Foodie!!

Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Mine was fitness and errand-filled, per-usual!

Saturday was a catch up day. Our fridge looked very, very sad. And I needed to get out and run after being cooped up in an airplane all day on Friday. I got up and ran a quick 2 miles. And then hopped in the car to make it to the 11am yoga class.

After yoga I headed straight to the Trader of the Joes. And FILLED UP MY CART. Nothing was left behind. There is really nothing worse than opening your fridge on a Saturday morning to find a dallop of almond butter left and your only option being toast. womp. womp.

I fixed that, quickly. We won’t be hungry for at least a week…

Amidst eating, unpacking and cleaning… Annie killed her lamb chop toy. She’s getting better at tearing apart her toys now that she’s getting older. I get to follow her around and pick up all the “fluff” that she tears out of her victims. One toy destroyed means one less slipper eaten! 🙂

Annie got invited to a play date at the dog park. Our friends take their dog to this park on a weekly basis. So we joined in the fun! There were so many dogs. Annie is very much the under dog. She never instigates fights, so it was really fun watching her make friends.

We didn’t hear a peep from miss Annie for the rest of the night. She plopped herself on the couch and didn’t move until the next morning. I’d say she was a bit worn out from her park play date.

Justin and I made dinner Saturday night. He took charge of the tri-tip and I took over the sweet potatoes and rice. This was my first time cooking sweet potatoes without the foil. It was very much a success. The bottom of my oven is kind of a mess, but oh well.

All I did was scrub the outside of the potatoes under water and stick them in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Oh! But don’t forget to poke the potatoes with a fork a few times or else they’ll “explode”… 🙂

I’m planning on participating in Gina’s Winter Shape Up… over at Fitnessista.com. Sounds VERY fun and sweet prizes are involved! Check it out…

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

XO – Army Paisley

 

San Jose Refresh

Ever had one of those days where you just feel like pouting?

Maybe you shattered your brand new phone?

And then you went to go see if you could get it fixed… and learned that it would cost you another $200, minimum.

And then things start to turn around…

Boyfriend tells you that he might be able to fix your screen for $28.66.

Instead of wallowing in my frustration, I put on my walking shoes. (And a VERY colorful ensemble.)

While on this walk, I started thinking…

Because that’s what people do on walks: think. I really do love San Jose. I do. And I got to thinking of all the great things about living in the bay area.

Bay Area Greatness:

1. The landscape is beautiful. There are so many trees, green grass and TONS of flowers. Just walking around my neighborhood is gorgeous.
2. Amazing running territory. There are so many places to run — places that I’ve yet to explore.
3. San Jose is only 30 minutes from the beach. Enough said.
4. Beautiful people. Tons of fun restaurants and bars filled with young professionals. I like pretty scenery.
5. Not too far from my family. I can drive home (parents house) if I need to. But far enough to be “away.”

When I got home from my walk, I was feeling happy, energetic and ready to cook something!

A few weeks ago I bought a tub of Trader Joe’s Chicken Curry Salad. It was delicious. I put it on salads and had to pry myself away from eating the entire tub in one sitting. Last night I went on a hunt for a similar recipe, this is what I found:

Chubby Mommy’s Famous Paleo Chicken Salad

It was delicious. I did my own rendition, of course.

MY Chicken Salad:

1. Dump drained chicken in with mayo, TONS of curry, garlic powder and pepper.
2. Add big scoop of almond butter.
3. Throw in a 1/2 cup of trail mix.
4. Mix, enjoy!

With all this fresh air, I was inspired to do some cleaning too…

Okay, maybe not cleaning, but definitely soaking. This silver/grey wristlet is great, but gets SUPER dirty, fast. A little dish soap and elbow grease should do the trick!

Later, I whipped up a very, very green smoothie.

In the mix: coconut water, coconut milk, frozen kale, frozen banana and vanilla. Cold and refreshing — hit the spot!

I went to bed feeling happy and refreshed. All it took was a walk and a self pep talk. It’s amazing… all those studies done by doctors — well, they actually know what they’re talking about! Fresh air and exercise is the perfect medicine for the mind.

Have you ever had a day where exercise made all the difference? Was it just a funky mood?

I know that exercise makes me feel better, yet sometimes the hardest part is simply putting on my running shorts!

XO

Paisley

“Pulling Up” Mental Discouragement

November 2010 I started CrossFit at CrossFit Sac in Sacramento. Coach Dave opened my eyes to a whole new world/concept that most of us now know as CrossFit… or, “the crazy heavy weight lifting stuff.”

[Dave giving me a high 5 as I assume the “recovery position” (dead on the floor).]

In the beginning of my CrossFit adventure, I often felt and looked like this… tired, out of breath and defeated.

I still do.

Pull ups were always a goal and challenge for me. I dreamed of doing consecutive pull ups and mastering that skill. I first started with a green band. Over the next few months I moved up to smaller bands.

And then one day, I didn’t need the band anymore! I remember the first day that I got an unassisted pull up… I screamed. Out of sheer excitement. And then I did them every time I came to the box.  I was so proud of myself for finally getting a pull up. I overcame many obstacles that day. But primarily, I proved… once again, that with hard work — I could get what I wanted.

And that “girl” hands weren’t for me.

In December, I was the strongest and fittest I had ever been.

I was doing CrossFit 5+ times a week, running, yoga… truly over training. But was having a blast.

And then I left for Arizona.

CrossFit was no longer a part of my life. I tried my best to do body weight work outs, use the pull up bars, run, etc… it just wasn’t the same.

When I got home, pull ups were gone. I was using the band again. As much as I hated admitting it, I was really upset about this. I would say, “It’s the journey, right? Not the destination?” But I still felt sad that I had lost strength. That I had missed out on 5 months of CrossFit. And that I couldn’t do a fricken pull up anymore!

A few weeks ago, I found my pull ups.

And a new job.

By losing and then finding my pull up again, I realized something: I am in control of my happiness. I can make changes in myself and ultimately have what I want. If I don’t like a job, I can work hard and change that. If I don’t like that I can’t do a pull up, I can change that. My new CrossFit coach, Courtney, told me the other day, “Life is to short to spend it unhappy.”

I don’t like to spend too much time on the CrossFit bandwagon, but for me… it’s so much more than a workout. It makes me a better person in all areas of my life: Relationships, career, sleep, motivation, and so on. A simple concept such as a pull up has spoken volumes to me about what kind of person I am. I’m competitive, type A and persistent. I work hard for what I have. And at the end of the day, what I have is family and friends who love me.

Oh, and a pull up. Thank you very much.

Today, it’s about overcoming mental discouragement. Taking little bites at a time. Planning and working towards goals.

God + CrossFit

XO

Paisley

 

Writing, Planning, Running

Hey guys!! How was your weekend?? Mine was great! To help start your weekend with a ‘feel good’ story, read about Jenna’s book signing.

I dream of one day writing a book. I was borderline tears reading through her post. It’s exciting to read about other’s success.

On to another kind of success… I’ve been planning for marathon training! It quickly snuck up on me… Nike Women’s Marathon is October 14th!! So exciting! Today I bought a whiteboard calendar in order to help me map out all my runs. I used Tina’s marathon training guide. I’m trying something different than I used to use for my half marathons. We’ll see how it goes. But I like that it’s less running which will allow for more CrossFit.

When I first start planning a training program, I have to physically write it all down in my paper planner.

After that I add it to my google calendar. That way the reminders will pop up on my phone. For this training, I asked Justin to join me on his bike for the longer runs. I think it will help to have a buddy… Besides carrying my water and Gu for me. 😉

With all this planning and training, I’m starting to clean up my eats!

Last Night:

I did a fridge/pantry sweep and chopped up the rest of the sweet potatoes and threw them in the oven.

With some Coconut Oil, garlic and pepper. Oh how I’ve MISSED coconut oil!!!

I also used the can of Mole that I had bought back in Arizona — and made a pot of Chicken Mole. Holy-Mole-YUM.

The Mole remained un-used because I could never get the darn top off!! I got too frustrated and just stabbed it. A little aggressive… but hey, it worked, right??

After my “Run 5 Miles” calendar alarm went off… I decided to put it in gear. And I ran the full 5. I think I might just be getting over this non-running rut I’ve been in.

And then the green smoothie was born….

Frozen banana, frozen kale, coconut milk, ground flax seed and protein powder.

I spent the rest of the evening enjoying a few episodes of Grey’s anatomy, laundry, foam rolling and a glass of Riesling.

What races do you have planned this summer?

I’m doing the NWM, but thinking of adding another 1/2 Marathon into the mix.

XO

Paisley

The Lake is Baaaack!

The other day I was tasked with a mission: Find white bedding.

Instead of leaving the store with bedding… we left with pillows. Go figure.

And an evening at the lake. Bedding can wait, right?

Ever been pillow shopping? I have a few times. And I’m convinced that the only way to truly find the right fit is to just lay on the ground and see for yourself! And if anyone looks at you like a weirdo… they’ll quickly understand the necessity of trying it before you buy!

Today:

After 10 glorious, much needed hours of sleep, I rounded up the running gear.

And headed out for a 4 mile run around my town. It was only 60-ish degrees which was perfect running weather. It’s been so hot here all last week, I was grateful for the change of temperature.

G.I. Jane and I decided that a lake day was much over-due. Ice tea and rainbows? Looks like a perfect afternoon.

We looked at the lake from the shore. Way too chilly to swim.

When I got home I did one of Jillian’s workouts. Since I’m in limbo with my whole living situation, I can’t commit to a full month of crossfit. Therefore, at-home workouts and running are still on my agenda. Well, with the occasional class…

Jillian kicked my butt, as usual. But I was excited because I got to use REAL hand weights… instead of water bottles. I’m so moving up in the world.

I also finally had internet connection ans was able to purchase the Nike Training Club app. I’ve been wanting it for months now and just never got around to it!

Tonight MommaG and I got frozen yogurt. Delish!!

Tomorrow I’ll finally get to go see/ride my horse Benson!! Miss that guy like crazy!

XO

Paisley

Something to read: Don’t have “time” for a workout? Great tips on how to find/make time.

Warrior Dash 2012

Saturday AM = CrossFit Works in Tucson

Um hi sexy coach Chris. And hi bad ass gym. Why didn’t I come here sooner!?!? ugggggg! It was so much fun! I was there for 2 hours. “Okaaaay. Now we’re going to do cleans. Okay now we’re going to do a ‘test’. Okay now go run 800 meters. Tired yet?”

I’m beyond sore. But I think I’m just weak because I seem to ALWAYS be sore these days.

But yah, CrossFit Works is fantastic. And it’d definitely be my box if I lived in Tucson. But I don’t, so at least I got to enjoy it ONCE while I was here. A great way to finish off my glorious Tucson weekends.

After CrossFit I checked into my hotel, showered and went out to do what I do best… shop. I needed to make a special trip to Trader Joe’s for Ryan. I mean, the guy is fighting a war in Afghanistan. It’s the least I could do.

I’m still LOVING my hair. And finally got to wear my new yellow shirt that I got in Phoenix with my mom.

I also saw Safe House, the movie. With Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. Um… hello sexy man!

Yes. Please.

Sunday Morning = Warrior Dash!!

As every good morning does, it started with a coffee.

And running clothes. I stuck with black. It tends to do better in the mud… ha.

If you look really close, you can see my “CrossFit hickey’s” from the barbell. OUCH.

After some minor navigation issues, Philip and I made it to the race. Barely!

The run was a blast. There was a TON of obstacles. And everyone around us was having a really great time. I loved the energy and motivation. The costumes were fun too!

After crawling though 2 feet of mud… my shoes had seen better days. I was perplexed. To throw away, or not. I decided to chuck them. I added to this monstrous pile! Gross, right?

And so it was… hot and muddy.

Warrior Dash was awesome. They might of had me at “free beer” — but the mud was fun too.

After being pressure washed by fire hoses. Literally. We paid a visit to my favorite, In N Out. And yeah… I ate the WHOLE bun. Kill me.

Super cool souvenir… a wrist band. It’s like I went to a club.

And the shirt is awesome!!

Now I’m putting together the Afghanistan packages.

And eating copious amounts of cookie butter.

Because it tastes like cookies. And butter. And my goal is to be 200 lbs. Obviously.

Because I’ve heard that I’m “0% body fat. And one big muscle with twigs for arms.” Love ya too, bullies!

Mud runs are a blast. But it’s not so fun digging mud out of unspeakable locations. And wringing mud out of your Lululemon shorts… yah I just cringed a little bit too.

XO

Muddy Paisley

Recovered. Almost.

I underestimated the effects of a 24 hour shift. Afterwards you feel like you’ve been hit by a train. And you stare at air. It’s really special. And you get out of class, go straight home, put PJ’s on and crawl into bed.

Good side of the 24 hour shift, I discoverd a love affair with Grey’s Anatomy. I know I’m like 86 years behind the curve. But I was busy doing college and having other excuses to deal with. I’m here now. And I’m getting on that band wagon. Stat.

So today, after about 9 hours of sleep… I’m pretty much recovered.

 

I went to the gym and did the HIIT elliptical workout. I love that it’s 22 minutes and makes you sweat like crazy. Then I did this:

And 1 minute each of these:

And called it a day. My hair fits into an itty bitty pony tail, WITH a headband. Totally winning at this short hair deal. Oh and when I run, it doesn’t smack my back and face. And I’m not destined to “the braid” anymore.

Short hair and I are going to be really good friends. I can already tell.

———-

Is it disrespectful/rude to put your hands on your hips when someone is talking to you?

I’m curious because an instructor told me, “Take your hands off your hips while I’m talking to you.” And related it to the ‘defensive arms crossed position.’ Holding my hands on my hips is a very natural, nonchalant position for me. Do certain “cultures” deem it disrespectful? Am I dumb in thinking that it’s not? It’s so interesting to me… the things that offend people. I think we all need to just calm down and not be so uptight!

Agreed?

Can I please put my hands on my hips now?

———-

Today and for the next couple of days… BOLC classes are the new “trash men.” Yep… Instead of doing productive PT… we get to walk around Ft. Huachuca with big trash bags and pick up trash. We look like prisoners. I find it hilarious. This place gets better and better, every. single. day.

Oh hey… 8 days left! I might be really, really, really excited about that.

———-

I have another question… Is it inappropriate to wear skimpy shorts (girls volley ball status) and sports bras (ONLY) while working out at a CrossFit gym? Like, from start to finish: warm up, workout and afterwards? How about in January?

I’m having an ethical/moral dilemma. One of my home boxes contains some of these “skimpy-shorts-wearing” girls. Call me old fashioned, but I just don’t think it’s appropriate. I don’t feel like CrossFit is the place for struttin’ your stuff. It’s kind of awkward and just plain uncomfortable. I know that it makes other guests feel the same way.

I’m sure the young guys dig it. But I come to workout, not watch you walk around like your hot shit. You have a nice ass, nice abs and nice hair. Cool shit. I like mine too. But I don’t have to show the whole gym!

Hm… Do I just need shut up and get over it? Get used to their “asses eating their shorts every time they do a squat”? Or stick to my gym with a moral compass (unspoken dress code) that’s more in line with mine? Mind you, the coaches at this gym and phenomenol. But then again… they consent this (in my opinion) inappropriate behavior.

Thoughts?

XO

Sassy Paisley

Army Thoughts

Today is proof that working out makes everything better in my life. Fact.

Mood. Energy. Happiness. All good stuff.

Today’s Army PT workout:

5 rounds:

• 5 pull ups
• 10 tricep dips
• Run 1/3 mile

It was awesome. Except for the fact that I can barely do pull ups nowadays. But I’ll get them back in a few weeks when I start doing CrossFit regularly again. (EEEEE!!! 🙂 ) No worries over here!

Today:

My computer in class refused to allow me to access anything (powerpoint/Microsoft word) so there was a lot of hanging around for me. The techy-experts were in trying to figure it out which took roughly 3 hours. awesome. I love sitting around with nothing to do.

Frustration city.

Lunch:

Crock pot pork and brussels 😀 with tomatoes, goat cheese, olive mix (MommaG would be proud), arugula and goddess dressing. Couldn’t finish it. Couldn’t finish my oats this morning either. Food is uninteresting lately. (Not to mention, I’m so sick of these hideous plates/bowls. 2. more. weeks.)

Clean eats all over the place. Miss Jillian must be inspiring me. Or something? Or… Maybe that cute new bathing suit I got a few weeks ago?

Tonight:

Calves = tight, firey knots. Therefore, 6 miles was out of the question. Jillian took care of me. I was a sweaty mess after her little 20 minute workout. No wonder those ‘big loosers’ lose so much weight. She’s fantastic. I’m definitely a fan considering after the workout was done, I turned it off and flipped Glee on! At-home workouts may be a new thing for me. Me likey.

My Dad is cool. Like this is news to anyone. He sent me this picture:

I got those for him for Christmas. 54-years-old, does CrossFit AND stylish? Abso-freakin-lutely. Mom wears TOMS. And they wonder why I’m a shoe-addict. weird.

I want to cut my hair. Like, real bad… and be blonde again, like this:

But I don’t have the balls to do it. It’s taken me 3 years to grow out my hair. Then again… it’s super thin and damaged so why is it long, anyways?

Dancing at the wedding last weekend:

Darren and I are top left… I kinda love this picture.

Something to do/read:

– Grocery lists of WHOLE FOOD and a workout you can do on a bench or chair!

XO

AP

Monday Link Lovin’

Happy Monday!!

Yesterday I miraculously made it through the 2 hour drive without vomiting. Motion sickness was at it’s finest. The amount of wine I drank the night before had absolutely nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

MommaG and I planned on leaving for the airport around 3:30pm. Somehow our nails made it to the top of the priority list. And then purchasing Dramamine. And then getting a smoothie. Needless to say, this chick was RUNNING through the Sacramento airport, barefoot.

I kid you not.

I cut everyone in the security line, grabbed my big ass bag and sprinted to the gate, shoes in hand. There was not enough time to slip my shoes on. Obviously. I was horrified. I was the last to board, but I made it. Barely.

The lady at the gate said, “Oh look! Our runner is here!” Good thing I’ve been doing some speed work…

But hey, my nails are pretty, yeah?

I’m about as Army diva as I can get right now. So pushing the limits.

The flight(s) back to Tucson were considerably better than the flight to Sacramento. Maybe the Dramamine had something to do with it? Or the lack of turbulence and screaming children? Maybe.

Or the fact that I was in the “A” group? This never, ever, ever happens. I kept looking at it to check if I was hallucinating. No way. I get to PICK my seat today?

On the drive home I was thinking about all the happiness I have in my life. Sometimes while I’m here in AZ I forget about how MUCH I have waiting for me at home. The people who make all this craziness worth it. This weekend was exactly what I needed to re-charge for the next 2ish weeks. I do have friends. I do have family. And they’re freaking awesome.

I got home around 10:30 and went straight to bed. Monday started with some “Indian” runs: intermittent sprints as a group. We haven’t been running all that much lately so I was a happy camper.

My friend Caity posts a “Links You’ll Love” post every week. And I LOVE them. I get new ideas and inspiration for the things that matter in my life: health, fitness and fashion. Today I’m doing lots of links because I think there’s something to be said about all the awesome resources we have right at our fingertips (pun intended, duh).

I also had a lot of free time in class this morning, therefore fitness research was happening full force.

Fitness Plan:

Mon: 22 min elliptical & Fitnessista Ab burner

Tues: 6 miles

Wed: HIIT treadmill workout (30 mins) & Tone it up: arms

Thurs: 6 miles & Sexy Legs

Fri: Full Body Fun & Plain Jane Intervals (going to TRY, at least)

Sat: The Anywhere Workout & 10 miles

Sun: Rest aka: 24 hour duty shift. FML.

I’m really excited that MOD D is over because now, maybe, I’ll have time to get into the gym at night. Gym time = happier Hayley.

Additional reading:

For the record, I actually did read these articles. And then took the time to copy/paste the link into my own blog. Obviously they’re awesome.

– Elliptical Workouts For All Levels

– Hysterical parts of The Bloggess’ new book

– New blog find! Awesome fitness/workout stuff!

– Emotional re-cap of a girl who ran the Boston Marathon

Yesterday I was talking to my dad about CrossFit, because it’s kind of our “thing” and I was telling him about all the stuff I’ve been able to read/learn about now that I’ve graduated college (and not having to do homework). It’s fun to finally be able to and/or not feel guilty about reading the stuff that interests me. It’s amazing how much you can learn. So… take a break from reading all those scholarly novels and history books and have some “fun” reading time! It’s still learning, I promise.

Tonight:

I did my planned elliptical HIIT workout and it was awesome! The machine couldn’t keep up with my heart rate. It kept blinking as if to say “you’re heart is going to explode! STOP!” — yet the whole thing was only 22 minutes!!

Afterwards I did some Target “shopping”… Almost all of the fitness DVD’s were on sale! I snagged Jillian Michaels “Ripped in 30” because I read a review on it… and it was only $9! I figure I could pop this in on those nights I don’t feel like driving to the gym.

Got some groceries and a package pre-made sushi. Desperate times called for it. I seriously had oatmeal for lunch today. And I’m not okay with that when it’s my only option. I need protein, as in animal — protein powder can only do so much.

Time to food prep and get to bed. Hope your Monday was great!

XO

Paisley

End of Combatives!

It’s interesting how things can change DRAMATICALLY when a few people speak up. With that, the last day of combatives was fantastic. No tears. No dislocated shoulders. Just good ol’ training — just the way it should be.

Today was the last day that I had to wake up at 4am for combatives. I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting this is. An extra hour of sleep, yes please!! I joked with the class that’s ahead of me; “Oh stop complaining… it’s only one less hour.” No joke, that one hour makes a huuuuuuuge difference. I was telling a Captain today that nowadays 3:00pm feels a lot like 6pm to me. And therefore I’m completely exhausted by the time I get home.

 And bruised. Gross.

Today SR told me: (the blog world, actually)

I need this constant reminder. It’s okay to take a pass. But it’s also important to kick my own butt.

Workout Plan (Suuuuper late, I know)

Mon: Rest – done.

Tue: 3 miles – done.

Wed: 6 miles – done.

Th: 4 miles

Fri: 12 miles

Sat: Shopping with MommaG!!!! (Hotel CrossFit?)

Sun: Repeat Saturday, with the addition of the bringing a wine glass to my mouth motion. Research shows you burn like 538,324 calories doing this exercise.

Last night was more combatives. I only watched because I’m not getting certified. But everyone who was had to fight off these guys…

I got so nervous watching my class get slammed to the ground. But no one got knocked out. It was a success. Shocker.

I ran my 6 miles last night. I didn’t finish until almost 9pm. WAY past my bedtime. I knew I was going to be able to nap in the morning though. Which I fully took advantage of.

While running on the treadmill I got an email from MommaG with these magic pieces of imagery:

Hi, can I just die of cuteness now??

That’s my cat Grayson. And my niece, Kenzlee… who I know through pictures and videos. Sad story.

And yes, she’s helping MommaG clean stalls. And that’s Comet in the background (my first horse). We always said that we’d keep Kenzlee so the grandkids can ride/play with him… Well, here we are!

And… The cuteness stops here. I was grinning from ear to ear. I’m sure everyone at the gym thought I was a goon smiling all crazy-like at my phone while running. hotttt.

Today: 

I was a busy bee allll daaaaay loooong. We have a big brief tomorrow morning and I had to accumulate all the intel from the last 4 days and come up with one slide to present tomorrow. The Captains were joking about giving me the “analyst of the day” award because I was the only one in our group (TOC) working in the afternoon. Well… so they said.

And then I repeatedly got comments like, “Wow, you’re actually working.”

When I’m doing intel stuff, I have to SEE everything. I have to roll out a map and draw all over it. Screw doctrinal symbols. I just write what I want so that I can visually see what’s going on. After that I make lists. I write it all out. This way I have a visual and word process. Read it, see it, write it. That’s my learning process. It does take time, but it’s important to me. I want to fully understand what’s going on and be able to make the best analysis/decisions based on my own research/knowledge.

Wow. I just went there with you guys. It’s a nerdy Army Intel thing. It’s okay.

Tonight: 

Laundry. ugh. —  4 mile run. — Packing!!! So excited to see my mom this weekend!

XO

AP