Pepper burns, milk hands, run scars

Last night was one of the more eventful nights in our humble household in North Sydney.

It started off really well.

I had a good day at work. I found some beautiful mushrooms at the local grocer's near work, and I came home to make this beautiful, healthful and delicious meal:

A giant mushroom cap was our "burger". Steven and I split the burger bun, because we're not so much into the carbs, and we topped it with cheese, thinly sliced red onions, lettuce, and avocados.

I made green bean fries on the side.

I also decided to make that beautiful red tomato salsa, bottom right. We had fresh baby tomatoes, so I wanted to do them in a way that brought out their sweetness.

Just for kicks, I cut up a little chili pepper to add some heat.

Halfway through dinner, my left hand is tingling and I don't know why. I do the dishes, return to the table, and before I know it, I've got full out burning in my left hand.

It felt like I was being pierced with flaming hot machetes, and that my hand would at any moment fall off.

Google told me to try a bunch of things: ketchup, milk, lime, hand lotion, soap.

Milk hands worked for a bit, but the burning came back.

I think I really sealed my fate by washing my hands in warm water after making dinner. The water probably opened my pores, let in all those capsacin devils, and they drilled deep down in the layers of my epidermis like microscopic hedge-hogs from hell.

Eventually, I got too tired to try any more goop on my poor macerated hand and fell asleep.

About 3 AM, I woke to no pain, and thought, "Huh. Guess it went away." And went back to sleep.

The next morning was hard.

Running low on sleep, my eyes burning from contact with my hands and my contact lenses, I had zero focus and barely got through the sun salutations that start off every Ashtanga practice.

Eventually, I crawled back into bed and slept in.

It was just one of those days.

Luckily, today is a Wednesday. That means Bay Run. I was looking forward to this all day long.

This is how we get pumped up for 7K of awesomeness: Harlem shake (or epileptic fit)?

I put in a really decent run, especially with all the hills I've been training on in my 'hood.

Plus, we had this guy join our group today. Great energy, but the collapsing half-way is something he really needs to work on with his coach.

Incidentally, this also happened:

My second official running war wound!! (My first is a sports bra chafe that you don't need to see or know about.)

I tripped on a dark patch of pavement and fell!

I THINK I'M OFFICIALLY A RUNNER NOW!

Stats:
32:24 min
3.18 miles
10:11 min/mile

The Sydney Bay Run

Yesterday, I took a day off from spreading my heart over Sydney and getting rejected looking for a job. 

I did this: 

All Murakami on sale at Kinokinuya for 9.95!! Except 1Q86, the only other one I haven't read yet. Boo.

Starbucks soy latte because soy is free here (Aussieland 1, Canada 0).

This is THE BEST DANISH I HAVE EVER EATEN. 

The fresh, flaky crust embraces the sweet blocks of mango like a koala embraces its tree. 

As you bite into the pastry, the crunch of the crust is such a pleasure against the syrupy sweet mango, which tumbles off the pastry and into your lap creating a big sticky mess, but whatever. 

This was amazing. 

You know what else is amazing? 

This guy: 

After a long day of making the bacon, he brought it over to Iron Cove.

That's where our friends took us to do the 7K Bay Run.

Now, we didn't do the actual Bay Run, because that's in August, but we ran/walked 7K.

My stats:

30.07 minutes
2.87 miles
10:30 min/mile average pace

Then, I stopped and took about a 10 minute walk, and did a few more minutes of running.

This was an absolutely beautiful run.

You go around the bay, encounter all sorts of dogs and people, up some hills, over some bridges, through city, country, and everything in between.

It's too bad that my knee hurt.

I knew 2.87 miles was enough for me, but I still kept pace with my friend back to the car.

I will have to take a few extra rest days to get my knee back.

Oh well!

Anyway, because our place is out of internet (friggin internet, bane of my blog-xistence), Steven and I have come here to our favourite cafe for some treats while we Inter our Nets.

I am pondering why lattes here are served in glasses, and glad I'm not alone. Glasses get HOT. It makes absolutely no sense that this is the "proper" way to have a latte. (Aussies 0, North Americans with mugs 1).

Have a good night everyone!