Hello, hello! Last week was a fun one. After signing our new apartment, last week was the first time in a while we were free from moving errands. I felt a sense of normalcy for the first time since moving back, which was a welcome feeling among all these life changes and starting my new job.
Right now is the calm before the storm before we finally move to the new apartment next weekend. Until then, I’ve been enjoying the peace and the last week in our temporary home in Oakland.
I’m bringing back one of my favorite blog posts – the weekend recap! Weekend recaps were a staple on I Run Like A Girl for many years, but I stopped doing them during my gap year when the concept of the weekend vanished for me. I’m excited to bring this back as it’s a sign that life is stabilizing again, where I’m working throughout the week and doing fun things on weekends. This structure feels wonderful and I’m truly grateful to be living an adult life again. 🙂
Friday: basketball game date night
The weekend started with getting drinks with some colleagues after work. I’m on a “hybrid” schedule where I go into the office 2x per week, which has been absolutely lovely. It was nice to bond with my coworkers and check out a hip beer garden near the office.
Joe picked me up from happy hour, and we headed to a sports bar in Oakland to catch the Warriors game. Joe and I both enjoy basketball – we’re not die-hard fans but we try to keep up during playoff season, especially when the Warriors are playing. San Francisco has major Warriors pride, and I love the energy throughout the city during playoffs as everyone wears their Warriors gear and carves out time to watch games.
Fortunately, the sports bar in Oakland wasn’t super crowded, so we got seats and enjoyed dinner and drinks while watching the game. A lovely date night surrounded by that fan energy I love.
Saturday: my workout philosophy + outdoorsy day in Oakland
The next morning started off with a body-weight strength workout at the Airbnb. I’m very happy to be working out again, as it was hard to keep a consistent routine during my gap year. I’m also happy to report my back injury from 2021 has gotten better and I’m able to manage the minor flare-ups (the doctors said I’ll probably have to live with this for the rest of my life). I’ve found that low impact and variety work well for my back, and I try to rotate between HIIT, strength, and yoga throughout the week.
My new workout philosophy is focusing on overall movement. It’s funny how my mindset changed over the years. A few years ago, I was running marathons and training hard to hit my goals, and now I’m much more focused on doing what’s fun and stress-relieving. Also post-injury, I’m hyper-focused on what feels good for my body as I try not to push any muscle group beyond its limit.
I’m thankful for my marathon days and the personal growth in my early-20s. And most of all, running led to this blog, one of the biggest treasures of my life. But looking back, I feel like I pushed my body too hard and I don’t think I need to get to that point ever again. For the first time in a while, I genuinely enjoy exercising (most days), which is a welcome change in my life.
Afterward my workout, Joe and I headed out for lunch at Habit Burger. Joe is the master of finding underrated fast food joints, including Habit Burger. Their tempura green beans are SO tasty. He’s introduced me to so many new fast-food places over the years.
We had lofty plans to go hiking after lunch, but we admittedly fell into a food coma and opted for a leisurely walk instead. I suggested the free garden by Lake Merrit that I visited last weekend. Joe hadn’t seen it yet, and I knew he would love it.
Of course, I was right. Joe LOVED the garden. It was eye-opening walking through it a second time as Joe was my personal tour guide and pointed out things I missed my first time. We marveled over the flowers and awkwardly smelled all of them as well (we may have gotten a few looks). Gardens are always one of our favorite places to visit. ❤
The evening ended with cooking dinner, watching tv, and sleeping early.
Sunday: dance class + Chrit’s birthday lunch
On Sunday morning, I tried something new – a pop dance fitness class! I found a studio nearby and thought it would be a fun workout. The class was less dancing and more like a sculpt workout to music, but I really enjoyed it. The class was very inclusive and low-pressure too. Too bad we’re moving out of Oakland or else I would probably be a regular at this studio!
In the afternoon, Joe and I drove into San Francisco to attend a birthday party for Chrit, Rene’s fiance. The party was at Prubechu, a Guam restaurant as Rene/Chrit are both from Guam. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know SF’s Guam community through Rene – these Guam friends are some of the friendliest, most chill people I’ve ever met, and they know how to part-ay! It was a fun reunion with this group.
Prubechu hosted a “pig feast”, where they roasted whole pigs and provided a set menu of Chamorro food. SO tasty! Each table propped up someone’s phone streaming the Warriors game too….where are our priorities? 😉
There was a live band playing classic songs of Guam, according to Rene. The party was so lively and fun and the perfect end to the weekend. 🙂
Thank you for being here! 🙂
I Run Like A Girl 