Choo-Choo Training Week 1

I am following the Rookie Marathon Plan.

Monday-I had a sweat-brewing indoor workout (30 minutes of watching Italian television and doing the following: 50 Jackies, 20 Knee Highs, 20 Froggies, 10 PU’s, 10 full SU’s, repeat)

Tuesday-I shot for 4 miles, but ran 3 slowly (it was freezing cold). Really close to my apartment is a private little park (very little-will post picture soon) where I estimate about 10 laps around to be equivalent to one mile. It’s very clean, and has an actual path/sidewalk (something this country lacks) with benches, a residential garden, and plenty of areas to jazz up my workouts.I came back to yucky wind-chapped lips.  I need to remember to put on chapstick.

Wednesday– It rained. I didn’t want to go out in the fog/rain.

Thursday– The plan says “EASY 3-4 miles,” but the run was anything but easy. All week, this town was foggy, to the point where you can’t even see 30 feet ahead of you. The moisture and mist in the air + runny nose ick = UNCOMFORTABLE 30 minutes outside. I lost count after 22 laps around, so I alternated between jogging and sprinting laps until I was completely exhausted (didn’t take too long =D)

Friday– YAY FOR REST DAY! This is only week one, but seeing the words REST DAY made me happy! I had a meeting in Milano, so Mama Ko and I were up at 6:30 am as usual. Had a delicious b-fast of whole grain biscotti, coffee (her), caffeine-free tea (me), fruit yogurt, and a gala apple. She mastered the art of baking whole grain bread (very very difficult)-I call it Mama Bread. We were out the door by 8:45 am with 2 baby loaves packed for the road, and walked 15 minutes to Piazza Citadella. We made our way to the train station (another 15 minutes) and waited for the train. 45 minutes later, we arrived at Milano Centrale and set out on foot. After my meeting, we headed towards Corso Buenos Aires and struck gold. It was my first time shopping on Corso BA, and thanks to the lovely end-of-season sales, I could afford to shop!

The goods:

The perfect, preppy black pumps for this spring (almost like Sperry’s big girl heels) –10 euros.

Leather collegiate side pack from Sisley – 20 euros (70% off)

Gold layover earrings from ISI- 1.40 and long chain necklace- 2 euros

2 classic long wool sweaters (black and blue 70% off) – 10 euros each

We walked down Corso BA, Corso Venezia, Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, around the Duomo, up and down 7 floors of La Rinascente (Milan’s version of Saks). We took a short break at a park where art students (a model, 2 photographers) were awkwardly doing wardrobe changes and shooting pictures. The integrale (whole grain) bread was PERFECT-filling (yay for fiber), slightly sweet, slightly salty. Around 4 pm, we hopped on the metro back to Centrale, went up up up all the stairs to the actual train station, bought/validated our tickets for Piacenza, took the bus from Piacenza station back home. Using public transportation in Italy is very convenient once one becomes familiar with the way things work.

Example: For the bus, you must have a ticket. You cannot buy this ticket on the bus (nor pay on the bus). Rather, you must purchase a biglietto at a tabacchi (tobacco store). Then, you must stick it in the yellow box inside the bus to validate (VERY important), making it valid for 60-70 minutes depending on the city.

Mama Bread. This is the most amazing bread ever! Fiber packed, delicious, and full of love & energy!

Saturday – I was up early for a rehearsal room I reserved at the conservatory, so I had my usual b-fast of whole grain biscotti, yogurt, fruit, multivitamin, and tea…then I was off! It was unusually warm today, so I went for my 3-4 miles around 2:30 pm. Saturday is family day in Italy. People EVERYWHERE. In pairs. In trios. In the middle of the street. The road perpendicular to my apartment is exactly 1 mile back/forth, so it was easy to measure my distance. I ran around the little park ONCE-it was horrifying. It was full-grandmas, babies, kids playing soccer, benches full. As I ran around the pathway, I couldn’t help but feel everyone’s eyes on me, looking at me with dropped jaws as if they’re thinking, “WHAT on earth are you doing?” That was a sprint lap. I was in. I was out. I blasted my old Abercrombie house playlist that my old co-worker mixed and enjoyed the wonderful spring weather! Pre-run I had a delicious egg omelette with sautéed spinach and artichokes with whole grain toast and some yogurt.

The lovely institution I grace my presence, flute shebang, and American-ness with everyday! (except Sunday)

This town gets packed on the weekends with animal-wearing, bike riding, strolling locals.

 

What’s good? Italian Pre-packaged, home baked FOCACCIA. Mama Ko baked it with EVOO, sea salt, cracked black pepper, loads of spinach, and low fat mozzarella!

Sunday (Today)- What a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the weather is warm.  I set out for my run, and my big toe feels very strange.  I ignore the pain, telling myself to stop being a wimp.  My big toe kept throbbing like “HELLO, something is wrong!” I did the minimum-2 miles.  Afternoons seem to be perfect for working out here; Monday-Friday, the least amount of people outside.  Mornings and evenings are way too foggy!

The type of sidewalks I get to work with..with grocery bags or a large winter coat, the cars touch you as they drive by

 

Week One-Complete =)

 

xOxo Michelle

 

MADE in Milan: Marathon Edition

Age 12: I remember having to run around MLK Middle School in 7th Grade and hating every second of it.  I would be out of breath, have pain in my legs, and despise the kids that kept shooting by me.  I hated finding out that I didn’t meet the time requirement, and that I would be one of the unfortunate kids having to repeat it the next day.

Age 22: I still hate it.  The act of running.  What I do love-it relieves tension and stress from practicing.  It makes me feel strong.  It also makes my skinny jeans fit nicely-more fitted, less snug (meaning  my lower half will explode out if my button breaks)

Rehearsals and research take up most of my time and I need a stress relieving outlet-running is the perfect answer

Pros:

• It’s FREE
• Relieves Stress
• Pushes your mental and physical strength
• You can do it ANYWHERE
• Again, it’s FREE
• Achieve a lean, mean, STRONG physique

My research will be taking me to several different cities over the next few months.  Therefore, I crossed out the idea of a membership at the nearby luxurious gym/spa/PALACE.  The last thing I need after being indoors with all things flute and Fulbright related, the last thing I need is to go into yet ANOTHER building to workout.

I enjoy the show MADE (on MTV).  Laugh all you want. It’s the only show broadcast in English with Italian subtitles (minus Jersey Shore).  I learn a lot of Italian watching (and reading simultaneously).  So far, I’ve seen obese  girls MADE into ballerinas and figure skaters, nerds MADE into jocks, and shy kids MADE into popular kids.

I’m going to be MADE. Into a Marathoner.  My coach will be my own stubbornness and muscle tension from my daily lifestyle in Italy.  Running a marathon has been on my BUCKET LIST for life (along with building orphanages in Uganda).  Something I planned on doing in the future (not sure when the future is-just not now) What I learned when I moved to Italy, is that to accomplish something (like learning to live in a foreign country) it requires one (or all) of the following:

1. Money
2. Blood/Sweat/Tears
3. Willpower

I’m not willing to sacrifice money for this goal (perhaps because I have none), but I can definitely afford to sweat a bit and push my willpower to it’s limit.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

the breakdown:

Goal: 16 weeks of training in Italy.  Running my first marathon when I get back home to the States.  I am not going to try and discourage myself with a time-goal.  I want to finish. Simple.  Just cross the finish line with my legs in tact and maybe a little bit of grace?

Current Level: I can run 3-4 miles easily. I define “easily” as non-stop running without getting the “jello leg” feeling.   The furthest I’ve ever run is 9 miles and it took me days to recover.

 

5Ker to Marathoner?

I will blog about my fitness journey of training for my first marathon!

xOxo Michelle

Shopping & Ferrari’s

It was impossible to find a good sale here in Italy since I arrived in October.  I would walk into a store, nonchalantly glance at the price tag, freak out, and walk out.

January 6th 2011-The SALE signs appeared…and boy, did they appear! 50, 60, 70% off everything in EVERY store! Even the boutiques!

Yesterday, I found a fabulous pencil skirt at Benetton for about 25 euros, and a solid black button down (also Benetton) for 15 euros.

It is so difficult for me to find good business casual attire.  My body doesn’t ever fit into one category according to Cosmo’s “What body shape are you?” quizzes.  I am neither an apple nor a pear.  When I find a good piece of clothing, I run with it.  Especially when it’s on sale.

Italians love sales.  Women are out and about during lunch hours grabbing basics, accessories, chunky sweaters, and leather goods.  There are still 2 months of this cold weather left, and I guess they are preparing for next year.

If I lived here, I’d probably do the same.  Several stores have signs up saying “Will Return February 20th”.  I find that kind of odd.

During the week, stores are open 10-1 and 3:30-7 pm.  Closed Thursdays and Sundays.

Closed most of December (holidays), January, and February

Closed in August (vacation month for the entire country)

Interesting…How does a store stay afloat in this country?

With my mom here, walking around town is much more enjoyable! We have been exploring areas that I didn’t even know existed! We found a goldmine! By this, I mean an ethnic food grocery store.  Rice, fish, chili sauces, soy sauce, spices, mmmmmmm!!!

Yesterday was mercato day, and we went out to get some produce-interesting looking greens (almost bok choy like), finocchio (fennel), and some more no-name greens.

Sauteed Greens=DELICIOUS.  Will post food pictures soon. Simple, Healthy, and TASTY.

Typical Day at the Piazza: a bunch of Ferrari’s and art students drawing/painting

PS My mom baked the most delicious bread this evening. I have yet to master BREAD making.  She is a domestic goddess. Perfect brown crust.  Soft and pillow-y inside.  Crusty buttery bottom.

Sigh.  Must run off the extra goodness tomorrow morning before heading to the conservatory.  It’s been snowing all day today.  I don’t like indoor workouts.  The small park near my apartment is perfect for running.

I think I want to spice up my workout tomorrow with sprints and jogging.

I hope I wake up early enough.

 

xOxo Michelle

 

Nope, I have NOT gained 10 lbs from living in Italia

Story Time:

I stopped by the mercato today after my morning practice session and saw a 10 euro sale rack. Naturalmente, I stopped to check it out.  I find some thick brown pants (in between yoga pants/jeggings and riding pants) that I’ve actually been looking for.  I ask if it’s available in black.

Merchant looks at me w/ a blank stare.

I’m standing there smiling, and waiting awkwardly for a reply.

Finally, he says that what I’m holding is black.

I get very confused…until I realize that I had my sunglasses on the whole time…I take them off.  Low and behold, they are black.

SOOOOO, I pick up the small and the medium…both looked about the same width wise, so I decided to ask him what I should get.

“Forse eh-meh”…Maybe medium…

Thanks dude. Thanks.

 

WELL, I come home and try them on, they’re BIG.

 

I’ve gotten asked by several people how I’m not gaining weight from living here.

 

No doubt about it, I am a FOODIE.  Not in the sense that I am up for tasting and trying anything, but I am really into a Whole Foods diet (diet, for what it really means).  Having access to local farmer’s markets (almost daily), means I have the luxury to cook w/ produce and foods REALLY Close to the ground.

One of the great things about living in this small town, is that people remember you.  My Wednesday/Saturday produce guys are Claudio and Giuseppe! There is another discount market 7 blocks away from my apartment, where I get free extras each time! I love free stuff.

Consuming natural foods really gives you INCREDIBLE energy.  I don’t crave processed foods anymore.  I’m beginning to see the difference in my energy level, and even my weight (lost a few lbs)

Of course, it’s easier said than done.  These are the things I’ve been doing so far:

1) Stock up on LOTS of tea.  All different kinds.  I have in my pantry: Peach black tea, Organic green tea, Chamomile tea (decaf), Ginseng tea, and Apple Cinnamon herbal tea (decaf)

I cut out coffee from my diet.  Not for any particular reason, except the fact that I failed at making espresso 3 days in a row, and just gave up trying.  So much effort to yield such little espresso.  Tea flushes out everything also.  I’m a big tea fan now.

2) Have snack options.  I have: organic raisins, ricotta cheese, organic candied ginger, and NUTS! Nuts are fabulous~! Hazelnuts are full of nutritious goodies, and are very cheap here!

3) Spices, herbs, and SEA salt (very important) I need great flavor in w/e I’m cooking or eating.  A Natural Foods diet doesn’t have to be bland/boring; it’s actually quite fun to figure out which spices bring out the best flavors!

4) Not being lazy.  It definitely takes time and effort.  Slicing, dicing, chopping, peeling.  It’s so worth it though. I experimented with some UGLY mushrooms yesterday (they were 1.50) and sauteed them in OO (there’s no extra virgin here), spiced em up a bit, and WOW, AMAZING.  Meaty, full, and so much flavor!

 

No worries, I’m not turning into an organic freak (maybe a little), but truth be told, this kind of eating (which is NORMAL here) is actually more wallet friendly and weight friendly.

 

My fitness routine these days:

Yoga-Lots and Lots of stretching (morning, noon, and before bed)

Runs-When it’s not raining

Indoor Cardio-I feel like a retard when I put on my friend’s mixes, and just start doing anything (jumping jacks, lunges, kickboxing, DANCE!) to work up a sweat!

Walking-Lots of it.  Well, because I don’t have a choice.  It’s wonderful though.  I love people watching, getting fresh air, and just feeling at peace!

 

I’ve been taking a lot of food pictures , but lost my camera usb cord, so they will be up whenever I find it =)

 

xOxo Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I likes fwesh fwuits

:Weekend Recap:

Venerdi (Friday)- Practiced in the am, went to the agency with Manuel, went to the BIG supermercato and bought some goodies: a Peace Lily (that he made fun of me for), some fresh cheese, fresh panne, apples, bananas, conditioner (balsamo-it took me forever to find this) Made a delicious insalate with tuna, carrots, cheese, baby greens, and red onions.  I also dug through a drawer that I failed to notice this whole month (below the sink) and found a couple cute Christmas Tree table decor pieces and a candle! They are now chilling on my table =)

Sabato (Saturday)- Mercato Day!! Duh! I went on my usual route, hitting up Piazza Duomo first, then making my way backwards towards Piazza Cavalli.  The first one has more clothes/shoes/bed linen/soap/anything you could possibly need…I behaved myself and didn’t run to the ATM to make some spontaneous purchases.   Piazza Cavalli has three HUGE fruit stands (only one is run by Italians-thought that was funny)

One of the stands is obviously PACKED with at least 30-40 people; the others have maybe 5-6 at a given minute.  I head towards the busy one to see what the fuss was about…checked the others…bingo! The first one was about 50 cents cheaper (by the kilo) Therefore, I add to the crazy number of people.

Two guys run this particular fruit stand.  I try and catch their attention.  I wave my hand, try to make eye contact, cough really loudly…everything.  No response.  Niente. I look towards the people around me, surprised to see that everyone is relatively calm and patient.  I was confused.

Hrmmmm….FINALLY from the corner of my eye, I see the tape roll hanging from one of the wooden stakes.  GREAT.  I take a number.

“Dove siamo?” (Where are we? -number wise) I asked a little woman next to me.

“No lo so” (I don’t know either..)

Man calls out zero-zero uno!

I look down. I’m number 33.

Had a couple conversations with the people around me…shared equally tired expressions…totally bonded 😉

35 minutes later…Finally my turn! I said, “IO!!!!!!”

Here are my awesome mercato purchases!

1/2 kg of Italian plums, 1 kg of organic (biologica) cabbage, 1/2 kg of White plums, 1/2 kg of clementines, walnuts!

Delicious. I think I ate 4-5 plums as soon as I got back to my apartment yesterday.

I worked up the energy to go for a good 4 mile run around the city and it felt AMAZING.  Absolutely amazing.  I need  high intensity cardio in my life to stay sane.  I found a stadium (not too far away) with high bleachers, so perhaps I’ll encorporate that into my workouts…xD

Oggi (Today)- Woke up, listened to the Word , talked to Momma Ko, practiced, got ready, met up with Margarete from church, and we went to Milano together to attend service! Amazing congregation…I am so excited to have a church family here in Italy!! We went out for dinner together afterwards! Food and fellowship=AWESOME.

Picture came out fuzzy =(

 

My Italian Course is supposed to begin tomorrow!! That should be interesting.

Some random pictures:

My breakfast this morning: Peach tea, Yogurt, banana, walnuts (SO SIMPLE, HEALTHY, and TASTY!)

There’s got to be an easier way to open walnuts…please help me…I have been throwing the walnuts REALLY hard onto the ceramic floor until they crack…then I try to crush the walnuts a tad bit more using my espresso maker. I can’t seem to pull out walnut halves…rather, pieces =(

My mom packed me geem at the last minute! (Korean Seaweed) I wanted some tasty korean food last week, so I made some rice (found some short grain rice at the supermarket), made an egg omelette, sliced (more like tore apart) some geem, and went to town enjoying my Korean-ish food, with go-choo-jang (spicy korean pepper paste)

DELICIOUS! The go-choo-jang woke up my taste buds…something I’ve been missing.  I miss jalapenos, kimchi, garlic-y foods, SPICE.  I’m determined to find an asian market around here that sells fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper flakes, etc…

Had one old and ugly (vecchio e brutto) onion and some mushrooms staring at me from inside the fridge like sad puppies at the humane society saying “please take me home”

So I made fried rice for lunch today =) It was pretty tasty

Chiesa in Piazza Duomo

Piazza Cavalli in the rainPiazza Duomo in the rain

Un’altro chiesa (another church)

Time to go to beddy bed so I don’t miss my first day of class tomorrow!

xOxo Michelle

 

Juicing, Surprises, DWTS, Thin-tervention

My mom has a slight obsession with superfoods.  She dusted off an old juicer that she bought back in the nineties, and bought a whole 3 bags full of kale, beets, apples, blueberries, grapefruit, and some asian fruits that I couldn’t name even if I tried.  3 parts dark green leafy vegetables, 1 part sweet berries/apples=THE Wellness Juice (according to her)

It’s actually not bad…it’s not aesthetically pleasing, for sure, but tastes slightly bitter/sweet at the same time.  I like it.  It gives me a lot of energy and makes me happy!I want to buy a juicer in Italy.

Last night, I had dinner with the boyfriend’s parents as per their request.  I was told to meet them at their house at 5:30 pm sharp.  I decided on a cute and professional look: sharp dark-wash skinny jeans, purple cami, metallic/ombree tunic, black cotton boyfriend blazer, Vera Wang long layered chain necklace, and suede booties (the Kelsi Dagger’s).  I straightened my hair, sprayed it with some Chi helmet head, and I was off. I left my house around 5 pm to stop by Whole Foods.  I was debating between a fall floral bouquet and a plant.  A new shipment of orchids came in that day, and I knew that I had to get one for BF’s mommy.  I used to buy orchids that had the most blooms…WRONG-O.  One must buy the plant with just a few blooms, and lots more to come.  I wish I took a picture of it.  With my orchid in hand, I walked over to the bakery.  OMG. Whole Foods has a sneaky way of making a shopper feel like everything is “healthy,” including the dark chocolate brownies with a ganache, asiago cheese sticks, even the candy section! ORGANIC candy!? That’s good for us right? I kept my eyes on the prize and peered into the case of cakes, tarts, tortes, and tortes.  I picked out two mini fruit tarts and two mini double chocolate cakes with a cute white chocolate ornament.  I planned on telling them that each mini cake represented the holidays I would be away-Merry Christmas! Happy Birthday! Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Mother/Father’s Day!

We decided on Macaroni Grille for dinner…Italian food before my Italia departure! It was FABULOUS! I was my ridiculous, corny self, and we had great conversations and laughed most of the time. Twas great.

I haven’t really kept up with Dancing with the Stars, but I watched it last night.  Bristol Palin cannot dance.  She’s almost as bad as Kate Gosselin was last season.  Why were her scores so high??? MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, it was because her MOM was sitting right next to the judges.  Bristol’s quick step was not quick, not energetic, and was pretty poor.  The Situation’s not as bad as I thought he’d be.

There’s a new Bravo show called Thin-tervention with Jackie Warner.  I LOVE IT! It’s kind of like Biggest Loser, but more realistic.  Contestants are not supervised with what goes in their mouths; they are still living in their Orange County homes, and meeting with Jackie for workouts, contests, and group therapy.  Jackie Warner has such an amazing body.  I told my mom that I’m going to come back from Italy looking like her.

Today, I will be going out to buy all of the little items I need:

Advil, Cold/Flu medicine, Cough drops, tamps/paddies, make-up, lotion, batteries, writing utensils, notebooks, etc…

I booked my hotel for Piacenza (10/7-10/9) last night. I don’t know what is happening in Piacenza the week I arrive, but ALL of the hotels are booked solid, and the ONE I found was double the regular rate.  160 dollars a night? That’s just as expensive as Milan! I am staying in Milan for 2 days (10/5-10/7) and I am determined to find nice accomodations.  Start my Italian adventures in style…without breaking the bank (in my case, a very tiny tiny bank)

Room 2 (the lead I had for a place to live) is TAKEN.  I HAVE NO PLACE TO LIVE!!!! WAHHHHHHHH

xOxo Michelle