Cutback Week = Cookies and Wine.

Sadly the illness that I was referring to in my last post was not the hang-over induced.  It was sinus pain, ear pressure and enlarged lymph nodes.  The former would have been more fun.  Or at least have good memories associated with it after. Luckily I’m feeling slightly better and less “ohmigod I want to just curl up into bed and sleep for a year”.  Mostly due to a couple of things:

• Being an old lady and going to bed WAY early.  No necessarily by choice.  Each day for the past few days I’ve come home from whatever I’d been doing and showered (prepping to go out) then sitting down on my bed and conked out (in my uber small twin bed.  Which apparently a lot of you are shocked I can fit my while frame in it ahhah!).  On Saturday night this was at 1830.  I woke 3 hours later, confused, called my friend to say that I was not going out then put on a movie and feel asleep around 2230. Jeez…is it time for the home yet?

• Winning. I woke up Sunday feeling icky still but went to a baby shower for my friend.  Not only did I have tons of fun I also won, not one, but TWO bottles of wine.  Hizzolllller. Talk about feeling better.

• Cooooooooooookies. My mom came to visit me this weekend and I baked cookies for her…and of course I had to save some for me as well.  Which was a GODSEND when I woke up each night with really REALLY bad ear pain (I kept cursing that I just wanted my damn eardrum to pop so I’d feel better!).  I’m not one to really snack during the night, nor am I an emotional eater, but these hit the spot when my tummy was rumbling at 0230!

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

(from the back of the oats container I used)

Ingredients:

• 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter margarine (I’m SORRY to all you real bakers out there!), softened
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon salt (optional and I used it)
• 3  cups oats (I used old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1  cup raisins — or more. I think I used closer to 1.5 cups.  But I love raisins.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
5. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
6. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack.
8. Cool completely and ENJOY.

 

So, while I’ve done relaxing stuff and stuff that’s made me feel better I’ve decided that I’m taking this week to chill out! I’m not saying that I’m nixing the running totally

(I did do intervals this weekend, stupidly I might add because I wasn’t feeling 100%:

• Warm up
• 2 X 1 Mile continuous (7:28, 7:32)
• 2 X [ 2 X 1 mile] easy / hard (9:XX, 7:45, 9:49, 7:35)
• Warm down

but no hard workouts (think nice and easy running!). That workout kicked my ass.  And not because it’s challenging in and of itself.  I’m just worn down.  I don’t think it’s because I’m training for a marathon per se but it’s a culmination of lots of stresses, physical and mental/emotional, at the moment.  And, surprise surprise, you guys are smarty-arties in suggesting that I need some down / less intense time.  Unfortunately I never learn.  And never get to wear the dancing smarty pants. Oh ah.

Thanks google. And I SWEAR the only reason I know this guy is because I have much younger siblings. Do you believe me?

 

The good news is that a lot of it will dissipate this week.  And if not, well I do have two bottles of wine and 3 dozen , more like half dozen at this point, cookies to help me cope.

Hopefully, since I’m posting this before I even wake up this morning, I stay strong getting out there and resisting the traditional Tuesday Tempo.  Because this week I’m saying a big FU to my actual workouts (among other things, like the stuff that’s stressing me out!)….and then hopefully this sickness. Time to recharge!