DIY arm warmers

I started out with a little something like this:
an under armour long sleeved running top that was just way to snug for comfort. {good thing I had happened upon it for free. and even better that I found a use for it.}

with a snip at the shoulder seams and a quick little hem, I had myself a pair of my very own arm warmers. perfect for those days when your ride starts out a little chilly, but eventually warms up. just slip these babies on or off as needed. they are easily stowed in the back of your jersey.



what am I going to do with the rest of the shirt? make fold over mitts for cold weather running days of course! nothing goes to waste around here!

roadtrip eats

while traveling pete and I try our best to avoid eating out. not only is it a healthier option, it's also easier on the wallet. with a little planning, it's pretty easy + tasty.

cut up raw vegg is a great snack and compliment to any on-the-go meal. we had: carrot sticks, snow peas, green bell pepper. . . you could add anything you and your roadtrip buddies like.

and don't forget the fresh fruit: bananas, strawberries, apples

my dad needs his protein in the morning (though we ended up taking full advantage of the hotel breakfasts) so packing things like baby bell cheeses, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt (with granola mix-ins, of course!) are a pretty easy fix.

and don't leave home with out that peanut butter. PB+J sandwhiches, PB apple slices, PB toast (especially good marathon morning), PB bananas. it's a win win win.

and if you're feeling your inner domestic goddess, try this fantastic lunch-time snack: homemade wheat crackers + chedder cheese slices + turkey-roni. it equals a DIY lunchable that any grownup would love! (at least I love them)

for dinners it's best to have some sort of camping stove. we love our jetboil around here. it's quick and easy to cook up some rice, pasta, cheesy broccoli, beans. . . you name it. we were eating like kings on the cheap. (and if you don't have the luxury of the hotel breakfast, you can poor boiling water directly into the instant oatmeal package. just a little tip)

we only ate out twice, and those were race necessities: grazie's italian restaurant for the carbo-loading extravaganza and burger time for the post race refueling (nothing beats burgers + fries after a marathon)

oh, and btw, it also helps if you have a big cooler + a small car-fridge. if you do not have a car-fridge, the cooler will work just as well. you just won't feel as cool when you're pulling out your mini dr peppers.

to play along with us from the comfort of your couch

please check out the detailed account of the trip so far at:

{interstate 50}

post script:  even though I am blogging live from north dakota even as we speak, I am still not convinced of its existence.  I can't rule out government conspiracy just quite yet. . .   

only the open road

big occasions and races which have
been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread,
are where great deeds can be accomplished

--jack lovelock, 1936 olympic 1500m gold medalist

an update of sorts

sometimes life is just way too busy to blog.

it's a shame, though, because then we miss the small moments.

and the big moments.

in honor of this coming weekend's big moment,
let's take a look back at some recent slightly smaller moments in the life of anna jo:

my friend scotty trained for a marathon on a treadmill because running on the road hurt him too much; he ran the salt lake city marathon in 3:36 and looked good doing it. he is my hero and another one of my success stories.

I won a pie eating contest with my youth ed teammates at work. hopefully there will be video coming shortly. let's just say I attacked some apple pie with my face. and then won a "trophy."

I "quit" my job at bcdc. I'm not sure if they know that yet or not... okay, so they've probably figured it out by now. but I didn't really tell anyone, because I didn't know quite who to tell. that's certainly a grey area when your supervisor gets fired and your manager quits all within a week of each other. and you're only there for like two more days. but my discount code still works, so all is well!

I had the complete joy of going to jury duty last week. unfortunately I didn't make the cut. but I did get to sit there all day, waiting endlessly so I guess I still got the full experience. I was kind of interested in seeing how the criminal case played out, though. oh well, maybe in two years I'll get another chance.

the only running I've done over the past three weeks has been in a pool. and this weekend I get to run 26.2 miles through the streets of fargo, north dakota. is anyone else scared for me? well don't be, 'cause I'm gonna rock the socks off this race. uff da!

I cut up about eighteen-thousand carrots today. hurrah for roadtrips!

amiGO Scott!

I got ben folds on my radio right now

I can finally say I've seen ben folds live--unfortunately without his five, no reunion show. {check number eight off the list!} let me recap the ben folds live near misses:

instance number one: my first counting crows concert oh so many years ago. ben folds five was touring with them as the opening act. adam duritz gets sick and the show is rescheduled. by the time adam duritz and the boys make it back to salt lake city, ben and his gang are no longer on the tour. at this time I didn't truly realize what a sad, sad thing that was.

instance number two: ben folds five was playing at the Big Ass Show (which will now be referred to as the BASH, for all you young, sensitive-eyed readers). I was going to Snow College at the time, but just happened to be up in SLC for the weekend because we had a soccer game against SLCC. perfect. I'd play some soccer and then head over to the show, I'd get to see ben folds and all would be happy. too bad that's not how it went down. I was going over to the BASH with my dear friend and teammate, cyndi morris. we had to make a quick stop at her sister's house first. that quick stop didn't end up being so quick. by the time we got to the fairgrounds, ben folds had just ended. I was devastated in my heart. he was really the only band I wanted to see.

instance number three: mr ben folds was playing a free show in some little club downtown. I found out the. day. after.

yeah, so can you see why it became my life's mission to see this man? so many missed opportunities.

I hadn't realized just how long I've loved ben folds. ten years. quite possibly eleven. how has it been that long? each song he played from the ben folds five era just took me back to the day. each album reminds me of such a specific time in my life. it was fun to revisit that. and I loved the sneak peak into his new album. oh yeah, and did I mention he puts on a fun, fun show?

now if only something could be done about tall people. they should not be allowed.

the night started with a little I *heart* sushi and ended with a little I *heart* ben folds. thank you, birds, for sharing in the magic.

overcoming mountains

sometimes life puts obstacles in my path at the most inopportune times. but for every mountain there is a miracle. I just need the patience to see it through to the top. because if there is one thought that I have really taken to heart lately it is this:

you are stronger than you know.

image: thoos
words: robert h. schuller

rockin' the pink!

ali, the first female biggest loser {video clip}

remember my favorite show? the biggest loser? well, I don't know what I'll do with myself on tuesday nights (besides being able to go to bed at a decent hour so I can wake for the early am swimteam) because now it's over.

but don't you see why this is the best television show on these days? it is transforming people! it is inspiring people! {click HERE for all the inspiration. check out mark he looks fantastic too. oh and roger!} seriously, while I was watching the finale last night, I just couldn't help but feel this overwhelming sense of happiness for these people. they've reclaimed their lives. it's truly amazing. and everyone looks. so. good. especially ali. she is my hero.

she and her mother were kicked off on episode 4, I do believe. not because they lost the least amount of weight, but because of game play. as ali left the elimination room she told everyone she was going to be the biggest loser. bold statement from a girl who just got voted off. but with a twist of the game, all eliminated contestants were invited back to the biggest loser campus for one final weigh in. one man and one woman would be invited back to the game. ali and mark won. ali then proceeded to kick everyone's trash in future weigh ins. even the guys. she was a rock star that fought for what she wanted.

she is so inspiring to me! seriously. I wish I could be her best friend. because I think we would be best friends. she has such a determination and drive. I truly believe that she can do anything she puts her mind to. anything. and that means beating out all the big guys on the biggest loser. {remember when kelly and brittany were whining because they felt it was impossible to beat the guys? all the cards were stacked against them? yeah, well ali comes back on the scene and proves it can be done. and she continued to prove it week after week}

she lost almost half her body weight, looks super toned + fit, and can finally reclaim her true athlete self. she is amazing.

I hope to see her on the triathlon scene someday. she'd probably kick my butt.

a tasty five-k

you all know how much I love doughnuts. and you know how I love to run. why not put them together? it is the doughnut run '08.

for every doughnut you eat, time is taken off your overall 5K finish time. there are eight "aid stations." you can eat as many doughnuts as you want at each one. but please don't purge (intentionally or not); it only counts if you keep it down. sounds like fun, no?

sign me up for the doughnut run '09! who's in for a road trip to iowa?!

{check out steve in a speedo's full race report. his was an epic adventure. not to mention he ate fifteen doughnuts and won the thing.}

after all the dreamin'

first of all, can I just tell you about my dreams? slightly bizarre. . .

[somewhere in the half-light of saturday morning. right before my eighteen mile run.]

it was marathon morning. I didn't seem all that prepared. like I didn't even have my favorite socks! (you know, the ones with the L and the R on the toes) the ones I have been planning to race in because they're probably the thinnest ones I own. so I had to use someone else's socks. luckily they were the ones with the L and the R on the toes. I finally got myself over to the race and had to find my pace group. I found the leader and there was only one other runner in the group. we must've started the race, but the other guy just seemed to disappear. it was just me and the pace group leader. for some reason--and this is where it starts to really get weird--we went to my parents house (you know, in utah. nowhere close to north dakota!) and had scripture study with my family. scripture study?! that took a while and after it was done we went into my parents kitchen and mr pace group guy started showing me all these little trinkets that he had and was trying to give to me. then I realized, hey, wait a minute! we're supposed to be running a race here. I'm trying to qualify! we'll never make it in time! pure panic. and it's like the guy didn't even really seam to care. yeah. so I'm freaking out, thinking how fast are we going to have to run to make up this time?!

I was in that state of half-consciousness, wondering if I ever finished. if I qualified for boston or not. and then I slipped into my next dream. . .

I was with katie holmes and tom cruise. you know, of tomkat fame. oh, and there little baby, suri. in their house. cleaning their toilet. I was mostly hanging out with katie. we didn't want to disturb tom because it was apparent that he wasn't a nice guy. like I was a little scared for katie, like maybe he had threatened her life at some point. like there was that unspoken tension between them. it was a weird vibe. and why was I cleaning tomkat's toilet, you might be wondering? I have no idea. I should've just made that little miss katie holmes scrub that bowl herself.

now when I woke up I still couldn't shake that feeling. . . that slight panic, wondering if I ever qualified or not. and I was also wondering why tomkat made an appearance at all. pete thinks it's because I'm still so bitter that she ever thought she could just up and run the boston marathon because she's a celebrity. (or was that really just a rumor? a publicity rouse?) people have to earn that right, missy! people like me, so just back off!!

*phew!*

okay, so now all my psycho-analysis readers, analyze me! do you think my dreams mean anything in particular? are they even related? weigh in. the best interpretation wins a prize.*

*prize yet to be determined, but will be super cool. obviously.

finding friday: the script

Chris Bonser with the Utah
Highway Patrol association
if sec How are you this morning
Good!
I know your a busy
man
But we're putting together the
next issue of utah sate
trooper magazine. it's something
we've put together twice a year
for the past 12 years) It's a widely distributed
magazine sent to over 30,000
businesses and 20,000
residence, it's also distributed
on capitol hill

oh man, who doesn't do this all the time? you've got an important phone call to make so you write out your full script. you know, important things you want to cover; phone numbers, addresses, main talking points. everything you want to remember. it always sucks, though, when the convo doesn't go as planned. and you're left to ad lib. yikes! that's why I just avoid the phone altogether.

march 15th | sunday cliffs | snowbird

this is my ski bum husband. isn't he hot?

easter auf deutsch

we had a german christmas {with the fabulous marty and dee}, why not a german easter? you can never go wrong with schnitzel. and knödel? love it. don't forget the fresh steamed asparagus. plus the green beans. it was the perfect easter meal. hope yours was equally as fantastic.

happy easter, one and all!

okay, now back to watching the ten commandments. classic.

finding friday: size six

this just makes me happy, because being a size six obviously made her happy. you go, girl!

"the cold war. neither cold nor a war. discuss. "

here is a question I pose to you, dear blog readers:

if you had a severe cold and were held hostage with a piece of duct tape over your mouth, would one of your nostrils drain as a survival instinct? or would you just suffocate?

please discuss.


I asked peter this question and he told me that we should both ponder it quietly. I think that was his way of telling me to shut up so he could concentrate on his work. so let's all ponder quietly together--in the comments.

the special mix

for almost a week now I've been sick. it has truly sucked my energy and will to live. though it has gotten me out of things such as church and work, it has been devastating to my running and my general feelings of well-being. basically it has been completely crappy.


a couple years ago this guy told me about his tried + true cold remedy: the cayenne pepper/orange juice mix. he swears by it.

now I swear by it too.

to make:
take one juice glass
pour in oj
shake in desired amount of cayenne
stir
enjoy!

I'm not sure if it actually works or not. my friend, mr jason latour, says the heat in the cayenne makes your nose run, getting all the gunk out; and something else about it was supposed to help as well. can't really remember. {the cayenne was a key ingredient for cleansing my body of unwanted waste, maybe it's the same idea} but what I really like about it is the way it makes my ears burn. and it does make your eyes water and your nose run. it feels cleansing for that one minute I'm feeling the effects. afterward it's back to the same stuffy nose. but at least I'm getting in a little more vitamin c, right?

peter does not like this remedy at all. I made him drink some once when we were dating. he almost died. he will never try it again. I guess the special mix isn't for everybody.

frijoles negros, the soup.

we love our beans around here, it's true. so much so my cute husband almost cried in costa rica when the first meal he ordered, the black bean soup, was nothing of what he expected. {and he had some pretty high expectations} basically it was just the water the beans were cooked in with an egg thrown in. he was heart broken.

I'm glad to say that last night I made everything right. last night I made the black bean soup this boy dreamt of. the soup he was expecting, but never got.

thank you stephanie, the crockpot lady, for giving us this soup. this ridiculously easy crock pot soup! your year-long adventure into the slowcooker has been worth it, if only for this.

changes I made to the recipe:
*instead of canned beans I used the dry variety. it was so simple. I soaked the beans overnight in the crockpot. in the morning I rinsed the beans again and then put new water in. added other ingredients. set on low to cook all day long without any effort from myself. the beans cooked along with the rest of it! so beautiful.
*I used a half a cup of corn, carrots and onion. blended thoroughly.
*I also used cotija cheese instead of parmesan for sprinkling. we're all about the authentic mexican flavor around here.

finding friday: angelica's birthday

I found this little lovely party invite three years ago on main street in park city after a day of skiing with mr rad dog himself, mike. (btw, mike, are you still out there???) it made me happy that her birthday party was two full days long. she must be one cool chick. it made me sad that we had missed it. we were skiing the PC pow on april 9th. total bummer.

oh, this isn't yours?

as you can see I work with the cream of society. not only do I have to deal with subarctic temperatures and unsafe working conditions, but I have to deal with my fellow warehouse employees. and sometimes they're just not that nice.

every morning I have the joy of discovering what's missing from my desk. will it be my garbage can? my favorite sharpie? my chair?! usually it's just my box cutter and/or radio. so what's a street tough girl to do in the slums of bcdc? threaten her coworkers with the ill-effects of karma that's what. yeah, it doesn't seem to work so much.

one morning, soon after I had written the lovely note atop my mini radio pictured above, I came to work and found my radio missing. again. after searching all over, I found it about fifteen work stations away. it was obviously someone on the night crew who stole it, so I left a lovely little post-it-note. you better believe it had something to do with disrespecting the property of others and bad karma and all that good stuff. and can you believe it, the next morning I found a post-it-note at my desk! it enraged me + made me laugh all at the same time. seriously. I wish I had kept it. kept both of them for that matter. they couldn't believe I was "bringing karma into this." it was "just a radio, after all." and besides, they "put it back where they found it." oh really? they did?! that's why I found it five hundred feet away at their desk?! the nerve of some people. didn't they see my notes? oh, this isn't yours? then please don't take it. thanks! and the do not take from this spot! sounds pretty serious too. unfortunately I didn't want to start a post-it-note war over this. . .

now I've just resorted to taking the cord and hiding it, and hiding all other valuables, before I leave each day. these people cannot be trusted.

how do you bake your potato?

seriously, how do you bake your potato?

I always figured there was one way to do it: wrap it up in tin foil and throw it in your oven. then about a month or so ago I was looking online to try and find an approximate cooking time + oven temp and came across a website that told me I didn't need to even use tin foil. brilliant! I thought to myself. I can save our natural resources one potato at a time.

see, the trick is poking all the holes in the potato (obviously--we don't want exploded potato guts all over the oven), rubbing it in olive oil, sprinkling a little salt all over it and then placing it right on the rack. no pan, no tin foil, nothing.


baked potatoes sans foil are crispier on the outside and oh so soft on the inside. but y'all probably already knew that.

image via.
photos deserving of an honorable mention:
mr. potato head goes home. he looks so happy among his kin.
the evolution of the potato. doin' darwin proud.
the bumper crop. it reminds me a little of these guys.