This weekend was a perfect display of the old cliche.

For example, the sushi that Erin and I made… a win.

This was my first time making sushi, and I totally loved it! Getting it pretty is one thing, but getting it done is simple. All it takes is a bamboo mat, cooked and cooled sticky rice, seaweed paper, and any kind of fillings you can imagine. We used salmon, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, roasted kumara and cream cheese, and made every combination possible.

However, our pumpkin ravioli… an utter failure.

In total sea monkey style, our beautiful ravioli pillows puffed up about 4 times their original size when we tried to boil them and turned into a furry, fluffy mess. Baking the others wasn’t much better, evident by the laughs that everyone tried to stifle upon trying them. Scott summed it up in no time, declaring, “I really don’t like them” and we all quickly agreed. So we did the natural thing in response to a dinner disaster, and dashed out for pizza and fro-yo. So if you’re Domino’s, you’d consider that night a win. It’s all about perspective, right?

Another example: the 5k at the New Zealand National Track & Field Championships… a win!
It’s been 9 months (since the Olympic Trials) since I’ve raced on the track, and I had a blast being back out there. I sat comfortably in fourth for the first half, took control with about 6 laps to go, and hammered home in the last kilometer. Kyle helped me out during the race and all of my housemates came out to support. They’re just the best!

The 1500, on the other hand… a definite defeat. My first error was running way too conservatively in the beginning and finding myself in last place (13th) around 800 to go. I was able to make up some good ground and finish fifth, but I paid the price for not committing early enough. But like the ravioli (which our roommates have convinced us to not recreate, ever), there’s a positive to my very flawed 1500 as well. I usually learn more about myself and the sport from my defeats than my victories, and I’m already antsy to give that distance another shot (which, thankfully, I get to do in a road mile on Monday). So my goal going forward is to totally commit from the gun and expand my running identity beyond the steeple, 5k and 10k.

On another positive, the winner of the race was Lucy Van Dalen, Olympic semi-finalist in the 1500m and twin sister of Holly, who I’ve run with in the past few weeks. It was a pleasure competing and chatting with her and it looks like she’s heading towards another fab season!

In Highs and Lows (or Santas and Grinches, whatever you want to call it) fashion, it’s just wrong to end on a low. So feast your eyes on these. If they aren’t winning screenshots, I don’t know what are! (Really I just want an excuse to share these pics)

I hope all of your weekends are full of Highs (only legal ones), but that you find some sunshine in each Low as well.