, and doing all other outdoor activities at the ass crack of dawn or in the evening (and let's be real - it will definitely be evening).

What else do I hate about summer?
-mosquitoes
-sand spurs
-high ass electricity bills
-sunburn
-falling asleep on the beach and getting sand in my mouth (yes, really)
-flea season (hello big white dog in my house!)
-peeling skin after the aforementioned sunburn
-frizzy hair (thanks, humidity!)
-pit stains (there - I said it)
-beach traffic
-overload of tourists

Annnnd I think that's it.

I want you to know that I realize what a bitch I sound like right now. Everyone's all counting down to summer all year and here I am Ebeneezer Scrooging it for everyone. And honestly, summer is wonderful... but it's so DAMN hot.

This reminds me of a 5K I ran last year.

It was right at the end of June on a Saturday morning around 9 am. It was called the Run for the Red and was an effort for our community to raise money for the local Red Cross. Cute, right? Except it wasn't. It was 95 degrees before the humidity was factored in and the route had literally ONE TREE for shade. All I'm saying is this: it's a good thing the Red Cross was there because I thought I was going to die. And I was having a worse time than others because of see Sam run. That's right. Not only was she sitting this race out but she decided the night before to go bar hopping and force me to drink red bull and vodka with her all night. I'm pretty sure the only thing keeping me going during that race was the motive to murder her immediately afterwards. (wait - did I just say that out loud? hehe)

And speaking of good ol' see Sam run, did y'all miss her or what on Saturday?

Uhhh she's kidding, right?

RIGHT?!?!???

See y'all tomorrow. We'll talk about compression shorts and why I love/hate them.