Non Sequitur Box

Sometimes the most challenging runs are the best runs (or best memories). I think it's because we show ourselves just how strong we can be, that we won't break so easily. I live in the D.C. area (which basically covers from Rockville, MD to Quantico, VA). During this ridiculous "polar vortex" last week, we experienced our coldest day in twenty years! When I left for work on Tuesday morning, my body actually hurt from the cold weather. As I sat eating my instant oatmeal inside my car, waiting for my car to warm up a little bit, I checked the ambient temperature. 0 degrees Fahrenheit (about -17 degrees Celsius). I cried a little on the inside. I don't own a pair of every day gloves, but my boyfriend's mother had made me a pair of fingerless gloves which I wear everywhere now. They keep my palms and wrists warm. My fingertips were hurting on my drive to work because it was still so cold inside my car (and they were bare). After it warmed up a little that ...

Ingredients: 1/2 cup instant oatmeal 1 cup water (or however much it says for your instant oatmeal handful of dried sour cherries handful of sliced almonds Instructions: 1. Put all ingredients into a bowl. 2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. I like instant oatmeal because I like to make a quick and easy breakfast. I just like to share easy ways to spice up plain instant oatmeal without buying those pre-flavored instant packs. I don't like to use table sugar or brown sugar to add some sweetness to the oats, so I use fruit most of the time (I do use chocolate chips if I'm looking for a chocolate fix). Dried fruit is great, especially if you're mixing a large dry batch for a trip.

Ingredients: Kale (we bought one big bunch) Olive oil (spray works best) Salt Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (~177 degrees Celsius) 2. Line a baking sheet with foil or wax paper (or nothing, I just like an easy clean up). 3. Break kale up into smaller pieces (about 2-4 inches long). 4. Either toss kale with olive oil now or wait if you have some spray. 5. Line kale in a single layer across the baking sheet (I was running out of room and had a little overlap). 6. If you haven't tossed with olive oil, now is the time to spray with olive oil. 7. Add a little salt if you like (I like salt, so I shook a little salt over the chips). 8. Place on the top rack for 15 minutes. 9. Remove when crispy. You can enjoy right away! My boyfriend wasn't a fan of the kale cooking smell (it smells like Brussels sprouts, he said), so he didn't want any kale chips. I ate all of this by myself. I guess cooking the kale is a good way to get in ...

Today I raced in Potomac River Running Store's (=PR=) New Year's Day 5k at Reston Town Center. I've been coming back to running from a knee issue (my left knee and foot were giving a lot of troubles). I've been doing a lot of active recovery geared toward strengthening, lengthening, and inhibiting certain muscles (one legged strengthening exercises, balancing, foam rolling, and yoga). Coming back, I've very slowly upped my mileage (from 8 miles a week slowly up to 20-ish miles), not run on consecutive days, tested my shoes with and without my orthotics, and focused on cross training and lifting. This also means I haven't been running too much with Jack lately (he is speedy!). Preparation: On Monday, I ran on the treadmill for four miles (increasing the speed every half mile, then every quarter mile, and finally every tenth of a mile) and did a short lift (squats, lunges, man-makers, pull-ups, and ab circuit). On Tuesday, I did a very light four mile jog o...

In the past, I've been eager to "keep up my fitness" during injuries or slight "tweaks" by using the elliptical, arc trainer, or erg. Last week, though, I really wasn't feeling it. I would make it to the gym, but I couldn't complete even a few seconds on the elliptical. I did five minutes on the stair stepper, but I then I couldn't mentally take it. I wound up doing a dynamic warm-up, a short lifting circuit, stretched, and left. I told myself that maybe I was just mentally tired, that I needed a training break from running. Today, though, I had a great workout! I did a workout on the elliptical followed by a lifting session and a good stretch session. I pondered, "What made today so different? How did I get out of my little rut?" Working Out When You're "Just Not Feeling It" Pre-Step. Determining between "Just not feeling it" or "REALLY need a break." Take a break when you need it, mentally or physic...

Me, looking a little curvy these days, courtesy of the =PR= race photos Today I ran the Run with Santa 5k, another race in the =PR= Race Series. The race started at the Reston Town Center, did a "B"-lying-on-its-back-shaped loop, and finished at the fountain at the Reston Town Center. Preparation: No preparation, other than taking a lot of recovery days. I ran 3.8 easy miles on Saturday, stretched, went to Panera for soup and a sandwich with chai tea, ate some sour gummy candies, went to the bookstore, and had soup and bread for dinner. I finished the night with watching White Collar (since I finished all the seasons of Dexter on Netflix). This race was a last minute decision, as I've taken a lot of time off this week. When I woke up, I told myself, "Anna, it's 6:30am. If you're going to run, you might as well do a run to count for points. You might as well run fast. You better run now, because the weather is just going to get worse later. No excuse...

For my December book, I read Rick Riordan's first book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief . My boyfriend's niece and sisters-in-law read the series, so I decided to give the first book a shot. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and finished it in two days! Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a young adult fictional series that follows twelve-year-old Percy Jackson and his adventures. In The Lightning Thief , Percy attends Camp Half-Blood for the first time. He discovers who he really is--the half-blood (half human, half god) son of the Olympic god Poseidon. He realizes that his ADHD and dyslexia is really because the ADHD will help him in battles and Greek is the language that is more natural for gods and half-bloods. He will need those traits to complete a quest--finding and returning Zeus' stolen master lightning bolt. Percy deals with the same troubles most of us face while growing up--getting into trouble at school, having problems that ma...