My husband, Angelo, and I ditched the kids Saturday and had dinner at Koco’s Pub on Harford Road (don’t worry, they had pizza). I had never heard of the place. Angelo said it had been around for years and had won several “Best Crab Cake” recognitions, so I said, “Let’s go. I’ll be the judge of that.”
The crab cake was massive – 11 oz. – and very tasty. Just the right amount of Old Bay and hardly any breading. I was half way through it before I realized I didn’t have my usual tartar and cocktail sauces with it. I didn’t need it. It was very good. There was nothing special about the fries and coleslaw that came with mine. Clearly Koco’s crab cake was meant to be the highlight. I also had a very cold and slightly sweet Jack-O-Traveler pumpkin shandy to round out my meal. It was a perfect date!
After training all year, I took a welcomed break from working out. I didn’t stop completely, but I reduced my hours drastically. Yesterday was the first day I swam since the Waterman’s Sprint Triathlon three weeks ago. I didn’t swim for a specific time or distance. I just swam until I felt like I couldn’t swim anymore and I felt great. It was like no time passed. This off season, I want to focus on strength training and improving my cycling and running speeds. I had a very detailed training schedule this year and I must devote the same attention to my off season workout schedule if I want to see improved results. It’s definitely time to get back in the game.
Go Ravens! I’ve always enjoyed watching sports on television. One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting side-by-side with my grandfather in his recliner to watch the Orioles. Now that the Royals knocked the O’s out of World Series contention, I don’t have to split my focus. Ravens baby! Game Day usually means that I cook lots of food, invite friends and family over, and park myself in front of the big screen. For the early part of the day, I’ve made turkey chili (my kids get a kick out of being my taste testers) and white bean and tomato soup; for dinner, there’s coq au vin and brown rice and my husband and I will have bronzini with asparagus.
My husband has been raving about a new gelato. When it comes to store bought ice cream, I’m a creature of habit. Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite. My husband brought the Sea Salt Caramel gelato from Talenti home and it is absolutely delicious. I think I found heaven. It’s creamy and sweet with the salty goodness of chocolate covered caramel chucks throughout. The Sea Salt Caramel flavor is vegetarian (and gluten free) so it fits my diet. There are over 30 products on their website that I look forward to enjoying. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is high on my list, but Talenti is definitely closing in.
I have a love-hate relationship with running. I feel at peace when I’m doing it and I can collect my thoughts for the day, but it’s my least favorite sport. I’ve come to the realization that I hate it only because I’m not very good at it, by my standards. It’s a Catch 22 situation for me – I don’t run because I’m slow and I’m slow because I don’t run.
It’s been two weeks since I participated in the Waterman’s Sprint Triathlon and I only ran three days. After a much needed pow wow with my triathlon mentor, who basically told me to get my arse moving, I made a mental commitment to run three days a week. No excuses. No complaints. The only way to get back to my peak performance level and exceed it is to just do it – often.
To motivate me, I asked my daughter to run with me, but since she had a cross country meet the next day, she decided to ride her bike to keep her legs fresh. We did three miles and I actually felt refreshed and renewed afterwards.
I’m back..Finally! My website is active once again. There is plenty of work needed, but when my site is fully functional, you will be able to follow my busy life. As a wife and mother, it is often difficult to carve out time for myself. This website is a chronicle of how I fit everything in. I hope you are up for an adventure.
Insight into the crazy life of a working wife and mom
The Adventures of Marni 