Run, Niki, Run!

Up and Running

2009-10-12T18:50:00.000-04:00

Update your Google Readers!!

I am officially up and running at http://runninginpink.wordpress.com!

All further posts will be here for your reading pleasure. Please bear with me as I do some redecorating over the next few days until I find the perfect set-up for the improved blog.

Thanks for all your support in following me over to the new address!

Exhausting 10-Miler

2009-10-11T15:55:00.001-04:00

*Note: I am planning on switching over to WordPress this evening. The plan is to have it set up before my evening post tonight. If not by then, tomorrow's posts will be on WordPress. Er, fingers crossed, at least!*

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable and relaxing Sunday so far!

I woke up at 7:30 and lounged around with my coffee while updating my iPod and adding more songs to my running playlist. Around 8, I realized I hadn't eaten anything yet, so I cooked up some oatmeal.

I added a sprinkle of brown sugar and used almond butter instead of PB today. So good, so good.

I checked the weather forecast before bed last night and continued to do so about every hour this morning. It didn't change much, but at least it wasn't calling for rain any longer! By the time I got outside for my run, it was 36F (weather.com said it "feels like 22F"). I wore yoga pants and layered my long-sleeved Under Armor top over a tech running tank and topped it off with a baseball cap.

As soon as I started my run, my hands were freezing! I definitely need to pick up a pair of gloves!! Luckily, they warmed right up after about a half mile, so I didn't have to worry about icicle hands today. After mile 5, I stopped to take a drink of water and have an energy chew. The straw from my hydration pack was overflowing and I spilled water all over my sleeve and my hip. THAT was cold! I may have thrown out a few curse words at the time. Once I started running again, though, I warmed back up quickly.

I felt pretty good finishing the last half of the run. I took a couple short walk/water breaks, but I kept up a pretty good pace, finishing 10 miles in 1:31:57! I was very happy to see that I shaved 4 minutes (exactly) off my last 10 mile run!!! This works out to an average 9:12 pace! Woot!!

I have a secret goal time in mind for my next half marathon in 13 days. Okay....I want to run a sub-2 hour. Looking at my last half time, it seems like a lot to ask, but that was also a very challenging trail run. I keep trying to tell myself that I should just be happy with a new personal record, but there is a nagging voice in the back of my mind that really wants to break 2 hours! I don't know....do you think I'm crazy?!?

As soon as I got home, I hopped into the hot shower! Once I stopped running and started stretching outside, the cold really hit me. I was very happy I brought a fleece jacket to throw on over my sweaty and damp top. My legs are feeling pretty sore, and overall, I just feel exhausted. I could take a 3 hour nap right now, if I let myself!

I am also famished! The first thing I inhaled, er, ate, was a big bowl of bran flakes with Chobani plain yogurt, honey, and a scoop of almond butter.

The plain Chobani gets a two thumbs up from me! Great flavor and texture.

I decided to head over to my parents for some company while the husband is at work tonight. My parents are notorious for having a pretty empty fridge, so I packed a bag full of snacks, since I know I'll be a hungry monster for the rest of the day.

As soon as I got to my parents, I cracked open a Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale.

I'm pretty sure they say beer is a great recovery beverage. It has carbs!

Also, some pita chips and hummus.

I have a bunch more in my bag in the fridge right now, and I may be devouring them for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Not sure what's on the menu for dinner tonight.

Highlights, Tea, and Food

2009-10-10T22:34:00.000-04:00

I've had a pretty low-key day, but I am definitely ready to hit the hay and get some much-needed rest.

I started out this morning with a hair cut. I have been debating keeping my shorter hair or growing it out a little bit for a few months, but I keep cutting it every time. It doesn't look much different after I got it cut today. Just a bit shorter, trimmed bangs, and blonde highlights:

The short hair is nice, because it makes me look more my age than a 17-year-old. However, I do miss having the ability to put it in a ponytail for workouts. Maybe next time I'll grow it out a bit........we'll see.

When I left the salon, I had mixed feelings to see what was brewing up outside:

Okay, you can't see anything in these pictures, but I promise you it was snowing out. Just some light flurries, but it was snow nonetheless!! I won't technically count this as the first snowfall of the year, especially since it wasn't even enough to photograph.

After the hair appointment, I made a few quick grocery stops. I haven't been to Econo in a while, so I swung by to check out their produce and natural foods department and found this lovely score:

64 glorious ounces of Honest Tea!! After trying a few of the Honest Teas this week, I am definitely hooked. The four flavors I tried were all delicious. I was excited to see this large container, because it was only $3.69, I believe, which is a steal compared to buying 64 ounces of the individual bottles. Little things like this make me happy. :)

I also took a trip to Wal-Mart. I heard they were now carrying Oikos, but they hadn't had any Greek yogurt before, so I had to see it with my own eyes. I was thrilled to find they now carry quarts of the plain Oikos, as well as single serving packs in plain, honey, and blueberry flavors! I was very tempted to buy some today, but I am still working on my stockpile from last weekend, so I resisted.

For lunch, I popped in an Amy's frozen tamale.

I love how Wal-Mart sticks their price stickers on every item about 20 times. Geesh.

This was my first time trying any of Amy's frozen entrees, and this one was really good! I added a little Texas Pete to both the rice and the tamale for some extra spice.

I also ate it out of the cardboard tray, cause I'm klassy like that.

After my food digested, I finally made it to the gym for a run. I did an easy 3 miles at a 9:40 pace, finishing in 29:00 exactly! I also followed it up with some strength training! I have been a big slacker on the strengthening front the last couple weeks, and it felt so good to lift weights again!

For dinner, the hubby and I went to Lee and Adrian's for Main Street Pizza. It was delish. Plus, I got to hang out and cuddle with their babies! They are both getting so big. Bryce is running around and talking a bunch, and I think Bailey will be creeping in no time. It's so exciting to see them growing up!

It's time to curl up with Harry Potter (I'm finally on Book 7!) until I fall asleep.

Have a great night!

Running In Pink

2009-10-10T14:45:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to give a short update and a head's up. I have opened up a WordPress account and will be transferring my blog over sometime soon (I will let you know when).

With this new change, I am also changing the name of my blog! The url will be: http://runninginpink.wordpress.com.

The changeover should be completed (hopefully) by the end of the weekend, if not tonight, but I'm a little worried if I changed the name and URL, my current followers wouldn't be able to find me again!

Hope you are all enjoying your Saturdays! I am off for a run shortly! :)

Breakfast Buddy

2009-10-10T08:14:00.000-04:00

Good Saturday morning! I woke up at 7 and couldn't fall back asleep, so I've been awake for a little while now.

The best thing about Saturday morning is having time to make my oatmeal:

I am LOVING this combination! The coconut adds delicious texture, and the chocolate chips mixed with peanut butter.....Oh my!

Every single morning when I make breakfast (and pretty often when I cook dinner), Willow walks around my legs, staring at me with her huge, blue kitty eyes, crying. Not meowing. Crying. Begging me to pick her up where she can immediately perch on her favorite spot in the world.

It's kind of annoying to have a cat laying around your neck when you're trying to cook. My baby loves her mama, and she's just too cute, so sometimes I have to give in.

I have to run and get ready for a haircut this morning. This may be my last time seeing Stefanie before she leaves her styling days behind for the world of nursing.....

Recaping the Week!

2009-10-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

Wow! In some ways, I feel like the week has flown by. I have kept myself pretty busy during the last 4 days between work and extracurriculars.

Monday night was the big football game that I am not going to discuss due to obvious disappointment.

Tuesday, I finally met with my SLFP mentee and we attended a Mentorshop together.

Last night we had dinner over at Jesse and Kim's place (amazing Philly cheese steaks!).

Tonight, the hubby has gone out to play poker with some friends, so I am relaxing in my PJ's all by myself and very excited that tomorrow is FRIDAY!!

I should return to my regular daily posting schedule starting, well, right now! :)

Since I slacked off on the food blogging, here is a recap of two of my favorite meals this week:

Oatmeal + cinnamon + chocolate chips + coconut + PB = dessert. Amazing!

Also, the perfect cold-weather dinner:

Chili!

With cornbread, of course!

Last night was also the first time I ran since Sunday. It's kind of bad that I think that two days off seems like a long time (especially when Monday was an actual scheduled rest day!), but I knew I had to go for a run last night or else I would feel really guilty.

I did a nice speed workout on the treadmill. I finished 3 miles in 27:24. I warmed up for 5 minutes at a 9:51 pace, then alternated 1 minute of running 8:00-7:30 with 2 minutes at 9:51. It felt awesome! The only downside was that my ankles started to feel a little sore--specifically my right Achille's tendon. I should probably be making more of an effort to stretch after my workouts. As a PT, you would think I'd know better, right? I've just been slacking on the stretching lately!!

I also tried out my new running shoes.

I don't think these were the cause of the ankle pain. They are quite comfortable, but they feel different than my old shoes. It's probably just a matter of breaking them in.

Announcement!

In other exciting running news: I signed up for another half marathon!! I will be running the Mackinac Island Great Turtle half marathon on October 24th!!!

I'm addicted, what can I say?!?!

I'm going to leave you tonight with my babies, because they are just too cute all cuddled together.

P.S. The switch to WordPress will be occurring soon. Hopefully this weekend. These formatting issues with Blogger are p***ing me off, and I am wasting far too much of my time trying to correct all these quadruple spaces, only to find out that it doesn't work anyway.

I'm also considering a name change for the blog. Run, Niki, Run isn't all that creative or unique. Any ideas or thoughts on this matter?? Thanks!!

Helllooo!!

2009-10-08T07:07:00.000-04:00

*Frantically waving*

Don't worry, I didn't disappear! This week has been pretty busy and exhausting, which is the reason for the lack of posting going on.

I will be back with a full-length post this evening!

Happy Thursday, ya'll!

Successful Shopping Trip

2009-10-04T19:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a long but fun day! We set out for Appleton a little later than we intended, because someone had a hard time waking up (hint: it wasn't me).

The weather was pretty cloudy, and we dealt with a few sprinkles of rain, but it was nice to drive through the UP and see the fall colors coming out.

The hubby and I split a snack on the way:

Three hours and forty-five minutes later, we finally arrived! We were ready for lunch and decided on Qdoba.

Really, not much is better than a burrito the size of your head.

We hit up the mall for a couple hours and I stocked up on some work-related clothing, jeans, and a new pair of running shoes.

For dinner, we stopped at the amazing Noodles & Company! I was craving this all day long!

The most amazing cucumber and tomato side salad.

Plus the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese.

It was disgusting, obviously. ;)

Our last stop of the day was the amazing Woodman's!

Yes, this was probably the highlight of my trip. A grocery store. Make that, a grocery MECCA! (Remember, I live in a town where I just had to drive 3+ hours to get to an Old Navy!)

I've mentioned a few times on the blog about how it's difficult for me to find Greek yogurt in Marquette. At least, Greek yogurt that is tasty and not overly priced. My mission was to find Fage for less than $5.50 a pint and stock up.

*Cue dramatic, climactic music here.*

Not only did they have Fage, but I they also had Chobani AND Oikos!! I have been wanting to try these brands for months after seeing them all over other health and food blogs.

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

I also picked up some Peanut Butter Panda Puffs and a few Honest Teas (10 for $10!!), among the other items you see here.

But I was super stoked about these:

For real. So excited! How nerdy am I??

This weekend's shopping trip had SUCCESS written all over it!

Since this post is getting up a bit late, I might as well mention my run today. I set off for a 9-9.5 mile run along the lake. I was disappointed to find out, when I measured the distance when I got home it was "only" 8.77 miles. I finished in 1:22:54, which gave me an average pace of 9:27. Not too shabby. I just wish I would have gone a tiny bit further to break into the 9 mile mark!

Day Tripper

2009-10-03T08:25:00.000-04:00

Good Saturday morning! I had a great night's sleep and am ready to go today!

Last night, the husband and I met our friends Josh and Chelsee and my co-worker, Kathryn, out at Wings & Things for dinner. Keith and I split an order of wings and quesadillas, which were good, but I didn't really leave feeling satisfied. I guess that's what you get when you order bar food!

We got home around 8:30 and were pretty much wiped! I was in bed by 9:30 and lights out at 10. It was awesome!

We've decided to make a day trip to Green Bay and Appleton, Wisconsin to do some shopping. Yes, that is what my life is like in the UP now!! I have to drive 3 hours to do any real shopping!

Another excellent perk to a Saturday morning is making my oatmeal on the stove. I had another minor oatmeal explosion in the microwave yesterday.....ugh. Plus, it just doesn't taste the same in the microwave as when I make it in a big pot.

Nom nom nom...

Now that I am finishing up my breakfast, it's time to shower and hit the road! Hope you all enjoy a lovely Saturday wherever you are!

Countin 1, 2, 3...

2009-10-01T21:45:00.001-04:00

Anyone hear the new Britney Spears song, 3, yet? It's pretty catchy and I keep getting snippets of it stuck in my head!

Last night's dinner was a hit, in my opinion! I made my first attempt at a meatloaf and served it alongside mashed red potatoes and steamed broccoli.

I was never a big meatloaf fan growing up. I mean, come on, how appetizing is the word "meatloaf"?? I recently had a strange craving for it, though, and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect meal for the fall weather we are experiencing.

Continuing with my fall food theme, this morning I had 2 slices of pumpkin cobbler bread for breakfast. I toasted it and spread butter on one slice and almond butter on the second.

When I picked this up at the store, the husband said, "You really are obsessed with pumpkin!" Yes, yes I am.

I hit the gym after work for a tempo run. I have found a new love for the tempo run during my half marathon training! I cranked out a nice 4 miles in 36:54!! I ran the middle two miles at an 8:34 pace. Woot!

I wonder if there could be a reason for me wanting to do some speedwork right now? Hmm... Maybe we'll get an answer to that question in the next few days?

I was craving chili for dinner tonight, but it's really best when you let it cook all day in the slow cooker. Instead, I searched for another cold weather dinner. (By the way, I had to scrape FROST off my car this morning!! Yikes!)

After a search in the pantry, I came up with a carton of V8 Butternut Squash soup that I purchased on a whim. I have never had butternut squash in my life, much less in a soup.

It was awesome! The soup had a great taste and texture, and was pleasantly filling. Plus, the V8 soups have a full serving of vegetables per serving, and the list of ingredients is respectable. This will be a future purchase.

I also made grilled goat cheese and spinach sandwiches. Such a great combo!

Of course, there's always room for dessert. I made the mistake of throwing Newman O's in the shopping cart the other night.

Yes, I have eaten all these cookies in the last couple days. But they are so good! My problem with Oreo-like cookies is that I just keep eating and eating and eating them! I probably shouldn't take the whole bag to the couch with me...

I'm out for the night! Hope you all enjoy a fantastic Friday tomorrow! I'm hoping to get myself a special treat in the morning!

Tonight's question: What is your favorite fall/cold-weather food?? I love stew, chili, pomegranates, pumpkin......

P.S. Anyone else having these weird formatting issues with Blogger? I keep getting all these extra spaces between paragraphs and photos and it's driving me insane!!! I'm realllly thinking about switching over to WordPress (I hear the sooner you do it, the easier it is!). Any thoughts??

Back to the Grind

2009-09-30T19:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day! I am very happy that the weekend is only 2 days away! The husband and I haven't really worked out our weekend plans yet. The weather is supposed to be yucky (cold and rainy), but that sounds like perfect curl-up-on-the-couch weather to me!

Let's recap yesterday's eats:

Breakfast included two bran muffins from Grandma Carol:

These babies are so delicious. I heated them in the microwave, spread a little almond butter all over, and drizzled on maple syrup. Amazing!

Lunch was quite pathetic. I really need to make a more conscious effort to pack a lunch the night before.

Yup, that was it!

I was determined to make it out for a nice, easy run after work. I was actually really excited to get my legs moving again, which is more than I can say for finishing my first half marathon. I definitely used that race as an excuse to do nothing but laze around. I only ran maybe 3 times in the 6 weeks following that race! Yikes!

Luckily, I had a really nice run. I intended to make it a slow and easy pace, which used to mean 10 minute-mile pace. I feel like I have made huge gains in the last couple months, because the 10:00 pace felt way too slow! I started with 9:50 and then bumped it up to 9:41. I finished 4 miles in 38:30 and felt great! I did not feel exhausted, and my legs felt so good. Hooray!

For dinner, I found a quick, 20-minute recipe for Blackened Cumin-Cayenne Tilapia in the September issue of Cooking Light. I had all the ingredients already, so it was a perfect, fast meal. I also baked some sweet potato wedges, because that's how I roll.

The sweet potato looks really burnt, but it didn't taste that way (promise!). My big "mistake" was going a bit heavy-handed with the seasoning mixture. The recipe clearly states "sprinkle" the mix over the fish. I thought, "I have all this mix, I might as well use it!" and poured it on. Wow. I could SMELL the hotness from the plate in front of me. The hubby and I both took a bite and our eyes nearly watered! It was a really good recipe, but next time I won't coat the fish in cayenne pepper. :)

This morning I had another bowl of oatmeal in the microwave.

The almond butter sank to the bottom!

Lunch was a ham, pepper jack cheese, spinach, and mustard wrap with an apple.

For some reason, a beer sounded real good after work today.

Ah yes...the Silver Bullet! Ha!

Off to finish making dinner!

Recovery Mode

2009-09-28T22:10:00.002-04:00

Rest days are awesome!!

I still have a little residual soreness from the race on Saturday, but overall I am feeling pretty good. Maybe even good enough to go for a nice, easy run tomorrow?! *Fingers crossed!*

Today went by pretty fast for a Monday! However, the weather definitely took a turn into fall-like territory. The high today did not reach much higher than 50 degrees, and it progressively got more and more rainy. The low tonight is supposed to dip into the 30s!!

As I was driving through the cold and rain, I was thinking about how difficult it is going to be for me to get outside and run this winter! I really want to get out of the house and off the treadmill at least once a week throughout the winter, but it's going to be hard. I definitely need to invest in some quality, warm layers!

Do any of you have any tips for running in cold weather?

I think I have perfected the oatmeal in the microwave! Today's oatmeal was so good! I am really loving the almond butter that I purchased on Friday.

It was so good, I didn't even think to take a picture until I was scraping my bowl clean. By the way, this is a bowl that I painted at a local paint-your-own-pottery shop a few years ago.

My lunch is unpictured. I'm still a little nervous about revealing my weird picture-taking side to my co-workers. I ordered a delicious chicken border bowl from Border Grill. Chicken, pico de gallo, black beans, rice, and border salsa.....yummmm!

I got home from work and tinkered around for a while. All of a sudden, I realized it was almost 7 o'clock and the husband would be home from work and I had no clue what to have for dinner! Our kitchen is also getting pretty bare.

Luckily, I picked up a package of gnocchi at Target to try.

I warmed up some marinara sauce, and voila! Dinner in 10 minutes or less!

You know, sometimes it's really nice to have quick dinners like this, but I am really missing cooking from actual recipes. The hubster and I are planning on grocery shopping tomorrow night, so I really should do some meal planning before we go!

For a snack, I was craving more almond butter. I had tried almond butter a few years ago and really didn't like it. I don't know if I had expected it to taste more like peanut butter or if it was just a bad brand, but this is rocking my socks off!

I know everyone is raving about honey crisp apples--and they are good--but they don't hold a candle to my Pink Ladies! :)

I also had a tall, cold glass of chocolate milk.

I am off to give my IT bands a little love with the foam roll! Have a great night!

Lake Superior Shore Run Half Marathon Race Recap

2009-09-27T16:57:00.002-04:00

Any doubts that I had about being able to finish my first trail half marathon have definitely flown from my mind.

I woke up like a kid at Christmas 15 minutes before my alarm at 7:00. I was too excited to try going back to sleep, so I immediately woke up and started to fuel!

Breakfast of champions:

I quickly showered and dressed in my race gear. The husband and I left for the race site at 9 and we picked up his parents on the way. In the car, I munched on a banana.

Of course, as soon as I got to the site I had to pee. I found my parents and my grandma while I made a bee-line to the bathrooms. The line was really long, so my mom and grandma held my place in the potty line while I picked up my timing chip at a nearby tent. I waited in line for close to 20 minutes!

It was a close call, but I made it in the bathroom and to the starting line with about 2 minutes to spare!

I barely had a moment to take a deep breath before the race went off with a bang!

There was no pacer, so I decided to start in the middle of the pack. After maybe the 2nd mile, I found myself all alone! I knew there were people behind me, even though I couldn't see them, and every so often I caught a glimpse of other runners up ahead through the trees, but otherwise I was flying solo. It was actually pretty peaceful.

I had heard there was a rocky area on the course and was told most people had to walk through it because it was so steep and uneven. At around mile 4, I hit a rocky, steep climb, but it was a short walk, and the course wound slowly downhill right after that. I was so proud I had made it past the tough part!

The next 4 miles flew by! I felt strong and swift. My breathing was even and relaxed, and I managed to catch up and pass quite a few people. I found myself dreaming about actually crossing the finish line with a new PR!

Remember when I said I made it past the tough part, earlier?? HA!

Around mile 8, the trail started to get more narrow and became full of roots and rocks, forcing me to slow down and watch my footing. Soon, I came up to a small climb of big rocks, similar to what I had climbed earlier. I attempted to jog through the rocks, but tripped pretty hard a couple times. I decided it was in my best interest to just walk up the rocks, even though my momentum would be lost.

I reached the top of that cliff only to meet another. And another. And another. And another after that. I was climbing that rocky ridge for around 15 minutes!! Any previous thoughts I had about breaking my PR were smashed, but I was mainly frustrated at how quickly my momentum had been crushed. I just wanted to run again!

When I reached the top of the ridge, I stopped for a second to take in the view. It was a pretty spectacular site, even though it was a bitch to climb!

After I caught my breath, I headed down down down on another root-filled trail. I passed an aid station and one of the volunteers said, "Only a couple miles left!" so I knew I was close. However, I could feel myself getting more sluggish.

After what felt like ages with no end in sight, I slowed down to take a drink,turned a corner, and saw my step-dad sitting on the side of the trail waiting for me! As soon as I saw him, I knew that the finish line was close, so I picked up my pace again.

I'm coming!

Any second now...

The last 100 yards or so was through pretty deep sand. It was difficult to sprint through, but I tried my darndest to get to that finish line!

My grandma was waiting for me with a big hug!

I felt exhilarated to have finished my first trail race in one piece!

I managed to get a little dirty along the way.

But I was a very happy camper!

My official chip time was 2:18:52!

Although it was almost 7 minutes longer than my last half, I am very happy with the time. I had to climb a mountain and walk for 15 minutes!!

This experience has given me even more drive to run more and more races!! You might even expect another race announcement soon!

Sadly, there were no finishing medals today. We stuck around to hear the winners and door prizes announced and then went home to clean up. I scarfed down a chocolate chip Clif bar and a banana with almond butter as soon as I got out of the shower.

I was exhausted, and it didn't take long for me to get horizontal on the couch. I ended up napping for an hour and a half!!!

I felt so refreshed after my nap! The hubby and I got ready to go out to dinner with both sets of parents at Lagniappe.

We started with an appetizer of hush puppies.

I ordered a cajun creole penne pasta that came with veggies, chicken, and andouille sausage.

This plate was HUGE! I don't think I could even finish half of it.

I also had a side of red beans and rice.

Everything was delicious, but I took a lot home for leftovers. I was very surprised that I wasn't a terribly hungry beast after all that running!

After dinner, we met a group of my co-workers out for some drinks. It was a late night, but pretty low-key. I don't know how I managed to stay up past 1 am! Must have been the nap! :)

I am currently at my parent's house letting my mom cook me dinner and watching football. Green Bay dominated today, which is also great news for my fantasy team.

I'm feeling a bit sore today; mostly my ankles, left hip, and upper back. I'm looking forward to a couple nice rest days, and then we'll see where I go from there!

P.S. I apologize for the weird formatting of this post. I tried to figure out what was going on, but I give up for now! :)

The Night Before

2009-09-25T21:41:00.008-04:00

Thank you so much for your responses to my last post! They are all excellent ideas, and I'm sure I will be using all of them!

I am getting all settled for the big day tomorrow!! I can't believe I will be running 13.1 miles in about 12 hours from now!

This morning I had a very hard time getting out of bed, but I was so excited to make pumpkin pie oatmeal again! If you have not tried this combo yet, seriously do it soon!

I used pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and about a quarter cup of canned pumpkin. It is heavenly!

The husband and I had an appointment at lunchtime, so we stopped for a quick lunch together at Taco Bell (his choice, haha). I am obviously not that concerned with what I eat the day before a race. I probably should think about this more seriously in the future.

Keith's parents came to visit for the weekend, so after work we went to the Casa for some PASTA! Pasta is one pre-race tradition that I like to stick to.

I ordered fettuccine with tomato sauce and grilled chicken. Carbs + protein = YUM! The Casa is famous for their super buttery garlic bread, but I thought ahead and ordered it "light". Not as delicious, but also not as upsetting on my tummy! I think it was a smart move!

Before dinner, I was so excited to pick up my race packet! We made a swing by Sports Rack to get the goods.

Um....here are the goods:

My number, pins, and wipes.

Yes, wipes.

At least I got a pretty nice tech shirt!

Needless to say, I am HIGHLY underwhelmed with these race goods. Maybe I was spoiled at my last race (which was also my first), where I was loaded with coupons and samples. I am disappointed that there are no time chips, and I'm totally bummed that there isn't a map of the actual race course. Everyone keeps asking me where the race runs, but all I have is a brief summary (Start at Little Presque Isle, pass Harlow Lake, climb 300', stretch along Lake Superior...etc.). I feel like I want more info as a first-time runner of this race! Maybe I just like to be super organized about these things?

End rant! :)

I have gotten all of my race attire ready for the morning!

Ugh, I have to apologize for all these pictures looking like CRAP. I am very excited to wear my running skirt! I'm also bringing my long-sleeved Under Armour top because the forecast is calling for cool and rainy.

After work, I made a couple pit stops to pick up some race essentials:

I am going to have a real breakfast in the morning, and then about 45 minutes before the race, eat a naner. Bananas digest pretty easily in my tummy. I also bought another packet of GU Chomps for during the race, and a Clif bar for after (I also have no clue if there is a "post-race party" or any food at all at the end). Hey! How did that almond butter sneak in there? ;)

My hydration pack is also ready to go with my half water/half Gatorade combo. This may be TMI, but it kind of smells. I wish I realized this before tonight, because I would have washed it! Oh well!!

Love the phrase on the Gatorade bottle:

Pretty good race/life mantra, no?

Last night I was finally able to update my iPod and I made a playlist for tomorrow that I am super excited about!!

I have quite a mix of music on here. I like to throw in a few mellow songs on my longer runs, too.

What are some of your favorite songs to run or workout to?

I've included most of my favorites on this list. This post has taken much longer to put together than I had anticipated. I need to be well-rested for tomorrow, so I am off to bed!

Have a great night!!

Running/Race Mantras

2009-09-23T20:38:00.004-04:00

Yesterday during my run, I was thinking about how it would be nice to have a mantra for my race this weekend. I used to occasionally use the mantra, "Finish Strong," at the end of some of my runs, but I haven't used this phrase in a long time, and I'm not sure it will get me through 13.1 miles of trails, rocks, and hills.

Do you have any running or race day mantras? Are there any phrases that help get you through a particular workout? How about a phrase that just helps you get through life and tough days, in general??

I would appreciate any of your thoughts on this topic!

Onto the eats:

Yesterday for lunch, I heated up some of the leftover kabobs in a pita.

It was great, but I was still hungry, so I made a bowl of cereal (honey sunshine and multi grain flakes).

After work, I went to the gym to complete my final hill workout before my race on Saturday! I ran 4 miles with 6 hill intervals and finished in 39:03. I am planning one more short, easy run tomorrow, with a rest day on Friday. I am so excited, but SO nervous!

I took a quick shower and had to get ready quickly to attend Bible study. I ate my dinner in the car, which included a sammie on flax and fiber bread with ham, pepperjack cheese, and dijon mustard.

As well as leftover peppers and hummus.

One of the best parts of Bible study are the treats after we finish the lesson and start socializing. My grandma made apple slices. Cooked apples are my least favorite of any cooked fruit. I still thought I'd give the dessert a try, in the event that I might change my mind. Eh...I'd rather have chocolate cake, but at least there was vanilla ice cream! :)

I don't know where this aversion to cooked fruit came from, but I have been informed many times that it is standing in the way of me enjoying many desserts, as well as things like apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Speaking of oatmeal (what a great segue), this morning I heated up oatmeal in the microwave, this time using a very large mug.

Gotta love my standby of brown sugar, cinnamon, and peanut butter.

I especially love my Winnie the Pooh mug! I LOVE Pooh!

Lunch today was a repeat sammie, and for dinner I threw together some spinach and cheese tortellini with marinara sauce. Not the most fancy meal, but it was quick and easy!

I have fully caught up on my Project Runway episodes, and I am definitely ready for bed! The end of the week is quickly approaching. I cannot believe I am running another half marathon in less than 3 days!!

Please remember to comment with your personal running/life mantras! I can't wait to read some of your ideas!!

Who's the Best??

2009-09-21T20:46:00.003-04:00

That's what I ask the husband every time I make a successful dinner. He needs to learn to be a little more enthusiastic when he says, "You are!" though.

Anyhoo. I got home a little after 4, which was so wonderful!

I had a quick snack of a slice of Brownberry Flax and Fiber bread (which is REALLY delicious!) smeared with Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.

I gobbled this up with a mug of jasmine green tea while reading for Bible study tomorrow and then catching up on some Project Runway episodes.

At around 6, I started getting dinner ready. I've been wanting to make kabobs for a while, so I took the opportunity today to do so!

I cubed chicken and then tossed it with some EVOO, Tony's Creole seasoning, and a bit of minced garlic. For the veggies, I used red, yellow, and green peppers, as well as onions.

Look how pretty!

Keith cooked them on the grill (why don't I know how to use a gas grill?!), and they turned out great! I cooked up some brown rice and made a dipping sauce with equal parts salsa and lite sour cream.

My plate:

x2 or 3 more kabobs. I get so excited when I try a new meal and it turns out to be a success!

Dessert was a li'l amaretto Mackinac Island fudge ice cream.

Ahhh...I am pleasantly stuffed and content. I just wish I had a few more hours to veg out before bedtime, but it's already quarter after 9 and I actually have to be to work early tomorrow morning.

Have a great night!

Lunch at Home

2009-09-21T12:17:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I was lucky enough to get some time to run home for lunch today, so I can actually update my blog! Whoo!

This morning's brekkie was an attempt at oats in an empty jar of peanut butter.

These were pretty darn good, except I think my jar was a little too empty to begin with, because I didn't get as much peanut butter as I would normally like. I will keep this in mind for next time!

For lunch, I reheated some leftover chicken lo mien.

Delicious, but not quite filling enough.

I am currently digging into this mix of vanilla yogurt, blueberries, Puffins, and Kashi Honey Sunshine.

I'm still kind of hungry. Maybe this is overlapping hunger from yesterday's long run?

I'm back off to work soon. Hopefully the afternoon flies by as fast as the morning did! I'm excited to take my "Rest Day" seriously and veg out on the couch all evening.

Weekend Recap. Kind of.

2009-09-20T21:38:00.004-04:00

My weekends are just flying by! I'm glad to stay busy, but it would also be nice to have a full day off so I can really just relax.

In my weekend "re-cap", I'm pretty much going to skip a ton of stuff and just hit the highlights. :)

Friday morning I ventured into the world of pumpkin pie oatmeal!

I had been DYING to try this, and it did not disappoint. I think next time I will add a little more pumpkin pie spice, but this was awesomely delicious!

While I was at work on Friday, Angel went in for a grooming appointment. His hair gets pretty long and thick, so it can get matted easily. We try to keep him brushed, but it gets particularly difficult around the hiney region, so we decided he needed a little trim.

Warning: Angel does not photograph well. If the flash isn't on the camera, he just looks like a huge black blob, but when the flash IS on, he half-closes his eyes, giving him the appearance that he is on drugs. (By the way, he's not.)

So this is Angel's "before" photo:

And this is Angel after he was groomed:

Yea, it's a pretty interesting hair cut, but he loves it. He is not embarrassed. If he were ashamed, he would be hiding somewhere in the apartment, but he's strutting his stuff out it the open, just begging to be pet!

Friday night we went out to our friend's camp for dinner. They cooked the most amazing chicken drumsticks on the grill with a fantastic rub from Whole Market. I can't believe it's almost the end of grilling season!

Saturday morning I got up and went for a quick 3 mile run and finished in 27:36. I'm feeling the need to sign up for a 5K to actually see how fast I can do it. There is a Turkey Trot in Marquette on Thanksgiving, and there will be a 5K and a 10K, and I was thinking about doing the 10K. Ahhh, I'll have to think about it!

After my run, I mixed together some cereal, vanilla yogurt, and blueberries.

And then hustled to the golf course to play 18 holes. I probably played my best round of golf yesterday. There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm starting to get a good feel for a lot of my clubs and I'm gradually starting to add a little power into my swing. Too bad we only have a few weeks left of nice golfing weather before win--- oooh I can't even say it yet!

I was in bed last night at 9:30. No lie. I was just so tired! It's kind of sad that on weeknights I can't seem to make it to bed until 11 or later, but on a Saturday night I am zonked out before 10. I love being an old lady sometimes!

I spent the night dreaming about breakfast....

Continuing with the pumpkin theme, I concocted these cinnamon pumpkin spice pancakes. They were delicious and super moist. Next time I might throw in a little bit more pumpkin, but these were close to perfect!

After I digested my pancakes, I took off for my last long run before the half marathon next Saturday! I was really happy with my time, especially since it includes my walk breaks.

Distance: 12 miles
Time: 1:57:17

Avg. Pace: 9:45

I'm getting really nervous about my race next weekend. I know I can finish the distance, but I am really scared about the terrain. I mentioned this previously, but I want to reiterate that my goal is simply to finish. However, the race info says that if you don't think you will finish in 2.5 hours, you should start at 9:30 instead of 10. I'm preeettty sure I can finish within the 2.5 hours, but then again, since I've never run this hilly course, maybe I will end up taking longer than that.

My previous half marathon time was 2 hours and 12 minutes, but my pace during my recent long runs would give me a time around 2 hours and 6 minutes. Do you think I should start early or at the regularly scheduled time?

Although I didn't have the munchies after my 10-miler last Sunday, today I was ravenous! I downed a ton of Gatorade/water mixture, an apple, more water, and a Clif bar. Then I met my mom and grandma for a quick shopping trip, came home and watched some football!

I enjoyed a banana while watching my Green Bay Packers lose, unfortunately. :(

I also munched on some almonds before the husband called from work asking about dinner. I was not in the mood to cook, so we went for Chinese and I ordered chicken lo mien. I ate about half and saved the rest for lunch, but I was still kind of hungry. I'm sure I've been snaking on a bunch of other things that I can't remember now. Mindless eating!

I'm going to hop upstairs and read in bed for a little while. See, it's already 10:30 and I'm not even washed up for bed yet, geez!

Have a great night!

My Richard Simmons Moment

2009-09-17T21:24:00.004-04:00

I had such a great workout this evening!

I did another hill workout and I felt so strong throughout. I even ran at a bit faster pace than usual. I finished 4 miles in 38:33 with 7 hill intervals. I ran an average pace of 9:40 and sprinted at a 7:30 pace for the last .2 miles.

Afterwards, I came home to a delicious dinner! While I was working out, I had a couple sweet potatoes baking. The husband threw steaks on the grill, and I prepared some broccoli. It was SO GOOD!

My plate:

Husband's plate:

I only ate half of my steak, because the rest was so filling. By the way, I LOVE adding a little cinnamon and sugar to my baked sweet potatoes. It's probably my second favorite way to eat them (besides sweet potato fries, of course!).

I had so many endorphins flowing after my workout, and I totally wanted to celebrate with a beer.

Okay, my last few posts I have been talking up the last-minute plan I am adding to my half marathon training. Last week, I switched my races from a road race to a trail race. The bad thing about this switch is that I have not been running on dirt/woodsy trails or doing much hill training.

My first plan to adjust to my new race surface was to add a few hill workouts on the treadmill, like what I did tonight. I plan on completing one more 4 or 5 mile run with hill intervals early next week.

Now, when I work with any patient with a knee injury, I always think I should be doing these exercises, too! Some injuries occur simply due to muscle imbalance, weakness, and/or decreased flexibility. The thought of running over roots and rocks makes me a little nervous that I may twist an ankle or knee.

For these reasons, I have also added the following exercises to my program. I started these exercises on Monday and am completing them daily. Although I decided to start this program to help my body withstand the uneven terrain, these are also excellent exercises to be doing when running on ANY surface (road, treadmill, beach, whateva!).

Below, I demo each exercise. The hubby was nice enough to take the pictures, though he did so grudgingly... :)

Hip Abduction: The hip abductors are prime stabilizing muscles of the hips when running. Weakness in this area can lead to problems in the hips, knee, ankle and foot. Simply start in the above side-lying position (bend your bottom leg for balance purposes), and lift the top leg to about 45 degrees. The goal is not to lift your leg up to your head, but just through a nice, slow motion. I do 3 sets of 10 on each side.

Hip Adduction: The hip adductors are commonly forgotten when strength-training. These muscles are important in stabilizing the medial hip and knee. Cross the top leg over the bottom as shown above. Lift the bottom leg up in the air nice and slowly. Again, I complete 3 sets of 10 on each side.

Straight Leg Raise: This is a great, basic exercise for strengthening the quads and hip flexors. The quadriceps are the 4 main muscles in the front of the thigh that join to form the patellar tendon, which passes over the knee cap and attaches just below the knee. Bend one leg to protect your back and straighten the other leg on the ground. Squeeze your thigh muscles and THEN lift your leg. You only need to lift the leg to the height of the opposite knee. The goal is not to lift your leg as far back as possible! If you turn your leg out a little (externally rotate the hip), you may target the vastus medialis obliquus (the innermost quadriceps muscle). 3 sets of 10, yo!

Speaking of VMOs, I forgot to take a picture of the VMO isometrics! They are easy to describe, though:

VMO Isometrics: This exercise will help strengthen the VMO, which is commonly a weak point. Weak VMOs are one reason someone may have patellofemoral pain, so they are an important muscle to strengthen! Sitting in a chair, raise both legs straight out in front of you and HOLD. Work up to 5 sets of 1 minute holds. If you have ankle weights or a medicine ball (3-8 pounds will work just fine, depending on your strength), add those! Another way to add resistance is to use a (clean) gallon of milk. If the gallon is half full of water, it weighs about 4 lbs, and a full gallon of water would weigh about 8 lbs. Milk jugs work well, because the edge can rest between your shins, making it easier to hold the weight.

Single Leg Stance: You may be surprised at how HARD your muscles have to work to stabilize your body when you stand on one leg! You might want to try this exercise without a pillow at first, but as your strength improves, you can use a bed or throw pillow. Couch cushions are also a great challenge! Hold your stance 3 times for 1 minute on each leg.

Heel Raises: I also forgot a picture of these, but I think many of you are familiar with this exercise anyway. Heel raises are great exercises to help prevent shin splints. The key is to lower your heels back to the ground SLOWLY. Beginners can do standard double leg heel raises and build up to single leg. Again, 3 sets of 10 (it's the magic number!).

Finally, I gotta give props to my foam roller! Many people have tight iliotibial (IT) bands and don't even realize it! A tight IT band may also be a cause of patellofemoral syndrome. The above pic is a demo of how to roll that sucker out on your own. It hurts (note the nice look on my face), but it hurts so good. I usually roll out each side for 1-2 minutes, because that's about all I can take if they are really sore!

I also have to give some love to my co-star, Angel.

Seriously, as soon as I get on the floor for anything, the cats flock to me!

I hope you enjoyed my li'l exercise plan. There are obviously tons more exercises, and they can become more advanced if you are actually completing a therapy program, but I'm just making due with what I have available in my house (although if I have extra time I work, I try to use some of the fun equipment!).

If you have any questions, you can email me at nmabendroth@gmail.com. I also want to clarify that if you think you have an injury, please see a doctor or physical therapist to get a thorough exam. In order to most accurately diagnose an injury, a professional has to see you in person!

Kitty Kisses

2009-09-17T17:57:00.002-04:00

I tried my hand at oatmeal in the microwave again this morning, and was somewhat successful. I still had some overflowage, but it didn't explode like last time. I just had a bit of a sticky bowl. I don't know, I think that microwaving my oatmeal takes too much time and is too stressful for me. Back to the stove-top I go!

Today's lunch looks like breakfast, but it wasn't.

Today, I was working at a nursing home a few blocks from my parents, so I stopped over for lunch. Their fridge is pretty bare (why am I not surprised? haha), but I did find eggs, bread, peanut butter and HOT SAUCE! I don't think I can eat eggs without hot sauce anymore. It's just soooo good!

While I enjoyed my lunch, I got to cuddle with the kitty.

His name, by the way, is Dickens. At least, I think it is. His name has evolved from Payton (at the shelter), Albus, Harry, and now Dickens. My mom says he is "a little dickens"...whatever that means! :)

He really likes attention and is a big cuddler. We think he may have been taken from his mother too early, because his favorite thing to do is lick/suck on your face.

We are trying to teach him to stop this habit, but it is a little endearing, don't you think?

I'm off to the gym before dinner! Stay tuned for my post later on how I'm preparing for a TRAIL run versus a road race next weekend!

Breakfast Fiasco

2009-09-16T22:29:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! If you follow me on Twitter (if not, you should!), you probably saw me tweet about having a breakfast fiasco yesterday morning.

Well, here it is:

Oat explosion!!!!!

This was my first attempt at microwaving oatmeal (the old-fashioned Quaker kind), and it was obviously a HUGE FAIL. I think I may have put it in for too long and it just boiled over. Does anyone else know why my oatmeal would decide to treat me this way?

Instead, I had to settle for cold cereal, which just doesn't seem to do it for me lately.

I really enjoy the taste of Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal, but I was definitely in a hot oatmeal sort of mood. Lately, I'm more apt to have a bowl of cold cereal as a snack than a breakfast meal.

This morning I had a repeat of the cereal, since I was too lazy to wake up early enough to cook stove-top oatmeal. Maybe I'll give the microwave oats another go tomorrow!

For lunch, I stopped at Quizno's for a tuna bullet.

I was disappointed with the shortage of veggies. I'll have to ask for more next time. The did go light on the dressing for me, which was a definite plus!

I also munched on a kiwi, apple style. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but the skin actually tastes pretty good. I would compare it to the skin of a plum or nectarine, only fuzzy.

The summer after 6th grade I attended summer camp. One of the girls in my cabin, Connie, mentioned that she liked to eat kiwis with the skin on them. I had never heard of such a crazy thing before, so I asked, "Do you shave the fuzz off the kiwi?" Every time I eat a kiwi, it brings back good ol' Fortune Lake memories. :)

Dinner tonight was Taco Bell chalupas. I was not very proud of my dinner, so there is no picture. I have been way too lazy to cook the last couple nights. I've been working a little bit of overtime this week, and I haven't been planning out meals at all. I need to get motivated and organized so I can make some real food!

After dinner I managed to hit the gym. Working out after dinner is extremely rare for me. I was really worried I would get a stomach ache, but I ended up feeling okay. I ran 4 miles in 39:33, which included a short walking break.

I am off to bed. Tomorrow I will be posting about how I am preparing my body for trail-running!

10 Miles of Awesome!

2009-09-14T20:48:00.004-04:00

I'm skipping my posts on today's eats because, frankly, they weren't very interesting!

Instead, I'm going to take you back in time. All the way back......

To yesterday! :)

I finally got in my 10 mile run yesterday, and it was awesome! I almost titled this post "10 Miles of Bliss," but I think that would have been a bit too enthusiastic. Though I didn't feel invincible, I am really happy with how my run went.

I stopped to walk maybe 4-5 times, mostly to drink (if I don't stop, I sploosh water/Gatorade mix all over myself). The weather was quite foggy and misty when I set off, and the air was so humid that within 10 minutes, I was soaked. At least there wasn't much of a breeze, so I didn't get cold.

I was especially happy with my time. I finished 10 miles in 1:35:57, which averages a 9:36 pace! WOOT!

At the 6 mile point, I tried out some new energy snacks.

When I trained for my last half marathon, I started looking into the use of energy gels. First, I tried Gu in the gel form. I don't think the texture of the gels appealed to me, and I pretty much had to force myself to swallow the gel. After that, I gave Clif Shot Blocks a try and really enjoyed them. They are tasty, easy to chew, and gave me a great burst of energy. Plus, they didn't upset my stomach at all.

Unfortunately, I haven't found any Shot Blocks in the area (boo to small towns!), but I did see these Gu Chomps, which have the same concept.

They had a very similar texture to the Shot Blocks, and the strawberry flavor was okay, but tasted a bit more artificial to me. I prefer the Clif version, but these will have to do. If anyone from Clif wants to send me some goodies, I would be happy to accept them. ;)

After a yummy shower, I needed to refuel. I picked up this Greek yogurt last week and decided to give it a try. I thought the flavor was vanilla, but upon further inspection before eating, the label says, "vanilla with cinnamon and orange spice." I am not a fan of orange spice, so I was a little nervous. I topped the yogurt with some flax cereal.

It was awful. I forced down about 4 bites, but I couldn't get past the yuckiness. Nasty nasty nasty. The sad thing is, I don't know if I didn't like this specific flavor, or if I just don't like the taste of this brand in general. I might try another flavor (like PLAIN), but we'll see. Nothing is as good as my Fage yet!

My kiwi, on the other hand, was delicious!

After dumping my yogurt, I fixed a simple bowl of cereal and milk. Much better!

Surprisingly, I didn't have the munchies the rest of the day. Usually, after long runs I want to eat all the time. I guess this snack did the trick, even though it wasn't very calorie-dense. It held me over until dinner at least.

Alas, I don't have a picture of dinner. I invited my parents over and made chicken with goat cheese, brown rice, and asparagus, and it was phenomenal.

I'm off to get ready for bed. I'm exhausted after a busy weekend and a very full day of work!

We Remember

2009-09-11T07:12:00.003-04:00

September 11, 2001 forever changed the United States and her people. I wanted to take a moment to remember the 2,971 innocent lives lost and countless other individuals who have been affected by this tragedy in some way or other.

Never Forget

Change of Plans

2009-09-10T20:22:00.007-04:00

Let's get to the eats, shall we?

Last night's dinner:

Chicken stir-fry with asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper, squash, and snow peas.

Breakfast was a bowl of Nature's Path Flax Plus Multibran cereal and Puffins with milk. No pic, because it's boring. :)

Lunchie was uber-tasty! I had more taboule:

Grapes

Pita chips and hummus (just discovered Sabra and it is amazing!)

Plus a Kashi Peanut Peanut Butter granola bar that lives up to the label.

All together now:

After work tonight, I hit the gym for an amazing workout (more deets below), and was starving by the time I got out of the shower. Luckily, Grandma had given us a few of her made-from-scratch pasties, which only required a quick warm-up in the oven.

By the way, it's "pass-tee", not "paste-ee". Get your minds out of the gutter, people!

My husband is the greatest, and last night he went to Jilbert's to pick up my favorite ice cream in the whole wide world. Unfortunately, they no longer package this flavor to sell in stores, but they did offer to pack up a quart-sized container to take some home with us.

Amaretto Mackinac Island Fudge. Does that not sound amazing?? I have tried other cherry and chocolate flavored ice cream, but none of them even come close to this perfection!

So, I have some pretty exciting news today!

As you may know, I have been training for a half marathon the last couple months. I was intending on running the Community First Half Marathon in Appleton, Wisconsin on September 20, however, I hadn't yet registered.

The first reason I didn't register right away had to do with money. As in, hubby and I didn't have much to throw around while I was waiting to take my boards and start working full-time. When I finally thought I would register a couple weeks ago, Keith and I got some very exciting news (to be shared soon, promise!). This news involves a date that has yet to be determined, but there is/was a possibility it could conflict with the race.

A few days ago, I learned that there is a half marathon in Marquette on September 26! It's the Lake Superior Shore Run and this is the course description:

Beginning at Little Presque Isle, the half marathon course runs for 1.5 miles along Lake Superior beaches and then passes pristine Harlow Lake. From there it gently winds up 300’ of elevation to views of the Huron Mountain Range from the top of Bareback Ridge. The course then winds back down to Lake Superior for a 1.5 mile stretch of rugged running from Wetmore Landing back to the finish at Little Presque Isle. Four aid stations will be spaced evenly on the course. Some sections of the course are extreme.

Sounds a little scary to me, since I haven't been doing any trail running or much hill work. However, one of the patients I saw today is a runner, and she totally encouraged me and talked me into signing up!!

I am so excited for this race, but also very nervous! My patient described a few hills, some rocky areas (which she assured me that most people walk), steep and narrow stairs (upstairs and down!), and a wooden rope bridge. Yikes!

After registering for my running doom, I was really excited to work on some hills today! I had a fantastic hill workout on the treadmill. I ran 4 miles in 39:07, with 6 hill intervals worked in. The hills were tiring, but I pushed through at a consistent speed, and even felt strong enough at the end to sprint the last quarter mile.

This race is going to be awesome!

My goal for the half is simply to finish. If I was planning on running a flatter course, I would be more interested in breaking my previous time, but I only have 15 days left to train, and I don't want to do anything too hardcore and injure myself.

Any advice on how I should train for the next 2 weeks?

Big Girls Try New Foods!

2009-09-08T21:38:00.005-04:00

I hope everyone had a fab Labor Day and also a not-too-horrible Tuesday back to work! My day was pretty fun and went by quite fast. This week I am out of the nursing homes and back in the outpatient clinic which is a fun change. The day really flew by!

Yesterday's Labor Day lunch at my grandparent's was also very nice. We had a light lunch with sandwiches and a few salads, and family members came and went as they were able.

My plate of nummies:

You may notice the strawberry salad. It has a fancy name that I can't remember, but it's basically strawberries layered with strawberry jello, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream. It is strawberries mixed in with other stuff, which I usually will not eat, but I tried it, and I liked it! Okay, I would prefer to eat my strawberries separate from all the other stuff, but it was still a pretty yummy dessert.

Last night I prepared a new food for lunch: taboule! Since it was my first experience with taboule, I followed the recipe on the back of the box. I added tomato, cucumber, lemon juice, and crumbled goat cheese (sub for feta, which I didn't have) to the grain. After the taboule chilled for the night, I filled a pita with hummus and a helping of the salad.

It was DELISH! The taste of the goat cheese really came through. I think the taboule was still really warm when I added the cheese last night, so instead of staying crumbled up in the salad, it just kind of melted and covered all of the ingredients. Good thing I love my goat cheese! :)

I also had red grapes and a peanut peanut butter Kashi bar. My lunch really hit the spot!

For dinner, I thawed out some leftover pizza dough from a couple weeks ago, and whipped up a delicious pizza!

I must say, I make a mean homemeade pizza! I kept the ingredients pretty much the same as last time, except we didn't have fresh mozz, so I just used shredded cheese. I also added a few crumbles of goat cheese. What can I say, I'm an addict.

My eyes are getting quite sleepy, so I'm off to curl up with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before falling asleep.

Sweet dreams!

Running with Olympians

2009-09-07T11:31:00.006-04:00

This morning I had intended on going out for a 10 mile run. When I got out of bed, my logical brain said there was no way I could get in 10 miles, but I had been really looking forward to my long run, so I was in denial.

I failed to mention in my last post that I did a few new strength moves on Saturday (including deadlifts). Even though I only used 5 lb. dumbbells, my hamstrings have been so sore and tight and I have not put in the proper effort to stretch them out.

Needless to say, it was a tough run. My legs felt like lead, and even though I really wanted to conquer this long run, I knew they would be 10 miserable miles of heavy feet and discouragement. Taking a cue from Angela, I pulled back and ended up finishing 4.6 miles along the lake.

It turned into a pretty good run, even if I only did about half of what I intended. About a mile and a half into it, I had a celebrity sighting!! Apolo Anton Ohno was also going for a morning run!

Yes, THE Apolo Ohno: Olympic speedskating gold medalist and Dancing With the Stars champion. He is in town for the U.S. Speedskating Short Track Olympic Trials this week, which are hosted at my alma mater. It was pretty inspiring to see him along the trail and think: "I'm running with an Olympic athlete!" Too bad it couldn't make me legs a bit more limber today!

The hubby and I are off to my grandparents for lunch! Have a happy and relaxing Labor Day, everyone!

Question: Have you had any encounters or meetings with a celebrity?

Long Weekends are Awesome

2009-09-06T22:17:00.006-04:00

Thank goodness for this long weekend, because I totally don't think I could be ready to work tomorrow if I didn't have the day off. I feel like the weekend has been pretty busy, with not much relaxing going on so far.

Yesterday morning, the husband and I golfed 9 holes and I made my first par!

After golf, I got myself ready for a 3 mile run. Once I got going, I felt really great, and ended up running my fastest 3 miles in ages!

Distance: 3 miles

Time: 37:48

Avg. Pace: 9:16

Woot! The run felt so good and got me thinking about running a 5K. Hmm...might have to find one to sign up for soon! :)

Last night we met up with some friends for a BBQ. Nothing like cooking out on the grill to end the last weekend of summer, right?

I kept myself busy entertaining the kiddos.

I also enjoyed this lovely blueberry lager. It was quite tasty, but pretty sweet. I don't know if I could drink more than one.

My dinner:

This morning I had a hankering for pancakes. I tried my hand at whole wheat pancakes from scratch.

So amazing! I dressed up my 3 pancakes a little differently. One had Dark Chocolate Dreams PB, one was straight up butter and maple syrup, and the last one I used a little syrup with blueberries heated up.

Once breakfast digested, I walked to the gym and hit the elliptical for 45 minutes while reading the latest issue of Cooking Light.

For lunch I mixed up some vanilla yogurt with Puffins.

With mango on the side.

And for supper tonight, I made cheesy polenta quiche (care of Caitlin).

This dish is so easy to make, and so tasty!

I hope you are all enjoying your Labor Day weekends! Any big plans for tomorrow? My grandparents have invited all of us over for lunch, and I just mapped out my 10-mile run for tomorrow morning!

Sniffles and Sleepiness

2009-09-03T20:51:00.010-04:00

I am thisclose to falling asleep on the couch right about now!

On Tuesday, I woke up with a little bit of a sore throat, and it has slowly progressed to the sniffles/stuffy nose/pressure in the sinuses/sleepiness. In my opinion, the worst part about getting a cold is the feeling of pure exhaustion you get for a few days. I have been thinking about bed for around 4 hours now!

For lunch today, I made a little taco salad from the salad bar with lettuce, salsa, broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, cheese....I think that's it! Unfortunately, my stuffy nose also makes me not very hungry, so I didn't end up eating the whole thing.

When I got home from work I was so HANGRY!

I mixed up some vanilla yogurt with the remainder of my flax cereal, plus a few sprinkles of cinnamon.

I was still hungry!

So I had a few whole grain crackers with cheddar cheese.

When the hubby got home from work, I had him fire up the grill for quick turkey hot dogs.

Loaded with deliciousness.

I had been thinking about these sweet potato fries all day!

It's amazing how I could have no appetite at lunch time, and then become a bottomless pit this evening. C'est la vie!

The hubby has finally decided to read my blog and he is sitting next to me making random comments. Now he understands why I take all these pictures!!

I'm out for the evening. My bed is calling my name!

Obsessed

2009-09-03T06:58:00.006-04:00

This week I have been having many a breakfast cookie!

I have also taken a liking to spreading vanilla yogurt over the entire cookie like frosting. :)

I am also enjoying a nice bowl of honeydew and cantelope for munching on while I get ready for work.

Speaking of work, this week has been crazy. Every morning I try to come up with some type of plan to tackle the day, and then shortly after, my plan gets completely changed! Just have to get used to it!

I have been getting used to my new schedule, too. I even managed a 4 mile run last night after work!

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38:47
Avg. Pace: 9:40

It felt so good to stretch my legs after a hectic day!

Happy Thursday! We are so close to a long weekend, and the weather forecast here is looking BEAUTIFUL! :)

Sunday Run (Isn't it Tuesday?)

2009-09-01T20:38:00.013-04:00

Helloooo!!

I can't believe it's almost Wednesday already. My work week has been pretty crazy so far. My days are pretty unpredictable and I sometimes feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off!

Anywayyy...I finally made it for my long run on Sunday afternoon, but I made a few stops first.

Picked up a new "fancy" watch! It even has a stop-watch feature. Aren't you just going "oooooooooooh"? ;)

Plus a sweet hydration pack!! I feel pretty nerdy running with a "backpack" on, but it was so awesome to finally have water when I wanted it during my run!

It's hard to be totally accurate with my mileage calculations when I run on the lake shore bike path, because it doesn't necessarily always follow the road (which I have to use for Gmap Pedometer). I meant to head out for 8 miles, but I think it was more like 7.5.

Distance: 7.5 miles
Time: 1:08:36
Avg Pace: 9:05

I have a hard time believing that I run 9-minute miles outside. Especially when I take a few walk breaks. Sigh. I kind of wonder why I keep attempting to calculate my pace when I can't even be sure my mileage is accurate.

At least I am totally in love with running on the bike path. Check out my awesome view of Lake Superior and Marquette during my run:

Aren't I a lucky girl?

Time for bed! Hope everyone has had a great start to the week!!

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2009-08-30T11:42:00.012-04:00

Morning! Last night's festivities did not get too crazy, which is a bit of a relief. As much as I like to go out and have fun with a few drinks every once in a while, I really dislike feeling like poo the next day.

We started off our night meeting Josh and Chelsee at the Vierling for dinner.

The Vierling brews it's own beer, so I ordered a seasonal peach wheat.

I wasn't feeling extremely hungry after my huge lunch, but I ordered the cheese tortellini pesto since none of the appetizers really jumped out at me.

We also split a slice of peanut butter pie for dessert that was pretty awesome.

After dinner, we went over to a friend's house for a mini beer pong tournament.

Scott is very serious about these kinds of things.

Keith and Scott were the undefeated champs of the night. When the two of them play any type of drinking/bar/yard game, they are pretty unstoppable and very competitive.

By the way, we played with water in the cups and just drank from our own drinks. Much more sanitary and far less dangerous.

We went out to the bar for a little while, and Keith and I called it a night a little after 1.

I definitely slept in this morning, and all I could think about when I woke up was hot oatmeal. Shocking, I know! :)

I have been trying to mentally prepare for my 8 mile run today, but I really just need to buckle down and get it done! It's sunny and bright outside, and around 60 degrees, maybe, so it should be perfect weather for a run. I'm off to grab a pre-run snack and then tackle those miles!!

Incredible Lunch!

2009-08-29T14:58:00.014-04:00

Hello again after a few days hiatus! Now that I'm in the working world, I definitely need to learn how to balance work with all of the other aspects of my life!! The last time I did any sort of exercise was Monday!!!!! I was so excited to get in a good night's sleep last night and get in a great workout this morning!

After 9 hours of sleep, which was uninterrupted by a certain cat, I woke up to this:

Lovely!

It's actually still raining right now, and it's almost 4!!

I had a quick bowl of cereal with some tea, and then headed over to the gym to crank out a tempo run and some strength training. Oh how I love physical activity!! Especially after having such a long break!!

My tempo run was great! I did the first mile at a 9:51 pace, 2nd and 3rd miles at 8:57, and the 4th mile at 9:41. I finished 4 miles in 37:36!!

I squeezed in a bit of strength-training, too:

*planks
*biceps curls
*lunges
*triceps push-downs
*lateral shoulder raises

I quickly showered and got ready to meet my mom, aunt, and grandma for lunch. We took my grandma out in celebration of her birthday next week! I was going to ask the waiter to take a picture of the four of us, but I forgot! Doh!

We lunched at Elizabeth's Chop House and it was, again, FAB!!!!

I started with their house salad.

Field greens, apples, walnuts, and an apple champagne vinaigrette.

My aunt ordered onion rings as a side and shared them with the rest of the table. These were amazing.

I had this + a small one.

The onion rings came out with ketchup, and the bottles were too cute.

Only about half the size of a coffee cup!!

For my entree, I ordered the chanterelle and gorgonzola stuffed chicken breast with panchetta and blue cheese grilled asparagus.

Wow wow wow. It was all so amazing. I definitely ate everything except maybe half of the mashed potatoes. I also don't really like mushrooms, but I figured I could just take them off if I didn't like them with the chicken. Turns out, they were so finely chopped and mixed with the gorgonzola, I didn't even notice them! The husband would be so proud of my mushroom eating!

Of course, I come from a family with a huge sweet tooth. I really blame my ice cream addiction on my genes. We ordered two slices of cake to pass around the table for dessert.

The first was my grandma's choice, a carrot cake. This was so delicious. Moist and a little spicy...just how I like it!

The second choice was a 12-layer chocolate cake. It was very rich and extremely delish. We were so busy digging into dessert, I almost forgot to snap pictures! Thus, the half demolished cakes you see now!

Elizabeth's does not disappoint. I am so stuffed, but all of the food was amazing and totally worth it. I have a big ol' food baby incubating right now, and I am feeling a tad drowsy. :)

The hubby and I are supposed to meet a group of people for dinner and drinks to follow. I'm pretty sure I won't be eating much for dinner tonight! Hopefully I will have many pics of the evening festivities.

On another note, a big reason I haven't updated in the past few days is the horrendously slow uploading that I'm experiencing with Blogger lately. It can take 4-5 minutes just to upload one picture! Lately I've been so tired that when I come home, I make dinner and try to read through the usual blogs I follow, and when I finally get around to posting, I'm just too exhausted to take the 45 minutes to an hour that it takes to put up a post right now. I'm hoping to do some research tomorrow on a possible switch to WordPress or other ideas for how I can make it easier to update the blog.

The blog isn't as much fun without the pictures, it just takes wayyy too long to upload!

Hope you all have a fantastic evening!

A Lotta Enchilada

2009-08-25T20:48:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! Today has been a pretty busy day, and I cannot wait to curl up in my bed again tonight! I think it will take a little while to get used to having a regular work schedule again. Throughout the summer, I made an effort to wake up at 6:30 or 7 to hopefully make this transition to a full-time job easier. However, most of the time I didn't wake up until between 7:45 and 8:30. Still early, but that's about the time I have to BE at work now!

I am also trying to figure out how to best fit in my workouts around my work schedule. I would must rather get my exercise done in the morning, but it's already hard for me to get up as it is! I just get too lazy when I come home from work, and I find that I get more frequent stomach cramps during runs in the afternoon. I just have to stick it out for a couple weeks and make waking up early a habit!

End rant. :)

Breakfast was boring cereal because I didn't have much time to make anything, and it felt a little too humid for oats.

Lunch was a slice of leftover pizza from last night's dinner, as well as a big baggie full of grapes. My grapes are starting to get a little dried out, so I need to gobble these up fast!

I considered a speed workout this afternoon, but instead turned it into a rest day and will push back my speedwork to tomorrow. Hopefully in the morning, but we'll see! ;)

I had a hankering for chicken enchiladas tonight. I've never made them before, so this was a fun experiment.
Mmmm they were good!

I also made some spanish rice as a side. The blob of sour cream really put these enchiladas over the edge, I must say!

I love when I cook a successfull meal. I also love when I can have leftovers for lunch the next day!

I have to apologize for my boring posts as of late. Once I get into my routine, things will be picking back up!

First Official Day as a PT!

2009-08-24T21:57:00.010-04:00

Hey everyone! I am super exhausted right now, and my bed is calling my name, so I'm going to make this one quick!

The only thing that could get me out of bed this morning was the thought of warm, gooey oatmeal.

Heaven in a bowl.

I didn't bring a lunch to work with me, because I had no idea where I could put it or if there would be a fridge or microwave or anything. Luckily, the SNF I was working in has a small employee and guest cafeteria with a salad bar. I had a big, delicious salad and a small carton of milk. Those little cardboard milk cartons remind me of school.

After my workday, I inhaled a banana in the car and came home to make pizza dough.

***Blogger is taking foreeevvvvveeeeerrrr to upload my pics. I am about to fall asleep waiting for these suckers.***

The recipe for the dough is courtesy of Jenna. While the dough was rising, I finally got my butt out for my long run. I ran 6.5 miles along the beautiful lakeshore!

OK, I tried to figure out my running time by adding up the times for the songs I listened to on my iPod (umm...does anyone else think I need a watch to do this instead??? haha), and I calculated the time at 59:43 with and average pace of 9:11. Umm, I'm pretty sure that's a lie. I had even tacked on an extra two minutes for the times that I was skipping through songs on shuffle. I should at least buy a cheap athletic watch at Target so I can get a little more accurate times on my outside runs!

Anyway, when I came home, I split the dough in half, spread it on a cookie sheet, and added toppings.

I used pizza sauce, spinach, turkey pepperoni, tomato, and fresh mozzarella.

This was definitely a success! Much tastier than my last attempt, and the homemade dough was FAB!!!

I enjoyed my pizza with a nice, cold brew.

Yum.

On that note, I'm off to spend some quality time with my pillow. Goodnight!!!

Introducing.....

2009-08-23T21:32:00.009-04:00

My mom and step-dad's new kitty!! He kind of has a name, but I don't think it's for sure yet, so I'll just leave it up in the air for now.

He is a new companion to Chloe.

My parents have had Chloe since February, and my mother thought she was in desperate need for a friend. Needless to say, a trip to the humane society usually ends up with an adoption!

He is so sweet and a big cuddler. He kept trying to lick our faces all afternoon.

Unfortunately, they are still a bit unsure of each other. Chloe is more curious than anything else, but the new kitty is hissing and crying and freaked out by the other kitty.

I spent the afternoon and evening with my mom and she had a weird craving for tuna casserole for dinner.

It sounded a bit sketchy and I was a little nervous about it, to tell you the truth.

Luckily, it was pretty good! It is also really quick and easy to make. I think I might have to snag the recipe for future reference.

I have to admit I have another big ol' goose egg on the running front today. My poor planning skills definitely hindered any thoughts of a run today, so now I have to make it up tomorrow.

I am so exhausted right now, and my bed is calling my name. My first official day of work as a physical therapist is tomorrow!!! I'm so excited, but pretty nervous, too!

Have a great night!

Sunday at the Tee Box

2009-08-23T11:04:00.007-04:00

I slept horribly last night, but managed to get myself up early to go golfing with the husband. This is the first time I have been able to actually use my birthday present, and the first time I've golfed in about 6 weeks. Pretty ridiculous, if you ask me!

I woke up really craving oatmeal, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to make it. I had a bowl of cereal and then took a banana with me in the car.

My golf game was also pretty awful this morning.

Awkward action shot.

Right now I feel like taking a nap on the couch, but I definitely ignored my run yesterday, and I really need to get my long run in today. The long runs are the most important! It looks like it's going to rain soon, but the weather forecast says it will only be cloudy. Hopefully I don't get rained on! It's also only about 58 degrees out.....fun!

Second Breakfast

2009-08-22T13:01:00.008-04:00

Happy Saturday! It's always so nice to have a weekend, but today I am feeling exceptionally bored and have no clue how to spend my day.

Last night's dinner was fab!! Three of us Micro Repair wives got together for lasagna soup, garlic bread, and dessert! No pics, but trust me, everything was amazing! Melissa made two different desserts: raspberry bars and chocolate cake (of which I had a large slice of!). I was very spoiled with the delicious food!

This morning I woke up a little late and had a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

I wanted oatmeal, but I was feeling lazy.

About an hour later, Keith got a phone call from our friend's Josh and Chelsee who asked if we were interested in meeting for breakfast! We weren't going to meet up for another hour and a half, so I figured I would be a little hungry, and there's nothing wrong with second breakfast every once in a while!

We met at Perkins at 11, so it was more of a brunch. For about half a second I considered getting a salad or sandwich for lunch, but I was still craving oatmeal! I also ordered a fruit dish on the side, which was surprisingly very small. :( I mixed a little brown suger and apricot syrup in my oats and wolfed them down. Yum yummy!

My shoulders and upper back are a little sore from yoga yesterday, but it feels great! I have to get in a 3 mile run and some strength training in today, so I'll probably do that in about an hour after I've more fully digested.

Have a great Saturday!

Bad News Bears

2009-08-21T13:50:00.006-04:00

Last night I prepared a breakfast cookie to eat before work:

I added some vanilla yogurt on top, because that's how I like it.

My boss offered to buy lunch this afternoon, so I picked up a tuna sub from Quizno's, which was surprisingly delicious. I have only been to Quizno's twice, and each time they put way too much sauce/dressing on the sandwich, so I have to remember to ask for less next time. I don't like when my sandwhiches are drippy. I also have no pic, because I wasn't expecting to have lunch at work and did not bring my camera. Just close your eyes and picture a tuna sub with tomato, lettuce, banana peppers, and vinagrette.

This morning I finally heard back about my exam. I was debating if I wanted to say anything or not, but I might as well just get the bad news over with....

I PASSED!!!!

So the bad news is that I actually have to work full-time now!! Hahaha! Did I trick any of you?? ;)

I am now enjoying my afternoon in my pajamas drinking a beer in celebration.

Tonight I have plans to have a "Distribution Widows" party with a few other wives who have husbands working the laptop distro until late tongiht. We are having an Italian feast and I get to play with a ton of little babies!! I might have to bring my teddy bear so I can fit in with all the other mommies. :)

Not sure about my other plans for the weekend, but I definitely am hoping to do some major celebrating. No more studying!! Ever!!!

Today's Question: What are your plans for this weekend?

Blast From the Past

2009-08-20T22:20:00.007-04:00

This afternoon I went back to my old undergrad (NMU!) for mentor orientation for the Student Leader Fellowship Program. First of all, I feel like a bit of a fraud, because I am 25, haven't actually started my career yet, and don't really have any volunteer work or leadership roles in the community as of right now, so I feel like there is no possible way I could be considered a good mentor! I remember how much I liked having a mentor when I was in SLFP, and I just hope my student doesn't think I'm lame!!!

Secondly, all the students are coming back to campus since classes start on Monday. I've been to campus a few times over the summer to study in the library and it's also where my hubby works, but it was so weird seeing it start to get crowded again....and I am no longer a part of that. Some of the students with their families looked so young, which made me feel old (even though I look like I'm about 18, haha). To be honest, I'm a little sad I'm not going back to school this year. I mean, I ~~have~~ had been a student for 20 years of my life. It was a main part of how I identified myself for years. Now I can't even say I'm a physical therapist, because I feel like I'm still in the in-between phase. Ei-yi-yi.

Thirdly, my husband is currently working the laptop distribution this week, so I decided to pick up dinner for myself on the way home. This is relevant to my "blast from the past" topic because a) I worked Dome Distro for 3 years of undergrad when I worked on campus and b) I picked up dinner at The Pasta Shop, which always reminds me of working with my 3 best friends from college. I have to admit, I am getting a little sentimental and a wee bit teary thinking about this! The whole experience of the afternoon really made me miss the good ol' days of undergrad with Chera, Chena, and Kelly working at Micro Repair and laughing hysterically pretty much every day. Doesn't it seem like life was so easy back then??

Anyway, that's enough of my reminiscing for tonight. If you've made it this far in my post, congratulations and thanks for sticking it out!! :)

I really adore The Pasta Shop. It's kind of a hole-in-the-wall Italian eatery where you can dine-in or take-out. Every time I go in, I look over the menu, but I always end up ordering the same thing.

I start off with a small Italian salad. It has romaine and iceberg lettuce, tomato, pepperoni, and I think parmesan cheese, and their house dressing is so amazing! It's hard to choose between this salad or an antipasto salad from the Casa, but this one might win. :)

For my entree, I order gnocchi with meatless sauce. It blows my mind every time. There is also an amazing slice of garlic bread that is unphotoed. I always save it for the end and dip it in the leftover sauce. DELISH!!!!

I was one stuffed cookie when I finished this meal. I should have divided the gnocchi in half and saved the rest for lunch tomorrow, but I was up to my neck in chow mode and didn't even think about it until I had maybe two gnocchis left. Ooooh well!

Earlier today I painted my nails a new shade that I purchased way back in April and hadn't tried yet.

It kind of looks like fungus. I'm not very impressed. However, I am too lazy to take it off, so maybe I'll get used to it over the next day or so. I think this shade may work on my toes and maybe with a 3rd coat instead of just two in oder to make it more lime green and less...well, fungus. :)

Okay, I'm off to bed! I am going to work in the morning (boo!) and want to get in a yoga sweat sesh beforehand! Have a great night!!

One Month Away

2009-08-20T12:47:00.007-04:00

Holy moly! This morning I realized that my half marathon is exactly one month from today! I'm getting a little nervous, since the furthest I've run is only 5 miles so far. I really shouldn't be too worried, because I'm following a similar training program as the last time I did a half, and it turned out just fine!

It is quite rainy and dreary here today, which made it a little hard to get out of bed. Plus, I slept like crap last night for some reason. I kept waking up and rolling over throughout the night.

However, I was very happy to finally get up, because nothing starts a rainy day better than a delicious, warm bowl of oatmeal!

This isn't the greatest quality photo, but I like how you can see the steam coming off the oats on the bottom. :) I usually just make my oatmeal straight-up like the directions say, but today I used vanilla soy milk instead of cow's milk, plus some cinnamon and a dash of vanilla. I think it took a little longer than usual for the oats to cook, but maybe I was just being impatient. Once they were done, I added a little brown sugar and a big scoop of pb. Amazing! I also had another small bowl of strawberries, but the oatmeal was really the star of the morning!

I hit the gym again today for my first ever tempo run. I ran a total of 4 miles today in 37:39!!! I am highly impressed with myself! :) I ran the first and last mile at a 9:50 pace, and the middle 2 miles at 8:57. I can't believe I ran a sub-9-minute-mile! Like I have mentioned many times, I am not a fast runner. This is the first time I've ever really tried challenging myself with speed, so these little victories are exciting for me.

For lunch, I heated up a leftover pepper from last night.

Pepper innards! I forgot to mention yesterday that I added Texas Pete to the mixture, and then of course doused it with hot sauce again after coming out of the oven.

Side of grapes that I am currently munching on.

I have a pretty long to-do list that I wrote up last night, but maybe I'll just read for a little while. I have SLFP Mentor Orientation in a few hours! I'm excited, but a little nervous!!

Stuffed Pepper Experiment

2009-08-19T21:43:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure why, but the last few nights I have had NO CLUE what to cook once dinner time rolls around. I think I'm having trouble finding inspiration, or maybe it's just laziness?

Anyway, I decided to do something with some of the leftovers in my fridge (beans, rice, ground turkey) and came up with......stuffed peppers!

I've never made a stuffed pepper before, but there's a first time for everything, right? I had 3 green bell peppers that I sliced the tops off of and gutted. I mixed together leftover cooked brown rice, black beans, ground turkey (with pasta sauce from yesterday's lunch), chopped green pepper from the tops that I cut off, salsa, and a bit of minced garlic. I had just enough mix to stuff the peppers to the brim!

I baked the little beauties for about 25 minutes and topped them with shredded colby-jack cheese when they came out of the oven.

Ta-dah! These were really tasty and fresh. I love the thought of eating a meal out of a big vegetable! I would make a few tweaks next time such as: leaving out the chopped pepper from the mix (it was a bit of green pepper overload) and letting them bake a little longer to soften the pepper (these were a bit too crisp for the hubby's taste).

For dessert, someone may or may not have polished off the remaining birthday cake. I won't point any fingers or name any names. I'm just sayin... ;)

Hills and Goat Cheese

2009-08-19T14:34:00.013-04:00

Happy afternoon! I feel like the day has been flying by!

For breakfast I had a repeat of yesterday:

Cereal with vanilla yogurt, strawberries, and caahfee. I think the strawberries are really making breakfast phenomenal. On a side note, it is taking for-ever to upload pictures the last couple days. Anyone else having these problems??

Like I mentioned earlier, I scheduled a hill workout today (I updated my weekly training schedule on the right side of the page, btw) and was not looking forward to it. However, I am ecstatic to report that I had a great run this morning!

Instead of cranking up the speed and the incline today, I stuck with the same speed and concentrated on climbing the hills while maintaining my pace. Here's the info on my workout:

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 29:30
Pace: 9:50

Warm-up: 5 min
Incline: 2 min
Recover: 3 min
Repeat incline/recover x4 (or until you hit 3 miles!)

I felt that the workout was definitely still challenging, but I felt much better not huffing and puffing until my lungs burned and I keeled over. My booty is already a little sore from those hills!

I love thinking about what I'm going to eat on my way back from a run! Today I threw together an AWESOME salad. I am telling you, it rocked my socks off. I basically filled up a small mixing bowl and inhaled the entire thing. If I had more, I would have continued to eat it until I exploded!

Isn't it pretty?? I took the leftover penne from dinner (we ate all the shrimpies, so there were only noodles left), and tossed it with spinach, a diced tomato, lemon, S&P, and GOAT CHEESE. Wowwwww. The goat cheese really put this sucker over the top! It made for a perfect summer salad. It reminded me of something you could make a huge batch of and bring to a BBQ. This is definitely a must-make-again.

I washed it down with the remainder of a POM Tea I purchased while grocery shopping.

It was good, but not great. I bought it because I was so thirsty at the time, and this looked like an interesting option. It was a little more tart than I was expecting.

After running a few errands, I had a sweet snack.

My grandma gave me quite a few little bags of saltwater taffy for my birthday. So delicious!

I'm thinking about curling up with some green tea and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Happy Hump Day!

2009-08-19T09:09:00.011-04:00

We've already made it to the middle of the week! I had a hard time rolling out of bed this morning, but I guess it's okay because I'm on "vacation!"

Recap of yesterday afternoon/evening:

Snack of Puffins and green tea.

And a few TJ's dried apricots. One of the last Trader Joe's products I have that remain from Chicago. Oh, Trader Joe's, I miss you........

I had no clue what I wanted to make for dinner tonight. After looking in the fridge for a while, I pulled out some shrimpies.

I boiled some penne pasta while sauteeing the shrimp in a little butter, EVOO, green onion, red pepper, garlic, and lemon juice. At the last minute, I added a few handfuls of spinach.

Then I mixed it all together! It turned into a pretty nice, light summer-y dinner.

Of course, there had to be dessert.

You can't let good birthday cake go to waste!!

After dinner, I went over to my mom's for a girl's night. My mom, aunt, grandma, and I went to see The Time Traveler's Wife. The book is one of my favorites, and I figured it would be difficult to translate it onto the screen, but I think they did a pretty fair job. I would have liked to see more of the beginning of Claire and Henry's relationship, both when Claire was younger and when they meet in the present, just to help show how deep of a relationship they have. It really was a nice movie, overall. My grandma really liked it, and she had not read the book. My aunt and mom both said they enjoyed the movie as much as the book. I don't know if I quite liked it as much as the book, but I did appreciate seeing the story on the screen, and think the actors did a great job. I would definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for a love story. Plus, you get to see Eric Bana's booty! :)

Giada is currently showing me how to cut a mango on Today. I picked up a mango at the store the other day, so this will be handy for later. :)

I'm off for a workout! Today's training includes another hill workout...groan. The last time I did a hill workout, I was not a happy camper. I don't want to skimp out on my workout, but maybe I shouldn't push myself as hard as last time. I don't want to be a wimp!! I'll let you know how it goes!

Turning Around

2009-08-18T13:48:00.010-04:00

I hope you are all having a great day, so far! I have to tell you, my mood has improved so much in the last 24 hours. I still have no news to report, but I'm at the point where I'm just letting it go and whatever happens will happen.

I started the morning off with a fab breakfast:

I mixed Puffins, Nature's Path Flax Plus cereal, vanilla Stonyfield yogurt, and a dash of milled flax seed in a bowl.

With a side of fresh and pretty strawberries, plus some coffee to wash it all down. :)

Little Willowby was acting crazy this morning! She kept meowing and would come in my lap for a few minutes, jump down, meow at the closet door, roll on the floor, and repeat.

Silly girl!

I'm taking my husband's advice and using this in-between waiting period as a vacation. I'm still trying to get out of the mindset that I should be doing something (i.e. studying). I can spend my afternoons reading or at the beach or doing whatever I wish besides worrying about my exam! This vacation time makes it easy to get a slow start to my morning!

My legs are still pretty sore, so I decided to take a day off of running and do some cross-training instead. (Which reminds me, I must update my training schedule!) I did strength-training first:

* front and side planks

* static lunges

* squats

* chest press

* mid rows

* shoulder lateral raises

* biceps curls

* triceps dips off a bench

Working my legs today might not have been the greatest idea, because after only 2 sets they were shaking like crazy! I managed to squeak out another set, but hopefully I don't end up paying for it later.

For cardio, I did 35 minutes of intervals on the elliptical machine. I brought a magazine with me, but the elliptical doesn't have a book/magazine stand, and it was too cumbersome to hold onto it the entire time, so I just stared at myself in the mirror. I hate having to do that--it's so awkward and boring, but I like the elliptical on my x-train days!

After my workout, my tummy was growling. I took a quick shower and threw some food together.

I had leftover ground turkey, so I warmed that up with pasta sauce. In a separate pan, I sauteed some spinach with a little EVOO, S&P, and garlic. After I put it all together, I realized I pretty much just made pasta without noodles, haha. I toasted a sandwich thin to go along with the meal, and ended up scooping everything onto the bread to eat. Not a real great lunch, but it wasn't a total fail, either.
I had a bowl of grapes on the side. Delish!

I am pretty excited about tonight! My mom, aunt, grandma, and "fake aunt" are going to see The Time-Traveler's Wife. Have any of you seen this yet, and what did you think of it? The book was really good, but I never go into movies based on books thinking they will be exactly the same (I would just be asking for disappointment).

Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday!

B-Day Recap

2009-08-17T22:07:00.008-04:00

Good evening, everyone! I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open right now! Though my day wasn't very exciting, I sure kept busy!

This morning I had a minor snafu with my vehicle. The engine would not turn over for me, and I tried at least 5 times to start the Jeep. I called the husband and he came over right away. Of course, when he put the keys in the ignition, it started up with no problems! Geeeez!!

I drove to Lower Harbor for my run today. It was so nice to run along Lake Superior! I did another 5 miler, seeing as I felt like I walked at least half of yesterday's "run". Sorry I don't have any stats because I didn't watch the time, and the b-day fairy didn't bring me a Garmin. ;) I felt pretty good and only walked for about a minute after getting a few gulps of water. However, when I woke up this morning, my left knee was sore where the IT band runs. I've never really had problems with it before, but I don't want them to get worse, either!

Needless to say, I picked up a foam roller today! I have been wanting one of these babies for a long time. I'm going to roll out my IT bands after this post, and I know it's going to hurt so good.

Another exciting purchase today:

I have been wanting a running skirt for a long time, too! I used my birthday as an excuse to splurge a little today. :) I cannot wait to try this baby out tomorrow!!

The remainder of my afternoon was spent stocking up on groceries and unloading said groceries in the house. Keith came home shortly after I finished, and we went out to dinner.

Neither of us had been Elizabeth's Chop House, so I chose this steakhouse for my birthday dinner.

I ordered the 7 oz. filet with grilled asparagus as a side. It was so good! The picture definitely does not do the meal justice. I am such a red meat lover. I know that grosses some people out, but I could never give up steak!

I also discovered a new (for me) delicious red wine! I had a glass of Clos du Bois red zinfindel, and it was perfect. Not too sweet and not too dry. Keith and I both approved.

For dessert we took a drive to Frosty Treats and I had a vanilla fro-yo with sprinkles. I feel like a little kid whenever I have sprinkes, but I love them.

It feels kind of strange to be 25 now. When I was growing up and still thought 25 was "old", I had quite a few little goals or ideas of how my life would be at this age. Some of these things have actually transpired, others may be in the near future, and still other things will never happen (like I was supposed to marry Joey McIntyre).

Did/Do you have any "goals" for yourself at a certain age (be it 20, 25, 30, etc.)?? Is your life now anything you thought it might be when you were a wee little tot?

Have a great night!!

Birthday Cake

2009-08-17T13:11:00.005-04:00

Hello! Still no news on my exam yet...highly frustrating.

At this point, I feel that if they aren't telling me I've passed, then I must have failed. Isn't it stupid to make the people who don't pass wait longer to find out that they didn't pass? If I have to re-take this test, I would like to start studying again soon and not wasting time waiting to hear back from them, you know? Geez!

Anywhoo, I ended up going for a run/walk yesterday at around noon when I finally had possession of my shoes again! It was hot! And my route was a lot more hilly than I had anticipated! I think I did at least half running and half walking. I could not wait to get home and chug some agua. Yesterday definitely made me want to run out and purchase a Camelback or a similar device that I can easily stash fluids in! I also ended up getting a little lost in the neighborhood. So many of the streets will suddenly end and then restart a few blocks over. My goal was 5 miles, but it may have been a little longer in the end.

After my run, my mom called to invite Keith and I over for dinner and birthday cake. My grandma makes the best cake! Really, she makes pretty much the best anything. :)

Oh. My. God. Covered in coconut!! Grandma knows the way to my heart!

Making a wish.....

Chocolate cake with a vanilla frosting (almost whipped cream consistency), coconut, and a layer of dark chocolate ganache on top! Perfection! Luckily, I got to take the leftovers home!

I am off to the DMV and then to pick up some groceries. Very exciting birthday, I know! I will have a full b-day recap later this evening.

Crab Monster

2009-08-16T10:42:00.005-04:00

I am so crabby.

Thanks for all of your well-wishes for my exam on Friday! I have received no word yet, other than my "score has been received" from the testing center. To be honest, I do not feel very confident. I'm pretty sure that test is designed to make you feel like crap, and as soon as I got in the car, I cried. Basically, whenever I think about it right now, I want to curl up in a ball with my bed covers over me and cry. Very dramatic, I know, but I really do NOT want to have to take that exam again. Apparently, everyone else I know who has taken the test has found out the next day that they passed, but no one else has taken it on a Friday. So, I'm not sure if I haven't been told if I passed or not because a) I didn't pass or b) it's the weekend, or c) they just want to torture me.

All I know is I better be getting good news if I find out tomorrow, it is my BIRTHDAY! I'm going to be a quarter-century old TOMORROW but don't really have plans to celebrate at this point. I just don't think Keith is much of a planner, and it is kind of inconvenient that it's on a Monday and everyone is working!

Any ideas on how I can make my birthday fun tomorrow while I'm by myself (at least during the day)?

So with my horrible exam hovering over me and making me feel cranky, I really wanted to go for a long run to help clear my head. The husband is out golfing this morning, of course, but I figured it would be a good time to get it done while he was gone. I got all dressed and ready, covered myself in sunscreen from ears to ankles, grabbed my iPod, and realized my running shoes are in Keith's car. Thus, the angry picture of me above!

I guess I'm going to try to do something productive around the house while I wait for my shoes to return. Thanks again for all your nice words and putting up with my sporadic blogging for the past week!! I'll catch up with you later today!

15 Hours and Counting

2009-08-13T16:43:00.002-04:00

Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy.

I'm all packed up and ready to go. Once Keith comes home, we are meeting my parents for dinner and then we're off to the Soo in preparation for my exam tomorrow. It's really strange that the closest testing center (for the physical therapy license, at least) is 2 1/2 hours away, but at least the in-laws are there, so we are going to make a nice little visit out of it!

I will hopefully be able to blog tomorrow and possibly Saturday morning, but this will most likely be the only post today!

On the training front, I had a pretty good day getting back into the swing of things. I intended to run 3 miles, but after 1.5 I was feeling not good. Once I got off the treadmill, I felt okay, so I went through with my strength-training:

* cable cross-punches with squat
* static lunges
* chest press
* seated mid rows

By the time I finished those, I felt really good again, so I figured I'd try to crank out that last 1.5 miles. It was great! I ran at a pace of 9:13, which never happens, and ended up feeling pretty good about my workout today! I probably won't be doing anything active tomorrow, but I'd like to get in a run on Saturday morning, so we'll see.

I better get going! Hope you all have wonderful Fridays ahead of you!

P.S. I'm scared sh*tless. :(

Empty Cartons Are Never Good

2009-08-12T22:47:00.008-04:00

I forgot to write about my workout in this morning's post! I wanted to go a little easy since I haven't had a run since Thursday (!!) and haven't done a workout of any kind since Friday (!), but I figured something is better than nothing! Plus, I was tired of sitting around and not being active for the past couple days.

I ended up running 2.76 miles in 30 minutes. I ran 10 minute miles and then stopped to walk for a little while. I also did a little strength-training:

* biceps curls
* triceps push-downs
* shoulder lateral raises
* front and side planks

I'm planning on doing legs, chest, and back tomorrow, along with another run. Gotta get back into my half-marathon training!

For dinner tonight, I made some delicioso spaghetti with meat sauce.

Sauce awaiting it's meaty partner.

Cooking the ground turkey before adding it to the sauce.

Finished product headed for my hungry mouth!!

I just love a good old-fashioned bowl of spaghetti, but it was dang hot and humid cooking it all in our kitchen. I wish people in the UP believed in central air. :(

For dessert, I desperately wanted some ice cream to help me cool down.

This is classic husband work, right here. He was the last person to scoop ice cream, and he always always always, without fail, leaves ONE spoonful in the carton. WHY?!

Needless to say, that was not satisfying. I decided to have a piece of Ghiardelli toffee chocolate, and as I broke it off, it basically fell apart from being soft and melty. I managed to work out half a piece of melted toffee chocolate, threw the rest of the bar in the freezer, and gave up on sweets for the night. Apparently, dessert is just not meant to be today.

It's about time for me to get to bed. I have one more day of studying left (eek!), and I want to make the most of it! Good night, everyone!!

I'm Alive!!

2009-08-12T13:01:00.009-04:00

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all your well-wishes! It is good to be back! Sorry for the brief hiatus in blogging while I recovered from a mysterious stomach bug (and no, Chera, it's not a case of bun in the oven).

It all went downhill on Monday afternoon. I just felt worse and worse as the day progressed. Around 9:30pm, I had the hubby get me something to help calm my upset tummy.

I know most people equate ginger ale to being sick, but I seriously love this stuff. I would drink it all the time if I let myself buy it.

Yesterday I was happy to wake up with no tummy troubles, but I did have a left-sided headache. Everytime I stood up, bent over, or turned quickly, I could feel it behind my eye and in my jaw. Maybe some form of a migraine? I didn't want to take any medication in case that upset my stomach again, so I just let it go.

Thankfully, today I am feeling quite normal! I woke up with maybe a trace of a headache, but that has since disappeared.

I made myself a generic breakfast:

Frosted Mini-Wheats and a cup of tea. I think it's kind of funny that I didn't add milk to my tea in case it upset me, but I had no problem adding milk to cereal? Apparently my brain wasn't working very well this morning. :)

I also just finished lunch, which was really yummy!

A bowl of brown rice, black beans, and salsa. I mixed it all together and ate it with blue corn chips for dipping. So tasty and filling!

Well, I'm back to the studying thing for the afternoon. Only 2 more days left!

Rumbly In My Tumbly

2009-08-10T13:20:00.005-04:00

I'm still not feeling super great right now. This morning I had a little low back pain that seems to have gone away, but my stomach is making lots of noise (and I'm not hungry!).

Here is a pic of my cute-as-a-button waffles from yesterday:

These make me happy. :)

For breakfast this morning, I made a bowl of cereal with the rest of my Kashi and some PB Puffins.

I am running low on cereal, so I might have to make a trip to the store later today!

After work, I came home and mixed up a Green Monster, since I'd been missing out the last couple days.

This was majorly nast. I decided to forgo the peanut butter and just used spinach, flax, milk, banana, and vanilla with ice cubes, and this was really bitter. I think the banana wasn't ripe enough and I may have had too much spinach. Also, I hardly tasted any vanilla flavor. I drank about 2/3rds, but then my tummy REALLY started to protest, so I didn't finish it.

I'm going to look around for something else to eat that won't upset my belly, and then I'm out for an afternoon study-a-thon.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Case of the Blahs

2009-08-09T20:17:00.003-04:00

Hellooooo! I have to apologize for the super boring post that's about to follow!

After I took my practice exam yesterday, I met my friends Traci and Rachel for lunch at Border Grill. We ended up sitting and chatting until a little after 6!! There goes my afternoon study plans!

Afterward, I stopped by my parent's house to mooch dinner off of them, and came home just as the hubby was coming back from a golf tourney (with my boss, haha).

Sad to say, I did not get my run in yesterday. I was hoping to get it done between my practice exam and lunch, but the test took longer than I had planned.

Keith and I woke up kind of late today, and I made some heart-shaped waffles for breakfast. I have no idea where my camera is right now, so I'll have to post a picture of them later. They are so cute! :)

However, after brekkie I started feeling pretty icky. My stomach was not feeling right, and as the day progressed I was feeling mixtures of nausea, lightheadedness, and weakness. I tried to take a short nap this afternoon, but then I couldn't fall asleep! I'm starting to feel a little better, finally. I've been trying to drink lots of water and I ate a little something for dinner, so hopefully that does the trick. Of course, since I've felt so weird all day, I definitely did not go for my 5 mile run, either! My plan is to wake up early tomorrow and get it done in the AM.

The good news is that I got a big chunk of studying in today. I'm trying not to stress out (maybe that's why I don't feel so hot today?), since that will probably just things worse! I need to get rid of the negative thoughts and fill my head with visions of me getting little green check marks next each question (to inidicate correctness, of course!), and the word "PASSED" in big, shiny letters flashing across my computer screen. Whatever works, right?!?!

I promise I will be back to regular posting tomorrow! This weekend totally flew by unexpectedly! Hope you all had an excellent one!

Freakin Out

2009-08-08T11:35:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting, everyone. I am in hardcore study mode, and kind of freaking out a little.

Okay, a lot.

Anyway, I will try to post a more thorough update later today!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Date Night with Mommy

2009-08-06T22:40:00.010-04:00

Sorry for posting this a little later than normal tonight, but I've been on the go pretty much all day! I am pretty exhausted, so I'll try to make this quick. :)

For breakfast I had another b-fast cookie with Greek yogy and honey:

I made one for the husband this morning, too, because he never eats breakfast and I am trying to get him to start. He loved it, of course! But I'm pretty sure the only way he will keep eating breakfast is if I make it so it's ready for him in the morning.

Anyway, I worked again this morning, came home, and got ready for a run. My tummy was a little growly, so I made a quick snack.

Whole wheat sandwich thin with a schmear of dark chocolate pb.

I completed a 3.5 mile run today and was a total sweat monster afterwards. It went much more smoothly than on Tuesday!

Time: 33:58
Distance: 3.5 miles
Avg. Pace: 9:43

I made a post-run Green Monster to re-fuel:

I couldn't even fit it all in one glass! I had to take a few sips before I could empty the blender. I combined flax, spinach, banana, blueberries, skim milk, vanilla, and ice. No pb today. Still super yummy. Vanilla is my new go-to GM ingredient! (I bought a new big bottle today so I don't run out!)

I had a Dr. appointment this afternoon, and then met up with my mom for a mother-daughter date night! I have been dying to see the Harry Potter movie again, and Thursdays are Keith's nights for golf league, so I called her up for dinner and a movie.

We went to Sweet Water Cafe for dinner. I hadn't eaten there in ages and have had a major craving for it the last few days. I also had a craving for carrot juice, which is strange, because I've never had it before.

It was quite tasty. It basically tastes just like carrots with a little bit of sweetness. It also turns your lips orange---even after one sip! Luckily, the orange color rubbed off.

I ordered the ginger stir fry with chicken:

This was loaded with veggies, chicken, and brown rice. I would definitely order this again.

My mom ordered one of the specials, a whole wheat rotini pasta with spicy marinara:

Also very good! Sometimes I forget about little Sweet Water, but it really is so yummy. Their breakfasts are wonderful, as well as their European hot chocolate. I haven't had one of those since undergrad!

Harry Potter was again fabulous. After seeing some people comment that they were disappointed with things left out or whatnot, I wondered if I would be bothered by this the second time around. My original opinion still holds firm: this is my favorite of the films so far.

Time to hit the hay. I have the day off tomorrow, but that just means I have the whole day to study study study!!! Good night!

Three For Three

2009-08-05T19:57:00.014-04:00

Hey ya'll!! I hope you all have had a great Hump Day! Only two more days until the weekend!

I started my day off with a 5:20am wake-up that I actually adhered to!!! I got up, threw on my workout clothes, and downed a Carnation Instant Breakfast for some pre-exercise feul. This morning I completed a strengthening routine that included:

* chest presses

* rows

* shoulder lateral raises

* front and side planks

* lateral lunges
* squats

* triceps push-downs

* biceps curls

I followed my strengthening with a ride on the stationary bike:

Time: 25 minutes

Distance: 5.3 miles
Avg. Pace: 12.3 mph

I have only used the bike a handful of times in the last 7 years, but I'd like to use it more often on my cross-training days. It really works your quads!

For brekkie, I had a scrumptious breakfast cookie:

Oats, pb, flax, brown sugar, cinnamon, and skim milk with a yummy scoop of Greek yogurt drizzled with honey.

Along with a handful of blueberries:

This breakfast was awesome. I think working out and eating a great breakfast are the greatest ways to start your day. I was so happy and energized all morning!

I was so excited to eat lunch today!

I was thinking about making a tomato soup, but as soon as I saw this Campbell's Select Harvest chicken noodle soup, I knew that's what I wanted. It has whole weat noodles, real chicken, and veggies. I just added a little salt and ground pepper as I heated it.

The highlight of my lunch:

What goes better with soup than a sandwich? I made a grilled cheese with ww Arnold's sw thins, spinach, and the magic ingredient....GOAT CHEESE!

Look at that gorgeous, gooey, deliciousness. Heaven.

I studied for a little while after lunch, but I think my early morning really hit me at around 3:30. I ended up taking about a 15 minute nap on top of my boards review book. Oops.

I had an eggplant sitting in the fridge for a while, so I decided to cook that up for dinner. I tried eggplant parmesan a couple years ago, and it was okay, but I think I sliced it too thick for my tastes. I kind of threw things together for this recipe, and it turned out really good!

Eggplant Parmesan

For parmesan breading:

* 1 1/4 c. bread crumbs

* 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
* parsley, salt, and black pepper to taste

* 3 eggs

You'll also need:

* 1 jar pasta sauce

* mozarella and parmesan cheese for topping

Wash, peel, and thinly slice eggplant. Mix together bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk 3 eggs together in a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in egg, followed by the bread crumb mixture. Place slices on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, then flip slices and bake another 8 minutes.

In a 9x13 baking dish, pour half of pasta sauce. Add a layer of the baked eggplant, followed by a layer of mozarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat process, adding the rest of the pasta sauce, another layer of eggplant, and more cheese to top it off. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until brown.

Score! Three great meals today! My tummy is extremely happy today!

Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. Have a good night!!

Running Frustrations

2009-08-04T21:33:00.012-04:00

I so did not wake up early to do my run this morning, so I went after work at around 2:30. When I schedule a hill workout, I am supposed to do 4-8 uphill sprints for 2 minutes at about 85% of my max effort. I ran an easy half mile as a warm up, then proceeded to run on a 3% incline at an 8:51 pace for 2 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of jogging.

I ended up doing 4 hills altogether, and it totally sucked. My stomach felt like I had 10 pounds of rocks sitting in it. I had to pause the treadmill 3 times and walk around a little to catch my breath and get rid of my stomach cramps.

I was SO mad at myself. I felt like I wasn't getting a very good workout, because I was tired and getting side stiches and I felt like a terrible runner. Isn't that ridiculous?? I should know better than that! As I've mentioned before, I'm not a terribly strong or fast runner at all, so accomplishing my workout today should have made me feel proud. I still ran the 3 miles, I just took a couple breaks. No big deal, right? See, the rational part of my brain was telling me all of these positive things, but the irrational part was super frustrated and angry with myself, and the negativity definitely took over today.

Do any of you ever feel angry or frustrated when you feel you aren't performing the way you "should" be during a workout?

Today's stats:

Time: 28:58

Distance: 3 miles
Avg. Pace: 9:40

Onto the good stuff....food! No pics for breakfast or lunch, but I had cereal this morning and two slices of pepperoni pizza for lunch (we had an inservice today...love when companies come in and bring free lunch!). I am a little inclined to blame the pizza for my stomach cramping, but I didn't run until about 2 hours after I ate, and I wasn't really full after I ate. Hmm... Maybe I haven't been fueling myself very well the last couple days before this run?

After my run I made the. greatest. GM. ever!

Wow. This was so tasty!! I wanted to use some of the blueberries that have been sitting in my fridge, as well as try to finish some skim milk that is about to expire. Here's what I mixed:

* flax

* spinach

* banana

* skim milk

* blueberries

* vanilla extract (I usually use vanilla soy milk, so I thought I'd add this....best idea!!)

* Dark Chocolate Dreams pb

This reminded me of a vanilla milkshake. The vanilla extract really came through, and I probably only added half a tablespoon. I will definitely be trying this again. Maybe some almond extract in the future, too! So good!

I didn't feel like cooking tonight (crabby mood, haha), so I aked Keith to pick what he wanted for dinner. His first suggestion was pizza, but I told him I already had it for lunch and was thinking maybe something healthier...? His next suggestion was Taco Bell. Healthy=Taco Bell?! Guy logic!

I'm pretty sure Keith's least favorite game is the: "What do you want to eat? Whatever you want to eat. Okay, how about this? Ooooh, I'm not in the mood for that." game, so I conceded. I ordered two Ranchero Chicken Tacos off of the Fresco menu. Basically, they replace any cheese and sauce with more tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. They were pretty satisfying with basically no prep and little clean-up. :)

After dinner I proceeded to study with a snack:

And a little later my hubby brought me this:

Have a great night, everyone! I leave you with my study buddy:

August 14

2009-08-03T22:03:00.009-04:00

August 14 is the big day! I got my Authorization to Test letter today, and now I am officially nervous as heck for my boards. I wasn't that scared until I actually had a test date scheduled. Now it's really official!!

Needless to say, the next week and a half is going to be a HUGE study-fest! Hopefully I have great news in time for my birthday (August 17)!!

Let's quickly review the day:

Quick and easy bowl of cereal with Kashi GoLean Crunch and PB Puffins in skim milk before I headed out to work for the morning.

Lunch was another chicken pita with lettuce, cheese, and salsa, but I forgot to take a picture! Too hungry!!

I also blended up a Green Monster.

I went back to work for another hour and a half after lunch.

Dinner:

Comfort food! Brats hot off the grill on a ww bun, corn chips, and my favorite...

Sweet potato fries!!! Seriously, the highlight of my day! :)

I spent the majority of the evening studying away, but it's about time I get to bed. I am hoping for an early morning workout per my week 2 training plan (today was a rest day)!

Good night and sweet dreams!

Woah

2009-08-03T17:25:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!

Just a short note that I will be updating later tonight. Lots of stuff to do today, and I currently don't have time for a proper post!

See you all tonight!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-08-02T18:54:00.010-04:00

Hi everyone!! I hope you have all enjoyed your weekends! Don't they seem to fly by so fast sometimes??

Last night I had a sleepover at my parent's house. My mom has been wanting to watch Buffy from the beginning (I have so much influence on her! hehe), so I brought over the first season and we had a marathon viewing party.

Before I left, my mom called and asked if I could pick up Chinese for all of us. It's been ages since I've had Chinese, so I was pretty excited!

I ordered the chicken lo mein. The carry-out box didn't look that big, so I dumped it out onto my plate. Let me tell you, those boxes hold a lot of food. Lo mein practically poured off the edges of my plate. Needless to say, I could not eat it all and saved the rest for lunch today.

I ended up sleeping in until about 8:30, and when I got up, I made breakfast.

Look!! I put blueberries on my oatmeal!!! I didn't really like it, though, because it made the berries warm. I ate all the blueberries first, then ate the rest of the oatmeal. I am so weird, I know.

Around 10:30 I finally motivated myself to go for a run, and I actually ventured outside on the backroads by my parent's home. The shoulder on the road I ran on is pretty big, but it's still a little scary. I much prefer nice, safe, trails or paths.

I set out for 4 miles and mapped it out on IGmap Pedometer before left, since I don't have a nice, fancy watch yet. I also didn't really watch the time when I left, so I used the songs on my iPod to keep track of time. Here are my (approximate) stats:

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 39 minutes
Pace: 9:45

I am really pleased with my time today. I would be the first to tell you that I am not a fast runner. At all. Some people might laugh at my 9:45 pace, but I'm happy as a clam! :)

After my run, I wasn't feeling all that hungry, so I just had a handful of grapes and lotsa water:
A couple hours later I had my leftover lo mein and a big glass of skim milk. Delish!

Keith finally came back home this afternoon!!!!! Angel really missed him:
Isn't that sweet?!?! As soon as Keith sat down, he was in his lap cuddling up. Yes, Angel is a boy. Yes, my cats are named Willow and Angel. And yes, they are named after Buffy characters. Is anyone getting tired of me talking about this show yet? ;)

For dinner tonight, I wanted to try a new dish. I found a recipe for "Chicken Ryan" on Chasing Daylight and was dying to try it, because it includes goat cheese! I - love - goat cheese! A restaurant around the corner from my apartment in Chicago (Tilli's) has an amazing goat cheese-stuffed chicken breast, and this recipe really reminded me of that dish!

This chicken was to die for. It was amazingly good! I wish I had made more so we could have leftovers! Keith actually said, "I think this is my favorite food now." I will definitely be making this again!

We also had side salads and steamed broccoli:

We were pleasantly stuffed after dinner tonight!

I am going to spend the rest of the evening relaxing and winding down in hopes that I will be asleep at a decent hour. I will be working again tomorrow morning, and would LOVE to be well-rested and not have to struggle to get out of bed in the AM!

Have a great night, everyone!!

Must...Study...

2009-08-01T13:07:00.010-04:00

Happy Satuday morning...er, afternoon! It's already 1 o'clock for me, and I am just about to hit the books for a few hours of studying. I can't wait for this test to be behind me!

Last night my parents grilled hamburgers for dinner. For dessert we had some amazing strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries. (Sorry, no pics!). I can't believe I never liked strawberry shortcake before!!

When I woke up this morning, it was pouring rain and pretty windy, but luckily it cleared up by the time I finished eating breakfast.

I warmed up two bran muffins and topped them with a little butter and maple syrup. My mom taught me this trick, and it is SO scrumptious! Yummmm!!

I have to admit that I did not work out yesterday. I intended on doing my work out after lunch, but then I had some housekeeping chores to do, fit in a little studying, and then went to my parents for dinner. I understand that I can't make skipping workouts a habit, but I also know that it does no good to beat myself up over it!

After breakfast, I picked up where my training schedule left off and went on a 3 mile run. I went a little bit faster than normal, which felt pretty good. I like running on a treadmill so I can see all of my stats. I guess that's why I need a nice watch so I can run outside and still get all my good information! :)

Time: 28:56
Distance: 3 miles
Avg Pace: 9:40

I also did some strength training:

*front and side planks
*lateral lunges
*squats
*shoulder lateral raises
*triceps pull-downs
*biceps curls

A little shorter today, but I felt like I got in a great workout.

I put together a quick lunch when I got home:

I mixed together some Greek yogurt with Kashi GoLean Crunch and honey. Sooo good. I liked the added texture and crunch that the cereal provided.

Plus some blurry strawberries. Hmm, I thought I had my camera figured out!

I am off to study study study. Now that my test should be right around the corner, I'm getting a little nervous!

Woot!!

2009-07-31T14:38:00.012-04:00

Happy Friday!!!

Let's catch up with last night's din-din:

I had been craving some chicken tacos! I heated up some of the rotisserie chicken and added cumin and ground red pepper. I added the chicken to two corn tortillas with lettuce, cheese, avocado, and Newman's Own Pinapple Salsa. The pineapple salsa was a new purchase for me, and I have to say, I didn't care for it with the tacos. It was too sweet and didn't have enough spice. I would probably enjoy it more as a dip for corn chips.

For dessert I had a spritz cookie, and later snacked on a few Peanut Butter Puffins.

This morning I treated myself to another breakfast cookie! I promise, this will be the last one for at least a few days. ;)

I made the cookie sans banana and used Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. This was phenomenal. I am definitely going to have many breakfast cookies in the future. I find these to be so filling (thank you, oats and pb!) and EASY. Usually I'll just have cereal in the morning, because it's quick and easy, but it doesn't always keep me full until lunch (and with my job, I might not always have time for "second breakfast"). Breakfast cookies rock!

The addition of fresh blueberries didn't hurt, either! ;)

I ended up going into work this morning, just for a half day. I was really excited to make lunch, but I had so many different ideas, I had a hard time picking one.

I ended up making a chicken fiesta pita, which was pretty much a chicken taco in a pita. :) This time I used the Original Newman's Own salsa that I had, and it was perfect! It was so good, I almost forgot to take a picture until I had already eaten half of it!

Along with my pita.........

......A GREEN MONSTER!! I was craving The Usual. I feel like it's been days since I've had one of these babies. ((Note the study materials used as a placemat.))

I'm about to head off to my parent's house tonight. It's my grandpa's birthday, and we are having some family over to celebrate! However, I have one semi-exciting piece of news:

I am finally eligible to take my boards!!!!!!!!!! This is pretty great news, except I still have to received the official letter with my testing ID number before I can actually schedule the exam, but I should receive the letter early next week. Yikes! That means I really have to take this test, now!!!

Laziness Begets Laziness

2009-07-30T17:08:00.008-04:00

I could have sworn I posted this morning, but apparently not! I guess my days are a little jumbled up!

Anyhoo, I started the morning off with a breakfast cookie.

This time I added a banana to the mix, and a dollop of yogurt with a drizzle of honey. I didn't care for this. Too banana-y for my taste. The yogurt was a good addition, though.

I had the hardest time getting motivated to go for my run today. I was seriously dragging my feet and groaning about not wanting to go. I think all of this time off is really getting to me. A few days off of work/school here and there are refreshing. 8 weeks and counting is mind-numbing. The more I sit around, the more I just keep sitting around. I don't even want to sit around, but all the laziness also makes me feel like I don't want to get up and do anything either. Does that even make sense?? Laziness begets laziness, I say. Ughhh. I have been feeling so unproductive and just plain blah lately.

I cannot wait until the day this status changes to.....well, whatever it says when I can take my exam. I'm tired of "awaiting". End rant.

I did end up going for a run this morning! I don't know how I managed it. As always, I felt so much better after I finished. Why can't my brain remember that feeling before a workout instead of feeling sluggish??

Time: 34:26

Distance: 3.5 miles

Avg Pace: 9:50

I also made a really delicious pita for lunch today!

Yesterday I purchased a rotisserie chicken and so I warmed it up and shredded the meat today. I added the chicken to a ww pita with romaine lettuce, shredded carrot, and dijon mustard and it was oh so good! Hooray for leftover chicken...I have big plans for it, haha.

I also had the rest of the carrot that didn't go into the pita and a nectarine.
I did some more studying today. It's getting very hard to keep motivating myself to study. Now that I really should be able to schedule my exam any day now, you would think I'd be all hardcore hitting the books. Laziness begets laziness. :(

I needed a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
I have two more left, plus a ton of bran muffins to eat. I just can't not eat these goodies and let them go bad!

Time to make dinner in a little while and try to get this apartment together a little bit. I have to get myself psyched up to overcome the lazy monster that has taken me over!!

Omens and Socialization

2009-07-29T20:19:00.008-04:00

Before my shopping trip, I had to have a little snack:

My grandma makes delicious bran muffins (among many other things). I think she said she used less sugar and cut some of the butter for this batch. She made them healthier somehow, anyway, and they turned out super yummy.

I mentioned earlier that I was clean out of bananas, so I definitely needed those today, but I had one other thing on my mind that beckoned me to the store...

I am obsessed with Fage Greek yogurt. Obsessed. But a 16 oz. container at the co-op costs $5.38, so while I am still not working full-time, we can't afford to be buying a ton of this stuff every week. You know, Fage, if you read this, you should totally send me some "samples" and I will gladly review them for you. :) Seriously, this stuff is almost like ice cream, it's so thick and creamy and delicious. I have only tried one other brand of Greek yogurt and was not impressed, so I have been very reluctant to branch out from Fage.

After my shopping trip, I heated up some leftover pizza for a late lunch.

Next time I am definitely going to aim for a more crisp crust. This was a little too soft, especially when re-heated.

I spent the rest of the afternoon getting some studying done, and then my mom called to see if I wanted to meet her and my stepdad at Applebee's for dinner. I had been planning on making dinner all afternoon, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some socialization.

I ordered the cajun lime tilapia. It was very flavorful, and the broccoli was really good (and covered in garlic!).

I invited my parents over for dessert.

I had a cone with Edy's Slow-Churned Mud Pie ice cream. So good, but not as good as the Mint Cookie Crunch.

I am now completely satiated for the evening, other than maybe a cup of tea while I watch more Buffy episodes. :)

This afternoon when I went to pick up the mail, I noticed a magazine in the box. I was excited, thinking it was a new Fitness, but then I saw the cover and realized that wasn't it. I thought it must be for the person who used to live in our apartment, but when I looked at the address, it definitely had my name on it.

An omen, perhaps?!?! ;)

Any Cookies in There??

2009-07-29T11:38:00.007-04:00

Good morning! I slept fabulously last night! My cat didn't even wake me up at 5am like usual!

I did stay up a little late last night, watching Buffy, of course. Before I went to bed I tried my hand at a breakfast cookie.

I mixed together about 1/3 c. oats, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon flax in a small bowl. After that was combined, I added about 1/8 c. vanilla soy milk and a dash of cinnamon and brown sugar. I was very tempted to add come chocolate chips, but maybe I'll save that for next time.

After everything was mixed, I spread it out and flattened it on a small plate, covered it with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge to set overnight.

I should have taken a close-up of the cookie, sorry! It was FABULOUS! I made a mug of chai tea, and the two went perfectly together. I also had a super juicy nectarine. I might have to make this again for breakfast tomorrow!

After brekkie, I went to the gym for some strength-training. I should note that on my days labeled X-training, I always have either strength or yoga scheduled in. I may or may not also do a cardio workout that does not include running (like walking, biking, elliptical...). Today, I did strictly weights!

I bumped up my number of sets from 2 to 3. I have been doing 2 sets for so long, I think my body is getting too used to it.

Today's program (all moves 3x12 reps, except planks):
- forward plank 1 min.
- side planks 30 sec. each
- reverse lunges
- squats
- seated rows
- seated chest press
- shoulder lateral raise
- biceps curls
- triceps push-downs

Doing the 3rd set was definitely a challenge during all of these exercises, but that's exactly what my muscles have been needing!

I'm off to the store to pick up a few things I am low on (including naners). Have a great afternoon!

Sweaty Beast

2009-07-28T20:54:00.009-04:00

I definitely spent the afternoon vegging out and not being very productive. I didn't really have an official lunch today, just another snackie.

I really needed coffee, and what goes better with coffee than a warm cinnamon roll?

The clouds started to look quite menacing around 6, and I knew if I didn't go to the gym before it started to rain, I would never go. So, I made it! I actually had a really nice run. Sometimes when you don't feel like working out, all you really need to do is start! Easier said than done, right? Here are my stats:

Time: 29:30
Distance: 3 miles
Average Pace: 9:50

I know this is kind of icky, but does anyone else sweat profusely when they work out?? I am always sopping wet with drippy hair and my face is beet red.

Am I drenched from a workout or a downpour?!?

After a shower I fixed myself some dinner!
Salad with romaine, cukes, tomato, and a little cheese as a starter.

With my leftover crawfish etouffee.

Ooh and a glass of chard.

All together now:

Fancy little dinner in front of the TV! 'Twas very filling!

There's always room for dessert!

One of Grandma's spritz cookies and a piece of dark chocolate. Yes, those are some of my study notes that I am eating on....hehe.

Alright, I am off to do some big time Buffy watching!! So excited!!!!!

Lacking Motivation

2009-07-28T13:46:00.005-04:00

I am currently trying to gear myself up for a 3 mile run, but I just don't feel like it! I don't even have an excuse not to go. I will get this run in today!!

Keith left this morning at 4 a.m. to fly to Denver for a wedding this weekend, so I was kind of awake then. I fell back asleep and continued to wake up every hour until 7:30 when I forced myself out of bed. I showered and mixed up a Green Monster for brekkie. I missed it yesterday. :(

I got a few weird shadows in the picture.

I had a dentist appointment and then decided to swing by my grandparent's for a visit. Lucky me, Grandma was baking!! I had a bran muffin and cup of tea while I was there (sorry, no pic), and ended up leaving with more muffins, a few spritz cookies, and cinnamon rolls. Am I lucky, or what??

On the way home I stopped at Target to investigate some fancy watches. I don't know if I could get myself to shell out enough money for a nice Garmin, but I would like a watch that will measure distance, HR, calories, etc. I came out empty-handed today.

Ugh...If I don't run now, then I want to study, but I feel so tired right now, I know I will fall asleep as soon as I crack open a book. What to do, what to do....?

How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

Suzy Homemaker

2009-07-27T20:59:00.007-04:00

First off, a pre-yoga snack:

These Kashi Pumpkin Pie granola bars are sooo yummy. There are few treats that contain cooked fruit that I actually enjoy, and pumpkin pie is one of them.

As per my training sched, I did yoga for an hour today. For those of you who may be interested, the yoga program I follow has about a half-hour to 40-minute "warm-up" period that includes lots of sun salutations that flow into poses like the warrior series, triangles, etc. It is pretty killer. My arms and thighs are almost always burning. The last 20 minutes or so feature more relaxing, stretching poses, like pigeon, cow, and forward bends. During the first half, sometimes I wonder why I am putting myself through this, but the second half makes it so worth it. :)

One of my favorite things to do is cook and try out new recipes, which is exactly what I did this evening. I was really excited to try a Spicy Garlic Shrimp recipe from Eat, Live, Run, and decided to invite my parents over for dinner. The only change I made to the recipe was that I also added broccoli with the shrimp.

Hmm...this picture does not do the meal enough justice! It was so good!!! The only "problem" I had was that I think the broccoli soaked up a lot of the sauce, so the noodles didn't get much of the flavor. Otherwise, it was really good and quite spicy! Everyone really liked it!

I also served a baked sweet potato. These potatoes turned out quite fluffy and so good! I have become very fond of sweet potatoes in the last couple years.

After dinner we went to a local ice cream stand for dessert. I ordered a mint Oreo cyclone with vanilla fro-yo, and was pretty disappointed. I hate when mixes with Oreos end up being all crumbs and no chunks of cookie. I should learn my lesson by now!!

I gotta run! Keith and I have to pick up his flight itinerary for tomorrow morning. I will post my training schedule for the week when I get back!

Training Day

2009-07-27T14:47:00.005-04:00

Is it really almost 3 o'clock in the afternoon??? Where does the day go???

I was happy to have no problem getting out of bed this morning. I was also speedy enough to have time to make oatmeal for breakfast!!!

I never have time to make oatmeal before work in the morning, so this was a very special treat! Actually, I have read some about some blogger's doing cold, soaked oat overnight, so I may have to give that a try! (By the way, the oatmeal has a little brown suga and Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. I think I prefer regular PB on oatmeal, but I love the Dark Chocolate in my GMs!)

When I came back home around 12:30, I wasn't really feeling all that hungry. About an hour later I finally made something for lunch.
A super yummy salad with romaine lettuce, cucs, and a TON of tomatos! I had some leftover 'matos already cut up, and I was afraid they might go bad, so I added them all to the salad. Add a spinkling of cheese and some vinegar and oil and VOILA: Perfect, light lunch. I also had a super juicy nectarine. This was my first nectarine in so long, and it was delightful!

In other news, last night I finally finished putting together my training plan for my next half marathon!

I will be running the Community First Fox Cities Half Marathon on September 20, and I am so stoked to get started! As you can see, today I scheduled in a yoga sesh, so that is exactly what I will be doing right after this! Tonight I will add my workout schedule for the week to the right side of the blog so you can keep track of me. :)

Enjoy the remainder of your Monday!

Another Weekend Ends

2009-07-26T21:01:00.008-04:00

Hello! I hope you all have enjoyed your weekends and your Sundays. Mine was quite the lazy day, thanks in part to all the rain this morning. However, I did get my butt up to do a nice hour-long yoga sweat session. My arms felt so weak today!

We had been invited to go golfing with my parents this afternoon, but it was so wet and icky out, we declined. When I called my mom to let her know we weren't going to come, it sounded like they were debating heading out or not, too.

Around 4 o'clock I had the munchies, so I heated up a small container of leftover queso that Keith brought over from a friends house and dipped in a few tortilla chips.

Gotta love the cheese dip!

For dinner, I tried my first homemade pizza!

I can't completely claim this as my own, since it wasn't really from scratch. I picked up a Pillsbury pizza dough at the grocery store the other day, as well as pizza sauce, shredded mozarella, turkey pepperoni, and mushrooms (for the husband). This pizza turned out pretty good, and we both have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Next time I definitely want to try my own pizza dough, among a few other changes I have in mind!

After dinner, I gave Keith a haircut, because he was getting a little shaggy and he has a wedding to stand in this upcoming weekend. To repay me for my services, he scooped me a cone:
He said this was his best scoop job ever, and wanted to make sure I gave him proper credit. :)

I am thinking of turning in pretty soon. I am working again tomorrow morning, and goodness knows I am having a hard time getting up before 8 a.m. lately! Goodnight!!

Tonight's Question: Do you ever have a hard time ending your Sundays and getting ready for Monday morning?

I'm Back!!

2009-07-26T13:40:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the severe lack of posting yesterday. I ended up having a very busy day and was hardly home. I also forgot my camera for the day, so I have no pictures of anything to show you! :(

General overview of Saturday: Woke up, ran 3 miles, did about 15 minutes of strength training, showered, met my mom and grandma for lunch, went out to a friend's camp with Keith for dinner, came home about 9:30, finally convinced hubby to watch Twilight, went to bed. :)

I woke up kind of late today, and have debating working out since then. It rained the entire morning, which makes it so easy to stay in and veg. Pretty boring day so far!

Let's go over today's eats so far:

Kashi GoLean with skim milk. It's practically drowning!

The Usual Green Monster around lunchtime. With a women's daily multi-vitamin on the side.
One piece of chocolate.

Pretty boring eats so far today! I am excited about our plans for dinner tonight, though. I'm trying something new (for me, at least!).

Have a fun and relaxing Sunday! I will catch up with you this evening!

Lagniappe

2009-07-24T20:49:00.008-04:00

Today was a spectacularly full day! Instead of sitting around at home I was actually out and about!!

I could not get up with my alarm this morning, so of course I was in a bit of a rush! I made myself a bowl of Kashi GoLean with skim milk (no picture) and some much-needed coffee!

I spent my morning in the outpatient clinic learning the ropes and watching (no touching!) PT in action!! Love it and MISS IT!

I came home for a quick lunch, but wasn't all that hungry. I mixed up a GM.

Pre-blended goodies!

A few minutes before I left, I was worried the Monster wouldn't be enough to fill me up until dinner, so I threw together another tuna sandwich with the leftovers from yesterday's lunch.

Um, this is what happens when the hubby gets the camera. I said "Take a picture of my sandwich". At least he got one slice of bread in there.....????

I spent the afternoon at one of the skilled nursing facilities again, learning the computer systems and trying to get a handle on the ins and outs of Medicare. I will understand it all eventually!

When I got home, Keith told me we were invited out to dinner with another couple. We went to Lagniappe, which is somewhere I have been dying to go for a while! It's a cajun/creole restaurant and it has a very fun/interesting vibe. It is also one of the more unique dining opportunities in Marquette.

I ordered the crawfish etouffee, since it sounded very creole and I've never had it before!

The sauce was probably full of cream and butter, but it was really yummy! I also poured on some hot sauce, because I like it spicy! I immediately divided my plate in half, otherwise I would have eaten the whole thing!

I haven't had an ice cream in a while, so when I got home I scooped some Edy's Mint Chocolate Cookie. Heaven!! I am currently ~~wolfing~~ daintily consuming this now!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday evening. I am trying to convine the husband to watch Twilight with me. Wish me luck! :)

Busy Day!

2009-07-24T17:48:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know I did not fall off the face of the planet today.

I actually worked a full day today (hooray!), but didn't have enough time this morning or at lunch to blog. :( And Keith and I are about to meet some friends for dinner in a few, so an update will have to wait until a bit later!

Happy Friday, Everyone!!!!

Buffy!!!

2009-07-23T21:35:00.005-04:00

I didn't want to sit at home alone all night, so I went over to my parent's for dinner. My stepdad grilled hamburgers!

I had my hamburger with a few french fries and a sugar-free margarita. My mom is a bad influence on me! ;)

Actually, my mom is pretty much the greatest. Look what she had for me when I came over:

I LOVE Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I have never and will never love a television show as much as I love Buffy!

I purchased the first two seasons when they came out on DVD years ago, and then obtained seasons 3, 5, and 7 via Christmas gifts over the years. However, seasons 4 and 6 were the elusive, missing seasons to my collection. Now it is complete. Keith is leaving on Tuesday to go to Denver for a wedding, and I think I know exactly how I am going to occupy my time while he is away! I cannot wait!! :)

After dinner, my parents and I went to the driving range and I put my new clubs to use again. Keith and Dave have given me some great pointers, and I am so excited to actually get on the course and play a round with these suckers!

I am out for the night!

Tonight's question: What would you say your all-time favorite TV show is??

Lunch n Munch

2009-07-23T15:05:00.005-04:00

I have spent the last hour and a half desperately trying to find out any info on the New Moon happenings going on at Comic-Con. What a way to spend the afternoon!

In the meantime, I made up a late lunch.

I am a 5-year-old kid who still loves a tuna sandwich! Plus a carrot and cucs with hummus for dipping.

And a cookie. Thank goodness these are almost gone! I am such a cookie monster! Well, really any sweets...

I also wanted to give everyone a heads up that Jocelyn at Peace. Love. Nutrition is having a Chobani give-a-way in celebration of her 1st month blogging anniversary! Check it out, but you probably shouldn't enter, because I really want to win! ;)

1, 2, 3, 4...

2009-07-23T12:30:00.007-04:00

You know it's gonna be a good day when you wake up, turn on your computer, and see this:

Mmmm......dreamy.

I decided to try something different for breakfast today.
I used Kashi GoLean Crunch in honey almond flax, topped it with the rest of my blueberries, and added a scoop of Yoplait nonfat plain yogurt. Well, the yogurt was really sour, so I added a drizzle of honey to it---much better! Then I proceeded to eat all of the blueberries first, followed by the cereal. I just can't really mix it all together! I think I would like this better with Greek yogurt.

After breakkie, I went for a nice 3 mile run. Does anyone else get extremely sweaty when they work out? I never look cute at the gym. I always end up dripping sweat with my clothes drenched and my face as red as a beet. Nice visual. :)

I proceeded to shower and mix myself a GM.
This was SO good! I mixed up another Usual with the Dark Chocolate Dream, and it was phenomenal!

I decided that I'm going to start counting my calories for a little while. I feel like I have been eating healthier lately, but it's not uncommon for people to overindulge in healthy foods, since, hey! it's healthy! I've checked a few websites to see what my daily caloric intake should be to maintain my weight, but every site has given me a different number so far! Does anyone have any suggestions??

Question: Do you ever count calories? Do you feel that it is an effective way to keep your weight in check?

All By Myself

2009-07-22T20:51:00.006-04:00

Don't wanna be, all by myyyyself anymore. In my mind, I sound like Celine Dion. ;) I titled this post because the husband has left me on my own once again this evening. He wound up with a coupon for a free round of golf, and he just had to use it today! Mind you, Thursday nights are when he has golf league, so that means I'm on my own tomorrow night, too. C'est la vie. I'm just bitter because I wish I were out golfing right now, too!!

Since I made my GM so late today (I had it around 4:30), I wasn't feeling exceptionally hungry for dinner. I figured it was a perfect soup and sandwich night.

The soup was a new one I picked up today, Campbell's Select Harvest in Zesty Tomato Bisque. It was....okay. I liked that there were big chunks of tomato in the soup, but something about it tasted different. I thought I tasted a bit of mint or something. It was just a different taste that I don't usually associate with tomato soup. I believe the brand also has a tomato basil flavor, and I would be willing to try that. I also picked up a chicken noodle variety, so hopefully I'll have better luck with that!
I finally took a decent picture with my camera!! I think I might have figured out the trick! We'll see... Anyway! I made a ham sandwich using whole wheat Arnold's Sandwich Thins, ham, provolone cheese, tomato, cucumber, spinach, and mustard. I love mustard on a ham sandwich! This was a great sandwich, except the tomatos were a little moist and their guts kept dripping out....yuck. I never ever liked tomatoes when I was younger, and I have recently started to enjoy them, but sometimes the gooey seeds really gross me out!

I have washed dishes and folded laundry, and I'm really craving a cookie! Instead, I got a few handfuls of cherries, since they only have a few days left until they go bad.

They're no chocolate chip cookies, but they are still yummy!

I'm off for the evening. I found out today that I will be working (er, training) again on Friday, so that means another day off tomorrow! Goodnight, ya'll!

Grocery Shopping Makes Me Happy

2009-07-22T17:18:00.006-04:00

This afternoon I made a trip to Super Wal-Mart, which I really detest, but it is more affordable. I am not impressed with their selection (or lack thereof) of organic foods, but once I start working I will be more able to shop at the co-op and other grocery stores for my $5 cartons of yogurt. Man, it's times like these where I really miss living near a Trader Joe's..........

Anyway! I am happy to report that we are now fully stocked for the next few weeks.

Willow is a very curious kitty, and she couldn't resist sniffing out all of the food.

One of my more exciting purchases today was something I read about on Paige's blog a few days ago. She mentioned that she bought this product at Wal-Mart, and I thought there was no way my small town store would carry something this awesome:

But they do! Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams. YUM!!! I thought this would be really similar to Nutella, but it is less sweet, more peanut buttery, all natural, and has a short list of ingredients that I can pronounce! I couldn't wait to try it!

If you squint hard, you can see the label says, "try me with bananas." Okay!

I mixed up a Green Monster (The Usual), but instead of regular PB, I added a scoop of the Dark Chocolate Dream. Oooooooh was this dreamy!! I may have a new favorite on my hands!

I find that I am always really excited about at least one item I purchase whenever I go grocery shopping.

Question: What products have you been excited about after a trip to the grocery store?

Mornings Fly By!

2009-07-22T12:18:00.005-04:00

Good...well..afternoon, now! I was slow getting up this morning (not until 8:20), and I was even asleep by 11 last night! My stomach was growling at me, so I made up a bowl of filling oatmeal.

Nothing says "good morning" like oatmeal with brown sugar and PB! Plus some blueberries and a cup-a-cahfee. I have quite a few blueberries left, and I have to finish them off before they go bad. I also have strawberries and cherries to finish off, too!

After breakfast, I did an hour of yoga. It was tough today! I was sweating and shaking the whole hour through. Afterwards, I took a shower, and by that time Keith was home and we both had leftovers for lunch.

I had eggplant parmesan from dinner on Monday night. It looks a hot mess, but it was yummy! I followed it up with a cookie. Man, those things have to get out of this house ASAP, haha!

I am going to spend some time figuring out meals for the next week or so and do some grocery shopping. I'm hoping for a mid-afternoon GM today!

Keith Cooks! (Sort of)

2009-07-21T21:03:00.005-04:00

I was trying to figure out what to title this post, and I thought: Well, Keith actually kind of made dinner tonight. Then I realized that all he did was pre-heat the oven and take a lasagna out of the freezer. He didn't even put it in the oven--I did! Haha. Oh well, at least I didn't have to figure out what we would eat tonight!The lasagna kind of looks like a huge mess in this picture. It's hard to scoop! I also added a piece of garlic bread.

My afternoon at work was really short. I was done by around 3:30, which was great! I came home, changed into workout clothes, and hit the treadmill for a run! Isn't funny how some days you feel so awful when you're on a run, but other days you feel like you could go on forever? I finished 3 miles in 30 minutes, and it felt great!

I believe I have the day off tomorrow, so that will be nice to get some studying done. Tomorrow will be exactly 6 weeks since the state received my application, so it will be any day now when I can sign up for my boards. That makes me a little nervous!!

I definitely want to do yoga tomorrow, but I am debating whether I should go for another run or not. I am thinking yes. Also, I ran out of bananas and spinach today, so I will need to make a trip to the store to restock in order to have my GM tomorrow! It is an essential!

Enough rambling. I may work on my training plan for a little while and then head up to bed to read. Keith has been doing laundry tonight and is currently washing the dishes. Ahhh...a nice little break for me! :)

Lunch Break

2009-07-21T13:17:00.005-04:00

Wow! This is the first time I've had an actual lunch break from a job or class in a while. The morning went pretty well at the skilled nursing facility. I have to run back in a few to spend the afternoon learning about the computer system and documentation--yes!!

I set my alarm for 5:30 this morning to get in a good yoga sesh, but Keith ended up sleeping on the couch last night, and I felt back waking him up and making him go upstairs. Don't worry, I didn't make him sleep downstairs! Apparently he was having a hard time falling asleep last night, so he didn't want to keep tossing and turning and waking ME up, which is why he went to the couch.

Anyway, that just means that I really have to do something after work tonight, and my mind is focused on a run. Hold me accountable for this! I MUST go for a run tonight. Didn't I just mention yesterday how I wanted to bump up my workouts a little more?

I did get up at 6:30, took a shower, and made a quick breakkie.

Kashi H2H Wild Oat Flakes with Blueberry Clusters (something like that, haha), and a side of (what else?) blueberries!! Plus, a mug of cofffeeee! I was a super tired girl this morning.

I had plenty of time to come home for lunch today, and Keith made 2 eggs over-easy and a slice of ww toast. I added a few sprinkles of Texas Pete and devoured that sucker before I could take a picture! :)

And then I mixed up The Usual Green Monster to tide me over until dinner!

Delish!

I better head back to work! Remind me that I need to go for a run tonight! :)

Stuffed Again!

2009-07-20T21:08:00.005-04:00

Man, I am so full again tonight! I don't feel like I really ate all that much, but apparently it was enough to stuff me to the brim. At least I don't feel nearly as bad as last night (darn cookie dough!). Anyways, on to the eats...

I ate up my leftovers from Red Lobster for lunch today.

Parmesan-crusted tilapia, mashed potatoes, and of course a biscuit. I ate all the broccoli that came with my dinner on Saturday, so I put the fish on a bed of spinach. Great combo. I also didn't eat half of the potatoes on my plate. Probably a good thing, because they are quite rich.

About half-way through my study session, I was starting to feel a little drowsy and sluggish. Now, you don't think I would go a whole day without a Green Monster, would you??!

It was the perfect pick-me-up for the afternoon! And yes, it was The Usual.

I had a pretty productive day studying! For dinner, I met up with my BFF and MOH, Chera for some Italian eats at the Casa. I ordered a small antipasto salad (they make the BEST) with balsamic vinaigrette, as well as a half order of eggplant parmesan. I've never tried the eggplant parm before, and it was really good! I ended up with half the sauce on my shirt, but it was worth it. :) I only ate about half of my meal, plus a piece of garlic bread, but I am so full.

Someday, I will be brave and take pictures of my food at restaurants. :)

I had an OK workout this morning. I intended on running 3 miles today, but halfway through my run, my calves were burning up, so I slowed down and walked a few minutes and stretched out a bit. I ended up running 2.7 miles, which is still an improvement, at least! I think I just need to warm-up and stretch better before my runs.

I also did some weight training today. Usually when I lift, I do everything in one day. Meaning, I don't do arms one day and legs another. My routine today looked like this:
- Cable cross-punches with squats
- Reverse lunges
- Seated rows
- Seated chest press
- Front and side planks
- Tricep pull-downs
- Lateral raises
- Biceps curls
I do about 2 sets of 12 reps of everything except planks (I hold each for 1 min.). I'm thinking I might bump it to 3 sets of 10 reps.

I want to make this a really good week with my workouts. I want to be a little more intense and more active. I kind of feel like I'm at a plateau and it would be great to step it up a notch and really challenge myself. Probably an excellent time to start my half-marathon training program!

Yesterday I started putting my program together. It will be an 8 week program, and since my race is on September 20, that means I will start next Monday (July 27!). I am going to do a mixture of the two programs from Fitness magazine. I mentioned before that I used their beginner program to train for my first half, and though I didn't even follow it to a 'T' (ahh...like I skipped a few days), I was really happy with my results. This time, I would like to add in some speedwork and map out my strength-training and yoga sessions. A schedule will be super helpful during this training period, as I will be starting work full-time while it is going on (God willing!). I will be sure to fill you in on my program once it is completed!

I should start getting ready for bed and settling in for the night. Good news! Tomorrow I am going to start getting acquainted with the nursing homes and clinics I will be working in once I am an officially licensed PT. I will be going in 2 or 3 days a week to learn the systems and start getting to know the facilities and employees. Unfortunately, I can't touch any patients and I won't be earning my full salary, but at least I will be doing something a few days a week and making a little money finally! I start at 8am, and so far the plan is to wake up early to get in a yoga sesh and a GM, plus make lunch. I could do some of these things tonight, but it's in my nature to procrastinate.

Have a great night, everyone!

Monday Funday

2009-07-20T12:03:00.008-04:00

Actually, today isn't really a "funday," but I felt like rhyming. :)

Let's start with last night's dinner, shall we?

Keith made hamburgers on the grill. They were to die for!! So juicy! I like lots of condiments on mine, can you tell? :)

We made a basil pesto pasta salad for a side. I have to work on my photography skills...these pics are so blurry!!

A little while after dinner, I had a craving for a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie.

So I made about a hundred! Well...not that many, but I'm pretty sure I got about 5 dozen cookies out of this batch. Yikes!

I may or may not have eaten more than one last night. ;)

Afterwards, I was so full from dinner and cookie(s) that I was a little uncomfortable. To make things worse, Keith was watching a show on the Travel channel about the best steak places in the country, showing thick steak after steak. It was making me a little nauseous...haha. That's when you know you have eaten TOO MUCH!

It's a good thing I have begun to drink Green Monsters, because otherwise I have days where I don't get many fruits and veggies. I'm trying to work on that!!

For example, I used to never have fruit in the morning. Cereal or oatmeal is my usual brekkie, and I have already confessed how I don't like mixing fruit in my food.

Last week, I started adding fresh fruit (blueberries, mainly) on the side. This morning I had the last of my Frosted Mini Wheats, blueberries, and a cup o' joe. Delish!

Are there any ways you try sneaking in fruits and veggies to your day??

This post is getting a little long, so I will update later with the details of my morning workout. My tummy is asking me to make something for lunch, so I am off to appease it and then crack open the books again!

Sleepy, Tired Eyes

2009-07-19T16:39:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long delay between posts! Keith and I went out last night and have had quite the busy day today.

Yesterday afternoon was pretty much a bust. Keith slept for 4 hours and I was pretty much bored out of my mind. I have some leftover polenta from making the quiche earlier this week, and decided to try it in a salad.

I cut a few thin slices and pan-fried them with a little olive oil. I layered the polenta on the bottom of the bowl...

...and added everything else on top! The rest of my spring mix was looking a little sketch, so I dumped that and used spinach for the greens. My salad also had cucumbers (which were NOT bitter this time!), tomatoes, red cabbage, salmon, olive oil and vinegar, and pepper. This was a very tasty salad! The polenta didn't really add or take away from the meal. It was just kind of a "bonus" at the end. Any other ideas for how I can use up this leftover polenta??

A few hours later I had a little snack:

A glass of vanilla soymilk and a handful of cherries.

Once Keith finally awoke from his slumber, it was dinnertime. We decided to go out to Red Lobster, since it has been a while, and who doesn't love the cheesy biscuits??

I was really torn between the crab linguini alfredo and the parmesan-crusted tilapia. I went for the tilapia, as it was the healthier option. I got the half order and still ended up taking half of it home with me. I did eat 3 biscuits, though. :)

After dinner, a bunch of friends were having a bags (aka: cornhole) tournament, so we took a few beers down to the field to hang out. Of course everyone wanted to go to the bar afterwards, so we ended up having a rather late night. I didn't go too crazy, but I did wake up feeling a little ick today. Late night + drinks + bad sleep = tired, dry eyes.

When I woke up, I was actually craving a Green Monster.

Spinach, naner, vanilla soymilk, flax, PB. Now to be officially known as The Usual.

We were invited to a friend's house for breakfast/brunch at 11 o'clock. They made scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns. I had a little of everything, plus some coffee and a glass of OJ. It definitely hit the spot!

For the rest of the afternoon, Keith and I watched the end of the British Open and then decided to try out my new golf clubs at the driving range. They are pretty amazing. I can't wait to actually play a round with them soon!!

Alright, I think you have been sufficiently updated on the last 24 hours. :) Hope you are all enjoying a relaxing Sunday!

Saturday Morning Yoga

2009-07-18T11:53:00.005-04:00

Good morning! I hope you are all highly enjoying your Saturday so far! I woke up and had a yummy breakfast:

Tea, blueberries, and Frosted Mini Wheats with skim milk. Cereal is pretty much a standard for me in the mornings. My Bay Cliff mug made a cameo this morning!

Afterwards, I had an hour-long yoga session with Steve Ross (c/o Inhale on my DVR). It felt so good, and I know I'm going to be feeling it tomorrow. My legs were shaking during the bridges near the end...yikes!

Of course, after yoga I was starving again, so I made my trusty Green Monster.

So pretty, and so delish! I don't know how I am ever going to try any other mixes, because I am so in love with this one!

Not sure what lies ahead for the rest of the day. I would like to get a few hours of studying in, but that's all I have planned. It's another cool day here, and I think it's supposed to rain again this evening.

What are you planning on doing this weekend??

Another Quiet Night In

2009-07-17T20:53:00.004-04:00

This afternoon I did some studying and laundry, but I found time for a little snack:

The picture is a little blurry, but I think you can clearly see how delicious these cherries look!

Keith left me for the evening again to go fishing, so I went over to my parent's for a little while (where we watched some enthralling cable news....). On the way, I stopped at Border Grill for a mahi mahi taco with some chips and pico de gallo. I was so hungry, I ate it before I remembered to take a picture!! DOH! I also learned that I prefer my homemade fish tacos to the BG version.

Once I got back home, I made a little cone for myself with Moose Tracks ice cream.

I just can't resist the ice cream!! It's a weakness.

I'm not sure how I'll be spending the rest of my evening. It looks like it's going to rain. A thunderstorm would make it an awesome evening for reading a book and drinking hot tea!

Yucky Feeling and Stretching

2009-07-17T13:10:00.011-04:00

I am happy to report that I had a great run today! I did 2.5 miles at a 9:50 minute/mile pace and it felt really good! I also did a few front and side planks before my run to work on my core strength. A strong core = a strong runner.

As usual, I followed up with some stretches. Stretching is so important in preventing running injuries, and I almost always (I can't be perfect all the time!) follow up a run with a handful of great stretches.

I wanted to share a stretch with you today that has really helped me out. A lot of runner's will stretch out their calves using what is referred to as the "runner's stretch":

(This is some pretty great photography work, by the way! haha)

By keeping the back leg straight (it doesn't look very straight in the picture, but it is!), you get a nice stretch through the gastrocnemius muscle that helps make up the calf. This is a super important stretch to help prevent shin splints.

However, the calf is also made up of another muscle that lies underneath the gastroc, the soleus.

While the gastroc muscle crosses two joints (the ankle and the knee), the soleus only crosses the ankle joint. When you do a "runner's stretch", you keep the knee straight, getting a great stretch in the gastroc, but not really stretching the soleus effectively.

Last summer, I moved from the suburbs into the city of Chicago (Lincoln Park, to be specific). I starting running outside along the streets of Chicago and near the lakeshore. My legs weren't used to pounding pavement, as I was mainly a treadmill runner before, and I started to get really sore calves and shins. I did a runner's stretch after every run, but I didn't feel like I was getting to the source of the discomfort. Finally, the physical therapy student light bulb went off in my head and I thought, "Maybe it's my soleus!!" The soleus stretch is a modification of the runner's stretch:

Step the back foot in a little, and bend the knee. I feel like I'm almost in a bit of a squat.

When I tried this stretch last summer, I felt the tension in the muscle right away. I added this stretch after every run, and the previous soreness and tight feeling in my calves and shins went away!

If you are feeling tight in your calves, and a regular runner's stretch isn't really doing the trick, try this one out! You might be surprised how tight your soleus can be!

I hope you enjoyed the little educational moment. And my terrible pictures. It's hard to set up a camera to take my picture when I'm home alone! If you look hard, you might catch a Willow-sighting. ;)

After my run, I mixed up a Green Monster, which I took a picture of and then accidentally deleted after I finished drinking it! I went back to my favorite mix of spinach, banana, flax, vanilla soymilk, and peanut butter. So delicious! I also reheated the last of the leftover black beans and rice bowl, but I didn't take a picture of that, since it's the 3rd time in 3 days that I've eaten it!

I am feeling quite icky right now.
My tummy does not like to cooperate with me at this time of the month, so I am curling up on the couch attempting to study with a heated bird seed pillow. Sometimes being a girl is just no fun!

Enjoy the rest of your Friday afternoon!!

Happy Friday!

2009-07-17T08:28:00.005-04:00

Another week is coming to a close! Honestly, the weekdays don't mean a whole lot to me right now, other than sitting at home alone most of the day!

I actually woke up at a decent time this morning and make myself a bowl of yummy oatmeal!

I added a sprinkle of brown sugar and about a tablespoon of peanut butter to my oatmeal, and it really hit the spot! I also had a bowl of blueberries (yuuummm), and am currently nursing a cup of coffee while catching up with the Today show.

I'll be off for a run in a little while. Looks like another cool (in the 50s) and rainy day today. Blah. I was debating whether to do yoga again today or not. I think I might make that my Saturday morning workout tomorrow.

Quiet Thursday Evening

2009-07-16T21:32:00.009-04:00

I had a pretty productive afternoon filled with studying. I had a few snacks:

Ghiardelli dark chocolate square with white mint. Mmmm...

And a Kashi TLC Pumkin Pie granola bar!

Keith plays in a golf league on Thursday nights, so I am always one my own for the evening. I heated up leftovers from last night for dinner.

Very yummy! There are still more leftovers in the fridge that I might just have to eat for lunch tomorrow! :)

After supper, there was a massive overload of dishes to be washed. I tackled those suckers and treated myself to a nice glass of Riesling.

I spent the rest of the evening stretched out on the couch. I read more of Goblet of Fire, and then watched a special on ABC called JK Rowling: A Year in the Life. The documentary was filmed about 2 years ago when the 7th book was released, but it was a pretty interesting watch.

I am going to read a little more before calling it a day. It is so chilly here today, and I think it's supposed to be even cooler tomorrow. Crazy summer weather!