Goodbye 2010...

How did everyone do on their New Years' Resolutions?

Mine were:

1. Run the full 8 mile Turkey Trot.
We ended up not being in town on Thanksgiving Day. But I did run two half marathons (Hills and Heels on May 2 and Dallas White Rock on December 5). I think that counts!

2. Read 25 books.
Only made it to 22, so close! But they were all great reads!
1. Ford County Stories
2. Dark Water
3. The Lovely Bones (re-read)
4. You Better Not Cry
5. Shutter Island
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. The Lost Symbol
8. What the Dog Saw
9. American Wife
10. Freakonomics
11. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
12. Ticket to Ride
13. The Five People You Meet in Heaven (re-read)
14. The Girl Who Played With Fire
15. A Short History of Nearly Everything (re-read)
16. The Yiddish Policeman's Union (I gave up on this one over halfway through.)
17. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
18. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
19. Life of Pi
20. No Country for Old Men
21. I Know This Much is True (re-read)
22. The Pillars of the Earth This one was a long one, almost 900 pages! I probably could have made it to my 25 goal if I hadn't decided on this one.

3. Keep my bathroom cleaner.
Fail.

4. Find a new strength training class.
I went to Cardio Muscle throughout most of the summer (and even talked Michael into coming along!) but it fell by the wayside once I started training for another half marathon. I've kept up yoga and still do old-school pushups after a run so I don't think I've entirely lost the benefits.

5. Cut back on drinking.
I did pretty good with this one! I still drink most nights but limit myself to 2 beers.

6. Pay off my car.
Did this in March! (I got laid off literally the day after I put the check in the mail, ha!)

7. Get gum surgery. (I have already met with a peridontist about this, yuck!)
Did this in August! It was expensive and painful and I never want to do it again.

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 3

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Power yoga class Yoga for Runners podcast
Tues: 2 mi intervals
Wed: Yoga or rest
Thurs: 2 mi intervals OR Power yoga class 1.5 mi fail
Fri: Run 5 mi
Sat: Rest Yoga for Runners podcast

Thursday I was off work and looking forward to a run in the cold. I set out for my usual 2 mi loop around the neighborhood, but when I stopped for a second to think about which way I wanted to turn, I felt dizzy. My heart was racing, my vision was blurry and all I wanted to do was sit down. I kept moving, I remember a trainer telling me that blood can pool in your feet if you stop moving too suddenly. Anyway, I had to turn around and walk back home. By the time I got back, I felt much better but it was still a little scary. Luckily I felt great for Friday morning's run!

This week's plan:
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Power yoga DVD
Tuesday: 2 mi intervals
Wednesday: Yoga OR rest
Thursday: 2 mi intervals
Friday: 5 mi easy
Saturday: Rest

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas! We just got back from a whirlwind trip to Lubbock (less than 24 hours) to visit Michael's extended family and I am exhausted! But our Christmas was great!

Christmas week!

Last week's workouts:
This week's plan:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Power yoga (+ ran about a half mile on the treadmill before class to warm up)
Tues: Run 2 mi intervals
Wed: Yoga or rest (Walked to and from work)
Thurs: Run 2 mi intervals
Fri: Yoga or rest (Walked to work
Sat: Run 5 4 mi

This week's plan:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Power yoga class
Tues: 2 mi intervals
Wed: Yoga or rest
Thurs: 2 mi intervals OR Power yoga class
Fri: Run 5 mi
Sat: Rest

I'll have to play things a little bit by ear since it's a holiday week. I have Thursday and Friday off work for Christmas (yay!) and I'm not sure how busy it will be Monday through Wednesday.

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week!

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 1

Confession: I took most of last week off of working out. I did yoga once and ran 5 miles on Saturday, but I mostly felt like just taking it easy. So I did!

This week's plan:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Power yoga
Tues: Run 2 mi intervals
Wed: Yoga or rest
Thurs: Run 2 mi intervals
Fri: Yoga or rest
Sat: Run 5 mi

I need to do some strength training at some point as well. I've been bad about not doing any!

Dallas White Rock Half Marathon

Saturday I took the DART rail to Fair Park to pick up my race packet and check out the Health and Fitness Expo. There were a ton of booths and a ton of people, even though I had gotten there early to try to avoid the crowds. I got a few free samples, bought a pack of Honey Stinger Chews and checked out a few of the booths. I had been thinking about signing up for the Rock & Roll half marathon on March 27 so I stopped by the booth to get some info. They were offering a discount and free t-shirt for signing up, so I did! Guess I'm going right back into training.

Sunday morning started early, traffic was ridiculous getting to Fair Park. We made it at about 7:45 and I found my assigned corral, L. I knew they would be starting us in waves (22,000 participants, so it made sense!) but I had no idea how long it would take for my group to be able to start! We didn't get started until almost 8:45. I normally try not to start out really fast, but I tried to push ahead really early to get ahead of the crowd.



It was so cold when we started, about 33 degrees! I wore long pants, a t-shirt, my favorite thumbhole jacket and gloves that I didn't care about losing. There were tons of discarded clothes along the course, good thing the race organizers get them picked up and donate them. It took several miles for my muscles to warm up, my legs felt like blocks of ice for a while there.

Course support was great, there were people all along the course with signs, live bands and a lot of great scenery. Our names were on our bibs and so a lot of people would call our our names as we ran by. There were plenty of water and Gatorade stations and Run On even had Kleenex stations. What a great idea! I drank water and Gatorade at miles 3, 6 and 9 and took ate some chews at miles 5 and 10.

My goal for this race was to be able to run the entire way. At Hills and Heels in May, I ran up until about mile 9 then had to alternate running and walking. But when I got to mile 10 this time, I knew I was going to be able to make it the entire way! I did stop right after mile 10 to stretch and of course I had to stop for the water stations (has anybody mastered running and drinking at the same time?), but I felt so strong when I was near the finish! In fact, once we hit mile 12, I pushed myself to pick up the pace in the hopes that I would really beat my last half-marathon time.

I didn't beat my time as much as I wanted to. My official finish time was 2:19:27, only 29 seconds faster than my first half-marathon. But, hey, faster is faster! I will take it.

Next up: Rock & Roll on March 27, 2011! Let's see what I can do!

The end is near!

The end of training, that is!

Last week's workouts:
Sunday: Easy yoga
Monday: 2 miles treadmill intervals
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 2 miles treadmill intervals easy in the 'hood.
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest?
Saturday: Run 10 miles (last long run before the half!)

Hey, I almost did all my workouts this week! I was glad to get out of work early enough on Wednesday to get in an outside run before dark. I'd had a bad headache all day, so I took it pretty easy. Thursday and Friday we were traveling (drove to and from Austin) and still had a lingering headache, but luckily my run on Saturday went great.

This week's plan:
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Did .6 mi on the treadmill before power yoga
Tuesday: 2.15 mi treadmill intervals (plus walked to work)
Wednesday: Cardio + yoga podcast
Thursday: 2 mi treadmill intervals
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest or easy yoga
Sunday: Race day!

I'm starting to get excited!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Easy bike ride (2.5 miles)
Monday: 2 mile run, strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 3 2 miles on the treadmill (or however far I can make it, my knee hates the treadmill) + walked to work
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy yoga Walked to and from work
Saturday: 10 mile run

Saturday's run was tough, my legs hurt and I almost quit at 7 miles but decided to stop and stretch instead. I felt a lot better and decided to stick it out for the last 3 miles.

This week will be tricky because of Thanksgiving traveling, but here is my plan:

Sunday: Easy yoga
Monday: 2 miles treadmill intervals
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 2 miles treadmill intervals
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest?
Saturday: Run 10 miles (last long run before the half!)

We are driving to Austin on Thursday morning, then driving back Friday. So I'm not sure if or when I'll be able to get anything in. And I hope I'll be able to get my Mon-Wed workouts in, with a few people taking the whole week off I am not sure how busy work will be.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

My coworker came up with a great idea: "Dip Day!" Everyone on our team brought a homemade dip and we chowed down and exchanged recipes.

I decided to make hummus and combined a couple recipes I've come across. It turned out quite tasty!

1 bulb garlic
1 can chickpeas
Juice of 2 small lemons
2 T tahini
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't think it needed any)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut the top off garlic bulb; drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil and roast for 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Squeeze garlic pulp into food processor and add remaining ingredients. Pulse for 5 minutes, scraping sides as needed.

Refrigerate overnight.

Om nom nom.

Shorter days

Last week's workouts:
Sunday: Easy bike ride Had a bad sinus headache most of the day.
Monday: 2 mile run, strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 3 mile run Worked late; but I did walk to work
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy yoga
Saturday: Run 9 miles

With Daylight Savings over and a busy week at work, it's been harder to get my workouts in after work! I wanted to move my Wednesday workout to Thursday but ended up working late again on Thursday. Oh, well, it's a new week!

I did go out to White Rock on Saturday. It was a nice change of pace to run at the lake, but I've gotten a little spoiled to the Katy Trail. The White Rock loop is paved, but no cushy running surface. There are also no mile markers and since I don't use a watch anymore, it was hard for me to tell how far I had gone. The loop felt a lot longer than 9 miles (some sources say it's 8.96, some say 9.33) and I was afraid I'd gotten lost at one point. I was so thankful when I finally saw the lot where I had parked!

This week's plans:
Sunday: Easy bike ride
Monday: 2 mile run, strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 3 miles on the treadmill (or however far I can make it, my knee hates the treadmill)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy yoga
Saturday: 10 mile run

I'm in the double digits now!

One month to go!

Last week's workotus:
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles, strength training Got out of work late so I did Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio to warm up followed by Total Body Sculpt: Lower Body, Arms and Abs
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles 2.6 miles
Thursday: Rest (Walked to and from work)
Friday: Yoga Walked to and from work
Saturday: Run 9 miles

Whew, Saturday's run felt great! I got a new jacket to wear since it is so cold out in the early mornings and I love it! I also tried out a new fuel since my usual Carb Boost chews have apparently been discontinued. I tried out an apple-cinnamon flavor Hammer gel and I gagged trying to get that goop down my throat. :( The flavor wasn't bad, but I think it was trying to swallow the gel. I really did feel energized for the last half of my run, though, so I will try it one more time to see if I can get used to it.

This week's plans:
Sunday: Easy bike ride
Monday: 2 mile run, strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 3 mile run
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy yoga
Saturday: Run 9 miles

I'm thinking about checking out White Rock Lake for my long run instead of the Katy Trail. Any other Dallas runners prefer one or the other?

Happy Halloween!

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga Rodney Yee Power Yoga DVD
Wednesday: Run 3 miles 2 miles and 20 min on the elliptical
Thursday: Rest (I walked to and from work)
Friday: Yoga Rest
Saturday: Run 8 miles

According to my training plan, this is supposed to be an easy week, but instead I think I am going to skip ahead so that I can repeat the last week of training and end up doing two 10 mile runs. I think this will help me finish stronger than I did last time.

So here is the plan:

Monday: Run 2 miles, strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Yoga
Saturday: Run 9 miles

Gorillaz!

So when I made my plan for last week's workouts, I forgot something very important! We had tickets for the Gorillaz show on Wednesday night and I had taken Thursday and Friday off work to give myself a long weekend!

So here's how things worked themselves out:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles; strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon pilates OR yoga DVR at home (plus I walked to and from work, 2 miles)
Wednesday: Run 3 miles Danced! Hey, that's a workout!
Thursday: Rest Rodney Yee Power Yoga DVD 45 min
Friday: Yoga Biked 3.1 miles
Saturday: Run 8 miles

The Gorillaz concert was awesome, we had such a good time! I would love to see them again, I'm so glad we had the chance to see them since they don't tour the US very often.

I meant to get my run in on Thursday, but woke up with a terrible migraine. I'm still not sure what caused it, but I didn't feel better until late in the afternoon so I just did yoga to try to relax my muscles. At least I could stay home and rest all day.

My run Saturday was tough! I didn't sleep well at all Friday night and then it was really humid. In fact, during my run it was thundering and I felt a few little drops but no rain. It poured later in the day, so I got to have another relaxing day of reading and watching movies.

This week is shaping up to be a hectic week at work, so I hope I can get all my workouts in. Here is the plan:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Yoga
Saturday: Run 8 miles

Half Marathon training: Week 10

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles; strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga pilates (this was hard!)
Wednesday: Run 3 miles Rest
Thursday: Rest Ran 3 miles on the treadmills
Friday: Yoga (I ended up doing the Yoga For Runners podcast from yogadownload.com)
Saturday: Run 7 miles

This week's plans:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles; strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon pilates OR yoga DVR at home
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Yoga
Saturday: Run 8 miles

The weather has been fantastic this week and my allergies seem to have calmed down!

Half marathon training: Week 9

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest (although I'll be lugging multiple loads of laundry up and down stairs, so I think that counts for something!)
Monday: Run 2 miles Total Body Sculpt: Hips, Thighs, Abs, Back and Triceps
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga Worked late, did my favorite Rodney Yee DVD at home
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Yoga Walked to and from work
Saturday: Should be an easy 3 mile run but I will try to do a longer run to make up for the ones I've missed! 6 miles on the Katy Trail

Last week was a tough one, my allergies were terrible and I had sinus headaches off and on. By Saturday, I felt a lot better and went further than I'd originally planned. I thought about the people who can't run but wish they could. I am lucky enough to be healthy and able to do so many things.

This week's plan:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles; strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Yoga
Saturday: Run 7 miles

Stay safe out there!

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles + strength training
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength Rest
Friday: Rest or easy yoga Shiva Rea Daily Energy yoga
Saturday: Scheduled to do 7 miles, which at this point is laughable. 5 miles

This week actually felt like fall! The weather has been amazing, I did all my runs outside this week. I know I am still behind on my half-marathon training but I had to be happy with 5 miles on the Katy Trail. It's the longest run I've been able to do so far and I felt strong through the whole thing. Yay!

A high school friend of ours was in a serious accident
on the Katy Trail this week.


It has served as a reminder for me to be very aware of my surroundings, especially since the Katy Trail can get very crowded when the weather is nice. I normally don't run with headphones in my neighborhood for fear of not being able to hear a car, but I usually do on the trail because I assume it's safer. However, yesterday I did my run without any music and it was actually nice to just listen to the sounds of nature around me.

Lauren's accident has really touched off a debate between cyclists and runners in Dallas where there was already a significant amount of tension. I hope what happened can serve as a reminder to all of us that without a lot of greenways, we must learn to share what we have.

Everyone should be able to exercise outside and enjoy nature, but please be safe while you do it!

This week's plan:

Sunday: Rest (although I'll be lugging multiple loads of laundry up and down stairs, so I think that counts for something!
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Yoga
Saturday: Should be an easy 3 mile run but I will try to do a longer run to make up for the ones I've missed!

Conspiracy Theory

This week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp Cardio (only 15 minutes but after a bunch of errands this was all I could squeeze in!)
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga class
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength Rest day
Friday: Easy yoga or rest Jay Johnson Boot Camp Cardio + strength
Saturday: Run 6 miles 3 miles

Seriously?! The weather is conspiring against me, I have not been able to have a long run since I started training for this half. This morning I woke up to rain. No big deal, a little rain never hurt anybody. I still planned on hitting the trail, just with a hat and a towel waiting in the car. Running in the rain is clinically proven to make you feel like a badass. On the way, the rain started coming down even harder and then...lightning! So I changed routes and headed to the gym. I am really getting tired of the treadmill, I feel like my gait is off and my knee can't stand it for very long. I managed to feel strong for 3 miles until my knee just couldn't take it anymore.

This week's plan:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength
Friday: Rest or easy yoga
Saturday: Scheduled to do 7 miles, which at this point is laughable.

Weekend recovery

Last week's workouts:
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Yoga class
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Oktoberfest 5K!

I didn't do as well as I wanted to do in the Oktoberfest 5K, my official time was 32:22. But the free beer afterwards helped me feel better! :)

This weekend was great, we partied at Oktoberfest on Saturday night and Sunday we went to our friends' son's birthday party. Whew, I need a weekend to recover from the weekend!

This week's workout plans:
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp Cardio (only 15 minutes but after a bunch of errands this was all I could squeeze in!)
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga class
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength
Friday: Easy yoga or rest
Saturday: Run 6 miles

Saturday's run is according to my training schedule, but I don't have very high hopes that I'll be able to make it the whole distance seeing as how my last "long" runs have been big fat fails. But we shall see!

Chicken stuffed with spinach, feta and pine nuts

I came across this recipe on CookingLight.com. It turned out really delicious and was very quick and easy to put together!

I only made minor changes to the recipe. Instead of thyme, I used fresh parsley because that's what I had on hand. We don't have an oven-proof skillet, so I just transferred the chicken to a baking dish, poured the broth over it and put it in the oven. I didn't secure the chicken with toothpicks like the instructions suggested and I will definitely do that next time in order to keep less of the delicious filling from escaping!

The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was that the leftovers were not as good as the original. The chicken was still nice and tender but the filling didn't reheat well. But it would be very easy to halve the recipe and just not have leftovers.

Ingredients
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; press until barely moist. Wipe pan clean.

3. Combine spinach, cheese, nuts, thyme, juice, and garlic. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 3 tablespoons filling into each pocket. Seal with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

4. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Add broth, and cover pan. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information
Calories:297
Fat:11.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 4.4g,poly 2.4g)
Protein:43.3g
Carbohydrate:3.4g
Fiber:1.2g
Cholesterol:111mg
Iron:2.7mg
Sodium:493mg
Calcium:131mg

Hot mess

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Yoga
Wednesday: Run 2 miles Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio and strength training
Thursday: Cardio + strength Ran 3 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run 5 miles Ran 3.5 miles

What an interesting week! Monday was Labor Day, so I was able to do my run outside instead of the gym. It is still really hot out, but if I get out early enough, I can handle a short run. Then that afternoon our A/C went out, it was so miserable! It didn't get fixed until Tuesday evening and our upstairs unit wasn't working until Thursday.

Tuesday I tried out a free yoga class at Lululemon and it was fantastic! I will definitely be going back.

Wednesday I was scheduled to run but the weather was horrible thanks to Hermine. It stormed all day and on my way home from work there were traffic lights out so I decided to switch to my Thursday workout and stay home to work out. I'm so glad I did because tornadoes hit Dallas! The funnel started forming right above our neighborhood but luckily (for us anyway), they moved south.

Thursday I double-checked my training schedule and found out I was supposed to be doing 3 miles, not 2! Glad I checked!

Saturday I got up early and went to the Katy Trail to do my "long" run for the week. Holy humidity! I knew I wasn't going to make it the whole way almost as soon as I started out. I checked the weather stats online when I got home and humidity was 79%!

I am hoping that this week will be calmer!

This week's plan:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Yoga class
Wednesday: Run 3 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Oktoberfest 5K!

Happy September!

The summer has flown by!

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Power Yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: Cardio/strength DVD (Total Body Sculpt)
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Easy yoga Rest
Saturday: 4 mile run only made it 3.2 miles, I waited too late and it got really hot out!

This week's plans:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Run 2 miles
Tuesday: Yoga
Wednesday: Run 2 miles
Thursday: Cardio + strength
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run 5 miles

Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend!

The Good Kind of Sore

Last week's workouts:
Sunday: Rest (I might sneak in some easy yoga, shhh!)
Monday: Power Yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: Rest or easy yoga
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio and Legs Ran 3 miles
Saturday: Run 3 miles Power Yoga: Total Body (Rodney Yee DVD)

It was another week of falling back on Plan B's, but luckily I got all my runs in. I didn't have the energy I was hoping I would have at the beginning of the week but thankfully by the end of the week I felt so much better. My mouth is healing right on schedule and on Thursday at my follow-up appointment, they told me I didn't need to wear the plastic stent anymore and that I could graduate to real food! What a difference real food makes in your energy level!

Since I was all energized on Friday, I decided to go ahead and get my "long" run out of the way so that Saturday I could go to Cardio Muscle on Saturday if I felt up to it. Saturday morning I decided that what my legs really needed was some good stretching. I have had this Rodney Yee DVD (Power Yoga: Total Body) for EVER and it is still one of my favorite workouts. Today my legs are sore from it, but definitely in a good way!

Buster likes to do yoga with me.



Feel free to ignore the jumble of shoes and reusable bags by the door.

*Knock on wood* Work has calmed down a bit and I didn't end up staying late at all last week. I hope the trend continues this week!

This week's plan:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Power Yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: Cardio/strength DVD (probably either Total Body Sculpt or Boot Camp, I'll see what I feel like)
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Easy yoga
Saturday: 4 mile run

A week of Plan B's

Last week's actual workouts:

Sunday: Bike ride or 2 mile run (if I get up early enough and depending on how I feel) Had another bad headache.
Monday: Power Yoga class Ran 2 miles
Tuesday: Run 2 miles Took my rest day, went out to Irving to eat with my grandad.
Wednesday: rest or easy yoga Jay Johnson Boot Camp Cardio
Thursday: Run 2 miles

It was one of those weeks! It felt like everything was working against me to get my workouts in. I always try to have a Plan B in mind and this week I definitely fell back on those. Friday I had oral surgery (yuck) and they gave me strict orders not to work out for 3 days. Today is Sunday and I am really getting restless!

I hope this next week will be better! Surgery went as well as it could have. I still have stitches in my mouth and have to wear a palatal stent which makes it really hard to eat. This definitely affects my energy level! Here is the upcoming week's plans:

Sunday: Rest (I might sneak in some easy yoga, shhh!)
Monday: Power Yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: Rest or easy yoga
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio and Legs
Saturday: Run 3 miles

Cheese coma

Michael specifically requested macaroni and cheese for dinner this week. He doesn't ask for much, so I obliged.

It's been a while since I've made macaroni and cheese so I had to search for a recipe. I came across this one and decided on it for two reasons: 1) it has a short ingredient list and 2) it includes Gruyere, one of Michael's favorite cheeses.

And a cheese coma ensued.

This was so good and really rich. But I think that you just need to go for it with macaroni and cheese, lowfat is just not the same.

The only thing I would do differently is that I would leave out the additional salt. Gruyere has a salty flavor (even after I cut off the rind) so I don't think it was necessary to add more salt. I also broiled it for a few minutes past the cooking time to make a nice cheesey crust on top.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings


Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole or low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Cheddar
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Gruyère
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350° F.

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the top. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Still stirring, slowly add the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 7 minutes. Add the Cheddar, Gruyère, salt, and cayenne (if using) and heat until the cheeses melt.

Drain and rinse the macaroni. Add it to the sauce and toss. Transfer to a buttered casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

In Advance: Assemble the macaroni and cheese but do not bake it. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.

Nutritional Information
Calories:581 (42% from fat)
Fat:27g (sat 17g)
Protein:27g
Carbohydrate:57g
Fiber:2g
Cholesterol:86mg
Sodium:651mg

This week's actual workouts:

Sunday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio, Legs
Monday: Power yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: easy yoga Nothing
Saturday: Run 2 miles Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio, Legs

Friday night we ended up going to the in-laws for after-work drinks. I have been fighting some sinus congestion all week and Friday afternoon it really hit hard. So Saturday I decided to let myself sleep in a little and once I was up and had some coffee in me I felt well enough to do Jay Johnson OnDemand.

I have always wanted to do some of his real-life boot camps but they are really expensive! I like the workouts I have found OnDemand, though. He has some funny catch phrases. Some of my favorites:
"Hold on to your hat!"
"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room."
"Treat your body as something other than a clothes hanger."

This week's plan:

Sunday: Bike ride or 2 mile run (if I get up early enough and depending on how I feel)
Monday: Power Yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: rest or easy yoga
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Nothing, I'm having oral surgery, yuck.
Saturday: Depends on how I feel after Friday! I really want to go to my favorite Cardio Muscle class but I will have to play it by ear.

Back on the wagon

You know how sometimes things sneak up on you?

After I ran a half marathon in May and it didn't kill me, I decided that I would run another one in December. It felt like I had plenty of time so I have barely run at all this summer. I've been staying active with yoga and Cardio Muscle classes at the Y. But I've also been doing bicep curls with this:



Mmmm...nothing better than a cold beer on a hot summer day!

So last night (while drinking a beer, heh) I started thinking about the December race and thought I'd check to see when I needed to start training. If I want to do the usual 16-week training, I'd need to start....next week?!

It's been up to 105 here in Dallas, so running has been the last thing on my mind. I think I will be sticking to the treadmill for the early part of training, until the weather cools off.

I want to stick to training better this time than I did the last time. While I was proud of my time for my first half, I want to feel stronger for this one. So I'm going to do a check-in weekly to keep myself accountable. I also want to keep up some strength training so I don't lose the benefits I've gained from that.

Here is this week's workout plan:

Sunday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp: Cardio, Legs
Monday: Power yoga class
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: easy yoga
Saturday: Run 2 miles

Here we go!

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

My favorite food group is garlic.

There are several versions of this recipe out there. This is the version I used, using skinless boneless chicken breasts. When I seasoned the chicken, I added some red pepper as well as dried Italian herbs. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli, the rice really soaked up the sauce, but I would definitely love to try it with baguette for the garlic cloves. Mmmm...

From Cooking Light:


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 4 ounces chicken, 2 tablespoons sauce, 5 garlic cloves, and 3 bread slices)


Ingredients
2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
40 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
24 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Preparation
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chickens. Rinse chickens with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat; remove skin. Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Combine butter and oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Add half of chicken pieces to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Arrange chicken on top of garlic. Add broth and wine; cover and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Serve sauce and garlic with chicken and bread. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories:343 (36% from fat)
Fat:13.7g (sat 3.6g,mono 4.9g,poly 3.4g)
Protein:29.6g
Carbohydrate:24.2g
Fiber:2g
Cholesterol:111mg
Iron:2.3mg
Sodium:468mg
Calcium:58mg

When the ugly comes out...

I pride myself on working well under pressure. My bosses used to comment on my zen-like calm in even the most stressful situations. Years ago, a yoga instructor told me that "impatience is the surface of anger" and I repeat those words to myself every day.

So why do I sometimes just lose it at the most inane inconvenience?

After work yesterday, I decided to do some laundry. My laundry basket was overflowing and I decided that Friday would probably be the best night to do laundry, I would have the laundry room all to myself. (Ahhh, the joys of apartment living and shared laundry rooms. Also, these are not the kind of machines that take quarters, but the kind where you put money on a card.) There are three laundry rooms in our complex, two of which are within a few yards of our apartment.

When I went to the first room, three out of seven washers were being used and the remaining four had powdered soap in them. Seriously? Why was there powdered soap in there? Were they trying to "claim" the machines? Were they broken and somebody didn't realize it until they had put their soap in? Even if they were working, I couldn't use them now because my skin is super-sensitive and I can only use detergent with no dyes or perfumes. You know, the detergent that dermatologists recommend for newborns? My skin is that special.

So I go to the next laundry room. There is one machine that is filled with water but the other ones look fine. In fact, they all have brand new card readers, so they must be working! I put in my laundry, add my special detergent, insert my card into the card reader which takes the appropriate amount off my card and push the start buttons.

Nothing.

The sight of my clothes covered in detergent was just too much. I slammed the lids, cursed loudly, and marched over to the complex office to berate the poor employee about how shitty this dump is. (It's 5:30 on a Friday, I'm well aware of the fact that these machines will not be fixed immediately and this throws me further into a rage.) While I'm walking to the office, my husband calls to tell me about the brisket he wants to make for our mothers' day lunch and I snapped at him.

Whoa, hold up. What am I so pissed about? Yes, it's annoying. But all I have to do is go to the other laundry room. Granted, it's the farthest away, but I can still literally see it from where I'm standing. Also, it's 5:30 on a Friday and I'm already home from work and have the whole weekend ahead of me! I don't even need any of these clothes to be clean right away.

Impatience is the surface of anger and I have nothing to be angry about. I still need a reminder now and then.

The times, they are changing...

Sorry it's been a while since I've updated.

(Who am I talking to? The only people who read this are ones who already know what's been going on.)

I got laid off from the job from hell. I found a new one extremely quickly: normal hours, 1 mile from home, still in the industry that I love, better pay. I still get my seperation package and bonus from last year. Believe me, I am counting my blessings on this one, a lot of people were sending me good vibes and the universe cut me a major break.

I am still training for the half marathon on May 2. I think that after that, I will be done with distance running for a while, it has been kind of a beating. I like having a goal to work towards, though, so I will see how I feel after all is said and done. And if I survive. You hear about those people who randomly collapse and die after or during a race and I have a major fear that I will be one of them. Having a heart arrhythmia does nothing to quiet those fears, but after getting the "A-OK" from my doctor I have to assume that if it's my time, it's my time. :)

I think once this race is done I will take a break from running and go back to focusing on yoga. I am hoping that my favorite instructor will be back from maternity leave soon. It's not the same without Mary! I also need to find a strength training class again, because I am doing nothing on my own.

Once I have gotten myself into a more regular routine at this job, I will try to post more regularly.

More later!

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! I will definitely make it again. The only thing I did differently was use garbanzo beans (chickpeas) instead of cannelinni beans. I also accidently grabbed romano cheese instead of parmesan at the store.

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens


Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)


Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
5 ounces arugula leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Place pasta in a small bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing gently. Set aside, and keep warm.

2. Return pan to medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing gently to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories:290
Fat:10.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.3g)
Protein:11.3g
Carbohydrate:38.1g
Fiber:3.7g
Cholesterol:8mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:469mg
Calcium:173mg
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2009

Wish List Wednesday: A girl's best friend...

In honor of Valentine's Day coming up, let's daydream about some pretty jewelry!

I have been seeing key pendants around lately. Tiffany's are gorgeous! The perfect way to give someone the key to your heart.



I would love to start a collection of stackable rings. What a great way to celebrate milestones in your life! These are also from Tiffany.



I have been coveting these earrings ever since I saw Padma wearing them on Top Chef: New York. She had them in a couple of different colors. I am assuming they are from her jewelry line (and expensive), but I cannot find them online to be sure.



We have this ring at work and I have to visit it every once in a while. It is much more affordable than the other pieces, but still an unnecessary expense. I love the dainty band with the emerald cut sapphire. It is so beautiful in person!



Hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day!

Love Yourself

This is a great idea from The Clean Eating Mama.

I worked overnight at work last night and felt very discouraged when I left. It was early in the morning and I couldn't get right to sleep, so I caught up on my blog reading. This post got me in much better spirits as I thought about the things I love about myself.

I don't know if I'll have the time to journal every day, but I think it's a good idea to take some time to appreciate myself this month.

Hope you can all give yourselves the love you deserve!

Wish List Wednesday: Spring!

We are starting to get in our spring merchandise at work. I love spring, it is my favorite time of year and I looove new spring clothes!

I have been eyeing a few things at Anthropologie:








I'm a sucker for a pretty espadrille!

Stuart Weitzman:


Via Spiga:

Wish List Wednesday: Running

I started running last year and have really enjoyed racing. I decided to really challenge myself: I am going to run a half marathon in May! I started training this week (using the Runner's World Smart Coach) and I've been doing yoga on my crosstrain/rest days to stay limber.

So here are some items on my wish list for training!



I definitely need some new shoes and am looking forward to getting fitted at Run On. These are Asics.



I bought capris similar to these. I have always been self conscious about wearing really fitted pants but these were suprisingly flattering and comfortable to run in. I need some more while it's still too cool to wear shorts! These are Xersion brand from JC Penney.



Music makes running so much more enjoyable, but I really need an armband for my Zune. It is hard to find one that fits my scrawny arms, though. (I'm doing pushups!)



I might also want a pretty yoga mat! This one is by Gaiam, I have always had good luck with their products.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Spinach

I got this recipe from the Dallas Morning News food blog. It turned out pretty good! Next time I will slice the potatoes thinner or par-cook them. I didn't have any fresh rosemary so I used a dried Italian herb blend. I didn't have any lemon, but I will definitely use it next time. I also added a little garlic to the potato mixture.

1 ½ pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 (10-ounce) bag spinach

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt (divided use)

½ teaspoon pepper(divided use)

4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 F. In a very large roasting pan, toss the potatoes, spinach and onion with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.

Wish List Wednesday!

All I want today is sleep!

I have been working overnights at work this week, so my sleep cycle is messed up. I have been getting home around 5am, going to bed about 6am and waking up earlier than I would like.

Tomorrow I am off but then Friday I go in at a normal time. I would love to sleep all day tomorrow but I think that would just throw my cycle even more out of whack.

Hope everyone is having a good Wednesday!

And the new resolutions for 2010...

1. Run the full 8 mile Turkey Trot.

2. Read 25 books.

3. Keep my bathroom cleaner.

4. Find a new strength training class.

5. Cut back on drinking.

6. Pay off my car.

7. Get gum surgery. (I have already met with a peridontist about this, yuck!)

When making New Year's resolutions, I am always reminded of a Jamie Cullum song.

Next Year,
Things are gonna change,
Gonna drink less beer
And start all over again
Gonna pull up my socks
Gonna clean my shower
Not gonna live by the clock
But get up at a decent hour
Gonna read more books
Gonna keep up with the news
Gonna learn how to cook
And spend less money on shoes
Pay my bills on time
File my mail away, everyday
Only drink the finest wine
And call my Gran every Sunday
Resolutions
Well Baby they come and go
Will I do any of these things?
The answers probably no
But if there's one thing, I must do,
Despite my greatest fears
I'm gonna say to you
How I've felt all of these years
Next Year, Next Year, Next Year
I gonna tell you, how I feel
Well, resolutions
Baby they come and go
Will I do any of these things?
The answers probably no
But if there's one thing, I must do,
Despite my greatest fears
I'm gonna say to you
How I've felt all of these years
Next Year, Next Year, Next Year