Hiya! DC is sooo dreary and rainy and cold today – its so hard to want to be at work right now instead of curled up in my bed under the covers… But that’s why they call it work right?
Anyways, this weekend I felt very successful at getting back on track and woke up today feeling (relatively) good. After a 10 day hiatus from working out, on Saturday I went on an 11 mile bike ride and then did Bikram later in the afternoon. The last time I took a Bikram class was August 20th (!!) so it felt SO good to be back in the hot room sweating it out. I love that Bikram really challenges me both physically and mentally and forces me to get out of my comfort zone. I walked out of the class literally glowing (not just from the sweat) and felt like I had just pressed “reset” on healthy living. It always leaves me feeling so centered and calm, and Saturday night I just stayed in and cooked and laid low, and it felt so good to just relax (and not drink).
Yesterday I checked out a new church called Grace. I was raised Protestant and used to go to church often as a child, but then as I got older church started becoming less and less frequent. When I moved away from home, church became even less a part of my life, and I would only go very occasionally on holidays when it worked out. A few Easters ago, I went to my sister Wendy’s church and it made me see church in a whole new light. She goes to a progressive Christianity church where people wear jeans and its a very casual service with tambourines and dancing during the songs. I never even knew that a church like this existed, so I sort of renewed my interest. In the last few months, I’d been wanting to try to find a church like that in DC, when I got a piece of mail that said “Hate Church?” on the front and I turned the card over and it was for Grace Church, “A church for people who don’t go to church.”
It spoke to me a lot and I had been looking forward to going yesterday for a few weeks, since I was away the two Sundays before yesterday. And let me tell you, the service did not disappoint! It was a very laid back service and the pastor was hysterical. He was talking about his own coming to terms with religion and said that God works slowly, and is “more like a crockpot than a microwave”! Everyone laughed out loud, and there were several other funny moments during the sermon. Also, they showed a clip from Seinfeld (the one where Elaine is dating a religious guy and he tells her she’s going to Hell). The whole service was just very uplifting, and the message was about being kind and not judgmental towards others. There was even a 5 piece band and they played contemporary Christian rock rather than traditional hymns.
Anyways, I don’t usually talk about religion on here at all, but lately I’ve been feeling a need for something more in my life, especially in light of what is going on with my nephews. They are doing alright right now, but Harper has to have heart surgery today. They both are feisty and fighters, but really need positive thoughts and prayers, so please keep ’em coming.
After yesterday’s service with the mention of crockpot, I decided to pull mine out and made a delicious, hearty, bean and veggie stew. It cooked for 6 hours and turned out sooo good. It was so nice to have a hot, filling soup on such a cold, drizzly day.
I also went out for my first run since my half marathon and it felt REALLY good. I wasn’t quite sure how far I wanted to go, but once I set out and the weather was feeling cool and perfect for running, I decided to do 5 miles. I regretted that just a bit when it started drizzling on my way back and was in a full blown rain by the time I made it home, but I was so happy that I had such a great run after a 2 week hiatus. Here are the stats:
Distance: 5.o miles
Duration: 48:06
Avg. Pace: 9:37 (!)
Calories: 604
The miles ranged from 9:17 – 9:46, but I was VERY proud of finishing the 5 miles in that time. I have wanted to finish a 10k in under an hour for a while now, and I have one coming up on Sunday. The last 10k I ran I had that goal, and I finished in 60:01. I kid you not. Two seconds over my goal. Anyways, I would love to reach that goal on Sunday, but won’t beat myself up if I don’t.
I forgot my cord to connect my camera to my computer to upload pics, but I’ll be back tonight to share my Confetti Bean Stew recipe and show you my first interaction with canned pumpkin this season!
1.) What was the best part of your weekend?
2.) Are you a religious/spiritual person? How is where you are now different from how you were raised?