Ahh-choo!

It has come.  It has arrived in full force.  The one and only....allergy season.

Ever since I came back from the park last evening, I can't even count to 10 before I let out another uncontrollable sneeze.  And this morning was no different.  I had to reassure coworkers who were giving me the stink-eye that this was just allergies, but they didn't seem too convinced. 

I still attempted a quick & easy 3-miler during lunch, but it was more my nose than the rest of the body that was doing the "running" today.  Errrgh.

So I popped a few Tylenol Sinus pills (for those of you who know me, you know just how bad it was if I was taking *gasp* medication!) and waited for it to work its magic.

After a drowsy afternoon, I picked up the roomie & K-Special and headed to Goodnite Gracies to support C-ler as she guest bartended to raise money for Team in Training.  Let's just say its a good thing she has her day job :)  In any case, martinis for a good cause?  Yes please! 

(and no, K-Special didn't drink *all* those by herself!)

Shin splints be gone!

I always realize I need new kicks just a tad too late.  This time was no different.  As I carried my splinted shins into Tortoise & Hare, I came out with just a cleaner, newer version of my existing shoes:

My Nike Pegasus.  I keep going back to these time after time.  They're simply that fabulous.  And its an added bonus that they fit my huge double-D feet :)

With my shiney new shoes, I headed to our nearby park to do my speed workout for the week - 4x800's.  Neighborhood dogs were being walked left and right and provided a much needed distraction.  Before I knew it, I was done and headed home to be greeted by this: 

OH MY GOD HOW CUTE ARE THEY?? 

After my double dinner-bomb of too salty salmon and too bitter brussel sprouts, the roomie made some raspberry choco scones from the Food & Wine recipe book that were juuuuust right!  Here they are (please disregard the aesthetics; they tasted like pieces of heaven!):

I've already had two and am currently eyeing another one... 

Binge drinking? Nah, binge EATING!

Weekend = binge eating.  And this weekend was no different for *this girl.*

It started off with satisfying my truffle obsession w/ truffle fries from Jolly Pumpkin: 

Then, decided to try their grilled romaine with warm potato croutons - you'd think this was healthy, but the deep fried potato cheesy croutons made it "Yuko-appropriate" :)

Saturday morning, I skipped my morning workout to meet up with K-Jo at Phat Sammich.  As we walked into this newly opened (okay fine, 7 months ago!) restaurant in Birmingham, it was as if we time warped into the 70's.  Grooviness.  K-Jo decided on #18 - The Mexican Chicken:  Pulled chicken w/ chipotle mayo, pepperjack cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and doritos, stuffed inbetween a grilled sesame seed bun.  The doritos were a pleasant surprise that added a nice texture!

K-Jo's first attempt to take  bite out of the burger - fail!

I opted for #1 The Phat Sammich original, per recommendation by the employees.  This consisted of corned beef w/ cole slaw, french fries, swiss cheese, Russian dressing on a grilled Italian bread.  Heart attack on a plate, you say?  Eh, no prob!  And yes, I finished it!

After a quick unbuttoning of the pants and a cat-nap at the rents place, I got ready to head to Royal Oak to meet up w/ my PPs (pregger pals) L-Nol, J-Wow, and my fav girl Lil-A at D'amatos.  We started our dinner with bruchetta as an appetizer.  Nothing extraordinary, but it was tasty nonetheless:

For my main dish I decided to go with the chef's special of the Sable Fish.  The presentation was great (I was amused by the baked potato chips on top!), but was a bit too creamy for me and I would still prefer Pacific Rim's version over this (As a sidenote: The description of the sable fish on their regular menu looked more up my alley so I'm not disregarding this restaurant!).

Lil' A taste tested our dessert for us to make sure it was a-ok.  The choco-peanut butter mousse was a perfect sweet finish to a fabulous dinner!

It was so good to catch up w/ the girls...hmm, maybe next time it will be plus two??

And to finish off this weekend of binge eating, after taking Gymmy w/ me on a short (but raaaainy!) 45min tempo run, the roomie and I headed out to try O'sushi.  But not for their sushi, oh no.  For their hot stone bibimbab.  The crunchiness of the rice at the bottom of the bowl hit the spot!  We will be back, O'Bibimbab!

Now I have to go thru my closet to see if I have any clothes that still fit me...*sigh*

Logan to the Rescue!

I failed.  Miserably.

I've been talking up this whole "Michigan Beer Pairing Dinner" at Grange to the hubs ever since I made the reservation a few weeks back.  As I picked him up from work, we both chatted eagerly of what we were soon about to experience...

Unfortunately, quickly after being seated we were informed that I had incorrectly made reservations (I still think I didn't do anything wrong, poo!).  Instead, the fun-filled exciting event was occurring upstairs at their bar, and was at its capacity.  Hmph.

I didn't want our date night to go to waste, so we decided to walk around town and see what Ann Arbor had to offer.  It was quick trip down memory lane, as we used to eat out every night when we first started dating.  Cafe Zola one night, Cafe Felix another, even a splash of Dolce Vita once (or twice!) a week.  As we decided upon an oldie but goodie, The Earle, we found ourselves distracted by the subtle yellow walls and classic looking interior of the restaurant just a few feet before our destination.  Before we knew it, we were seated at Logan's.

Now I have to admit I'm not a Logan's virgin, but my previous experience was uneventful.  Decent food, but nothing extraordinary, for an extraordinary price.  But last night's experience was much much different.  They tempted us with a 5-course prix fix menu that is only offered on Tues - Thurs, and we definitely bit that bait. 

Our first course was seared yellowfin tuna steak slices over buckwheat noodles, topped with daikon and carrots, served w/ warm dashi broth.  Nothing crazy original, I mean, its literally a Japanese dish.  But I give it props for presentation, and it tasted great!

Our second course was probably my favorite:  Creamy mushroom risotto w/ a red wine reduction, topped w/ a well sauted shrimp and scallop.  Nom nom!!

The third course was interesting - the name was too sophisticated for me to pronounce nor remember.  But it was a mix of pork & rabbit wrapped in bacon, and it went perfectly with the slightly bitter after taste of the endive.

                              

Final savory dish:  Beef short ribs braised in red wine and veal stock served on top of creamy polenta.  The short ribs were soooo tender I didn't even have to lift my knife.

And to wrap up the evening, bread pudding for dessert.  I'll be honest, I've dissed this dish before, but I guess I never gave it a chance.  It tasted like a sweeter version of French Toast, and then bruleed on top.  The marinated pieces of peaches were a nice finishing touch. 

Great dinner, great company.  Who could have asked for anything more?  So in the end, my mistake turned out okay... :)

Just call me Phoebe

Living and training on flat surfaces, I used to despise even the littlest of hills.  The burning sensation in the quads, followed by shortness of breath just really wasn't my style.  The easiest, flattest route to log in the miles was just the way I liked it.

Unfortunately, the most direct route home from work is one that encounters some rolling hills.  To most people, and even myself when I'm driving, they wouldn't even recognize the repeating inclines and declines.  Now by my description you'd think I'm climbing up Mt. Everest, I know.  In reality, I'm guessing its a mere 1-3% incline.  Yes, I give you permission to call me a baby.  As much as I absolutely abhorred hills, I forgot about the greatest thing that follows that tough trek up...the easy, breezy, beautiful downhill!  Until yesterday, that is.  On the incline, I'd put my head down (probably not the best form but whatevs) and work my way up slowly.  On the way down, I'd plaster on a huge smile, let my legs take full control, and call out the inner Phoebe in me:

How spoiled am I, for when I arrived home I saw the hubs making fajitas for dinner (the chicken pieces were marinaded in a delicious concoction of mixed spice seasoning w/ a truffle salt finish!) and the roomie making oatmeal muffins (with Ghiradelli dark choco pieces to complete a non-healthy recipe, just for me!) for dessert.  I plopped my lazy butt down and watch as they slaved over the stove for me.  Not only that, last night the roomie casually asked what my job function was, interested in what I've been doing for the last 6.5 years.  And as I began to answer, I was pleasantly *shocked* as the hubs answered for me, almost completely correct.  Simultaneously, I was embarrassed that I didn't have a clue what he does... So thank you hubs, for listening to me all these years...all those times I was stressing & complaining & ranting, I didn't think you were actually listening.  Reflection for today: Yuko needs to learn to be a better listener...

Ain't no sprinter here...

After a weekend full of large caloric intake and limited physical activity, I knew I was long overdue for a good workout.  But as I looked outside yesterday, all I saw was dreary, rainy weather not depicting the first few days of Spring so well.

But, motivated by KT's email, I decided to run to the small park near my house to do a quick speed workout - 8 x 400s.  My first ever speed workout outside, not on the treadmill. I know its just a mere 0.25mi, but I'm not used to running at a faster pace.  It was a weird feeling - shortness of breath, tingling of the limbs...if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was having a heart attack!  After a total of what added up to be 2 miles, my body was already done.  Clearly I wasn't cut out to be a sprinter...heck, even a runner at that!

I'm looking forward to running home from work today - its currently a little cloudy, but not pouring rain.  I'm in dire need of the 2 hours of mellow time after the day I'm having so far already. Have you ever had one of those days when you want to just tell your coworkers, "Stop complaining!! If you're so unhappy, then just quit!"  Don't want to get all "The Secret" an' stuff, but I do agree - negativity is contagious, and I hope my "immune system" is strong enough not to catch it :)

Recap of my lovely SF vaca!

A not-so-quick recap of the fun-filled, food-filled weekend in San Fran!

1.  Fantabulous food!
You can count on my sis to make an itinerary full of fabulous restaurants to try.  We started our vaca with a pit stop at our fav fast food, In-N-Out:

The next evening we headed to the roomie's friend's restaurant, Namu.  We had an amazing time chatting it up w/ friends over delicious Korean-Asian dishes:

My fav: halibut served over koshihikari porcini risotto w/ fried brussel sprouts

Korean chili flakes sprinkled over choco chip cookies

We tried Le Terrasse for brunch before our hike in Marin Headlands on Saturday.  My dish was simple - I picked it b/c of its name "California Eggs Benedict:"

And finally, we wrapped up our vaca with some Afghani food from Salang Pass:

Quabili pallow & Mantoo

I heart this staple Fremont restaurant b/c we don't have any of its sorts in Michigan, at least not that I know of.  And the restaurant name reminds me of the famous Japanese pain relief patch my parents used to use.  Completely unrelated, but nostalgic nonetheless.

2.  Fantabulous friends!

Besides the sis, bro-in-law, and their dog Buster, I was ecstatic to meet up w/ my fav California-ites.

3.  Chooooocolaaaaate!
I mean, we DID go there specifically for the International Chocolate Festival.  This is what I believe heaven would be like.  It's a tough call, but I think my fav was the chocolate caramel bacon from Christoper Michael.  Delish!

International Chocolate Festival @ Fort Mason

4. Free massages!
Thanks to my talented sister and the Xmas gift I got her a few years back, I was able to receive *free* better-than professional full body massages EVERY day I was in SF! I think my face has a permanent imprint of the "donut hole"...

5.  Introducing, my sister The ATHLETE!
When our casual hike turned *slightly* dangerous, my sis shouted out a quick, "Run!"  So what did I do?  Took a picture of course!  I mean, when else will I see my sister RUNNING??  We praised her on her form and pace, but she just shook of the compliments.  San Fran half marathon, here she comes!!

Where have you been all my life...?

I decided to run home from work today to enjoy the 61 degree weather.  SIXTY-ONE DEGREES in MARCH in MICHIGAN??  Could it really be??  I don't think I've been that ecstatic to run 12.6miles in a long time!  I put on my long sleeve tee (yes, that's all!!  No jacket or additional layers, eek!) and my *new* running capris:

Lululemon Run: Empower Crop II

Now I had my doubts before handing over my wallet to Lululemon, but the roomie rest assured me that they would be well worth it.  But honestly, I wasn't 100% convinced...until mile 8 today.  W-O-W, these compression capris are DA BOMB!!  How did I not own these before??  Who knew our legs needed support as well?  Where have you been all my life, Lululemon Run Empower Crop pants??

Now after a long run, what better dish to devour than the popular Japanese comfort food, nikujaga:

Nikujaga

Literally, it translates to "meat-potato," but oh its much much more.  Its a combination of beef, potatoes, onion, ito konnyaku, stewed in sweetened soy sauce.  This with a side of rice is the *perfect* combo.  Yumm-o!  Did I make this, you ask?  Pshht, of course not!  Leftovers from Sunday night at the 'rents, my friend.

Third Time's a Charm...

Attempt #1 at a productive day:  Got up when the Comcast guy came to fix our cable at 9:30am.  And by "got up," I mean put in my contacts and stepped right back into bed while the hubs handled the commotion downstairs.

Attempt #2 at a productive day:  Got up again, but this time was able to make it downstairs and put together individual b'fast platters for the hubs and roomie (please disregard the presentation!):

Mini pitas, "Best Spanish Cheese," Norwegian salmon seasoned w/ truffle salt, garlic-y eggs

Great start to the day, but after a stomach full of goodness and a sink full of dirty dishes, I was lured towards the couch and was "forced" to watch DVR'ed episodes (yes, plural) of NCIS.

Attempt #3 at a productive day:  *Finally* got myself to go for a run w/ Gymmy to the local Pet Smart to grab some treats for the doggies.  One errand - check;  Workout for the day - check.  Gymmy and I were both a drenched mess by the time we got home, but hey, two birds w/ one stone;  Boo-yah. 

And now, with an emptied sink, and the washer going...I think I can say the third time's a charm :)

The "Era"

I was already doubting myself as I was putting the harness and leash on Gymmy yesterday after work - a 30minute tempo run. I have a tendency to take awhile to get into the groove of things, so I was quite hesitant at yesterday's scheduled workout.  Gymmy and I clocked in the first mile right under 10min (Gymmy had a lil smelling contest w/ a neighbor dog), then gradually increased our pace and ended up finishing the 2nd mile right at 8:28. Mile 2.0 - 2.5 was when my body finally got into the groove of things, but by the time I was starting to experience a "runner's high," I was already heading into my warm down. Ahh well, better luck next time.  No wonder I do so horribly at 5K races (you'd think I'd just do a quick 1-2mile warm-up before the race then, but that would just be too easy.  Lazy Yuko would rather stand around and freak out while staring at the other, more intense runners doing the more appropriate warm-up).

I then quickly showered and headed out to pick up K-Special for our mani appointments (the roomie opted out to do her long run instead! Props to her!!).  So why did I make a pampering appointment on a "school night?"  No, not because I deserved a reward, or because I had an event coming up - I simply ran out of a nail polish color I wanted. I had used up the last drop of the roomie's *slightly clumpy* Lincoln Park After Dark the other week, and wanted to replenish our supply (Not only is Douglas J cheap since students conduct the services, but you also get to take home your choice of polish - score!).  As soon as I got to the salon, I was like a kid in a candy store - visions of spring toned OPI colors were coming at me left and right. After staring at the stand for what probably seemed like a century, I decided on this color:

"Panda-monium Pink" from the new Hong Kong line. They got me at *new.*

As the lovely students of Douglas J were painting away, K-Special and I chatted about the upcoming life changes and how perfectly fitting the term "era" would be for the last few years. The roomie, K-Special, and I (and our respective hubbies) have almost formed a cult the past few years - I've come to rely on them as my crutch. We realized that our era would be coming to an end soon. It kind of hit me last night, not in a subtle way, but more of a huge-bat-to-my-head kind of way... Sad, yes, but instead of getting depressed by it, I realized I wanted to cherish every chance we had left as a "crew" together.

'Kay, I'm done being mushy. Back to work.

Making an impression w/ a hickey...

Generally speaking, hickeys have a bad connotation to it. But as a naive child/teenager, for me it was a symbol of pride.

Both my aunt and uncle were professional violinists who performed regularly at Carnegie Hall and had instruments (yes, plural) that were worth more than the house I grew up in. They practiced for hours on end, to say the least, and the result? What was commonly known as a "violin hickey" - a mark you get on the underside of your left chin where you hold the violin. I remember the weeks leading up to a concert, I would ambitiously practice significantly more than normal and form a violin hickey. "Look mom, look how much I'm practicing," I'd say as I eagerly showed her the resulting mark.

In swimming, it was common for girls to layer up on suits to create drag while at practice so that you would perform better at meets. Those multiple suits being worn while rotating the shoulders over and over while covering nearly 10,000 yards a day would create what we referred to as a "suit hickey" - a mark you get right between your shoulder and neck where your suit straps would rub. The thought of being considered a "serious swimmer" outweighed the pain and discomfort. Although, now that I think about it, the suits were probably just a size too small...

This morning as I was changing, I first felt a stinging sensation, and then noticed a horizontal mark on my upper abdomen - a mark left by the rubbing of my sports bra from my long run last night. I'm naming it "sports bra hickey." And today, as I walk around the office like the Hunchback of Notre Dame trying to avoid contact w/ that area as much as possible, I still have a small grin on my face as I secretly labeled myself as a *tough running gal* :)

Spring, is that you?

I didn't realize why I was getting stares when stopped at a traffic light on my way home from work while I was passionately singing, "GaGa ooh la la~"  That was, until I realized, oh crap, they can HEAR me!  That's right, windows down in mid-March in Michigan, could it really be??

You never know in Michigan whether this weather will last, so I took advantage of the gorgeous day we had and ventured out for my long run.  Oh how I had forgotten how much better running outside was!  I felt relieved I wasn't stuck in a room of stagnant air that before I realized it, I was doing a descending run.  I finished just around race pace and felt great!  Best part, I scoped out local businesses I never noticed before while driving.  Scoopy's Ice Cream, here I come!

Since the hubs is away on business this week, I thought the doggies would be all about hanging out w/ the substitute "#1" owner.  But what did I see when I get home from my run?  This:

Hmph.  I guess this is their way of dealing w/ missing the hubs :( 

Date night twice in one week? It couldn't be!

As the temperatures and most people's spirits began to rise, the hubs' excitement began to melt along with the snow.  Another snowmobiling trip got canceled last minute due to mother nature's unpredictable self.  Bad news for the hubs, good news for me :)

We decided to go back to Eve for a tasty evening out in Ann Arbor before meeting up w/ some friends at Jolly Pumpkin (Truffle pizza, truffle fries.  'Nuf said, I'm there!).  Fortunately or unfortunately, we weren't able to get a table, so we made ourselves comfortable at the bar as we befriended the bartender.  Since our usual calamari appetizer was no longer on the menu, we opted for the curried mussels.  The description on the menu simply said, "simmered in curry sauce," but the taste was much more complex!  It took everything we had to restrain ourselves from drinking the sauce like soup after we devoured all the mussels.

For my main dish, I finally decided on the beef tenderloin, topped w/ caramelized onions and warm Stilton.  The meat was incredibly tender and cooked to perfection.  The side of a potato croqueta reminded me of my childhood when I helped my mom prepare my fav starchy dish.

This morning started off pretty slow as I rolled out of bed nearing 11am.  Then I meandered on downstairs, where the hubs had picked up b'fast for us.  While munching on our bagel breakfast sandwich and coffee, the hubs, roomie, and I chit-chatted our morning away.  I finally got my butt in gear close to 2pm when I coerced the hubs to go on our first outdoor bike ride of the year w/ me to take advantage of the beautiful weather we had today! 

The lovely Hines Drive

20 miles later, I did not feel the same excitement.  Wow, how quickly did I forget how horrible I was at biking...  And did I really see an 80-year old man pass me...??  Ugh.

Vietnamese? Pho sure!

After a pretty short but brutal speed workout at the company gym, I quickly got ready to meet up C-ler for some much anticipated Vietnamese goodness.  I had been itching to try some of the famous beef and noodle soup, Pho.  With recommendations from yelp.com and C-ler, we headed to Pho Hang in Madison Heights, dead smack in the middle of what looked like a teeny tiny Little Vietnam.

After some staring at the menu in the not-so-quite hole-in-the-wall-esque restaurant, I made the decision (ok fine, C-ler made the decisions for me, I heart that!) to try the Goi Cuon - shrimp, steamed pork, lettuce, vermicelli wrapped with fresh rice paper with peanut sauce - as the appetizer.  A great healthy alternative to the typical spring roll.

For my main dish, I quenched my desire for Pho by ordering the "Pho Hang's Special" version, which was topped w/ rare beef, brisket, tendon, and beef meatballs.  Then it was garnished w/ cilantro, onions, bean sprouts, and lime.  I was surprised that the dish had a slightly sweet taste to it, but no complaints here.  It definitely hit the spot :)

C-ler and I enjoyed a nice, long, lounging dinner as we caught up on each other's lives.  After a few hours, I got nervous and started looking around to make sure we weren't overstaying our welcome.  But to my surprise, the atmosphere at Pho Hang was clearly laid back.  Everyone seemed to be on the same page as us, for they were taking their time eating and chatting the evening away.  I will defintely be back for round 2!

This morning, I got up even earlier than I usually do to go volunteer for mentoring 4th - 6th grade girls interested in engineering.  After spending 6 hours together putting together random stuff such as flashlights, active volcanos, and egg drop holders, I got to know each and every girl in my group.  I saw potential in all of them, and look forward to keeping in touch w/ them!  Hmm, maybe they'll even be working at the same company as me in 10 years or so...

And how happy was I when I realized I still had time to take the dogs out for a quick walk to the park w/ the hubs when I go home??  I love the (slightly) longer days!  Never mind the fact they *just* got groomed earlier today, we were excited to see them romp around the park!  Here are some pics of our dogs exploring the park via my iPhone:

How can you NOT love these two??  

Lucky Friday

I made my second attempt at the tempo run last night, this time trying to follow the words of wisdom from J-Woww:  "...you should be able to talk in short phrases."  So I did just that.  Literally.  I built up for about the first3 miles, and when I reached the 4th mile, I tried to start a convo with Gymmy.  "How was your day today?  What did you have for dinner?  What are your plans for the weekend?"  But he wasn't so talkative - he just glanced back at me occasionally, looking as if he wanted to ask me, "Why are you talking to yourself, psycho?"  Hmph.  Well, I did get down to a 8:12 pace for the 4th mile, and was able to "hold a convo" so I was happy. 

Then this morning, I got my usual (bagel w/ cream cheese & coffee) from Timmy Horton's.  I was about to throw away my cup when my coworker asked me if I "rolled up my rim" of my cup to see if I won anything.  Pshhht, I never win anything...that is, until today!!  I won a *gasp* FREE CUP OF COFFEE!! 

This is turning out to be one helluva Friday :)

Homemade dinner & a pace run in one night? Aww-right!

Omg, I did it!  I actually *gasp!* made dinner!  Here it is people, this dish I would like to call "eggplant slices stuffed with fridge leftovers:"

That's right - a stuffing mixture of goat cheese, onions, pinenuts, chorizo, and marinara.  Surprisingly, I think it tasted quite well!  Although the roomie gave me a big thumbs up and a strong smile, I think the actual verdict was a bit iffy.  And the hubs just muttered a "Eggplant?  I hate eggplants."  Ahhh well, baby steps, my friend.  At least I got to knock off a "homemade dinner" off my weekly to-do list.  And with the list of recipes I just got from C-Murder, I'm all set for next week.  Watch out peeps, Chef Yuko's in town!

I did my very first pace run today.  It was a short 3-miler, but I was stressing about it all the way home from work.  As soon as I walked in the door, I grabbed my Garmin, my dog, and headed out to make sure I didn't lose my motivation.  It took me awhile to get into the groove of the pace, but in the end I was just 20 seconds off of where I wanted to be.  Not so bad!  Except for the fact that I stopped to catch my breath for a few seconds at the half way turnaround point...or the fact that Gymmy was pulling so hard on the way back that my arm felt like it was going to fly out of its socket...Okay okay, so maybe my *actual* time would have been closer to 60 seconds off of target, but whatevs.  I needed an ego-booster today.  Hmph.

Happy Hump Day!

A test of willpower...

I knew I was missing something as I was rushing out the door this morning in a frenzy.  And so today became an unplanned test of mental toughness as I attempted my long run on the 'mill sans iPod.  I felt a little weak without my crutch, so I decided to keep the same pace and incline as the previous week.  But I *did* include a quick 10min leg strength training before I headed home, thanks to some motivation given to my by my coworkers...

I've been pretty anti-social during lunch break at work, but hey, I'm working on it.  And today was a great example of what I have been missing!  Two great outcomes:
1)  The "Healthy Challenge":  A challenge my fellow workers had made, each person individualized their goals for the month, and whoever gets closest to their *tough but possible* goals, the others take out to lunch.  I'm eager to get a free Zingerman's sandwich!!  Here are my monthly goals:
-  Make homemade, healthy dinner 3x a week
-  Include strength training to workouts every week (40min arms/30min abs/20min legs)
-  Vinyasa yoga once a week
-  Cheez-its once a week
I already ate a bag of Cheez-its every day this week, and haven't made a homemade dinner yet, so I'm not doing so well...

my nemisis

2)  Gears & Beers Ride to Cure ALS event - Apparently my work has a group of people participating in this event in June.  I've been itching to do something new this year, and I'd definitely like to cross off a "Century Ride" from my list (although, as most of you know, I'm the worst cyclist ever!)!  The best part?  This will be something I can train w/ the hubs!  I've been pretty openly jealous of my girlfriends who've trained w/ their hubs for past running races we've done.  But with the hub's multiple knee surgeries & permanent knee screws on his resume, that wasn't an option for me...until NOW!!  I just need to figure out how to convince him that riding a hundred miles is F-U-N...