Author Archives: HollieisFueledByLOLZ

Friday Virginia Catchups

By Posted in DailyMusings Tagged , , , , , , , , 23 Comments

This week has gone by so slow honestly.  You would think that because it has been a whirlwind of moving, unpacking and looking for jobs it would have sped by.  Sometimes that was the case…but other times…no not really.

That being said I have had some interesting and fun times this week.  Let’s see here…if I can only remember what exactly happened this week that would be good.

Monday I had some job interviews.  Fun times.  I started to unpack my room and then decided that I wanted to rearrange my room…not that you care but I guess I put my pressure of myself for more cleaning than necessary but a chance to get rid of so much crap.

Tuesday I also had job interviews.  I found out I got the job I wanted and will be working Tues-Thur from 10-8.  That is a STRESSFUL, 30 hour week in three days.  It does give me a lot of room to pick up a second job and it doesn’t interfere with running really…at all.  Not that I would not choose a job because it didn’t but honestly I think after an adjustment period I’ll like it.  It will also give me a huge opportunity to pick up a second job.  Once I know exact details I’ll post a little more…maybe.

Wednesday I hung out with Shannon.  We ate a local café suggested by Kate actually.  I’ll review it at another point…long story short…food=good…coffee=bad.

aromassalad

We also photographed with Wawa coffee obviously. (duh wawa coffee is never bad)

shannonandi

Thursday: I filled out a bunch of paper work for my new job and kept cleaning.  I’m certainly living the dream right now…right…

Friday is today and I think I’m going on a date with a friend of mine.

This weekend should be fun.  Saturday I’m running a 10k (a distance I never do.  Is it just me or are 10ks point blank hard to come by these days?  I’m begging for a PR and actually to be under 40 minutes).  I’ve never been under 40 before but for me it’s would bring a lot of confidence to my shorter speed.  (please don’t tell me it’s easily feasible…if it was I would have done it) Although it’s a very flat course…it’s very hot.  Very very hot.  Here is last years ERR race recap incase you forgot…because I did…apparently I was in an epic battle with a lady who kept cutting me off.  Isn’t blog creeping on yourself fun? 

Sunday I think I’m going to the Strawberry festival in Pungo with mom.  Who doesn’t like a festival centered around strawberries and fried dough. Unlike the Lilac festival with Laura a few weeks ago, I won’t be racing…therefore I can eat fried dough and funnel cake and not voms during a race.  (and I fully plan too).

Questions for you:

How was your week?  Any weekend plans?

Anyone racing?  

I can’t wait to see you if you are running the ERR 10k!

Cross Training

By Posted in Running Tagged , , , , , 20 Comments

As some of you may know, I love to cross train. I could (and did) during most of my injuries cross train like a champion and come back from EVERY INJURY as a stronger runner…it may have taken a few months but I did indeed come back.  That being said, I get asked a lot about cross training machines I use and to be quite honest…I’m quite picky.  I don’t have time, energy or the patience to waste on machines I hate.  That being said, I will use other machines occasionally just because I like to be a wild card.

This is getting confusing for me now…let me just talk about some of my favorite machines…

I wanted to talk about some of the random cross training I do (when I’m not feeling lazy and while still running).  For me personally, if I don’t cross train, I will probably get injured.  My body needs to cross train to work other muscles that running doesn’t work.

First, I’m not trying to be a jerk but I have no secrets of how to stay on an elliptical.  I literally just stay on.  Like I don’t stop in the middle of a run 5 miles out, I don’t stop in the middle of an elliptical session.  Once my feet go on it…I stay on.  I watch tv, text, tweet…whatever.  Hell, I even tweet and text when I run easy on the treadmill…another reason I’m a fake runner I suppose.

I know plenty of different articles can better explain to you why cross training is important and why you should add a day or two of cross training so I’m not going to ramble too much.  I will tell you though, everytime I cut out cross training I seem to get some sort of injury.   I don’t have time for cross training, then I don’t have time to run…I don’t have time to get injured is most important.

Some of the machines I really enjoy to do my cross training:

The Precor 100i. 

precor100i

This has been my go to machine as of the last year.  It simulates anything from a biking motion to a stair stepping motion and even a running motion.  (It takes a lot of practice to actually get the hang of the darn thing…believe me the amount of times I’ve fallen off).  I crank it up to the highest resistance (which in my gym is 20) and just go.

I have never done intervals on here but I know it’s possible. Honestly, if I could crank the machine up higher than I would…but sadly my gym doesn’t do that.  I could spend hours on this thing because it’s very low resistance and I feel like it is building up my quads enough so that they are strong enough to balance all my running.

The Arc Trainer.

arctrainer

I remember this photo (circa de March 2011). I had forgotten my headphones at home and made it 1 hour on this thing with no music or TV…gold stars…

Another favorite of mine.  I’ve been “Arcing” my life away since I first started working out in the gym around 9th or 10th grade.  (way before running).

I’m most familiar with this machine and they have a number of great programs.  I normally either do the cardio setting (you can adjust the level of resistance) or just manual at resistance 100.  Resistance 100 creates havoc on your legs and you will be sore the next day (so good havoc I suppose).

Core work:

There are so many different ways to do core work.  You and I probably have a different favorite method.  Right now, my favorite method is the p90x Ab Ripper DVD or the Nike training club app for iphone.  (The training club is free!).  I am not in a state of mind that I particularly want to sit in a gym and do medicine ball twists or whatnot…I have found doing these by myself, at my house is more effective…because I actually do them.

I personally believe that core work has gotten me through so many races.  I’m hoping it continues that way.   If I could just do 15 minutes of core work and continue to PR…that would be nice.   I have a gym routine I do when I actually make it to the gym to do some work.

I could add something about swimming here…but I’m a lost cause with getting back into the pool. 

Questions for you:

Do you cross train?

Favorite gym machine?

Empire Brewery Review

By Posted in Resturants Tagged , , , , , , , 22 Comments

There are a few highest honors you can have in my life.  A very important one is meeting my dad.  My dad isn’t scary and I don’t really know why people are intimidated by him…actually he downright hilarious.  Last week I begged Laura to come to dinner with dad and I before she left for the Cleveland marathon and I left for VA(which she rocked…you can read about it here).

empire

We settled on a local brewery at Empire Brewery in downtown Syracuse.   They make their own beer and have some of the best and most delicious bar type of food I’ve had to date.  I’ve been a few times (as to why I can write a proper LOLZ review) and gotten the Mediterranean platter, Greek salad, and feta chicken flatbread…

The reason I like their salads so much as not only do they add a ton of actual food (I’m actually not still hungry after eating), there is pita bread (+1 point), I can get multiple dressings (+1 point) and they have couscous in the salad (+1)…Not sure what these points are adding up too but it’s my review and I’ll add points if I want.

empiregrilledchickensalad

The main thing is the food filled me up and tasted good.  Oh and wasn’t expensive.  It might be a little bit of a lie if Laura and I hadn’t discussed the dessert options beforehand so that is that.  We settled upon each getting a sundae made from a special dark beer (similar to Guinness).  Wow, this was probably one of my favorite ice creams to date.  It wasn’t like beer overload but it had all the deliciousness of beer and ice cream combined.

laurandidessert

Then dad shocked the world and ordered a cheesecake.  He said it was “for the blog” (my dad routinely makes fun of my blog) and he also has absolutely not sweet tooth at all.  The cheesecake was also deliscous but left to my own I would (and next time I come to Syracuse) will get the sundae again.

dad

So would I recommend Empire Brewery?  Well if you can’t tell I don’t generally write restaurant reviews unless they have become a LOLZ staple.  (Though I know eventually I’ll write a snarky one) I think I should make a review tab at this point.  Oh and yes I would recommend Empire and I would say go big and get the sundae too.

Questions for you: Favorite flavor of ice cream?  Favorite beer? 

Training for Life Updates

By Posted in Running, Training Tagged , , , , , , , 30 Comments

My posts have been scheduled the last few days and I haven’t commented on many blogs.  I haven’t unpacked and I have been busy doing other things with my life…you know…like real life things.   I want to write a recap of my vacation to New York City but honestly it was just nice family time.  Not a lot went according to plan but it never does. 

I guess I see how people struggle that take some time off from blogging.  I mean my few days of scheduled posts don’t really count but so much has happened in the last week that I don’t even know where to begin to update you.  Not that I really have a lot I’m just overwealmed of where to begin.

I’ll start with the running aspect since this is a running blog.  I’ve missed the last 3 weeks of training posts but easy runs aren’t all that exciting.  Last week I severely cut my miles (read I ran 31 miles) and I sat in a car, went out to eat and was a big pile of lazy.

Every this photo of us on a train since it didn't happen unless it was selfied. #trainselfie

Every this photo of us on a train since it didn’t happen unless it was selfied. #trainselfie

Monday: Off
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: 1.5 hour Cybex 100i
Thursday: 5.4 Mile run with dad (10 min pace?)
Friday: 15.4 Miles with Heather (how that happened…well I don’t know but it was fun and relaxing and at 6am)
Saturday: 10.15 miles with my brother Matt and Dad in Sunken Meadow park near NYC
Sunday: OFF (driving back to va)

Total: 30 miles

Here is something that irritated me a little bit last week.  I never publically announced I was taking a bunch of rest last week until later in the week…I didn’t really feel the need honestly.  On Wednesday, I got two emails asking if I was injured or taking a “dailymile break”.  If I was taking a dailymile break, that really wouldn’t be a big deal either.  The fact that it was almost unheard of to take days off is sad and I think a lot of that stems from blogging mentality.  When you take multiple days off you are training smart…you aren’t honoring your body and you aren’t Gods gift to the world and you certainly don’t need to try and give multiple reasons of your days off.

I took an easy week last week because I felt like it.  It wasn’t hard and it was just as beneficial (if not more) than logging multiple high mileage easier running weeks.  So that’s that.

I am starting a new training cycle this week.

Training for what?

Well that depends on June 1st and if I get into the New York City Marathon.  (I know…if you didn’t know I actually applied for that) 

If I do get it in I won’t do any serious training until Labor Day.  My primary (and the hardest goal for me throughout summer training) is to remain injury free.   So that’s that.  If I can stay injury free through the Rock and Roll half marathon VA Beach then I’ll begin incorporating longer runs (and especially as it gets cooler).

I actually plan to race nearly every weekend (mostly 5ks) this summer.  I’d like to get some nice speed workouts in and since I don’t do a lot of that by myself I think racing is my best bet.  Plus, I get to see all my friends anyways so that wasn’t really every a question.

So I guess even if I do get into NYC, I won’t really worry about it until Labor Day.  So there you go…my running is going smoothly for now.

Questions for you:

Do you take planned rest days?

For me, I don’t run when I don’t feel like it…which pretty much happens once every couple of weeks.   Then every couple of months I’ll take a few days off.  I don’t plan them though.

Cinnamon Roll Waffle

By Posted in Recipe Tagged , , , , , , , 26 Comments

Cinnamon waffles aren’t really that hard to make and don’t take a creative genius.  All you really need to do is take a plain pancake or waffle and hoard a bunch of cinnamon in it…wasn’t that easy and good? 

These are a type of waffle that I make when I’m looking for something simple…yet it looks complicated and fancy so I fool people into thinking I’m a foodie.  Good thing no one stays long enough for dinner because then they’d be out of luck.

Cinnabun Waffle

Basic waffle ingredients:

2/3 cup flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon oil

1 tsp baking powder

½-1 cup milk depending on if you like a more dense/light waffle.

2 tablespoons sweetener (I used Stevia)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Cinnamon (I just shook it in until I felt satisfied)

To add more foodie flavor to it, I added pears on top.

To add more foodie flavor to it, I added pears on top.

 

Add all ingredients together and pour into your waffle maker of choice. 

Frosting:

¼ cup syrup (maple, sugar free…either will work)

¼ cup sweetener (I chose stevia again…what I had on hand)

2 tablespoons cream cheese at room temperature

1 tablespoon butter

I know this is unfoodie of me, but I added all the frosting ingredients into a small bowl and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirred then another 30 seconds.  That is how the LOLZ rolls.

And then walaa.

Like I said, these look and taste a lot more fancy than they really are.  I have gotten it down to a science of about 20 minutes to make 2.

Questions for you:

Cinnamon buns…yay or nay?

Easiest but most foodie looking recipe you’ve ever made?