Happy Friday, everyone!
Today my mom is visiting Ryan and I for the weekend! Needless to say, I’m extra excited that it’s finally Friday. To celebrate Friday, I’m linking up with Happy Fit Mama for High Five Friday to share 5 favorites with you!
1. Gear Addiction and REI
By this evening, we will have gone to REI three times over the past seven days. Once to try on running shoes, once to purchase my new Patagonia running rain jacket, and hopefully tonight to buy new hiking daypacks. We used Deuter backpacks for overnight hikes and they fit like a glove. A good backpack, like good running shoes, makes a difference.
We’re also planning on purchasing a new tent once we receive our member dividend (REI members get 10% back on all full price purchases). This Big Agnes tent was just released and it’s everything we ever wanted in a tent: long, tall, lightweight, and with enough room for a puggle. With hopeful trips to California (I really, really want to go car camping in the Redwood National Forest) and Yosemite coming up this spring, a high-quality tent is worth the splurge.
2. Lentil and Mushroom Curry
After reading an article in Outside Magazine about eating to save the world, I decided to add in an extra day of meatless dinners. However, I didn’t want to resort to low-protein meals nor did I want to add a lot of beans back into my diet, so I turned to ethic foods. This week I made this red lentil curry, added crimini mushrooms and green beans, and served it over brown rice with homemade whole wheat naan. Oh my yum was this meal delicious!
I had avoided lentils for years after attempting to make brown lentil burgers in college and they tasted like dirt. Like most people, I tend to not like foods that taste like soil. But, as it turns out, with the right sauce (like a coconut milk curry), lentils can taste meaty. Plus, you know how I love to cook curries.
3. Snowy Sports
Now that it’s practically spring, I decided that I want to try snowboarding. Admittedly, reading on Amanda’s and Angela’s blogs about their snowboarding planted the idea in my brain, as did the fact that we have these beautiful snowy mountains only an hour away from us. Ryan said he’d take snowboard lessons with me (and he’s been dropping heavy hints about skiing, I’ve just been so nervous about injuring myself), so now let’s just hope I don’t chicken out when we actually sign up.
Of course, it’s a bit too late in the season, just like how we decided we wanted snowshoes in February. Is it bad that between the prospects of snowshoeing and snowboarding actually make me excited about winters out here? What happened to that Midwestern girl who vehemently disliked winter?
4. Saucony Bullet Shorts
I’m one pair of Kinvaras away from becoming a full-fledged Saucony girl (sorry, Brooks, but you discontinued my shoes). I’ve raved before about my love at first run with the Saucony bullet capris, and since the temperatures have crept back into the 50s, I purchased a pair of Saucony Bullet Tight Shorts (affiliate link).
I’ll be honest: I usually shy from spandex/compression/tight running shorts. The only curves I have on my tall and straight frame are on my butt and legs and my quads clearly indicate that I’m a runner who eats. But the Saucony shorts are long enough for my 5ft9 frame, actually fit my small hips-curvy glutes body, and comfortable on my quadzilla legs.
Now it just needs to stay 50 degrees every day so I can wear shorts on all my runs again.
5. Life in the Land of Puggles
Oh, Charlie. Puggles are one of the sweetest breeds of dogs, but also the weirdest. In the category of sweet, Charlie took a spare pillow and made a little bed by my desk (we keep his dog beds in his crate and by the kitchen table). In terms of weird, Charlie has begun to sleep walk and just wander around the apartment at night. It wakes me up and scares the $%*& out of me because I think that someone broke into our (safe, tucked away) apartment. No. Just the puggle.
He also steals my home office chair whenever I leave the room for more than 30 seconds.
[Tweet “High Five Friday for the gear obsessed from @thisrunrecipes #highfivefriday #fitfluential #runchat”]
How was your week? What are you excited for this weekend?
What’s your favorite meatless meal?
What’s some gear you’ve been obsessed with lately?
What weird habits does your pet have?
22 Responses
This -> Like most people, I tend to not like foods that taste like soil. What?!? You don’t like eating dirt? lol! Pinning the recipe because it’s been forever since I had lentils. They are quite hard to get right! And I’m glad you are thinking of snowboarding – do it! It’s hard work but when you get it, you’ll love it. Of course, I’m thrilled that you are loving the Bullets – BEST pant/capri/shorts ever. Now go get some Kinvaras! Thanks for linking up to High 5 Friday!
Lol I know! 🙂 Lentil are really difficult to get right, and this recipe nails it! I ended up adding a bit more coconut milk and maybe 5 minutes extra cooking time, but that was probably user error on my part. It’s so good though – you should try it! Thank you for hosting!
There is a sign nearby that has a puggle on it, and every time that I go by it, I think of Charlie. He’s famous!
Has he been modeling when I leave him unattended? In his mind he is famous!
OMG, I am so obsessed with REI! Love that store! 🙂
REI seriously has everything a runner could want! 🙂
I’ve got soccer legs! I grew up playing soccer, so I understand the quadzilla thing. LD running has def transformed them quite a bit though but my long torso and short legs will forever need to be lassoed, strapped down and held into place while wrestling on a pair of spandex shorts. I’ll have to check out the bullet shorts. My old spandex shorts are from like… 6 years ago. Eww.
Buy them! I got mine for $10 on sale on Amazon a couple weeks back, which is a steal. I think we must have the same body type, because I’m long torso, shorter legs also, and the only reason I can touch my toes is my long arms, not flexibility.
Wow we share two favorites. I love the Saucony bullet shorts and lentils are my favorite. I don’t like capris all that much and even found myself liking the capris too.
I didn’t like capris before these ones either but Seattle running weather is such capri weather that I’m glad I tried them!
Go for it with the skiing! There is something just so awesome about being up in the mountains! I too am a gear addict 🙂
My husband and I love hiking in the mountains so much that it’s a natural step to start skiing – there really is something magical about the mountains! 🙂
I love my Saucony bullet shorts too! Curried anything is so delicious as well… really I love all Indian style dishes. That naan looks good…
I love Indian food also and I love making it at home! I used this recipe to make the naan – it’s so easy: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-naan-recipe/
Now you’ve got me wanting to go shopping for running clothes! I also need to try on the kinvaras at some point. I guess i have some time since I have a bunch of shoes without much mileage right now but I need to figure out what to do when my pure connects are done!
Running clothes shopping is always so fun – you should go and try on the Kinvaras while you’re there! One of my pairs of PureConnects totally gave up this week – like mid-run, went from feeling good to uncomfortable – and so I’m very eager for those new Kinvara 7s to come out in a few days and hopefully can let you know how they work!
I bought those Saucony shorts when they were $6 on Amazon because I love the bullet tights…not sold on the shorts yet! I actually felt like they were a little short (and I’m short).
I got mine on the super cheap sale on Amazon also! I guess everyone is different with fit – although I did find that the shorts seemed to stretch in length a bit after a wear.
my week was fine until I got sick with a stomach virus! I am feeling better but won’t be running long, if it all this weekend….. I really like lentils!
Ugh that’s rough – I’m so sorry to hear you got that, but I’m glad you’re feeling better! You should really try the curry if you like lentils – it was so good and so easy!
Ooh, I’m looking forward to reading about those upcoming adventures! My solo tent is from Big Agnes and I love it.
Thank you! We just need to finish getting all of the gear. That’s great to hear you love your Big Agnes! We saw the new one again this weekend and began to worry about it not being wide enough for us plus our gear and our dog, so I have a feeling we’ll have to do a lot of research to find the right two-person tent.