Today is January 15th. That means we are just about halfway through January! That’s a good thing, right? I don’t really want to think about how long February and March will feel, but it seems like once we make it through January we are over the hump of winter. Kind of like the feeling of making it through Wednesdays. Speaking of which, we made it to Thursday, so please join me while I “Think Out Loud” with Amanda and everyone else today!
1. The best January ever was in 2013 when Rob and I were in Hawaii for two weeks. We ran in the Houston marathon and then flew to Hawaii for our honeymoon. (Even though we got married in November, we waited until January to go away. It was a great idea.) Coming back was the hardest thing ever but it really did make the winter go by faster. I got a Timehop notification on Tuesday that the Houston marathon was two years ago that day, and I had written something on Facebook about heading to Hawaii. I wish we were doing that again this year!
2. Instead, we’re stuck dealing with these awesome Maryland winters. The cold weather is getting me excited for moving into a house where I will have a garage to park my car. I could even leave it running to warm up if I wanted. And as much as I like being able to walk around the city, there is something to be said for moving to the suburbs where you can drive everywhere. I’m sure I will miss the city, but the grass is always greener, right?
3. Something else exciting about where I am moving: there is a Whole Foods right down the street. We have one in the city but its not really walk-able for me and I would have to drive past the worst part of downtown to get there. I’m pretty sure our monthly grocery budget is gonna need to go up quite a bit if I start shopping there.
4. Speaking of Whole Foods, I ended up going into one on Monday when I was on my way to my chiropractor. We had bought salmon from our usual grocery store over the weekend but ordered it online, and they gave us a really bad piece. We won’t be doing that again! So anyway I stopped to get better salmon at Whole Foods (sidenote: the one in Columbia is amazing and I am so jealous that Amanda got to end her run there last week!) and I also found Whole30 approved bacon! I bought three packages since I won’t be able to get back for awhile. All the fruits and veggies just looked so pretty there, too.
5. I guess I can also give a running update here. I ended up taking off 5 days and did a 2 mile run Wednesday and body pump. It felt much better than last week but I am still gonna be taking it easy for awhile. I go back to my chiro next week and if my piriformis is still acting up, the plan is to do dry needling for it. What’s weird is that for a couple days my right piriformis will bother me and then for a couple days my left quad will bother me…and it always seems to be one or the other. I guess all I can do is keep working on strength and mobility and reduce my mileage alot, while I keep working with my chiro.
I don’t like ending these kinds of posts on a low note and I feel like #5 was kind of depressing. So here are three good things going on!
-There’s no better feeling than seeing this E-mail. If we’re gonna get bad weather, we might as well enjoy a delayed opening.
-Monday is MLK day so its a 3 day weekend! (Well, hopefully it is for you too!)
-The weather is looking good for the next few days! (Sorry, Chicago. Also, let’s all move to Florida.)
-Do you live in a city or the suburbs? Do you like being able to drive/walk everywhere depending on where you live?
-Do you shop at Whole Foods regularly?
-Ever been to Hawaii? If so, did you have a hard time leaving?
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Final Hawaii Photo Dump
Michele @ paleorunningmomma says
A whole foods they close is dangerous! I have to keep myself away from that place, it’s the food version of lululemon! I’ve seen that bacon there but haven’t tried, I’m sure it’s delicious. Hope you figure something out with your hip and quad. Another body mystery I suppose, we all see to have something. I think you will love living in the suburbs 🙂
[email protected] says
I think the only thing that will prevent me from going to Whole Foods every day is that the parking lot is small and the store gets crowded. We also have a Fresh Market in the area which seems to be a little more reasonably priced. I think I will like the suburbs too, but I know I will miss running around the harbor!
Suzy says
I have a super tough time making it through the long dark days of winter. January is a tough month, but by February I feel like I’m dragging my knuckles on the ground in complete misery. Hawaii would break up the darkness perfectly! I went there on my Honeymoon 15 years ago, and it’s my favourite place on earth. Hope your piriformis shapes up soon. Injuries blow.
[email protected] says
Isn’t Hawaii so amazing? I wish the flight there wasn’t so long. I feel like you really need to take 2 weeks there or it wouldn’t feel like enough time!
jill conyers says
I shop at Whole Foods every Sunday! It’s my favorite place to shop and I’m hoping a new one will open in a large shopping center that is being built close to my house.
[email protected] says
I was really amazed at how much better the quality of everything is- I guess you pay for what you get!
Kate @ The Endorphin Junkie says
Winter hasn’t been too bad here. We got a delay yesterday because of ice…and I’m thinking that will happen a lot because people in North Carolina tend to panic like those in Maryland…haha. I very rarely go to Whole Foods because it’s so expensive, but I heard that the PB there is amazing (I guess you make your own).
[email protected] says
Oh I love places like that with homemade peanut butter!
And Im sure you will get alot of delays if we continue have weather like what we’ve been having!
Sara @ Lake Shore Runner says
Has seeing a chiro helped you with your pririformis issues?
We are supposed to have a warm front here in Chicago this weekend too….Saturday is supposed to be a whopping 35 degrees. Time to get the swim suits outs 🙂
[email protected] says
I think the chiro has helped but the pain comes and goes…so sometimes I will go for an appt and it will feel fine, but then the next day it flares up again. I haven’t done dry needling yet and that’s what helped me last year so I might just need to do that again.
How crazy is it that 35 degrees sounds really warm?!
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
There is going to be a Whole Foods opening 1 block from me in 2 weeks.
DANGER DANGER ALERT ALERT
[email protected] says
I think we will need to start some sort of support group to keep us from spending all our money there!
Chrissy @Pink Polish and Running Shoes says
I live in the suburbs. I really like it. I’d rather drive myself around than take public transportation. I went to school in Boston and used the MBTA everyday and it’s not exactly reliable. The few times I drove in the city it made me a little nervous. So many people and one way streets! That being said, it would be nice to be able to walk places, especially when the weather is nice.
[email protected] says
We have the worst public transportation system ever in Baltimore so thats not even really an option for me expect for like going to the airport. I do enjoy being able to walk places but I still need to drive to the gym and grocery store, which kind of defeats the purpose of living in the city since those are like the only two places I go!
meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles says
Suburbs for life but the city is nice during snowstorms since you don’t have to drive and the world doesn’t shut down! I loved spending some big blizzards in the city, made it a lot better in terms of cabin fever! Hope you are feeling better and back to running normally super soon.
[email protected] says
That’s a good point! Although during snowstorms here I haven’t left my apartment anyway…and our grocery store isn’t walkable so if we were desperate we would need to walk to CVS or 7-11.
Kristina says
Hawaii in January sounds like an amazing way to kick off the year and an awesome Honeymoon!!!
There are a lot of awesome things here in South Florida but 80 degrees in January is not one of them! Trust me when I say, it’s getting really old. It’s just not fun to never ever have good racing weather! haha
[email protected] says
I’m sure I would complain if I were there year round too! I should probably just move there for the winters but spend the summers somewhere else:)
Courtney @ Running For Cupcakes says
I am so down with moving to Florida. I hate the cold! It’s not near as bad here in NC as it is in other places but I am still a baby. I am from Ohio but my blood has definitely thinned.
[email protected] says
I always question why I am living in Maryland when I complain so much about the cold! Its not even as bad as other places but when I moved here from NY I think I expected it to be warmer, and it really isn’t!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
Hawaii was amazing, eh? I went for the first time two years ago, and it was definitely hard to leave. And I know what you mean about winter seeming to go by way faster when you escape in the middle of it. It’s why I always try to plan my vacations for the middle or end of February when I feel like I can’t handle another cold day.
[email protected] says
Mid to late February would be a great time to go somewhere warm! I would love to go back to Hawaii…I keep dropping hints to my husband but he just isn’t getting it:)
Brenda @ Don't Lose the Trail says
I live in the city, having just moved back to Boston, but where I am currently located I can’t easily walk to a lot of things when it’s this cold out (once it’s warm I am sure I will find more things walkable but lately it has been SO frigid it’s impossible.) The Whole Foods nearest to me sucks – about 18 months ago someone hit my car in the paring lot while I was shopping and just drove off because the parking lot is always so crazy, it’s always crowded, and it’s a small store with a really limited selection. the Whole Foods in LA were INSANE – the best ones I’ve ever been to in the country, for sure. The one closest to my house in Berkeley was disappointingly reminiscent of the one here…
[email protected] says
The whole foods we have in Baltimore city is like that too- they have a super small parking garage and its just an accident waiting to happen. The one where I will be moving is better but not great. I am just excited to have easier access to one again!
Lacey@fairytalesandfitness says
Hawaii sounds so nice right about now. I just got back from Florida but it was not as warm there as I was hopt for all wkend. I live in the suburbs and I hate it. I miss living in the city where I can walk to everything.
[email protected] says
When I go to Fort Myers I am sometimes disappointed that its not as warm as I would like. It seems like the south beach areas is the place to go!
I definitely have mixed feelings about leaving the city, but I think I have spent enough time here that I am ok with leaving.
Sam @ The Running Graduate says
Where I live now is pretty rural, so I drive everywhere. I don’t think I’d ever live right in a big city, I’ll stick to a suburb or a small city.
Your trip sounds like it was so perfect. What a tease! I would kill to be in Hawaii right now 😛
I’ve never been to whole foods! But I have been to the Wegmans in Columbia and it was like heaven!
[email protected] says
I felt the same way which was why Baltimore was such a good fit!
My dad is so obsessed with the Wegmans in Columbia. I am pretty sure he goes there just for fun even when he doesn’t need anything:)
The Whole Foods they built there is SO nice…I am jealous of all the nice options available in Howard County!
Sara @ lifebetweenthemiles says
I’d be in trouble if there was a WF near our house, we used to live by one and it was dangerous! Its bad enough we drive 25 minutes to our favorite grocery store now! We used to live in the city (Boston) but moved outside of the city when we bought our house because we wanted a big yard, more space, etc. At times I miss being able to walk everywhere and having things open at all hours of the night but there is something nice about sitting out on our deck at night with a fire going and seeing the starts and it being quiet too. I still work in the city too so I still get my Boston fix everyday!
[email protected] says
It sounds like you have a nice mix of city/suburb life going on! Its definitely nice to have more space, a yard, etc especially with kids. I am just hoping that I can have some self-control when it comes to living so close to a Whole Foods:)
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says
Hawaii is on my list of places to visit! Scott and I were actually just saying to each other last night that January would be the perfect time to get away and we may plan for that next year. I do shop at Whole Foods regularly (maybe every other week) but I am very selective about what I buy. It’s always more expensive so it’s more like specialty items and maybe produce.
[email protected] says
Oh you should definitely go to Hawaii next January!! It was a great time to go. I think I will have to do the same thing with Whole Foods…only go there for certain things occasionally.
Laura @ This Runner's Recipes says
I live in the suburbs. While it’s great that we can walk to restaurants and bars, we have to drive to our grocery store. The nearest Whole Foods are both 60 miles away (Chicago and South Bend), which is sad but probably good for our budget!
I’ve never been to Hawaii. I wouldn’t want to live there or Florida, I am not a fan of heat or humidity (but also not a fan of snow and winter). I need to live or visit somewhere where it’s 40-60 degrees year round!
[email protected] says
It sounds like maybe you should live in California:) I can’t believe there are no Whole Foods anywhere near you! It sounds like you are in a good place where you can walk to things but also have the option to drive!
Lesley says
I’m moving apartments and I’ll be near a Whole Foods. I don’t shop there that often, but I love their seafood counter. They have fish that I can’t find in other stores.
[email protected] says
I was really impressed with how much better the fish was at Whole Foods than at my usual grocery store. That may be one of the items that I start buying at Whole Foods once we move!
Chelsea @ runner's table says
I live pretty close to a whole foods now…dangerous! They do have really nice meat and seafood, though…I can’t go there when I’m hungry!
[email protected] says
I will also need to avoid going there when I am hungry! It will be really tempting to just stop by on my way home from work, and I know I will end up buying way to much stuff that just happens to look good:)
AJ @ NutriFitMama says
I LOVE Hawaii. It is very hard leaving when we go. Although, now that we don’t live on the West Coast it will be a while before we go back..it’s just not as nice with 3 kids and no direct flight (not to mention that direct flight was already so long..). We live outside the city, so we have to drive to get anywhere. I like living in an open area with lots of room, but I would also LOVE to be able to just walk everywhere. Actually, I take that back- it’s too cold here to walk everywhere 😉
[email protected] says
The long flight to Hawaii definitely makes it a challenge. I think you really need to spend a few weeks there considering you spend so much time traveling!
The cold weather makes walking around a city much less appealing:)
misszippy says
Our WF is pretty spectacular, isn’t it? Such a great addition here and not a bad thing that so many of the running paths go right past it!
I hope your pirformis continues to improve for you. Dry needling might be just the trick. I do hate the process of it, though!
And YES to better weather this weekend!
[email protected] says
I was so impressed by that Whole Foods! If you have ever been to the one in Harbor East you would know why:)
I’ve had dry needling twice and it wasn’t as bad as I expected…still not fun though and I would rather be able to manage things through ART but since that’s not working I think its time to try something else!
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says
Hi Lisa! I try to stay out of Whole Foods, but tend to go there for sushi a lot or other healthy items. Whole Foods sushi is sooo good, but basically as expensive as eating sushi out anyway! So glad you’re a BODYPUMPer too! 🙂
[email protected] says
It seems like the key is only going to WF for a few special items rather than everything:) And BodyPump is the best!
Amy @ Will Run For Ice Cream says
I hear ya on the cold!!!! And I hear ya on #5 🙂 But hang in there… I feel like my injury is lasting forever.. it’s like I take one step forward 2 steps back.. but I’m just plugging along. How do you like the chiropractor? Think it’s helping?
[email protected] says
I do really like the chiro and I feel like ART and adjustments help a lot. Im not sure what the missing piece is that I haven’t
figured out but I am trying to cut back on running and really focus on core work and good form. That’s all I can really think of to do! I hope that you are making progress with your injury!
Sara says
I’m imagining myself on a beach in Hawaii right now! Thanks for this uplifting post!
Hope your pirformis gets better! No harm in taking it a little easy during the cold, dreary winter.
I live up in the ‘burbs…no Whole Foods near me, but a Wegmans is just 2 miles away – that place is also a little dangerous.
[email protected] says
Oh yea I bet Wegmans is dangerous too! Those seem really nice…we have Harris Teeter in the city which I thought was a huge step up from Shoppers but then I go into a place like Whole Foods and Im quickly reminded of what I am missing out on!
Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes says
I go to Whole foods for my wild caught fish since I can’t find it anywhere else. Good luck with your move, how far away from the city are you going?? I have never been to Hawaii, it’s definitely on my bucket list…and NO MORE SCHOOL DELAYS. That is all 🙂 This mama needs a break, LOL.
[email protected] says
I’m only moving about 15-20 mins away from the city, its actually right on the border of the city and county so I will sill be pretty close. It sounds like the school delays are pretty crazy for you! It seems like the weather will improve for a bit so hopefully the kids will have full days for awhile!
Kim says
I’m trying to convince my husband that in a few years when he retires we should move to Hawaii – it is my all-time favorite place!!!
We don’t have a Whole Foods store here – I guess it is a good thing since I know I would love it and spend lots of money there.
[email protected] says
OMG Hawaii would be such a wonderful place to retire! I think that was the one place I was ever able to truly relax.
As nice as Whole Foods is, it really can take a toll on your wallet. Im gonna need to be really careful once I am living near one!
Lizzy says
I sort of live both in the city and the suburbs. I live just outside of downtown LA, so really right in the heart of the city, but in one of the first suburbs. Our house and all of the houses on our street were built between 1900-1910 and people rode the streetcar between here & downtown (2 miles). I think it’s the best of both worlds. As fun as it would be to truly be downtown, I would hate not having a yard and a real house.
My SO has recently become obsessed with shopping at Whole Foods “because everything is so much better!”. Which is true, but $hee$h, our grocery bill more than doubled.
Glad you got to enjoy a little bit of a delay in the bad weather this time!
[email protected] says
It sounds like you are in a great area! I bet your grocery bill did double from shopping there all the time! I already spend so much money on groceries I really need to be careful with that place!
Jessie @ Just Jessie says
Ugh, I miss Whole Foods! Well, to be honest, I miss Trader Joes more. I live in Green Bay, Wis. and we don’t currently have any fun stores like that!
[email protected] says
I wish I had a trader joes! I have never lived close to one and it sounds like they are even better than Whole Foods!
Mattie @ Comfy & Confident says
I agree with some of the above comments… we have a whole foods that is in walking distance. It’s amazing and so convenient but it hurts my wallet, for sure! And, it makes us lazy. When we aren’t feeling like cooking dinner we are always like “welp, let’s just go to the Whole Foods hot bar!” Although, I have to say, I’d prefer to have a Whole Foods close rather than not have one at all.
[email protected] says
That’s so true! While its really nice to have access to one, it definitely can become an expensive habit!
Amy says
Whole foods is like a little slice of heaven, expensive heaven! I love going there once in a blue moon. They have a nice butcher. I wish I could be in Hawaii right about now. January and February are awful! I could use some of those two hour delays at work, though…
[email protected] says
The meat and fish options are really nice at Whole Foods! As well as the produce. I wish it wasn’t so expensive:)
Nicole@thegirlwhoraneverywhere says
I’ve never been to WHole foods-the nearest is a half an hour away…and i’m SOOOOOO glad because i would spend a TON of money there!
Moving to new house is SO exciting! When is the big day?I don’t think I have seen that here on the blog, so if you posted it, I apologize for not seeing it! I have been in my house for 9 years, and i’ve officially owned it for 2… there’s nothing like being a homeowner!
You and Rob had the right idea to go somewhere warm in January-I love that! RIght now i am wishing for that! Saturday is going to be 20 FOR THE HIGH here where i live. Lets do a Hawaii race…I’m sure they must have one going on somewhere!
[email protected] says
I kind of snuck the house stuff in a couple of weeks ago:) We bought new construction so we aren’t sure when it will be finished being built…probably around the end of March.
Yes to a Hawaii race! While I was there the Maui marathon was going on and it sounded great but I had just run the Houston marathon like 2 days before!
Jennifer says
I am lucky that I live in a walkable area. I’m transitioning to a new project role (well back to my old project) and its only a 1.5 mile walk, which I am excited about. I use to frequent Whole Foods (couple blocks from me) all the time, but then Trader Joes opened across the street from me and it was a game changer. Whole Foods does have a better selection of produce though.
[email protected] says
That’s nice that you’re in a walkable area. I’ve never had a traders joes close by and I feel like I’ve been missing out!