Are you really surprised? I feel like the past few weeks have been a whirlwind, so in the interest of time (and because writing out paragraphs seems really energy-consuming at the moment), I decided to do lists instead.
Awesome things
Friends visiting from LA (includes: trip to Stone brewery, froyo, a few episodes of Lockup Raw, slumber party, and family breakfast)
PR at Carlsbad 5000 (didn't feel very awesome while I was running, but who doesn't love a PR?)
Parentheses (if you couldn't tell by now, I think I have an overuse problem)
The weather. Spring is here!
Peet's coffee
Not so awesome things
Work stress
Bum knee (my right knee is currently auditioning for the role of my left knee's fat twin. Barring any medical miracles, it's looking pretty good for the part.)
Dumb neighbors
Being generally awkward
Did I mention my bum knee?
Snackies
Froyo
Pop Chips
Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi (yep, I'm 9. So what?)
Mini bell peppers
Monster trail mix from Target (Try it. For reals.)
I think that about sums it up. In other news, I kind of like this top 5 idea (yep, I'm that original), so I may or may not try it again in another post. Thoughts?
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
New Year, New Start
Eideh shoma mobarak! Last Sunday was the first day of spring, also marking the beginning of a new year for Iranians. It is a time filled with peace, love, family, and delicious food. I was lucky to be able to spend last weekend in the Bay Area with my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Here's to a happy and prosperous 1390!! Yea we're a little behind on the times, don't hate!
Rewind to the weekend before last. Remember I told you how much I hated Fiesta Island? And how I was determined to redeem myself at the St. Patty's Day 10K? Well, mission accomplished! I was MUCH happier at the end of the St. Patty's Day race. I still hate Fiesta Island (and still found it appropriate to spew obscenities at it during the race), but I didn't let it get me down during the run. I kept pace with my running buddy, and raced my way to a new 10K PR! The lines for pizza and beer after the race were reallllly long, so we settled for Souplantation brownies. We also got leprechaun hat medals at the finish. Win and win!
On Friday, I drove up to Agoura Hills for the Old Agoura 10K, rated one of the top 6 10Ks in the country by Runner's World. It was my friend Monica's first 10K, and I was all too happy to oblige her request for a running buddy! I have to say, this was the most challenging race I have done so far. The scenery was gorgeous (think Santa Monica Mountains, country roads, horse farms) and did not disappoint, but the hills! Oh, the hills! They definitely tested my running mettle. It was clear after the first mile that I wouldn't be anywhere close to a PR, but I was content with just enjoying the course, and not passing out on the wicked hills. It also didn't help that I realized my iPod was dead right at the start line (after a nasty battle with the washing machine...my headphones made it, my iPod wasn't so lucky), so I ran with no music. No music. It wasn't nearly as unpleasant as I thought it might be, but I won't be leaving my music at home anytime soon.
The start of the new year also happens to coincide with the beginning of my official training for the San Diego Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon. 1 week down, 11 to go! Since I went crazy signing up for races, April is a 2 (possibly 3) race month for me. This coming Sunday, I have the Carlsbad 5000 5K, the so-called "fastest 5K in the world". Not intimidating at all! I haven't run a 5K since December, but I've done a lot of training and racing since then, so I'm aiming for a PR.
On April 17, as an homage to my humble running roots, I will be running the La Jolla Shores 5K. The La Jolla Shores 5K was my first official race last year, so it holds a lot of nostalgic value and serves as a reminder to myself of how far I've come in the past year (both in life and in running).
I am really, ridiculously excited to start running outside. Thank you spring and daylight savings!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Thin Line
I think part of the reason that I haven't updated as much as I'd like to is that I'm a little bit of a perfectionist. I always want every sentence to sound just right, everything to flow nicely and to be enjoyable to whoever is reading. I always struggle with writer's block every time I sit down to write. Including right now.
But I also realize that a big part of sharing a little bit of yourself with the world is just letting your thoughts out freely, without worrying about the little things. With that said, I wanted to share this story with you, because it kind of hit home for me when I read it.
Every once in awhile, you read a story on your Google Reader, or in your daily news emails that really speaks to you. You feel like the author was writing the piece just for you. Tonight I opened my RunnersWorld nightly email and saw a link to Peter Sagal's A Thin Line. If you've ever struggled with weight or body image in your life, you may find this story uplifting or inspiring; you may find it comforting to know that someone else has felt your struggle. If you have a few minutes, take a peek at it, if not only for the fact that Peter Sagal is one of the hosts of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! on NPR (he earns MAJOR cool points for that, btw). Well played, Peter. Well played.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Did You Miss Me?
For what it's worth, I sat down to write new posts 4 times this past week. Each time, I felt like I was just going to vent and be snappy about everything that made me unhappy (at work, in the gym, in life), and let's be honest: who wants to hear me complain all the time? I even get tired of myself complaining all the time. So here is my attempt at a positive spin on last week's mayjah happenings.
This guy made me late for work on Thursday. Oh hey, crazyface! Didn't see you there behind the half-mile of backed up traffic and the jackknifed big rig! On a brighter note, while I was stuck in said traffic jam, I was thisclose to winning zoo tickets on the radio. And Mr. I-wanna-talk-to-the-President was admitted for a mental health evaluation. No harm, no foul, right?
I ran a 15K on Saturday. And I hated every second of it. Not very organized, route was sucky, and did I mention I finished (almost) last? It really was one of those races that sucks the love of running out of you. I also have a St. Patrick's Day 10K coming up this Saturday. I signed up for it without knowing that the route was just a shorter version of the 15K. Boooo! After some reflection and some encouraging words from my running guru/coworker Debra, I decided that I wouldn't let one sucky race experience get me down. I am determined to take Fiesta Island by the horns this weekend. Do you hear that, Fiesta Island? I am taking you DOWN! And then I will have pizza and beer to celebrate. Everyone knows that's why people sign up for St. Patty's Day races anyway. Who's with me?!
This guy made me late for work on Thursday. Oh hey, crazyface! Didn't see you there behind the half-mile of backed up traffic and the jackknifed big rig! On a brighter note, while I was stuck in said traffic jam, I was thisclose to winning zoo tickets on the radio. And Mr. I-wanna-talk-to-the-President was admitted for a mental health evaluation. No harm, no foul, right?
I ran a 15K on Saturday. And I hated every second of it. Not very organized, route was sucky, and did I mention I finished (almost) last? It really was one of those races that sucks the love of running out of you. I also have a St. Patrick's Day 10K coming up this Saturday. I signed up for it without knowing that the route was just a shorter version of the 15K. Boooo! After some reflection and some encouraging words from my running guru/coworker Debra, I decided that I wouldn't let one sucky race experience get me down. I am determined to take Fiesta Island by the horns this weekend. Do you hear that, Fiesta Island? I am taking you DOWN! And then I will have pizza and beer to celebrate. Everyone knows that's why people sign up for St. Patty's Day races anyway. Who's with me?!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
ABCs of Me
On days like this when it is freezing and POURING outside, all I really want to do is curl up on the couch with my coffee and take full advantage of SVU marathons on TV. Unfortunately, I had to be up bright and early this morning for work. Boo! In light of the fact that I would rather blog than work, I have a fun post today that might shed a little light on the blogger personality I hide behind. Enjoy!
A. Age: 25
B. Bed size: Twin. Yup, still rocking the twin bed almost 4 years after I finished undergrad.
C. Chore you hate: Washing dishes. I'd rather scrub bathroom floors.
D. Dogs: Mmmm, yea I'm not really an animal person. I like other people's pets. My favorite is Alana's blind dog Lilly.
E. Essential start to your day: Shower. And coffee.
F. Favorite color: Green, orange.
G. Gold or silver: Silver. Hands down.
H. Height: 5'5".
I. Instruments you play: I used to play the piano. Pretty well actually, but I haven't played since I moved out of my parents' house for college. Sometimes when I go back to visit, I sit at the piano and really wish I could still play the way I used to.
J. Job title: Staff Research Associate. Clinical research goddess has a nice ring to it, though.
K. Kids: No thank you please.
L. Live: Sunny (but not right now) San Diego, CA.
M. Mom’s name: Manijeh.
N. Nicknames: Where do I start? My family calls me Jay or JayJay, but I've pretty much been called everything under the sun: JBoxx, JBadd, JMoney, JBizzle, Jihad (thanks Alana). The list goes on.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None, knock on wood.
P. Pet peeve: Bad grammar and spelling errors drive me INSANE.
Q. Quote from a movie: "That's the Persian mafia...you can't hang with them unless you drive a BMW" Name that movie!
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.
S. Siblings: One older brother, and the sassiest 2-year old niece a girl could ask for.
T. Time you wake up: Usually around 6:30-6:45 during the week. Around 8 on the weekends.
U. Underwear: Nice try!
V. Vegetables you dislike: Turnips.
W. What makes you run late: Running late really isn't my style, but it's usually traffic.
X. X-rays you’ve had: My teeth! And I had a chest x-ray once when I was a kid.
Y. Yummy food you make: Dark chocolate marshmallow bark. That's about it.
Z. Zoo animal favorite: Orangutans!
Had enough yet? Happy Saturday!!
A. Age: 25
B. Bed size: Twin. Yup, still rocking the twin bed almost 4 years after I finished undergrad.
C. Chore you hate: Washing dishes. I'd rather scrub bathroom floors.
D. Dogs: Mmmm, yea I'm not really an animal person. I like other people's pets. My favorite is Alana's blind dog Lilly.
E. Essential start to your day: Shower. And coffee.
F. Favorite color: Green, orange.
G. Gold or silver: Silver. Hands down.
H. Height: 5'5".
I. Instruments you play: I used to play the piano. Pretty well actually, but I haven't played since I moved out of my parents' house for college. Sometimes when I go back to visit, I sit at the piano and really wish I could still play the way I used to.
J. Job title: Staff Research Associate. Clinical research goddess has a nice ring to it, though.
K. Kids: No thank you please.
L. Live: Sunny (but not right now) San Diego, CA.
M. Mom’s name: Manijeh.
N. Nicknames: Where do I start? My family calls me Jay or JayJay, but I've pretty much been called everything under the sun: JBoxx, JBadd, JMoney, JBizzle, Jihad (thanks Alana). The list goes on.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None, knock on wood.
P. Pet peeve: Bad grammar and spelling errors drive me INSANE.
Q. Quote from a movie: "That's the Persian mafia...you can't hang with them unless you drive a BMW" Name that movie!
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.
S. Siblings: One older brother, and the sassiest 2-year old niece a girl could ask for.
T. Time you wake up: Usually around 6:30-6:45 during the week. Around 8 on the weekends.
U. Underwear: Nice try!
V. Vegetables you dislike: Turnips.
W. What makes you run late: Running late really isn't my style, but it's usually traffic.
X. X-rays you’ve had: My teeth! And I had a chest x-ray once when I was a kid.
Y. Yummy food you make: Dark chocolate marshmallow bark. That's about it.
Z. Zoo animal favorite: Orangutans!
Had enough yet? Happy Saturday!!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Fail x3
Four day weekend = awesome, right? I'm gonna go with yes, minus a couple of noteworthy (and kind of special, of the paste-eating variety) fails.
On Saturday, after a STELLAR week in which I managed to finally break through my 2 month long plateau, I decided it would be a really good idea to make chocolate marshmallow bark. 8 batches of it. I experimented with peppermint extract, extra dark chocolate, dried cherries, and dried cranberries. The good news? Everyone at work is gonna LOVE me tomorrow. The bad news? I've had 8 batches of chocolaty marshmallowy goodness sitting in my fridge all weekend. And then there were 7.
On Sunday, my friend and old coworker Elle excitedly told me that Maz Jobrani was going to be at the House of Blues on Tuesday night. I kind of love Maz Jobrani. Self-deprecating humor is pretty much the key to my heart, and Maz does a fantastic job of summing up my entire childhood in 3 minutes here. I jumped at the chance, and bought tickets. Too bad he won't be at the House of Blues until the 24th. THURSDAY. Not tonight. How both of us missed this I'm not sure, but I'm glad we figured it out before I left the house and sat in traffic for an hour trying to get downtown.
Yesterday, after my mediocre run (Note to self: running into the wind on a grade is not the best idea you've ever had) I decided to self-medicate with graham cracker frozen yogurt. Standard. I'm pretty sure the people who work at Golden Spoon would only recognize me in my workout clothes. I walked back out to my car, unlocked it, and opened the driver's side door, only to be greeted by the inside of a car that....wasn't mine. It was a MESS. After having a mini flip-out and screaming on the inside for a little bit, I realized that my car was actually two rows over. This little incident cost me a bit of my dignity and my froyo spoon. Maybe here is not the best place to admit that I had an extra spoon in my purse. Even more reason to self-medicate.
This (shortened) workweek promises to be busy, but at least I have Maz to look forward to on Thursday night!
On Saturday, after a STELLAR week in which I managed to finally break through my 2 month long plateau, I decided it would be a really good idea to make chocolate marshmallow bark. 8 batches of it. I experimented with peppermint extract, extra dark chocolate, dried cherries, and dried cranberries. The good news? Everyone at work is gonna LOVE me tomorrow. The bad news? I've had 8 batches of chocolaty marshmallowy goodness sitting in my fridge all weekend. And then there were 7.
On Sunday, my friend and old coworker Elle excitedly told me that Maz Jobrani was going to be at the House of Blues on Tuesday night. I kind of love Maz Jobrani. Self-deprecating humor is pretty much the key to my heart, and Maz does a fantastic job of summing up my entire childhood in 3 minutes here. I jumped at the chance, and bought tickets. Too bad he won't be at the House of Blues until the 24th. THURSDAY. Not tonight. How both of us missed this I'm not sure, but I'm glad we figured it out before I left the house and sat in traffic for an hour trying to get downtown.
Yesterday, after my mediocre run (Note to self: running into the wind on a grade is not the best idea you've ever had) I decided to self-medicate with graham cracker frozen yogurt. Standard. I'm pretty sure the people who work at Golden Spoon would only recognize me in my workout clothes. I walked back out to my car, unlocked it, and opened the driver's side door, only to be greeted by the inside of a car that....wasn't mine. It was a MESS. After having a mini flip-out and screaming on the inside for a little bit, I realized that my car was actually two rows over. This little incident cost me a bit of my dignity and my froyo spoon. Maybe here is not the best place to admit that I had an extra spoon in my purse. Even more reason to self-medicate.
This (shortened) workweek promises to be busy, but at least I have Maz to look forward to on Thursday night!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Playing Hooky
No, not really. I am home from work today, and people have been coming in and out of my house to survey and repair the water damage from a roof leak in my guest bedroom. The last time this happened (yep, it's happened before...San Diego drainage systems FTW!!), my own bedroom was out of commission for a couple weeks. Not an ideal situation, but at least I have my own room this time!
I flew up to the Bay Area to visit my parents this past weekend. For some reason, work was more draining than usual last week, so it was realllly nice to just take a break and spend some time with my family. On Friday night, my parents picked me up from the airport and we went straight to Yoshi's. We hadn't been there in ages, and it didn't disappoint. We decided to also get tickets to the jazz show after dinner, which is wholly unlike my parents. The George Duke Quartet played a pretty sweet set. I've never really listened to jazz, but it was so smooth and uplifting, and really enjoyable.
I also got to spend some quality time with my niece. Who knew that a 2 year old could love Bieber and Usher? She was a ball of energy and so much fun! She talks up a storm and would love nothing more than to eat ice cream for every meal.
Yesterday, I bit the bullet and registered for the Sue Krenn 15K. What have I gotten myself into?? I guess we'll find out in a few weeks! Since I started running and doing races last year, I've realized that I really enjoy the longer distances. I've already finished one half marathon, and it's already time to start thinking about a training plan for my next one, the Rock n' Roll San Diego 1/2 Marathon! Is it weird that I geek out at the thought of making up my own training plans? Too bad I can't be that excited about studying for the MCAT. Le sigh.
Here is to hoping that I can make it through the rest of this week with my sanity intact...wish me luck!
I flew up to the Bay Area to visit my parents this past weekend. For some reason, work was more draining than usual last week, so it was realllly nice to just take a break and spend some time with my family. On Friday night, my parents picked me up from the airport and we went straight to Yoshi's. We hadn't been there in ages, and it didn't disappoint. We decided to also get tickets to the jazz show after dinner, which is wholly unlike my parents. The George Duke Quartet played a pretty sweet set. I've never really listened to jazz, but it was so smooth and uplifting, and really enjoyable.
I also got to spend some quality time with my niece. Who knew that a 2 year old could love Bieber and Usher? She was a ball of energy and so much fun! She talks up a storm and would love nothing more than to eat ice cream for every meal.
Yesterday, I bit the bullet and registered for the Sue Krenn 15K. What have I gotten myself into?? I guess we'll find out in a few weeks! Since I started running and doing races last year, I've realized that I really enjoy the longer distances. I've already finished one half marathon, and it's already time to start thinking about a training plan for my next one, the Rock n' Roll San Diego 1/2 Marathon! Is it weird that I geek out at the thought of making up my own training plans? Too bad I can't be that excited about studying for the MCAT. Le sigh.
Here is to hoping that I can make it through the rest of this week with my sanity intact...wish me luck!
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