Getting Specific

Happy Thursday (that's really a Friday)! Hopefully you are lucky enough to have tomorrow off so that you can enjoy a long weekend. I know I'll be more than ready for a couple days off of work after working eight hours tonight. Though I can't complain about having the afternoon and evening shift, especially on the Thursday before the Fourth of July, because it is so incredibly quiet around here. I plan on blogging, reading, and maybe watching a movie while painting my nails. Not too bad for being at work!

Asti

Let's start off this post with yet another item that has been crossed off of the list - Asti Trattoria. Dylan finished his test at the exact time I got off work, so we decided to grab a quick lunch before he left town for YoungLife camp. Asti is right in the Hyde Park neighborhood, so it was extremely easy to get to. And on top of that, there was approximately one other person in the restaurant when we were there, allowing us to be seated and tended to immediately.

Our waitress was extremely personable, and I really liked the feel of this restaurant. It was quiet (which was obviously contributed to by the lack of restaurant patrons), and had a very welcoming feel to it. We were well taken care of while we were here, and I found this to be a stellar lunch spot. Dylan and I don't typically get to go to lunch together because of our overlapping schedules, so this was a nice change of pace.

We started out with the Asti fries, seasoned with garlic and parsley, and they certainly didn't last very long. They were thin and crisp, which made it very easy to keep popping them into my mouth.

For my entree, I ordered the Grilled Salmon Salad. Dylan was disappointed in me for this, because I tend to gravitate toward salmon whenever we go out to eat, but one, I really like it, and two, if I ate a bowl of pasta in the middle of the day, that would be the end of my day. Plus, I just wanted something that was both healthy and refreshing, and this salad satisfied both of those requirements.

I was even too full for gelato at Dolce Vita, which was really too bad because they had a chocolate sorbet flavor. If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I'm a sucker for anything chocolate. I guess this means I'll have to go back!

Workout + Breakfast

I hung around at home for a little bit, watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with two of my roommates, before dragging my tired self up to the gym for a 5:45pm cycling class. For once, it wasn't that my body was tired, it was more that I was just worn out, and felt as though I could have gone to sleep for the night right then and there. I knew I would regain some energy if I got a little exercise, so I did just that. I started out with a little incline treadmill walking, and then worked hard for 50 minutes in spin class.

The instructor last night was the same instructor I had on Saturday, so I knew this would be a good class. We did the same pyramid interval exercise, but we did it backwards this time. Meaning, we started out with four minutes of work, had one minute of rest, did three minutes of work, and so on. In my opinion, this pyramid interval was a little bit tougher than the one on Saturday:

• Seated flat
• Standing climb
• Jumps (10 seconds sprint, 10 seconds rest)
• Standing to seated sprint (15 seconds --> 20 seconds --> 25 seconds)

And we finished the pyramid interval with a 30-second sprint that left my legs feeling like jelly. I'd call that a successful class!

Today my workout happened bright and early in the morning, but this it was of the water variety. I forget how much I love early morning swims, probably because I don't get to do them enough. I love watching the sun come up over the water, and it was the perfect way to start this Thursday.

I was more than hungry by this point, so I headed home to fix myself my usual egg whites and spinach.

I decided to brave the heat and go for a walk at Town Lake, but the sun absolutely drained me, and I downed every ounce of water in my CamelBak once I got back to my car.

After both a swim and a sweaty walk at Town Lake, I was more than ready for a shower and a snack. I ate half of a Honeycrisp apple before dropping a friend off at her house in Westlake and then running a few errands.

Not long after I returned home, I headed over to SRD for work, which is where I will be for many, many hours. As I said earlier, though, I can't complain too much.

Austin Murals

As you guys may have noticed when I posted about my Summer 2014 To-Do List, one of the items on this list was "Austin Murals." That isn't very specific, and obviously it is not very plausible to visit every single mural in Austin, so I made a list of the ones that I want to see most. Granted, I have seen almost every mural on this list, and I've even taken pictures of a few of them, but I am starting over with the goal of taking pictures of every single one in these next three weeks. It seems like a lot, but many of them are located near one another, so it really shouldn't be too difficult.

And on that note, I'm off to do a little bit of reading. Catch y'all later!

Bartlett's

Happy Saturday! After two nights of less-than-enough sleep, I slept hard last night, and though I didn't necessarily sleep in very late, I felt as though I got some good sleep. A nap may be in the books for me later, though!

Workout

I went to bed fairly late last night, so I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to wake up in time to make it to a 10am spin class at the gym. I woke up around 8:45am, though, giving myself plenty of time to wake up, change, and head to the gym. I walked on the treadmill while reading for about 15 minutes before making my way upstairs to the cycle room. Today's spin class was great, and time just seemed to fly by (not something I normally say about a spin class). My favorite sequence that we did was the pyramid interval. I've mentioned something similar to this on the blog before, but basically it was a total of 20 minutes - work time and rest time combined. We started out with one minute of work, then had one minute of rest. We then repeated that first minute, and added on a second minute, again, with one minute of rest. This repeated until we were up to five minutes of work, and each minute looked like this.

• Minute one - fast flat
• Minute two - standing climb
• Minute three - jumps
• Minute four - 10 seconds sprint, 10 seconds rest (while standing)
• Minute five - downhill sprint

What was tough about this one was that once you added resistance for that second minute, we didn't take it back until minute five, when we were going downhill. It was tough, but it sure made the time go quickly!

Bartlett's

I said yesterday that I would be back with another item crossed off of my list. As you know, my entire week was consumed by the AP Summer Institute, and when I finished with that, Dylan would have work, so we weren't able to squeeze a nicer dinner into the week days. My sweet friend Chloe so kindly agreed to take my 6-10pm shift at SRD, and Dylan told me to make dinner reservations for Friday, the only stipulation being that it had to be a restaurant on the list. I picked Bartlett's in North Austin, and it did not disappoint.

Though nothing on the appetizer list really caught our eyes, we did each order a drink - I think after my long week, I more than deserved it! Dylan had the Blood and Sand, which was much too strong for my taste, and I had the Bartlett Pear Martini. I don't really care for pears, but pear-flavored drinks are some of my favorite.

I started drinking before my food came, so it didn't take long for me to feel it, but I felt much better once the food was delivered to our table.

So, onto the food. I had a hard time deciding between the pork chop and the salmon, but I (and I'm sure this comes as no surprise), went with the Hardwood Grilled Salmon that came with Brazilian collards on the side. I had never had collards before, but I really liked them. I'm not sure what to describe as their equivalent, but the way I ate them reminded me of spaghetti.

Anyway, my salmon was cooked to perfection, and I ate every bite (again, shocking). Dylan opted for one of the night's specials - Hand cut Filet, Crab Cake, and a loaded Baked Potato on the side. Judging by his empty plate, I'd say he thoroughly enjoyed it!

I was pretty full by that point, but Dylan couldn't resist the Key Lime Pie for dessert, and though key lime isn't really my flavor, it sure did look good!

Overall, we'd give Bartlett's two thumbs up - not only for the delicious food, but also for the friendly waiters as well as the warm atmosphere. If you're looking for a nicer restaurant in North Austin, look no further than Bartlett's - it won't disappoint!

Ordinary Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! My days have felt very, very long due to this AP Summer Institute, but I am gaining lots of valuable information (and handouts!!!), so though the last hour and 45 minutes are pretty grueling - among all of the other things I have learned these past two days, I have learned that I am not meant to sit behind a desk all day - I know that it will be very beneficial, as it has certainly proven to be already. And I will appreciate it far more when it is over, and I am looking back on it, as tends to be the case with these types of things.

So, let's start right in with some regularly scheduled events. 

Lunch

One of the perks of attending this conference is the complimentary lunch we receive. Each day has a different hot meal, but you always have the option to build your own salad from the salad bar. I have taken advantage of that option both yesterday and today, and they have hit the spot both days - who knew sitting in a classroom for four hours would cause your stomach to eat itself?

A bowl of soup is also included with your meal, and though I got a bowl of soup to eat with my salad in an attempt to warm myself up after sitting in a freezing cold classroom all morning, I quickly pushed it away when I found a hair in it. Thankfully I had a few snacks back up in the room, so it wasn't too tragic.

Workout

Lately, I have been very into alternating my daily workouts - swimming one day, with a spin class the next. This often happens to me in the summertime when it feels too hot to run, and then I pick back up with running during the school year. I've decided to just go with it, because my half marathon training will creep up on my soon enough! Anyway, I went to the gym straight after the conclusion of today's session, and walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes while reading before my 5:45pm spin class. Though I consistently drown in a pool of my own sweat at the end of Thomas' spin classes, I really enjoy them. One, because he always plays Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard, which used to be my jam, and two, because I know I'm getting in a good workout in just about 45 minutes. Quick and effective, just the way I like it.

One of the things I liked about tonight's class, and really every other class that I've been to of his, is this sequence. He divided the class into two teams - Team One and Team Two. Team One would speed up their movement for 30 seconds, while Team Two took that time to rest. We went through four rounds that looked like this:

• 30 seconds seated
• 15 seconds seated, 15 seconds standing
• 15 seconds standing, 15 seconds seated
• 30 seconds standing - increasing your speed every 10 seconds

It's tough, but it's just enough speed alternated with just enough rest. An excellent workout if I do say so myself. Now I plan on parking it on the couch and catching up on a little blogging (obviously), and putting together some things for my future classroom. The first day of school is too quickly approaching, and I need to make sure my classroom has a very welcoming feel to it. Have a great evening!

Gone Girl

Hey, y'all! I apologize for my absence over the weekend - I was busy playing nurse, which was selfishly just what I needed to do in order to get in a relaxing weekend. I was able to lounge around and be lazy, and finish reading Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, which holy moly was insane. I will do a review (with spoilers) later on in this post, so stop reading once I get to that part if you have not yet read the book.

Though I had a somewhat lazy weekend, I did not neglect a good sweat session - lately spin classes have been leaving me a sweaty mess - and though I can't remember the structure of the spin classes I took, only that we did quite a bit of sprints on a hill, with which I certainly have a love/hate relationship, I do have a quick post-cardio workout for you, that works a little bit of both the upper and lower body. I used only my bodyweight, and completed four rounds of this mini-series, but that was surely enough for me!

I will probably be very spotty this week, as I am attending an Advanced Placement Summer Institute at UT that a supporter of the UTeach Program so graciously provided each one of us to attend. And while I am very grateful, and I have already been gifted so many handouts (and free books!) that I already plan on using in my classroom, it makes for a very long day. 8:00am to 4:45pm, and while I am a very focused person, I am also a very antsy person, so sitting in the same place for so many hours is very difficult for me. Let's just say I took quite a few bathroom breaks, just so I could get up and move around for a minute or two. 

And to finish with some exciting news on this dreary Monday - I woke up to an email saying I had been selected to participate in the 2015 Aramco Houston Half Marathon! If you guys recall, the last time I was supposed to run this race, I broke my toe just one week prior to the race. My mom, brother, and I were just reminiscing on this this past week when I was home, and determined that there must have been a good reason that I couldn't participate (and ultimately, my dad felt sorry enough for me that he agreed to send my mom and me to San Francisco). Needless to say, I am very excited to finally get the chance to compete in this race - I won't complain about a run through my very favorite city!

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Gone Girl (Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers!!!)

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I will admit, I started reading this book over a year ago, just before it got really hot. I am not good about being up on the up-and-coming music, but I am pretty good about discovering what books are going to be popular. What can I say - it must be my gift! Anyway, I started reading it late 2012, but my schedule got crazy, and I was forced to abandon it in favor of books for my English classes at UT. I was searching for a new book to read, and I happened upon this article that listed off some books to read before they hit the big screen. Gone Girl was one of them, and because I already had it on my Kindle, and my friend Amira recently recommended that I read it, so it seemed like a logical choice.

(Source)

I restarted the book from the beginning, and I was hooked from the get-go. Amy and Nick are, not necessarily happily married, but things go downhill quickly. Amy disappears on the morning of her fifth wedding anniversary, and we are made to believe that Nick did it.

At first, I didn't think he did it, but then I began doubting myself, until the book took a MAJOR twist, and I realized that though this couple is I-N-S-A-N-E, they are both incredibly bright, clever, and honestly, made for each other. Amy wrote a fake diary, created a scavenger hunt that would hopefully lead to Nick's arrest, and watched from afar as Nick's life absolutely unraveled. Nick realized the framing, and played the media so that Amy would come home to him (and save his butt).

The ending of the book absolutely shocked me, and I am not entirely sure how I feel about it. I was feeling a little unsettled that Amy was able to get away with murder (she is extremely manipulative), but I didn't quite feel sorry for Nick, either. Like I said though, they are both a little lot twisted, so they seem to be made for one another!

If you've read the book, please tell me your thoughts on it - I'm dying to discuss it with someone. If you haven't read it, and are looking for a book that will keep you reading as long as your eyes stay open, this is certainly the book for you!

Sunny Wednesday

It's Hump Day already, and I'm going home to Houston tomorrow for a couple of days to attend a wedding of one of my oldest friends - eek, so this week has just flown by for me. You would think I would be sick of going back and forth from Austin to Houston and vice versa, after making said trip probably too many times in the past month and a half, but I'm not too annoyed by it yet. Good thing, since Houston is going to be my future home, and I already see a few Austin trips in my future!

I can't stay away from this for too long!

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, because I have a bad habit of looking too far into the future and not enjoying the moment I am in right now. I still have about two months left in Austin, so I plan to enjoy them as much as possible before I make Houston my permanent residence again.

Breakfast

Breakfast was the same as it always is - scrambled egg whites with spinach, all topped with salsa, and a couple of cuties on the side. 

This morning, however, I also whipped up two batches of my banana-oatmeal-almond butter muffins, so I may have also eaten quite a few spoonfuls of the batter before I put the muffins in the oven. Oops!

Workout

My body woke me up around 8:15 this morning (not having to set an alarm is so nice, however, I better not get too used to it), so I wasn't too reluctant to actually get up at that time. I changed into athletic clothes and enjoyed a cool morning walk around Town Lake.

As much as I don't like the rain, especially on the days I don't have to work, I know that we do need it, and it does cool things off a bit, at least until the humidity comes in with full force.

After my walk, I came home to fix the above breakfast, do a little bit of baking, and begin the long and gradual process that is organizing and cleaning out my room. My official move to Houston date is now July 24th, and I will only be going to Houston a handful of times before then. So, to save myself some stress, I am trying to take as much home as I possibly can in these next couple of trips home, so that I don't panic come July 24th when I have no more room in my car. How I accumulated so much stuff I will never quite understand, but I have found a few things I thought I lost, so I am enjoying that aspect of it! 

The current state of our hallway

I also have a really bad habit of holding onto things (example - I still have all of my high school work in multiple bins at home), so I am trying really hard to just throw things away if I know I will never wear and/or use it, no matter how much it might have meant to me ten years prior. Seriously, I hold onto things for that long. It's a problem.

I digress. So, after a little bit of organizing, I headed up the road to the gym where I was able to take a spin class from my very favorite Austin spin instructor. I love her sass, and her classes always leave me feeling like I just got in a great workout. It didn't hit me until I was walking out that it was probably my last spin class with her, as my work schedule won't allow me to take a weekday noon spin class, and I obviously won't be in Austin next year. Bummer!

But we did a lot of interval work today, which is my very favorite type of spin class. We never stick with one thing for too long, so it prevents boredom and it keeps my muscles guessing. One of the highlights of the class for me had to be the mountain bike loops - in which we did 30 seconds each of jumps, standing run, seated climb, and standing climb. We repeated that cycle three times, with a minute flat in between each round. It had me sweating, that's for sure!

And now I'm off to fix myself a late lunch of chicken sausage, zucchini, squash, and Brussels sprouts and then continue on with my organizing. It is quite the process, but I know I'll be glad to have it out of my room (though I can't say my parents will feel the same). Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday!

Spin Certification Orientation

This Saturday came and went, thanks to the spin instructor orientation I attended from 9am to 6pm at a small (but extremely nice) gym in Bee Caves. Because I know all of you are on the edge of your seats, I'll walk you through my very long, but very good, day. I dragged myself out of bed at 7:45am, giving myself just enough time to whip up a batch of scrambled egg whites and gather everything I thought I might need for today (and then some).

The facility, Trio Life Fitness, is located about 25 minutes from my house, so I left a little before 8:15am so that I could make a quick Subway stop before hitting the road. I arrived at the facility around 8:45am, and when I saw other people in the lobby with the same spin instructor manual I had, I knew I was in the right place. 

We got started right about 9:00am, but we started off with introduction. Our instructor, or coach, Kerrie, was just wonderful. She has such passion for spinning, and that really shone through for the entire orientation. She was very knowledgeable, encouraging, and had a lot of energy! I was by far the youngest participant, though I was not the only participant who had no previous experience as a fitness instructor, which made me feel much more comfortable. Though I can't say that the older woman who continually made digs about 20-year-olds was one of my favorite fellow trainees.

After introductions, it was time to get started. We started with bike setup, which is a very important aspect. Obviously, comfort is of major concern, but so is making sure the elbow, knee, and ball of the foot are all aligned, as to allow for generating more power and strength, and to make sure no injuries happen. After setting one another up, we got on our own bikes to go over the five fundamental movements - seated flat, standing flat, jumps, seated climb, and standing climb. Since I am a fairly seasoned spinner, I was already familiar with all of these movements, but it was also helpful to go over the corresponding hand positions. We ended with an hour-long ride that featured all five fundamental movements, and all three hand positions.

We broke for lunch around 12:30pm, and if I had known we would be given an hour for lunch, I probably would not have made a Subway stop this morning, as there is a Whole Foods just around the corner from the gym. However, I probably saved myself a significant amount of money by not going to Whole Foods, and I love Subway, so I was perfectly content with my chicken breast sandwich.

After lunch, we gathered in one of the other rooms for about three hours to talk about putting together a class, music, and how to be coach instead of a participant. This statement really resonated with me, because it's so easy to use this time as your own personal workout, but really, we are in it to inspire and challenge the people taking our class. After all, is a swim coach swimming during swim practice? Is a track coach running during track practice? No, they're busy timing, and paying attention to form. That's what we're here to do, because like teachers, we truly have the power to change lives. Cheesy, but I loved looking at it that way. Exercise is a huge passion of mine, and I love inspiring others in that way.

I am not going to lie and say that I didn't start getting distracted about halfway through this session, probably because we were sitting there listening to the instructor talk at us. She was very enthusiastic and engaging, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in a classroom (and that is probably because I was taking notes throughout the entire day). We headed back into the spin room around 4:45pm and hopped back on the bikes to finish out the day. We had just spent quite a bit of time talking about the different kinds of rides - recovery, endurance, interval, strength, and race day - so we spent a little bit of time on each of those things. Interval classes are by far the most frequent (and my favorite) types of spin classes, but all of them are unique and important. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it, but it was very beneficial, and I already can't wait to start putting together my first class, whenever that may be. I am not officially "certified" until I take the assessment, but I am still allowed to teach classes, so the next item on my list is looking into a place to sub for a class or two this summer. I fell in love with spinning in high school, and I would love the opportunity to help others do the same.

I headed straight home after orientation was over, showered, and heated up a quick dinner of leftover black beans, corn, and pork loin. I then ate probably a few too many gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cookie bars, but I really have no regrets about it. I now plan on spending the rest of the night on the couch watching Remember the Titans with two of my roommates. Good night!

Spin Certification

Happy muggy Monday from Austin! It is nice and steamy outside thanks to a little mid-afternoon shower, which should make for some really pleasant weather for YoungLife tonight. It's taking place in a park, so let's hope that the temperature cools off a bit, and that the rain holds off at least until 8:00pm!

Workout

It's about that time of year where I start trading in my running shoes for my one-piece and goggles. Not that I haven't already been swimming quite a bit, but I have also been balancing it with running. However, with what was probably my last 10K of the race season this past Saturday in Houston, I can finally tone down the running and try out some new workouts and exercises. Don't get me wrong, I will still be running, but it will likely be more sprint and treadmill workouts than long-distance running. While I don't mind the heat, the humidity really gets to me, and a combination of heat and humidity is almost unbearable. So, I will be trying out some new and (hopefully) exciting workouts to share with you guys these next few months.

The medal from the Green 6.2 race this weekend

Anyway, moving on to today's workout, I did quite a bit of studying and work this morning, so around 11:15am, I biked on over to Gregory Gym for a swim workout. I completed my usual 80 laps, but I am also going to start looking for and creating new swim workouts so that I don't get bored with swimming, because it really is one of my favorite ways to exercise. It's relaxing, easy on the joints, and the easiest way to get a tan! 

Lunch

Lunch today was one of the best that I have had in a while. While I was home this weekend, my family obviously enjoyed a few meals from Hungry's, so on Saturday afternoon before I drove back to Austin, I made sure to order an extra meal that I could enjoy one day this week. That day was today, and it was so good.

I opted to try something that I have never tried before, the Beef Tenderloin Fajita Wrap, and I absolutely loved it. It might even be my new favorite. The wrap consists of beef tenderloin, avocado, rice, black beans, lettuce, and tomatoes, all wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla. I personally omitted the cheese and chipotle chili sauce, but both of those toppings are also included. It was a winner, and the best part is that I still have half of it left to enjoy later this week.

And now for the exciting news. It is no secret that I love fitness and exercise, and would one day like to become a personal trainer. I thought about studying for it this summer, but I am really looking forward to a summer of no school or study commitments. Plus, it's not like I would really be able to use it for a while, so I am holding off for a couple of years. But, I am getting my spin certification this summer! I mentioned on Friday that I was thinning about making spin instructor certification my summer project. I did a bit of research and found that there is a gym in Austin that is hosting a Saturday spin instructor certification orientation. It runs from 9am to 6pm and will do almost everything to prepare us for the certification exam that you take online anytime after you finish orientation. I talked to my parents about it and they agreed that it sounded like a good investment, and like something that I would enjoy having. Though I don't know how much use I will get out of it next school year, it will be great to have because you never know what opportunities will present themselves. I can't wait to tell you guys all about it, and maybe you can even take a spin class from me one day in the future!

And now I must get back to the study grind, and then I am off to YoungLife! Enjoy the rest of your Monday!