I Run Like A Girl

Hello! I’m so excited to be back to my normal blogging routine. I mentioned in my last post how October was pretty stressful for me. Last week was another hectic week filled with some difficult moments; I found myself calling my mom almost every day for emotional support. But by the time the weekend hit, things calmed down — I am so excited to turn a new page and simply enjoy the rest of the year.

One highlight of last week was seeing some friends for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Rene and I live very close to each other, and she found a neighborhood event for the holiday so we went with some friends. I was surprised how many people came out for this event – I felt major local pride as we ate tamales and listened to the mariachi band on the street. It was a bright moment in my difficult week — getting out and seeing friends helped remind me what was important.

By the time the weekend hit, I was so ready to put the week behind me. This was one of the first weekends in a while I was able to 100% relax with no other responsibilities, and you bet I made the most of it. 🙂

Saturday: day-trip to Palo Alto + Stanford University

My weekend started off with a full-body workout from Sydney Cummings’ Youtube channel. I loved having the time to work out without feeling rushed. Starting off my day with this definitely set me in a positive mood for the weekend.

For our day’s activity, I was in the mood for a day trip as I wanted a change in scenery. We decided to head down to Palo Alto for some shopping since Joe has needed new clothes for a while now. I do most of my clothes shopping on Amazon, but Joe prefers to shop in person. 🙂 I only visited Palo Alto once before, so I was excited to explore this Bay Area suburb.

First up, Shake Shack. When Joe said there was a Shake Shack in Palo Alto, lunch became a no-brainer. As a native East Coaster, I do think Shake Shack is the best burger spot in the country (an unpopular opinion as In-and-Out is the favorite on the west coast).

With stomachs full of burgers and shakes, we walked it off with some shopping at an outdoor mall. I haven’t shopped in-person in a while, and I really enjoyed it. There’s no doubt that shopping in person is better than online. We both got some items that we were looking for, which made this portion a success. Christmas decorations were already up at the mall which was a lovely sight. I found it takes more effort to shift into the holiday spirit living in California. 😉

After shopping, we both had more energy. Joe suggested visiting Standford University, which was only 5 minutes away. I got super excited by the idea as I hadn’t visited yet. It was a beautiful day, and walking around the campus sounded like a great idea.

The campus was huge, and we explored in the main area by the visitor center. We also walked through an observation tower and a Cathedral that were popular attractions. This was such a lovely, spontaneous addition to our day.

Sunday: Asian Art Museum + relaxing at home

On Sunday, I started off with a Pilates class at home. I usually reserve Pilates for when I’m low in energy or looking for a core-heavy exercise, and I was feeling both today.

For breakfast, I had protein oatmeal. I recently started taking collagen and whey protein. I’ve been feeling super sore after workouts, and my guess was that I was not getting enough protein (especially since I don’t eat a lot of meat). When choosing a protein supplement, I went back and forth on whey protein or collagen (for the supposed skin and joint benefits), so I chose both! I take 1 tablespoon (~5 grams) of collagen every day with coffee, and I add half a scoop (~12 grams) of whey protein with oatmeal on days that I work out. I’ll report back if I see any results. #notahealthprofessional

The rest of the morning was quite relaxing. It was foggy across the entire city, and it was one of those days that made me want to curl up on the couch. Fortunately, Ben was in a snuggling mood too.

I recently found a quick-drying nail polish from Essie. I enjoy painting my nails, but the hardest part is the time commitment as they dry. These were indeed quick drying, and such a game changer.

For our day’s activity, Joe and I wanted to find an indoor activity. We decided to explore the Asian Art Museum since they had a free day for SF residents. We headed downtown and first ate lunch at a rotisserie chicken spot near the museum.

Joe and I have been at the Asian Art Museum once before, and it was nice to know all the exhibits and pick certain areas to focus on again. We spent more time in the Himalayan/Tibetan section. Flashback to when I visited the Indian Himalayas last year. 🙂

We got home and I went into lazy mode. I watched the new season of Selling Sunset and baked pumpkin bread. I hadn’t eaten anything pumpkin-related at all this season and was having a major craving. I love this pumpkin bread recipe – it’s been my go-to for years.

Thank you for reading along, and I hope you had a fabulous week!