Trade Em Up Tuesday: Halloween Weekend

I look at Marvelous In My Monday as super positive and Trade Em Up Tuesday as more honest about the good and bad. I certainly did not feel super positive about my Halloween weekend (not due to lack of fun though, that’s for sure) so I decided to wait and participate in Trade Em Up instead. I’m just still really struggling with being okay with the changes in my lifestyle that have happened since I moved to Boston. This was a big weekend for me and I’ve been feeling pretty crappy about it, but also thankful for the fun I had with family and friends.

I would not trade…starting Halloween weekend early with the WeWork Boston Halloween party. OK, so this (free!) event was really awesome. Jeannie has a WeWork office space so she brought me has her guest, and then I found out Emily was going to attend too, so I was looking forward to this party allllll week. I found out last minute it was space-themed so I turned my pre-planned cat costume into a last-minute laser cat costume. (Has anyone seen that SNL skit?!)

Such a last minute costume that I was building my laser cat glasses on the way to the party. Note: crafting on the T makes you look like a crazy person.

Such a last minute costume that I was building my laser cat glasses on the way to the party. Note: crafting on the T makes you look like a crazy person.

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A Dare from Dove Hair


Everyone has their “thing” that they spend extra money on. For some it’s running shoes. For others it’s makeup. For me…it’s NOT hair products. I stick with the affordable brands I can find at CVS. So I jumped at the chance to try out the new Pure Care Dry Oil collection from a brand that actually falls within my preferred price point – Dove Hair.

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I received the shampoo, conditioner, and African macadamia oil.

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Fitness Friday: Injury Update

I mentioned in Monday’s post that on Tuesday I would be finally headed to an initial assessment with a physical therapist to solve my right IT band “woes”. Thankfully since I go to Harvard Vanguard (big ups to all of you who recommended that as a doctor’s office back when I moved here and asked for recs) it was so easy to get a referral. That place literally has EVERY medical need under one roof, so I just called my PCP and was able to get a referral for their physical therapy services without even being seen first. Hurrah efficiency! AAAAAND Harvard Vanguard is in my insurance network, so PT with them is SO much more affordable than options I’d previously considered.

The first appointment was both informative and reassuring. The therapist said the problem isn’t actually my IT band, but a connecting muscle at my knee that often gets blamed for IT band problems. Now I don’t remember what the name of it is, but the casual name is “runner’s knee”. The PT said it’s a super common problem and we can totally fix it with some exercises that strengthen my hips. He said that I need to get more of that pull and push forward movement in my running that I use when I spin, so that I can propel myself forward that way, which will be easier on my knees.

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Bacon, Egg, and Brussels Bowl!

First of all, I want to say thanks so much for the supportive comments and tweets I received in response to Monday’s post. It felt great to write and even greater to get that kind of positive response and reassurance. While I work on trusting myself, encouragement from others really helps me along the way, so I appreciate everyone who took the time to send me well wishes – or even anyone who read!

I’m still trying to keep up with choosing a couple of recipes from my Pinterest boards each week to make for the weeknights I stay in. I usually follow them pretty closely, but the only ingredients in this recipe that I stuck with when I made this dish (on Sunday) were Brussels sprouts (duh) and hard-boiled eggs. I figured eggs went well with (turkey) bacon…and then bacon reminded me of BLT’s so I decided to throw in tomatoes. Plus I had some kale on hand, and I figured throwing that in there wouldn’t hurt!

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In the mixing bowl!

Don’t let the title of this easy recipe deceive you – there’s a few other ingredients in there! However the title ingredients were DEFINITELY the stars.

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Ch-Ch-Changes

Usually reflecting on how you and your life have changed is something that’s reserved for special occasions, like a birthday or the start of a new year. But I’ve been feeling pretty reflective lately. I’ve spent the last few weekend mornings waking up and laying in bed for awhile, thinking (often OVER thinking). I’ve been noticing how different my life is now than it was a year ago, and am having a hard time digesting, accepting, and being OK with it. I can’t even figure out if I SHOULD be accepting or OK with it. Maybe these changes need to be changed. Maybe not. My mind certainly spends enough time telling me they need to be.

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For example…going out. I love going out. Since moving to Boston there has barely been a Friday or Saturday that I stayed in. I did start going out more back when I was still living in CT, but now I stay out later and have more beverages because I don’t have to drive, and the city is just so alive. I attribute much of the weight I’ve gained since moving here to my love for going out. Alcohol has calories – a fact I know all too well. I go out more now, I weigh more now. So naturally my mind constantly berates me for how I spend my Fridays and Saturdays. I wake up most Saturday and Sunday mornings with anxiety and terrible body image. I’ve had a few really rough ones lately. I’ve woken up and wanted to do nothing but curl into a ball and lay in bed hating myself all day. Thankfully texts to friends and family have motivated me to get out of bed and go on with my life. The “easy” solution is to just, well, not go out. But…that’s not fun. That’s not what I WANT to do. This whole recovery thing has been about letting myself do what I want to do. But when does that stop being OK?

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Wine (On the Wharf) Wednesday

I received admission to this event free of charge, in exchange for promotion via my blog and its social media channels. All opinions are my own and this is not a sponsored post.

I’ve talked about Gerard Bertrand wines on this blog – both before AND after I moved to Boston to work for 90+ Cellars! And through various 90+ Cellars-related events like Nantucket Wine Fest and Wine Riot I’ve connected with Jay, who handles all things Gerard Bertrand here in Boston. After I expressed interest in his Wines on the Wharf event, which took place this past Friday, he was more than willing to offer my friend Leigh and I tickets to come check out the scene at the beautiful Fairmont Battery Wharf!

Fairmont Battery Wharf happens to be home to some of the coolest bathrooms in Boston.

Fairmont Battery Wharf happens to be home to one of the coolest bathrooms in Boston.

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Finding a Fitness Goal

Man am I glad that I wrote Monday’s post in advance because the week has been so busy at/after work that there was no way I was going to have time to blog again until I wrote this post (which was actually last night). I had work-related events Monday and Wednesday night…and Tuesday’s planned night in turned into one drink which turned into trivia/dinner/multiple drinks. But hey I had a blast, and also did well at work this week, so I’m feeling OK about it all!

The Tuesday night one-drink Manhattan…and some after-work work. Cocktails make that more fun!

But I haven’t felt that OK lately about my workout routine. Ever since completing my first half marathon, I’ve felt a bit direction-less and unmotivated without a long-term goal. It’s almost like I am now goal-addicted! But I stand behind what I’ve said in the past…I am not about to go out and sign up for another half. Especially since I tried out my first run since the race this past Sunday – just a 3 miler – and it really messed up my IT band again. I couldn’t walk down stairs easily for a couple of days afterward. I think I need to take longer than a week off running – and focus more on IT band stretching and foam rolling – before I consider signing up for another half marathon. And if that ever happens, it certainly won’t be until after the winter is over, because I refuse to train in the cold!

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Fall TV: What I’ll Be Watching

I sat down to write this post yesterday afternoon (while chatting with Annie at Refuge Cafe!) and had no idea what to write…I just know I wanted to get a post drafted because I have a buuuuusy week ahead. I know there’s always Marvelous In My Monday but to be honest, I didn’t feel that marvelous this weekend and I don’t feel like using a post to convince myself why I should feel marvelous. Just not feelin’ that right now.

So instead I’m going to feed off my current excitement over the shows I caught up with over the weekend, and share what’s on my fall TV schedule. Most are shows I’ve been watching since they premiered, but there is one newbie that hooked me from episode one (and from what I hear, some of you guys too). And let’s use the term “schedule” very loosely, because I don’t watch ANY of these shows when they are scheduled to air. Thank goodness for On Demand – no DVR required!

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Asics GEL-Pursue: My Half Marathon Shoe!

I received a pair of Asics for the purpose of this review. This is not a compensated post and all opinions are my own.

Shortly after my review of JD Sports and the Asics I got from them, the Asics brand folks themselves contacted me about reviewing the Runner’s World Best Debut Running Shoe of Fall 2014 – the GEL-Pursue. I’d so far had success with my first pair of Asics helping my shin splints, so I was open to trying out another style. The GEL-Pursue is “neutral, but responsive”.

 

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The ankle/heel definitely had plenty of that responsive cushioning, but the shoe itself felt very flexible and easy to move in. After just one three miler, I knew I wanted to try out a long run in these shoes. And after that one long run, I knew I wanted to run my first half marathon in them!

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My First Half Marathon!

I received a complimentary race registration from Zooma in exchange for blogging about my training and race experience. However I had already registered for the race and paid the registration fee before that arrangement was ever made, so I really and genuinely wanted to do this race – for reals, guys.

Well if you followed along at all with me on Instagram over the weekend, then you know that my week of resting my IT band (and perhaps getting it taped too?) paid off. I FINISHED MY FIRST HALF MARATHON and not only did I finish, but I did it faster than I thought I’d be able to – 2 hours, 10 minutes, 54 seconds. That’s roughly a 10 minute mile pace!

That time showing on the clock doesn’t take into consideration how long it took me to cross the starting line!

After facing terrible, awful, no-good, very bad traffic on my Friday late afternoon drive to the Cape, I pulled into Falmouth’s Sea Crest Beach Hotel to meet my mom (she did the race with me!), pick up my packet, and see Kelly. But first order of business – a Mayflower IPA, because it’s all I wanted after sitting in that traffic.

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Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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