Juliana Moves

Happy Monday! Spirits are high, the sun is shining today, and I’m coming off a really fun and beautiful weekend. As I type this, the redbud tree outside our house is blooming with such gorgeously pink flowers, there is a near cloudless sky, and I am going to go on an easy little run later this afternoon.

I’ve been thinking about this blog quite a bit lately. It’s hard to believe I’ve kept it going (some years more than others) for almost 13 years now. Quite a time capsule of my life! I’m not sure how many people read it, and I’ve never really made an effort to promote it, but I enjoy this little outlet. My own small corner of the internet. 

I do not consider myself a strong writer. I enjoy writing most of the time, but I don’t commit to it like a craft by any means. I rarely, if ever, review these posts before I publish them! You can probably tell 😉 Anyway, all that to say, I still find inspiration and opportunity to process my thoughts by showing up here. And plan to do so for another 13+ years!

Here’s what I’ve been up to throughout the start of this wonderful spring!

I’ve been…

…Reading: A truly strange variety of books. I just finished Baskerville: The Biography of a Typeface by Simon Garfield (yes, a book about the font Baskerville) and Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. I enjoyed Margo’s Got Money Troubles more than I expected to! There’s an Apple TV show coming out with Elle Fanning playing Margo. Will I watch it? Uhhh, anyone have a login to share?

Now I am reading The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. I’m really enjoying both!

My hold on 11/22/63 by Stephen King became available recently and that was an aspirational move. I didn’t realize how long that book was… We’ll see!

…Eating: All sorts of delicious food! Patrick and I have taken a new approach to planning dinners in an effort to reduce the time we spend having to cook each night. Basically we are trying to mix and match our protein, vegetables, and carbs. So far this is looking like a crap ton of grilled chicken breast and thighs, roasted and grilled vegetables, “salads” of just chopped up tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers, and a pasta or grain. It’s going great!

I’m also enjoying eating overnight oats, ice cream, lots of cold grapes, and chocolate chip Kodiak Cake muffins with extra chocolate chips (the key to making something good, great).

…Enjoying: Cycling! A few months back I mentioned that I was going to try to ride my bike/spin indoors at least once a week. I have been wildly successful! In fact, I’m upping my goal to twice a week. Big day! After my 100k in three (omg) weeks, I plan to ride far more often as I’ve got a gravel ride in late June and then Sabrina and I have our gravel adventure over 4th of July!

I’ve loved the positive benefit this cross training has had on my running, but also the novelty and fun it provides each week. It feels good to move my body in a different way and explore more types of movement. Yay!

…Listening To: The Getting Chicked podcast. I’ve definitely written about them before, but I caught up on a few episodes during my run this weekend and had such a fun time listening to it. While I was never a high school or collegiate runner, it still feels like I am on a run with my running friends and I love that! Not to mention, one of the hosts (Megan) just OTQ’d! She’d talked about her training and commitment during the lead up to the race, so her accomplishing her dream is amazing. It’s impossible not to feel inspired by that!

…Thinking About: How fun this weekend was! On Friday night, Patrick and I went to a pottery class that I got him for Christmas.The classes book up so fast that we had to wait many months to make it happen. Worth it! I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy it, but pottery is so tactile that it stimulated my brain in all the right ways.

Patrick ended up making a small cortado cup and mine is going to make a great yogurt bowl/cappuccino cup?? We’ll see if it survives the kiln.

On Saturday morning, we went out to volunteer at a very hot Bull Run Run. Patrick and I manned the stoves. I warmed up breakfast sausages and Patrick handled tater tots and quesadillas. I love volunteering at races. I’m not someone who can race too much but I love to see the other runners going for it!

Later that afternoon, we both tackled our own runs in the heat. Oh boy, it was spicy! It felt good to sweat and start adapting to the heat. It legitimately felt like a summer day. I was so ready to jump into a pool! Alas, a few more weeks until the neighborhood pool opens.

On Sunday, I woke up at 4 am to some funky pain in my left foot that continued later in the morning. I decided to play it safe, tend to tightness in my calf and foot, and did a longer ride on the trainer inside. It also rained for most of the morning into the afternoon! Truthfully, I enjoyed the cozy spring vibes while Patrick was out running in it for 25 miles. That evening we had some friends over for dinner and book club! 

…Excited For: My trip to Austin next week! I’m going for work but extending my trip to see family and enjoy Texas. I’m really looking forward to running around Town Lake, feeling the heat, and enjoying this mini vacation. As soon as I get back I’ll be in race week! Crazy. I’ve scheduled pedicures for Patrick and I the week of my race to get my feet in check. I’m pumped!

I hope you have a fantastic evening and an even better week ahead!

Love,

JN