Half Marathon Training Guidance

Dinner last night came together quickly. Sunday evening I prepared a tuna salad to have for lunches (or dinners) during the week.

In the mix:

  • 1 can albacore tuna packed in water
  • cottage cheese
  • mustard
  • pepper
  • green pepper
  • zucchini
  • kale
So very random I am aware, but it actually tasted good! I served this salad on top of mixed greens and added some fresh broccoli and grape tomatoes. I finished it off with my favorite Newman’s Own Honey Mustard. I also ate a piece of bread with grape jelly and a dark chocolate adora disk dipped in Smart Balance peanut butter.

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This morning, breakfast was waiting for me in the fridge. Last night, I mixed together a small amount of oats, Fage non-fat greek yogurt, almond milk, chia seeds, and blueberries and refrigerated over night. This morning I gave the mix a good stir, added a bit of honey and banana and ate a breakfast of champions. It was so creamy and just the right amount of sweet. It really hit the spot.

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Half Marathon Training

As you may know, I am registered for my first half marathon on June 3rd, 2012 in Minneapolis (Dana is also registered), and so far, I’m happy my half marathon training schedule is going as planned. Throughout the winter I maintained some of my running endurance by hitting up the treadmill a few times a week, however my boredom hindered me from accomplishing anything further than 5 miles on the treadmill. I decided that any distance longer than 4 miles was going to have to wait until Spring rolled around so that I could run outside (remember I am a big freeze baby and don’t like to run outside in the cold winter). Now that Spring is here, it is time to reevaluate our half marathon training plans.

Originally, I had found one by Hal Higdon I liked, and Dana had found one by Jeff Galloway that he liked. Could we both train on separate plans leading up to the big day? Surely, but it would be a whole lot easier if we trained on the same plan, that way we could run together and keep eachother on track. In either plan, we would have our long runs on the weekend so we could at least run together on Saturday, which in retrospect would probably be the only run that we would be able to do together unless I started running after work. That’s a whole other bag of worms: my total dislike for running after work. I feel like that is when I am the most sluggish. I prefer to run in the mornings but that doesn’t always happen either!

What I do like about Jeff Galloway’s plan is that he only has you running 3 mile runs on Tuesday and Thursday for the most part, which, in working around a work schedule, seems like the nicest option. However, I don’t know if that is enough mileage for me. I am at such a crossroad and sort of don’t know what to do.

I know it is an option to adapt pieces I like of each and make it work for me, and that’s probably what I will end up doing. Any thoughts/tips/advice from runners out there would be greatly appreciated!

Anyway, enough of my rant.

Basically, I just need to get my booty in gear and make some decisions so I can move on with the training. June 3rd is not that far away! Yikes!

Continue Reading Half Marathon Training Guidance

Green Lunch, Cute Pup, and a Coupon

Moose says, happy Wednesday friends.  This is his model pose. He is giving you the puppy eyes. He’s really good at the puppy eyes. He also says not to make fun of his mom for the terrible title of this post today. She couldn’t quite get the creative juices flowing this morning.

Yesterday morning I ran three miles before heading off to work. I was excited for lunch because we had work meeting which involved a lot of food. If you remember back on Valentine’s Day we had a red food themed lunch meeting when I brought the apple nachos. This time we had a St. Patrick’s Day theme and everyone was supposed to bring in a green food. Our work group tends to get pretty creative when it comes to our food. I sneaked a photo (don’t mind the terrible lighting) of the hodge-podge of goodness.

Mixed green salad, broccoli salad, tortellini salad, tuna salad, asparagus wrapped in ham and cream cheese, sugar snap peas, green grapes, and not pictured was split pea soup, green bread, and pistachios. What a healthy lunch right? I am always impressed by our group and our potlucks. I brought sugar snap peas with a peanut soy dipping sauce. I simply mixed peanut butter, hot water, and soy sauce. This sauce is really good for a topping on chicken lettuce wraps too.

When I got home after work, this box was waiting for me on the kitchen table. I ordered Dark Chocolate Adora disks from iHerb a couple of weeks ago and they have arrived. Adora disks are a delicious way to eat your calcium. I love the dark chocolate flavor but they also have milk chocolate. I NEVER forget to eat these babies. 🙂 I also ordered Bigelow Vanilla Caramel Tea because I thought it sounded good. It was an impulse buy. Why not?

COUPON CODE

Now, guess what? Because I ordered products from iHerb.com, they want you to give them a try too. They offered a coupon code for me to share with friends and family. Enter the coupon code CIJ134 at check out when you order products at iHerb.com and you will receive $5 off your first iHerb purchase. Also, any U.S. orders over $20 receive free shipping! They offer a large variety of products on their site.  I have been happy with them so far, so feel free to browse their site and see what you think for yourself.

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This morning began with a trip to the gym where I ellipticaled for 35 minutes while catching up on Runner’s World magazine. I have a stack of magazines piled to the ceiling so I took this opportunity to start cracking down on the pile. I really love reading magazines, it’s just finding the time that is sometimes the tricky part!

Once I got home, showered up, I poured myself a tall mug of coffee and made a bowl of oatmeal.

On the stove top I cooked 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup almond milk, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon. I cooked this mixture until it began to thicken then added in about 1-2 Tablespoons of egg whites, gave it a stir, cooked for another 30 seconds and removed from heat. I poured the oats into my bowl and topped with PB2, bananas, and a tiny bit of maple syrup!

Oh yea, that’s the stuff.

I am off to finish getting ready for work, and pack my lunch. Have a great day! It is going to be beautiful outside. Wish I could be out there all day!

I’ll leave you with a funny shot from last night. Moose was so exhausted he couldn’t even keep his tongue in his mouth while he slept.

Awww…..it is a rough life, right Moose? You hang in there, buddy.

 

Continue Reading Green Lunch, Cute Pup, and a Coupon

Let’s Be Positive

G’ morning. I had a twinge of a feeling that this morning was not going to be the easiest of all mornings to wake up especially considering we had such a great weekend getaway. I am trying to stay positive though. I did a little food prep last night and got my breakfast in the fridge so that I would have one less thing to worry about in the morning.

Last night, I mixed together 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1 tsp chia seeds, 3 Tbsp frozen blueberries and a little bit of stevia for added sweetness. I stirred until combined, covered, and set in the fridge to work together overnight.

This morning I simply removed the oats from the fridge, added a dash of almond milk, gave it one last good stir, topped it with some blackberries, and dug right in. I got this idea from reading other health blogs like Julie @pbfingers. Great idea!

My last attempt at “overnight oats” failed miserably. I must not have gotten the proportions wrong or something because it tasted just blah to me. This time however, it was so creamy, sweet but not too sweet, and wonderful. It was a cool and refreshing way to start the day. I redeemed myself.

I have decided that on Mondays, I want to post something positive, because I have a really bad relationship with Mondays. So, my positive for today is that I had a great healthy breakfast this morning, and even better, it was prepared the night before!

Let’s get through Monday together. What is something positive you can say about your Monday? Sharing is caring!

Continue Reading Let’s Be Positive

Two N.Y.’s

I have landed in my mystery destination! Okay, a mystery to some. 🙂

Let’s here it for NEW YORK! Dana and I have a little get-a-way weekend planned in NY and it begins right now.

We don’t have a ton planned for the weekend, and we did this intentionally. We decided we wanted a low key weekend and we would “fly by the seat of our pants” when it comes to what we will do while we’re here.

Tonight however, we do have plans. We are meeting my cousin Stephanie, and her boyfriend, Jeff for a nice greek dinner. I am thrilled that it worked out for us to get together with them on such short notice. It will be so good to see them.

The only other time I was in New York was when I traveled with my cousin Betsy and our friend Ellen. We stayed with Steph, which was an absolute blast and especially helpful considering the three of us were broke college students. We all look like babies in this photo. I want to say this was about 5 years ago?

I can’t believe it’s been that long already. I am very excited to be back.

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The other day I whipped up this beautiful egg white omelette.

If you will remember, I sprinkled some nutritional yeast over the top. Let’s talk about that. Nutritional yeast is fairly new to me. I guess I did hear of it a while back, but didn’t look into it much. I was flipping through Women’s Health Magazine recently and I stumbled upon it again. I have been meaning to try some and this was the nudge I needed. The description I read mentioned it having a cheesy flavor that resembles parmesan cheese. Sounds wonderful right?

But first, What is this stuff?

Nutritional yeast (aka Nooch), is a deactivated yeast. Unlike the active yeast you use in breads, this type will not rise (so don’t try and bake a loaf of bread with it). The product comes in a flake form or a powdered form. It is very popular among vegans as it is plant-based and is packed with protein although it can fit into a carnivore’s diet as well. The flavor does resemble that of parmesan cheese. It is commonly used as a substitute for parmesan.

Nutrition Quick Facts (per 2 tablespoons)

Finding accurate nutrition facts became a frustrating task seeing that each source I viewed was slightly different. With that being said, I will give you a range of data from what I found.

  • Protein: 8-9 grams!
  • Calories: 60-80 calories
  • Fat: approximately 1 gram
  • Fiber: 4-5 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 5-7 grams
  • Rich in B vitamins including B12 which is a common nutrient deficiency in vegan and vegetarian diets. B12 is most commonly found in meat.

I am only beginning to learn all of the wonderful health benefits of this new superfood.

How can you use it?

Sprinkle it on:

  • hot popcorn
  • steamed broccoli
  • omelets
  • scrambled eggs
  • pasta
  • salads
  • cook into soups

So far I have only used it on cooked rutabaga and on an egg-white omelet. I am loving this stuff. It looks like powdered gold. I have been becoming more aware of my protein intake lately. I generally don’t eat much meat at home (minus this past week) but do try and get my protein in other ways: greek yogurt, peanut butter, eggs, beans, cheese, whey protein, and now, nutritional yeast!

That’s the cliff notes version of it at least.
How ironic that the two topics in this post, nutritional yeast and New York, share the same initials. Neat, right? 😉 I am a huge nerd.

Alright, I need to go explore this city that we know don’t sleep. Right, all of you Big Willie fans? Gotta get jiggy wit it.

Have a wonderful Friday friends!

Continue Reading Two N.Y.’s

First Shot at Chops

Yesterday morning I whipped up some oat-less oatmeal for breakfast. This was the best batch I have made yet. I think it is because I put all of the ingredients together the night before, and let it work in the fridge over night. This gives the chia seeds a chance to gelatinize which creates a different, thicker texture in the dish. In the morning I cooked it all up on the stove top and noticed it made for a more “voluptuous” looking bowl.

Oat-less Oatmeal (adapted from Tina’s recipe)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 frozen banana, mashed (you can use fresh instead if that is all you have)
  • 1/4 cup egg whites
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • a dash of cinnamon
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Cook on stove-top over low heat. Stir frequently until an oatmeal like consistency appears (about 3 minutes). Top with fresh fruit, nut butter, granola, or whatever your heart desires!
Dinner was a new adventure for me. Dana had requested boneless pork chops for his birthday dinner, and although I have eaten them, I have never made them before, so I knew this would be a learning experience. Tuesday night while I was at the in-law’s for dinner, I asked Sue how she usually prepares pork chops. She gave me a simple recipe involving mushrooms, onions, and red wine. Here’s what happened.
I began by trimming any visible fat off of the meat. I then placed each chop on its own piece of aluminum foil spritzed with cooking spray, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and topped them with chopped onion, mushrooms, and a splash of red wine. I took Rachael Ray’s advice and used wine to cook with that I would actually want to drink. I wrapped up each chop and placed on a baking pan to bake in a 350° oven for exactly 1 hour.
In the mean time I got working on the side dish:baked rutabaga fries. Here is the large rutabaga.
I washed it, peeled off the skin, poked it with a fork a few times, and microwaved for about 3 minutes. I did this to soften it so that I would be able to cut it into french fry size strips more easily.
I placed the “fries” on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil spritzed with cooking spray, but you could also use olive oil or vegetable oil, and sprinkled them with seasoned salt. They baked at 350° (because that was the temperature the pork was cooking at) for about 37 minutes, flipping once halfway through. I then placed them under the broiler for about 2 minutes, watching them carefully so that they wouldn’t burn. I removed them from the oven when they turned a light golden brown. I like my fries on the crispy side.
It’s not the prettiest plate of food ever, but it was extremely nummy! I’m thinking I aced my first shot at pork chops. I am generally not a huge meat person but I really did enjoy this meal. The rutabaga fries turned out awesome too. I dunked them in some ketchup and was in my glory. Dana gave the meal two thumbs up.
After dinner Dana opened up his birthday gifts, I sang him ‘Happy Birthday,’ we watched our favorite shows, Whitney and Modern Family, and talked about our upcoming trip which is happening VERY soon! I think it was a success of a birthday. We will probably continue celebrating this weekend, just for fun.
I am off to work now ladies and gents. After work I am heading straight to the gym (hold me accountable), and then I am going to finish packing for our trip. Can you handle the anticipation?
Happy Thursday friends. I am out.
Continue Reading First Shot at Chops

Short and Sweet

Well hello! I hope everyone is having a fantastic Sunday. Ours has been pretty productive! I have lots of photos to share.

Starting with lunch yesterday. I threw together a fruity salad. In the mix:

  • mixed greens
  • strawberries
  • grapes
  • walnuts
  • feta cheese

The salad was topped with this gem of a balsamic vinegar. I was inspired while out in California by all of the tasty balsamic vinegar combinations, and spotted this one at Target, so I thought I would give it a go. It is Strawberry Basil by Archer Farms and it is really good!

I had to scarf down lunch, because apparently no matter how much time I give myself to get ready, I am almost always getting ready down to the very last minute.

After lunch, I headed off to a friend’s baby shower. She is due in April and looking great! It was great to see all of the ladies.

For dinner we met up with Dana’s mom and dad for dinner. It was a celebration for Sue and Dana’s birthdays, which are both coming up this week! We met at bd’s Mongolian Grill which has create-your-our own stir fry.

I opted to go for the vegetarian option today, but they do have a great assortment of meats if you would rather go that route: beef, chicken, turkey, crab, shrimp, scallops, etc.

Here is my bowl o’ veggies (and one lonely egg) before I brought it to the stir-fry men. I chose a teriyaki soy sauce blend with a little bit of garlic.

In the stir-fry mix: zucchini, broccoli, baby corn, water chestnuts, carrots, edamame, mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts, and an egg. I think that was everything in there. Oh, and sugar snap peas maybe. It was very delicious and so healthy. I felt just comfortably satisfied after I was finished.

We had a great time as always! After dinner we headed home to our big man who was very happy to see us. He was in need of a little attention.

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This morning began with pb2 toast with banana alongside some coffee and coupon cutting.

Later I headed over to mom and dad’s and went for a walk with the little dog and my mama.

Although it was only about 26° out, there was no wind and the sun was out so it felt pretty nice. Aren’t they adorable?

This afternoon Dana and I ran a few more errands including some birthday boy shopping. Now we are home for the night, and contemplating having a fire in the fireplace. I have dinner simmering away in the crock pot and can’t wait to share this recipe with you tomorrow.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. That was the short and sweet version of mine. 🙂 Have a cozy night!

Continue Reading Short and Sweet

Tempeh Talk

Happy Thursday everyone! Is it really March? Can you believe it?

I got my morning run in today! Thursdays have been pretty good for me for getting in the morning workout. My motto for this morning’s run:

I kept repeating over and over in my head, “You don’t have to run fast, just run.” It got me through 3 miles!

So, remember a couple of days ago when I briefly  mentioned I had experimented with Tempeh for the first time and flashed you this picture?

Well, it’s time to talk about it! It’s tempeh talk time! Organic tempeh was another one of the purchases I made at Whole Foods a couple of weeks back. The brand I bought is called Lightlife. As mentioned previously, I have never eaten tempeh but have been very curious about it.

So, what is Tempeh?

Tempeh, pronounced “temp-pay,”  is a product of soybeans. The ingredients are: cultured organic soybeans, water, lactic acids (from plant sources), and organic brown rice.

Nutritional Value

What stood out to me the most when viewing the nutrition label was the insane amount of protein. In each serving (a half of a package with this particular brand), it packs 22 grams of protein which is incredible! Also, it is fiber-filled with 12 grams per serving. Here is how the rest of it stacked up. These nutrition facts are straight from Lightlife’s website.

Nutrition: Amount per Serving Percentage Daily Value
Calories 230
Calories from Fat 70
Fat, g 8 12%
Saturated Fat, g 1.5 8%
Trans Fatty Acids, g 0
Cholesterol, mg 0
Sodium, mg 10
Potassium, mg* 380 11%
Carbohydrate, g 16 5%
Fiber, g 12 48%
Sugars, g <1
Protein, g 22 44%
Vitamin A, % 0%
Vitamin C, % 0%
Calcium, % 15%
Iron, % 20%

How do you use it?

Considering this was my first time ever cooking with tempeh, I am by no means an expert with this stuff. I used it in a marinara sauce and it really tasted a lot like having ground turkey in the sauce. All I did to prepare it was brown it in a pan as you would ground turkey or ground beef, making sure to break it up into small pieces. Cook it long enough to see it start to brown slightly. I then added diced onions and sautéed until tender, next sliced mushrooms, garlic powder, some italian seasonings, and lastly a jar of Prego Veggie Smart Marinara Sauce. Stir, cover and simmer until headed through. Voila, awesome vegetarian pasta sauce with LOTS of protein! I added the sauce to some vegetable noodles, and topped it with some grated parmesan cheese. I also added two chopped up green olives on top which I REALLY enjoy! I really like olives though.

There are millions of other ways to use it. Use it in soups, chili, tacos, salads, sloppy joes….I am learning so many new ways to use it by browsing Lightlife’s website and good ol’ Google.

My Review

I really enjoyed this product! I was afraid the tempeh would give a weird flavor to the sauce, but it didn’t at all. It really took on the flavor of the sauce and had a nice texture somewhat similar to a cooked lentil. If you feel like trying something new, I would highly recommend this. I would recommend it over tofu in fact. I like that it is more firm than tofu (even the extra firm tofu). I love trying new things!

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Breakfast on leap day morning started out with an oldie but goodie. PB banana “sandwich”, served with a side of Special K with Strawberries (I went back for more cereal, twice).

For lunch I whipped together a very delicious salad with mixed greens, banana pepper, mushrooms, tomato, avocado, peas, and feta cheese. I topped it with my favorite Honey Mustard. This photo below was actually from dinner the night before because I forgot to take one from lunch. It was very similar though but you will notice a few differences. Whoopsie!

I also had some green grapes, a little bit of kettle corn, and a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter. I definitely ate too much for lunch. I was FULL.

For dinner I met up with the fam bam and had my mama’s famous chili. It tasted extremely delicious. You know how some times certain foods taste better than other times? Well, it was one of those times where it tasted absolutely AMAZING. Mmmm…so comforting especially since it was kind of messy outside. Tuesday night we got hit with a bunch of rain, which eventually turned into snow, and then turned into rain again. Luckily, the temperatures have mostly remained above freezing so we haven’t been stuck with an ice rink outside. I snapped a couple of pictures from the rain on Tuesday that was starting to freeze a little on the trees. I thought it was pretty.

Oh, the simple pleasures, right?

I am starting to get back on track with workouts, however, I am slacking on the strength training part! There are no excuses, I need to get back into it. I was doing so well for almost a month and starting to notice a difference in my strength. I need to make time. You guys are my witnesses, I said it. Hold me accountable! 😉

Alright, I’m off to work. Have a great day everybody!

Continue Reading Tempeh Talk

Love My Runny Eggs

Today is my last day of work before VACATION! Friday morning Dana and I will be on our way to sunny California and I am beyond ecstatic! I am even excited for the flight over there because I plan to read, eat, and relax. Moose is a little bummed he can’t come with us. He’s always wanted to see LA. 😉

I need to get to L.A. if I'm ever going to catch my big break.

Guess what I did this morning!?

I actually got up early, out of my warm heavenly bed, and got a run in on the treadmill! I have been terrible about getting morning workouts in lately, but I figured this morning was the only time for me to do it because we have a laundry list of things to do tonight to get ready for our trip! Plus my friend who is extremely dedicated to morning workouts texted me an encouraging message this morning to help get me out of bed. She is amazing. 🙂 Thanks a million!

More good news, I didn’t have any knee discomfort today. Whatever was causing the discomfort the other day has completely subsided which I am very thankful for.

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Tuesday Recap

I really loaded up my bowl for yesterday morning’s breakfast. Besides the usual fruit, yogurt, and cereal, I also added in a small handful of chopped walnuts and extra yogurt for more “staying” power. This baby held me over until lunch.

Since it was Ash Wednesday, we were supposed to fast in between meals. I found that this is extremely difficult for me because I am a “small meals throughout the day” kind of person versus a three meals that’s it person. I always have breakfast, sometimes a snack around 10 but usually not, lunch always, piece of fruit or small snack mid-afternoon, dinner, and then a snack before bed. Yesterday I stuck with just breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and my body was upset with me almost the entire day. Oh well, it was just one day!

After work I met Dana for Ash Wednesday mass. Day one of no sweets was a good one. My body is seriously unhappy with me after all the sweets I have eaten lately. It is thanking me for a break. I feel out of balance and it’s time to get back in balance.

I went for a walk on the treadmill when I got home. I have been a little lazy when it comes to actually making the trip to the gym, which is only 7 minutes away BTW. I honestly feel that the laziness is associated with the sugary diet lately. It is amazing how quickly you can begin to feel a slide.

Dinner was veggie-filled. I sautéed up a bunch of veggies from the fridge including this little cute eggplant that I had bought at Whole Foods last weekend. It’s just a little babe!

I also threw in leftover fajita filling from last night’s dinner, broccoli, mushrooms, kale,with a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, and topped the warm dish with diced tomato, shredded cheese, and of course, a runny egg. I love my runny eggs.

Delicious and satisfying as always. The rest of the night was dedicated to one last load of laundry, and relaxing while watching Modern Family and Whitney! Wednesday night is our “big” night of shows! No packing was done last night which means tonight will be a fun-filled packing extravaganza. I really don’t like packing. I always pack WAY too much because I never know what I will need!

I am off to work! Have a Happy Thursday!

Continue Reading Love My Runny Eggs

Fat Tuesday? It sure was.

Happy Hump Day!

How ironic that I ended up having a complete bottomless pit stomach yesterday on Fat Tuesday. Huh, funny. I didn’t snap photos of all of my food yesterday because quite frankly I would have had to glue the camera to my hand. My day started off with a nice patriotic looking bowl of fruit and greek yogurt.

Btw if you are wondering, I typically buy FAGE (pronounced Fa-yeh) Total 0% all natural non fat greek strained yogurt.

Quick Nutrition Facts (Per 1 cup):

  • 130 calories
  • 0 g fat
  • 85 mg sodium
  • 9 g carbohydrate
  • 9 g sugar
  • 23 whopping grams of protein!
  • 25% daily value of calcium

It’s obvious I really enjoy my yogurt sweetened with a little honey and mixed with a ton of fruit, but it can also be used as a substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, etc. We have been going through it pretty quickly around our house.

I worked until 1:00 yesterday so I had packed some snacks to tide me over until I got home for lunch. I packed a string cheese, apple, carrots, sugar snap peas, and a banana. I ripped through those snacks like it was no ones business and also had an Archer Farm’s fruit strip on the car ride home. I was going to go to the gym and then eat when I got home but I couldn’t make it. I needed MORE FOOOOOODD! I was like a tornado whipping through the kitchen. I immediately sliced off a piece of bread and slathered it in pb and J. I scarfed that down then headed to the pantry for a few handfuls of Special K blueberry cereal. I wanted more but decided I needed to cool it for a bit, especially if I was planning to get any sort of a workout in.

My intentions were to go for a run on the treadmill. I started running but noticed a little pain in the outside of my left knee cap. I tried to keep running thinking I was just warming up and it would go away, but it didn’t. I turned my run into a 45 minute walk and then cranked out some abs and planks. I hope the pain goes away soon. I think it will.

Anyway…back to the snacks again. I wanted to share with you this new hummus that we bought (new to me at least). It is Cedar’s Artichoke Kalamata Hommus. Oh wow, I can’t begin to describe how good this stuff is but I’ll try. It is creamy and slightly salty with a hint of olive flavor and tiny specks of artichoke. Perfect to dip crackers, veggies, or pita chips. If you ever see this stuff in your grocery store, give it a go.

Now, where was I going with this post? Oh yes, dinner last night! My long-time friend, Kalley came over for dinner last night. We’ve been friends since the 8th grade. Back in the day we passed notes, gossiped about our biggest crushes, and danced and sang to N’sync and Britney Spears. Hmm, come to think of it, not much has changed. 😉 Except now we are passing texts, talking about husbands and real significant boyfriends, and still dancing and singing to JT (although I still have love for Britney too).

Homecoming 2001 (Me, Jules, and Kalley)
Ellen's Wedding 2010

It had been way too long since we had gotten together so we decided to hang out in our comfies and make dinner together. On the menu was veggie fajitas, guacamole and a whole lot of catching up!

Fajitas:

  • bell peppers
  • onions
  • corn
  • pinto beans
  • fajita seasoning (chili powder, cumin, black pepper, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder)
  • whole wheat tortillas
Kalley’s Guacamole:
  • avocados
  • red onion
  • lime juice
  • lemon juice
  • cilantro
  • salt and pepper

It was SO great catching up! Also, thanks for the books! I started reading Firefly Lane last night. Thanks for coming over Kal!

After Kalley left, Dana and I had our last dessert before lent and it was a good one. Coldstone ice cream (cake batter ice cream with brownies and other goodies) and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

No.more.sweets.

Just noticed the time. I still need to finish getting ready for work!I am out! Happy day!

Continue Reading Fat Tuesday? It sure was.

You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere

Happy President’s Day! I am celebrating the day by being a productive U.S. citizen and supporting the local economy, aka running errands and going shopping. I am very fortunate to have the day off today so I am using it as another day to be very productive.

As I was getting ready for bed last night I was recapping the weekend in my head and oh my gosh, I realize I was completely lazy when it came to cooking/creating any type of meal! Usually my weekends are a time for me to really get creative and show my mad skills in the kitchen, but apparently I wasn’t feeling it this weekend. Tonight we have dinner plans that involve a really nummy italian restaurant, so tonight I will not be cooking either. That means I have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to redeem myself, and you better believe I will.

This weekend when we were at Whole Foods, I bought some really neat purple and white eggplant as well as purpley-green kale. I have plans to get creative with it. I also bought something else I have been really interested in trying that I will break out either Wednesday or Thursday. I’m not sure how it will go, but more on that later. Can you handle the anticipation?

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My day started off with a mug of hot and steamy coffee and a bowl of banana, blueberries, and Special K Blueberry cereal.

It was pretty good, but the banana wasn’t quite ripe enough for my liking. It should do the trick for a while and tide my belly over.

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As I was running the other day my brain started to wander as it usually does. I was running on the treadmill at the gym and tired of reading subtitles on the t.v. ahead, and needing a break from people watching. I was getting bored as I often do on the treadmill. My head started playing tricks on me telling me to stop or take a break and walk and it wasn’t because I was tired, I know it was because I was bored. I kept running, trying to fight off my sub-conscious thoughts. I daydreamed back to my days when I first started running. Now, I am by no means a “runner.” I can run, but running is not easy for me, at all.

I first started running because I had signed up for my first 5K. I had no time goals in mind, I just wanted to finish. I was in La Crosse, WI at this time for my internship and I remember the morning so vividly that I laced up and headed out for a walk/run. I did a large loop around my apartment complex and ran for a total of about ten minutes. I called Dana and told him how long I had run and I remember thinking, that’s better than nothing, but man, do I have a long way to go. Dana’s response to me was, “you gotta start somewhere.” He was so right. I could have given up then thinking ok, I can only run 10 minutes right now and I need to run more like 30 for the 5k and quit right then and there thinking it would never happen, but I didn’t, because I knew this would take some time. I began increasing my running to walking ratios and progressed slowly until I was eventually running 3 miles. I completed my first 5k and was addicted to the feeling at the finish line. I knew I had to do more. From then on I ran more 5k’s, then eventually progressed to a 6k, then a 10k, and then last summer Dana and I completed our first 15k.

What a great feeling of accomplishment it is seeing your body progress and really finding what your body is capable of doing. I never thought I would be completing a 15k, and that currently I am signed up for two half-marathons this summer. Am I ready for a half-marathon now? Absolutely not. I am now averaging about 3-4 miles per run, 3 runs per week. I am about a third of the way there, just as I was when I first started training for my first 5k. I know I can do it though. The body is capable of so much more than I often let myself believe. It might be painful, it will indeed be challenging, but it will be worth it. I will be sharing my progress with you as I go, and pushing harder through your support. The moral of this story is as Dana put it, “You gotta start somewhere.” Even if it is only 10 minutes, or 2 minutes, it is possible! Don’t let your mind play tricks on you and tell you that you can’t. You can.

I’m still constantly working on my self-talk as I am running. So many times my mind will say, “you can walk for a little while, come on,” but I am learning to fight past it (unless I am positive that I really do need a walk break). I am often repeating, “keep going, you’re fine” and if I am on the treadmill, “keep going, you’re not tired, you’re just bored, but don’t stop because then we’ll be on this thing even longer.” It is crazy how much self-talk goes on in my head. I do love running with music because it really motivates me and pumps me up. There is nothing like having fresh music to run to really listening to the music to glide you through a run. Also, finding a running buddy is great motivation. Dana and I trained together for the 15k and it was so helpful to have someone by your side through the process and encouraging you to push to the end of the run, and to get up on Saturday morning for a run when you really just want to stay in bed all day. It was an experience that we were able to accomplish together, which is very special to me.

That was my motivational piece for the day. Like I said, I am not a great runner, but I can run. And you can too. Get up and move it baby!

I am off to tackle laundry, shopping, and hopefully a workout as well! Have a great day!

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