Three-day Weekend

Yeah for 3-day weekends!!

That third days make such a difference in how much I can get accomplished! :)

My weekend has been busy but good nonetheless.

Saturday morning Craig and I both got up bright and early to a bone-chilling -12*F! Those temperatures sting!

(I apologize for the incredibly bad/blurry pictures in this post.)


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I cooerced Craig to come with me to Great Harvest.


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It may seem odd to be going to Great Harvest at that time of the day, but we wanted a free loaf of bread!

I got an e-mail saying that Great Harvest was giving away a loaf of bread in honor of Martin Luther King Day!

All we had to do was complete a MLK quiz.

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Craig is the history buff, so he filled out most of it. ;)


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Our free loaf of Unity Bread!


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Then it was time to go for a my Saturday long run.

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Don’t worry, it had warmed up to a balmy -8*F by that time.

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Boy oh boy was it cold!! I only ran 5 miles, but even after 3 miles my legs started to hurt and go numb.

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Craig met me a few times along my route to check in on me because it was still very dark, and I was running a different parts of Anchorage. It was cute.

This is a picture looking into downtown. (Yes, it is a small downtown.)

I eventually came up that hill.

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Here I come! Surprisingly my hands actually get warm enough that I have to take my mittens off, but they can only stand a few seconds of being out in the fridgid cold temps before I have to put the mittens back on.

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My final destination: the coffee shop to meet Craig and warm up!

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Post-run recovery food: decaf coffee, water, and toast with almond butter and raspberry jam.

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The rest of Saturday was busy with running errands, cleaning, and checking things off my to-do list.

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On Sunday morning I went for a one mile run and then headed to yoga at Anchorage yoga for a warm flow class. I liked the intensity: challenging but nothing over the top.


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For breakfast, I had this packet of instant oatmeal from Bakery on Main. It was good. . . .I added banana slices and walnuts to it.


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I was impressed with the ingredients.

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I also liked the nutrition stats.

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After showering and getting ready, it was off to church, and then I met up with a friend at Kaladi Bros.


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Sunday night was nice and low-key because I didn’t have to work the next morning! :)

So what does one do when it is below zero out. . . . .?


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Why go and get frozen yogurt of course?

That’s my “why am I doing this” look.

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Even though I already had ice cream earlier in the day, I told myself that this was “yogurt” and not ice cream. ;)

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While at Yogurt Lounge, we played Bananagrams! Craig won again, but I only had two letters left; I was proud of myself.

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I don’t think I ever warmed-up, but it was still fun.

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After we got back from Yogurt Lounge, we watched the movie Friends with Benefits. It definitely had its moments of vulgarity, but we still thought it was cute.


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This morning (Monday), I got up and made my way to The Dome to do a speed workout.


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I completed the following workout:

1.5 mile warm-up

2 x 800 meters

4 x 400 meters

1.5 mile cool-down

Total: 5 miles

It was a really good workout. I felt good, but sometimes I have to tendency to push myself too hard, so I hope I don’t feel too sluggish the rest of the week.


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After my workout, came my favorite breakfast of a Banana Protein Smoothie and a bagel with peanut butter. :) Seriously, what is it about a bagel that makes is so much better than regular bread?

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Then it was off to my Rolfing appointment. I’ll be honest, Rolfing hurts, but I definitely notice a difference after she is done. My muscles/joints move better and more fluidly. I’m hoping it will help me with my running.


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After that, my day flew by and now it is time to go to bed. :( I am always sad to see the weekend go, but I am thankful I got everything done I wanted to! :)

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It is nice to have some extra time to blog again. :)

Yesterday, my massage therapist was very sweet and gave me these two mini loaves of bread for Christmas.


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I had a slice of each for breakfast this morning!

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I don’t think I could pick a favorite because both were so good! These are not going to last long!

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After letting my breakfast digest for a couple of hours, I used a free guest pass to The Alaska Club.

This is the premier fitness club in Anchorage for those who have a little extra money can afford to go to!

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I attended a Group Active class, which combined step aerobics, weight lifting, balance, and stretching.

It was a good class, don’t get me wrong, but I am definitely not a step aerobic, group fitness kind of gal. It is okay and fun to do every once and a while, but it really isn’t my thing.

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Since I didn’t get much of a cardio workout at the class, I swam laps for 30 minutes. Now that got my heart a-pumping. I forgot how much I enjoy swimming. . . .especially when the water is warm!

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Swimming always makes me SO hungry, so I was definitely ready for lunch when I got back.

Wannabe Chicken & Rice Soup + 9 Grain Bread from Great Harvest + an apple

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This is Wannabe Chicken and Rice Soup, recipe courtesouy of Chelsey. Definitely a winner!

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Jazz apples are my new favorite kind to eat: sweet + crunchy!

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My lunch didn’t satisfy my appetite, so I had an early afternoon snack.

Vanilla Protein Smoothie (I’ve been making this smoothie about 4 times a week; I can’t get enough!)

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After doing a few things around the apartment (phone calls, folding laundry, picking up, etc.), I headed to a rolfing session at Tieszen Chiropractic.

Here’s the Wikipedia definition of rolfing.

My definition: a really intense massage.

The gal worked on my lower legs, ankles, and feet, and maybe it is just in my head because I am supposed to feel different, but I honestly feel like my ankles are more flexible and are able to move through their range of motion better. She concentrated on my feet first and is going to work my hips next time because they are SO tight!


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I spent my evening baking away in the kitchen. It has been a long time since I’ve baked anything, so it was fun to be back at it!