Recharge Your Life

You know what I hate? That batteries die. Especially when you're travelling and you need your cell phone to communicate. And you can't use your tablet because Wi-Fi costs money. And your flight is delayed...

So while I was hanging out an extra two hours (thanks for the chance to read my new book!) I started thinking about how life is like that. If the power goes out at home, you can guarantee you won't be fully charged on any of your electronic devices. And if one area of your life becomes unbalanced, like what you eat, not getting enough sleep, not getting enough down time, working too hard, then it seems like all areas of your life suffer. Even on vacation, it sometimes seems you're just accumulating work for when you get it!

And it seems like everyone else is running on  a better battery pack than what you've got. How do those people who have it altogether do it? Like the lady at the gym who's a teacher, goes to classes daily, is a fitness goddess, is a pastor's wife, sings in the choir, and everyone loves her and wants to be her! Or the lady on the plane who would not shut up about her job promotion and the convention she was invited to. Sure, those are only glimpses into someone's life, but how do we get more energy?

To some extent, like the Energizer Bunny, if you start moving, you may find more energy to keep going and going and going...but only for a time. We need to recharge to, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Deep breath, no stress. I'm looking forward to a nice, long run tomorrow! That always does it for me!

Killin' It!

The tree in our backyard is budding. I don't care if I did see s-n-o-w flurries today. It's spring, and spring is a good time to get fit! I planned my whole day around kickboxing, and I was tired after Zumba, but it was so worth it! I love kickboxing!!! 

I might have also been tired because I had to get up at 3 to take Steve to the airport at 4. Ugh. Then he said he say on the runway for an hour. Bummer. I made him some quinoa for breakfast:

1/2 C quinoa

3/4 C lite coconut milk

2 tea. vanilla

1/2 tea. cinnamon

dash of salt

Bring quinoa to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes until you can fluff it with a fork. 

Add banana, pecans, honey or brown sugar, and more coconut milk on top to your liking.

Makes two servings.

Steve said it was really good. He read that you're supposed to rinse the quinoa, and I'd love to know if there's a good way to do that! I used a paper towel to keep it from going down the sieve.

I had a banana with coconut, chocolate chips and peanut butter, and then I was still full at lunch. My wonderful boss picked me up some tuna salad from the grocery store. I was shocked at all the ingredients! Tuna, mayo (ok, with you so far), bread crumbs, hydrogenated soy bean oil, high fructose corn syrup, some kind of pickle...it was pretty good though! 

I Zumba'd, and got most of the routines (woo hoo!). At one point I thought people were watching us because we're that good, but it turns out it was just the people waiting for the next class to start! 

Then kickboxing. Then Fazoli's. Woo hoo! 

The Universe Confirms It

My biggest battle in being healthy is drinking Pepsi. I've given it up before, for up to a year, but if I have one sip, I'm back to it! Truthfully, I don't really want to give it up...except I kind of do, because I don't want to drink it anymore...except I'm just so much happier when I drink it! 

So a big part of my 30-day challenge is NO PEPSI. Yesterday, I didn't have one...I also had a killer headache, the first I've had in a while. It could have partially been the lack of caffeine, but I think it was mostly the weather. Sinuses, ouch.

So today, I stopped before church to get Sunday school supplies and bought a 20 oz bottle. I opened it in the car, then I stuck it in my purse to carry it inside. But the top wasn't on, and I dumped most of a 20 ounce bottle on my pants (and my shoes and my coat and on the hem of my sweater). 

I guess I didn't need it after all. (Still, it counts. Thirty days starts over again...and...go!)

After church, it was sunny and clear (but cold and windy) but I chose to run outside (it goes so much faster, even if you can't feel your face). And I was rewarded! The alpacas were out! (There's an alpaca farm--it's for sale!--just past the library.) They look kind of like this:

I wanted to stop to pet them, but that would ruin my splits, so I just ran by. I ran pretty well, since the wind was at my back most of the way. I even tacked on an extra mile to make it 6.2 instead of 5. Actually, I was freezing for the first mile, and I wished I'd brought a headband and gloves, but I just would've ended up carrying the gloves back. I had a blue sports bra and a blue shirt and a blue sweatshirt on--I love to match! The new pair of New Balance shoes I got are a 7, instead of a 6.5, and I feel like my feet look really big in them! But they're comfy, which is all that matters.

Sci-fi Exercise

I am a geek!!! I was a geek before it was cool, though.

I've been trying to catch up on Doctor Who, and there's an episode where aliens have created a diet pill. Each night, the people taking the pill lose a pound of fat, and it literally walks away as the CUTEST thing you've ever seen!

You can watch it on Amazon Prime here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003K880WY/ref=dv_dp_ep2 (The Episode is Partners in Crime, from season four). 
What if you got one of these cuties for every pound you lost?! I'd be SO motivated! 
On my run today, some random person yelled out the window at me...I never know if it's meant to be demeaning or encouraging. Mostly because my headphones are up too loud, so I have no idea what they said. When I turned around, a different car passed me, and instead of yelling, the person in the car held out their hand in the "live long and prosper" signal. First, YES! Second, you can't really miss that message! It's encouragement! I ran a little faster after that. So if you see a runner, don't honk. Hold out your hand. 
Then I switched to the Speedwork mix from Rock My Run, and I forgot, the theme from Superman is on it!
GEEKING OUT! I am Super!!!

The Call of the Bagel

Yesterday, I ran 3 miles at the park in the glorious sunshine, and then I went to the gym and did PIYO and TurboFit. Then it hurt to get up from a chair for the rest of the night. But today I feel great! 

The problem with working out harder is I get hungry! And then I eat! And then I need to work out harder! Today I am craving a bagel, which is pretty much one of the worst foods you can eat. But doesn't it look yummy?! 

We've been eating leftovers all week -- Brunswick stew and grilled chicken and sweet potatoes. I love my husband, but I wish he'd say, just once, "Let's eat out tonight," instead of finishing the last of whatever's left in the Tupperware containers. I know it's healthier to eat at home, but the idea of not having to cook (even if we're only warming something up!) is just so freeing. 

I won't be cooking this weekend since we're travelling next week, but hopefully I'll lots of food pictures from Florida!

Today I want to run 5 miles (and take the dog to get his nailed trimmed), tomorrow is PIYO and Zumba, and Sunday I want to run 8, but the weather looks cold. I hope I don't have to use the treadmill!

Spring!

I am so excited for Spring...even if it's 33 degrees out right now! I think we all need something to kick our butts. Even my husband says he's sick of running in the cold and doesn't feel real motivated to get out of bed when it's still dark out. 

I'm still trying out all the classes at the gym to decide which ones I like. I need write out a training plan for my next half marathon. I'd like to go to the gym Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, do my long runs on Sunday, and fit in three more runs Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. I think that might be doable. I'm shocked how sore I was from the first week! 

We're going to be in Florida next week (Pirates Spring Training!!!!!) but when I get back, I'm hitting it hard. I'm going to make a chart sort of like this one that I found on Pinterest:

I don't have much weight to lose now, so I'm going to number 1-31 for the days in a month, and my goal is to follow the good, healthy habits that I know I need to for 31 days in a row.

No soda, drink enough water, plan my meals and only eat what I plan, exercise, and get enough rest. I bought cereal (Cinnamon Chex) because I LOVE it, but when I eat it first thing in the morning, it brings on a bunch of sugar spikes and crashes, and causes my appetite to skyrocket, so I need to say good-bye to it. No more excuses! Time for spring cleaning in my eating!

Learn to Cook!

What's the number one thing to help you stay healthy? Learn to cook! 

How do you learn to cook? Make the same recipe over and over until you're really really good at it! And maybe some similar recipes. And then get comfortable in the kitchen. And then try new things. And get really good at those. And then invent your own combinations! 

It can be frustrating, if your recipes don't turn out, or you drop an egg on the floor (have you ever tried to clean up an egg?!) , or your husband says it makes him want to barf... but if you keep trying, you'll get better!

For instance, we've been cooking Paleo, and someone asked me about it. "What's Paleo and how do you do it?" I said, "Well, the quick rundown is no grains, no gluten, no dairy, no legumes, no white potatoes, and no added sugar." And she answered, "Well, what do you eat?!" and I laughed and said, "It's not that hard when you get used to cooking it." 

Because there's no cheese in Paleo, and we're used to putting cheese on EVERYTHING, you have to get used to cooking without cheese. And it's good! But we might have said, "This would be better with cheese" a few time at the beginning. 

Also with Paleo, you have to do a lot of prep and cooking. Which means that this weekend, I got groceries at three different stores, cut up strawberries, made apple-pear sauce, cooked a chicken, marinated a pork roast for the crock pot, and looked at the BBQ sauce recipe and decided that I could make it in the morning. Then I made BBQ sauce, pork, and Brunswick Stew. Tonight, Steve made sweet potatoes on the grill to last us the rest of the week.

The Brunswick Stew recipe has a lot of parts, but the more often you make it, the easier it seems. It becomes routine. 

Kickboxing

I found a new workout that I love! 

Zumba is fine. It's fun, you get to feel like you have rhythm, even if you don't, but sometimes I feel like it's not much of a workout because I'm concentrating too hard on not looking like an idiot the steps. So after Zumba at the gym yesterday, I stayed for Kickboxing.

Kickboxing is my thing.

Kick, punch, hit? I can do that! Get all my aggression out on a punching bag? I can do that! Kick as high as my ears? I can do that! 

I'm already planning my schedule around next Monday night's class. 

Tonight is Zumba (instead of PIYO -- I guess the PIYO class got changed. I'm kind of bummed about that) and HIIT Aerobics. I want to check them all out this week to see which I like best. 

Have I mentioned that the staff at the gym is awesome and super nice (and so far, kind of cute, even if they're in their twenties and when did I get so old?). I'm so glad that I got this Groupon to try it out! 

Exercise Class

I went to my first exercise class at a new gym today! Overall it went well. 

But I feel for people who are facing their first day at the gym! I went early because I purchased a Groupon, so I didn't know if I'd need to fill out paperwork or something. I got there at 8:15 for an 8:30 class...and the door was locked! But there were people inside! One of the nice people let me in. It's a 24 hour gym. I'm not sure if you get a scan card for the door with membership? Guess I'll find out... But the class started at 8:30 and the desk staff doesn't get there til 9. Ok, I'll just jump in and pay later! Except now it's 8:45 and still no instructor! (She was awesome, and taught the whole class with a boot on her foot because she had broken her ankle!) She taught PIYO and Zumba. And it was a good workout. We were all sweating. There were some nice ladies there and they all seemed to have fun. I'll have to check out some other classes.

Besides, I still haven't turned in my Groupon! Oops. Next time.

They're having a Zumbathon to benefit Autism awareness coming up. Should be fun! Two hours of Zumba! 

I took Chico for a walk and then ran 3 miles as well, since the weather was perfect and I wanted to take advantage of it before the craptasticness forecasted for tomorrow. Here's Chico after his walk. He was tired! 

Food Effects

Here is my story of why processed food is evil: 

So I was hungry today at work, and by hungry, I mean "frustrated that every time I closed a Word window... *bing* ... Changes were made to the Normal template. Do you want to save?" NO! So I had to click close, X, close, No. For about 70 different documents that I was just trying to print! And every time I wanted to print I had to click "Properties, grayscale, double-sided." That's easier to type than to do, because in between, I had to wait. I'm convinced that hell is driving in super bad rush hour traffic to a job where the computer is slow!! 

Anyway.

I ate a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. (Sorry, Doritos. I don't mean to pick on you. It is what it is.) I knew it was a bad idea, but I did it anyway. I had a stomachache before I finished the bag (and I still finished the bag). They are NOT. GOOD.  

I'm fine now, I lived, but I don't normally eat chips at all, let alone Doritos, and if you haven't had them for a while, the only thing that makes them good is the memory of when you used to think they tasted good. 

Meanwhile, my husband has been travelling for a week. He's home now. He has food allergies, and something he hate has made him so bloated that he looks like he gained at least 20 pounds. In five days. That isn't right!! We've been so careful and worked so hard to try to get him healthy, and he's still sabotaged by things that he doesn't realize are bad for him, or by thinking a food is safe, but it turns out they coat it with flour or inject it with colors or it never actually came from nature at all, even though it says "All Natural." 

Even the sweet potatoes we had for dinner that were from the grocery store aren't as good as the sweet potatoes we get from the farmers market. So I will be cooking all weekend in an attempt to give Steve some good things to eat. I hope we can find a solution so he can start feeling healthy. He has to eat, but eating the wrong things makes him sick. Bad food = poison. Good food = medicine.

The Little Things in Life

I am making a deep dish, family size cauliflower pizza! My favorite!! It doesn't take much to make me happy. 

I found the original here. I don't think the cauliflower needs the heavy cream or butter, but I use more cheese than the recipe says, I think.

Look at it! Yum!!! Two heads of cauliflower, steamed and mashed, a bag of mozarella cheese, a package of Applegate farms (gluten free) pepperoni! Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Lunch tomorrow! 

I ran five miles again today, and the wind was crazy! I was a full minute faster per mile when it was at my back. 

For breakfast, Chico and I had sausage, eggs, and spinach. For lunch, I had monkey salad (banana, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate chips). I ate my last apple pie Larabar. I've tried the Alt bars, which use peas as protein...not a fan. They taste like peas. Very strange. And you see dinner there. 

I also registered for my next half marathon. Am I crazy runner? Yeah, I guess so! It's at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon--near my hometown. I can't wait! July 26. My sister was reading the FAQ's, which I glanced over, and she said something about the shuttle bus leaving at 5 am. Oh snap! That's early! They also suggested that the hotels are close enough to the high school to walk...oh yeah. We'll be running 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Let's make sure we walk to the bus. Gotta get those 10,000 steps in each day! 

I'll be running 8 miles for my long runs on the weekend for a few weeks, and then I'll bump up the mileage again as the date gets closer. I like Hal Higdon's training plans as a basis. I make sure I hit the mileage he suggests as a minimum, and keep my long runs close to his, but sometimes it takes a few weeks to accomplish a long run. Say there's 10 miles on the schedule, and it's hot or my stomach cramps. So I try to build in extra weeks so I can try again in 7 days! It works for me! I also find that having a goal (even if it's a few months out) helps keep me focused and willing to run! 

Danger, Will Robinson

I have a number on the scale that I call "disaster mode." This is when my weight starts creeping up...I'm still under my "goal" weight, but uncomfortably close. I ate out a lot this past weekend, because we were out of town, and then again last night, so it could just be water weight/sodium/what do they cook the food in?? But I am putting myself back into weight loss transition mode to hopefully head this off at the pass before it's too late and I hit the DANGER ZONE number. At least I know what I need to do...I hope it works! Trying not to weigh myself until Sunday, so I don't get discouraged! 
So here's what I ate today:
A banana strawberry shake, made with banana protein powder, 1/2 banana, skim milk, and 5 strawberries. The banana was frozen, so it was delish!
A granola bar (meal replacement)
Leftover chicken, tomato, spinach goodness from the other night
Cereal
A brownie (meal replacement, made into a shake with mint extract -- think thin mint. Yum!)
Feeling pretty good. Scale still hasn't moved, though, and it's been a whole day! Oh, ignore that part above where I said I'm trying to stay off the scale. That only applies to when I'm not in the bathroom, I guess.
I walked 5 miles on the treadmill. Planning to run outside tomorrow. My fitbit (which I LOVE) says I only did 4 miles total today so that's not right!! 

How It Should Be

Every time I run a half marathon, I end up gaining a little bit of weight. What?! I know! I'm only two pounds heavier, and it's probably just from eating restaurant food over the weekend. Still, from the way my legs FEEL, they should look like this.

It's 78 degrees right now. GLORIOUS! I tried to take a picture for Steve to show him that I AM SO HAPPY to be running OUTSIDE and I LOVE RUNNING* and I LOVE SUNSHINE and I LOVE THIS SONG RIGHT NOW ON MY PLAYLIST!!! 

 And tomorrow when it snows again, I will be miserable and sad. 

But for right now, LOOK AT THAT BLUE SKY!!!!! 

So I ran 5 miles, and I was really surprised that my times were good. My legs were a little stiff, but since it usually takes me a lot longer than two rest days to recover, I'm feeling good. I'm already planning my next races. 

The N.I.C.K. 5k is 4/12/14 at Longacre Park. We run there all the time, so I'd love to do this race again this year (Steve won last year!). It was small last year, because it's sponsored by the Baptist Church, in conjunction with a health fair. 

The Law Day Run in Belleville is May 3. Last year was SO cold. I'm hoping it's warm this year! May 18 there's a run at the zoo that would be awesome. There's also a Run 4 Red Memorial Day run in Belleville that I'd like to do if we're home May 26. That's a lot of runs in May. We'll see how many I sign up for. Maybe if some people would join me...we can wear tutus and get matching shirts! 

*You don't have to run. Running might not be your thing. But you should find your thing, so you can feel awesome too! 

Food for the Soul

I made the BEST dinner tonight. 
3 (small) chicken breasts, sauteed in olive oil, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. 

 Add a can of diced tomatoes, drained, and fresh spinach.

 Chop up fresh mozarella.

Pour the delicious chicken mixture over the mozarella (you could add the cheese to the pan to melt it, but since I knew there'd be leftovers, and Steve doesn't eat cheese, I just let the cheese melt underneath).

 Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!  

 It would totally be good without the cheese to make it Paleo, but I love cheese! 

It is a beautiful day out, so I took Chico for a walk. We went 2.5 miles since he's still carrying his winter weight and my legs are a little stiff. The sun is shining. It's a great day to be alive. 

Time Change Blues

Time change math is hard! Should I be more tired now or less tired? Because I don't feel tired but I'm pretty sure tomorrow morning I won't want to get out of bed...it will be dark in the morning, right?

I just looked at my race chart, and I shaved NINE MINUTES off my half marathon time! That's AWESOME. Steve was 31 seconds faster than our Springfield Race and more than three minutes faster than our last half marathon! But at 1:34:06, he's already running like a fool :)  I can't wait to see the pictures! At one point I joked to the photographer that I didn't see anyone in front of me, so I must be winning! I hope he took a bunch of just me! Photo shoot! 

I will probably stop talking about the race, once my legs stop feeling so stiff...it doesn't help that we had to drive home 4 1/2 hours today. We also ate at a BBQ place for lunch (hey, it was Nashville!), a really good restaurant called Caney Fork that's across the street from the Opryland hotel. We've been there before, and I was so excited to go back! They bring corn fritters to the table, and Steve can't eat them because they're fried! (gluten) More for me! Today we ate at a really cool restaurant that I don't remember the name of but if I find it, I'll recommend it. I had a ham sandwich (since that seemed brunch-y, and it was around 11:00) but then I didn't feel well. And we stopped at Mr. Koolz frozen yogurt in Marion on the way home. I LOVE it there. I would have my birthday party there if I thought anyone would come...actually I'm just going to get enough cups for 10 people and if no one shows up, I'll still be happy!! I had salted caramel pretzel yogurt (blended with vanilla) and topped it with caramel, Reese's Pieces, and pecans. So that was my half-marathon reward (instead of my planned Shamrock Shake--a better choice!)

Tomorrow I will just walk (with Chico! it's supposed to be 70 degrees!), unless my legs miraculously feel better. I have a Groupon for unlimited fitness classes and I was waiting to use it, but I think that will have to wait a few more days! Here's to the pain of accomplishment!

Gupton Jeep Tom King Class Half Marathon Race Report

So I woke up this morning and thought, This is what we do for fun. As in, why would you leave work early to drive 4 1/2 hours to stay in a cheap hotel that smells strongly of cleaner, just to get up at 6 am when it's kind of cold out, stand around til someone fires a gun, and then run a 13.1 mile loop to basically end up where you started, all for a medal you can't wear in public because people will think you're bragging/crazy. Then I thought, This is what we do for fun. THIS. IS. FUN. 

My dad says there's no reason to ever run further than 5 miles in a day, maybe a 10k if you want to race. That will let you eat pretty much what you want, in reason, keep you healthy, and you won't get hurt. I told him that we run half marathons because we CAN. Because it's far enough to be a challenge. Because I feel like I accomplished something. And even if I'm slow, I did something this morning that lots of people won't ever attempt!

So here's how it went:
Colder than I thought this morning. My hands were freezing. I had planned to bring gloves, but the forecasted high is 60, so I knew they'd end up on the side of the road. Another runner had socks on his hands!

The start was VERY jammed with people, not well organized, and late. Steve said it took him 5 minutes to weave around the slow people who started at the front (RACE ETIQUETTE!!!) and no one passed him after that. Lots of people passed me :)

I started strong with 10:30 miles, which slowed after 3 miles to 11 minutes, but my worst mile (yes, I took a break and walked up the hill!) was still 12:something.

I guess Steve could see me when I came around the stadium. I sent him a text so he'd know I would be finishing soon. He wanted to know why I was on my phone when I should be running!

I ran around the field to the finish with a big smile on my face. The sun was shining, I beat my last time, I finished strong, and ooh! a shiny medal!

 
 

After All There's Only One More Sleep Til Race Day!

 We made it! Race packets in hand! I don't know if what I bought to wear will be too hot or too cold, but at least I remembered underwear and socks. And unlike our last vacation when I bought a ten-pack of underwear that ended up BEING size 10, these underwear fit!

We walked around Nashville to stretch our legs, and every third person was smoking! So if I do bad tomorrow it's from smoke inhalation. Steve made me drive so he could work, so if I do bad tomorrow it's because I'm still from driving. We're in a hotel by the airport, so I hope the planes aren't loud--if I do bad tomorrow, it's because I didn't get enough rest. Actually, I've been eating really well and my training runs have gone well, so I'm excited to run tomorrow. Let's just make it fun, shall we kids?

I met Tom King, the man the race is named for. He had a shirt on that said, "I AM TOM KING." I hope that's not the same as being Elvis around here. Looking forward to some BBQ tomorrow when we're done! I'll be the one wearing my finisher's medal.

Rest Days

Rest days are horrible! Time to rely on my training and hope it was enough! And also, not to eat like a pig and feel like I gained 10 pounds, because that's not going to be a good feeling for running! 

I walked on the treadmill to get my 10,000 steps in but tomorrow I'm really going to rest. I'll read my Runner's World magazine and hope that helps! Visualizing a GREAT race and a PR! (Personal record) Of course, I'm such a slow runner, that a PR should be pretty easy to accomplish :) Secondary goal is to finish close to my last race time. Third goal is to finish! 

I try not to broadcast it too loud, but in my last race, I got to ride in the fire truck! It was warmer than I thought, and I got really dizzy at mile 12, and the black started to creep in at the edges of my vision, so I had to call the sag wagon. Then I chugged a Gatorade. Then I barfed a Gatorade. 

I WILL DO BETTER THIS TIME!!!!! 

For one thing, I learned that when it's hot, you're not supposed to drink the water; you're supposed to pour it on the back of your neck! (Race forecast is in the forties and cloudy to start. I don't think I'll have that problem.) I also won't be eating anything because food = stomach cramps for me. And no peanut butter tomorrow! 

We're making egg, sweet potato and sausage hash as a "power breakfast" tomorrow, then eating spaghetti squash for dinner. Before the race, Steve uses Gatorade chews, and I have a Honey Stinger waffle, which worked well before one of my 10-mile runs. 

I'm planning on wearing my purple running tights from Target and a matching purple sweatshirt! I'll be styling! It's the same purple sweatshirt I wore in the Lincoln half marathon. I am psyched. 

I am also crazy enough that even though last time sort of sucked, I'm willing to try again. And THAT'S what makes me a RUNNER!

To-Do? Write a Blog Post for You!

Oh my goodness! I feel like I have so much to do. I'm pretending the stress is excitement. (It's a little bit of stress, though.) Everything always gets done, somehow, but knowing I have more tasks than hours in the day makes me want to play games on my phone, since I'll have to go to bed with tasks undone anyway! 

Luckily, everyone I work for/with and everyone I know/have ever met seems to have been thrown off by February. It was already a short month, it went by so fast, and we spent most of it inside, huddled together, demonstrating how we could see our own breath. Inside. So I have a new book to edit (oh my goodness, I can't wait, this series is so good, the cliffhanger at the end of the last one was horrendous, a love triangle that must be untangled plus the fate of the whole race), essays to grade (lots and lots of essays), clothes to wash before I can pack them for the race on Saturday (or is it good luck if they stink), and a brilliant query letter to write that will get my client published before the daffodils bloom. Also, my dog needs a bath.

Am I the only one who keeps track of what I need to do by leaving the windows open on my computer until it can't handle anymore and it shuts down?


At least dinner was easy. We had leftovers for dinner tonight, and jicama fries! Find the recipe here. (We don't use the chipotle powder.) I kind of dropped the jicama and split it open on the way inside from the car, so that made it easier to cut, but we also had to make sure we used it up this week! Steve had leftover shepherd's pie and I had the spaghetti squash casserole from last night. I ran three miles on the treadmill, and it was boring and I wanted to quit, and that makes me think "how are you going to run 13.1??" but I've trained, I'm ready, and hopefully I'll either make some new friends, or they'll have funny signs to read along the way. 

No Excuses: You CAN Learn to Cook

Why am I so confident? Steve made dinner! We were going to have roasted chicken and jicama fries (a new favorite we found when we did Whole 30), but I wanted to run on the treadmill (5 miles...I really wanted to watch Doctor Who on my tablet with Amazon Prime!). So Steve changed the menu, and pretty much made everything himself.

Spaghetti squash with ground turkey and diced tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce left over from the other day.

Carrots steamed on the stove.

Broccoli steamed in the microwave. 

I helped a little, but Steve made dinner. And he usually warms up the leftovers, so he'll "make" dinner again tomorrow! 

This is a guy who, when we were dating, had to ask me if the water had to be boiling first to make spaghetti. I have to say he's always been willing to help out and learn, but although he may be the Grill Master, he is not a chef.

So if he can learn to cook, anyone can! (And it was good. Here's a picture of Chico begging for some--well, it's more of a hypnotic stare.)

We usually cook the spaghetti squash in the microwave, but these were huge! (Don't they kind of look like minions???) So we split them in half and cooked them at 375 for 45 minutes, with some water in the bottom of the pan. You can add chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, ground pork...you get the idea. We've also added spinach in the past, but we're saving the rest of the bag for omelettes. You can also add cheese (mozarella!) if you're into that. :) Anything you would do with pasta, basically. It's still squash, but when it's warm and gooey and covered in sauce, you won't mind! Trust me!

Sometimes (Day)Dreams Come True

I just watched the ambulance driver across the street crash into the side of the garage while backing the ambulance in! I've been waiting for months for them to hit something! (Not because I'm a vengeful and horrible person, just because that ambulance is huge! It's inevitable.) I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t always use my rearview mirrors to their full and intended capacity. His lack of steering ability could have stemmed from the fact that it snowed, again. Just enough to make getting out of our driveway impossible. We shoveled last night and this morning and tried to chip the ice away, but no luck. I’m ready to move before next winter, to a house with a short, flat driveway, where we won’t have to spend hours digging ourselves out. Maybe the house will also be in Florida, where it doesn’t snow! I just kept thinking, I can’t slip on this ice and bruise my tailbone, because we’re racing next weekend! I also keep thinking that shoveling should burn a lot of calories--the exertion from shoveling + the rage that I feel that I need to be shoveling in March!

Luckily, I made some comfort food last night, shepherd’s pie. I modified my recipe from Frisky Lemon.

Basically, I didn’t add peas, and I just used grilled sweet potatoes, peeled and mushed with a fork, for the topping—they’re so good on their own, why would you need to add milk and all that other stuff? I’m not a fan of mushrooms, but they’re all blended in, so you don’t really notice them. Last time I also added spinach, but I was too lazy to wait for it to wilt, so not this time. I also made salad dressing: 1 pear, 5 strawberries, 2 T apple cider vinegar, and about ¾ C light tasting olive oil. It’s so sweet from the fruit that you don’t have to add sugar! Delicious! 

Today, I had a "monkey bowl" at lunch (found that term on Pinterest), which is bananas, coconut, pecans, raisins, and a few milk chocolate chips. It's my favorite thing right now. Sometimes I use cashews or peanut butter instead of the pecans. I chop up the banana and eat it with a spoon. I think I've posted about it pretty much everywhere else, so I'll add my recommendation here and make your world complete. 

Snow Day

Steve made breakfast this morning! Quinoa, sweet potato, and eggs, with cranberries. The quinoa was cooked in coconut milk, and the whole thing was flavored with cinnamon and ginger. It was good, but missing something...we'll try to perfect the recipe! 

Steve grilled chicken and potatoes last night, too, before "the big storm," which so far isn't as bad as they predicted, but it's far from over. We had to get a new propane tank because ours ran out the day before, cooking the first batch of sweet potatoes. We marinate our chicken in lime juice (two fake plastic limes from the store), apple cider vinegar, honey, cilantro and salt. Today we're going to use it to make chicken salad with homemade mayo, grapes, and pecans. 

Steve used to bring me a recipe every once in a while, but every since we did Whole 30, he's been on the lookout for compliant recipes and things he thinks he can eat without feeling sick. But he doesn't usually cook!

I am attempting to clean up some of my clutter and I found three recipe magazines in the back room. We just went through them, and in all those pages, there were only three recipes that we can/would eat. The rest are made with flour or highly processed ingredients, or they just don't look good! So much for kitchen creativity.

I think I'm going to go walk on the treadmill while I watch some TV/a movie, just so I feel like I'm doing something productive. I really want to get out of the house! We're planning to have leftover turkey meatballs and polenta for lunch, and shepherd's pie for dinner.

Last Long Training Run

Today was the last long training run before the half-marathon next week! I forgot to take a picture of myself all sweaty, but here's one I had on file! 

I should apologize to everyone now: since this was the last long run, that means we're officially tapering. Which means I only do three very short runs next week. Which means I will be twitchy and going crazy! Running is my drug. If I don't go, I get grumpy and I don't even know why...until I realize I just need to exercise!

I'm still planning to do some Walk Away the Pounds DVD workouts next week just to get some steps in, but they aren't very high intensity.

I started the run with a honey stinger waffle, vanilla flavor. I can't eat much before I run, or my stomach cramps up. It tasted good, was light enough that it didn't really make my stomach upset, and seemed to give me a little boost of energy. When I read the ingredients, though, I realized it's really more of a cookie! Organic wheat flour, organic palm fruit oil, organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, organic whole wheat flour, organic soy flour, organic honey, sea salt, natural flavor, organic soy lecithin, organic spices, baking soda. Also, Steve can't eat it because it isn't gluten free. Boo. 

Anyway, here's how the run went:

Mile 1: I hate running. Why am I doing this?

Mile 2-3: Maybe I'll survive...a quarter of the way there! Oh, look at that girl. She's faster than me, but I'm probably going farther. 

Mile 4-5: I hit my stride. I may not be the fastest, but at this pace I can run all day. I love to run! I should do a full marathon!

Mile 6-8: I love this mix. I love to run. I love my life. Wait, what's that smell (it was a cross between garbage and a skunk). 

Mile 8-10: I have to keep running. Pretend this IS the race. I'm not stopping until at least mile 10.

Mile 11-the end: Only two more miles, less than one mile, am I even moving? Typically this is the point where I start counting steps (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) and telling myself I can do 10 more steps! But I didn't need to do that today. It was a good run!

I calculated my run at 12.5 miles but didn't factor in that I wouldn't be running up and down my street in between the legs of the run, so it ended up being 11.75. Still, I ran the whole thing, with around a 12 minute pace. Adrenalin will probably make me run too fast the day of the race for the first two miles so I'll buy myself a few minutes. I'd like to beat 2:45:52, which was my finish time in the last race. I think that's doable.

Now I'm sitting on the couch, re-hydrating, trying to figure out what to eat to replenish all the calories I just burned!