Thankful

I have a confession; We do not have cable.  Gasp!  It really doesn't have much to do with the monthly fee - although we don't like having to pay so much mula for it.  We haven't paid for cable since 2006.  We settled on an antenna in our attic.  It is only sometimes annoying, like when a plane flies over for instance.  As long as the airport and I coordinate so they don't need to land during the Bachelorette we are all happy.  But for some reason they won't call me back.  I don't get it, I only wanted to ask.

 Someone *cough*  may have forgotten to order a Father's Day gift with enough time for it to be delivered on time, so we now have a free trial of Amazon Prime - free two day shipping is magical - One of the perks for Amazon Prime is the free shows and movies.  We are documentary dorks, so this weekend we decided to see what they offered.  (I swear my rambling does make sense...)  We came across Spirit of the Marathon.

                      photo courtesy of imdb.com

This movie was great.  I can't lie, I did doze off for about 10 mins, but such is the life of a Mother of three.  I was particularly moved by Kathrine Switzer.  She is the one who made it "acceptable" for women to run.  She is truly an inspiration, and left me wanting to write her a thank you note.  I won't tell you exactly what she did, but you can visit her website (just click on her name) to learn more about her.  After you read her story, she will leave you looking forward to your next race - because she is largely to thank for making it all possible for women. 

This weekend I am grateful we don't have cable AND that I, *I mean someone*, forgot to order a Father's Day gift.  Because without those two things, we wouldn't have found and watched this movie. (Told you it would all come together :) )

Working It Out

Despite my lack of posts, I have been hitting the pavement, as well as my DVD player :)

I have been limiting my miles to 10 or less per week (shock, gasp!)

It is very frustrating at times, but I have felt this is what I need to do with my other current health "issues."

I have had fun running along the river with my friend and her two kiddos. I am sure we look like quite the site running with 4 kids, and the kiddos passing crackers across strollers while we run. We have had a great time :)

I have also been working with my Jillian Michaels DVD and she kicks my butt every time. Especially with the Hollow Man with Scissor Kicks move. YOWZA!

But my abs and butt are thanking me... I love it when I can feel how hard my muscles have worked.

With all of my double stroller running, it has really improved my solo running time! I ran 4 miles at approx a 7:36 pace. I guess I should have done more of my half-marathon training with the stroller! Next time I guess...

All or Nothing

All or nothing
go big or go home
don't hold back
150%

Sometimes I drive myself crazy. You see, all of the above words describe my attitude. When I commit to something I completely DIVE into them. I have to give it my all! In baking, crafting, cooking, teaching, running, etc... I can't rest until I am satisfied. And I will meet my goals! While I usually see this quality as an asset, I think it hurts me at times.

Let me get to the point:
I can't do the same running schedule I was maintaining only a few months ago. There are a few reasons for this. But it is what I think is best at this time. But is so frustrating! I have a hard time now working out 1/2 the amount that I was.

When I am feeling stressed, I want to RUN or have an abs date with Jillian Michaels. It helps me to feel better! I love the way I feel after I get a good sweat on.
When there are so many things right now that I can't control (mainly other health issues!) I feel like my working out and weight are something that I can control - - but that is another post. :)

I wish I could get the same enjoyment out of working out less, but it just isn't the same. I suppose I just need to learn to enjoy my new workout regimen a little more and give IT my 150%. Because that is all I can do. And I can choose to be happy with it! It is up to me and I just need to learn to love my new routine!

Here is to a new found fun in my new workouts -- running (just less miles) included!!

Does it drive you crazy when you feel you can't give something all you have?

Possible Race

When I become obsessed with something I have a difficult time not talking about it.. A LOT! I like to talk, infact one of my former nicknames was Chatterbox Chandler. It fits. Since running has been a new passion of mine, I have been talking to a lot of friends and family about racing, and why I run. I was even able to connect with my cousins wife who can run a 3:12 marathon, and has 4 kids. She totally inspires me. She even ran the Boston Marathon pregnant... ok ok she was only about 5 weeks along but it totally counts! I have a friend from high school that wants to race with me this Summer and I have challenged my bro to a half marathon, and my Dad even says he is interested. SWEET! Watch out friends and family - - I WILL get you running!!! I think they may all start to avoid me soon. I have a dream about running with my whole HS group of girls and run a race someday! Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants? - in a good way :) OK - there I go chatting again. Anyways, onto the point : I have been talking with my sister in-law about starting to run more. She is a busy professional that is exhausted by the time she gets home, but she really wants to get fit. Plus she lives near (read watches people running from her bedroom window) some of the BEST trails in the whole area and I always tell her she really needs to take advantage of them! She has been showing interest and has committed to running a 5k coming up! YAY! I am so excited for her. This will be her second 5k and this time she is hoping to train more :)

Jay and I are also planning on running this race along with her. I can't decide between the 5k and 10k. The full on 3 mile sprint challenge of the 5k excites me, but I really enjoy a little longer distances, plus Jay is running the 10k. I am torn.

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

I am looking forward to another race in May. It should be a fun time! With kids in tow! Thank you BOB double strollers for making this possible.

Any input would be appreciated!

New Groove

I have been taking things easy on the running front ever since my half marathon. easy= very little running. My knee, calf and shin were taking much longer to recover than I wanted, but what are you going to do? I decided to listen to my body and take a break. I focused more on Turbo Jam and playing with my kiddos. Sometimes you just need to take silly pictures and move on :) For about the past week I noticed I wasn't having any discomfort or painful twinges in my legs... COULD IT BE? i thought. I was a little nervous to find out, but was thrilled when both runs this week left me feeling GREAT! I think I am back to normal... YAY! I am planning on getting back into a better running groove now, but still switching between running, turbo jam, and jillian michaels. Life is good.

What is this blog?

Was my last post really on Thursday? I have been totally slacking on my blogging lately. It is not about forgetting about this blog. I have thought about it daily...several times a day in fact. A lot of what I have been thinking about is simply, "What is this blog about?"
When I started it at the beginning of January, I thought I knew exactly what it would be about. But I feel like it is changing the focus a little. I think it is a blog for everything I am passionate about! When I named it, I did have that in mind; PLAY {my family} EAT {cooking and baking} RUN {my new love for running}. I am still trying to figure out exactly where this blog is going. So please bear with me as I am exploring what direction I want to take the blog. After all, this blog was made to be an outlet for me. I am excited to keep updating this blog and allowing it to go wherever it may. Thanks for reading!

** as for running, I have been taking a break for a number of reasons, but at the top is to simply take time to FULLY heal my knee and calf. I want to get back to 100% so I can fully enjoy it again! I am still running just not logging nearly the miles I was. I am considering posting the other reasons I am cooling down my miles. -- but we will see

**I have been hanging out with my Turbo Jam DVD and although it doesn't work my body the same, it still feels good to be moving! I have been going crazy on the days where a workout just can't be squeezed in. Those days are hard for me...

I will be back tomorrow with a delicious whole wheat bread recipe! Stay tuned...

Half Marathon - CHECK!

There are many things on my bucket list, like:
Travel out of the country -- CHECK
Go on a Hawaiian vacation -- CHECK
Stay a blonde (even if its fake!) -- CHECK
Become a mother -- CHECK
Eat Nutella everyday -- CHECK

Run a half marathon -- CHECK!!

I went to bed early the Friday night before the big race and felt rested (this never happens!) when I woke up in the morning. I debated what to wear, but decided on BYU BLUE as we were in Vegas so Jay could watch our team play some basketball. (GO JIMMER!)

The route was two out-n-backs. The first one was all paved and was relatively flat.

This is about the half way point. Right on my way "back" from the first out-n-back.

The second half was on a "packed" trail. I did not know that would be the case. And as soon as my feet hit the trail I felt like a total wuss! Props to all the trail runners out there! It was way more difficult than the pavement. The second half had some hilly spots, and I was feeling pretty tired. I almost biffed it going around the corner to a downhill spot...I felt so dumb...
I had GU Chomps in my butt pocket and they seemed to help quite a bit. I also really took advantage of all the water stations and took a couple of sips and poured the rest on my head. It felt soo good in the heat! Unfortunately, after a few hills, I was feeling pretty tanked. I was watching for the last water station and was dying to get that cup in my hand. The guy handing me the cup said something but I couldn't hear him through my headphones. So I just took the cup and took a sip. It was HEED not water... grr! I was so bummed. I really wanted some water! I ran my last 2 miles at a much slower pace, but was thrilled when I got to this point:

WAHOO! I finished. I didn't make the time I was hoping (less than 1:50), but I was still happy that I finished! Considering I was coming off my injury and hadn't run much the week and a half prior I was very happy! Now I have a PR to base some new goals off of. My official time was 1:55:03. 8:47 pace

I came in 8th in my age division! Posing in front of Lake Mead. There was a beautiful view of the lake for the entire run. They had sliced oranges, watermelon, donuts, bananas, oreos and water for the post race food. I loaded up on watermelon, oranges and water. The fruit had never tasted so good!

Showing off the muscles I made during training :)

Posing with my little Gator bug. Maister stayed behind at Jay's uncles home so Jay wouldn't have to chase both kiddos around the trails.
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So glad I have my first half behind me! I am not sure where I will go from here, but I am thinking about what is best to do next. First I just want the blister under my toe nail to heal, and then I will go from there. YUCK!

MIA

Sorry I was missing this past week. I didn't get on my email ONE TIME while we were on vacation -- this is a big deal people!-- WONDERFUL I can honestly say it was one of the best trips we have had in a while.

I have much to post and catch up on. But in the mean time, just wanted you to know that:

I SURVIVED my FIRST half marathon!

Say it Ain't So

Here is a quick training update:

Saturday: 10.6 miles 8:19 pace

Tuesday: 6.04 miles 8:12 pace

Thursday: 6.16 miles 8:07 pace

Now, to the bad news.
Tuesday I left early in the morning to venture out on my run. I was tired, and not too thrilled to be up running! But I enjoyed the cool air. As I was running, I felt like my legs were on FIRE. While running, I was thinking of what the proper description would be for how my calves were feeling. INFERNO was the best word I could come up with. I wasn't sure why my calves were feeling so crummy. So I got home and iced a little, but thought it would pass, and that they just need to stretch out a little.

Fast forward to Thursday. Got up early again, and as I took my first 2 or 3 strides my right leg was in big pain. I even limped those strides. But right after those steps I was no longer limping and was able to go on with my run with relative ease. That is until I got a 1/4 mile from home and had to stop and start up again at a stop light. Once again, my right leg felt like it could fall off (exaggeration: yes :) ) Looking back, I wish I just would have stopped after the first stride and crawled back in to recover and not do more damage! but I didn't know...

SO - I don't know what is wrong! All I know is that both my right and left legs are dying right now! It is mostly my right calf, and a little in left knee (no surprise as I have babied it for the past 8 years since my ACL repair).

Ice, heat, REPEAT! That is all that is going through my head right now. That, and the fear of not being able to run next week.

I am so nervous about that whole situation. I am supposed to run 8miles on Saturday, 5 monday, 4 wednesday and 2 friday. I am confident that 8 miles will not be happening on Saturday. As of right now, I am planning on resting until Monday in the hopes that things will work themselves out, and then try for 4 or 5 Monday morning.

I believe God answers prayers, and I have been praying all day that I will be able to complete my half marathon next Saturday. This is what I have been working towards since last fall. Then I will rest for longer than a few days. I have some other hopes for right after my half.

If you made it all the way through this novel, THANK YOU!

Anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to have a speedy recovery???? What could be going on in my calf?

Change of plans!!

Now, I know originally I said I was going to run my 1/2 marathon on March 26th. But plans have changed... After talking to it over with Jay, I have opted to run here:

photo courtesy of Mountain Man Events

Make your old teachers proud, and tell me you know where this is. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I would be able to confidently say where this was if it wasn't on the race website...

i am a little embarrassed.

I will be running the SIX TUNNELS to HOOVER DAM Half Marathon on March 12th!

I am supposed to wear GREEN. I think I need to go shopping... So glad I live 1 mile for the Nike outlet. Jealous? muahhhaa :) This is why I am obsessed with Nike.

I am very excited, but am already feeling butterflies in my stomach. Please tell me these will not last for the next two weeks!

I kept putting off signing up for it on Saturday - even though Jay kept reminding me. * we didn't want to it sell out cause the website says it can * I just always like having an "out," (I know that is bad!) but this baby is non-refundable. Plus the fact that I have to drive 10 hours to get there complicates things a little. * Eating junk food in the car for 10 hours, then shopping for two full days, and trying to get two toddlers to sleep in a new place are probably not the best pre-race activities. YIKES! I am freaking out again!* Hopefully the lure of Vegas buffets won't ruin my race experience!

OK - back to the story - so when I checked my email late Saturday night I had a confirmation email in my inbox. DONE! I was signed up and couldn't turn back. I was so glad he did it for me! I needed him to sign me up, cause my palms got sweaty everytime I started filling out the registration. This is my first Half and I am nervous!

Let the countdown begin. They say I will see some of these on my run:

photo courtesy of Mountain Man Events
That would be sweet. I would like to race one of them. Scratch that - I think they would demolish me. Even better, maybe I could ride on one of their backs for my last 1/2 mile. I am sure I will be ready to rest!

photo courtesy of Mountain Man Events
I am really hoping to strike this pose at some point during my run. I would be willing to give up a little of my stored energy to leap like a praying mantis mid stride, and have it caught on camera!

Less than 13 days and counting.

Keeping it simple

Tuesday - 4.5 mile run

Thursday - 7.69 miles run (family run - WOOT!)

I was inspired by this HungryRunnerGirl post the other day. It really got me thinking. I haven't been enjoying my runs lately. In fact, I have found myself dreading them on many days....ugh! I was starting to wonder if running had just "run its course" (excuse the play on words!) with me. I wondered if it was just getting old to me. My love for running felt like it was fading. And that made me sad. But Janae's post really resonated with me.

Granted, I am only training for a HALF marathon, the strict training schedule was getting to me. I have always been running for enjoyment and health, so I would just get out there and run as far as I could. And it was FUN! So this week I have just been running at MY pace. I have been running as far as I want to, not what my schedule says. And it feels GOOD. No, FANTASTIC! Tonight's run was the best in a LONG time. I found myself singing along to my music again, smiling, and not counting DOWN the miles I had to go, but wishing I had time to ADD another mile or 4 :) I think I am finding my stride again with running.

I am glad I have found myself through running again.

It is good to be back.

Saturday Out n About

Saturday came, and since I had decided the night before not to run the race I decided I NEEDED to run. I left in the early afternoon while Gator napped.
RUN:
10.4 miles
8:38 pace
Fastest Mile: 7:11 SCORE!
<-insert biggest smile. I would have taken a pic but I get embarrassed asking people to photograph me>

WOOT! I felt good about this. Though I want my total pace to be 8:00, but I think my Nike+ was off on the last mile cause it said is was WAY slow...like 20 minute mile SLOW. And I KNOW for sure that is not the case....I wasn't walking!

So about half way through my run I had to go to the bathroom REAL bad... How do I emphasize this without being gross?....I will just stick with real bad!
But I didn't want to stop anywhere. I just kept running, and hoping that the time would go by faster. I thought about stopping at a friends house but that just sounded awkward to me. I thought about stopping at the gas station, but by the time I would arrive at the gas station I would only have 2 miles left...so I figured I may as well just keep running and wait for the comforts of my own home... Good decision? I don't know! It definitely made for a difficult last 5 miles to say the least!
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What do you do while you run for potty breaks? Do you push through it, or do you just stop?
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This was my first run EVER I have 'fueled' mid-run. But I am trying to do better at fueling my body properly so I tried Jelly Belly Sports beans. I am not sure whether they helped or not. But they definitely tasted good.

Candy+running= AWESOME

I will probably try them a few more times to decide whether they help or not...

What do you use to stay fueled during a run?

I got home and ate a bowl of cottage cheese and blueberries. I knew cottage cheese had a lot of protein, but I had no idea how much! 15g per 1/2 cup... YES, PLEASE!

I used to hate cottage cheese. Something about the curdled texture totally turned me off as a kid... ok, just the word 'curdled' makes me want to vomit. So moving on..

After my protein packed snacked I moved on to my favorite; Nutella Bread:
Have I shared with you yet my love for nutella bread? It is an obsession gone way to far, I think. My day is incomplete without my piece of nutella bread.

I usually have a slice as soon as my kids go down for bed at night. I don't drink alcohol, so I unwind with hazelnuts and chocolate :)

I love going for long runs, cause I feel like that justifies more than one slice of nutella bread in a day. And anything that can help me to eat more delicious things like this are totally welcome in my life.

How was your weekend? Any yummy treats? Any awesome runs?

ps Thursday was 20 minutes elliptical, and 3 miles on the treadmill---boring

Too Many Sweets

Maister's birthday is on the 15th, and with Valentine's Day just the day before, and two birthday parties we are on sugar overload! I am craving some crisp vegetables like never before! Unfortunately we don't have many left after all the events from these past 5 days. I ran a little over 5 miles on Monday, and haven't run since...WOOPS! I did manage to get in some turbo jam and ab work (tiny bit) today though! Hopefully things will get back to normal tomorrow...
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On the lack of running, I have been preoccupied making goodies like these:

YUM! I love these little things...

the inside of the southern coconut cake I made for the actual birthday. I know it isn't the most kid friendly, but it was also for our friend who shares the same birthday and she isn't eating chocolate - which is Maister's favorite flavor! I don't like coconut much, but this cake I liked! I was hoping I wouldn't like it...that way I wouldn't go back for another piece tonight! cocoNUT is really good for you right? I imagine it will make me faster or something... At least that is what I am trying to tell myself.

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I still haven't decided on the race on Saturday. I know it is getting a little late, huh?! I wish I could make up my mind... Jay is feeling stressed at work, and is having to work this weekend (just from home) so I don't want to add any extra stress to his already hectic schedule. Of course he says he will support me if I want to race, I just don't know!
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Every time I think about signing up, I get pre-pre-race jitters. Anyone else get these? It isn't a matter of finishing the race as I know I can run 8 miles just fine, but I just get really nervous!
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Do you get pre-pre-race jitters? If so, what do you do to calm them?

Big Run and Company

Like I said earlier, my sweet Mom is in town. Besides having one my best shopping partners around to hang with me, it also means we have unlimited (almost) babysitting! WOO! This also means I can run basically anytime of day - though I still prefer the morning - and Jay can join me for runs without being slowed down my the jogging stroller.

Here is my cute Mom. This was at Gator's 1st birthday party in October.

I love having my Mom around to chat and shop with :)

So last weekend, I knew I had my 10.2 mile run coming up. I got butterflies in my tummy whenever I thought about it. It would be the furthest I had run since October! **In October I learned a good lesson which was don't go that far when you have not properly trained. I had to rehab my knee for a good month before it felt even remotely normal....grr! I learned at great lesson though!

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We set out on Friday - early evening - for a super romantic sweaty sunset run. Right after we left the house I realized I had forgotten my iPod. AH! I about had a nervous breakdown... My iPod is like my security blanket. I tried to keep my cool cause I didn't want Jay to think I didn't want to talk to him. It was no offense to Jay, I did want to talk with him on the run, but sometimes I just need a song or two to get me back in my groove. I took a deep breath and continued 9 more miles with NO music! I was SO proud of myself :) It is the little things in life...

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We ran on some beautiful trails, and happened to be running over a bridge as the sun began to set. Once I wiped the sweat from my eyes, I was able to enjoy it :) We ran 10.23 miles and got home when it was DARK. It was fabulous. Jay is a bit faster than me, so he helped to push me some and I had the vision of pizza in my head to motivate me to hurry and finish! As soon as we got home we cleaned up (READ: changed clothes and put on deodorant so we didn't stink up the restaurant) then headed over to our favorite little pizza joint to celebrate our cute friends new pregnancy! I loved all the baby talk. It just makes me smile. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I couldn't take a picture of the stuffed pizza we had. Just know it was probably the best pizza I have ever tasted!

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Overall, it was great run. I had no reason to be nervous, but I have come a long way from being nervous for my first 4 mile run... so glad 4 miles is a cinch now..

LAST THING: I am thinking about running an 8 mile race this Saturday. It would be the last race before my half marathon next month. I feel like maybe it would help me to feel a little more prepared for my race. But on the same hand it of course costs $$ and I am supposed to run 10 miles this weekend for my training plan...Would you run it? I can't decide and could use some good imput. THANKS!

Thanksgiving in February

Monday Workout: 5.02 miles at 8:05 pace
Tueday: 2800+ step including about 20 minutes of weights
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I am taking it easy this week as I am gearing up for a 10 miler on Saturday! I am sso looking forward to it! Jay might even tag along again :)
__ __ __ __ __ ___ ___ __ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Is this picture bringing back fond memories of November?
Every Thanksgiving, one of the things I look forward to the most is the leftovers. I get excited to have dinner already "made" for about a week afterwards, and to have turkey sandwiches day after day. This year we went to my bro in-laws house, and that meant we didn't have any leftovers! I was pretty bummed, and I recenly announced to Jay that I would need to make us a turkey dinner so we could have leftovers galore!
Today was the DAY! Our house smelled soo good all day. I could hardly wait for Jay to get home from work so we could start eating! Here is a little of what we enjoyed:

Homemade rolls

Potatoes and Gravy...mmm

Spinach salad with Creamy basalmic dressing (not exactly tradition, just yummy)

Step, step...

Today was fantastic weather, and I couldn't resist busting out the double jogging stroller for a little run today! Maister always gets excited to ride in the jogger, and we even have "jogging stroller sweateshirts" and pants for the kids. Jay takes them out quite frequently, especially when the sun in shining. I often run really awkward when I push the stroller, but I was very conscious of that today and so far I am not feeling any bad effects. SWEET!
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I ran 3.48 miles at an 8:45 pace. I was happy with this considering I was pushing an extra 60-70 pounds! I was feeling so good, I even ran an extra 1/2 mile further than I was planning. I almost regretted that decision as I pushed them up a steep hill to start off that last 1/2 mile. But then I remembered that what comes up, must come down, so I definitely enjoyed the way down the hill as we approached our house!
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The good news:
As soon as I was on the sidewalk, my poor week of running was turned around. I thought to myself, "this is why I RUN!" It felt soo good. Plus it put Gator to sleep, and that is always a bonus.
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When we got home, Gator went down for a nap and I set up my gear to do 30 mins of step while Maister and I watched "Sid the Science Kid." She never gets to watch this, so she was psyched.
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Hear is a peak at my step gear:

Wii Balance Board, and Everlast Aerobic Step

3 pound weights...pumping some iron here people

And my most favorite cross-training shoe. Jay got me these for Christmas, and they are beyond comfortable and make me smile when I see that bright blue!

Maister was happy to hang out with me as I did my thing
Or maybe she was just happy to watch Sid, and learn about GERMS! This episode was right up my alley.
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I did 30 mins step with 15 mins of "pumping" my 3's. I did a total of 2970 steps. Done.
I promptly took a shower, and then it was time to get us all some lunch. Yes, I did not shower until 11:30am. Hey, at least I showered! Remember I had just watched the PBS show about GERMS. Made me want to wash my hands about 50 times...
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Tonight we ate the Spicey Orange Chicken Stirfry, and this recipe is definitely going on my repeat list. It tasted like take out, but was much healthier. I added several more veggies to the mix, and I think that was right decision.
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Do you ever try and make take-out at home?

-I have tried a time or two, but tonights was by far the most successful!

Orange you glad...

Did you grow up with those same knock knock jokes? You know, the ones that end with "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?" Or something like that. I used to love knock knock jokes.
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Anyways...
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You know in the movie Sleepless In Seattle, where Meg Ryan can peel an apple with the peel in one piece?? Has anyone else aspired to doing this? I have never forgotten that scene, and have secretly wished I could do the same. I feel like peeling the apple (is that considered peeling?) and an orange are pretty much in the same category. And today I peeled not only ONE tangelo in one piece, but TWO! IN A ROW nonetheless. I was thrilled! Check that off my bucket list please...

SO glad I spent the $3 on my bag of tangelos yesterday. We have already eaten a ton! These little suckers are delicious. Gator doesn't agree, and Maister only agrees about 1/2 the time. But fortunately I can gladly eat whatever they don't. If they eat the tangelo WIN, if they don't and I get to eat it, WIN! I love me a WIN WIN situation. And this truly is that!

Today I ran 5 miles at a 8 minute pace. Here was the breakdown:

Mile 1: 8:13
Mile 2: 7:41
Mile 3: 7:47
Mile 4: 7:41
Mile 5: 8:00

As I said after Monday's run, I can usually really bring it home on my last mile, but I have been feeling exhausted-to say the least!

Jay says I need to get to bed earlier, so I will work on that. Whatever it takes so I can actually ENJOY my morning runs again. I always anticipate my runs, but this week has been different. Hopefully Friday will hold a brighter day. Speaking of BRIGHTER, it was blue skies here today. I am sooo ready for Spring and wearing flip flops again!

A New Run

I went for a run this morning, unfortunately it was HARD to get up. This mornings run was unusal as it was hard the whole run. I was exhausted, and my longest mile was my last mile which is weird, for me. I only ran 4 miles which is mild for my current training, and it was just never easy. I don't know what it was, but I just felt in a funk. Hopefully my next run goes better!

So I ran 4 miles at a 7:52 pace. Not too bad. I am pleased with that. Though it isn't as good as the pace my Nike+ lied to me about for the past few weeks! Fortunatley, I think my recent calibration has fixed that problem!

It was foggy outside when I left this morning. Actually kind of creepy. I could see probably 200ish feet in front of me. Which was plenty for running, but just a little freaky looking. It was so cold that I ran the rest of the run with icicles - that is right - ICICLES on my eye lashes! Every time I blinked I could see them a little better, and I could see them out the corner of my eye. I suppose it was a good distraction from how I was feeling :)

When I got home I did about 10-15 minutes of strength training, and then took at LONG, HOT, shower.

I ended the night with 30 minutes of step, 2980 steps while I watched some Bachelor. What is it about that show that sucks you in???

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How did your Monday work out go?
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Have you ever run with icicles on your eyelashes?
I have a couple times, and it think it is cool :)

Nike+ Made Me a Liar

Friday, I had a longer run on my training schedule and I was excited! I had a really rough time getting out of bed in time to leave, but I felt so proud of myself for resisting the strong urge to hit snooze again.
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I began running and it was feeling really good. I decided to do one of my regular routes backwards, just to spice it up a little. --I don't like running the same routes over and over again.-- Anyways, when I got about a 1/4 mile from home I was feeling really good. I considered going a little further, but opted not too cause I knew the kiddos would be waking up soon, and Jay would need to leave for work. I headed home and when I stopped at my house and looked at my Nike+ sport band it read:

PERFECT! I had 8 miles on my schedule, and I ended just right. And to add to it, I had done it in a great time! My day was off to a fantastic start and I was feeling GOOD.
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But something wasn't sitting right with me. All day I kept running through my route in my head, adding up the miles and it just wasn't adding up. I have run these same streets so many times I am very familiar with the mileage involved. It is actually kind of an obsession I have.

*As I run I go over the miles, during the daydream about different routes I could take and how many miles they would be, it just might be out of control!*

OK, back to my story, I finally logged onto MapMyRun and checked it out. I had infact, only run 7 miles! AHHH. I was in total disbelief. I was so irritated. Because not only had I run 1 less mile than I thought, but that meant my time was completely off. And I didn't know how long my times had been miscalculated on previous runs. So obviously I am not as quick as my previous runs have logged. I don't think they were TOO far off but enough to change things.
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Moral of the story: Continue calibrating your Nike+ sportband.
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The End.
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Has anything like this ever happened to you?

Wednesday HOT Run

Jay came home from work early so I could go for a run (he had an early morning meeting that prevented my morning run). I headed out this afternoon prepared for a 5 mile run. The weather was GREAT and I was excited.

I ended up running 6.6 miles at a 6:57 pace. SCORE! Obviously I ran a little further than my original training called for. But I always find myself wanting to go a little further when I see my run coming to an end. As I got about a quarter mile from my house, I realized I would have run abour 5.25 miles, and I was so close to a 10k that I may as well just finish it out right? So I did another quick little loop while I sang to Justin Beiber and Justin Derulo, and before I knew it I was done and had covered 6.6 miles. I felt GOOD when I got home. But it was HOT.

I haven't got my sweat on since last September while running outside. But when I walked in the house this afternoon, I was a glowing mess. And that made me smile. I used to hate sweating, and now I LOVE it. For me, it is a sign that I had a good work out. Oh, and that the weather just might be coming around. Sweet!

I think I will probably head out for a short one tomorrow (3m or so) just cause I always feel better when I start my day with a good run. Will keep you posted.

Oh, and I am considering running a race in 9 days. I will let you know what I decide...I don't have much time to think, so I will decide this weekend.