Soon TK

Soon to come (TK, for those of you in the publishing biz): 

-- the L20 experience for our anniversary dinner last week

-- a little bit about a Chicagoan in New York. Working title: "Great place! Now slow the f*** down!"

MISSING: IMMUNE SYSTEM; REWARD IF FOUND

MISSING: IMMUNE SYSTEM
 29YO, F, HEALTHY EATER, TRIATHLETE
MISSING IMMUNE SYSTEM SINCE JAN. 1, 2010.
RESPONDS TO "DAILY VITAMIN," "ECHINACEA GOLDENSEAL" AND "FRUITS AND VEGETABLES"
IF FOUND, PLEASE CONTACT AUTHOR OF THIS POST.
***REWARD***

I'm sending a plea to my missing immune system to come back or be found. Since coming down with pneumonia, I've been wooing it with tons of fruits and vegetables and rest. Alas, I find myself sick with a sinus infection again. Where did my immune system go? When will it return? And what is this delicate line between pushing yourself and overdoing it?

As I train during race season I face that quandry all the time. Striking the balance between going hard -- either in duration, intensity or schedule-wis --and consequently getting a little sore or tired and going hard and getting injured or worn down to the point of being unhealthy constantly plague me. I generally can avoid the latter. Apparently not any more.

My definition of "going hard" has changed. I last wrote about how great it was to do yoga/pilates/core work for an hour in the mornings, and then last week I resumed swimming followed by core work at the gym. That was fine, until an overnight trip to New York. On day two, I hit a wall and felt really exhausted, despite getting a full night's sleep. And then I sat on a delayed plane for a couple hours and inhaled airplane air.

Whatever the cause -- not being able to handle New York's fast paced with still-recovering lungs or sitting on that plane -- I'm sick now. I hate this.

We have a dream vacatin planned less than a week away, and I want to be healthy by then, dammit. I have five days to feel better.

I'm considering wearing a mask during the flight. Sounds crazy, but apparently I can't risk it. This sucks!

The slow lane

I'm back at it. This whole week I woke up early to do an hour of core work, and I'm happy to report that I haven't lost everything. In fact, when it comes to yoga/pilates/core work, my strength is there, it not a little shaky at first.

And then there's the endurance part. Yesterday I got in the pool for the first time in almost two months, and in one sense, it went much better than I expected. Freestyle was good; breathing in on my side followed by several strokes breathing out allowed me to take shallow, quick breaths -- as I usually do -- and swim fairly easily. Backstroke, in which my breathing isn't as controlled and uses my full lung capacity, wasn't so good.  My lungs burned and I had to stop to let them calm down.

That was all in the first 10 min., and slowly I made it through just over 40 min. of swimming. Granted, I wasn't going hard or fast, and I had to stop to rest frequently (if only for a few seconds), but I kept it up. Swimming slowly really allowed me to focus on my storke, so that's a plus

The weird thing is that the burning I'm describing had nothing to do with my asthma -- which has been really bad lately -- or anything cardiovascular. My muscles weren't tired and my energy level was good. I just couldn't fill my lungs up with air as much as I wanted -- or needed.

The plan was to try to go to spin tomorrow just to get back on the bike -- I wouldn't expect to keep up. Knowing what I know about cycling and its requiring my lung capacity, I don't think it's a good idea.

I'll get there. I guess it's just going to take a while.

***

I've been scouting what my sprint triathlon would be -- the one I want to have early in the season, June. I'm not so sure it's a good idea at this point. Provided I'm able to go decently hard beginning in April, I'll only have two and a half months. I'd technically be able to complete it, but my time will suck, and I'll get mad about it. Not sure how this'll play out.

Back in the saddle (sort of)

Progress has been made! Not only did I survive the first week back at work post-pneumonia, but my muscles feel like they need a workout, which makes me smile because that's how I feel when I'm healthy; with this whole February sickness, going through the motions of a normal day was tiring enough. Quite the contrasts for a crazy woman who's used to 5 a.m. swims, bikes and runs.

I'm going to start with doing yoga, pilates and core work for a little bit at home and build up from there. I'd love to be back in the pool in a week, but we'll see how it goes.

Another indicator I'm getting better: I think I'm back to needing a workout in my daily routine to sleep well.

Feeling like me is a good thing. 

Update to www.SaraZailskas.com

I updated www.SaraZailskas.com this week to make sure I included the words content strategy on the home page and services page.

Content strategy involves deciding the best way to present information: What kinds of content? Which media? Which audiences? I'm a content strategist, which means I know how to brainstorm, plan, create and package information to tell the story -- and get deliverable results. I've been doing it for a while, and not many have. Gotta promote it!

I also write, edit and manage projects, too. Hopefully, the site conveys all that in 50 words or less. :)

***

Several people have asked me who designed my Web site, and I'm thrilled to thank (and recommend!) Paula Grishman of Graphica29. Paula was my art director on our award-winning digital magazine Housing Giants, which she took from solid to striking. She's also amazing to work with: extremely creative, open-minded, a good listener and a good negotiator. What can I say -- I hire the best! :)

Now I get it: The Rick Bayless craze

I've heard Rick Bayless' name associated with the word genius for a while now, but I've never tasted his food until this week when we went to Frontera Grill. Honestly, I wondered not if his food is over-hyped but by how much.

I get it now.

Those were my words after my first bite into the first appetizer that came out, goat enchiladas, aka Enchiladas de Barbacoa de Chivo. The dish features a "Mexican-style chile sauce," and I wish I knew spices well enough to name them all. All you need to know is that they were smooth, complex and perfectly balanced, which I wouldn't necessarily expect from any type of Medican chile sauce.

And the goat: I've had goat before in African restaurants, and it always tasted a little gamey and was often a little tough. Of course Bayless' farm-raised goat was perfectly tender and flavorful. I imagine the goat sacrificing itself for the Rick Bayless cause.

We also tried the ceviche trio and for mains ordered the duck breast with Oaxacan mole (on the side: a fantastic helping of sauteed spinach and fritters) and cilantro trout with a guajillo-laced sauce. That was my dish, and it was just what I was in the mood for: something really flavorful that didn't get its punch from a heavy, greasy sauce. The smokey green beans and cheesy garlic mashed potatoes hit the spot, too. (See the menu for more details).

Given my love for food and trying restaurants with Brian, you'd think I would have made a beeline years ago to Frontera or Topolobompo -- especially considering they're couple miles away from where we live. Not only am I not one to rush out to something just because of a name, but until recently I didn't think I liked regional Mexican cuisine that much, mostly because I had had some overpriced moles at a restaurant and didn't like 'em. But I'm coming around -- flash back to my two trips to Mixteco Grill in January -- and having world-class preparation definitely helps.

I may or may not have bounced around in my seat when we potted Bayless in the kitchen. When you eat something that good, how can you not get star struck?

This isn't a groudbreaking discovery in the world of foodies, I know. For me, Frontera was an education -- and a damn good meal.

WE'VE GOT RESERVATIONS AT SCHWA

After one and a half months and one missed call, I finally got us reservations at Scwha. It's the dream we've been chasing -- the dream to return for Brian and I, to experience it for his brother Patrick -- with reservation nightmares.

If you don't know Schwa, take some time to get to know the story of wonder, a nervous breakdown, a hiatus and back to wonder.

It used to be that you'd call and have to book out months in advance. And calling to get a hold of someone to take your reservation was nearly impossible, thanks to the fact that five (I think it's five) people run the entire place. That was Brian's experience a year ago. Now, you have to call and either 1) listen to a repeated "Voicemail Box Full" message day after day or 2) Leave your information for a reservation request for the following month and pray you're around to get the call when it does come -- weeks later.

You'll hear stories about how to talk to someone. "Call between 2 and 3 -- that's when Michael Carlson told me he answers the phone." "Call around noon, when they'll likely clear out the voicemail box." "Try showing up in the afternoon."

Nothing worked. But I did get a call.

I missed that call while I was on a business trip. The message I left detailed my name, phone number, the number of people in the party and the date we'd prefer, along w/ the note that we were totally flexible. The message they left weeks later came from what sounded like either a boy who was 12 or a man who was stoned (maybe both?) and it went like this:

"Hi, this is Schwa returning your call. If there's anything we can do for you, please give us a call back."

What the fuck.

It's maddening, of course. I left another message and eventually stopped trying. Then I came down with the flu and pneumonia and forgot about it entirely.

Lo and behold, Michael Carlson himself called today to tell me -- surprise! -- I was on a wait list for tonight (really?) and could come any time I wanted. Tonight. "Oh  my God!" I said. "We'll be in!" Then I remembered our long-standing Frontera reservations, and the fact I'm still not up for alcohol, and that we'd have to check with Patrick. A lot of ifs. But the pressure! He talked at high speed and was very nice, but he wanted a decision, and he wanted one now.

I found out he was currently eating at Frontera as he returned me call. He promised Schwa would be amazing. I told him I already knew that.

Thankfully it hit me to slow the fuck down and ask questions. Turns out there were two weeknight reservations in March and I ended up getting one on St. Patrick's Day.

We hung up. Then I used my inhaler.

This is way too stressful of an experience. Their system is horrible!Yet they know they can do it because they're that good, and people will call, and they will phone-stalk the place. We liken it to the best dining experience. Ever.

Hopefully the stress is till worth it.

***
Yup, we've got reservations at Frontera Grill tonight -- my first time, Brian's second or third -- for our Tuesday Night.

It feels good to be getting back to normal life, even if it is still in slow motion.