Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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spirit of survival half recap, handsome wants to run, and let’s be positive ok?

Hey friends! Happy Monday Tuesday to you! Sorry, I am a whole day late with this. For a little motivation this week, I just want to share a cool experience I had this past weekend. It provided me tons of inspiration, and I hope it does you too.

Over the weekend Handsome and I spent about 15 hours in Lawton, Oklahoma, mostly so I could run the Spirit of Survival half marathon. It was such fun! Just as a running event, it was wonderful. Incredible scenery and perfect weather, a decent workout, felt happy about my overall performance, and came home healthy and injury-free. All great stuff. But much more importantly I was, once again, deeply inspired by other people. That’s what I want to share with you.

I love it when this happens, especially when I am a little unprepared for the spiritual jackpot. When life gives me the chance to meet either strangers, average but amazing citizens, or people I have been watching from a distance and then they blow me away with their generosity of spirit and genuine niceness. This happens pretty frequently. I’m very lucky.

This time the headline connection was with Bart Yasso, world renowned runner and coach, actually dubbed the “World Mayor of Running” and also the “Chief Running Officer” for Runners World magazine. My first exposure to his writings was months ago when I started researching how to gain speed. He has developed a method of interval training called Yasso 800s that is supposed to almost guarantee you a certain marathon time. Exciting!

Okay. I met Bart (Mr. Yassow?) briefly Saturday night, just before his hilarious and deeply moving presentation, and he autographed his book for me. “Marie- Never limit where running can take you. ~Bart” Very cool. Then the presentation was a solid hour of belly laughter and teary eyed listening to the most incredible stories from his life and running career. My biggest takeaways: NO SELF PITY. And, You don’t know when you will be crossing your last finish line, so always be grateful and happy.

SOS book

That alone would have been enough to inspire me. Then early Sunday morning, totally by fluke, Handsome and I were walking in the dark down the sidewalk, making our way to the start line about half a mile from the hotel, and Bart walked right up to us! Good morning and all that, so friendly. We all three walked the entire way together, just chatting, and I tried hard not to skip and do cartwheels because I had gobs of extra energy. Bart shared even more encouragement, lots more positive vibes, and agreed that here in Oklahoma we have some of the loveliest sunrises and sunsets as anywhere in the world. He resides in Pennsylvania but has travelled the globe for running events. This compliment to my home state made my heart swell. As we walked and chatted, the purple sky to our right was just beginning to crack open, all pink and glowy as it so often does.

SOS w bart yasso

So, certainly, meeting this gentleman and gleaning a personal slice of his wisdom made the weekend extra special. I cannot wait to finish reading his book and share more with you guys.

Okay.

Handsome and I arrived at the starting corral early and enjoyed the view of the American flag, the happy people everywhere, just all the love that was there. Really, truly a lot of love. Why am I always surprised when a running event is about more than just running? We said goodbye to each other and kissed, and soon everyone sang the anthem along with Miss America 2009. Somewhere in the half marathoners’ corral, my new friend Corey found me and we had fun giggling and scoping everyone’s shoes, because we share a love for Brooks.

SOS start line w flag
I never know what to do with my hands. Or legs. Or face. But dang my shoes are awesome! And I like that buffalo on my shirt.

I forgot to tell you about Corey!

Much earlier Sunday morning, about two hours before start time, Handsome and I were eating a delicious breakfast in the hotel lobby when I saw a girl I wanted to meet. She was dressed in sweats and eating a bagel and banana like me, so… I sort of blurted out a weird greeting in her general direction, no matter that she was four tables away. The subtext was, “Hi! You’re a runner, I’m a runner, obviously we are gonna be friends, right?” It started like that, basically. Then she mentioned she’s from Austin, Texas, and I was like, “Oh my gosh we have friends who live there, do you know Jon and Margi?” That is why I shouldn’t eat breakfast in public. I could literally hear Handsome’s eyes rolling.

Fortunately this running girl from Austin was endlessly friendly and also seemed chill for some early morning random conversation with strangers, so we spent about half an hour getting acquainted while downing last minute carbs for the run. Now? It’s possible we really are going to be friends. She is both a Half Fanatic and a Marathon Maniac. If you think those are arbitrary, purely descriptive phrases for people who just really like to run, let me assure you that it actually means you have to do a lot of work and run some seriously challenging consecutive races to qualify for membership in either of these very real clubs. Corey has earned both stripes. AND she is a brain cancer survivor. AND she and her husband are thinking of starting a family soon. I mean, you guys, she is the real deal; but somehow she put me at ease instead of making me feel like an imposter runner all over again. She was so nice. We saw each other later that morning at a turn-around near mile 8, and I almost hugged her but was tangled up in earbud cords.

The weekend was full of different people, each offering a unique dose of inspiration.

There was the lady who sling-shotted ahead of me then fell behind then sling-shotted, again and again throughout the race. She was running alone and dressed from head to toe in survivor decorations and affirming words. Toward the end of the race, maybe mile 12, I heard her cheering to the open air. “You can do it! You got this! Keep going!” She was aiming the wonderful messages at any and all passersby, but also I think at herself, and it was the sweetest thing. Her singular energy drummed up spontaneous applause and cheering from everyone.

Local running celeb and world record keeper Camille Herron was there. Wow. Just a class act in every way. After breezing past the crowd and winning the women’s half, she returned back down the course to encourage runners. With zeal! I though I had extra energy. This lady blew my mind. I couldn’t stop giggling with happiness, and I cried a tiny bit when I saw her running and clapping low and strong for people. I might have introduced myself and begged for a photo but literally could never catch up to her. “Speedy” does not cover it.

And there was the married couple from Saturday night who welcomed me to sit at their dinner table during Bart Yassow’s amazing presentation. Their names were Robert and Laura. They were completely forthcoming with their own running and life stories, and they even posed with Tiny T for me like it was no biggie. Didn’t even flinch. On Sunday, Laura found me on the course once and we cheered for each other, then I found her at the finish line, all smiles! We hope to see each other at the OKC Memorial next April.

SOS robert laura T

 

 

This event is all about breast cancer awareness and survival, and the proceeds fun local efforts. How cool, then, that the first leg of the race was toward one of our classic pink Oklahoma sunrises!
This event is all about breast cancer awareness and survival, and the proceeds fund local early detection efforts. How cool, then, that the first leg of the race was toward one of our classic pink Oklahoma sunrises! Just beautiful.

One more big, juicy, heartfelt thank you to husband, also basically my running sponsor, haha! He is the one who texted me that day early this summer, “Check your email woman.” And in my inbox sat registration confirmation to this race. Then he insisted I get new shoes. Then he downloaded all this amazing music, per my request. Then he drove me to an event in which he personally would have had zero interest without mine. He endured not-homemade Italian food so I could be fueled up. He did everything, even took pictures and tried hard to pay attention when I relayed my excitement and did a poor job repeating other people’s stories. He is a truly wonderful spectator-spouse. But you know what’s even better?

The best thing my husband has done is to say that I inspired him to run!! This is huge. He actually ordered a pair of running shoes and intendeds to try the treadmill. Bam. Tiny T and I think things are just now getting good.

SOS t shoudler

Once again… Surround yourself with positive people, okay? Simmer in passion of all kinds. It matters. Whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re pursuing, seek out the leaders and trail blazers in that field and learn from them. Dive in. Try stuff. Try harder, do better, stop worrying about being embarrassed or looking fluffy in yoga pants. Just smile at the thought and get started.

Positive vibes are powerful. Accept them, internalize them, emit them.

Over and out.

“Never limit where running can take you.”
~Bart Yassow
XOXOXO

 

 

lovelier than perfection

To me, this is maybe the only time a morning glory vine looks prettier than in early summer.

old vines

Remember June? When these leaves were perfectly shaped, deep green, and smooth? Velvety in their youth? Remember when the blooms were fresh and jewel toned, so vibrant they shimmered? Those were the exiting first days of summer. The first weeks of heat and freedom, sex and new life in the garden.

But these days, the beginning of our calm descent into autumn, they bear a different kind of beauty. I love how these same vines are washed out now, tattered by the wind but still smiling at every sunrise. Theses blooms are fading now and soft like very old, very comforting cotton bed sheets.

It’s a quieter loveliness. Something more confident than the brazenness of early June. And speaking of sex in the garden, just look at all those seed pods nodding demurely at the ground. Next summer’s arena.

“He is outside of everything, and alien everywhere.
He is an aesthetic solitary.
His beautiful, light imagination is the wing
that on the autumn evening
just brushes the dusky window.”
-Henry James  
XOXOXOXO

easy egg foo young using leftovers

Do you love American-Chinese food? We do. Especially when we are bone-dead tired and hangry. We sometimes stop at this tiny little dimly lit restaurant in Del City with a low moon door and red and gold ceiling lanterns, but only rarely and usually when we are already out running errands. When this food craving hits us at home, we tend to stay home and eat Lazy W Egg Foo Young, also known as Bean Sprout Omelets. So good.

I first made egg foo young after an internet search that landed me at this site. We liked it! We didn’t love it, but we liked it enough to have it again pretty soon after. The classic brown sauce was not our speed, but the meal itself was tasty and very filling, especially with a side of rice, heavy on the soy sauce. Since that first attempt, we have been slowly making this our own and actually simplifying the recipe. It now appears on the Lazy W dinner menu two or three times per month, and (see above) especially when we are bone-dead tired. It’s a wonderful comfort food, highly versatile for each family member, and fairly healthy.

Something else I like about our version of egg foo young is that it is a natural canvas for leftovers. One of the only ways Handsome will tolerate leftovers, as a matter of fact. Do you have some extra chicken breast in the fridge? Dice it, wok it around a little with fresh seasonings, and add it to your mix. Extra pork chop? Even better. I have enjoyed it with roasted broccoli, shredded zuchinni, carrots, and more. Mushrooms. Always mushrooms. Watermelon!! Well, maybe not watermelon. Save the watermelon for dessert.

egg foo young board with label

This is one of those recipes that may seem mysterious at the restaurant, until you make it once at home. Then suddenly it’s a menu mainstay you could crank out in your sleep. Here we go.

Basic Ingredients, makes one large serving:

  • 2-3 large eggs
  • bean sprouts (maybe 1/2 cup per person, either fresh or canned)
  • Asian seasoning mix (or just some garlic powder, ground ginger, pepper, and soy sauce)
  • Cooking oil

Optional add-ins, totally customizable:

  • Diced cooked meats (pork & chicken seem to work best, also try shrimp!) You need only a very small amount, maybe half a cup per serving.
  • Shredded vegetables, also in small amounts (My favorite is mushrooms. Almost anything works.)
  • Water chestnuts (I suggest dicing these before adding to wet mix.)

Method:

  • Preheat a wok or large non-stick skillet and add some cooking oil, letting it get to a shimmering heat. You will need enough oil to coat the pan and hold the egg mixture, not enough to cover it all. The heat for this dish should be hotter than for scrambled eggs. You’re frying it, not cooking it gently.
  • For each person’s serving, crack the eggs into a medium mixing bowl. Add the bean sprouts, chopped cooked meats, Asian seasonings, and optional stuff like veggies. Whisk it all together like you’re about to make an omelet or frittata.
  • Pour the egg mixture into the hot, oily wok or pan and let it cook until the edges curl in a little bit. Use a wide, thin spatula to loosen the edges if you need to, and kinda wiggle it around gently. By the time you flip the whole thing over to cook on the backside, that first cooked side should be golden brown and have some familiar omelet or frittata markings.
  • Worth noting: The more veggies you add in, the trickier it will be to flip, just FYI. I always add so much to mine that I have come to accept my personal Egg Foo Young will never be pretty to look at, like Handsome’ simpler fare. Mine is more of a Soy Sauce Scramble. Or a Chinese Food Chop Up. A Leftovers Labyrinth… Whatevv.

    And it tastes even better if you eat it with real chopsticks.
    And it tastes even better if you eat it with real chopsticks.
  • Serve with rice!

Rice Side Dish Idea:

To really drive home the easy factor on those bone-dead-tired, borderline hangry nights, I serve this with instant brown rice. This tastes even better if you stir in a few glugs of soy sauce with the water or broth before cooking it. Also, if your family likes vegetables more than my husband does, stir in some peas or carrots or whatever you like. Regarding the healthiness of this dish, I only indulge in little of the salty rice if I have a long run planned the next day. Otherwise, the eggs, meats, and veggies are plenty filling. Promise.

Okay, thanks for reading! Do you have a Chinese food trick up your sleeve you’re willing to share? What are you favorite uses for leftovers? Do you like the television show Fresh Off the Boat? We totally do.

Waste Not Want Not
XOXO

 

 

 

 

 

motivation monday: taper week & putting boundaries on hard times

Hey friends, and a very happy Monday to you! I started early this morning writing about the Super Blood Harvest Moon and its myriad effects on me this cycle, and I will finish that soon. I think you’ll find it interesting and maybe helpful, especially the women among us. But just real quick tonight… A little motivation. It is Monday, after all. Monday of Taper Week, in fact. And actually, part of what I discovered about this moon cycle and what I wanted to share with you is how powerfully energized I feel now that the moon has reached its fullest phase. How relieved and relaxed I feel too, which is a lovely contradiction.

Taper Week. Next Sunday morning I’ll be in Lawton, Oklahoma, lacing up for the Spirit of Survival half marathon. I am very very very very very excited to run the mountain roads, see the bison herds hopefully, soak up the panoramic views, and meet new running friends, particularly some ladies from the Runhers OKC group. Signs are not pointing to a lightning quick race for me, as I’d once declared, but that’s totally okay. I am still very-times-5 excited for the event. Rumor has it that Bart Yasso will be a guest speaker the night before while we carb up on pasta, so I’m looking forward to that. Plus this is the tenth annual event for this organization, and the runner gifts look so great. I am in love with the logo, obviously. And check out how nice the weather forecast looks:

weather SOS race

Related news: This afternoon a very good looking guy I know escaped his office early and insisted on taking me shopping for new running shoes. He really had to twist my arm, I am telling you right now. We visited three stores and I tried on about a dozen different shoes from at least five different brands, just making sure there wasn’t something more perfect out there than my beloved Brooks.

Let's all incorporate yoga poses into shoe shopping. Concentrate, ladies!
Let’s all incorporate yoga poses into shoe shopping. Concentrate, ladies!
Final store. Deciding between Launch 2 and Ravenna.
Final store. Deciding between Launch 2 and Ravenna. Clearly not worrying much about the loss of my summer tan.

Well, I settled on Brooks again, not Nike or Saucony, not Asics, none of those. Brooks is for me, though this time I brought home Ravenna 6, not Pure Flow 3. Yay!! So excited. They are not only beautiful to behold; they are magical. I took them for a three mile spin before dinner and felt like I was flying. Rainbows literally flew out behind the treadmill like a jet ski rooster tail. Maybe I’ll meet that speed goal after all. haha

BROOKS ravenna

Aren’t they gorgeous?? Perhaps now I should buy a black light?

Okay. This is what I really want to say to you in case you’re needing some motivation tonight: Difficult times are temporary. They do not last forever, and you can do lots to minimize the torture. When you realize you’re in the middle of a difficult time, take action. Meet your own needs, intelligently. Rest a bit and don’t make it all worse on yourself by magnifying your troubles with a downward spiral imagination. Put some boundaries on it, you know? Draw a box around the whole thing (whatever is bothering you) and remind yourself that This too shall pass. Then smile. Smile about it from deep down inside your belly, and let it spread all throughout your system: Your physical self, your mind, your emotions, your spirit. Let a sense of optimism settle in and crowd out your problem.

It will work. This past week was so rough for me, in lots of ways I will explore later. But it ended up affecting my running, which further affected my mood, etc, you know that drill. I scraped together the miles I needed last week then spent most of this past weekend on the couch or in a lawn chair. When Monday of Taper Week rolled around I felt slightly panicked; but having drawn that imaginary box around the black cloud, I was able to pick up my energy and take control of my time again. I am ending this first day of the new week feeling really happy and truly optimistic about everything that’s been worrying me. Including this upcoming race.

Okay, new shoes don’t hurt. I might be unnaturally happy about my new Ravenna 6’s. But who’s to say that it wasn’t the positive vibe turn around that got us to the show store? Not me. I won’t say that’s impossible.

Be happy, friends. We are all facing big problems and serious heartache. I sure don’t mean to downplay harsh realities. But time waits for no man, and happiness is well within our grasp, even when life is imperfect. It’s okay to reach for it.

Thank you so much for stopping here!

Smile at the thought.
XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

please don’t read this

Thursday night I was strolling with Handsome through our local Wally-marks in search of a very specific action figure toy to replace one Klaus had just destroyed. We were also in search of hot glue sticks to aid a possible repair job for said toy, a new, more appropriate chew toy for Klaus, and ice cream. Because apparently yesterday was both National Daughters’ Day and National Ice Cream Cone Day. Not that we need an excuse to celebrate our girls or buy ice cream. And not that we only ate only one cone.

A man passed me down the center aisle who was the spitting image of Brittany’s husband, so alike in features and expression (as far as I know him from her blog) that I could not resist trying to meet him. I said his name to see if he’d respond, “Noah!” Nothing. He walked past. I turned around and said it again, sort of toward his back.

“NOAH. Noah. Noah… (n-o-a-h...)” Again, nothing except a confused glance over his shoulder before he changed his retail trajectory with some stiff-backed abruptness. Apparently even grown men can feel creeped out.

To clarify, my second attempt to get his attention was less friendly and more hushed, like a descending, vibrating whisper, Friday-the-Thirteenth-soundtrack style. If that man was Noah, Mr. Vesuvius at Home, he clearly wanted nothing to do with being recognized by the crazy blonde wandering the toy department looking like she could really use some refined carbs at that moment.

Okay. That’s the end of that story.

klaus

Have you ever noticed that the fastest way to sand off some jagged edges from your heart is to bring them to light and invite the Universe to connect them with someone you love? If you want to have your ugliest opinions challenged, declare them staunchly. Use harsh, hurtful language, say something judgmental and condescending about another human being, and wait to see how long before you realize someone you love dearly and unconditionally falls into the category you have just slammed. It’s like counting seconds between lightning and thunder: how close is the storm? And then, can you weather it?

Okay, next:

When gardening, would you rather start with a smooth, uncultivated piece of earth, design your own garden from the ground up, having started fresh? Or would you rather dive into a wild, neglected space, re-imagining and reconstructing, nourishing what is diseased or forgotten, and breathe new life into it? Don’t make me choose. But if you make me choose, I will always go with the second option. Always.

Last thing. Have you tried this method of roasting chicken? I saw it recently on bon appetit and had to try. You brine some bone-in chicken pieces (yum) and cook them directly on the oven rack, no pan, allowing the juices to fall below to a tray of vegetables. The chicken turns out extra crispy and much less fatty. Gloriously golden and flavorful. The vegetables, on the other hand, are flavorful but turn out kinda mushy. I just don’t know. The Lazy W verdict is to continue with this chicken roasting method but leave an empty pan below, then just recycle that broth later. Let’s have stout, crispy veggies, ok?

ckn

Okay, cool.

What are your fun plans for this gorgeous weekend? Handsome and I are looking forward to some local art and street food, specifically the Ten Percent Celebration for Every Point on the Map, maybe family time and an outdoor movie at the farm, possibly an easy little car show. Should be a full, relaxing weekend with mild weather. I’m already happily exhausted.

Ok friends, go carpe some diems! Be nice to strangers. Be careful with your words. Choose your storms carefully whenever possible. And roast your chickens openly, no shame, no secrets. Thanks time a million for visiting.

ksh ksh ksh ksh ksh ksh ksh ksh
no no no no no no no no
XOXOXOXO