five milers and glazed donuts

Doused with perspiration after a 5-mile run in humidity with my hoodie

I woke up around 5 AM this morning shivering cold, so I slipped on one my favorite UA hoodies and slept in until 6:30-ish . Upon waking up I grabbed my ipod, strapped on my pepper spray, and slipped on my sneakers before heading out the door. 10 mintues into my run, I observed that I was gathering a nice amount of body heat around my core. Arriving at the park, I noticed a large herd of runners reveling in a post-race gathering. I felt left out of the loop - I had no idea that there was a race going on at my local park. I ran around the course, smiling at the tired runners finishing their post-race cooldown. It was quite eerie running through a course after a race. One group of runners near my age wearing neon-colored sport bras gawked at my hoodie; I could imagine what they were thinking. "Is she seriously wearing a hoodie?", "It's like hot and humid out here".  I just smiled to myself and kept on running. By the end of my 50 minute 5 mile run, I was absolutely doused in perspiration, and when  I took off my hoodie to shower, I felt 3 pounds lighter. This light feeling lasted until Tina came back from her cello lessons with  glazed donuts, and I caved in to the saccharine "speed bump".

LEANPEAR TERMINOLOGY:
Speed Bumps: treats or extra servings that add pounds to your waist and slow you down. (i.e. donuts, pastries, chips, etc)

Indulgence: Occasional treat that prevents you from feeling deprived and have healthy qualities. (i.e. wholewheat banana bread, nonfat no-whip mocha)

FAU Impressions

Freshman dorms

FAU owl outside of the fitness & recreation center

Lap pool with sunning deck

*cue choir*

I became totally pumped to leave high school for college while touring FAU's Boca campus with my parents .  The communcations building was not that remarkable, but the fitness complex TOTALLY made up for it. My favorite features of the fitness center were definitely the fully stocked and clean gym, the pilates and spinning studio, and the lap pool.

FAU trumped UM when it came to the dorms. The dorms are liveable, freshmen do not have to share the same building with football players, and there were NO community bathrooms. That means only 2 to 4 people share a bathroom instead of 80 students jostling for 10 toilets and showers.

Absolutely Delicious

Proudly tottering in my 4-inch black heels for a grand total of 4 hours, I am well on my way to success in the fashionable world of high-heel-dom. However, I am extraordinarily wary of getting injuries like Achilles Tenditis from my newfound heights. I reason that if I avoid wearing flip flops in general and only don heels once or twice a week I should elude foot-wear related injuries.

Paola, who encompasses sweetness, intelligence, and glamour, held her birthday brunch at Brio Tuscan Grill, which surpassed all of my dining experiences. Most of the party ordered white chocolate raspberry french toast (including myself) after munching on the spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips. For dessert I ordered Tiramisu, which was delicious beyond description. It was light and not overbearing in either flavor or texture - It basically melted in your mouth.

 Tiramisu

Christina's molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream

 The coffee was interesting in that it tasted like two different grounds had been mixed together and was quite acidic. I usually do not put creamer in my coffee but made an exception in this case. Personally, I believe that every restaurant should offer brown sugar with coffee because it brings out the flavor in a more rich and aromatic way.  Besides the coffee and delectable food, I really enjoyed Paola's birthday gathering - I laughed so hard at one point that I choked on my water (embarrassing!)  (:

Cold front, Championships, FAU

South Florida has the singular national privelege of calling a drop to 60 degrees Fahrenheit a cold front. The 20 to 30 degree drop from summer temperatures is a welcome relief, allowing us to cast our worn shorts and tank-tops and sundresses aside. We can finally delve into our full fashionable potential, layering sweaters, pulling on long socks, and slipping on fur-lined boots. It is an undeniable fact of human nature that we dress better and look more classy when fall and winter arrive. Gone is the hair-frizzing humidity, energy-draining heat, and sticky sweat.

The weather during cross-country county championships was beautiful, with breezes and temps in the low 70s. This was a huge help in cutting down my time, and I set a new PR for my senior season, 24:30. Monday's long tempo run and Tuesday's hard speedwork also helped cut-down my time on Thursday.

When I came home from championships I found out that FAU accepted my application! So I've got my safe school down, now it's time to finish up my applications for my ideal universities. My dad wants me to go to Southeastern, a private Christian university with a reasonable price tag, great food, and a gorgeous campus. I am personally infatuated with Columbia College in Chicago, which is where two of my Tias live. My family says that I will change my mind after a week of their winter - I am a sun-basking South Floridian chick after all. (:

loca for my marble mocha

I finally visited Max at Starbucks to

1. Take his picture for the yearbook divider
2. Order a tall marble mocha

Just in case you are not much of a mocha maven, a marble mocha is a sweet elixir of half white chocolate and half regular chocolate coffee served in a crisp cup bearing the international symbol of amity.  (:

Crunching on a Kashi mocha almond bar (to be honest, about 3 bars) I went to Marshalls with my mom and Tina in the search for black heels to wear with my purple dress. Like all other shops, Marshalls sometimes  has wonderful apparel and accesories, while other times they have less than desirable designs. Marshall's prices, however, set it far apart from other stores. Why would I plop down $45 dollars for a shirt at the mall when I can find the same shirt at Marshalls or TJ Maxx for $15? In the end, we found an adorable and affordable pair of black pumps.

As I was surfing through the internet like the savvy nerd that I am, I came across a nonprofit organization called Girls on the Run. Coaches train girls from 3rd through 8th grade, helping them develop the self-esteem that they will need as they face "weight and food issues, stress, culture and peer pressure, and deceptive media/Internet imagery". Building a rampart against self-destructive behavior, Girls on the Run helps prevent the mutiliation of dignity and integrity that our society encourages among women.

Crunch Time

Weekend Warrior

• Edit College Application Essay
• Take Yearbook Divider Photo
• Algebra II online
• AP stuff
• Clean Kitchen
• Laundry
• Eat and Sleep

Don't Be That Awkward Runner

This video totally made my day.
Finally broke into 20 miles per week! It took five weeks but I am still super stoked (:

Strength, Sweat, Swag

Racing over rolling hills and mud, the three words running through my mind during the entire Westminster Invitational were "strength, sweat, swag". I have no idea where the word "swag" came from, but it kept thoughts of cramping  off of my mind. The pouring rain and wind made the hilly course extremely challenging, causing everyone on the team to run more cautiously. I went from a 25:13 on Tuesday (my fastest time so far for this season) to a 25:26.  I was  inspired during my race by a slogan imprinted on the shirts they were selling at the meet  - "Too tough 4 time-outs". My repeated alliteration as well as the shirts' slogan kept me from stopping during the race.

After a wet 45 minute bus ride back to the school, during which rain continually dripped down from the roof, my mom picked Kristina and I up. Promptly upon arriving home I devoured a bowl of rice and red beans before taking a hot shower. Once I was clean and dry, I happily curled underneath my sheets and drifted into a well-earned nap.

I resurfaced back to consciouness after Kristina maniacally threw a pillow at my face, asking me if I wanted to accompany her, her friend Tina, and Erin to the Farmer's Market. Muttering some kind of affirmative answer, I slipped on my shoes and  accompanied the trio of freshies. It was during this walk to the Farmer's Market that I dubbed a new term - "swambling". A combination of "ambling" and "swag", it describes the way that many teenagers move from point A to point B. This kind of walking is reinforced by the shoes of the "swambler", which are usually  slides worn with socks, untied converse with the laces tucked into the shoe, or flip flops. (I just checked the dictionary to make sure that my new word isn't some kind of sick allusion or curse word.)

Sweet Potato Muffins

Inspired by Mark Bittman's recipe in my Runner's World magazine, I baked sweet potato muffins that tasted super savory and moist.

I replaced the buttermilk in the recipe with honey Greek Yogurt, which added 13 grams of protein.

• 2 1/2 cups wholewheat flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• egg
• cup honey Greek yogurt

Mark Bittman's RW Sweet Potato Muffin Recipe

Java Joy

After a tiring day of skipping school to work on scholarships, college applications, and the laundry, my mom drove Tina, Erin, Abuelo, & I to the Chocolada Cafe in downtown Hollywood. The Mocha Latte I ordered was absolutely divine, with chocolate syrup artistically forming a flower on top of the latte's foam. I also ordered home-made pancakes with berry sauce. The portions were a tad small, with only three square pancakes served on a modern plate. I was so ravenous that I forgot to snap a picture before devouring the delicous little squares.  I am hoping that economic support for small businesses will increase; as it is, my latte cost $3.75 while the three pancakes were $4.75.  Adding the 6% sales tax, that brings the total cost to about $9.01; Not too bad.

Road Racing Rave

YEAH!!!!  :D
Dad and I went to Runner's Depot for racing flats. I feel in love with these Newtons and can't wait to try them out during Monday's race. I can hear a PR knocking on my door...

Lightning warnings...

...allow me to sit on my bum and snack on fruity cheerios and coffee while blogging. My first cross-country race is on Tuesday, so I really need to get up and start my core and upper-body scuplting while I wait out this storm.
I was quite amused during yesterday's senior class meeting. While discussing shirt designs for the senior class, someone suggested that the shirts should say, "2012: The world isn't ending, we're just taking over."  Best idea that I have heard so far.  When the topic of fundraising for prom came up, another person suggested offering freshmen fashion consultations.

Firefighter's 5k

Commemorated the 10th year anniversary of 9/11 by running the firefighter's 5k.
I took my pace down a notch since I have my first cross-country race on Tuesday.

Chocolate Cravings

Weekends. So far, I have indulged in Tina's organic banana bread, Rocky Road bars from the Farmer's market, and now, an organic chocolate molten cake that I baked to satiate my family's  chocolate craving after church. With a side of vanilla bean ice cream of course.

Afterwards, Tina and I completed our first triathlon training brick together, biking 5.61 miles in 30 minutes (about 10.86 mph) and running 2.5 miles in 21 minutes.

Beach

Despite the looming clouds over the horizon my family decided to go to the beach for the afternoon.
At first, I didn't want to go because my sister was meeting up with  friends that I didn't know.  I also made the mistake of telling my mom that I prefered running over socializing (which is not true, I enjoy socializing while running).

I went for a 30 minute run on the boardwalk. Away from my mom's beration.
..and was horrified by a tanner version of santa claus wearing tightie whities.
So I ran faster. To my mom. And apologized. Then socialized. And then ran some more.
"Honor thy father and mother"......or risk sighting unspeakable things.

Critique of Columbiana

On Columbiana's opening weekend I went to the theater with my little troupe of freshmen - Tina, Erin, Jose, and two of their friends. I had been waiting since the beginning of summer for Columbiana to come out and had watched and rewatched every trailer. I poured over Zoe Caldana's interview with Women's Health and was pleased to discover that she is from the Dominican Republic, which is my mother's birth country.

I sat spellbound as Zoe, known as Catalina in the movie, gracefully slid through air vents with her slender frame, appearing before her victims like an unexpected mist.  All of those upon whom she planned to carry out revenge woke up with a lipstick drawing of a Catalina flower on their chest before being killed - one victim was electrocuted by a fan that fell into his bath, another eaten alive by sharks, and others were left facing the barrel of a gun. All of these, however, were prelimary deaths with which Catalina was trying to lure the man who had killed her parents when she was nine years old. (SPOILER WARNING) At the end of the movie, the man who killed her parents was torn apart by two lupine pitbulls. You just see the dogs lunging towards the man inside of his van before the cameras move to the outside of the van, where viewers watch the van rock back and forth with the ambient sound of the dogs attacking their screaming victim. The movie is rife with violence and vengeance, but the main reason I watched it was to see a woman kicking some serious butt, minus the meaningless frivolity of movies like SALT starring Angelina Jolie.

Sadly, Columbiana was salted with some specks of frivolity as well.  The first thing that ticked me off was how Catalina would slip into the apartment of a man she was infatuated with (but barely knew) and wrap her skeletal body around him, which rapidly escalated into her shocked and somewhat pleased man getting laid.  They literally knew almost nothing about one another, and Catalina would usually be gone by early morning.
 Hey Hollywood, can you give an inspiring and empowering movie for the young women around the world that does not involve giving in to lust? I would personally love a movie where the woman plays hard-to-get and remains untouched all the way through the credits. Oh, and the violence can be directed towards breaking glass ceilings instead of flesh. Make it a bit more psychological.