Ewwww!

With the exception of my yearly check-up, I am not one to go to the doctor unless I have been sick or things have been hurting for a very long time. I may have waited too long on this one, though. The week of the wedding (so mid-late August) I woke up with a sore, swollen eyelid. Luckily, it only lasted a few days and the all-over swelling went down, although there was this hard lump that remained. And it kept growing. And growing. I thought I was camouflaging it with makeup, but people were starting to notice. And did I mention it kept growing? And hurting? When I woke up on Monday and I could see it out of the corner of my eye, I knew it was time to go in. It turns out it's a chalazion. You can google pictures - it's so unsightly that I won't even link to them, and I certainly won't post any pictures of mine. Right now we're trying some antibiotic / steroid ointment, but it most likely will need surgery. And of course there's a YouTube video of the surgery which of course I watched, all the time going "Ewww! Ewww! Ewww!". It actually looks pretty minor, except that it will be MY eye, in which case it will be major surgery. I should have gone in two months ago when it first started. But let me tell you - no eye makeup or contacts certainly makes getting ready a breeze. It's how guys must feel.

Enough of that. Aly sent me this picture that she took on her phone when we were on a walk last week. Dare you not to smile!

Dwight has lost so much weight. He really needs to get clothes that fit.

I got a nice walk-run in on Monday. It was chilly so I just did the perimeter of our neighborhood, which is 1.8 miles. Ever since I started training for the half, I have kept a pretty complete log (shocking, I know) of my miles. I just keep trying to finish this route faster than the previous time.

Yesterday I did my favorite 4-mile loop (actually 4.2) that I used for the past several months when I needed a four-miler. It starts out with the perimeter, and I run the downhills and walk the uphills, with a few running stretches on the flats, but as you can see, there aren't many of those. For about the last third of the route, I alternated running 30 seconds with walking 90. Again, I just try to get faster than before.

The hills don't look like much, but trust me!

I actually bought a book, Women's Complete Guide to Running, by Jeff and Barbara Galloway. The Galloway method is basically a run-walk method, which I totally agree with. I don't know why I bought the women's book, probably for the advice on sports bras. It looked good at Barnes & Noble, but when I got home and was actually reading it, I found advice like this: "It is okay to give yourself a fashionable outfit as a 'reward' for exercising regularly for several weeks". Seriously. Page 92. Not that I don't mind buying cute workout clothes, but I wonder if it says ANYTHING about fashionable outfits in male running books.

In addition to becoming a better runner, I want to concentrate on core work this winter. In February, I did the Fab Abs program religiously, and then just let it slide come March. And what little ab definition I had turned quickly to jelly - use it or lose it is certainly true for this body part. So I found the program and started it again this week, playing catch-up by doing days 1-5 on Monday. And on Tuesday? *whimper*  But even after just a few days, my midsection feels stronger.

Okay, time for food. Breakfasts:

Monday was oatmeal with 1 T PB and 2 tsp brown sugar and almond-coconut milk, and coffee

Dwight's breakfast. He was more into the savory than the sweet. Two scrambled eggs and leftover roasted veggies

Today I had MaryLu's protein waffles with a sliced banana and 1 T Aunt Jemima Butter Lite, and coffee

Yesterday's lunch was leftovers from Tuesday's dinner:

Tuesday's dinner was from my Cooking Light cookbook again, Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. I made a big batch of roasted veggies as a side, topped with some wonderful salt that I found in Grand Rapids at the little wine shop we visited:

They taste as good as they sound

Check out the size of those crystals!

We heart roasted veggies. Tuesday's treat: cauliflower, peppers, Brussels sprouts

What a pretty, colorful meal. Oh, and fairly delicious as well.

We can't forget some snacks:

One sliced banana with 1 T PB

3 ounces chocolate vodka on the rocks and a homemade cookie. Hey, I can't be good all the time!

It is gorgeous outside today so I am taking advantage of the nice weather and working outside. That grass just refuses to stop growing. Luckily most of the leaves are off the trees so I can just mow to mulch them instead of raking.

Enjoy today!