Thursday Thirteen

In holy deference to Queen Es (yes, I’m still trying to make amends for micro-mussel 2010), I present to you my first ever Thursday Thirteen.

1. As seen in my previous post, today is National Chocolate Day. Other than eating a lot of chocolate, I think a good way to celebrate would be to head on over to Artisan Confections, my favorite chocolate shop. Not only can you acquire such amazing goodies as fleur de del caramels (covered in dark chocolate, of course), and Chipolte Chile bonbons, but you can also get on the mailing list to find out when Jason will be teaching his totally wonderful chocolate classes.

2. It snowed here in the DC area yesterday. 8 inches of really wet, heavy snow. I was lucky to make it home quickly and easily.

3. It would have been much better to be snowed in last night if my sweetie had been with me to enjoy watching the snowfall. But alas, he is on travel and the poor thing is suffering through a 6-day trip to Florida. Poor baby. Not!

4. I am seriously lacking workout motivation this week. I think ones of the problems is that I lifted weights on Monday for the first time in a long time (squats, steps up, etc.) and that left me really, really sore. Then there was the above-mentioned snow, and a lot of work stuff, etc. 

5. I should go to the gym right now and make up for it, but instead I am writing this blog post while I am on hold with our technology help desk.

6. Why am I on hold with the help desk? Because apparently my agency is in the process of handling my name change request and at the present time I cannot receive email to either my old name or my new name, even from someone who replies to a message I sent a few minutes ago. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I'd most definitely rather be running on the treadmill right now. Grrrrrr.

7. Speaking of changing my name, it is kind of a weird thing.The other day I arrived at a meeting where there were two women I didn't know and a man I had met several times before - although not since last summer when I was representing his division in a case. I introduced myself to the new faces and the man then introduced himself to me. He said I looked familiar but when he heard my name, he wasn't sure.  It was really awkward.

8.   The tech support guy is just. not. getting. it. Sigh.

9.  After writing #8 I went down to the gym and hit the treadmill. Go me!

10. And I've got endorphins out the wazoo!

11. I did speed work. It was tough but great! 10' w/u, 4x800 z4, 2' recovery, w/d. Nice!

12. My belly is screaming so I'm going to find my salad. I think I definitely earned a chocolate for dessert.

13. Light dressing is so not worth it. I really need to get back into the habit of making my own salad dressing.

So, there's my first Thursday Thirteen. Very stream of consciousness. See you soon!

National Chocolate Day is here!

Who knew? Today, my friends, is a day of significance. Not only is it Amanda's birthday (Happy Birthday, Amanda!!!) but it is also, are you ready for this???? National Chocolate Day! I know! How have we gone so long without knowing that such a holiday existed?

And why the heck don't we have the day off? In my book, snow + chocolate surely equals a reason to close down the government. No?

I really do think that this is a reason to celebrate. While it is true that I call myself the "queen of justification" it is not simply an excuse for me to eat lots of chocolate. Okay, well, maybe it is. But it is okay, right, if while I eat the chocolate I appreciate it and ponder how luck I am to have it in my life?

I, myself, am a huge fan of dark chocolate. Don't get me wrong, milk chocolate is good, too. But if given a choice, I am definitely in the dark chocolate camp. Oh, and you can keep your white chocolate. It is nice for decorating the real stuff, but I can live without it.

How about you? What kind of chocolate do you prefer? Do you have a favorite chocolate bar?

Am I making you hungry???

I think a dark chocolate reese's peanut butter cup would taste really great right about now....

Chill Out With Winter Running

Living in the mid-Atlantic region, we truly experience all four seasons in all of their colorful, extreme, and wonderful extremes. And this week we have had the opportunity to experience one of most people’s least favorite extremes: freezing cold.

I am definitely in the camp that says bring on the cold but bring some big snowfalls with it. So far, the DC area has been in a snow bubble and has yet to see any significant snowfall this season. That is bad for getting out of work or school (boo!), but actually, it is quite good if you’re an athlete who likes to soak up the sunshine or fresh air while getting the weekly workouts done.

Now, I’m not going to talk about whether this weekend’s long run actually got done outside – or at all. You know how I like to keep my posts focused on the topic at hand and not digress (yeah right!) . What I will talk about is strategies for outside exercise when the temperatures drop.

There was a day not too long ago where I faithfully followed my own rule not to exercise outside once the temperature dropped below 50 degrees. Well, that feels like forever ago. It turns out that I was missing out. Once I figured out how to dress for the weather, I actually began to enjoy running in the cooler temps.

So my fair-weather-loving friends. Get out there and give it a try. You might find – like I did – that the lower temperatures can make for some of the best running weather. There are many benifits including the fact that you don’t have to worry as much about hydration (notice I said not as much versus not at all...even when it is cold you still need to hydrate). Another big benefit is that the trails are far less crowded,   Let’s not forget about the bragging rights that come with getting your 20-miler done when it is 30 degrees outside. Totally badass!

So, what do you wear when it cold outside? Well, my favorite rule – which applies year round - is that when you’re running it will feel like it is 20 degrees warmer than the real feel air temperature. So, if it is 40 degrees outside, wear what would feel comfortable for you walking outside in 60 degree weather. Got it?

Of course, it isn’t all that simple and you’ll have to experiment to figure out what works for you. My best advice would be to gradually acquire lots of thin, moisture-wicking layers than you can shed as you warm up. So, on a day like today, where it will be around 20 degrees when I head out to “lead” the team run this evening, I will likely wear 2-3 light long-sleeved tops, my fleece vest, smart wool socks, running tights, a thin running hat, and a pair of my treasured Brooks (pulse lite) running gloves. I might add a balaclava to keep my neck and face warm, but I usually find that I want to shed it after a little while. It is nice for the start of the run, though.

Some of my favorite items:

To tell the truth, I whined and cried about having to lead the team Monday-night run the last time it was this cold. I think the wind chill was around 12 degrees that day. I dreaded it all day and secretly hoped that no one would show up so I could just go back home.

As it turned out, a whole bunch of crazy people showed and after a few minutes of running I was pretty much toasty warm. My hands were still pretty cold, so I pulled my fingers out of my gloves and made fists inside my gloves thanks to my teammate Sarah's suggestion.  I think my next purchase will be a nice pair of running mittens. 

For more information on dressing for winter running, check out these links: 

• CoolRunning.com says it better than I can
• Active.com article
• About.com article

If you have any questions or any good tips to add, please leave a comment. I really love comments! :)

Walkin' around the Clizzle

Did you know that Arlington is rated as the most walkable city in Virginia? Yup, it is true. Thanks to Under One Roof and Clarendon Culture for reporting that Arlington was awarded a walk score of 90/100. Just another reason to love living in Arlington. [Anyone else find it interesting that this bit of trivia is being highlighted just as the Washington Post reports that Washington DC is tied with Chicago as having the worst traffic in the nation? No real news flash there either.]

Of course, Arlington's winning walkability score comes as no surprise to anyone who has visited the area recently. It is amazing how the area has flourished since I started law school in Clarendon 12 years ago. If you'd offered me a bet that I would wind up living in a 1-bedroom condo in this neighborhood (and loving it), I would have definitely taken that losing bet. But here we are...

Admittedly, I haven't been outside much lately other than when required. But hey, if I wanted to, I could conceivably get off of my comfy sofa and stroll out of the perfectly-heated condo whenever I wanted to hop over to any number of excellent retail, shopping, and restaurant options. Seriously, though, I just got back from Hawaii and it is below freezing outside. Brrrrr. How many days until Spring???

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Okay, I’m a little late. But it is still January, right?

So, I know I haven’t been around much. But I’m going to try to change that. No – I am GOING to change that. Really.  Hold me to it. [Oh wow, I just realized that my last post was in November. Bad Cat! Okay – I slapped myself on the wrist. Moving on…]

2011 is off to a great start! I am now a married blogger. Yup, the Knight and I tied the knot on 1/11/11. It was wonderful and just exactly what we wanted. A nice, simple wedding in Vegas, followed by five wonderful days in Kauai. J 

So happy together....

Our ceremony was in a gondola

I wish you could see that these are purple snakeskin. So fun! 

 

On a totally unrelated and more serious note, I want to share this post from the Unsuck metro blog. Scary stuff! I don't mean to be an alarmist. I realize that these kinds of crimes can happen anywhere at any time and that this does not make metro inherently unsafe.  But wow! This seems like something that should be publicized. Don’t you think?

Gunmen Storm Orange Line Train, Beat and Rob Passengers

The following was witnessed by a minor who wishes to remain anonymous and does not want to talk to the press. The witness related the details below to their parents who passed them to Unsuck DC Metro. Metro confirms the incident took place, but would provide no details other than saying they'd taken two juveniles into custody.

On Dec. 23, 2010, between 6 and 6:30 p.m., six masked, armed men boarded a New Carrollton bound Orange Line at Stadium Armory and proceeded to rob--at gunpoint--passengers of their wallets, cell phones, iPods, shoes and other valuables.

Three of the men entered through the front door of the car, and the other three entered through the last door of the same car.

Some of the male passengers were ordered to the ground, and some of the robbers kicked them repeatedly. Some were kicked to the point that they were bleeding from their wounds, primarily head wounds.

One woman tried pushing the emergency button several times, but never got a response from any Metro employee.

The car was pretty crowded, and even had children on board. The witness said some people didn't even seem aware of what was happening. The witness said there was a couple with children who where letting the kids play in the aisle. They had yet to notice the robbery taking place. The witness quietly told the mother what was happening and said she needed to get her children to come over to her and keep them quiet. The mother did so, and that family was not harassed by the robbers.

The witness managed to clandestinely call 911 while they were still on board, but hung up on the 911 personnel because they wanted to call someone to let them know where they were because they felt like they were going to die on the train.

The men jumped off at the next station and ran.

Many of the passengers got off at that station, too, but the witness stayed on the train, thinking they didn't want to go where the perps had just gone.

Metro police did not get in touch with with the witness. After they spoke with the 911 operator, the witness never heard from anyone.