The Bakers

Hot Chocolate 15K Race Review

2012-02-12T13:56:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Mon 2/6: Power yoga class
Tues 2/7: 3 mi run
Wed 2/8: 3 mi run (social run) + strength training
Thurs 2/9: Rest ~~or yoga~~ (Walked to and from work, ~2 mi)
Fri: 2/10: 3 mi run
Sat: 2/11: Race day! 9.3 miles

I was a little nervous going into the Hot Chocolate race for a couple of reasons. First, the race in Washington, DC got terrible reviews. But I have done other RAM races before so I was hopeful that the organizers had learned from their mistakes. Second, the weather took a turn for the cold on Friday and overnight lows were predicted to be about 25 degrees. In the early morning hours, Hot Chocolate even sent out an email encouraging 15K participants to switch to the 5K if their pace would be under 12 miles an hour. In addition, they added, the wind chill was about 19 degrees. Yikes!

But, hey, I've run in worse weather conditions (White Rock 2011 and Wounded Warrior come to mind), so Michael and I decided we would bundle up and still race. I wore my Athleta Streamline pants, a short-sleeve t-shirt and my favorite New Balance half-zip top with foldover mittens. I wore a Lululemon headband that is pretty wide so I could pull it down over my ears.

Our race morning started with a snafu that was completely my fault-- I thought I had set the alarm for 5:00 but had actually set it for 6:15. Whoops! We had planned on leaving at 7:00 so this did not leave much time to eat breakfast, drink coffee and digest but luckily we were able to get ready and hit the road by 7:15. We are pretty familiar with Fair Park so we took a shortcut that we knew of and didn't have to sit in any traffic to get to the race site. Parking was quick and easy (and free!) and we found the start line right as the 5K started.

We didn't get into our assigned corral because people were already moving and it didn't seem like the corrals were very strictly enforced. No matter, we got in with some L's and M's and it was no big deal. We were lining up in the same spot we had at White Rock but there were more entrances to get to the corrals, so no bottlenecks. The MC was great, he kept the crowd pumped and we started right on time!

The first couple of miles were super crowded and I was weaving in and out (walkers to the right, please!). No worse than any other big race I've done, though. Michael and I lost each other pretty quickly, which was fine because we hadn't planned on running the whole thing together.

The course was great, we went through the Fair Park area, up Swiss Avenue, through East Dallas and then back down Lindsley. It was surprisingly hilly; I know Swiss has a slope, so I knew we would have an incline there but I didn't realize how hilly some of the other sreets are! That coupled with the wind made it quite challenging, but it was still enjoyable. There were water and Gatorade stations every 2 miles and mile markers with the gun time at every mile. I took water and Gatorade at mile 4, then Gatorade at mile 8. I brought some Honey Stinger chews but didn't end up taking any. Not a lot of spectators were out, but this was the first year for this race and it was cold!

One last big hill (this one was a bridge) and we were back in Fair Park! There was good energy at the finish line, the MC was keeping the crowd lively and one of the officials was standing in the finish chute high-fiving everyone who came through.

Finish time: 1:25:46
5K split 28:07 (9:04 min/mile)
10K split 28:49 (9:18 min/mile)
Finish 28:49 (9:18 min/mile)

So you can see where I started out fast (which I knew I was doing) but the last two 5K's were exactly the same so I found a good pace. And since it was my first 15K, it's an automatic PR!

After I crossed the finish line, I got another small cup of Gatorade and a bottle of water, then headed for the chocolate party. The only thing I didn't like about the race was that the finish line was by where we had parked, but the afterparty was in the Automobile Building, on the other side of Fair Park! So it was at least a half-mile walk to get to our chocolate! I'm sure that was how it had to be done because of the way Fair Park is set up, but my legs were tired by this point! But I was determined to get my chocolate, so I headed to the building and got a platter of chocolate fondue. It was a plastic tray with apple slices, half a banana, two marshmallows and a pretzel rod. Somehow, I got a tray without a pretzel but one of the volunteers was nice enough to give me two. Then I got a scoop of chocolate sauce from another volunteer. The fruit was a little sad looking (cut fruit doesn't look too pretty after a while) but all I cared about were the marshmallows and pretzels anyway.

Around this time, Michael started calling my phone because he was ready to leave. He had finished just a couple minutes behind me and he found me quickly (shoveling chocolate covered marshmallows into my mouth, ha!). I saw some people with Ghiradelli squares, but Michael was anxious to leave so I just grabbed a hot chocolate (No lines! This is my kind of post-race party!) and we hiked back to the car. Now that we weren't running, the wind felt really cold again so the hot chocolate was great!

Sorry that was so long, but I was really impressed with everything about this race. I thought it was really well organized, great volunteers and I loved the post-race goodies!

Next up: Rock & Roll Half Marathon March 25!

This week's plans:
Sunday 2/12: Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Monday 2/13: 3 mi run
Tuesday 2/14: Upper body strength training
Wednesday 2/15: 3 mi social run (I've heard rumors of a massage therapist afterwards!)
Thursday 2/16: Rest or yoga
Friday 2/17: 3 mi run
Saturday 2/18: 7 mi run

Will Run for Chocolate

2012-02-05T19:19:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Mon 1/30: Power yoga class
Tues 1/31: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed 2/1: 3 mi run
Thurs: 2/2: Rest ~~or yoga~~
Fri 2/3: 3 mi run
Sat 2/4: Yoga
Sun 2/5: 9 mi run

Hey, I did good sticking to my plan this week! Nothing much exciting to report, I did all my weekday runs in the mornings, I couldn't make the social run this week because I had dinner plans. Those early morning runs sure do get boring! It's dark, I don't vary my route too much because there aren't a lot of streets that are lit and of course I'm by myself. Running with a friend or two makes a big difference! Plus, I'm really not a morning person so I kind of go on autopilot.

Any suggestions to make those morning runs a little more fun?

Michael and I had our last long run before the Hot Chocolate 15K next weekend! I'm excited for the new distance and the instant PR. And of course, the chocolate feast afterwards!

This week's plan:
Mon 2/6: Power yoga class
Tues 2/7: 3 mi run
Wed 2/8: 3 mi run (social run) + strength training
Thurs 2/9: Rest or yoga
Fri: 2/10: 3 mi run
Sat: 2/11: Race day! 9.3 miles

Shopping = Crosstraining

2012-01-29T17:23:00.004-06:00

This week's workouts:
Sunday 1/22: Rest
Mon 1/23: 3 mi run + power yoga class
Tues 1/24: Strength training
Wed 1/25: 3 mi run (Another social run at Run On!)
Thurs: 1/26: ~~Yoga~~ Rest (Well, I went shopping. That counts as cardio, right?)
Fri: 1/27: 3 mi run
Sat 1/28: Yoga class (1 hour, easy flow as opposed to my usual power)
Sun 1/29: 8 mi run

On Sunday, Michael and I hit up the White Rock Creek Trail. I hadn't been out there before but Michael ran on it last weekend and liked it and a coworker/neighbor has mentioned she runs on it occasionally. We parked at Northwood Park near Royal and Greenville and ran the trail all the way to Northwest Highway and back. It was nice to have a change of scenery, even if the trail isn't quite as well maintained as the Katy Trail. We didn't see many people at all when we started out, but by the time we were finishing up (about 9:30), lots of people were out running, biking and walking dogs. I will definitely check it out again!

We kept our pace a little slower the first half but picked it up about mile 5.

This week's plans:
Mon 1/30: Power yoga class
Tues 1/31: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed 2/1: 3 mi run
Thurs: 2/2: Rest or yoga
Fri 2/3: 3 mi run
Sat 2/4: Yoga
Sun 2/5: 9 mi run

Ice, Ice Baby

2012-01-22T21:22:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga (Detox Yoga, 20 min)
Mon: Power Yoga class
Tues: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed: 3 mi run
Thurs: ~~Yoga or~~ rest
Fri: 3 1.7 mi run
Sat: 9 7 mi run

My shin has been hurting this week, not sure what is going on with it. I ended up cutting Saturday's run short because of it. So I've been icing the old shin and it seems to be alleviating the tenderness.

Wednesday night I went back to the Run On! social run. This time I stuck around a little longer afterwards and found out that they draw for prizes after the run. I won a $25 gift card, sweet! I think I'll buy myself some new Feetures socks.

I also treated myself to some workout clothes from Target (2 half zip tops and a lightweight jacket) and Old Navy (two pairs of compression capris). Everything was on super sale and I needed some new cold-weather gear! Nothing like new clothes to motivate you to get moving!

This week's plan:
Sunday 1/22: Rest
Mon 1/23: 3 mi run + power yoga class
Tues 1/24: Strength training
Wed 1/25: 3 mi run
Thurs: 1/26: Yoga
Fri: 1/27: 3 mi run
Sat 1/28 or Sun 1/29: 8 mi run

Michael ran on the new White Rock extension trail and said he really liked it, so we will probably hit that up for our long run. Not sure if we will be running Saturday or Sunday, I will do yoga on whichever day we don't run. I'd love to make it to the Saturday yoga class.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week! Have any other Dallas runners used the White Rock extension? Do you like it?

Hotcake Hustle 10K Review

2012-01-15T13:33:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: 7 mi run
Mon: Yoga (Power Yoga 4, 45 min)
Tues: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed: 3 mi run (I went to an evening social run at Run On! It was lots of fun, I'll definitely go again.)
Thurs: ~~Yoga or~~ rest
Fri: Yoga ~~or rest~~ (Yoga for Runners, 20 min)+ walked to and from work (2 mi)
Sat: 10K race (6.2 mi)

Saturday morning, we left about 7:45 for the race (which started at 8:30). Our good friend Elliot was nice enough to drive us and cheer for us. Parking was a breeze, the race was in Addison Circle so we were familiar with the area and parking garages. We had plenty of time until the start so Michael decided to use the Port-a-Potties. He was in line for a really long time (7 Port-a-Potties for a 2500 person race, doesn't seem like a lot but I know they also had indoor restrooms. We guessed they would be even more crowded and we knew we had time so he just waited.) I wore my favorite Athleta capris, short sleeve top and then a long-sleeve half zip. I was cold while we waited but it was warming up quickly and I knew I would warm up once I got started.

The MC was very energetic and got everyone pumped while we waited to start. At 8:30 we were off! The 5K and 10K started at the same time and ran the same course, with the 10K-ers running the course twice. It was the exact same course as Oktoberfest so I knew what was coming-- the bridge! And I knew I was going to have to run over it 4 times. O_o

The start was definitely crowded, I was dodging and weaving to get around the crowd (and the walkers who wanted to walk on the left instead of the right), so I knew I started out fast but wasn't that worried about it. So we went out of Addison Circle, over the bridge, then just a little further to the turnaround. There was a water station here, which I skipped. The crowd had thinned out a lot by this point and as I came down the bridge for the second time, I could see the 10K leaders looping back around. So fast! As we came back to the starting line, the 5K-ers turned right to the finish while the 10K-ers looped back and did it again.

I was worried about passing the slower 5K-ers on the second loop, but luckily we had room to get through on the left. I could feel myself slowing down by the fourth (!) time I went over the bridge but luckily I didn't have to stop. I came across the finish line at about 54:00 so I knew I had beat my previous time. When the official results came in, I earned 52:13! That's an 8:25 pace, faster than my 5K PR! I did slow down the second half but only by a few seconds, so I am really proud.

I had seen Michael on my fourth pass of the bridge as he was on his third and he looked good! After I finished, I got some water and looked around at the after-party setup. The line for pancakes was out of control already, it wrapped all the way around the building and then across the lawn. Yikes!

I waited with Elliot to watch Michael cross the finish line, he came in with 1:04:20, an awesome time for his first 10K! We decided to forgo the ridiculous lines for food and beverages and just headed home. I wanted pancakes, but not that bad! Overall, I had a great race and would do it again.

My first race of 2012 was a success! Now looking forward to the Hot Chocolate 15K on Feb. 11!

This week's plans:
Sun: Yoga
Mon: Power Yoga class
Tues: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed: 3 mi run
Thurs: Yoga or rest
Fri: 3 mi run
Sat: 9 mi run

Plan It Out, Work It Out

2012-01-08T18:55:00.002-06:00

So what races have my running buddies signed up for?

So far, I am running:
The Hotcake Hustle 10K on Jan. 14 (Pancakes and coffee at the finish? I'm in.)

The Hot Chocolate 15K on Feb. 11 (Hot chocolate and more chocolate goodies at the finish? I'm in.)

Rock & Roll Dallas Half Marathon on March 25 (I loved this race last year!)

I think the first two races will help me build back up to the Half Marathon in March. My mileage base is still pretty good and I'm confident about these races! The 15K will be my first race of that distance, it should be fun!

Michael is running the Hotcake Hustle as well, his first 10K! I put together a training plan for him and I know he'll do great!

So here is this week's training plan.
Sun: 7 mi run
Mon: Yoga
Tues: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed: 3 mi run
Thurs: Yoga or rest
Fri: Yoga or rest
Sat: 10K race (6.2 mi)

Let the spring race season begin!

Lentil and Black Bean Soup

2012-01-08T13:55:00.003-06:00

I came across this recipe in the November issue of Runner's World and just now had a chance to make it. It was delicious, super thick and filling with just the right amount of spice.

Description from the article:
"This vegan stew is thick and superfilling thanks to the beans and lentils. Both are good sources of protein and fiber-rich carbs. "The body absorbs these nutrients slowly, keeping energy and hunger levels on an even keel," says sports nutritionist Monique Ryan, R.D. One cup of lentils contains almost all of your daily need for folate, a B vitamin that's key for the formation of energy-supplying red blood cells. Chili powder, cumin, and paprika punch up the flavor while providing a dose of anti-inflammatory antioxidants."

Delicious and a great post-run meal!

Ingredients:
1/2 large onion (I used yellow)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 c vegetable broth
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c red lentils (My Tom Thumb only had one kind of lentils, they were a brown-green and they worked fine.)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Lime juice
Cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:
Chop half a large onion and saute in a pot on medium heat until soft. I added just a little vegetable oil even though the recipe didn't call for it. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika; saute 1 minute. Add 2 cups vegetable broth and 1 tablespoon tomato paste; bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup red lentils; cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Partially mash 1 cup drained, rinsed canned black beans; add to soup with 1/4 teaspoon salt, juice of one lime, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook five minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Note: The second time I made this recipe, I put in a whole box of broth (about 4 cups) and also put a lid on the pot while the lentils cooked. I think the consistency turned out much better with these two adjustments.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T08:31:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a happy (and safe) start to 2012! We celebrated at home like most years.

Do you make New Years' Resolutions? I usually do, I like to have goals for the coming year. Here are the resolutions I made for 2011:

1. Run three half marathons. Check! I actually ran four and got my PR down to 2:03:42..

2. Floss more regularly. Check! My dentist appointments went so much better this year.

3. Keep the apartment cleaner. (I need to come up with a cleaning schedule for myself.) Debtatable. I think I did a better job overall, but I still have a ways to go. I didn't make a schedule for myself.

4. Read 25 books. Check! I read 27.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Atonement by Ian McEwan
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Outliers: The True Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run by Kristin Armstrong
The Best American Short Stories 2010
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laren Hillenbrand
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life With Autism by Temple Grandin
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven Levitt
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
Rules of Thumb by Tom Parker

5. Take a vacation with my husband. Check! In August we went to the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort in the Hill Country. It was great to get away for a few days! We also went to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs between Christmas and New Years with my parents. More of a family vacation, but we did have a lot of time to ourselves which was nice.

So what do you want to accomplish in 2012? Here are my goals:

1. Get to a healthier weight. I've lost some weight this year, probably just due to stress. I'd like to put about 5 lbs back on so that my jeans will fit again.

2. Strength train at least once a week.

3. Get to work by 8:00 every morning. Ever since I switched to working out in the morning, it has been harder and harder to get in on time! I'm lucky that my boss is really relaxed about when we come in and I'm not even the last one in. I think a big part of this will be breaking the snooze button habit! I'm bad about hitting it several times before I actually get up.

4. Read 25 books.

Those are the only goals I'm going to set for myself for now. I thought about setting a mileage or race goal for running, but I think I just want to maintain my fitness level and see where that takes me.

I hope 2012 is a happy and healthy year for you and yours!

Dallas White Rock Half Marathon Race Report

2011-12-04T19:59:00.003-06:00

Sunday 11/27: Twisting Detox, 43 min
Monday 11/28: 3 mi run + Power Yoga class, 1 hr
Tuesday 11/29: Yoga Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Wednesday 11/30: ~~3 mi run~~
Thursday 12/1: 3 mi run ~~+ strength training~~
Friday 12/2: Rest ~~or yoga~~
Saturday 12/3: Yoga Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Sunday 12/4: Race Day! 13.1 miles!

Well, I was hoping that the forecast would change but it just kept getting worse. Sunday was very rainy and about 44 degrees when the race started. The temperature actually kept dropping during the race.

I wore my favorite Athleta capris, a short sleeved t-shirt and a long-sleeve lightweight half-zip shirt. I had worn this same outfit in colder weather, so I knew I would be able to stay warm. I also added a baseball cap to keep the rain out of my eyes-- great decision!

There was a huge organizational snafu at the start. As I walked with the crowd to the area where the start corrals were, the start line (and corrals) were separated by a chain link fence. Well, we all kept walking (HUGE crowd, over 25,000 runners) looking for an opening in the fence for us to get to our corrals and there wasn't one. o_O It was very odd. The wheelchairs started and I knew that my corral (6th) wasn't too far back from the start. I had already passed it, so I turned back around, went back to my corral and asked a few people on the other side how they got there. They had jumped the fence and helped me do the same! I have never seen a start line such a madhouse. Everyone around me was jumping the fence and griping about it. Michael told me that later people started tearing parts of the fence down. What the heck?!

Thankfully, things went better after that. My corral started about 10 minutes after the gun time and we moved pretty quickly. I tried not to let the weather get me down, I couldn't do anything to change it and just kept reminding myself we were all in the same boat. I tried to avoid the puddles for a while but after a few miles it was just unavoidable. My clothes were soaked completely through but luckily I didn't feel cold.

I took my chews at miles 4 and 8. I might have taken a couple more at about mile 11 but I honestly can't remember! Around mile 7 as we were running through HP, a guy came up beside me and asked if he could pace of me for a while. He said I was keeping a good pace, about a 9 minute mile. I was so surprised that a) I was going that fast because I felt like I'd been going slower and b) that somebody actually thought I looked good enough to be a pacer! He and I ran together through HP and then he pulled ahead but it gave me the confidence boost I needed.

The other confidence boost came from the spectators. This race is a huge event in Dallas but I wasn't expecting many spectators this year. I was pleasantly surprised at all the people who came out to cheer, hold signs, ring cowbells and shout encouragement! Amazing support from Dallasites! My fellow runners were also a great source of support, lots of laughing and positive words.

There were no clocks along the course, I'm assuming because the rain made it dangerous, so I wasn't sure how I was doing towards the end of the race. I could feel myself slowing down and my hands felt frozen. I texted Michael at mile 11 to tell him where I was, hoping that he would get to the finish line in time to see me cross. When I crossed the finish line, I realized I had a new PR!

Breakdown:
5K 29:30
10K 59:13
15K 1:29:06
Finish 2:03:42

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I got a mylar blanket and stopped to watch the marathon winner cross the finish line. Amazing that he could run a marathon in the same time that it took me to run the half marathon! I got my finisher's medal, t-shirt and grabbed a bagel (loooong lines for food and beer). At this point, I put my mylar blanket down and left it, not realizing I would have to go outside again to get to the family reunion building.

I called Michael as I walked into the family reunion building and was upset when he said he wasn't at the finish, he was on his way from the half-way point of the course where he'd cheered on some of our friends (he got there after I had passed). So I had to wait for a while and walking through the cold rain again had really chilled me. I tried to find a warm spot but could not warm up. I was shivering and couldn't stop. A guy next to me asked if I was okay and even offered me his jacket. I said no but it was so nice of him to offer.

Michael finally came in the building and as soon as he saw me looking like a drowned rat, he wrapped me in his wool coat and helped me to the car. I had trouble getting my legs to move, I was so cold. Once we got in the car and blasted the heater, I started to thaw out. I had put some dry clothes in the car, but honestly I was shivering and my hands were so numb that I didn't want to deal with it, so I just put a towel on the seat and got out of my wet shoes. I took a long, hot shower and finally felt better.

What an experience! It was certainly a memorable race and all things considered, I would still rather run in the cold rain than the heat that I experienced at Wounded Warrior in June.

Up next: Rock & Roll on March 25, 2012!

White Rock Half Marathon Training: Week 5 complete

2011-11-27T19:23:00.003-06:00

Last week:
Sunday 11/20: Yoga Twisting Detox, part of the series I've been doing On Demand, 43 min
Monday 11/21: 3 mi run
Tuesday 11/22: Yoga Power Yoga On Demand, 44 min
Wednesday 11/23: 3 mi run
Thursday 11/24: Turkey Trot 5K 27:03!
Friday 11/25: Rest ~~or yoga~~
Saturday 11/26: 10 mi run

Saturday's run was tough mentally, I had horrible insomnia Friday night and thought about postponing my run. But I'm glad I got out there, I actually felt good by the time I finished.

This week's plans:
Sunday 11/27: Twisting Detox, 43 min
Monday 11/28: 3 mi run
Tuesday 11/29: Yoga
Wednesday 11/30: 3 mi run
Thursday 12/1: 3 mi run + strength training
Friday 12/2: Rest or yoga
Saturday 12/3: Yoga
Sunday 12/4: Race Day! 13.1 miles!

I'm thinking good weather thoughts, there is a chance of rain in the forecast for Sunday. Let's hope not!

White Rock Half Marathon Training: Week 4 complete

2011-11-20T15:23:00.003-06:00

Last week:
Sunday 11/13: Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Monday 11/14: 3 mi run
Tuesday 11/15: Yoga Dynamic Flow On Demand, 43 min
Wednesday 11/16: 3 mi run + upper body strength training
Thursday 11/17: ~~3 mi run + strength training~~ 2.35 mi run
Friday 11/18: Yoga ~~or rest~~ Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Saturday 11/19: 10 mi run

The cooler weather has left Dallas, Saturday morning's run was humid and warmer (65-70 degrees). It was also windy, which actually helped keep me a little cool.

This week is Thanksgiving! Do you splurge or try to keep up your healthy habits during this food-centric holiday? I lean towards the healthier parts of the traditional feast like roasted turkey breast, lightened sweet potatoes and steamed green beans. I usually don't go too crazy with the heavier parts of the meal.

We are starting off this Thanksgiving doing the Turkey Trot downtown (just the 5K). I have done it once before and it's a great way to start off the holiday!

This week's plans:
Sunday 11/20: Yoga
Monday 11/21: 3 mi run
Tuesday 11/22: Yoga
Wednesday 11/23: 3 mi run
Thursday 11/24: Turkey Trot 5K
Friday 11/25: Rest or yoga
Saturday 11/26: 10 mi run

Saturday will be my last long run before the White Rock Half! I'm getting very excited.

White Rock Half Marathon Training: Week 3 complete

2011-11-13T20:13:00.002-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sunday 11/6: Power Yoga On Demand, 44 min
Monday 11/7: 3 mi run + power yoga class
Tues 11/8: Rest ~~or yoga~~
Wed 11/9: 3 mi run + strength training
Thurs 11/10: 3 2mi run
Fri 11/11: Rest ~~or yoga~~
Sat 11/12: 9 mi run

So, I had two rest days this week. Oh, well, I guess I needed it.

This week's plans:

Sunday 11/13: Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Monday 11/14: 3 mi run
Tuesday 11/15: Yoga
Wednesday 11/16: 3 mi run
Thursday 11/17: 3 mi run + strength training
Friday 11/18: Yoga or rest
Saturday 11/19: 10 mi run

Provençale Chicken Supper

2011-11-11T19:13:00.003-06:00

I came across this recipe while looking for slow cooker recipes to try out. I followed the recipe almost exactly and it turned out so good! The chicken was so tender that it fell apart.

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinned chicken breast halves (I used boneless)
2 teaspoons dried basil (I used Italian seasoning)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pasta-style tomatoes, undrained

Preparation

Place the chicken in an electric slow cooker; sprinkle with basil, salt, and black pepper. Add the bell pepper, beans, and tomatoes. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours.

White Rock Half Marathon Training: Week 2 complete

2011-11-06T14:35:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun 10/30: Yoga (Power Yoga On Demand, 44 min)
Mon10/31: 3 mi run + power yoga class
Tues 11/1: 3 mi run
Wed 11/2: Yoga (Yoga for Runners, 25 min)
Thurs 11/3: 3 mi run ~~+ strength training~~
Fri 11/4: Yoga ~~or rest~~ (Power Yoga 4, 40 min)
Sat 11/5: 8 mi run

Saturday's run started out a little rough, I felt low on energy but the further I went the better I felt. I finished in 1 hour 22 min, so about a 10:15 pace which was faster than it felt to me!

This coming week is going to be busy for me! I hope I can get all my workouts in. With the end of Daylight Savings Time, it should be a little easier for me to get up early to get them out of the way first thing.

This week's plan:
Sunday 11/6: Power Yoga On Demand, 44 min
Monday 11/7: 3 mi run + power yoga class
Tues 11/8: Rest or yoga
Wed 11/9: 3 mi run + strength training
Thurs 11/10: 3 mi run
Fri 11/11: Rest or yoga
Sat 11/12: 9 mi run

White Rock Half Marathon Training: Week 1 complete

2011-10-30T09:46:00.003-05:00

Last week:
Sunday 10/23: Rest
Monday 10/24: Power Yoga
Tuesday 10/25: 3 2.7 mi run
Wednesday 10/26: Yoga (Yoga Sculpt On Demand, 30 min)
Thursday 10/27: 3 mi run (I did this one on the treadmill, first time in months! I did intervals and then finished off at an easy pace. Not as bad as I thought it would be!)
Friday 10/28: ~~Yoga~~ Rest
Saturday 10/29: Four Seasons Cool 10K

The 10K was really fun! I started off a little annoyed, though.

First, they were out of small and medium shirts when I picked up my race packet (I had requested a small, but I can do a medium if it's a cotton shirt). So the man helping me gave me a large and said to bring it to the race to exchange it. Well, on race day they only had XL left! They said I could turn mine in and put my name on a rain check list but I decided just to hang onto it and gave it to Michael. Really, not that big of a deal. Both the volunteers I dealt with were very nice and apologetic.

Second, the parking situation was a little confusing. The race started and finished at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas, so I entered at the main gate as did a bunch of other people in front of me and behind me. However, that was not where we were supposed to park and we were instructed by the security guard to turn around and he gave us directions on where to go. There were lots of signs *after* the main gate, but having them before would have been good. Again, the security guard was very nice even though I'm sure he had to give the same instructions about a million times!

Other than those two blips, the race went great! It was soooo cold, about 40 degrees when we started. I wore my new Athleta Relay capris and a C9 half zip top layered over a short-sleeved t-shirt. Even though I was freezing waiting for the race to start, this turned out to be perfect and I wasn't too hot as I warmed up.

One thing I really liked was that on the main stage, the woman MC-ing led us in a little warm-up routine of dance moves and stretches as we waited to line up at the start. Her energy was great and it was a good distraction from the cold!

The course was super, super hilly! (Blonde moment: I had never thought about the fact that the area is named Las Colinas until this race. All of a sudden the light bulb over my head turned on and I thought, "Oh! It's the hills in Spanish!" Duh.) The rolling hills coupled with the fact that it was my first 10K made me unsure about what goal I should set for myself, but I decided an hour would be realistic. The course was very nice, through the surrounding neighborhoods and close to the golf course in the resort. No crowd support but that's probably not normal for such a short race. There were a few water stations, I think I only got water twice. It was an out-and-back course so I was able to see how many people were ahead of me as I came to the turnaround. Each mile was marked with a sign.

As I passed the 5 mile mark I realized how great I still felt and decided to pick up the pace. As we turned back into the resort, there was one last awesome volunteer who was directing traffic leaving the parking lot. She was cheering for every person that passed her and it gave me the push I needed to really pick it up for a strong finish! (As I left the parking lot, she was still cheering for the last finishers!)

My finish time was 58:03, 6th in my age group! I was very happy with my time, and I love that it's an automatic PR!

The festival afterwards looked like fun, with a dog costume contest and pumpkin painting. Since I had come by myself I didn't really feel like staying long but I loved seeing all the costumes and activities.

That was a pretty long review, but I had a great time at this race! I would definitely do it again next year.

This week's plans:
Sun 10/30: Yoga
Mon10/31: 3 mi run + power yoga class
Tues 11/1: 3 mi run
Wed 11/2: Yoga
Thurs 11/3: 3 mi run + strength training
Fri 11/4: Yoga or rest
Sat 11/5: 8 mi run

I might also try to get a bike ride in somewhere, I need to do cardio crosstraining.

13.1 Half Marathon Race Report

2011-10-23T21:37:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:

Sun 10/16: Power Yoga (found this on Exercise TV, 44 min)
Mon: 10/17: 3 mi easy + Power yoga class
Tues 10/18: Rest or easy yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy
Thurs: 2 3 mi easy + strength training
Fri: ~~Rest or easy yoga~~ Yoga for Runners Podcast
Sat: Race Day!

The 13.1 Dallas race was great! This was the first year of this race so there were a couple of very minor hiccups. For example, the directions for the morning of the race were not good but luckily it was very easy to figure out the correct place for us to be. The course was awesome! We started and finished in front of the Performing Arts Center downtown, went through Uptown and Highland Park, down the Katy Trail and through downtown again.

There was not a lot of spectator support but two of my favorite spectators came out-- my mom and dad! They haven't been able to come to many of my races but they planned out where they would be very carefully. My dad waited on one corner and signaled to my mom to be ready with her camera. They got a good shot of me going by.

(Can somebody please explain the flip-flop things they guy behind me is wearing?! Not long after this point, he took them off and put them on his belt and continued barefoot. I left him behind after a while so I'm not sure if he finished barefoot or what.)

One thing I really liked about the race was that every mile marker had a clock with the time on it from the gun time. Since there were not corralled start waves, I knew I wasn't far behind the gun time and had a good idea of how I was doing. I put some time in the bank early in the race so I knew I was going to finish with a good time as long as I didn't run out of steam. As we came off the Katy Trail at about the 11 mile marker, there was an awesome drumline! It really pumped me up for those last couple of miles. The last mile was the only place I stopped to walk briefly, we had to go uphill for a lot of the mile and there were also several turns. Every time I thought I was going to turn and see the finish line, there was still further to go!

I finished in 2:05:59, well ahead of my goal for this race!

However, I had major stomach issues this race. My stomach was upset starting at about the halfway point, but not bad enough for me to stop. However, I was very sick at my stomach for the rest of the day. I remembered that my stomach had gotten upset after the Wounded Warrior half marathon in June. After wracking my brain, I finally realized that both times I had taken ibuprofen prior to racing- something I don't do before training runs. According to Dr. Google, doing so can be bad for your GI tract. Um, who knew? Not me. So I hope I have figured out the solution to my stomach issues. Luckily, that is an easy fix! I took the ibuprofen to ward off any knee inflammation but the GI issues are much worse to deal with.

My next half is in six weeks! I think I have enough time to recover and be able to have a good race at White Rock.

This week's plans:
Sunday 10/23: Rest
Monday 10/24: Power Yoga
Tuesday 10/25: 3 mi run
Wednesday 10/26: Yoga
Thursday 10/27: 3 mi run
Friday 10/28: Yoga
Saturday 10/29: Four Seasons Cool 10K

I've never done a 10K before and this one happens to fit into my training plan very well.

13.1 Half Marathon Training: Week 12 Complete and Race Week!

2011-10-16T11:57:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga (Yoga Sculpt, 30 min)
Mon: 3 2.3 mi easy
Tues: ~~Yoga~~ Unplanned rest day, I visited my baby nephew instead. Worth skipping a workout!
Wed: 3 2.76 mi easy + Power Yoga 4, 40 min
Thurs: ~~2 mi intervals~~ 3.1 mi easy + strength training
Fri: ~~Rest or~~ yoga (Yoga for Runners, 25 min)
Sat: 10 mi easy

I was not really looking forward to Saturday's run by myself. This was one of the few times I felt like I needed a distraction from the distance and wished I had a buddy. But I got it done with about a 10:48 pace which I was happy with.

This Saturday is the 13.1 race! I have been thinking about this race and the White Rock half 6 weeks later. Originally, I was going to try to PR at 13.1 and take White Rock a little easier. However, I am not feeling as prepared for 13.1 as I had hoped so I think I am going to treat this race more like a training run and try to PR at White Rock instead. I think that will be a better plan for me this time.

I am still looking forward to it; the course looks great and I am looking forward to running through downtown and uptown neighborhoods!

This week's plans:
Sun 10/16: Power Yoga (found this on Exercise TV, 44 min)
Mon: 10/17: 3 mi easy + Power yoga class
Tues 10/18: Rest or easy yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy
Thurs: 2 mi easy + strength training
Fri: Rest or easy yoga
Sat: Race Day!

Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-12T20:56:00.003-05:00

Another favorite fall ingredient? Pumpkin!

I started with this recipe and only made a few changes. I replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce and used a 50/50 mixture of whole wheat and white flour. They turned out very hearty and filling, I have been enjoying them for breakfast all week!

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cups flour (all-purpose, wheat or mix)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 15 ounce can solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice) *(I actually just used cinnamon and ground cloves since I didn't have this spice blend, but I'm sure this spice blend would be excellent!)
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Put oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 350F. Put liners in muffin cups or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
1. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
2. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, cloves, nutmeg, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another small bowl.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes for regular muffins, 15-17 minutes for mini-muffins.

Butternut squash, Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza

2011-10-12T20:42:00.002-05:00

I love butternut squash, one of my favorite fall vegetables! I had some left over after making Quick Fall Minestrone and came across this pizza recipe from Self. Butternut squash, spinach and goat cheese? Yes, please!

I made some modifications. Instead of using dough, I used a prebaked whole wheat pizza crust. Instead of red onion, I used white and added a clove of minced garlic. I also added a little bit of red pepper and used fresh parsley instead of thyme because that's what I had.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cubed butternut squash (1/2-inch pieces)
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 prebaked thin whole wheat pizza crust
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 400°. Toss squash with 1 tsp oil, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. On a baking sheet, cook squash until soft and lightly browned, 25 minutes, stirring halfway through; set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Cook onion and garlic (season with remaining 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper), stirring, until light brown, 10 minutes. Add 2 tbsp water; cook, stirring, until brown, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Turn oven up to 450°. Top pizza crust with squash, onion, spinach, cheese and parsley. Bake until crust is crispy and cheese melts, 10 to 12 minutes

13.1 Half Marathon Training: Week 11 Complete

2011-10-08T21:50:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun-Mon: Rest
Tues: Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Wed: 2.5 mi easy
Thurs: ~~Yoga or easy run, depending on how I feel~~ 2.75 mi easy
Fri: Rest
Sat: 9 mi easy

Saturday I was still coughing and congested and wasn't sure if I was going to make it all 9 miles, but once I got started it felt pretty easy. I mentally broke up the run into thirds and just concentrated on finishing 3 miles at a time. My finish time was 1 hr 37 minutes, an average pace of 10:46 which is faster than I intended but I am happy with it.

This week's plans:
Sun: Yoga
Mon: 3 mi easy
Tues: Yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy
Thurs: 2 mi intervals + strength training
Fri: Rest or yoga
Sat: 10 mi easy

I'm looking forward to getting back to normal this week. Isn't it crazy how being sick for just a week can make you feel so derailed?

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy week ahead!

Half Marathon Training: Week 10 Fail

2011-10-05T19:14:00.004-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Mon: 3 mi easy + Power Yoga class
Tues: Easy bike ride 2.85 mi
Wed: 3 mi
Thurs: ~~3 mi~~ 2 mi; I tried to do intervals in a way, alternating every block + upper body strength training
Fri: Rest
Sat: ~~9 mi easy~~ Goose Egg

Friday I walked to work and by the time I got there, my throat was itchy. I went to bed early Friday night but woke up Saturday feeling worse. :( Saturday morning I went to the doctor and while my strep test came back negative, they diagnosed me with a sinus infection. I pretty much stayed in bed the rest of the weekend, I even called in sick to work on Monday.

Thankfully, I'm starting to feel better! I am still coughing, but it's more drainage (ewww) than chest congestion. I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the week so I can be well rested for a long run this weekend. I only have a little over 2 weeks until the 13.1 half, eek!

This week:
Sun-Mon: Rest
Tues: Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Wed: 2.5 mi easy
Thurs: Yoga or easy run, depending on how I feel
Fri: Rest
Sat: 9 mi easy

I think if I can do a 9 mile run this weekend and 10 miles next weekend, I should be okay for the race. Maybe not a PR but there is always White Rock in December to do that.

Wish me luck! Hope everyone is staying healthy!

Quick Fall Minestrone

2011-10-02T19:08:00.004-05:00

Everyone around me has been sick and it finally hit me this weekend. Congestion, coughing and sore throat, yuck! Not sure if it's fall allergies, which have been particularly bad this year, or a cold. I went to the doctor Saturday morning to get a strep test, which luckily came back negative. They gave me some drugs and after a haircut and color (priorities, people) and a quick stop by the grocery store, I decided to camp out on the couch for the rest of the weekend. No running for me. :(

Tonight I made this for dinner and it was just what my poor sick body needed! I sauteed the carrots with the onion and garlic in order to let them soften a little more and used spinach instead of kale. I also left out the potato entirely. I'm glad that I did because the soup turned out super thick! I love a thick soup, but if you don't you might want to add more broth.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained I used chickpeas
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
Abby Duchin Dinces, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2003

Half Marathon Training: Week 9 Complete

2011-09-25T18:54:00.002-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Rest
Mon: 3 mi easy run
Tues: Yoga Power Yoga 4 podcast (40 min)
Wed: 3 mi easy run
Thurs: 2 mi intervals Eh, didn't really do intervals, just did the 2 miles at a fast speed. Having a running watch would probably make intervals and speed work easier.
Fri: ~~Yoga~~ Rest
Sat: 8 mi easy

My friend Jen joined me for the first part of my run on Saturday. Another bonus to having a running partner is that it encourages me to get up and hit the road earlier than I normally would. Jen had to be at work at 8:30 so she needed to meet at 6:30. It felt great to be done with my run by 8:00 before the trail got busy! My legs felt strong through my whole run and the cooler temps made a huge difference. I finished in exactly 1.5 hours, so that put me at about an 11:15 pace. Not bad! I treated myself to a Starbucks latte since it wasn't unbearably hot. Yay fall!

This week's plans:
Sun: Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Mon: 3 mi easy + Power Yoga class
Tues: Easy bike ride
Wed: 3 mi
Thurs: 3 mi
Fri: Rest
Sat: 9 mi easy

I have decided that instead of the half marathon I was planning on for the first weekend in November, I am going to do a new race at the end of October instead. I think this will work better for me because it will give me an extra couple of weeks to get ready for the White Rock half marathon.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week!

Mexican Black Bean and Spinach Pizza

2011-09-22T19:55:00.002-05:00

Last week, I bought a 2-pack of my favorite whole wheat pizza crust at Whole Foods last week and decided to do something different with the second crust. I wasn't sure how this recipe was going to turn out (we are generally pizza traditionalists in this house), but we had all the ingredients and I decided to give it a try. So glad I did, it was delicious and so easy!

I did make a few changes. Like I said, I used whole wheat pizza crust instead of cheese-flavored. I used fresh spinach since I usually like that better but it didn't cook down as much as I thought it would. Next time I would either use frozen or sautee the fresh spinach before putting it on the pizza. I also left out the extra hot sauce since we were out of it (very unusual!) and I would put it on next time for a little more heat OR use a hotter salsa. And finally, I used mozzarella because I didn't want to go to the store just for Monterey Jack cheese.

Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place pizza crust on a baking sheet; bake at 375° for 5 minutes or until crisp.
Mash beans with a fork; combine beans and next 4 ingredients (beans through garlic) in medium bowl, stirring to combine. Spread bean mixture over crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Spoon salsa evenly over bean mixture; top with spinach and cilantro. Drizzle with hot sauce; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Half Marathon Training: Week 8 Complete

2011-09-18T13:51:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:

Sun: 7 miles easy
Mon: ~~Rest~~ Power Yoga class (1 hr)
Tues: 3 2.05 mi easy
Wed: ~~Yoga~~ 2.4 mi easy
Thurs: ~~3 mi easy~~ Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Fri: 3 mi easy Fine, 2.9 but I feel bad doing all these strike-throughs.
Sat: Oktoberfest 5K! 26:17! A new PR, I am still surprised that I managed to knock 2.5 minutes off my previous PR!

So last week I didn't stick to my plan that well, but at least it ended on a good note! Saturday's race was so fun, I have done the Oktoberfest 5K for the last 3 years. This year a group of our friends decided to join us. Two of them are training for the White Rock half marathon in December (and doing awesome!) and we decided it would be a healthy way for us to kick off the weekend. Even Michael ran, his first 5K since high school. He did very well, finishing in 32:09.
Afterwards, there is a great party with beer and lots of food. This year was soft pretzels, pizza and croissants. A great post-race meal if you ask me! And of course we came back to Oktoberfest for more fun later in the day.

This week's plans:
Sun: Rest
Mon: 3 mi easy run
Tues: Yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy run
Thurs: 2 mi intervals
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 8 mi easy

I'm also hoping to fit in a strength training session at least one of those days.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Garlicky Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza

2011-09-16T19:49:00.003-05:00

My friend Stacey gave me this recipe several months ago and it is so quick and easy to put together. I normally add a little crushed red pepper to the garlic for some heat.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic
5oz baby spinach
Salt and pepper
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Tomatoes
Oregano
1 prepared thin crust pizza dough

Preheat oven 450
Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat
Sautee garlic until lightly brown
Add spinach and salt and pepper to taste
Cook until spinach is wilted
Spread mixture onto pizza crust
Add slices/chopped tomatoes
Cover with goat cheese and oregano
Cook in oven for 10 minutes

Half Marathon Training: Week 7 Complete

2011-09-11T20:36:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Celebrate Yoga! (~2 hrs)
Mon: 3 mi easy
Tues: Yoga (Yoga for Runners Podcast)
Wed: 3 2.4 mi easy
Thurs: ~~2-3 mi with intervals~~ 3.3 mi bike ride in the morning; upper body strength training in the evening
Fri: Rest
Sat: Run Proud 5K. 28:51, missed a PR by 4 seconds! I ended up running to the race and walking back, for a total of 5.1 miles

Great week! I decided to take my "poor, neglected bike" (Michael's words) out for a spin. I asked for this bike for my birthday last year and have not used it nearly as much as I thought I would.

Saturday's race went pretty well, except for a horrible side stitch at the halfway point. I think it was because I accidently inhaled some of the water I grabbed at the water stop. The afterparty was so fun, lots of sweet treats: cupcakes, Tasti D-Lite froyo, Panera, plus more that I can't remember. Yum!

I ended up deciding to do my long-ish run on Sunday morning. I hit the Katy Trail a little big after 8:00 and it was another beautiful morning! Lots of people out and about and even though my legs were sore from the day before, I felt strong for all seven miles.

This week's plan:
Sun: 7 miles easy (check!)
Mon: Rest
Tues: 3 mi easy
Wed: Yoga
Thurs: 3 mi easy
Fri: 3 mi easy
Sat: Oktoberfest 5K! One of my favorite races, always a fun time!

Half Marathon Training: Week 6 Complete

2011-09-05T12:07:00.002-05:00

Long time, no post!

I feel like this time around it's been much easier to get back into running after a short break. During the few weeks I took off, I still made sure to get in one good run a week. Also, once I started training for a fall half marathon, I started making myself get up early to run before work. This has worked much better than waiting until after work to run, when it is too hot to run outside and I'm stuck with the treadmill.

I am already signed up for the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon in December, but I think I want to do one more as well. I have not officially registered yet, but I think it is going to be the DRC Half Marathon on November 6. That is only one month before the White Rock half, but I think I am up to the challenge!

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Power Yoga podcast
Mon: 2 mi easy
Tues: Yoga Sculpt
Wed: 2.9 mi easy
Thurs: 2 mi
Fri: Rest
Sat: 6 mi easy

Saturday's run was tough, I had been fighting a migraine all week. Friday felt a lto better, but Saturday morning I woke up in pain again. I took Excedrin Migraine and drank some coffee and lots of water which seemed to help calm things down. However, my stomach was still upset and even though I stopped for water as often as possible, my head was pounding again by about mile 4. I thought about stopping after 5 miles (at which point I was back where I parked) but decided to just push myself through the last mile. My reward when I got home was a dose of my good medicine and a nap.

Sunday I participated in a workshop at the Y called Celebrate Yoga. They had a few different styles of yoga classes as well as t-shirts, goodie bags and drawings for prizes. I had a great time! I took a Power Yoga class outdoors (some cooler weather has finally rolled in), then came inside for a Gentle Flow class. It was a great way to start out the week and a nice healthy activity for the long weekend! My muscles are still feeling it today.

This week:
Sun: Celebrate Yoga! (~2 hrs)
Mon: 3 mi easy
Tues: Yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy
Thurs: 2-3 mi with intervals
Fri: Rest
Sat: Run Proud 5K. My first race of the season!

I need to get a longer run in (I am hoping 6-7 miles) and the 5K is only a little over a mile away. So I'm wondering if I should do a few extra miles before the race (I don't really like splitting up my runs like that) or just try to do the longer run on Sunday instead of Saturday. Thoughts? If nothing else, I'll at least jog over there and back, seems silly to drive just a mile for a race, right?

Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend!

Review: Gaia Flow Yoga

2011-07-23T09:02:00.003-05:00

Since I decided to cut back on running over the summer, I redeemed a Groupon I bought a while back for a month of classes at Gaia Flow Yoga. I had heard of Gaia because they were a featured studio at Lululemon's weekly free yoga and I really enjoyed the instructors that came to teach. I actually did not realize until I showed up at the studio that all of the classes are hot yoga classes. Gulp! I was skeered and very glad that I'd brought a towel.

The staff at Gaia is super friendly, all of the instructors I encountered took the time to learn my name. Every class starts out with core work to prepare for practice. I really am bad about not doing any core strengthening exercises on my own because I figure most of the yoga I do works my abs. At the end of the month, I feel like my abs are a lot stronger and since you use those core muscles so much to hold yourself in poses, it makes sense to spend extra time on them.

After abs, the instructor introduces themselves and often asks new people to introduce themselves. They also ask people to share any "good news" and then talk about the weekly sadhana, or theme. The theme is a yoga principle that you are to focus on for the week, such as purity or responsibility. The instructors tie that idea into your yoga practice and your daily life.

Then comes the flow part of class. I attended a few different types of classes, focusing mostly on beginner levels (Gentle Flow and Desert). Although I'm not a "beginner" yogi, I felt like I needed time to get used to the heat. The studio is usually somewhere between 92 and 96 degrees and you will sweat! I have never sweat so much doing any other workout. It is absolutely necessary to bring a towel and most people have a yoga towel that they put over their mat. I thought about getting one and ultimately decided not to spend the money, but it would be helpful to keep your hands from sliding. Gaia has towels available for rent, but I just brought my own.

I did take one more advanced level class called Mountain that focused on balance postures and the instructor put us all against the wall to do handstands and standing splits. It was definitely the most challenging yoga class I've ever taken! My muscles felt like Jell-O afterwards. In a good way. :)

Overall I had a great experience at Gaia and I wish that my budget would allow for me to be a regular member. I might do some drop-in classes and I will definitely keep an eye out for any good deals they might have in the future.

White bean, Spinach and Goat cheese Lasagna

2011-07-02T19:10:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite blogs that I follow is The Fitnessista. I have found so much great info on her blog, from training programs to fashion tips and yummy (healthy) recipes. She follows more diet restrictions than I do, but the recipes she shares are easily adaptable.

When I saw "white beans", "spinach" and "goat cheese" together in the same sentence, I knew immediately this was a recipe I needed to try! And it did not disappoint, even Michael loved this meatless recipe.

I made note of the changes I made, it can easily be made vegan or gluten-free if that's how you roll.

Ingredients:
Lasgna noodles I used oven-ready whole wheat noodles
1 med white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
Olive oil
1/2 container organic baby spinach (I ended up using the whole container)
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans
1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce
2 servings of soft goat cheese
3/4 C shredded goat gouda (Vegan? Use Daiya instead of both goat cheeses) I used shredded 2% mozzarella cheese
Juice of half a lemon
Cayenne, sea salt, pepper, garlic I used red pepper instead of cayenne

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and boil 8 lasagna noodles so that they’re slightly undercooked. Pat dry.

2. In a pan on medium heat, sauté the chopped shallot and 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil and a little butter until soft. As I noted, I used onion instead of shallot and I left out the butter

Wilt in the spinach, add the beans (drained and rinsed) and season well with sea salt, pepper, the lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne.

3. Next, layer the lasagna!

Sauce on the bottom, covered by 3 noodles. Then 1 serving of crumbled goat cheese, 1/2 of the bean mixture. 2 noodles, sauce and shredded goat cheese. Top with the other half of bean mixture, crumbled goat cheese, 3 noodles, sauce and shredded goat cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes covered in foil, 15 minutes uncovered.

This turned out great and was so easy to put together! It made really good leftovers, too. The goat cheese was so good (and definitely a different twist on traditional lasagna), but you could also substitute ricotta cheese and I think it would still taste great.

Sauteed Chickpeas with Broccoli and Parmesan

2011-07-02T18:48:00.004-05:00

I've been in the mood for beans and rice lately. Beans are inexpensive plus a great source of protein. I love pretty much all beans but my far-and-away favorite is chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), yum! I love them in soups, pasta, hummus, falafel, or even just roasted and nommed like popcorn.

So when I came across this recipe I couldn't wait to try it! It's an easy recipe to play around with, you could easily use different kinds of beans, different vegetables and even different seasonings. It turned out great and took very little time to prep or cook. Since we usually have so many of these ingredients on hand, it's a great meal to throw together on a busy night.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced I used about 1/4 of a large white onion
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 heads broccoli, including stalks, trimmed and chopped (2 cups) I used a bag of frozen broccoli
1 (10.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed I used 2 cans. Mmmm...chickpeas
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth Instead of broth, I added a can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan shavings

Preparation
In a large skillet (preferably one with a lid), warm olive oil over medium heat until hot. Carefully add onion, garlic and salt, and sauté, stirring often, until onion becomes transparent and garlic just begins to turn golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Toss in broccoli; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, broth and red pepper. Stir once, cover and cook for 3 minutes more, just to heat through and finish cooking broccoli.
Uncover, season with pepper, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. I served over brown rice

Enjoy!

Wounded Warrior Half Marathon 2:31:55

2011-06-19T22:11:00.007-05:00

Well, that was humbling.

I knew this wasn't going to be my best race, but wow. I wasn't expecting it to be my *worst* race.

I will say that this race was very well organized and all of the volunteers were really friendly. It was almost the same course as Hills and Heels, along the Campion Trails in Las Colinas. There are a few shady parts of the trail, but for the most part it is full sun.

Before:

Michael and our friend Elliot came out for support. Here is a good shot from around mile 3:

As you can see, I was feeling pretty good but it went downhill (unfortunately, not literally) pretty quickly. I started taking walk breaks early and by mile 6 was feeling really overheated. I drank something at every water station (I alternated between water and Powerade) and the volunteers were also handing out paper towels dipped in cold water. Mile 7 had a pretty evil hill that made me hate life.

By the time I hit mile 10 I really just wanted to finish, I didn't even care about my time. It felt like I was walking more than I was running.

Coming in to the finish line:

The first words I said to Michael when I crossed the finish line were, "I need to sit down" followed by, "I've never been so hot in my life." I grabbed a (cold!) water bottle and my finisher's medal, then sat down and stretched.

We hung around to get some free food from My Fit Foods (although hot migas were not exactly appetizing) and Muscle Milk. The race benefitted the Wounded Warrior Project so the military brought guns and even a tank for people to take pictures with. Even though I was exhausted and hot, we had a great time hanging out afterwards.

I would definitely participate in another Wounded Warrior race, but not a half in the summer again! I'm not sure what I could have done differently to prepare, I tried to drink extra water in the week leading up to the race but I definitely got dehydrated. My stomach was upset for the rest of the day and into the next.

So I'd been having some knee problems leading up to the race. I iced my knee almost daily in the week leading up to the race and that morning I took ibuprofen and it felt good through the entire race! However, the pain has come back and feels worse than before. I went for a short run yesterday (my first since the race) and had to cut it short, the pain was not just in my knee but in my quads and I could feel myself limping. So I know I need to take some time off, but I don't want to lose my fitness level. So I am going to spend this week doing some low impact aerobic exercise and lots of yoga and will continue icing. Next weekend I will try running again!

Wish me luck!

Wounded Warrior Half Marathon Training: Week 9 Complete

2011-06-04T23:06:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga for Runners podcast
Mon: Short run ~~(2-3 mi)~~ 2.5 easy
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run ~~(2-3 mi)~~ with intervals
Thurs: Rest
Fri: ~~Short run or~~ Yoga for Runners Podcast
Sat: Long run (10 mi)

All of a sudden, my knee started acting up again this week. :( After last week's 8.5 mile run, my knee felt a little sore but nothing major. Monday's run went fine but I limped the rest of the day. Thursday I started icing and it helped a lot. I was worried about my Saturday run, but luckily the old knee felt okay. After I got home, I took ibuprofen and iced and that seemed to help. After next weekend's race, I am going to take some time off to refocus on my yoga practice and I think that will help with the knee issues.

This week, I have follow up appointments with my Moh's surgeon and plastic surgeon. Everything looks like it is healing up nicely, so I expect they will go well.

Here is this week's plan:
Sun: Bike ride
Mon: Short (2-3 mi) easy
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Rest
Thurs: Easy run
Fri: Rest or yoga
Sat: Yoga
Sun: Race day!

Wounded Warrior Half Marathon Training: Week 8 Complete

2011-05-30T08:25:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga Sculpt
Mon: Short run ~~(2-3 mi) easy~~ 2.5 mi intervals
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run ~~(2-3 mi) easy~~ 2.25 mi intervals
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 9 8.5 miles easy

Saturday I ran with my friend Jen, I was glad to have company but it was still a tough run. Jen was only planning on doing 5 miles (I distracted her and she did 6 with me, hehe) and then I finished the rest of the miles on my own. It was so hot and humid, I am really getting nervous about racing in two weeks! This heat is no joke. I did my shorter runs on the treadmill, even doing intervals I kept things pretty slow.

This week's plans:
Sun: Yoga for Runners podcast
Mon: Short run (2-3 mi) easy
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run (2-3 mi) with intervals
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Short run or yoga
Sat: Long run (10 mi)

Hope everybody has a happy and healthy Memorial Day weekend and rest of the week!

Wounded Warrior Half Marathon Training: Can I count this as Week 7 complete?

2011-05-22T20:32:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling great this week! Doctor's orders said to take things easy as far as workouts go, so I tried to do that. I got my stitches taken out on Thursday and have to wear something like Steri Strips to keep everything flat while it's healing.

So here's what I ended up doing for workouts:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Walked 2.5 miles
Tues: Walked 2.5 miles
Wed: Walked 2 miles
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Yoga for Runners podcast
Sat: 7 miles easy run (with lots of walk breaks)

I was worried about trying for a long-ish run on Saturday having been off for 2 weeks, but I felt pretty good! I made sure to take a lot of walking breaks and keep my pace very slow to not get my heart rate up too high. (The plastic surgeon doesn't want to risk me bursting a blood vessel where my skin is trying to heal).

I'm not sure what kind of goal to set for myself since my race is only 3 weeks away. So I guess my only goal will be to finish and if I need to do a run/walk half marathon, then that's what I'll do.

Here are my plans for this week:
Sun: Yoga Sculpt
Mon: Short run (2-3 mi) easy
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run (2-3 mi) easy
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 9 miles easy

Still resting...

2011-05-15T12:57:00.003-05:00

Monday I went in for Moh's surgery. The procedure was quick and pretty painless. They gave me a local anesthesia on the site where they would be working, so I didn't feel a thing. Then they bandaged me up with a pressure bandage and told me to leave the bandage on for 48 hours. If they got the results back and not all the cancer was gone, they would have me come back on Wednesday and do more work. If the results showed that they got all the cancer, I would be able to go to the plastic surgeon on Thursday to have repair work done.

So Tuesday and Wednesday I got to go to work with this lovely thing on my head.

Pretty hot, amirite?

I took that picture right before I took the bandage off (Wednesday evening, after it had been 48 hours). I don't know what I was expecting, but I almost passed out when I saw what was under there. I finally had to get my husband to change the bandage for me. I'm not normally squeamish, but I totally wimped out.

Thursday I was supposed to get to the surgery center at 12:30pm and couldn't eat or drink after 6:30am. So I set my alarm for 6:00 so I could have a little breakfast. Well, I woke up with the worst migraine I've had in years, I tried to drink water and threw it up. I'll spare you the details but I spent most of the morning throwing up before I finally called the surgery center to see what I should do. They suggested I take my normal migraine meds (even though they contain asprin) to try to get the migraine under control, but I just threw that up as well. Then they told me to just go ahead and come in and they would start my IV meds early.

I was relieved they still wanted me to come in, I was afraid they would say they couldn't do the operation. Everyone at the Texas Institute for Surgery was so nice and understanding. The nurses went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable, knowing how bad I felt. Once they started my IV, I felt so much better. The plastic surgeon and the anesthesiologist were very nice and explained what all was going to happen. They let Michael stay with me all the way up until they wheeled me into the operating room. I remember them moving me onto the operating table and after that I was out cold.

After surgery, they took me to a nice recovery area (lots of other patients, but we were all seperated by curtains so it felt somewhat private). They brought me water and graham crackers and Michael got to come sit with me. The plastic surgeon came over and showed me before and after pictures he had taken of the site. I have a line of stitches running from my hairline down to my eyebrow. Still kinda gross, but not nearly as gross as before!

Anyway, I've spent the weekend just resting. I haven't had too much pain, I've been taking prescription pain killers every 4 hours to keep it that way. On Thursday I get my stitches out and I'll see what the doctor says about activity and so forth after that.

I'm not going to lie, I've been a little antsy about not being able to work out. Plus the weather has been beautiful, there is nothing I want more than to go for a run! I hope by next weekend I'll be able to.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week!

Unplanned Rest

2011-05-08T07:59:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Short run ~~easy~~ 2.9 miles intervals
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run ~~intervals~~ 2.5 miles easy
Thurs: ~~Short run easy~~ Walked to work, but otherwise a rest day
Fri: ~~Yoga~~ 2.5 miles easy
Sat: 8 miles easy

Saturday's run was a little under 8 miles but we're going to round it up. I got caught in some sort of walk-a-thon raising money for kidney disease so I was weaving in and out of people the whole last half of my run.

This week I really have no plans. I had a mole biopsied last week and it came back positive for melanoma in situ. What this means is that there is melanoma but only in the very top layer of skin. Should be easy to take care of, which is lucky. So Monday I'm having a procedure to remove the area around the mole, then Thursday I am having a second surgery to do some repair work. Because of the mole's location (on my forehead, near my hairline), they can't just put a bandage on it and call it a day.

So between Monday and Thursday I'll have to keep the bandaged area clean and dry: i.e. no sweating. And I'm not sure exactly what recovery will be like from Thursday's surgery. So this week is going to be mostly a rest week!

Don't let this happen to you! Wear sunblock, do self skin checks and get regularly checked by a dermatologist.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week!

Wounded Warrior Half Marathon training: Week 4 complete

2011-04-30T20:00:00.003-05:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: ~~Rest~~ Yoga for Runners podcast
Mon: Short run 2.6 mile intervals
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run 2.37 mi easy
Thurs: ~~Short run w/ intervals~~ Body by Bethenny Yoga
Fri: ~~Yoga~~ 2mi easy
Sat: 8 mile run

I am usually a solo runner, but Saturday I ran with my friend Jen. We started out to do 9 miles, but her hip was bothering her and while she wanted to cut it short at 7 miles, I convinced her to go for 8 miles. I was nervous about running with someone else, but we chatted almost the whole time and 8 miles flew by really quickly! It was humid and by the time we finished, the skies looked ominous. No rain, though.

This week's plans:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Short run easy
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run intervals
Thurs: Short run easy
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 8 miles easy

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Wounded Warrior Half Marathon training: Week 3 complete

2011-04-23T14:10:00.003-05:00

Last week's plans:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Short run 2 mi + pushups, crunches, lunges
Tues: Power yoga - I was hoping to make it to class at Lululemon but it was storming and I didn't feel like leaving the house. So I did Yoga Sculpt from ExerciseTV.
Wed: Short run ~~w/ intervals~~ easy 2.6 mi
Thurs: ~~Short run easy~~ Rest
Fri: ~~Yoga~~ Interval run 2.45 mi
Sat: 7 mile run

Saturday's run was tough. My legs were feeling great, but it was so hot and humid that the rest of me couldn't keep up. I stopped several times for walk breaks. I start my long runs between 8:00 and 8:30am and have debated getting up earlier to avoid the heat of the day. Since my half marathon starts at 8:00 I wonder if that would be a good idea since I would be running in the heat on race day.

Thoughts?

This week's plans:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Short run
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run
Thurs: Short run w/ intervals
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 8 mile run

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2011-04-23T11:44:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe from Cooking Light and made a few minor changes. It turned out delicious! It was a little time consuming but I took a few shortcuts.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I used boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped onion, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper (I used fresh jalapeno, about 1.5 peppers chopped)
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. (I skipped this multi-step process and just boiled the chicken breasts in water before shredding.) Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.
3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth. (I didn't blend the salsa mixture)
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.
6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro.
Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light
MARCH 2011

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups) We got more like 6 servings out of this

Wounded Warrior Training: Week 2

2011-04-17T17:55:00.004-05:00

I signed up for another half marathon on June 12, the Wounded Warrior Half. I am really excited about the charity it supports! I am not so excited about the timing, though, since it is about to get HOT outside.

I actually started training last week, but it wasn't so different from my plan for this week. Here it is:

Sun: Rest
Mon: Short run (2.5-3 mi easy)
Tues: Power yoga
Wed: Short run w/ intervals
Thurs: Short run easy
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 7 mile run

Earth Day Chocolate Giveaway

2011-04-16T08:03:00.001-05:00

Check out this giveaway over at Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well!

http://eatlivebewell.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/earth-day-chocolate-giveaway/

Make the Break 5K

2011-04-10T19:33:00.004-05:00

This race has a special place in my heart for a couple of reasons. It benefits Genesis Women's Shelter, which does amazing things for women and children in need. Two years ago, this was also my first 5K race.

Saturday morning, I showed up right on time for the 8:30 start. I managed to get pretty near the starting line (this is a small race) and before I knew it, we were off!

The course took us through uptown Dallas and then onto the Katy Trail. There was only one (very steep!) hill, but I pulled out a trick I learned from Kristin Armstrong and just kept my head down until I got over the hill.

I was hoping for a sub-30 time and was so happy when I saw that the clock said 29:15 when I crossed the finish line! I knew my chip time wouldn't be too far behind based on when I started and sure enough, my official time was 28:48, a new PR!

I thought about sticking around and getting a few miles in after the race, but it was so hot and sticky that I decided to head home. I found my friend Sarah (who does PR/marketing for Genesis), snagged a few freebies then headed home.

2009: 31:51
2010: 30:41
2011: 28:48 (10th in my age group)

I hope next year will be even better!

Easy Minestrone

2011-04-03T08:44:00.004-05:00

My coworker Shelly and I love soup! One day we spent almost our entire lunch break talking about minestrone and she went home that night and threw this together. It turned out so good that I made it that same week!

Ingredients:

olive oil

¼ c chopped carrots

¼ c chopped onion

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes

2-3 cans broth (beef or vegetable, your choice)

1 sm can tomato sauce

1 can chick peas, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

¼ c ditalini pasta

¼ c fresh or frozen green beans

Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Add onions and carrots. Sauté until tender. Add garlic and cook on low about a minute. Add bay leave and Italian seasoning & cook another minute. Add stewed tomatoes, breaking up as you add them. Add 2 cans broth, tomato sauce, chick peas and kidney beans. Once soup comes to a boil, add pasta and green beans. Simmer until pasta is cooked. If more “soup” is desired, add 3rd can of broth and simmer another 5 minutes on low.

**I also added a few handfuls of chopped spinach at the same time as the green beans and pasta

Quick Tomato Sauce

2011-04-03T08:35:00.003-05:00

I have used this recipe several times already because it is quick, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Since it's a chunky sauce, it goes best over a short-cut pasta like penne.

I started with this recipe as a base and tweaked it to our tastes. I don't use capers and I added crushed red peppers.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Preparation
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add basil and the next 6 ingredients (basil through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta

Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon 2011

2011-03-28T21:40:00.003-05:00

I decided to kick off a new year by running my third half marathon on my 28th birthday! What better way to celebrate?

I have never run a Rock 'n' Roll event but I have always heard good things about them. I was so impressed at the organization. We got to the drop-off point very quickly and I was able to find my corral easily. The MC's and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders kept us entertained before the start gun. The corrals started one after the other, Corral 9 left only 16 minutes after the official start time.

The weather was great: cool, no wind and overcast.

I loved hearing the bands spread out throughout the course and the pockets of supporters that came out to cheer for us. (Not nearly as many spectators as White Rock, but the support is always appreciated!) The funniest supporter was around Mile 1, right as we were passing Lew Sterret, just one guy standing on the corner: "Great job! Keep it up! You still have a long way to go!" Um, thanks?

I felt great through the race, I took water at most of the aid stations and Cytomax twice. I carried Honey Stinger chews with me because I have used them (or Gu Chomps) on all my long runs. However, I never ended up taking any because (TMI) by mile 4 I felt like I had a brick in my stomach. Not bad enough to have to stop, but I felt like eating anything would be a mistake.

My parents told me where they would be watching for me (in front of La Madeleine, just before mile 7) and I was so happy when I spotted them! I started jumping up and down and waving my arms to get their attention. This was the first time I have ever had a "cheering section" on a course and it really energized me!

Once I hit Mile 10, I knew I was in the home stretch and I felt like I still had enough energy to really push myself. So I told myself I was just going to go all out for the last 5K and started picking people off one by one.

And once we got within sight of Fair Park, I just hauled ass! I didn't even care whether or not I ran out of steam.

I PR'd by 7 minutes! I still can't believe it!

Breakdown:
Chip time: Pace:
5K 00:32:23 10:26
10K 01:05:03 10:31
10M 01:43:34 10:11
FINISH 02:12:37 09:21

Afterwards, I wanted to stay to watch Bret Michaels but my achey legs begged to differ. By this time it was also starting to drizzle a little so we called it a day and went home so I could eat and nap!

I will definitely do Rock 'n' Roll again!

NYC 2011

2011-03-11T15:05:00.003-06:00

My mom and I had a great trip! Here are some of the highlights.

The Lucerne- This is the second time we have stayed here. It is in a great neighborhood on the Upper West Side and I enjoyed it all over again!

Restaurants:

Nice Matin- This French-style bistro is attached to the Lucerne and you get a discount on breakfast if you are staying at the hotel. We also ate there several times since it was so convenient! Some favorites: fava bean hummus, pistou soup, housemade granola, Tuscan chicken.

Amsterdam Gourmet- I visited this little deli across from the hotel daily for coffee (under $2 vs $3.50 at the hotel). Very friendly, plus lots of baked goods and grocery items.

Eataly- This was quite an experience! It is a huge market featuring both local and imported Italian foods. There are also several restaurants within the building. We went on a Saturday night so everything was insanely crowded. We ended up eating at the La Pizza & Pasta restaurant. I ordered a San Marzano pizza (basically a margherita pizza with sweet San Marzano tomatoes) and a Moretti Bionda draft beer. Delicious! We also got some gelato afterwards. I would love to go back and explore the market when it is a little less crowded.

Sido Falafel and More- Yummy falafel platter! Just down the street from the hotel.

Calle Ocho- Sooo good! We went on a Sunday night, when they have a free sangria bar. I'm not big on sangria usually, but their Blanca was great! We ordered an appetizer called Dulce, a sweet corn and goat cheese empanada with a tomato salad. Seriously one of the best things I've eaten in a while!

Sarabeth's Kitchen- We ate brunch here before hitting the Met. Delicious! I ordered a spinach and goat cheese omelet with multigrain toast. You can also buy preserves and other premade goodies.

Sightseeing:

Limelight Marketplace- We stopped to check this place out on our way to Eataly. Very hip little boutiques inside what was once a church. I didn't buy anything but it was fun to look around.

Whitney Museum of American Art- This is mostly very abstract art. Interesting, but not really my thing.

Museum of Modern Art- I was afraid this was going to be more abstract art as well, but I forget that "modern" art encompasses a lot more. There are works by Monet (including his famous Waterlilies), van Gogh, Picasso, Dali and Matisse. There was an exhibit of Andy Warhol's motion pictures, which we were able to see with a guided tour. We also ate lunch in a cafe on the 5th floor, Terrace 5 which was really good!

Metropolitan Museum of Art- As always, there is never enough time to see everything at the Met! This time we took two guided tours, one of old masters paintings and one that focused on modern art. Both tour guides were great. We also viewed an exhibit called Guitar Heroes about famous guitar makers that was very interesting.

American Museum of Natural History- This was fun, I have been once before but only to the planetarium part. We took a guided tour (have you noticed that I love guided tours?) which took us to highlights all over the museum. We also bought tickets to a seperate exhibition about the brain with a lot of hands-on exercises. My favorite area was the gemstones hall.

Shows:

La Cage Aux Folles- So fun! Harvey Fierstein was playing one of the leads and did such a great job.

Memphis- I had never heard of this until we got to NYC and we saw ads for it and decided to see it since it had won the Tony Award. The music and cast were great!

Whew! We packed a lot into our five days and four nights! Can't wait to go back!

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 12

2011-02-27T18:29:00.005-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Easy outdoor run (2.25 miles)
Tues: ~~Lululemon yoga~~ I ended up working late and didn't make it to class, so I did Body By Bethenny yoga when I got home.
Wed: ~~Easy outdoor run~~ Treadmill intervals (2.5 miles)
Thurs: ~~Easy outdoor run~~ rest
Fri: ~~Yoga or rest~~ Easy run (2.1 miles)
Sat: ~~9 miles~~ Rest
Sun: 9.25 miles

Clearly, it was a week of Plan B's! I forgot that I had a hair appointment on Saturday so I decided to do my long run on Sunday instead.

I went out to White Rock Lake for only my second time. I don't know about anyone else but I think it's a hard course! The Katy Trail is so flat comparatively. Plus, I usually drink lots of water and go to bed early the night before a long run, but I decided to go out for a little while on Saturday night. It was a long, slow 9 miles, but I got it done!

Anyone watching the Oscars tonight? I've only seen three of the films nominated for best picture: True Grit (just watched this Friday night), Inception and Toy Story 3. I hope I can see the others at some point in time! I am relaxing and watching the Red Carpet coverage right now, it's my favorite part of an awards show!

This week's plan:
Mon: Short run
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Short run
Thurs: Short run
Fri: Rest or yoga
Sat: 9 miles

Alphabeticals

2011-02-25T19:15:00.002-06:00

Age: 27

Bed size: Full

Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom.

Dogs: They're adorable, I wish I had time and space for one!

Essential start to your day: Coffee.

Favorite color: Blue.

Gold or silver: Silver.

Height: 5'2"

Instruments you play: I played the violin for 10 years, but I'm not sure what would happen if I picked one up today.

Job title: Allocation Analyst

Kids: No, thank you.

Live: On the edge?

Mom’s name: Beverly

Nicknames: Gold Star, SharpÉ

Overnight hospital stays: Not since I was born!

Pet peeve: People who chew gum.

Quote from a movie: “We can't stop here! This is bat country!"

Righty or lefty: Righty.

Siblings: One younger sister.

Time you wake up: 6:30ish.

Underwear: I wear it.

Vegetables you dislike: Not a fan of cabbage.

What makes you run late: I'm just a slow mover in the mornings, to be honest.

X-Rays: Just my teef.

Yummy food that you make: I make a pretty kick-ass spinach artichoke dip.

Zoo animal favorite: I love otters, they always look so happy. And elephants.

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 11

2011-02-20T17:45:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga
Mon: ~~Treadmill intervals~~ Easy outdoor run 2.25 mi
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: ~~Treadmill intervals~~ Easy outdoor run 2.25 mi
Thurs: ~~Yoga or rest~~ Easy outdoor run 2.25 mi
Fri: ~~Yoga or~~ rest
Sat: 8 miles

As you can see, I took full advantage of the gorgeous weather we had this week! I love that the days are getting a little longer, so it's not as hard to fit in a run after work. Saturday's run felt great, they Katy Trail was busy with people also enjoying the beautiful day. I hope this week stays as nice!

This week's plans:
Sun: Rest
Mon: Easy outdoor run
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Easy outdoor run
Thurs: Easy outdoor run
Fri: Yoga or rest
Sat: 9 miles

I think I'm going to try to get out to White Rock Lake for this long run just for a change of pace.

Have a great week, hope everyone is able to take advantage of good weather!

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training week 10

2011-02-12T20:04:00.002-06:00

My plans got kind of messed up last week, but I still got most of my workouts in:
Sun: 2.35 mi intervals on treadmill
Mon: ~~2 mi~~ Rest (dinner plans got rescheduled)
Tues: ~~Power yoga~~ 2.2 mi treadmill intervals
Wed: ~~2 mi~~ Body by Bethenny yoga
Thurs: ~~Yoga or rest~~ 2.5 mi treadmill intervals
Fri: ~~Yoga or~~ rest
Sat: 7 miles

Saturday's run was tough since I hadn't run outside in over a week, but I got it done.

This week's plan:
Sun: Yoga
Mon: Treadmill intervals
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: Treadmill intervals
Thurs: Yoga or rest
Fri: Yoga or rest
Sat: 8 miles

SnowMG!

2011-02-06T21:58:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts were a major fail:
Sun: Yoga for Runners podcast
Mon: 2 mi run intervals
Tues: Power yoga (Yoga Sculpt On Demand)
Wed: ~~Rest (we have dinner plans)~~ Made up a living room circuit because I had cabin fever so bad.
Thurs: ~~2 mi run~~ Body by Bethenny Yoga
Fri: ~~Yoga~~ Rest
Sat: ~~7 mi run~~ 10 min Stairmaster; Yoga for Runners podcast

Monday night and Tuesday were hail and ice, Wednesday we still had ice plus rolling blackouts; Thursday was still icy; Friday it snowed all day. Saturday things started to thaw out but there was still ice on the ground. I tried to get to the Y on Saturday to see if I could salvage a run on the treadmill but all the other runners in my 'hood had the same idea.

The Y wasn't nearly as bad today, I was able to get a treadmill without having to fight anyone for it. So, we'll just call this past week my rest week and work ahead for the rest of training, okay?

This week's plan:
Sun: 2.35 mi intervals on treadmill
Mon: 2 mi
Tues: Power yoga
Wed: 2 mi
Thurs: Yoga or rest
Fri: Yoga or rest
Sat: 7 miles

Lasagna Margherite

2011-01-30T20:58:00.004-06:00

I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light Michael approved, even with no meat!

I added some chopped fresh spinach (about 5 oz, or half a bag) after each layer of ricotta. I also added shredded parmesan/provolne blend before putting the lasagna in the oven.

1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
Cooking spray
1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.

Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine ricotta, 1/3 cup basil, crushed red pepper, and salt. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with 1 cup ricotta mixture and 3/4 cup sauce. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Cover and bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Uncover lasagna, and top with Parmesan and 2 tablespoons basil. Bake lasagna an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories:386 (30% from fat)
Fat:12.7g (sat 7.6g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:24g
Carbohydrate:42.4g
Fiber:3.7g
Cholesterol:43mg
Iron:2.8mg
Sodium:959mg
Calcium:620mg
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1998

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 8

2011-01-30T19:53:00.002-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Rest
Mon: 2 mi run easy
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: 2 mi run intervals
Thurs: ~~Cardio + strength (or another run if Mon is a rest day)~~ Rest
Fri: Yoga (Body by Bethenney)
Sat: 7 mi run

This week's plan:
Sun: Yoga for Runners podcast
Mon: 2 mi run
Tues: Power yoga
Wed: Rest (we have dinner plans)
Thurs: 2 mi run
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 7 mi run

Texas Caviar

2011-01-24T19:07:00.002-06:00

At work we decided to have a Lunch Around the World potluck. Everybody brought something that represented their heritage or family. I decided to bring Texas Caviar since it was a popular dish at my family's get-togethers, especially around the New Year. Black-eyed peas represent wealth and many people eat them for good luck at the beginning of the year. My parents grew up in Athens, TX, the home of the Black-eyed Pea Festival! (Yes, it's a thing.)

I combined a few different recipes and came up with this one, which turned out really good! I think it is definitely worth it to cut everything up by hand rather than throw it in the mini chopper, it makes a much prettier dish. I made it pretty mild since it was for a potluck, so next time I would definitely add more jalapeno and probably a little lime juice.

This dip is best with Frito's, but I also brought some baked tortilla chips for those of us who try to eat a little healthier.

½ white onion, small dice
1 green bell pepper, small dice
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 ½ jalapeno peppers, small dice
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes w/ mild green chiles
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 15 oz can black-eyed peas, drained
Black pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Ground coriander
Ground cumin
4 T red wine vinegar
4 T extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients and refridgerate overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Snot, Sweat and Tears

2011-01-23T20:02:00.004-06:00

That's what winter running is to me! Even though it has been really cold the last few weeks, I have braved the elements and done my early morning long runs. Between my running nose and eyes, I am not a pretty sight. I know I shouldn't complain, winter in Dallas is nothing compared to other parts of the country!

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Yoga (I did one of the workouts from Yoga Journal, a hip-opening series)
Mon: 2 mi run
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: 2 mi run (I played around with adding some extra to my usual interval workout, it went well!)
Thurs: ~~Some kind of cardio + strength~~ Body by Bethenny Yoga and Strength
Fri: ~~Yoga or~~ rest
Sat: 6 mi run

This week's plan:
Sun: Rest
Mon: 2 mi run (or rest, we made tentative dinner plans)
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: 2 mi run
Thurs: Cardio + strength (or another run if Mon is a rest day)
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 7 mi run

Turkey Chili

2011-01-23T19:55:00.002-06:00

My coworker gave me this recipe, so easy to put together and it turned out fabulous! I added about half a tablespoon of cumin as well.

1lb ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (4 oz) mild green chiles
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoon chili powder

Brown turkey and onion in a pan, add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cook on high 6-8 hours.

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables

2011-01-23T19:48:00.003-06:00

This turned out so good! I did two cans of beans, one cannellini and one light red kidney beans. I left out the celery and instead of the dried thyme and sage I just used an Italian herb blend.

Source: Food Network

Ingredients
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cooked ditalini pasta
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Basil sprigs, garnish, optional
Directions
In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training week 6

2011-01-16T08:38:00.003-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sunday: Rest ~~or easy yoga~~
Monday: 2 mi run intervals + Stairmaster
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 2 mi run intervals
Thursday: ~~Jay Johnson Boot Camp + Yoga for Runners~~ So I went to pull up my beloved Jay Johnson Boot Camp On Demand and it's not there anymore! I know they add new stuff regularly, so they must take down things that have been available for a while. So bummed! So I did a Total Body Sculpt workout.
Friday: Rest ~~or easy yoga~~
Saturday: 5 4 mi easy

Friday night I slept horribly, I woke up around 2am and couldn't get back to sleep until after 4am. Saturday morning was cold and rainy, so I ended up cutting my run short. This week I got my new Brooks Defyance 3's, so I was looking forward to a nice cushy run! I'm sure next week will be better.

Saturday afternoon I redeemed a gift certificate I had gotten for Christmas at the Relache Spa in the Gaylord. I got an amazing massage, it was just what my tired muscles needed!

This week's plan:
Sun: Yoga
Mon: 2 mi run
Tues: Lululemon yoga
Wed: 2 mi run
Thurs: Some kind of cardio + strength
Fri: Yoga or rest
Sat: 6 mi run

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 5

2011-01-08T12:26:00.002-06:00

Last week's workouts:
Sunday: Body by Bethenny Yoga + Strength training (I found this On Demand and actually really liked it! It's 40 minutes of yoga followed by easy strength training.)
Monday: 2 mi ~~intervals~~
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: ~~Jay Johnson Boot Camp + Yoga for Runners~~ Took a rest day to hit up happy hour with the ladies!
Thursday: ~~2 mi intervals~~ Jay Johnson Boot Camp Cardio + crunches and pushups (I wanted to run but had to take my migraine meds earlier in the day so I was feeling a little loopy.)
Friday: Easy yoga ~~or rest~~ (35 minutes of Body By Bethenny Yoga)
Saturday: 5 mi easy

So last week didn't go exactly according to plan, but not bad overall.

This week's plan:
Sunday: Rest or easy yoga
Monday: 2 mi run
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: 2 mi run
Thursday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp + Yoga for Runners
Friday: Rest or easy yoga
Saturday: 5 mi easy

So...the exact same plan as last week. :) Hope I can actually stick to it this time around!

I've been avoiding the gym since it's so crowded this time of year. I did decide to go for a run after dusk on Monday night and it wasn't that bad. I wore my new running jacket that has reflective strips on it. The road that I picked (I did an out-and-back instead of the usual loop) has streetlights and a sidewalk, so I felt pretty safe. I remembered that I have some of those clip-on blinking lights, so maybe I'll dig them out for this week's after-dark runs.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training Week 4

2011-01-02T20:28:00.002-06:00

Last week's workouts:

Sunday: Rest
Monday: Power yoga DVD
Tuesday: 2 mi intervals
Wednesday: ~~Yoga OR rest~~ I did Jay Johnson's Boot Camp Cardio followed by the Yoga for Runners podcast. Holy hell, I was so sore for three days afterwards. The backs of my thighs are still hurting. I think that means I need to do this combo more often!
Thursday: 2 mi ~~intervals~~ easy
Friday: 5 mi easy
Saturday: Rest

This week's plan:
Sunday: Body by Bethenny Yoga + Strength training (I found this On Demand and actually really liked it! It's 40 minutes of yoga followed by easy strength training.)
Monday: 2 mi intervals
Tuesday: Lululemon yoga
Wednesday: Jay Johnson Boot Camp + Yoga for Runners
Thursday: 2 mi intervals
Friday: Easy yoga or rest
Saturday: 5 mi easy

I figure it's going to be difficult to get a treamill at the gym for the next few weeks, so I might have to run in the neighborhood after dark, which I really hate doing. We shall see!

Have a great week!

...Hello 2011!

2011-01-02T13:33:00.002-06:00

New year's resolutions:

1. Run three half marathons.

2. Floss more regularly.

3. Keep the apartment cleaner. (I need to come up with a cleaning schedule for myself.)

4. Read 25 books.

5. Take a vacation with my husband.

Nothing too exciting but I think they are all realistic. Any suggestions on the cleaning schedule?

Hope everybody's year is off to a good start!

Goodbye 2010...

2010-12-31T17:41:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-27T19:52:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-12-20T06:46:00.003-06:00

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

2010-12-13T21:46:00.005-06:00

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

2010-12-07T20:56:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-11-30T19:39:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-11-21T18:01:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-18T21:45:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-14T07:49:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-11-06T19:16:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-10-31T09:24:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-10-25T19:29:00.002-05:00

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

2010-10-17T11:33:00.005-05:00

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

2010-10-10T16:52:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-10-02T17:35:00.005-05:00

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

2010-09-25T12:49:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-20T19:21:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-16T18:48:00.003-05:00

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

2010-09-12T09:16:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-09-05T14:02:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-29T08:17:00.003-05:00

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

2010-08-22T09:16:00.003-05:00

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

2010-08-18T20:40:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-14T20:05:00.004-05:00

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

2010-08-08T12:26:00.003-05:00

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

2010-06-01T20:51:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-05-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-04-10T19:00:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-11T16:07:00.003-06:00

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...

2010-02-10T18:54:00.005-06:00

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

2010-02-01T17:47:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-01-27T18:54:00.003-06:00

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

2010-01-13T21:28:00.003-06:00

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

2010-01-13T18:58:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-01-06T17:53:00.003-06:00

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...

2010-01-01T10:35:00.002-06:00

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

Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T21:44:00.005-06:00

We are officially old. It's not even 10pm on New Years' Eve and Michael is sleeping on the couch, we already played Scrabble and I have a cat curled up in my lap.

Last year's resolutions:

1. Relearn French - Fail.

2. Try new recipes - I did okay this year. I found good recipes for falafel, herbed chicken parmesan tenders and butternut squash lasagna, all of which were good enough to go into our regular dinner rotation.

3. Run 12 miles a week.- I was not good about keeping track of my mileage, so I really don't know if I ever hit this milestone. I did run 4 5K races this year, so I think I did pretty well. My best time was 29:37.

4. Read 25 books - I barely did this! Here are the books I read:
1. I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence
2. The Ecco Anthology of Contemporary American Short Fiction
3. The Audacity of Hope
4. The Omnivore's Dilemma
5. The Reader
6. Musicolphilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
7. Bel Canto
8. In A Sunburned Country
9. Unaccustomed Earth
10. Julie and Julia
11. My Life In France
12. Middlesex (this was a re-read)
13. Eat This, Not That
14. The Namesake (another re-read)
15. Wicked
16. Lies My Teacher Told Me
17. Outlander
18. Born To Run
19. Naked (re-read)
20. The Diversity Culture (I didn't finish this, so I don't really know if I should count this one)
21. Made In America
22. The BestAmerican Short Stories
23. In Defense of Food
24. Holidays On Ice (re-read, a favorite for the Christmas season!)
25. Broken Music
26. And I am currently reading STP: A Journey Through America with the Rolling Stones

I hope everyone has had a safe and happy New Years Eve!

Desert Island Jukebox

2009-12-29T19:49:00.004-06:00

There is a new NPR station in Dallas on 91.7 that plays really great music and has some really good syndicated shows. The other night on my way home from work I was listening to Sound Opinions and they had a great segment called The Desert Island Jukebox.

What would be on your desert island jukebox?

Here are a few of my selections...

Take A Picture by Filter

The Warmth by Incubus

Feel Flows by The Beach Boys

Up On The Roof (The Drifters did the original , but I also love Peter Cincotti's version)

My Own Worst Enemy by Lit

What I Got by Sublime