Workout Wednesday

I don't have too much to report these days - Christmas break is good to me in that it allows me to lounge around, try new recipes, read, watch Friday Night Lights, and aimlessly scroll through Pinterest. I do have a few crafts up my sleeve that I definitely want to try my hand at before I head back to Austin for the craziness of spring semester. That's a ways away, though, so we won't think about that quite yet!

Cookie-Oreo-brownie bars - a 2011 Christmas break creation 

Oreo stuffed cookies

A tray made out of peppermints that promptly shattered when I tried to spray it with a protective spray

I came home with the intention of blogging every day over Christmas break, with all this free time that I now have, but I have been spending a bit of time at my place of birth - The Methodist Hospital in the Houston Medical Center - with my grandma who took a little spill on Monday morning and came away with a few fractured ribs and some pretty impressive bruises. She's a trooper, though, and we hope to have her home by Christmas. I'm blessed to get to spend so much time with her, and I'm thankful for the great doctors at Methodist Hospital who are not only so good to her, but who manage to keep me sane as well. I think they were ready to admit me to a room of my own on Monday night!

All decorated for Christmas

Houston Medical Center (Source)

Workout

This Wednesday morning started out the way I wish all Wednesday mornings could. I enjoyed a banana with peanut butter before heading up the road to the MAC for Felipe's 9am spin class. I have said it before, but I both love and hate Felipe's spin class. It sure gets me sweating, and I leave knowing that  I can push myself a little bit harder than I thought I could.

I went straight home after the MAC and got right to baking. I am running a little baking business this break, so if you are in need of some last-minute Christmas goodies, let me know. I have learned that I much prefer baking brownies and cookies over cupcakes. I couldn't tell you why, well, maybe it's because I have the perfect brownie pan - yes, I bought into that advertisement - so it makes cutting the brownies pretty darn easy.

After about two hours of baking, I headed back up the road to good ol' Stratford High School to get in some hill training. I made it quick: three rounds of 12 uphill runs, but it was definitely a workout. I have been putting running on the back-burner these days, so I am hoping that little hill workout, short as it was, gets me back in the running mood. I am running the Houston half in less than a month now, and I want it to be an enjoyable experience, not something where I'm counting down the miles. Hopefully posting this will hold me accountable!

Sorry I don't have more to report - if you are looking for a quick read, I started (and finished) Josh Hamilton's biography - Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back, and I really enjoyed it. I am big into the sports biographies, especially inspirational ones, so if you're into that scene too, you should check it out. I am now tuning into my intellectual side and reading a junior year favorite - The Great Gatsby. And I might take a Friday Night Lights break. I might as well finish it while I don't have anything too pressing to attend to!

A glimpse into my highly intellectual reading material