It's Bacon...On a Stick!

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  (I feel like that could be a good alternate title for this blog.)

It seemed like a GREAT idea, actually.  I love bacon.  I love Orioles baseball.  When the two came together to bring me "Bacon on a Stick", I had no choice but to try it.

One of the great things about Bacon on a Stick is that there are no surprises.  The name is exactly what it is.

The second great thing about Bacon on a Stick is that half of the ingredients are bacon.  (I'm sure stick aficionados are happy that the other half of the ingredients are stick.)

I'll be honest, though, bacon-lover that I am, Bacon on a Stick was not for me.  I like my bacon very crispy.  This was not especially crispy.  It wasn't floppy bacon, mind you, it was just very, very thick and so it still tasted fatty.  If you're a fan of very thick bacon, you'll love it.  It was well-seasoned and the lean parts of the bacon were tasty.

If I get it again -- and I make no promises -- I might see if they can do an extra-crispy slice for me, as they are cooked right there at the Bacon on a Stick stand.

(I had another picture of me eating Bacon on a Stick in which I looked less troll-like, 

so I decided to post this one.)

 

 And, since this blog post is completely unrelated to running or injuries and kind of worthless, anyway, it can only be improved by a random picture of Adam Jones at the plate:

The Orioles would go on to lose the last game of this series with the Dodgers after taking the first two, but their fans went home with full stomachs.

Friday Bullet Points...Again

Friday bullet points seems like it might be the new norm around here until things get a little more interesting.

• I ran 5 miles yesterday in 48:31. I guess I'm a real runner again, now. (That's just a little joke based on the previous post.) Given that I was usually hitting six miles in 57 or 58 minutes, this probably isn't that far off normal pace. My 42:something 8K and 5-mile PRs feel light years away, though.
  
  
• It's been an ok week of running. In addition to yesterday's 5, I ran 3.1 on Monday night at what I would consider "max effort". This is where the lack of speed is really showing: 27:59. It's frustrating, but I'm not going to worry about it too much for now. I don't want to start speedwork again until I feel like my legs are stronger, but I am going to run one of my midweek runs (which I'll probably keep at no more than 3-4 miles for a few months) as fast as I can to give myself a measurement of how I'm doing.
  
  
• I've slipped off the wagon a bit this week in both strength training and dieting. We had our "anniversary" dinner on Tuesday night and a vet appointment last night, so it was difficult to stay in routine. (Or get in one, in the case of new leg program.)
  
  
• Unfortunately, this is going to get worse. Next week, culminating in the St. Patrick's 5K on March 11, is fairly normal, but the following week is insane. I'll be traveling Monday through Thursday for work and will be lucky to get any running in at all. (I'm going to try for a few miles on Tuesday night in Tucson and a few in Philly on Thursday morning). This probably means the best option for the TowneBank Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach is to just take it nice and easy, which is a shame. If I could get some consistency in the next two weeks I think I could challenge my PR on that flat course, even in my weakened state.
  
  
• Submissions are closed for the Bad Photo contest. I will post them before the aforementioned business trip and allow two weeks for voting from the time they're up.
  
  
• Because you're all wondering, this is what I ate on Tuesday night at TJ Rockwell's. Believe me, it was worth every ounce I gained or second per mile I lost:

(These are called "Rhino Fries".
I say with confidence that there are no better cheese fries on the planet.)

MACON BACON BURGER
This creation features our 8 oz. black angus burger topped with a creamy cheese, ranch, bacon sauce. finished with bacon slices and golden onion straws. served on a pretzel bun

(I wish I had a picture of this. It was just as good as it sounds.)

Random

So, I've got a couple things to write about, but no ideas for a coherent blog post. So, you get bullet points:

Losin' It

• "The Battle of the Bulge", as described in last Friday's post seems to have gotten off to a decent start. I've lost just over 4 pounds since last Thursday night. Now, I know there's often a big loss the first week of a diet, but I think I did pretty well in eating less during the day (salads for lunch, no salty snacks or desserts during the day) and working out every day this week. I can tell I'm eating less because I'm actually finding myself feeling hungry, rather than just eating because it's time to eat or because I loooooooove eating. Good start, but gotta stick with it...
  

Running/Fitness

• I'm going to go running tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect or what goals to set, I just know I'm going running for the first time in over a month. I'm excited, but also nervous. The shinsplits on the right leg seem better, but I'm hoping I can tell pretty quickly whether the Left Leg Mystery Bump is going to be problem, rather than something that isn't noticeable until I get the mileage back up. If it needs further treatment, I'd like to know sooner rather than later. Check back tomorrow to see how it goes. (I bet the suspense is KILLING you!) Update: Forecast is snow tonight and into tomorrow. So we'll see about this. Perfect timing. I loathe snow.
  
  
• I've run a total of 2.5 miles in 2012. I'm signed up for 8 miles worth of races by the end of April.
  
  
• I've been re-thinking my running goals. That probably can hold for a future post though since the next couple of weeks are probably going to show whether it's ok to start working my way back, and since that's supposed to be what this blog is about, anyway.
  
  
• NEXT WEEK! I'll announce the first "Earn Your Donuts" contest and giveaway. I have an actual prize, it's not just pictures of my cats or autographed running bibs, or autographed cats, I promise. It's an actual company that you've probably heard of. (I wasn't sure what heading to put this under).
  

Off-topic

• After a couple (ok a lot!) more listens, I like the new Van Halen album even more. My musical tastes have changed over the last 12 years or so. I would never claim to have any punk rock credibility at all, but that's mostly what I've been listening too. This week, though, has been a complete Van Halen binge. It's 1984 again, and I love it. (All hail the defending World Champion Baltimore Orioles!) Don't feel bad, Sammy Hagar, I've got your stuff mixed in there, too. I still like you even if the Van Halens don't.
  
  
• Friday night is my favorite part of the week. The end of the work week, the first sip of beer, a relaxing dinner at home or a local restaurant, and Fringe. Fringe, on FOX, is one of my current favorite TV shows, fitting nicely into the weird sci-fi/mystery niche that's still been vacant in my life since the end of LOST (still mad about that ending, though!). Unlike LOST, though, which was -- or at least seemed -- smart, I think Fringe is really just campy fun. "Previously on Fringe...a bunch of things that don't really make sense." During my high school years, I spent many a Friday night with Agents Scully and Mulder, making Fringe seem comfortably familiar.

• You may think it would be cute and funny to teach a cat to sit on your shoulders like a parrot. It's not.

Never, Never Feed Him After Midnight

My goal leading up to the marathon is to focus on getting in consistent runs during the week. I got off to a good start with a 4-mile hill workout on Monday. I would have done another "lap" (Down into Mt Wolf, up the hill to the park, back down into the valley and up toward Manchester), but 1) my legs were still really exhausted from Saturday, and 2) it started to pour.

I had the best of intentions yesterday, looking forward to 5 or 6 miles after a very bad day of work. But, as the day wore on, I started feeling worse and worse. Sore throat, runny nose, headache. I took the night off, and will probably end up at the doctor's office at some point today.

At any rate, I ended up spending the evening lying on the couch watching Gremlins, which was exactly kind of stupid movie my fever-addled brain could handle.


When I was seven years old, Gremlins was terrifying. I loved it -- I had a stuffed Gizmo, a plastic gremlin, and all of the booklets that Burger King gave away -- but it was scary. At 35, Gremlins is more of slapstick comedy, albeit kind a disgusting one (such the scene in which Billy's Mom uses the Peltzer Peeler-Juicer and the microwave to take out two of the gremlins).

Even in its entertaining cheesiness, Gremlins made my head hurt. Everyone knows there are three rules to keeping a mogwai:

First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll kill him. Second, don't give him any water, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight.

The first two rules make sense. I'll suspend my disbelief and accept the existence of a cute, magical creature that's killed by sunlight and multiplies when it touches water. (It's only water -- so a mogwai could use sports drinks to stay hydrated on his long runs.)

It's the third and most important rule that is the problem. By what standard is "after midnight" defined? Gizmo does not appear to wear a watch. And what happens if you cross time zones? Let's say it's after midnight, but you're near the time zone line, heading westward. You cross the line and it's before midnight. Can I feed Gizmo now? This is certainly a plausible scenario - Gizmo was acquired in New York City by Rand Peltzer of Kingston Falls, NY. But if what if he was instead purchased by an inventor heading home to, say, Hobart, IN?

Or, what if Gizmo finishes his midnight snack at 11:57, but is still digesting it well after midnight? Would our cuddly pal still be around in the morning, or would I have a giant slimy cocoon?

These questions need answers. We've seen what Gremlins can do to a town.