stormy.

This past weekend I went on a (rather) breezy long run to train for a marathon. For awhile it was lonely and dark, but as soon as the sun started coming up, it was beautiful.

This is why I love running in New Mexico more than anywhere else.

tri harder.

In high school, I finished a triathlon so I could cross it off my bucket list. For the next six years, through high school and college I focused on competitive running and my triathlon past fell by the wayside. However, after an injury last December, I returned to my roots, so to speak, and began biking and swimming a little more, all in combination with running. I forgot how much fun I used to have biking (swimming, less so...), and how good it felt to ride over the rolling hills on a sunny day. More than anything, I love how balanced I feel when doing these three sports together. Thus, I decided to sign up for a triathlon just to see how it went. Thankfully, I did not die and I had an absolute blast and I even walked away with the award for first place in my age group.

While there were some slipups (a mismarked bike course, and me forgetting you can't dive into the pool - I did an awkward side flop instead), but it was wonderful, and I plan on doing one in the spring.

pre-workout snack conundrums.

One of the awful things about Celiac's and other digestive issues is that you never know when you might eat something to set your stomach off. This is one of the reasons I always have to be careful of what I eat before running or cycling, especially if I do it later in the day when I'm usually drained and I need some comida for energy. I've learned many things: some bad (ranch and I will never be friends) and some good (peanut butter was better). However, the best thing I have found is definitely almonds. Perfect amount of carbs for energy and easy to digest. And the other really great thing is that they travel really well, so you can even bring some along for a mid-run snack. I know this post isn't super substantial, but it's something that has served me well, and I hope this advice does the same for you.

bad blogger.

So I have been MIA for the last few weeks. I wish I had a good excuse, but I just got too caught up in school and two jobs starting. Admittedly, even that is a pretty bad excuse. Bad blogging Molly. Hopefully, September will be a little less crazy, so that I have time to do the things that I set out to do, like sleep and blog. Anyway, I actually have lots of great stuff to write about, like: more on Oaxaca, a triathlon I did, school stuff, and marathon training. So this is me, saying I am back from my semi-accidental blogging break with (hopefully) lots of fun stuff. In the meantime, here is a picture of Coco and I being cute.

salt and pepper.

I am never one to shy away from putting spices on anything, be it a drink or dinner entree, but lately I have come to realize the beauty of the most basic spices when it comes to cooking certain things: salt and pepper. While cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon will not be leaving my spice cabinet (or my diet) anytime soon, this week I had a simple, brilliant dish seasoned with nothing more than a little salt and pepper.

My mom made the most amazing Norweigan freshwater salmon, grilled, seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper. Not only was it some of the best salmon I have ever had, it was some of the best fish I have ever had, which is quite a bit coming from a girl who lived in Maine for four years and this was cooked in New Mexico. So whether it was my mom's fantastic grilling abilities, or the beautifully perfect seasoning of salt and pepper, I just had to share my profound realization of how great these two kitchen staples can really be.

oaxaca, part 1.

As I wrote before, I recently visited Oaxaca for a pair of weeks and had some truly amazing experiences. The art and the food are both incredible, but the people are what made Oaxaca so special. While I cannot transport the true Oaxaca spirit to you, these pictures may give you a good idea of why I loved it so much, although they cannot do it justice.

Mapuche weaving at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca. 

View from Calle Reforma. 

Maguey cactus.

Monte Albán. 

on frida.

First off, let me apologize for the absence. Back-to-back trips to Oaxaca and Atlanta left little time to catch up on writing. However, I now have plenty of new adventures of all kinds to transcribe!

One of the first days I was in Mexico happened to be the 105th birthday of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. As someone who was in Mexico to study art, and who loves the work of Frida, this was too perfect. July 6, the night of Frida's birthday, I happened to eat dinner at a restaurant that had several examples of Frida-inspired art as well as a Frida impersonator. While I didn't get a chance to take any pictures, I can assure you, it was really great.

Frida as a Tehuantepec Woman
http://art-glossary.com/art/frida-kahlo-1907-1954/

While in Oaxaca, I saw a beautiful necklace that Frida's husband, Diego Rivera, gave to her, as well as many references to her work throughout the city. One of the neatest things I saw was a girl dressed in the istmo style, with the headdress, like the painting above. Seeing the "living art" had to be one of my favorite things in Oaxaca. Of course, when I got back, I found a reference to Frida on Man Repeller regarding her red lipstick and wild hair. So, I took this as some kind of artistic-divine inspiration and rocked the red lipstick and messy hair for a day. I will probably do this again soon, all while trying to avoid that oh-so-trademark unibrow, which is hopefully not a trademark of my own. Which is also why I will be getting my eyebrows threaded very soon.

Here's to you, Frida. Lipstick, eyebrow(s), and all.