So the girl scout cookies have arrived and I have had more than my fair share today. This year we limited ourselves to Thin Mints and Somoas, however since my step-daughter sells them we have quite a few boxes!! I am a sucker for goals!
Anyways, I decided to let myself enjoy them today after an intense spinning class and after a few Thin Mints decided that Sunday's were going to be my "Cookie" day at least until they were gone. So the Thin Mints are back in the garage freezer until next week, but boy are they good!
What is your favorite cookie? How do you balance too much of a good thing?
While I was searching for the calorie content of the Samoas I had eaten this afternoon, I came across these Samoa Bars. Boy do those look good!!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Gasparilla Half Marathon Race Recap
I did it!!!! I completed my second half marathon!
I had two goals for myself for this race:
I am happy to report that I met both of my goals, but only barely...My chip finish time was 2:38:20. So technically I beat my time, but I was really hoping for a finish time of around 2:30. More importantly though, I felt strong at the end of the race, and I feel great about that.
Here are my splits for the race:
Here is a quick chronological recap of the morning:
I had planned to take a few picutres at the car once we were parked, but due to the traffic and almost missing the start, that didn't happen.
I did take a few pictures in the car while we were stuck in traffic:
I was prepared for the cold weather with my big gray hoodie.
My husband was looking ready for his first half marathon with no training!!!
There were a lot of professional cameras on the race course, so I am hoping that I can buy a few pictures of the actual race and finish since I didn't get any others.
The plan for the rest of the day is to lay around and be lazy and I am getting ready to order us some pizza. We are hungry!!!
I had two goals for myself for this race:
- Beat my time from my last half marathon, which was 2:38:49
- Feel strong at the end of the race, since I didn't have Holly there to carry me across the finish line like last time :)
I am happy to report that I met both of my goals, but only barely...My chip finish time was 2:38:20. So technically I beat my time, but I was really hoping for a finish time of around 2:30. More importantly though, I felt strong at the end of the race, and I feel great about that.
Here are my splits for the race:
- Mile 1: 12:34 (too many people, we had to stop and walk when the road narrowed at 0.6 miles)
- Mile 2: 12:02
- Mile 3: 11:44
- Mile 4: 11:48
- Mile 5: 11:38
- Mile 6: 11:51
- Mile 7: 11:58
- Mile 8: 11:46
- Mile 9: 11:48
- Mile 10: 12:49
- Mile 11: 11:57
- Mile 12: 12:23
- Mile 13: 11:01
- Remaining 0.28 miles(race course was long): 2:56
- Total: 2:38:22
Here is a quick chronological recap of the morning:
- 5:10am: exit of the interstate into downtown Tampa
- 5:45am: we sat in traffic for 30 minutes and moved about 0.2 miles that whole time! Found parking about 3/4 mile from the start line and ran to the start line!
- 5:55am: I got out of the port-a-potty while the national anthem was playing
- 6am: race starts. I made it to the start line, but never found the pace groups
- The first few miles were good, but I noticed early on that my right leg was really tight on the outside of my knee. I experienced this during a few training runs early on, and it isn't painful, just annoying. I suspect that the sprint to the start line is what caused this, but I really don't know.
- Somewhere around mile 5 I started stretching at almost every water station. It helped my knee/leg to stretch, and then I could run a little easier.
- I also stopped to walk a few times later in the race to try to try to stretch out my legs.
I had planned to take a few picutres at the car once we were parked, but due to the traffic and almost missing the start, that didn't happen.
I did take a few pictures in the car while we were stuck in traffic:
I was prepared for the cold weather with my big gray hoodie.
My husband was looking ready for his first half marathon with no training!!!
There were a lot of professional cameras on the race course, so I am hoping that I can buy a few pictures of the actual race and finish since I didn't get any others.
The plan for the rest of the day is to lay around and be lazy and I am getting ready to order us some pizza. We are hungry!!!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Ready to Go
I have everything laid out for the race tomorrow and I am ready to go! Luckily Ross is sleeping on my pants from the goodwill that will only be worn to keep me warm at the beginning of the race :) He was so happy I decided to let him stay.
Look into the mirror and you can get a glimpse of Max. I didn't even know he was behind me.
The most exciting news of the day is that my husband decided today to sign up for the half marathon tomorrow! He was a runner in high school, and was able to run half of a half marathon (on a relay team) with no training last summer, so he has decided to try for the full 13.1 tomorrow. I am excited to have him on the race course with me, although I doubt we will actually run together.
Time to get ready for bed. We are leaving the house at 4:30am!
Half Marathon Weekend is Here
Race Expo
Yesterday was the official start of the Half Marathon weekend because I told the day off work to volunteer at the race expo. I am excited that race weekend is finally here!
Tampa loves pirates, and has pirate themed events during January and February called Gasparilla. There is a Gasparilla parade, a Gasparilla children's parade, a Gasparilla night parade, a Gasparilla art show, and this weekend, the Gasparilla 5K, 15K, Marathon, and Half Marathon.
They even had pirate decorations are the expo yesterday:
So cute!
At the expo, I worked at packet pickup from 10am - 1pm. It was so much fun to talk with all the race participants and wish them luck in the races this weekend. The time flew by because it was so busy and my legs were tired afterwards. It makes me appreciate my boring job where I can sit all day.
The expo is huge. This is just one aisle and there were probably 6 full isles of vendors in the convention center.
There are a lot of good deals on clothing and shoes, along with a lot of overpriced runners gadgets. One vendor was selling no slip headbands that were $16 each. No thanks!
I did spend some time at a booth full of running clothes that were $9.99 each. Who can pass that up?!?! I told myself I could buy one thing, and ended up with a Moving Comfort Long Sleeve Shirt. There is a tag on the shirt that says regular price $55.99, our price $9.99. While I wasn't going to fall for that, I did still feel like it was a good shirt for the price. Plus the sleeves are extra long and there are thumb holes at the end of the sleeves. I felt good when I came home and found the same shirt for $40 online. I love a good deal!
Usually I don't get excited about race shirts because they never seem to fit right and look good. But I think the Gasparilla Half Marathon shirt is the exception.
It's long sleeve, Nike, Drifit, and it actually fits! Plus I like the green color. I tend to buy everything in blue so it's nice to have some other colors.
Pre-Race Day Plans
The plan for today is to eat nice, healthy meals full of fruits, vegetables, and healthy carbs. Plus I will make sure to drink plenty of water today and stay hydrated.
The half marathon starts at 6am tomorrow, which means I need to leave my house around 4:30am. I made myself get out of bed at 9am today even though I was tired, because I know I will need to go to bed early tonight. There will be no napping today!
The weather is going to be in the mid-40's tomorrow morning, which is cold for me, but it's similar to the temperature for all my training runs the past two months. The good news is that there is no rain in the forecast for race time, and less than 10 mph winds. A lot of the race course is along the water, so it will be nice to have minimal winds.
Look for my post tomorrow afternoon with a race racap!!
What's your ideal running temperature? Mine is 60s and sunny, with no wind! :)
Yesterday was the official start of the Half Marathon weekend because I told the day off work to volunteer at the race expo. I am excited that race weekend is finally here!
Tampa loves pirates, and has pirate themed events during January and February called Gasparilla. There is a Gasparilla parade, a Gasparilla children's parade, a Gasparilla night parade, a Gasparilla art show, and this weekend, the Gasparilla 5K, 15K, Marathon, and Half Marathon.
They even had pirate decorations are the expo yesterday:
So cute!
At the expo, I worked at packet pickup from 10am - 1pm. It was so much fun to talk with all the race participants and wish them luck in the races this weekend. The time flew by because it was so busy and my legs were tired afterwards. It makes me appreciate my boring job where I can sit all day.
The expo is huge. This is just one aisle and there were probably 6 full isles of vendors in the convention center.
There are a lot of good deals on clothing and shoes, along with a lot of overpriced runners gadgets. One vendor was selling no slip headbands that were $16 each. No thanks!
I did spend some time at a booth full of running clothes that were $9.99 each. Who can pass that up?!?! I told myself I could buy one thing, and ended up with a Moving Comfort Long Sleeve Shirt. There is a tag on the shirt that says regular price $55.99, our price $9.99. While I wasn't going to fall for that, I did still feel like it was a good shirt for the price. Plus the sleeves are extra long and there are thumb holes at the end of the sleeves. I felt good when I came home and found the same shirt for $40 online. I love a good deal!
Usually I don't get excited about race shirts because they never seem to fit right and look good. But I think the Gasparilla Half Marathon shirt is the exception.
It's long sleeve, Nike, Drifit, and it actually fits! Plus I like the green color. I tend to buy everything in blue so it's nice to have some other colors.
Pre-Race Day Plans
The plan for today is to eat nice, healthy meals full of fruits, vegetables, and healthy carbs. Plus I will make sure to drink plenty of water today and stay hydrated.
The half marathon starts at 6am tomorrow, which means I need to leave my house around 4:30am. I made myself get out of bed at 9am today even though I was tired, because I know I will need to go to bed early tonight. There will be no napping today!
The weather is going to be in the mid-40's tomorrow morning, which is cold for me, but it's similar to the temperature for all my training runs the past two months. The good news is that there is no rain in the forecast for race time, and less than 10 mph winds. A lot of the race course is along the water, so it will be nice to have minimal winds.
Look for my post tomorrow afternoon with a race racap!!
What's your ideal running temperature? Mine is 60s and sunny, with no wind! :)
Schedule, Snow and Good Cookin!
I cannot believe it keeps snowing here. I don't think I can remember what it was like without snow on the ground. Yesterday skiing was a success however and I am not sore! Tired, but not sore which is a good sign. I had mastered the mountain by the time we left. Time to plan a trip out west!!
Today I am making one of my favorite recipes....Pot Roast! Its 426 calories a serving and and a super easy recipe in the crock pot.
I also decided today that I am not going to run the 1/2 marathon here in May. Last week was the first week that I didn't do the Jillian workouts 3 days a week and I really missed it. So I am going to pursue that goal again and run in the Aflac Iron Girl 15K race with Megan in April. That way I am enjoying my workouts and still challenging myself to run. I ran two 1/2's last year and hope to run the Columbus 1/2 in the Fall.
Happy Saturday!
Today I am making one of my favorite recipes....Pot Roast! Its 426 calories a serving and and a super easy recipe in the crock pot.
Ingredients
- 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 5 1/2 pounds pot roast
- Bag of baby carrots
- One onion, chopped
- 3 large potatoes, chopped
I also decided today that I am not going to run the 1/2 marathon here in May. Last week was the first week that I didn't do the Jillian workouts 3 days a week and I really missed it. So I am going to pursue that goal again and run in the Aflac Iron Girl 15K race with Megan in April. That way I am enjoying my workouts and still challenging myself to run. I ran two 1/2's last year and hope to run the Columbus 1/2 in the Fall.
Happy Saturday!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Hitting the Slopes!
I took the day off to go skiing with my mom today. I haven't been skiing in about 9 years, but used to be pretty good at it. As luck would have it it snowed again last night so hopefully we will have good conditions! My husband is betting me that I will not be able to move tomorrow so we'll see how in shape I really am. My plan was do run my 5 miles early on Saturday instead of Sunday. Wish me luck!
I ate a BIG breakfast today of greek yogurt and Frosted Mini Wheats. I am taking a Mojo Bar with me to snack on. Hopefully all my healthy eating and workouts will pay off!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Cookie Willpower
Tonight I decided to bake Snickerdoodles to welcome my husband home from a business trip, and also so I can send a few to my grandma in the mail.
I have a really hard time with baking and eating way too many cookies and dough in the process. But tonight, I only had one bite of the first cookie I gave to my husband, and I didn't touch them again.
Yea for me!
I did put the remaining cookies in a tupperware container and told him to put them somewhere in the house where I don't have to look at them. I know if they are sitting around in plain view I will end up eating way too many of them. At least I know my limitations, right?
After the cookies where done I treated myself to an orange that I bought it the grocery today. It was actually so good that I am glad I didn't fill up on cookies, or else I would have missed out on the orange!
The Great Recipe Binder
Remember a few days ago when I said my fridge was empty? Well, it's still empty!
I have started my grocery list and I have a lot of cooking planned for the next few days. I needed some ideas for new meals, so I consulted my recipe binder:
I subscribe to a lot of magazines, and instead of keeping the magazines so I can refer back to them, I tear out the pages that I want to keep, and get rid of the magazine. I keep the recipes in this binder, and I have another folder for any exercise or home decorating items that I want to keep.
I started the binder with empty page protectors, and I can slide in any recipe that I tear out from a magazine or print from a website. If I try a recipe from a website without printing it, I try to hand write or print it and add it to my binder so I have everything in one place. I am normally not a "paper person" and I like to keep everything electronically, but I make an exception for my recipes.
My binder is currently organized into the following categories:
Salads
Appetizers
Chicken
Entrees ( everything with the exception of chicken)
Bread
Breakfast
Side Dishes
Dessert
Drinks
Tips (includes recipe substitutions, cooking times, grains 101)
Eventually I would like to further separate the Entree section into Pork, Beef, Non-Meat, etc, but I just haven't ever done it.
I decided to try two new recipes from my binder:
Dry-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs ( I have had this in my binder since July 2008!)
Crustless Spinach Quiche (this will be for my husband, too many eggs for me)
I will post reviews of the recipes in the next few days once we actually get to eat them.
How do you organize your recipes?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
First Triathlon Club Meeting
Tonight I attended my first meeting of the Palm Harbor Tri-Warriors Triathlon Club.
I have been on their email list for over a year, and there is so much knowledge amongst their members, I was excited to finally make it to a meeting!
The meeting was very informal, as there was no speaker for the meeting this month, but it was so much fun to interact with a group of people with similiar interests to mine.
I did a few sprint triathlons last summer, but my decision to sign up for St. Anthony's Olympic Triathlon on April 25th has me a little scared. I felt much better after tonight's meeting because:
I am so glad that I found this group of people and can't wait to get to know them better! Do you below to any clubs or organizations? It's been a long time since I have been part of club like this that isn't related to work or school. It's exciting!
I have been on their email list for over a year, and there is so much knowledge amongst their members, I was excited to finally make it to a meeting!
The meeting was very informal, as there was no speaker for the meeting this month, but it was so much fun to interact with a group of people with similiar interests to mine.
I did a few sprint triathlons last summer, but my decision to sign up for St. Anthony's Olympic Triathlon on April 25th has me a little scared. I felt much better after tonight's meeting because:
- Their knowledge about the sport of triathlons is priceless to someone like me who is relatively new to the sport. They answered so many of my questions and I learned so much in just one hour. I learned valuable information on buying a wetsuit, and what I should keep on my bike in case of a flat tire (a spare tube, a patch kit, and a pump). Good information to get me ready for all those long bike rides!
- They do a lot of training together. Every weekend there are bike rides, open water swims, group runs, and even mock triathlons. I was always nervous to join them in training because I am not very fast on my bike or running. The members assured me today that people of all abilities are welcome and now I am excited to start training with them.
I am so glad that I found this group of people and can't wait to get to know them better! Do you below to any clubs or organizations? It's been a long time since I have been part of club like this that isn't related to work or school. It's exciting!
Weekly Favorites #2 - Eating, Scrapbooking, Running
As part of our weekly Wednesday updates, here are a few of my new favorite sites.
EAT
http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_mojo/
These have become my new favorite treat this week. Especially the Mojo Dipped bars. Today I had the Peanut Butter and Jelly one as my afternoon snack. I find the more protein packed snacks the eat the less ravenous I am when it comes to dinner!
SCRAP
http://www.etsy.com/
I love this site for creative ideas. If you ever need inspired, this is the place to come. I have ordered a few handmade cards from this site which make great gifts!! They also provide great ideas for scrapbooking pages. My sister in law turned me on to this site and she sells her handmade lotions/soaps here. Check her out too!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LotionsandPotions
RUN
I stumbled on this this week when I was tracking my calories on Livestrong. This blog is written by Kristen Armstrong (Lance's ex-wife) on Runners World. Its called "Mile Markers" which I think is a great name. I have read it a few times so far and find her interesting to follow. The Runner's World website is always a great source of information too!!
http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/
Happy Reading!! I am off to watch the Olympics and do some Wii Ski Jumping. I am addicted!!
EAT
http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_mojo/
These have become my new favorite treat this week. Especially the Mojo Dipped bars. Today I had the Peanut Butter and Jelly one as my afternoon snack. I find the more protein packed snacks the eat the less ravenous I am when it comes to dinner!
SCRAP
http://www.etsy.com/
I love this site for creative ideas. If you ever need inspired, this is the place to come. I have ordered a few handmade cards from this site which make great gifts!! They also provide great ideas for scrapbooking pages. My sister in law turned me on to this site and she sells her handmade lotions/soaps here. Check her out too!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LotionsandPotions
RUN
I stumbled on this this week when I was tracking my calories on Livestrong. This blog is written by Kristen Armstrong (Lance's ex-wife) on Runners World. Its called "Mile Markers" which I think is a great name. I have read it a few times so far and find her interesting to follow. The Runner's World website is always a great source of information too!!
http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/
Happy Reading!! I am off to watch the Olympics and do some Wii Ski Jumping. I am addicted!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
What Next?
I am still debating whether I should run in the Columbus 1/2 Marathon, but I did start the training to prepare. I am in my 3rd week already. My schedule this week is the following. I am trying to keep up with the Jillian workouts as well because I enjoyed them so much and really loved the results!
Monday - Run 4 miles
Tuesday - Jillian (Hoping to use the Wii Fit!)
Wednesday - Run 3.5 miles
Thursday - Spinning
Friday - Skiing!! (Going skiing with my mom for my bday!)
Saturday - Run 3.5 miles/Jillian (These combo days are the hardest!)
Sunday - Run 5 miles
I have quite a week ahead of me so we'll see how it goes. How do you plan your workout weeks? I try to plan on Sunday or Monday so I know what is ahead of me and can make it work with my work schedule.
Monday - Run 4 miles
Tuesday - Jillian (Hoping to use the Wii Fit!)
Wednesday - Run 3.5 miles
Thursday - Spinning
Friday - Skiing!! (Going skiing with my mom for my bday!)
Saturday - Run 3.5 miles/Jillian (These combo days are the hardest!)
Sunday - Run 5 miles
I have quite a week ahead of me so we'll see how it goes. How do you plan your workout weeks? I try to plan on Sunday or Monday so I know what is ahead of me and can make it work with my work schedule.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Easy Does It
The fridge is almost empty, and so is the freezer. I decided to throw together an "everything but the kitchen sink" soup to eat for lunch this week with whatever leftovers I could find.
I also have 4 small sweet potatoes in the oven to eat with my soup. I don't know when I should start to carbo-load for my race this weekend, but it can't hurt to start early!
I enjoy cooking, but sometimes it's nice to take a break from buying groceries and try to eat what's in the house. Now I know I will have healthy, nutritious meals to eat this week.
My husband and I don't have a specific budget for groceries, but we don't buy many extravagant items when grocery shopping. I figure it's cheaper to buy groceries than to eat out, so I have never taken the time to figure it out. Do you have a grocery budget for yourself?
The contents of my soup as seen above:
- Frozen Peas
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Celery that I sliced and froze when I had extra awhile back
- Brown Rice that I cooked and froze when I had extra awhile back
- Not pictured: boneless skinless chicken breast and chicken broth
I enjoy cooking, but sometimes it's nice to take a break from buying groceries and try to eat what's in the house. Now I know I will have healthy, nutritious meals to eat this week.
My husband and I don't have a specific budget for groceries, but we don't buy many extravagant items when grocery shopping. I figure it's cheaper to buy groceries than to eat out, so I have never taken the time to figure it out. Do you have a grocery budget for yourself?
Win a Garmin Forerunner 305 and Donate to Charity
One of my favorite bloggers is Caitlin at the Healthy Tipping Point. She is raising money for cancer research by raffling off a Garmin Forerunner 305. I have this GPS watch and it's amazing!
For only $5 you can enter for a chance to win this watch, and your money goes towards Caitlin's goal of raising $3000.
Click here for details on how to enter at HealthyTippingPoint.com.
The winner will be chosen on Thursday, Feb 25th, so act fast!!
Good Luck!
For only $5 you can enter for a chance to win this watch, and your money goes towards Caitlin's goal of raising $3000.
Click here for details on how to enter at HealthyTippingPoint.com.
The winner will be chosen on Thursday, Feb 25th, so act fast!!
Good Luck!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Superheros!
As promised, here are pictures from Saturday night's Superhero Bar Crawl.
I have not had time for much scrapbooking lately, so it was nice to use the Cricut to make our costumes! I won't go into details on our actual superhero names, but you can probably figure them out from the pictures :)
Here is my "superhero husband" having "superhero Subway".
Here is the back of my cape:
Overall it was a great night and it was so much fun to be in the bars with 20 other superheros. We got so many comments while walking around downtown before bars!!
Do you like to dress up in costumes? I obviously do! My 30th birthday was 80's themed and everyone dressed up and we went to the bars!
I have not had time for much scrapbooking lately, so it was nice to use the Cricut to make our costumes! I won't go into details on our actual superhero names, but you can probably figure them out from the pictures :)
Here is my "superhero husband" having "superhero Subway".
The letters and the shapes were all cut out with the Going Places and Disney Mickey Font Cricut cartridges. Who knew that the Cricut had some many uses!?!?
Here is the back of my cape:
And my husbands...
Overall it was a great night and it was so much fun to be in the bars with 20 other superheros. We got so many comments while walking around downtown before bars!!
Do you like to dress up in costumes? I obviously do! My 30th birthday was 80's themed and everyone dressed up and we went to the bars!
Wii!
Yesterday for my birthday, my husband got me a Wii! We got the Wii Fit Plus and the new Jillian 2010 Challenge. I am so sore today I can barely move. I don't think the Wii Fit Plus is any huge calorie burner but its great strength training and a lot of fun! I think I have mastered the Ski Jumping but still have a while to go on the Obstacle Course.
The Jillian 2010 Challenge allows you to set monthly goals and do combinations of pre-defined circuits or create your own. I started with hers. Overall they were very similiar to the 22-27 minute programs I have been doing on Exercise Tv. I think they will be a good supplement to my running and then once a week I plan to the the Metabolism Boost workout and some yoga. I am convinced the variety of the moves really helped me get the results I posted yesterday.
Do any of you use the Wii to workout?
Now if I could just stay away from those birthday cupcakes!! We go to a place called Pink Moon in Powell, Ohio. They are amazing!!
The Jillian 2010 Challenge allows you to set monthly goals and do combinations of pre-defined circuits or create your own. I started with hers. Overall they were very similiar to the 22-27 minute programs I have been doing on Exercise Tv. I think they will be a good supplement to my running and then once a week I plan to the the Metabolism Boost workout and some yoga. I am convinced the variety of the moves really helped me get the results I posted yesterday.
Do any of you use the Wii to workout?
Now if I could just stay away from those birthday cupcakes!! We go to a place called Pink Moon in Powell, Ohio. They are amazing!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Happy Birthday Holly (And a 10 Mile Run)!
Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday to my blogging partner, Holly!
Holly is an amazing friend and inspires me to be a better person every day. She is such an inspiration the way she balances her demanding job, her family life, her workouts, and her healthy eating.
I hope you have a great day Holly!
10 Mile Training Run
I woke up this morning excited for my 10 mile run, especially after missing my 9 mile run last weekend due to not feeling well. Today's run was great!!! I often have problems with negative thoughts during my long runs, and I will try to talk myself into doing a shorter distance, or taking more walking breaks than I really need, but I managed to keep all those things out of my head today and I enjoyed my run.
I kept telling myself that I was so lucky that I am able to go out and run 10 miles with little to no pain, and I know how great it will feel to complete my second half marathon this weekend.
My stats for today's run:
Distance: 10 miles
Total Time: 1:56:27
Mile 1: 11:41
Mile 2: 11:38
Mile 3: 11:47
Mile 4: 11:37
Mile 5: 11:35
Mile 6: 11:49
Mile 7: 11:43
Mile 8: 11:56
Mile 9: 11:25
Mile 10: 11:09
I would still like to take advantage of the 11:30/mile pace group during the race next weekend, so my goal for today was to stay as close to 11:30/mile as I could. I also kept my watch running each time I stopped for water, which was about 6 times.
Today was my "dress rehearsal" for the race next weekend, so I decided to try out my SPI belt (which stands for Small Personal Items belt) to hold my Luna Moons. It's been so cold during my training runs that I always have a jacket with pockets, but there is a chance it may be warmer next weekend which means I can't rely on having the jacket.
I am happy to announce that the belt stayed in place the entire 10 miles and I barely even knew it was there. I wish I would have tried this earlier as it would be a nice place to carry my cell phone and keys while running.
I plan to also use this to hold my race number next weekend so I don't have to keep moving it as I shed layers of clothing. The race starts at 6am so I know I am going to dress in layers. I will be hitting up the Goodwill this week to buy some "throwaway clothes" to keep my warm before the race starts. Any clothing left on the side of the race course is picked up, laundered, and given to charity. It's nice to know that I don't have to spend the whole race with jackets tied around my waist.
Superheros
Tonight my husband and I are participating in a Superhero bar crawl. I am very excited, and I love any excuse to dress up. I have to finish my costume this afternoon and I will post some pictures tomorrow!
Happy Birthday to my blogging partner, Holly!
Holly is an amazing friend and inspires me to be a better person every day. She is such an inspiration the way she balances her demanding job, her family life, her workouts, and her healthy eating.
I hope you have a great day Holly!
10 Mile Training Run
I woke up this morning excited for my 10 mile run, especially after missing my 9 mile run last weekend due to not feeling well. Today's run was great!!! I often have problems with negative thoughts during my long runs, and I will try to talk myself into doing a shorter distance, or taking more walking breaks than I really need, but I managed to keep all those things out of my head today and I enjoyed my run.
I kept telling myself that I was so lucky that I am able to go out and run 10 miles with little to no pain, and I know how great it will feel to complete my second half marathon this weekend.
My stats for today's run:
Distance: 10 miles
Total Time: 1:56:27
Mile 1: 11:41
Mile 2: 11:38
Mile 3: 11:47
Mile 4: 11:37
Mile 5: 11:35
Mile 6: 11:49
Mile 7: 11:43
Mile 8: 11:56
Mile 9: 11:25
Mile 10: 11:09
I would still like to take advantage of the 11:30/mile pace group during the race next weekend, so my goal for today was to stay as close to 11:30/mile as I could. I also kept my watch running each time I stopped for water, which was about 6 times.
Today was my "dress rehearsal" for the race next weekend, so I decided to try out my SPI belt (which stands for Small Personal Items belt) to hold my Luna Moons. It's been so cold during my training runs that I always have a jacket with pockets, but there is a chance it may be warmer next weekend which means I can't rely on having the jacket.
I am happy to announce that the belt stayed in place the entire 10 miles and I barely even knew it was there. I wish I would have tried this earlier as it would be a nice place to carry my cell phone and keys while running.
I plan to also use this to hold my race number next weekend so I don't have to keep moving it as I shed layers of clothing. The race starts at 6am so I know I am going to dress in layers. I will be hitting up the Goodwill this week to buy some "throwaway clothes" to keep my warm before the race starts. Any clothing left on the side of the race course is picked up, laundered, and given to charity. It's nice to know that I don't have to spend the whole race with jackets tied around my waist.
Superheros
Tonight my husband and I are participating in a Superhero bar crawl. I am very excited, and I love any excuse to dress up. I have to finish my costume this afternoon and I will post some pictures tomorrow!
And the measurements are in....
Here are the results from my Jillian Challenge...
Goal: Complete 3 Jillian workouts a week. At the end I also started 1/2 marathon training so the training schedules overlapped.
Results:
Bust - 37 to 36.5
Waist - 33.5 to 31.25
Hips - 41 to 40.5
Bicep - 12 to 11.5
Weight Loss - 6 lbs
I gained a pound this week but I am pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I haven't worked out yet today and ate a cupcake last night at 8pm. Overall I am pretty happy with the results and plan to keep it up! Exercise TV just removed my favorite Metabolism Boost workout so I am going to have to order it to keep it up. I guess that is how they make money.
If you are out to improve your shape, this is a great challenge!! I am definitely going to keep my measurements for reference when my 1/2 marathon training gets into full swing. I can also do more push ups then I ever could before :) That is an accomplishment!
Goal: Complete 3 Jillian workouts a week. At the end I also started 1/2 marathon training so the training schedules overlapped.
Results:
Bust - 37 to 36.5
Waist - 33.5 to 31.25
Hips - 41 to 40.5
Bicep - 12 to 11.5
Weight Loss - 6 lbs
I gained a pound this week but I am pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I haven't worked out yet today and ate a cupcake last night at 8pm. Overall I am pretty happy with the results and plan to keep it up! Exercise TV just removed my favorite Metabolism Boost workout so I am going to have to order it to keep it up. I guess that is how they make money.
If you are out to improve your shape, this is a great challenge!! I am definitely going to keep my measurements for reference when my 1/2 marathon training gets into full swing. I can also do more push ups then I ever could before :) That is an accomplishment!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Avocados
I have been on an avocado kick lately...perhaps its my love of Mexican food or my desire for warm weather (which makes me think of Mexican food), but pretty much everything is better with avocados!
Guacomole would be my first choice if I have some extra calories to use. Its simple and easy to make.
1 avocado
1 tablespoons of low fat sour cream (This can easily be skipped if you need to save calories it depends on the consistency you like. Most of the time I skip it!)
1 tablespoon of garlic
Squirt of lime juice
Optional: Sometimes I add diced tomatoes with a dash of olive oil to make it a more salsa like topping.
Sometimes I make this and eat it plain or with blue corn chips. Other times I make a taco bowl (minus the shell) and just have meat, cheese and my avocado salsa on top. Its YUMMY!
Lately I have just been taking 1/2 an avocado, slicing it into tiny pieces, mashing it together and eating it plain or putting it on my sandwhich at lunch. Its the easy and a normal size avocado is only 50 calories. The fat content is high, but its healthy fat. As long as you eat it in moderation (which is hard sometimes) its great to work this into your diet.
Avocado Facts
Did you know that the avocado has over 20 beneficial nutrients in it? According to Healthy Living avocados also have the following benefits.
- Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.
- Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
- Avocados act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
So have yourself a fiesta this weekend and enjoy some healthy fats. My avocado is waiting for me with my weekly skinny maragarita tonight.
Tomorrow is the last day of my official Jillian challenge. I am excited to re-take my measurements!
Guacomole would be my first choice if I have some extra calories to use. Its simple and easy to make.
1 avocado
1 tablespoons of low fat sour cream (This can easily be skipped if you need to save calories it depends on the consistency you like. Most of the time I skip it!)
1 tablespoon of garlic
Squirt of lime juice
Optional: Sometimes I add diced tomatoes with a dash of olive oil to make it a more salsa like topping.
Sometimes I make this and eat it plain or with blue corn chips. Other times I make a taco bowl (minus the shell) and just have meat, cheese and my avocado salsa on top. Its YUMMY!
Lately I have just been taking 1/2 an avocado, slicing it into tiny pieces, mashing it together and eating it plain or putting it on my sandwhich at lunch. Its the easy and a normal size avocado is only 50 calories. The fat content is high, but its healthy fat. As long as you eat it in moderation (which is hard sometimes) its great to work this into your diet.
Avocado Facts
Did you know that the avocado has over 20 beneficial nutrients in it? According to Healthy Living avocados also have the following benefits.
- Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.
- Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
- Avocados act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
So have yourself a fiesta this weekend and enjoy some healthy fats. My avocado is waiting for me with my weekly skinny maragarita tonight.
Tomorrow is the last day of my official Jillian challenge. I am excited to re-take my measurements!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Running Tights
Due to the long streak of cold weather this winter, I decided to order running tights from Zappos. I know that I will be able to wear them not only for running, but also while biking as I train for my triathlon (more details here on my training plan).
Today is the first day that I opened the package to see the three pairs of tights that I ordered. All three were CW-X brand, but the tights were different price levels based on the compression technology (I think). Without even trying on all three pairs, I decided to keep the CW-X Expert Tights simply because they were the only ones that were all black. It's probably not the best way to make a decision, but the other two had bright blue stripes and stitching and I just couldn't see myself wearing them as often.
Here is what they look like, except picture a two inch gap of skin showing at my ankles. That's what happens when you are 5'10".
Next came the great debate as to how to wear these tights in public for my run tonight. The three options that I came up with were...
1. Sport the tights on their own with only my shirt and jacket to barely cover my ass.
2. Wear running shorts over the tights and look like someone who is too self-conscious to wear the tights on their own.
3. Wear pants over the tights so no one could see them.
Go ahead, take a guess as to what I did....
Did you make your guess....
Ok, I wimped out and went for option number 3! At least they were comfortable and I appreciated the extra layer of warmth.
Does anyone else wear running tights? Do you wear them on their own, layer, or cover up like I did??
Today is the first day that I opened the package to see the three pairs of tights that I ordered. All three were CW-X brand, but the tights were different price levels based on the compression technology (I think). Without even trying on all three pairs, I decided to keep the CW-X Expert Tights simply because they were the only ones that were all black. It's probably not the best way to make a decision, but the other two had bright blue stripes and stitching and I just couldn't see myself wearing them as often.
Here is what they look like, except picture a two inch gap of skin showing at my ankles. That's what happens when you are 5'10".
Next came the great debate as to how to wear these tights in public for my run tonight. The three options that I came up with were...
1. Sport the tights on their own with only my shirt and jacket to barely cover my ass.
2. Wear running shorts over the tights and look like someone who is too self-conscious to wear the tights on their own.
3. Wear pants over the tights so no one could see them.
Go ahead, take a guess as to what I did....
Did you make your guess....
Ok, I wimped out and went for option number 3! At least they were comfortable and I appreciated the extra layer of warmth.
Does anyone else wear running tights? Do you wear them on their own, layer, or cover up like I did??
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Lucky Me
Good morning!
When I got home from work yesterday, I had a birthday package waiting for me from my friend Lori. Lori is one of my best friends from college, but she lives in Denver so we don't get to see each other very often. Although there is a good chance that she is coming to visit in May!!! :)
It's so exciting to get a package when you have no idea that it's coming. Look at all the great scrapbooking supplies Lori sent me...
This was the perfect gift for me because I have been trying to use my current supplies instead of buying anything new, so now I have this great supply of paper and stickers to use.
Lori even gave me a few cat things, which is funny considering Holly's post last week about scrapbooking the family pets.
Timmy, Max, Chandler, and Ross (yes, there are four of them!) often get left out of my scrapbooks, so now I have a good reason to include them!
Thanks Lori!!!!
When I got home from work yesterday, I had a birthday package waiting for me from my friend Lori. Lori is one of my best friends from college, but she lives in Denver so we don't get to see each other very often. Although there is a good chance that she is coming to visit in May!!! :)
It's so exciting to get a package when you have no idea that it's coming. Look at all the great scrapbooking supplies Lori sent me...
This was the perfect gift for me because I have been trying to use my current supplies instead of buying anything new, so now I have this great supply of paper and stickers to use.
Lori even gave me a few cat things, which is funny considering Holly's post last week about scrapbooking the family pets.
Timmy, Max, Chandler, and Ross (yes, there are four of them!) often get left out of my scrapbooks, so now I have a good reason to include them!
Thanks Lori!!!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Lasagna Time!
Working from home has its perks. I used my lunch break as an opportunity to make Crock Pot Lasagna for the next few days. The recipe I used is Weight Watchers recipe and is 7 points a serving. You have to brown the ground turkey first and mix it with onions and spices.
Then you create a cheese mixture...
After that you layer in the crockpot with no-bake noodles and let it cook on low for 4-5 hours. Here is the recipe.
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey 1 large onion, chopped 2 Tbsp minced garlic 1 lb fat free mozerella 12 oz fat free cottage cheese 1 tsp Italian seasoning salt & pepper to taste 8 oz no-bake lasagna noodles 30 oz tomato sauce 6 oz tomato paste 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1/2 green pepper, chopped
Then you create a cheese mixture...
After that you layer in the crockpot with no-bake noodles and let it cook on low for 4-5 hours. Here is the recipe.Makes 8 servings, 7 points each.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a frying pan, brown turkey with onion and garlic. Add spices and tomato sauce and paste, stirring over medium heat until warm all the way through. Mix cheeses in seperate container. Layer 1/3 meat sauce, 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 vegetables in crockpot. Repeat 2 more times until all ingredients have been used. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
I think you could substitute chicken or beef here for the meat. I also would like to try a veggie version with lots of vegetables!
Let me know what you think! I am off to rock out with Fergilicious :) I hope they play some of their old songs!!
Sleep
Today I got up at 5:15 am, ran 3 miles and did my Jillian Workout (this time the 27 minute Trouble Zones program). Once I got done I found out we are on a level 2 snow emergency which means I get to work from home... I could have slept in!
Granted, I feel better and started work earlier so I can hopefully rest this afternoon a little more than usual, but SLEEP is so crucial for me. I need at least 7 hours to function, 9 would be ideal. They say 8 it is average, but I think I need more! I am also going to the Black Eyed Peas concert tonight which means a late night.
Ironically,this article was posted today on Jillian's blog. It talks about the benefits of getting the right amount of sleep and how too much sleep can really impact your overall metabolism.
How much sleep do you need? Do you always get up at the same time?
Granted, I feel better and started work earlier so I can hopefully rest this afternoon a little more than usual, but SLEEP is so crucial for me. I need at least 7 hours to function, 9 would be ideal. They say 8 it is average, but I think I need more! I am also going to the Black Eyed Peas concert tonight which means a late night.
Ironically,this article was posted today on Jillian's blog. It talks about the benefits of getting the right amount of sleep and how too much sleep can really impact your overall metabolism.
How much sleep do you need? Do you always get up at the same time?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Getting Rid of Bad Habits
The past few days I have fallen back into bad habits such as skipping my workouts, not planning my meals, and eating unhealthy foods. It started with feeling sick on Saturday, and then my birthday yesterday, and today I can't seem to get back on track.
At least for me, even two days of this behavior makes it hard for me to stop and go back to my "healthy lifestyle" that I prefer to live. It's amazing how easy it is to fall back into old habits.
The funny thing is that I have felt tired and sluggish the past few days, and I miss the way I feel when I am good to my body and treat it well.
So I resolve right now to give up the bad habits and focus on living a healthy lifestyle!!! Plus, I have a half marathon coming up in 13 days. This is not the time to loose focus on my goals.
Do you find it hard to give up bad habits, or at least limit them?
At least for me, even two days of this behavior makes it hard for me to stop and go back to my "healthy lifestyle" that I prefer to live. It's amazing how easy it is to fall back into old habits.
The funny thing is that I have felt tired and sluggish the past few days, and I miss the way I feel when I am good to my body and treat it well.
So I resolve right now to give up the bad habits and focus on living a healthy lifestyle!!! Plus, I have a half marathon coming up in 13 days. This is not the time to loose focus on my goals.
Do you find it hard to give up bad habits, or at least limit them?
Thank you Ipod!
Yesterday I ran 6 miles in 22 degrees. Yet another personal record for me. I am attributing it to my new playlist. I was inspired to update mine after reading Caitlin's blog.
Here is what I ran to...
1. Apologize - Timbaland
2. Breakeven - The Script
3. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
4. Live Like We're Dying - Kris Allen
5. Carry Out (feat. Justin Timberlake) - Timbaland
6. Beautiful Day - Timbaland
7. Fallen Angel - Poison
8. Sweet Surrender (DJ Tiesto Mix) - Sarah McLachlan
9. Rock and Roll Jesus - Kid Rock
10. The Climb - Miley Cyrus
11. Toes - Zach Brown Bag
12. Run This Town (feat. Rihanna)
13. Disturbia - Rihanna
14. Possession (Rabbit In the Moon Mix)
I have 70 songs in this playlist and this is as far as I got. I LOVE Sarah McLachlan and the the techno versions are great for running. What is on your ipod?
Here is what I ran to...
1. Apologize - Timbaland
2. Breakeven - The Script
3. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
4. Live Like We're Dying - Kris Allen
5. Carry Out (feat. Justin Timberlake) - Timbaland
6. Beautiful Day - Timbaland
7. Fallen Angel - Poison
8. Sweet Surrender (DJ Tiesto Mix) - Sarah McLachlan
9. Rock and Roll Jesus - Kid Rock
10. The Climb - Miley Cyrus
11. Toes - Zach Brown Bag
12. Run This Town (feat. Rihanna)
13. Disturbia - Rihanna
14. Possession (Rabbit In the Moon Mix)
I have 70 songs in this playlist and this is as far as I got. I LOVE Sarah McLachlan and the the techno versions are great for running. What is on your ipod?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Birthday to Me
Thanks for the birthday wishes Holly! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
Weekend Running Update
This weekend I took an unplanned hiatus from running. I normally do my long runs when I first wake up on Saturday mornings, but due to the cold weather, I postponed my 9 mile run for a few hours so it would be warmer outside. During the few hours before my run, I ate more food than I normally would if I just woke up and went running...
When I left the house to do my run, I very quickly felt sick and had bad cramps, so I decided to stop at mile 2. I am not sure if it's due to not letting my food settle, or if I have a little bug of some sort that is making me feel sick. I didn't feel well the rest of the day so I slept and laid around the house. All while trying not to get frustrated that I didn't get my run done as I had planned.
I set my alarm for 7am this morning with intentions of doing my run if I was feeling better, but I still didn't feel that great, and I decided it was my birthday and I was going to skip my run! Instead I went back to sleep for three more hours!
Birthday Day of Fun
When I woke up for the second time this morning I was feeling a little better, and knew I wanted to spend the day doing fun things with my husband. We started off the day with brunch at one of our favorites restaurants in Dunedin, called Kelly's. I had my usual: yogurt with granola, a fruit cup, and the muffin of the day (which was Raspberry Nut). It was the perfect way to start the day.
Next, we drove south about one hour to Anna Maria Island. We have been wanting to visit for awhile now, and decided it was a good day to make the drive.
It was kind of cold today, but at least the sun was out and it was nice enough to walk around the beach and the small downtown area.
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Our reflections in the water from a bridge :)
Now we are back home and I am making Magic Cookie Bars, a.k.a Five Layer Bars, since my in-laws are coming to visit tomorrow. They are staying in a hotel near by, and I thought it would be nice to give them some cookies to keep as snacks in the hotel room.
And how I can forget to mention that we have a white cake, with white icing waiting in the fridge. It's my favorite kind of cake and I am very excited to have a piece. It will be the perfect end to a great birthday.
What's your favorite kind of cake? People think I am crazy for not preferring chocolate cake, but I don't care. White cake is the BEST!
Weekend Running Update
This weekend I took an unplanned hiatus from running. I normally do my long runs when I first wake up on Saturday mornings, but due to the cold weather, I postponed my 9 mile run for a few hours so it would be warmer outside. During the few hours before my run, I ate more food than I normally would if I just woke up and went running...
When I left the house to do my run, I very quickly felt sick and had bad cramps, so I decided to stop at mile 2. I am not sure if it's due to not letting my food settle, or if I have a little bug of some sort that is making me feel sick. I didn't feel well the rest of the day so I slept and laid around the house. All while trying not to get frustrated that I didn't get my run done as I had planned.
I set my alarm for 7am this morning with intentions of doing my run if I was feeling better, but I still didn't feel that great, and I decided it was my birthday and I was going to skip my run! Instead I went back to sleep for three more hours!
Birthday Day of Fun
When I woke up for the second time this morning I was feeling a little better, and knew I wanted to spend the day doing fun things with my husband. We started off the day with brunch at one of our favorites restaurants in Dunedin, called Kelly's. I had my usual: yogurt with granola, a fruit cup, and the muffin of the day (which was Raspberry Nut). It was the perfect way to start the day.
Next, we drove south about one hour to Anna Maria Island. We have been wanting to visit for awhile now, and decided it was a good day to make the drive.
It was kind of cold today, but at least the sun was out and it was nice enough to walk around the beach and the small downtown area.
.JPG)
Our reflections in the water from a bridge :)
Now we are back home and I am making Magic Cookie Bars, a.k.a Five Layer Bars, since my in-laws are coming to visit tomorrow. They are staying in a hotel near by, and I thought it would be nice to give them some cookies to keep as snacks in the hotel room.
And how I can forget to mention that we have a white cake, with white icing waiting in the fridge. It's my favorite kind of cake and I am very excited to have a piece. It will be the perfect end to a great birthday.
What's your favorite kind of cake? People think I am crazy for not preferring chocolate cake, but I don't care. White cake is the BEST!
Happy Birthday Megan!
Cheers to my Florida friend :) Happy Valentines Day too!
We got up early and made blueberry pancakes this morning! Yum. They were whole wheat and contained a serving of fruit.
Whole Wheat Pancake Recipe
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Winter Games/Rewards
Did anyone stay up to watch the Opening Ceremonies last night? I LOVE the Olympics. I think they are so motivating!! I have already logged 2 plus hours today watching skiing. Thankfully some of that was on the treadmill. Today I did 2 miles plus a Jillian workout. The running and Jillian combo still pushes me way past my comfort zone but I feel pretty good today. Tomorrow is a long run - 5 miles. (The training schedule says 4, but I figure since I am comfortable at 5 and its decent outside I should go for it!)
Rewards
Since I have started the Jillian Challenge, I have lost 7 lbs! Granted, some of it was cookie weight from the holidays, but I am impressed. One more week to go and I will re-take my measurements. I am amazed that you can get a solid workout in, in 22 minutes!
Today I reward myself with my chocolate milk smoothie and a valentines surprise!
Smoothie
1/4 cup of low fat chocolate milk (You can add more if you don't like it as thick)
1 medium banana
6 ice cubes
I eat this all the time in summer, but it makes me feel like I am drinking a chocolate milkshake and is a great protein boost after weight training.
Valentines Day
Tomorrow is Megan's birthday!! :) Last year at this time we were prepping to run in the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon! Check us out...
Today I came home to find a nice Valentine's Day surprise from Megan...Twilight Sweethearts!! Did you know 40 sweethearts only have 160 calories? A good snack to keep around! I might have to watch the original Twilight tomorrow. Its been a while! I hope New Moon comes out on DVD soon. Oh Edward....Which team are you?
Rewards
Since I have started the Jillian Challenge, I have lost 7 lbs! Granted, some of it was cookie weight from the holidays, but I am impressed. One more week to go and I will re-take my measurements. I am amazed that you can get a solid workout in, in 22 minutes!
Today I reward myself with my chocolate milk smoothie and a valentines surprise!
Smoothie
1/4 cup of low fat chocolate milk (You can add more if you don't like it as thick)
1 medium banana
6 ice cubes
I eat this all the time in summer, but it makes me feel like I am drinking a chocolate milkshake and is a great protein boost after weight training.
Valentines Day
Tomorrow is Megan's birthday!! :) Last year at this time we were prepping to run in the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon! Check us out...
Today I came home to find a nice Valentine's Day surprise from Megan...Twilight Sweethearts!! Did you know 40 sweethearts only have 160 calories? A good snack to keep around! I might have to watch the original Twilight tomorrow. Its been a while! I hope New Moon comes out on DVD soon. Oh Edward....Which team are you?
Friday, February 12, 2010
Busy Week
TGIF!
It's been a busy, yet productive week for me. I stayed on plan and completed my two 5 miles runs this week, and I am ready for my 9 mile run tomorrow. I am too scared to actually check the weather for tomorrow morning because I am pretty sure it's going to be some combination of cold, rainy, and windy. Definitely not ideal running weather, but I will just have to suck it up and do my run anyway.
I am very fortunate that I get to watch the sun rise while driving into Tampa for work each morning. I saw something yesterday that I had never seen before....a rainbow on the edge of the clouds as the sun was rising. How cool is that!!! I had to turn off my flash since I was in the car, but you get the idea.
I prefer to do my running before work, but it's been so cold this week, that I have switched to running after work. Even yesterday at 5pm, I had to wear my hat and gloves to go out for a run. Brrrrr!
I actually had the fastest run that I have had in a long time, maybe throughout all of my training so far. I did 5 miles in 56:00. I now have my Garmin Forerunner set up to track one mile splits, so here is a look at my 5 miles from yesterday:
- Mile 1: 10:41
- Mile 2: 10:47
- Mile 3: 11:23
- Mile 4: 11:47
- Mile 5: 11:21
I can't believe the half marathon is getting so close. I feel like I have been thinking about it for so long! I am really pleased with the progress of my training, and it's a great feeling to feel like it's going to pay off.
I will leave you with this random picture. I pulled over on the drive home from work today to take a phone call, and I was sitting there the whole time while on the phone thinking about what a beautiful view I happended to stumble upon.
Do you always have your camera with you? I like to keep it in my purse because I never know when I am going to need to take a picture.
Snow Dog
Our dog Gracie, LOVES the snow. She hates summertime and lives for the 15 degree weather when she can lay in the snow and cool off. In fact most nights you can find her laying on our deck licking icicles, which we call popcicles. It amazes me that the cold does not bother her!
This weekend I thought my scrapbook challenge would be to create a fun page for Gracie. She gets left out of the pictures sometimes and really is part of the family!
I looked through some of my scrapbooking magazines and found this layout from the February, 2010 edition of Scrapbooks etc. It features some fun embellishments, which I am not sure I have, but I am hoping the cricket will come in handy here. I also liked the layering of the paper. The different designs always make the page look much more polished.
Have any of you done "pet themed" pages? How do you make sure the whole family is incorporated into your layouts?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sigh
I am not sure what to call this blog posting except that I am just taking a deep cleansing breath and am thankful that the week is almost over. I have had a hard time finding energy to keep the overdrive in full gear this week....case in point, I forgot to set my alarm for spinning this a.m. and slept right through it! I guess I must of been tired. Unfortunately in the IT world, there is not much of a chance of a snow day!
Sometimes I wonder how much is too much...
Ironically today I got two emails that motivated me to keep going and to not fret over my sleep in incident.
1. My Runner's World Quotes. You can go to http://www.runnersworld.com/ and sign up for the daily motivational quotes. Here is today's. And yes, I could use a 25 hour day, but the morning workout is a little piece of heaven when you are done.
"When you run in the morning, you gain time in a sense. Its like stretching 24 hours into 35. You may need to sleep less and get up earlier, but if you can get by that, running early expands the day." - Fred Lebow (Founder of the NYC Marathon)
2. Jillian's "Losing It" Newsletter. Yes, I subscribe to it, but you should expect that from me by now. Most of the time I just browse through it, but today's was about over training.
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/overtraining
It was nice to read a reminder about the importance of rest and overdoing it. I am still going to get all my running in and my planned weight training workouts, so I am taking a "sigh" and moving on.
Quick and Healthy
Tonight for dinner I really wanted to watch my calories since I didn't work out. We made a quick simple recipe which is great for the entire family and makes plenty of leftovers.
Rachel Ray Green Rice with Chicken Peas and Almonds
Whats Next?
This weekend I am on a mission to find some creative/healthy valentines day treats (I waited until the last minute) and search for some fun scrapbooking layouts. I feel like Scrapbooking always becomes the last priority so hopefully I can give it a little attention this weekend! (Even if its only planning, its a start!)
...and of course a Skinny Girl margarita, which I have been patiently waiting for all week!
Sometimes I wonder how much is too much...
Ironically today I got two emails that motivated me to keep going and to not fret over my sleep in incident.
1. My Runner's World Quotes. You can go to http://www.runnersworld.com/ and sign up for the daily motivational quotes. Here is today's. And yes, I could use a 25 hour day, but the morning workout is a little piece of heaven when you are done.
"When you run in the morning, you gain time in a sense. Its like stretching 24 hours into 35. You may need to sleep less and get up earlier, but if you can get by that, running early expands the day." - Fred Lebow (Founder of the NYC Marathon)
2. Jillian's "Losing It" Newsletter. Yes, I subscribe to it, but you should expect that from me by now. Most of the time I just browse through it, but today's was about over training.
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/overtraining
It was nice to read a reminder about the importance of rest and overdoing it. I am still going to get all my running in and my planned weight training workouts, so I am taking a "sigh" and moving on.
Quick and Healthy
Tonight for dinner I really wanted to watch my calories since I didn't work out. We made a quick simple recipe which is great for the entire family and makes plenty of leftovers.
Rachel Ray Green Rice with Chicken Peas and Almonds
Whats Next?
This weekend I am on a mission to find some creative/healthy valentines day treats (I waited until the last minute) and search for some fun scrapbooking layouts. I feel like Scrapbooking always becomes the last priority so hopefully I can give it a little attention this weekend! (Even if its only planning, its a start!)
...and of course a Skinny Girl margarita, which I have been patiently waiting for all week!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Back in the Pool
Last night I stopped by the gym on the way home from work for a swim. As I mentioned in my post about triathlon training, I am doing a six week swim program to build my endurance so I can swim one mile prior to my Olympic Triathlon.
I don't officially start the swim program on my training schedule until March 2nd, but I currently don't have enough stamina to complete the week one workouts, so I decided to get my butt in the pool as often as I can between now and March 2nd. The good part of this is that I am still so bad, that a quick swim makes for a good workout for me, so I don't have to be at the gym for long periods of time for swimming!
I learned a few things while at the gym yesterday....
1. I need to not only build my endurance, but also work on my stroke. Luckily Caitlin, from Healthy Tipping Point, had her friend Ryan, from Greens for Good, do a guest post on learning to swim. I will focus on one of Ryan's pointers each time, with the hopes that improving my form will help make it easier to swim longer distances.
2. I need to buy a swim cap. I already have the one piece suit and the googles, so I guess it's time to suck it up and wear a swim cap. I had some nasty tangles in my hair by the time I was done with my swim!
Overall, it felt great to get back in the pool and find something new to challenge myself. Plus I am getting nervous thinking about the triathlon at the end of April because I am not prepared to swim .93 miles. The longest swim I have ever done was 1/3 mile in a triathlon last summer, and I thought it was so hard. So obviously I have some work to do in the next few months.
Swimming is a very different type of exercise in my opinion because I am not listening to music, there is no one to talk to, and I can't even people watch while I am swimming. The whole time I am swimming my focus is 100% on swimming. That doesn't happen to me with other sports. Do you ever have 100% focus while playing a sport or working out?
I don't officially start the swim program on my training schedule until March 2nd, but I currently don't have enough stamina to complete the week one workouts, so I decided to get my butt in the pool as often as I can between now and March 2nd. The good part of this is that I am still so bad, that a quick swim makes for a good workout for me, so I don't have to be at the gym for long periods of time for swimming!
I learned a few things while at the gym yesterday....
1. I need to not only build my endurance, but also work on my stroke. Luckily Caitlin, from Healthy Tipping Point, had her friend Ryan, from Greens for Good, do a guest post on learning to swim. I will focus on one of Ryan's pointers each time, with the hopes that improving my form will help make it easier to swim longer distances.
2. I need to buy a swim cap. I already have the one piece suit and the googles, so I guess it's time to suck it up and wear a swim cap. I had some nasty tangles in my hair by the time I was done with my swim!
Overall, it felt great to get back in the pool and find something new to challenge myself. Plus I am getting nervous thinking about the triathlon at the end of April because I am not prepared to swim .93 miles. The longest swim I have ever done was 1/3 mile in a triathlon last summer, and I thought it was so hard. So obviously I have some work to do in the next few months.
Swimming is a very different type of exercise in my opinion because I am not listening to music, there is no one to talk to, and I can't even people watch while I am swimming. The whole time I am swimming my focus is 100% on swimming. That doesn't happen to me with other sports. Do you ever have 100% focus while playing a sport or working out?
Weekly Favorites List #1: Eating, Scrapbooking, Running
Eat.Scrap.Run has a new weekly feature, the Weekly Favorites List!
Each Wednesday, we will post links to our favorite new eating, running, and scrapbooking websites. I tend to always go to the same websites for information, so it will be fun to expand our "internet" horizons and see what else is out there.
For today...
Eating
Did you know Williams Sonoma has recipes on their website? For me these are not "everyday" type recipes because they are often labor-intensive, but it's a fun site for searching for a meal for a special occasion.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/
Scrapbooking
My favorite place to get ideas for scrapbook layouts and card ideas is Scrapjazz. You can also upload your own pages and other people can leave comments for you. It's a great way to share your work with other people instead of just keeping it at home in a book like I usually do!
Running
One of my favorite running websites is Active.com. It's my "go-to" place to check for races in my area. They also have great newsletters that are sent through email. You can sign up for specific newsletters that interest you here.
What are your favorite websites for eating, scrapbooking, or running?
Each Wednesday, we will post links to our favorite new eating, running, and scrapbooking websites. I tend to always go to the same websites for information, so it will be fun to expand our "internet" horizons and see what else is out there.
For today...
Eating
Did you know Williams Sonoma has recipes on their website? For me these are not "everyday" type recipes because they are often labor-intensive, but it's a fun site for searching for a meal for a special occasion.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/
Scrapbooking
My favorite place to get ideas for scrapbook layouts and card ideas is Scrapjazz. You can also upload your own pages and other people can leave comments for you. It's a great way to share your work with other people instead of just keeping it at home in a book like I usually do!
Running
One of my favorite running websites is Active.com. It's my "go-to" place to check for races in my area. They also have great newsletters that are sent through email. You can sign up for specific newsletters that interest you here.
What are your favorite websites for eating, scrapbooking, or running?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Birthday Month
My family refers to "February" as "Birthday Month" in our house because my birthday is in February and I tend to over do it with the goals this time of year. I think of my birthday as a reminder of everything I have accomplished in a year and I try to make up for any slack the last few months.
This year I ran two half marathons, got glasses and had my first cavity. The last two were some what traumatizing however I'd like to think that in my 30th year I have grown and am continuing to move ahead with a healthy lifestyle. My husband an I also got to see U2 in concert and spend two weeks at the beach. Both activities that make for a happy, healthy year overall.
This time of year I also try to make sure I have had all my yearly check-ups. I had a cavity free dental checkup yesterday, got a physical etc. I personally believe that this type of maintenance will end up paying off in the long run. Perhaps 30 more good years!!
How do you measure a good year?
Challenges
Now back to the challenge. My first challenge was to lose a few pounds (most of it gained this summer during our two weeks at the beach). I am accomplishing this through my 3 Jillian workouts a week.
Today however I started a new additional challenge. I am going to be joining Megan in the Iron Girl Clearwater 15 K Challenge. I am still contemplating whether or not to run in May in the Columbus 1/2 Marathon, but regardless I started the training today and can officially sign up once I know how my work schedule plays out. (Refer to "To Run or Not to Run"). I am trying really hard to not over schedule myself. So if I don't run in May, I will catch the 1/2 marathon in October. I thought the 15K was a good middle ground to start with and allows me to go see Megan!
I am a little unsure how the challenges are going to work out together, but today was my first try at combining them. I keep track of my workouts on a bulletin board in our laundry room. I am doing pieces of the 1/2 marathon Novice program
along with my Jillian workouts.
Today I ran 3 miles and then did a 25 minute weigh/circuit workout. I almost threw up. It was really hard!! My schedule for the rest of the week is as follows:
I am taking it week by week as far as combining goes. My goal for the race is to simply improve my overall fitness level and not necessarily my time. I think its really important to have a goal in mind when you sign up for something. I'd like to incorporate some sprints into my workout as well as they really helped me the last running season. Perhaps that will be next week! T
How do you set challenges for yourself? Do they ever conflict?
Two more weeks and we can compare the Jillian before and after results...Are any of you tuning into the Biggest Loser? I keep giving it another chance but am just now sure. I wonder when Jillian's new show is supposed to start.
This year I ran two half marathons, got glasses and had my first cavity. The last two were some what traumatizing however I'd like to think that in my 30th year I have grown and am continuing to move ahead with a healthy lifestyle. My husband an I also got to see U2 in concert and spend two weeks at the beach. Both activities that make for a happy, healthy year overall.
This time of year I also try to make sure I have had all my yearly check-ups. I had a cavity free dental checkup yesterday, got a physical etc. I personally believe that this type of maintenance will end up paying off in the long run. Perhaps 30 more good years!!
How do you measure a good year?
Challenges
Now back to the challenge. My first challenge was to lose a few pounds (most of it gained this summer during our two weeks at the beach). I am accomplishing this through my 3 Jillian workouts a week.
Today however I started a new additional challenge. I am going to be joining Megan in the Iron Girl Clearwater 15 K Challenge. I am still contemplating whether or not to run in May in the Columbus 1/2 Marathon, but regardless I started the training today and can officially sign up once I know how my work schedule plays out. (Refer to "To Run or Not to Run"). I am trying really hard to not over schedule myself. So if I don't run in May, I will catch the 1/2 marathon in October. I thought the 15K was a good middle ground to start with and allows me to go see Megan!
I am a little unsure how the challenges are going to work out together, but today was my first try at combining them. I keep track of my workouts on a bulletin board in our laundry room. I am doing pieces of the 1/2 marathon Novice program
along with my Jillian workouts.
Today I ran 3 miles and then did a 25 minute weigh/circuit workout. I almost threw up. It was really hard!! My schedule for the rest of the week is as follows:
Wednesday: Metabolism Boost
Thursday: Spinning
Friday: Run 2 Miles/Circuit
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run 4 miles
Thursday: Spinning
Friday: Run 2 Miles/Circuit
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run 4 miles
I am taking it week by week as far as combining goes. My goal for the race is to simply improve my overall fitness level and not necessarily my time. I think its really important to have a goal in mind when you sign up for something. I'd like to incorporate some sprints into my workout as well as they really helped me the last running season. Perhaps that will be next week! T
How do you set challenges for yourself? Do they ever conflict?
Two more weeks and we can compare the Jillian before and after results...Are any of you tuning into the Biggest Loser? I keep giving it another chance but am just now sure. I wonder when Jillian's new show is supposed to start.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Triathlon Training Schedule
Today I created my training plan for my Olympic Distance Triathlon on April 25th, St. Anthony's Triathlon. The race distances are:
Swim 1.5K (.93 miles)
Bike 40K (25 miles)
Run 10K (6.2 miles)
This is the first time I have done an Olympic Distance Triathlon, so my goals for this race will be to finish (but not last!) and to have fun with the training. I know there are much more intense training schedules out there, but this is what I am planning to do, with the hope that it "gets me through the race". I am not trying to win any awards or anything crazy.
Here is my overall training plan for each leg of the race (along with a few pictures from triathlons last summer):
Swim (that's me, #229)
The biggest concern for me is the swimming portion of the triathlon, so I have decided to follow the >Zero to 1650 plan, which is a six week program to build you up to one mile, or 1650 meters, of swimming. I have decided to follow the plan as written, and commit to swimming three times a week. My six week time period will start on March 2, and will end on April 11 with my one mile swim! At this time, I will still have two weeks left before the race to taper and focus on some open water swims.
Bike (before buying a road bike)
I will do one "long" bike ride each weekend. My official bike training will start in March with a long ride of 10 miles. My plan right now is to increase my long bike ride by 5 miles each week, with a peak of 25 miles at the beginning of April. I wanted to space out my 25 mile bike ride and my one mile swim to make sure that they didn't occur the same weekend in the training plan. I am also hoping to fit in one other biking workout during the week. I have no idea if 5 miles extra a week will seem easy or hard, so of course this could change as I get into the training.
Run
My training plan for the run is still loosely defined at this point. I want to see how I feel after the half marathon on February 28th, and I will continue to do a "long" run on the weekends throughout the triathlon training. If I am feeling up to it, I will peak with a 15K run for the >Iron Girl 15K in Clearwater on April 10th, which is two weeks before the triathlon. Because I need to focus on biking and swimming during my training, if the runs become too hard, I will stay with a max run of 6 miles throughout the triathlon training. I am also hoping to fit in one other running workout during the week.
Transitions and Bricks
The weekends on my training schedule are the only time during my training that I will work on the transitions between swimming and biking (is there a name for this?), and biking and running (called bricks). Saturday I will swim and bike back to back, and then Sunday just run. The next weekend, I will swim on Saturday, and then bike and run back to back on Sunday. Sounds easy, right?
Looks like I need to warn my husband that I am going to have no social life for the months of March and April. Right now it looks like I am going to need lots of healthy food and a lot of good sleep.
Swim 1.5K (.93 miles)
Bike 40K (25 miles)
Run 10K (6.2 miles)
This is the first time I have done an Olympic Distance Triathlon, so my goals for this race will be to finish (but not last!) and to have fun with the training. I know there are much more intense training schedules out there, but this is what I am planning to do, with the hope that it "gets me through the race". I am not trying to win any awards or anything crazy.
Here is my overall training plan for each leg of the race (along with a few pictures from triathlons last summer):
Swim (that's me, #229)
The biggest concern for me is the swimming portion of the triathlon, so I have decided to follow the >Zero to 1650 plan, which is a six week program to build you up to one mile, or 1650 meters, of swimming. I have decided to follow the plan as written, and commit to swimming three times a week. My six week time period will start on March 2, and will end on April 11 with my one mile swim! At this time, I will still have two weeks left before the race to taper and focus on some open water swims.
Bike (before buying a road bike)
I will do one "long" bike ride each weekend. My official bike training will start in March with a long ride of 10 miles. My plan right now is to increase my long bike ride by 5 miles each week, with a peak of 25 miles at the beginning of April. I wanted to space out my 25 mile bike ride and my one mile swim to make sure that they didn't occur the same weekend in the training plan. I am also hoping to fit in one other biking workout during the week. I have no idea if 5 miles extra a week will seem easy or hard, so of course this could change as I get into the training.
Run
My training plan for the run is still loosely defined at this point. I want to see how I feel after the half marathon on February 28th, and I will continue to do a "long" run on the weekends throughout the triathlon training. If I am feeling up to it, I will peak with a 15K run for the >Iron Girl 15K in Clearwater on April 10th, which is two weeks before the triathlon. Because I need to focus on biking and swimming during my training, if the runs become too hard, I will stay with a max run of 6 miles throughout the triathlon training. I am also hoping to fit in one other running workout during the week.
Transitions and Bricks
The weekends on my training schedule are the only time during my training that I will work on the transitions between swimming and biking (is there a name for this?), and biking and running (called bricks). Saturday I will swim and bike back to back, and then Sunday just run. The next weekend, I will swim on Saturday, and then bike and run back to back on Sunday. Sounds easy, right?
Looks like I need to warn my husband that I am going to have no social life for the months of March and April. Right now it looks like I am going to need lots of healthy food and a lot of good sleep.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
How cold is too cold?
What temperature is too cold for you to run outside?
Today was a record for me. The coldest to date that I have ran outside. It was a nice crisp 19 degrees and the run was perfect! I had not even planned to run today but kept gazing outside wanting to go check out the scenery. The trees are amazing right now. We had a mix of snow and ice and every inch of the tree is now covered in white. Thankfully Santa was nice this year and got me some cold weather gear so I was prepared... 3 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, gloves, hat and scarf and I was ready to go. 5 miles later (in record time for me, 53 minutes), I was feeling revived, and excited that I pushed myself past my comfort zone. The cold was worth it and one of my best runs!
On a side note yesterday I did Jillian's Last Chance Workout which is why I thought I would need a lighter workout today. It was 29 minutes of intensity. I can't even imagine what a 2-3 hour session with her would be like. I have to say though, going into my 3rd week of the challenge, I am able to keep up. It is still one of the most difficult things I have done, but I am getting through it! I took measurements of my body prior to the challenge so I am interested to see if anything changes. Two more weeks to go!
What healthy Super Bowl treats do you make?
Tonight we made Jambalaya. Its a super simple crock pot recipe that is great for a cold day. I have made this several times with different versions of sausage.
I also made my cherry cookies again but this time used 1/2 raisins, 1/2 cranberries. They were still really good!!
Winter Mishap...
This has nothing to do with eating healthy or running, however I think this will make a pretty funny scrapbook page when I get to it. The snowplow ran right over our mailbox. It is propped up right now because of all the snow, but pretty soon I am guessing we will have to actually fix it!!
Mini-Goals
Good morning!!!
I am so excited to go to Sarasota today and spend the day with my dad and step mom. Their flight was delayed out of Ohio yesterday, but they still made it to Florida last night. Unfortunately it's not beach weather today, but we are going to meet for lunch at St. Armand's Circle and do some shopping. It should be a fun day!
I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but I am trying to lose a little weight right now. It's really hard for me to do with all the running, because it makes me so hungry. The more I run, the more I want to eat!
I decided I needed a mini-goal to motivate myself this week. While going through the mail yesterday, I found a catalog from Athleta. I love their clothes, but they are expensive in my opinion, so I have never ordered anything.
I decided my reward for losing at least two pounds this week will be permission to myself to order some fun things from the catalog!! This goal will also coincide with my birthday, which is next Sunday, so this will be like a birthday present to myself :)
The other thing I really liked about this catalog, which was actually called the "Yoga Edition", was all the yoga pictures they included in the magazine. This makes me want to become a Yoga Superstar!!!
Do you keep yourself motivated with mini-goals and rewards? I find that it's hard to look at weight loss over the long term, but smaller, mini-goals make it more manageable.
I am so excited to go to Sarasota today and spend the day with my dad and step mom. Their flight was delayed out of Ohio yesterday, but they still made it to Florida last night. Unfortunately it's not beach weather today, but we are going to meet for lunch at St. Armand's Circle and do some shopping. It should be a fun day!
I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but I am trying to lose a little weight right now. It's really hard for me to do with all the running, because it makes me so hungry. The more I run, the more I want to eat!
I decided I needed a mini-goal to motivate myself this week. While going through the mail yesterday, I found a catalog from Athleta. I love their clothes, but they are expensive in my opinion, so I have never ordered anything.
I decided my reward for losing at least two pounds this week will be permission to myself to order some fun things from the catalog!! This goal will also coincide with my birthday, which is next Sunday, so this will be like a birthday present to myself :)
The other thing I really liked about this catalog, which was actually called the "Yoga Edition", was all the yoga pictures they included in the magazine. This makes me want to become a Yoga Superstar!!!
Do you keep yourself motivated with mini-goals and rewards? I find that it's hard to look at weight loss over the long term, but smaller, mini-goals make it more manageable.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Running Posture
I have never really thought about my posture while running, but in my every day life, I know I have bad posture, and I tend to hunch over and not sit with my back straight.
During my 6 mile run this morning, I found a way to tweak my posture and it was much easier to run! Around the start of mile 5 I was starting to feel tired, and somehow I straightened up my posture while running, and it actually felt better. It never even crossed my mind that I could run faster by changing my posture!
I don't have splits set up on my Gamin Forerunner, so I can't tell how much faster my last two miles were, but I know there were faster than I normally run. My overall time for 6 miles was 1 hr 8 minutes. That's fast for me!!
I found a few articles online related to running posture. I plan to read more on this in the upcoming days.
The Perfect Form, from Runners World
5 Things You Need to Know about Running Posture, from Livestrong.com
A Whole Website on Natural Posture Running!
Have you ever changed your running posture to make your running more efficient?
During my 6 mile run this morning, I found a way to tweak my posture and it was much easier to run! Around the start of mile 5 I was starting to feel tired, and somehow I straightened up my posture while running, and it actually felt better. It never even crossed my mind that I could run faster by changing my posture!
I don't have splits set up on my Gamin Forerunner, so I can't tell how much faster my last two miles were, but I know there were faster than I normally run. My overall time for 6 miles was 1 hr 8 minutes. That's fast for me!!
I found a few articles online related to running posture. I plan to read more on this in the upcoming days.
The Perfect Form, from Runners World
5 Things You Need to Know about Running Posture, from Livestrong.com
A Whole Website on Natural Posture Running!
Have you ever changed your running posture to make your running more efficient?
Friday, February 5, 2010
It's the Weekend!
Work has been stressful lately with all the talk of finding new jobs, so I am very happy that it's Friday evening and I have the whole weekend ahead of me! Usually my weekends are pretty low key, but I feel like I have a lot planned for this weekend.
Tomorrow morning I will do my "long run" for my half marathon training, but it's a taper week so I only have to do 6.2 miles. It will be a nice break compared to my 8 miles last weekend and my 9 miles next weekend.
Tomorrow afternoon we are supposed to go to the beach and play volleyball with friends, but I don't think the weather is going to cooperate. Instead I will probably do laundry, make a few birthday cards, and do our taxes. Definitely not as fun as going to the beach.
Sunday my husband and I will drive to Sarasota to spend the day with my dad and step-mom, who are in Florida on vacation. Well, they will be on vacation if they can make it out of the snow in Ohio tomorrow!
I went to Costco after work and accidentally stumbled upon a 5.5 lb bag of frozen stir fry vegetables. I was planning to make vegetable soup tonight, so this was the perfect way to avoid cutting up all those vegetables!!
I made a huge pot of soup using the vegetables, and then added chicken broth, a few scallions I had in the fridge, and garlic. It turned out really good. I ate two big bowls for dinner, along with a wrap of roast beef and laughing cow cheese.
YUM!
Tonight I also made the Cooking Light Chocolate Cherry Cookies that Holly posted about awhile back. They were really good too! Although the recipe says it makes 30. That makes each cookie really small!!
I used the Cherry Flavored Craisins because they were half the price of the dried cherries. I was lazy and made them "bar cookies" because I didn't want to roll out the dough. It tastes the same whether it's square or round, right?
Now I just have to cut up the cookies and put them away so I don't eat them all. How do you keep yourself from eating "treats" that you have in the house?
Tomorrow morning I will do my "long run" for my half marathon training, but it's a taper week so I only have to do 6.2 miles. It will be a nice break compared to my 8 miles last weekend and my 9 miles next weekend.
Tomorrow afternoon we are supposed to go to the beach and play volleyball with friends, but I don't think the weather is going to cooperate. Instead I will probably do laundry, make a few birthday cards, and do our taxes. Definitely not as fun as going to the beach.
Sunday my husband and I will drive to Sarasota to spend the day with my dad and step-mom, who are in Florida on vacation. Well, they will be on vacation if they can make it out of the snow in Ohio tomorrow!
I went to Costco after work and accidentally stumbled upon a 5.5 lb bag of frozen stir fry vegetables. I was planning to make vegetable soup tonight, so this was the perfect way to avoid cutting up all those vegetables!!
I made a huge pot of soup using the vegetables, and then added chicken broth, a few scallions I had in the fridge, and garlic. It turned out really good. I ate two big bowls for dinner, along with a wrap of roast beef and laughing cow cheese.
YUM!
Tonight I also made the Cooking Light Chocolate Cherry Cookies that Holly posted about awhile back. They were really good too! Although the recipe says it makes 30. That makes each cookie really small!!
I used the Cherry Flavored Craisins because they were half the price of the dried cherries. I was lazy and made them "bar cookies" because I didn't want to roll out the dough. It tastes the same whether it's square or round, right?
Now I just have to cut up the cookies and put them away so I don't eat them all. How do you keep yourself from eating "treats" that you have in the house?
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