I’ve been dying for a vacation. I started work in the middle of finals week, and it’s been go go go ever since. This weekend my family and I took a day trip to Lake Berryessa, exactly what I had been waiting for. I know it’s no trip to Hawaii and it doesn’t stack up against my peers who have been traveling across Europe in the wake of graduation, but it was just what I needed.

We usually go up to the lake at least once a summer, but every time it’s like learning how to water ski all over again because it’s been so long. But it turns out all of the CrossFit I had been doing had me well prepared. Normally after a few runs I’m too tired to drag myself up out of the water and my grip is hopeless against the tug of the boat. This time I was able to ski as much as I wanted and I didn’t have to let go of the rope once because my muscles just couldn’t take it anymore. I was also able to cut in and out of the wakes easier (90 percent bravery, 5 percent strength, and 5 percent skill), which I was excited about.

I know what you are thinking “Wait, you did what? Who skis anymore?” My dad grew up water skiing and spent most of his summers on this lake. It’s family tradition and none of us own anything fancy like a wake board. Or maybe I’m just trying to start a new old school is cool hipster trend.

Which isn’t to say that I never fell down. I fell a lot, but got up laughing each time. Sometimes it’s just too ridiculous to not laugh at yourself.

But one of my favorite parts, besides spending time with family and getting away from the to-do list for a while, is always the delicious food we bring. This time we had oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies, a zesty and hearty quinoa salad, homemade roasted vegetable sandwiches with a vinaigrette dressing, and a mayonnaise free potato salad. For only being a day it was a blast and a great little vacation.

Never before have I worked so hard or so long on a single project. I sent at least 500 emails, pulled nearly 100 lookbooks, unpacked and resent more than 100 boxes, dug through hundreds of samples, got up at at 5 a.m. to make it to the shoots on time, ran around like a crazy person, and had weeks of stress dreams about it, but it turned out so well I would do it all over again (multiple times!).

We put an insane amount of work into this and I’m so happy with how it turned out. You should check it out, it’s out on the newstands now ; )

When I signed up for my half marathon in April, I imagined lacing my shoes and starting slow and steady in May. That has not been my half marathon training reality. After more than two months of not running at all, the October race date is breathing down my neck and I am trying to figure out how to play catch-up.

Instead of running over the past few weeks as planned, I have been “fuelling up” (read excuse for eating a dessert). I dipped into the homemade donuts from the Sunset test kitchen and tried out a new ice cream sandwich place that actually sells soy ice cream.

With only 12 weeks to go I want to hide like the family cat.

But instead I’m hitting the road three days a week and slowly but surely adding miles each and every week. If only a half marathon was only 3.1 miles, then I would be set.

I make my lunch the night before, and even then I’m lazy and whine the entire time about having to make it. I only have about 10 minutes to make my lunch before I lose all patience and think it’s fine to just be hungry the next day (which only makes me really really mad at myself when I don’t have enough to eat). This means that if it’s not fast, I’m not eating it.

One of my go-to lunches that I can’t seem to get tired of is a salad in a jar. I can make it different every day of the week and it never leaves me staring at my lunch wishing I had something else. This time I used some leftover quinoa to provide a boost of protein, sweet potato, aduki beans, a bit of feta cheese, and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Not only is it healthy and filling, it also holds up well in the fridge and can be eaten warm or cold. Packed into my mason jars, I can make a few days worth at once and then just grab and go. Too bad I don’t have pie in mason jars all lined up and waiting at all times to top off my lunch.

It’s a bold statement (and maybe not entirely true), but I don’t groan and wish I didn’t come to class when I see jerks in the workout. When I first started CrossFit I was afraid of jerks. It’s intimidating to shove heavy weights over your head and have faith that you won’t let it come crashing down on-top of you.

Now that I’ve learned to split jerk, they are even more fun, and I can throw around a lot more weight. I know it doesn’t look like much with these plates on it, but this set was 103 lbs.

Thanks for the photos Rosa!

WOD

Find 2 rep max clean and jerk

Then

EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute)

1 Power clean
3 Front squats
1 jerk
(using a medium-heavy weight)

When I buy clothes I buy them with the intention of wearing them for at least the next 5 years. I invest in pieces that will last and I get them tailored so I love the way they fit. So when an item returned from the dry cleaners completely stained, despite going in in perfect condition, it’s safe to say I was furious.

For the past few years I have either bought clothes that do not have to be dry cleaned or tried to find alternative ways to clean them myself to reduce the amount of dry cleaning I had. Not only is dry cleaning bad for the environment, it makes me nervous that they bathe my clothes in chemicals and then I wear them against my skin all day (especially since the chemicals are believed to be carcinogenic). But for delicate pieces that I was afraid to tackle on my own, I would get them cleaned. I clearly paid the price this time. My beautiful, tailored dress came back covered in blue stains and is no longer cream like it used to be.

So from now on, I will follow the incredible advice of The Laundress, and safely wash everything at home. And whatever they say I can’t wash won’t find it’s way into my closet. They have not once lead me astray and my clothes look great (and lets face it, who wants their clothes to be constantly costing them money to wear them? Cleaning them at home saves a lot of money!). I use regular bar soap (leftovers from hotel stays or a plain castile soap bar) and my homemade laundry soap to wash most items, but I did splurge for their nontoxic wool and cashmere wash as well as their stain brush.

Recently I washed my grimy, “dry clean only” peacoat and it came out looking new. Now I wash silk, wool, and just about everything else in my closet at home. The first wash is always a little scary (especially when my mom washed her “dry clean only” white patterned dress that has a deep purple lining), but not once have I had any failures.

I would love to say how I am a great morning person, but that’s not entirely true. Just about everyone I have lived with has met the morning monster who poses as me. When my mom used to make sure I was up in the morning, caveman grunts were the only signs of life.

Now that my commute is only an hour (compared to my previous 2 hour each way trek into the city, it’s not so bad) I have a little more time in the morning to eat my breakfast at home. But on the days where I just can’t seem to get out of the house on time, this is my go to breakfast.

I love oatmeal because it’s really hard to ruin, it’s easy to customize, and by changing a few ingredients it can be different every time. Lately I’ve been adding beautiful seasonal berries on top of my high-protein oatmeal. I also really like to cook (read microwave as much as I hate to admit it) blackberries and blueberries in the oatmeal so they fall apart and add their incredible flavor throughout.

The best part, if I can’t eat it in time I put it in my commuter mug and hit the road. It stays hot and it’s easy to eat while I’m sitting in traffic.

As a journalist, I think my addiction to magazines is completely justifiable (let’s just go with it). One of my favorites is Runner’s World, but it seems like in every issue there is an article telling me that my shoes are too old and that I need a new pair. Now maybe if you run marathons or are training for an Ironman seasonal shoes are a good idea (or if you live somewhere where you really need winter shoes), but for most runners it’s a constant struggle to decide when to get new shoes.

Everyone has a different estimate of when you need new shoes (every 3 months, every 100 miles, every 500 miles…etc.), but instead of sticking to a strict number, I am just trying to make mine last as long as I can.

Ways to make running shoes last

1. Give it a rest. Have shoes specifically for running. I know they are the most comfortable shoes you own, but wearing them all day, every day will wear them out quickly and make them less supportive (or if you are running in minimalist shoes, less protective).

2. Spray them down. I spritz my shoes (all of them, not just my running shoes) after every wear to keep the smell under control. With only two ingredients, the recipe is easy and effective. My running shoes could be used as a stink bomb if I don’t keep on top of frequently spraying them.

3. Wash them. Toss your shoes in the washer on a cold, gentle cycle and leave them out to dry (no dryer!). I use a full scoop of my homemade laundry soap and spray them down with vinegar before they go in. They don’t smell at all when they come out – it’s great. I wash my barefoot shoes once a week because I don’t wear them with socks, but my other shoes get washed as needed. They come out looking like new and they won’t clear a room anymore.

4. It’s all about form. If you are dragging your feet or running with poor form your shoes will wear unevenly and leave you with unstable shoes that need to be frequently replaced. A local running shop can look at your form and make sure you are running the best you can and fit you for the right shoe for your gait.