My workouts this week were pretty slim pickins, thanks to a road trip and a third winter storm in as many weeks, but it is what it is.
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Strength
Thursday: Run 3 miles, Yoga
Friday: Rest Roadtrip
Saturday: Rest Roadtrip
Sunday: home in time for Heavy Strength + Stepmill Tabata
The flute concierge follows behind schlepping gear and taking secret pics
It was another week where we had something to do every single evening. Thing 2 auditioned for so many things last fall and now all the performances are happening.
She had a concert during the week, then we headed downstate to Champaign where she performed in the All-Illinois Honor Band at the University of Illinois over the weekend. What an impressive bunch of kids!
On the AutoImmune Protocol front, I am halfway through my 6-week stint and it’s full steam ahead. Thank heavens this diet will be over before I go to Bermuda. This week I explored AIP-friendly cookies and snacks. I made a couple of different cookies.
These sweet potato cookies were kind of yuck, although they’ve grown on me. The flavor was fine but unless you enjoy dry sponge, the texture left much to be desired. The Crispy Honey Cookies were better. More cookie-like than the sweet potato ones but still odd, which may be a good thing because I have no desire to over eat them.
The biggest challenge was taking AIP on the road. Besides one spinach salad in a restaurant, (spinach, mushrooms, red onion, radishes, olive oil/vinegar dressing) I subsisted on envelopes of tuna, grocery store salad bar greens, apples, Epic Bars, Cassava Strips and kombucha.
I also made Pot Roast in the slow cooker. I don’t think I’ve ever made pot roast before, because a certain you-know-who won’t eat it. The AIP version calls for rutabagas instead of potatoes (nightshades). I’d never have known the difference. It was delicious but a little goes a long way thanks to the fatty cut of meat.
This Chicken Lemongrass Soup was a total winner.
Loving
I hoped driving 2.5 hours south would’ve brought milder weather. Maybe less snow, but no such luck.
It’s always fun to be on a college campus. Even though the weather was raw and bleak, we had fun.
Balega Impi. I’m so proud to be part of the Balega Ambassador team for a third year. They are truly my favorite sock brand whether I’m out running, in the gym, hiking, or something else, they make a great sock for every adventure!
Not Loving
Zero visibility on the trip downstate and patchy freezing rain on the return trip was stressful to say the least. It can always be worse though.
Andrea loved a good, snowy nature shot. This one’s for you my friend.
Last week the old-school running blog world lost one of their own. Our friend Andrea shut down her blog a couple of years ago but was still active on Facebook and Instagram. I’d known her for the entire 11 years I’ve been blogging as well as her daughter Emily who also blogged at one time. Although I never met Andrea IRL, we conversed over the interwebs almost on the daily. We shared a love of adventure, beautiful scenery and Starbucks mugs, and a distaste for swimming in weedy lakes….and snakes. It was surreal when I heard she’d passed away after a 13 month battle with cancer. I guess I never believed cancer could take a badass like Andrea. I miss her dry humor and adventurous spirit already and am heartbroken for her husband and kids.
How was your week? Did you race? Are you making progress toward any goals you set for 2020?
Be sure to join me this Friday for the first Runfession Friday Linkup of 2020!
I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Join us!
Congratulations to your daughter! What an exciting and amazing opportunity for her.
The Crispy Honey Cookies sound really good. I am glad that overall the AIP diet is going well for you.
So sorry to hear about Andrea. I didn’t know here but I know that so many bloggers were saddened by her passing. She sounds like she was an amazing person.
You have really been a trooper sticking w this eating plan. I will be interested to hear how your results manifest themselves. Congratulations to your daughter a great opportunity for her.Hope it warms up for you all !
I had only been following Andrea in recent months (via your referral), and I recently realized I hadn’t seen anything from her…then I saw Darlene’s post about her passing. Cancer is a most evil 81tch, that’s all I got. Sorry for your (and all of our’s) loss. Huge congrats, though, to your talented daughter 🙂
Congratulations to your daughter, she sounds very talented!
So said about the blogger’s passing. Even if we don’t meet people IRL, we follow their life story over many months and years and care about them.
Great job keeping up the diet!
I’m really impressed with your dedication to the AIP. I was munching on Hershey’s chocolate nuggets while reading your post and I was thinking–no chocolate? I will admit to misbehaving with my diet last week-something sent me into a tailspin. Was it the spinach quiche (with cheese) that I made? Did I drink too much wine? Something triggered some inflammation. Hoping it calms down.
Sorry to hear about Andrea. She was a good one.
I’m so sorry about your friend. Congrats about being halfway through the marathon of AIP. I’ve made pot roast a few times and it always surprises me that my stepsons will eat it, although every time I make it I know I’m pushing my luck.
Congrats to your daughter! Road trips and traveling of any kind put a dent in my weekly workouts too. It’s tough to stick to a schedule when traveling. Oh well, do what you can I guess!
My 2020 goals are to add more states to my 50 states challenge (already registered for states 9 and 10) and to get to 25 lifetime half marathons this year! I need to find 3 more halfs to sign up for to get to that number so I’m doing the research. #20 will be this weekend coming up!
So sorry to read about your friend Andrea. Sending good thoughts your way, Marcia.
That chicken soup looks delicious! Sorry the sweet potato cookies were somewhat disappointing. I am trying to eliminate added sugar from my diet (it’s a cholesterol control thing) and I tried some cereals with no added sugar that LOOKED good, but, yuck! Their texture was awful.
Congratulations to your daughter. I hope she is having fun with her performances!
Congrats to your daughter! LOL on the secret sherpa duties.
So sorry to hear about Andrea. 🙁
I’m so sorry about Andrea, what a loss to so many people.
No racing for me this week, not much running in fact, and my distance goal for the year has been let go as I don’t want to flog myself round for it and exhaust myself.
I had to add to my own post this week, as I forgot that one of the cats wreaked havoc on my trainers on my birthday, of all things!
Sounds like a busy week! Glad the diet is going well, but Im sure travel makes it challenging.
I didn’t read Andrea’s blog but I used to read Emily’s and I remember her talking about her mom alot. She sounds like she was a pretty amazing person.
I love sweet potato so I’m disappointed to hear the texture wasn’t the best! Well done on getting to half of the diet! You’re close to the end now and so glad it will be done when you got to Bermuda!
Cancer is such an evil disease 🙁 Andrea was a brave soldier and I’m so sorry for your loss and the running community at large.
It’s weird but I love super-dry spongy cookies! I’m sure I would have eaten your whole batch.
Thing 2 is doing amazing, you must be so proud of her.
I love that photo dedicated to Andrea. This is the first time I have heard of her and I regret not having known her and her blog. Her passing is definitely a reminder that our health is a gift to be treasured.
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend.
Congratulations on Balega and I know you are ridiculously proud of Thing 2. What an accomplishment for her. <3
I am really impressed by how you are sticking to your AIP goals. You are doing a great job of staying on track.
It is always fun to be back on a college campus… though yeah, they’re not necessarily the ideal location to stick with a strict diet (I’ll have to go back a few posts to see how this all started…)
It seems so strange that she’s gone, doesn’t it? I did meet her IRL once; she was in Colorado Springs and we ran a little trail 7k then met the famous Kathleen from Happy Trails for lunch after. She was sure full of life. I caught myself reading her blog for a couple of hours over the weekend. It’s weird how much we were all intertwined back then.
I’m super proud of you and your diet. Glad your weight is down and feeling good. I’m sure that probably means you want to run Philly, yes? 🙂
xo
Traveling on a special diet & in those conditions is not joke! At least you got to see your daughter perform as a reward. A change of scenery is always nice, even if it’s still raw & cold.
I got to drive my mom home on several nights in the dark last week, and I really don’t like driving at night, especially curvy narrow country roads. The last night was really special, with drizzle and fog as well. Obviously we both survived though.
Congrats on repping Balega again — my favorite running socks, too!
Your daughter has been on an amazing run! How wonderful!
Congrats on making it to the halfway mark with AIP! You have done such a great job hanging with it – especially given the travel! And yay for Balega – such great socks!
I’m sorry to hear about Andrea – Cancer just sucks.
I am sorry to hear about your friend. Cancer sucks!!! Congrats on your ambassadorship! I am late to the party but lately have also been enjoying their socks. My favorite is the ultra light. I use them for running and for everyday wear.