I'm using a Runner's World Smart Coach training plan for the Dallas Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon. I'm pretty happy with it. I like the basic outline of a plan...easy run on Monday, speedwork/tempo run on Wednesday, long run on Saturday. I usually throw in a short, easy run on Friday as well. It works for me. I am not sure about the times it gives me to run. I used my 10K as a basis for the plan, and it gives me some pretty slow (even in my standards) times for completing my runs. And it has me finishing my half marathon in 2:25.
So I thought I'd mess with it. I used my White Rock Marathon Relay time (roughly 5 miles in 50 minutes) to see what would happen. It's better. Not perfect. But better. It does change some things though. It gives me shorter distances for the speedwork/tempo runs, which I like. It gives me longer long runs. It gives me a Thursday run (which could easily be my Friday run). It still has be going pretty slow on some of the runs, but it's closer. And it has me finishing my half in 2:16. Now, I like that!
I think I'm going to do a combo of the two. I haven't quite decided what that means yet, but I'm working on it.
I ran 3 this morning (plus a warmup/cooldown) in the cold garage. I have a feeling, though, that the cold I felt this morning won't even compare to the cold I'll feel out there Wednesday morning! It should be in the single digits at that time. Lovely.
I'm having a little ache in my lower left leg. It's not exactly a shin splint, but it's not my calf either...somewhere in between. I have no idea what it is. It only hurts with certain movements, and not all the time. I can't "make" it hurt, so I can't really figure it out. I need to put on my Phiten discs (which, by the way, I tried one day last week and really liked...even my principal said she felt like they worked after she some of mine last week for some shin splints) and my compression sleeves tonight.
I'm hoping for a late start tomorrow due to this storm moving in. I don't like losing days, so we'll just hope for a late start. It's amazing what I could get done with a little extra time tomorrow.
I haven't done weekly goals in a while...oh, ok, since that first one a few weeks ago, so we'll try again...
1. Hit my workouts (2 core, 3 runs including the 8-miler on Saturday)
2. Try new foods (ok, I'm only putting that one in there because I tried brussel sprouts for the first time in my post-kid days and actually liked them and I have polenta to try later this week).
3. Keep the house picked up after last week's marathon cleaning session
Which reminds me of a great post I read today on Run Like a Mother Book. Check it out here: Picking up the Pieces Go ahead, look...really! Now, isn't that the truth?! That's my life in a nutshell...pick it up, put it away. But I like the correlation to our running/fitness...pick up the pace, put the race away...pick up the feet, put the road away..pick up the candy bar, put the calories away (LOL)...ok, I know I'm stretching it a bit, but it works. For me, at least.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Trying new things
Tonight's new thing? Brussel sprouts. Or is it Brussels sprouts? Whatever. It's the same thing when you're eating it. And no, technically, brussel sprouts aren't new, even to me. I distinctly remember hating them as a child. But I saw a recipe for some roasted brussel sprouts the other day in some magazine or on some website...helpful, I know. I can never remember where I see these things. Then I spend ages looking for them again. And end up making something I hope comes close to what I originally saw.
So tonight, I partially thawed some frozen brussel sprouts in the microwave so I could cut them in half. I put them in a glass 9x13 pan and tossed them with some oil, squeezable garlic (love this stuff), and kosher salt. I put them in the oven at 375 and stirred them every 5 minutes or so. I really liked them! I'm impressed with myself! Diva Daughter even ate one half of one!
I bought some polenta at the store today too. That will be a new recipe for later this week. I haven't quite decided what to do with it though. I'm thinking slice it up and pan fry it for something...if the tomatoes had looked decent at the store, I would have made some of my yummy sauteed tomatoes for it. Instead, I'm thinking either melted cheese with marinara or a fried egg and salsa.
And we've got some cooooooollldd weather moving in...it's super windy right now, and I'm pretty sure it's sleeting. We don't get weather like this often. Everyone was going crazy this afternoon at all the grocery stores stocking up on food and gas. I did go to the store, but only for stuff to make chicken noodle soup in the crockpot tomorrow and to have stuff for breakfast and lunch if we do end up not going to school tomorrow.
So tonight, I partially thawed some frozen brussel sprouts in the microwave so I could cut them in half. I put them in a glass 9x13 pan and tossed them with some oil, squeezable garlic (love this stuff), and kosher salt. I put them in the oven at 375 and stirred them every 5 minutes or so. I really liked them! I'm impressed with myself! Diva Daughter even ate one half of one!
I bought some polenta at the store today too. That will be a new recipe for later this week. I haven't quite decided what to do with it though. I'm thinking slice it up and pan fry it for something...if the tomatoes had looked decent at the store, I would have made some of my yummy sauteed tomatoes for it. Instead, I'm thinking either melted cheese with marinara or a fried egg and salsa.
And we've got some cooooooollldd weather moving in...it's super windy right now, and I'm pretty sure it's sleeting. We don't get weather like this often. Everyone was going crazy this afternoon at all the grocery stores stocking up on food and gas. I did go to the store, but only for stuff to make chicken noodle soup in the crockpot tomorrow and to have stuff for breakfast and lunch if we do end up not going to school tomorrow.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Saturday Sound-Off
It's that time again. Post your weekly miles!
Weekly: 12.5 miles (even if dailymile says 13)
YTD: 55.3 miles
I wanted to hit that magic "14" this week, and I would have if I'd managed to get a short run in yesterday like I'd planned. I just could not drag myself out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, and I decided playing at the park with the kids to make the most of the warmer weather yesterday afternoon was a better use of my time. I really had planned on running after school then...I'd even taken my running gear with me. Still, I'd promised my little boy we'd play at the playground across the street.
Off to the Pancake Festival to consume all the calories I just burned...can't wait!
Weekly: 12.5 miles (even if dailymile says 13)
YTD: 55.3 miles
I wanted to hit that magic "14" this week, and I would have if I'd managed to get a short run in yesterday like I'd planned. I just could not drag myself out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, and I decided playing at the park with the kids to make the most of the warmer weather yesterday afternoon was a better use of my time. I really had planned on running after school then...I'd even taken my running gear with me. Still, I'd promised my little boy we'd play at the playground across the street.
Off to the Pancake Festival to consume all the calories I just burned...can't wait!
Make-Your-Own-Pizza
We had such a simple, relaxing night last night. It was make-your-own-pizza night and I let everyone choose or make their own. We used two types of dough (because that's what we had). The first was the Pillsbury thin crust pizza in the can for the kids. Chad and I split some Pete's dough I get in the freezer section. Here's what we ended up with:
Diva Daughter had pizza "rolls" with sauce, cheese and bacon bits.
Mr. Getinsky had cheese only...no sauce or cheese.
Chad had a chicken, bacon, cheese, purple onion and ranch pizza which was really, really good.
I had a buffalo chicken, cheese, purple onion and ranch pizza that really good too.
I had the stuff out for ham and pineapple too, but no one used it.
If we weren't having pancakes at the Pancake Festival for lunch, I'd used the leftover chicken for a buffalo wrap or some chicken salad. I'm guessing that will be either tomorrow's lunch or meals for the week.
Diva Daughter had pizza "rolls" with sauce, cheese and bacon bits.
Mr. Getinsky had cheese only...no sauce or cheese.
Chad had a chicken, bacon, cheese, purple onion and ranch pizza which was really, really good.
I had a buffalo chicken, cheese, purple onion and ranch pizza that really good too.
I had the stuff out for ham and pineapple too, but no one used it.
If we weren't having pancakes at the Pancake Festival for lunch, I'd used the leftover chicken for a buffalo wrap or some chicken salad. I'm guessing that will be either tomorrow's lunch or meals for the week.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Staying on Track
I almost didn't use that title just in case I wanted to use it should I ever do some actual track work. Cheesy, I know. What I was referring to though was that I've actually managed to stay pretty much on my training plan. I've missed one long run, hit 3 core-training sessions, and misjudged one run. Not bad.
I ran 4 miles this morning at a 10:00 pace on the treadmill (and added a fast last quarter mile). I did a quarter-mile warmup and cooldown for a total of 4.5 today. But ouch. I'm not sure what I've done but the lower third of my left leg hurts. My right leg's not perfect either. The good news is that this is an "easy" week in my training plan...just 4 miles 3x during the week. I'll probably throw in a couple on Friday to keep my legs fresh before Saturday's 4 miles. Amazing that 4 miles doesn't seem like a huge hurdle like it used to...
I may have to hire a sitter for the next few Saturdays to get my runs in...or move my long runs to Sunday. Getting them in before church will be next to impossible though. My hubby has meetings on Saturday mornings, and those meetings will turn in games to umpire for tournaments soon. I can't not run my long runs though. And I'm not up for pushing the kids in the stroller for those long runs either.
I may have some news to share regarding my fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure pledge program for the Dallas Rock 'N' Roll Half soon...stay tuned :)
I ran 4 miles this morning at a 10:00 pace on the treadmill (and added a fast last quarter mile). I did a quarter-mile warmup and cooldown for a total of 4.5 today. But ouch. I'm not sure what I've done but the lower third of my left leg hurts. My right leg's not perfect either. The good news is that this is an "easy" week in my training plan...just 4 miles 3x during the week. I'll probably throw in a couple on Friday to keep my legs fresh before Saturday's 4 miles. Amazing that 4 miles doesn't seem like a huge hurdle like it used to...
I may have to hire a sitter for the next few Saturdays to get my runs in...or move my long runs to Sunday. Getting them in before church will be next to impossible though. My hubby has meetings on Saturday mornings, and those meetings will turn in games to umpire for tournaments soon. I can't not run my long runs though. And I'm not up for pushing the kids in the stroller for those long runs either.
I may have some news to share regarding my fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure pledge program for the Dallas Rock 'N' Roll Half soon...stay tuned :)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Yum!
I tried a new soup in the crockpot today...very yummy, I have to say. I found it online at the Tasty Kitchen website, which is part of The Pioneer Woman's site. Gotta say I love that site. The recipe was called Sausage Corn Chowder, but I made a few adjustments. Here is what I made:
1 pound smoked sausage sliced (the big U-shaped link sausage)
several small red potatoes, quarted (but I should have cut them a little smaller)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 can cream-style corn
1 can cream of chicken soup
15 oz. chicken broth
a sprinkle of dried minced onions (because I didn't have the real thing)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of half and half
1 1/2 Tbs. corn starch (that's approximate...I just put a big spoonful or so in the half and half)
Put everything except for the half and half and cornstarch in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. I put everything in the crockpot and then in the fridge. My hubby had the job of putting the crockpot on low while he was home for lunch. Then, I mixed the cornstarch with the half and half and added it to the crockpot. I turned it up to high for a little while (about half and hour) to let it thicken up.
I really liked this and am actually looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!
1 pound smoked sausage sliced (the big U-shaped link sausage)
several small red potatoes, quarted (but I should have cut them a little smaller)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 can cream-style corn
1 can cream of chicken soup
15 oz. chicken broth
a sprinkle of dried minced onions (because I didn't have the real thing)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of half and half
1 1/2 Tbs. corn starch (that's approximate...I just put a big spoonful or so in the half and half)
Put everything except for the half and half and cornstarch in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. I put everything in the crockpot and then in the fridge. My hubby had the job of putting the crockpot on low while he was home for lunch. Then, I mixed the cornstarch with the half and half and added it to the crockpot. I turned it up to high for a little while (about half and hour) to let it thicken up.
I really liked this and am actually looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday Sound-Off
It's Saturday...time for the weekly and yearly mileage totals on the journey to 1100 km in 2011.
This week: 19 miles
YTD: 42.8 miles
I know my dailymile counter doesn't show all of this year's miles, but I used my log to backtrack to Jan. 1. I was so tempted to run an extra miles today so that this week's total would hit 20 miles.
Today's run was good. I definitely like running first thing in the morning better, but it was nice to run this afternoon in the warmer weather and sunshine. It was seriously windy though. I don't have to face that in the garage on the treadmill. I tried out my Asics arm warmers/sleeves for the first time, and I loved them! They were nice and cozy for the first couple of miles, and I was able to easily slide them down once I had warmed up.
I had 4 Honey Stingers around mile 1, and then took a Gu (Razz) at mile 4. I can't tell if they helped or not, but at least I didn't have a bad reaction to them.
I'm still mentally struggling with the idea that today's run was hard, and in just a couple of months, I'll need to be able to run twice as far. I am considering trying a run/walk approach. I haven't tried that since way back when I first started running. Even though I know it's not true in my head, I feel like I'm failing if I don't run the whole time. I'm going to have to get this figured out though.
On another note, my parents ran a race this morning. Mom ran a 10K and Dad ran a 5K...and both got first in their age divisions! Mom ran a 53:something! Amazing! Her legs are rocket boosters, I swear! I wish I could keep up, but I am so proud of her and excited for her! Dad ran his well too!
So, back to mileage and our 2011 challenge...how many miles did you run this week? What's your yearly total?
This week: 19 miles
YTD: 42.8 miles
I know my dailymile counter doesn't show all of this year's miles, but I used my log to backtrack to Jan. 1. I was so tempted to run an extra miles today so that this week's total would hit 20 miles.
Today's run was good. I definitely like running first thing in the morning better, but it was nice to run this afternoon in the warmer weather and sunshine. It was seriously windy though. I don't have to face that in the garage on the treadmill. I tried out my Asics arm warmers/sleeves for the first time, and I loved them! They were nice and cozy for the first couple of miles, and I was able to easily slide them down once I had warmed up.
I had 4 Honey Stingers around mile 1, and then took a Gu (Razz) at mile 4. I can't tell if they helped or not, but at least I didn't have a bad reaction to them.
I'm still mentally struggling with the idea that today's run was hard, and in just a couple of months, I'll need to be able to run twice as far. I am considering trying a run/walk approach. I haven't tried that since way back when I first started running. Even though I know it's not true in my head, I feel like I'm failing if I don't run the whole time. I'm going to have to get this figured out though.
On another note, my parents ran a race this morning. Mom ran a 10K and Dad ran a 5K...and both got first in their age divisions! Mom ran a 53:something! Amazing! Her legs are rocket boosters, I swear! I wish I could keep up, but I am so proud of her and excited for her! Dad ran his well too!
So, back to mileage and our 2011 challenge...how many miles did you run this week? What's your yearly total?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Determination is my motivation...
Those are words in a song we sing during Hang Time at our church...each month, the kids learn a new virtue complete with songs, verses, stories, etc. to go along with it. And this month's virtue? Determination! I love it! They even got shoe laces with "R-U-N it to finish it?" printed on them...I'm so stealing that one. I love the play on the words "are you in" and R-U-N!
And if I'm going to help my children learn determination, then I have to have a little...and I do. I finally completed two days of strength training in a week! It's so sad that it has taken me this long. It really doesn't take a lot of time to do a basic plan. Here's my motivation:
And yes, I'm stealing stickers from my kids for my own chart. Two stickers a week gets me a chai latte on the weekend. A month of two stickers a week gets me some new running gear.
And look what I've found to help me with the nutrition side of health and fitness:
I had been eyeing these reusable sandwich and snack bags online, but to pay $6 or $7 a piece plus pay shipping made them seem a little pricey to me. But I found these in the baby aisle at Walmart near the sippy cups and snack cups. I plan on using them to take things like almonds or grapes to school with me. They are machine washable for anything too messy. I still like the ones I saw online (they were lined, closed with velcro and were available in sandwich size), but these will work for now.
And another make-do find? This: 
I have been eyeing bento boxes for a while now, but once again, paying $10 and up for a little box seems silly, especially when you have to add shipping. So I found this little 7-compartment box in the craft section for $2. I'm going to give it a try for a few days and see how it goes. If it works well, I think I'll add a few more so I can make my week's snacks on Sunday evening. I really wanted a 4-compartment one (basically half of this one), but it will work.
I have it loaded with some World Market berry and poppy seed crackers (30 calories), Cracker Barrel cheese cubes (60 calories), cherry tomatoes (30 calories), grapes (30 calories) and almonds (160 calories). That's probably a few too many calories for snacks for me, but if I don't have healthy choices available right after school, I'll eat a candy bar from the vending machine or choose unhealthy stuff once I get home.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Negative splits
I did it! I went with plan B from yesterday's post...the negative splits. I'm still pretty much lost in some sort of mathematical equation of what my pace actually was for each distance...but that's ok. Here's what I did:
1 mile warmup
1 mile at 6.3 mph
-1/4 mile recovery at 5.0 mph
3/4 mile at 6.6 mph
-1/4 mile recovery at 5.0 mph
1/2 mile at 7.0 mph
-1/4 mile recovery
1/4 mile at 7.2 mph
3/4 mile cooldown
Total: 5 miles
It felt good! No...it felt great! I can tell I'll be a little sore, but I'm still not sure I couldn't have done more.
Of course, this was all at 4:30 this morning. Five, years ago, I never in a million years would have ever guessed I would have been "up and running"...literally...at that time of the night (and yes, I consider anything before 5 night). That was the dailymile.com question today...5 years ago, would do you think that person would have thought of you now? I liked that question. Five years ago (January 2006), I was desperately trying to get pregnant. It happened later that year, but I was hyper-focused on that situation. I know the person I was then probably never dreamed that in 5 years, her biggest concerns would be how to fit a run in around her children's (yes, two) schedules, naps and family time. Kinda makes me wonder what the person I am now will think of the me 5 years from now...
And another success! I did my strength training last night...a mini-version of it actually, but at least I did it. My goal is to do it again tomorrow morning. I've made my little calendar sticker motivation chart thing. I feel like a kid again, working to earn stickers :) I'll post a picture of it tomorrow...two stickers on it!
1 mile warmup
1 mile at 6.3 mph
-1/4 mile recovery at 5.0 mph
3/4 mile at 6.6 mph
-1/4 mile recovery at 5.0 mph
1/2 mile at 7.0 mph
-1/4 mile recovery
1/4 mile at 7.2 mph
3/4 mile cooldown
Total: 5 miles
It felt good! No...it felt great! I can tell I'll be a little sore, but I'm still not sure I couldn't have done more.
Of course, this was all at 4:30 this morning. Five, years ago, I never in a million years would have ever guessed I would have been "up and running"...literally...at that time of the night (and yes, I consider anything before 5 night). That was the dailymile.com question today...5 years ago, would do you think that person would have thought of you now? I liked that question. Five years ago (January 2006), I was desperately trying to get pregnant. It happened later that year, but I was hyper-focused on that situation. I know the person I was then probably never dreamed that in 5 years, her biggest concerns would be how to fit a run in around her children's (yes, two) schedules, naps and family time. Kinda makes me wonder what the person I am now will think of the me 5 years from now...
And another success! I did my strength training last night...a mini-version of it actually, but at least I did it. My goal is to do it again tomorrow morning. I've made my little calendar sticker motivation chart thing. I feel like a kid again, working to earn stickers :) I'll post a picture of it tomorrow...two stickers on it!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Accountability
Maybe, if I post this here, I'll actually hold myself to tomorrow's grueling speedwork. I'm scheduled for a 4-mile tempo run with a mile warmup and a mile cooldown. However, I did a tempo run last week and don't really feel like repeating the performance. So, here's my plan, a weird, twisted form of intervals that I'm hoping will teach my legs to maintain their turnover even when tired. I'll be on the treadmill, so the numbers correspond to mph. Here's the plan:
1-mile warmup (ok, so that doesn't really change...but I never warmup with this distance)
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 6.3
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 6.6
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 6.9
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 7.1
1-mile cooldown
Total: 6 miles
Ok, so I just realized that this will put me at 4 miles faster than last week's tempo run. Hmmm...maybe not a good idea. Maybe my slower repeats will be less than 6.0. I don't know. Or maybe I should do less than .5 mile repeats? I don't know now. I thought this would bolster my resolve, but now I'm more confused than ever.
After a little research (thank you, Google), here's what I found on sportslog.com:
Negative Split Intervals
1. Stretch and warmup with an easy 1 mile
2. Run 1 mile at 3-5% faster than race pace
-400 meter recovery
3. Run 1200 meters (3/4 mile) at 5-7% faster than race pace
-400 meter recovery
4. Run 800 meters (1/2 mile) at 8-10% faster than race pace
-400 meter recovery
5. Run 400 meters (1/4 mile) at 10-12% faster than race pace
6. Cooldown with an easy 1 mile recovery
I have absolutely no idea how to figure out this % thing, so here's my plan for the treadmill now:
1 mile warmup
1 mile @ 6.3 (8:57 mile)
.25 mile recovery
.75 miles @ 6. 6 (9:09 mile)
.25 mile recovery
.5 miles @ 7.0 (9:52 mile)
.25 mile recovery
1 mile recovery
Total: 5 miles
I don't think I like either of these. Now what?
1-mile warmup (ok, so that doesn't really change...but I never warmup with this distance)
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 6.3
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 6.6
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 6.9
.5 mile @ 6.0
.5 mile @ 7.1
1-mile cooldown
Total: 6 miles
Ok, so I just realized that this will put me at 4 miles faster than last week's tempo run. Hmmm...maybe not a good idea. Maybe my slower repeats will be less than 6.0. I don't know. Or maybe I should do less than .5 mile repeats? I don't know now. I thought this would bolster my resolve, but now I'm more confused than ever.
After a little research (thank you, Google), here's what I found on sportslog.com:
Negative Split Intervals
1. Stretch and warmup with an easy 1 mile
2. Run 1 mile at 3-5% faster than race pace
-400 meter recovery
3. Run 1200 meters (3/4 mile) at 5-7% faster than race pace
-400 meter recovery
4. Run 800 meters (1/2 mile) at 8-10% faster than race pace
-400 meter recovery
5. Run 400 meters (1/4 mile) at 10-12% faster than race pace
6. Cooldown with an easy 1 mile recovery
I have absolutely no idea how to figure out this % thing, so here's my plan for the treadmill now:
1 mile warmup
1 mile @ 6.3 (8:57 mile)
.25 mile recovery
.75 miles @ 6. 6 (9:09 mile)
.25 mile recovery
.5 miles @ 7.0 (9:52 mile)
.25 mile recovery
1 mile recovery
Total: 5 miles
I don't think I like either of these. Now what?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Making up for it
Ok, with Saturday's bad run, I knew I had to get in a run today and make it a decent one. While my training plan has me at only 2 miles on Mondays, I wanted more. So I did. I ran 4 miles in 40 minutes with a quarter mile warm up and cooldown (a total of 4.5, which btw, dailymile.com rounds up to 5). The first mile was rough, the second mile doable, but the last two were strong. In fact, I was pretty sure I had more in me. But...since I was sneaking in my run during nap time (I was in the garage on the treadmill...no CPS calls needed), I didn't want to spend too long out there. And it's a beautiful day outside! I would much rather have run outside in the fresh air, but alas...that's part of having kids, I suppose. We all sacrifice something.
I think I'm going to make some weekly goals...an easy, doable, short list of goals for the week. So even though we're in week 3 of January, here is list 1:
1. Drink my water
2. No candy
3. More veggies and fruits (let's aim on 5 servings a day)
I'll work on adding things as the weeks go by, but I know if my list is too long, I'll just get overwhelmed.
I'm still working on that strength motivation plan :) It will be ready sometime today, so it may be a double post kind of day.
I think I'm going to make some weekly goals...an easy, doable, short list of goals for the week. So even though we're in week 3 of January, here is list 1:
1. Drink my water
2. No candy
3. More veggies and fruits (let's aim on 5 servings a day)
I'll work on adding things as the weeks go by, but I know if my list is too long, I'll just get overwhelmed.
I'm still working on that strength motivation plan :) It will be ready sometime today, so it may be a double post kind of day.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Crockpot cooking again
I'm so excited that I've got the crockpot out for tomorrow! It's been a long time. I hadn't looked at my Facebook group called Crockpot Cookers in a while. I forgot how many really good recipes we had collected there! I can't wait to try to a few of of them out soon.
The first one I'm trying out is the one I have ready to go for tomorrow. It's from one of my dearest friends. Here it is:
Ham and Bean Soup
1 lb. white beans
1 carrot (or more), diced
1 celery stalk (or more), diced
2 quarts water
2-3 ham hocks (which, by the way, I don't have)
1 lb. cooked ham, diced
1 onion, diced
spices (she suggests salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder)
Soak beans for 12 hours. Rinse and drain. Simmer with 2 quarts of water for 30 minutes. Place in crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
I may change a few things about the recipe, but we'll see. I was thinking of adding a little chicken broth or bouillon. I have a little half-and-half in the fridge, so I thought about adding that at the end to make a creamy soup. We'll see.
The first one I'm trying out is the one I have ready to go for tomorrow. It's from one of my dearest friends. Here it is:
Ham and Bean Soup
1 lb. white beans
1 carrot (or more), diced
1 celery stalk (or more), diced
2 quarts water
2-3 ham hocks (which, by the way, I don't have)
1 lb. cooked ham, diced
1 onion, diced
spices (she suggests salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder)
Soak beans for 12 hours. Rinse and drain. Simmer with 2 quarts of water for 30 minutes. Place in crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
I may change a few things about the recipe, but we'll see. I was thinking of adding a little chicken broth or bouillon. I have a little half-and-half in the fridge, so I thought about adding that at the end to make a creamy soup. We'll see.
Bad run
I had probably one of my worst runs ever yesterday. We were in San Antonio for my hubby's umpire meeting and I decided I'd get my 7 mile run in on the treadmill in the hotel's fitness center. I had thought about running outside there, but I was afraid of running alone in an unfamiliar place. It ended up being rainy and cold anyway, so treadmill it was. The fitness center was hot, but at least it was dry. I was scheduled to run 7, but I did good to get 5 miles done...and even then I had to walk some. Walk some! It has been a long time since I've had to walk on a run. I have no idea what was going on. I know so much of running is mental, but I don't think that explains it.
So, back on track for this week we go. It's a no-brainer. I have to hit my mileage and my strength training...no options here. It's not like I have some big complicated training plan for strength training...for now, I'm sticking to the plan I saw on runlikeamotherbook.com. It's Dimity's plan (I think) and consists of just 6 moves. Why is this so hard for me?
I think the only way I'm going to get this done is some serious planning/reward/schedule deal with myself. I'm thinking an old-fashioned reward chart is going to reach the kid in me. Two stickers a week gets me a chai latte on the weekend. A month of two stickers a week gets me new running gear. Hmm....maybe I'm on to something.
Speaking of gear, I found these running tights at a Nike outlet this weekend. And passed them up. I'm cheap, what can I say? But now I wish I'd gotten them. They had vents behind the knees and zippers up the back of the ankle. And they were gray, so I could break out of my black rut. I also found a cool running top at the Nike store in Grapevine. I loved all its features but it didn't fit quite right. I'm quite short-bodied, and it was just not made for that. It has a vented upper back and underarms, a zipper pocket across the lower back, a slide-in pocket (perfect for gels or chews) on the back, a half zipper front, short sleeves and a mock turtleneck neckline. If only it hadn't been made for tall people...
Ok, back to the idea of motivation. Maybe a calendar really will help, but something I've been meaning to do, and maybe I will get around to tomorrow since we have a day off, is make some posters or cards of quotes that keep me going. Some of them are Bible verses and others are just phrases. If I get around to it tomorrow, I'll post them here.
So, back on track for this week we go. It's a no-brainer. I have to hit my mileage and my strength training...no options here. It's not like I have some big complicated training plan for strength training...for now, I'm sticking to the plan I saw on runlikeamotherbook.com. It's Dimity's plan (I think) and consists of just 6 moves. Why is this so hard for me?
I think the only way I'm going to get this done is some serious planning/reward/schedule deal with myself. I'm thinking an old-fashioned reward chart is going to reach the kid in me. Two stickers a week gets me a chai latte on the weekend. A month of two stickers a week gets me new running gear. Hmm....maybe I'm on to something.
Speaking of gear, I found these running tights at a Nike outlet this weekend. And passed them up. I'm cheap, what can I say? But now I wish I'd gotten them. They had vents behind the knees and zippers up the back of the ankle. And they were gray, so I could break out of my black rut. I also found a cool running top at the Nike store in Grapevine. I loved all its features but it didn't fit quite right. I'm quite short-bodied, and it was just not made for that. It has a vented upper back and underarms, a zipper pocket across the lower back, a slide-in pocket (perfect for gels or chews) on the back, a half zipper front, short sleeves and a mock turtleneck neckline. If only it hadn't been made for tall people...
Ok, back to the idea of motivation. Maybe a calendar really will help, but something I've been meaning to do, and maybe I will get around to tomorrow since we have a day off, is make some posters or cards of quotes that keep me going. Some of them are Bible verses and others are just phrases. If I get around to it tomorrow, I'll post them here.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
2011 Challenge
Ok, I've come up with a challenge...for myself, mainly, but you're welcome to join. I'm challenging myself to run 1100 km in 2011. That equals 683.5 miles, which is an aveage of 57 miles a month or 14 miles a week. I'm thinking I can do that, especially since I'm training for a 13.1 mile race.
I had originally said I wanted to run an average of 50 miles a month to equal 600 miles for the year, but I like the idea of 1100km in 2011...corny, I know.
I just signed up on dailymile.com. I'm not sure if I'll get the hang of using it regularly. You can hook up your Garmin to it as well, but I definitely haven't gotten that far with it. Right now, I'm only using my Garmin about once a week, if I'm lucky enough to get to run outside. So, for now, I'll just hand enter my info there to see if I like the tracking.
I already keep a log of my training. I like being able to see how much I've done, and I am hoping this dailymile thing will help me keep up.
So, back to the challenge...anyone want to join me?
I had originally said I wanted to run an average of 50 miles a month to equal 600 miles for the year, but I like the idea of 1100km in 2011...corny, I know.
I just signed up on dailymile.com. I'm not sure if I'll get the hang of using it regularly. You can hook up your Garmin to it as well, but I definitely haven't gotten that far with it. Right now, I'm only using my Garmin about once a week, if I'm lucky enough to get to run outside. So, for now, I'll just hand enter my info there to see if I like the tracking.
I already keep a log of my training. I like being able to see how much I've done, and I am hoping this dailymile thing will help me keep up.
So, back to the challenge...anyone want to join me?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
29:12
Yep, I finally did it! I ran a 5K (albeit on the treadmill) in less than 30 minutes! I was thrilled. And I ran the last mile faster than the first too. I even felt like I had more in me, that I could have gone faster, or farther, or both.
My calves/shins are paying for the speed a little this evening, but after performing some sort of acrobatic-meets-contortionist moves to get these compression sleeves on, I'm hoping they'll feel better quickly.
During this morning's run, I had this sort of weird thought of three words that I hadn't heard before, or at least not this context and order. And as they came to mind, some other connections came to mind with these words. The words were "Power, Energy Strength" and the stream-of-consciousness went something like this...power comes from God as in power in the blood or "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (and why that wasn't connected to strength I don't know) and I thought that power is from the soul. Then I thought of energy and how it is connected to our minds and how much running is a mental thing and I have to put forth the mental effort to get my rear out of bed and get running. Then I thought of strength, probably because I was really trying to finish a 5K in under 30 for the first time ever. And what was really cool is that I realized that I am strong and this strength is leading to speed, so the word strength is connected to my body. So, in essence, "Power, Energy, Strength" is the equivalent of "Soul, Mind, Body." Maybe I have a mantra.
My calves/shins are paying for the speed a little this evening, but after performing some sort of acrobatic-meets-contortionist moves to get these compression sleeves on, I'm hoping they'll feel better quickly.
During this morning's run, I had this sort of weird thought of three words that I hadn't heard before, or at least not this context and order. And as they came to mind, some other connections came to mind with these words. The words were "Power, Energy Strength" and the stream-of-consciousness went something like this...power comes from God as in power in the blood or "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (and why that wasn't connected to strength I don't know) and I thought that power is from the soul. Then I thought of energy and how it is connected to our minds and how much running is a mental thing and I have to put forth the mental effort to get my rear out of bed and get running. Then I thought of strength, probably because I was really trying to finish a 5K in under 30 for the first time ever. And what was really cool is that I realized that I am strong and this strength is leading to speed, so the word strength is connected to my body. So, in essence, "Power, Energy, Strength" is the equivalent of "Soul, Mind, Body." Maybe I have a mantra.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
10 p.m. already?
And I didn't get my long run in. Go figure. I am blaming it on having to work on a Saturday morning today. I would much rather have been running. Watching a bunch of students take a test was quite boring, although I did find out that I can read a 200-page book in about an hour and a half. I got home around lunch time, but after the first week back to school after the holidays and then working this morning, I didn't want to head back out the door. Plus, we still had a Christmas tree to put away...and gifts that needed homes...and a kitchen to clean. So, the run had to wait. I kept saying I'd run on the treadmill tonight, but 9 p.m. rolled around and I didn't want to start a run then. I'll run tomorrow, either after lunch (never a great idea, I've found) outside or in the evening on the treadmill.
Now that January is here, I've realized that not only do I have to get my training in for the half marathon, but I also have to raise my $250 for the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure program. My idea is to get a business to sponsor me the whole amount and then air-brush tattoo their logo or a dedication they'd like on my upper shoulder (since I'm planning on wearing my tank and arm warmers) for the race. I figure $250 to a charitable organization and free advertising should work, right? I hope so...it sure is hard to nickel and dime it for the donations...but I can do it if I have to.
Now that January is here, I've realized that not only do I have to get my training in for the half marathon, but I also have to raise my $250 for the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure program. My idea is to get a business to sponsor me the whole amount and then air-brush tattoo their logo or a dedication they'd like on my upper shoulder (since I'm planning on wearing my tank and arm warmers) for the race. I figure $250 to a charitable organization and free advertising should work, right? I hope so...it sure is hard to nickel and dime it for the donations...but I can do it if I have to.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Speedwork
This morning (at 4:35, mind you) the alarm went off and I knew what was coming...speedwork. My Runner's World Smart Coach plan called for 3 1600 repeats, but I wasn't going for that. So I looked at the Hal Higdon plan and followed it. It called for 5x400 at 5K pace (which I altered to mean 7mph on the treadmill). It was a good workout, but I'm not sure I like 400's for a half marathon training plan. Next week will be a tempo run so I have a couple of weeks to figure this out. I may just modify my speedwork. I liked when I did increasing speeds for 400s or 800s. I also like intervals. And I really need to add hills somewhere. Still, the plan is to use Wednesdays as speedwork alternating tempo runs with something else (whether hills, intervals or flatout speedwork).
On a different note, I found this: http://www.ragnarrelay.com/biggestloser And I'm seriously considering entering. Granted, the likelihood of me actually winning a spot is a million to one, but man, what if I did? How cool would that be? And would I be able to get the time off work? And would I be able to "hang with the big boys"?
A relay would really be awesome though! I've looked at and considered this one: http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/ Of course, I like that it's a Texas thing, but it really looks like a lot of fun. The logistics of a relay are mind-bogling to me, but I'd love to give it a shot!
Anyway, I'm back to counting calories (although I may skip counting today's...not good...not good at all). I'm hoping I can see some sort of change in the right direction. I'd really like to tone up before the half. Of course, that comes down to doing that darn strength training again...which I forgot last night...again. I even took the "plan" to school with me thinking I could do it on my conference period. Wrong!
And I signed up for these Choose You! contracts for weight loss and strength training, and I'm failing miserably. I think I've gained weight instead and I haven't done my strength training. I'm just glad I didn't tie a monetary amount to mine. I'm sure that's motivation, but I'd be losing some serous money at this point.
On a different note, I found this: http://www.ragnarrelay.com/biggestloser And I'm seriously considering entering. Granted, the likelihood of me actually winning a spot is a million to one, but man, what if I did? How cool would that be? And would I be able to get the time off work? And would I be able to "hang with the big boys"?
A relay would really be awesome though! I've looked at and considered this one: http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/ Of course, I like that it's a Texas thing, but it really looks like a lot of fun. The logistics of a relay are mind-bogling to me, but I'd love to give it a shot!
Anyway, I'm back to counting calories (although I may skip counting today's...not good...not good at all). I'm hoping I can see some sort of change in the right direction. I'd really like to tone up before the half. Of course, that comes down to doing that darn strength training again...which I forgot last night...again. I even took the "plan" to school with me thinking I could do it on my conference period. Wrong!
And I signed up for these Choose You! contracts for weight loss and strength training, and I'm failing miserably. I think I've gained weight instead and I haven't done my strength training. I'm just glad I didn't tie a monetary amount to mine. I'm sure that's motivation, but I'd be losing some serous money at this point.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Vitamins, supplements, etc.
After nearly tossing my cookies again this morning after taking my vitamins, I'm wondering if I need to think about switching something up. I'm happy with what I'm taking and the effects (well, except for that queasy feeling right after I take them). I can tell when I don't take them. Here's what I'm taking now:
1. Women's Metabolism Support one-a-day
2. B complex (this is my happy pill)
3. Magnesium (I'm almost positive this one keeps my headaches at bay)
4. Probiotic enzyme (and I can definitely tell when I don't take this one for more than a day or two...enough said)
I was taking CoQ10 to balance my cholesterol med, but since I haven't been taking that one like I should, I dropped the CoQ10.
I tried chromium (I think I'd read that it helped with weight loss) for a while, but it actually made me very angry feeling. As soon as I'd dropped it, those feelings went away.
And now, I'm trying fish oil. I got it a while back and then promptly (read: the next day) read that it might not be safe. Now, it looks like it is ok, so I started it tonight. We'll see how that goes.
My biggest goal is to get back in the habit of taking my calcium with vitamins D and K. I had thought about taking extra D and K, but for now, I'm just going to aim on getting the calcium chews in every day.
I guess the thing now is to figure out if I want to go through the hassle of finding what I want to take in a form that will a) be less likely to cause that weird puke-y, passing out feeling and b) be as effective as possible.
1. Women's Metabolism Support one-a-day
2. B complex (this is my happy pill)
3. Magnesium (I'm almost positive this one keeps my headaches at bay)
4. Probiotic enzyme (and I can definitely tell when I don't take this one for more than a day or two...enough said)
I was taking CoQ10 to balance my cholesterol med, but since I haven't been taking that one like I should, I dropped the CoQ10.
I tried chromium (I think I'd read that it helped with weight loss) for a while, but it actually made me very angry feeling. As soon as I'd dropped it, those feelings went away.
And now, I'm trying fish oil. I got it a while back and then promptly (read: the next day) read that it might not be safe. Now, it looks like it is ok, so I started it tonight. We'll see how that goes.
My biggest goal is to get back in the habit of taking my calcium with vitamins D and K. I had thought about taking extra D and K, but for now, I'm just going to aim on getting the calcium chews in every day.
I guess the thing now is to figure out if I want to go through the hassle of finding what I want to take in a form that will a) be less likely to cause that weird puke-y, passing out feeling and b) be as effective as possible.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year's Run
I ran my 6 miles yesterday as my first run of the year and as part of the World Run Day virtual run.
It was cold! At first, I thought I was overdressed, but as I ran, I quickly found out I was pretty right on. The only thing I ended up shedding was a buff I had around my neck. It was handy for the first mile or so, but then I warmed up and threw it in my vest pocket. I am loving my new Nike DriFit top with the thumbholes! And I love my BondiBand hat with the ponytail hole! And I love my new SpiBelt (even if I did forget to actually put my phone in it before I left).
I tried Honey Stingers as well, and while I'm still getting the hang of chewing and running, I liked the texture and the effect...no crazy energy rush, just a nice boost when I felt like I was lagging a bit. I only had a couple every couple of miles and am definitely trying them again.
It felt great to run on the first day of the year...an omen of things to come this year. Unlike Friday's run, I spent this one thinking about the present and the year ahead. I tried to come up with some creative way of labeling or categorizing my resolutions for this year, but I came up short. So, instead, I just have a regular old list. It looks something like this:
1. Make time for a Bible study and prayer time daily
2. More face time and less Facebook (with my kids, husband, family and friends)
3. Strength train 2x a week
4. Finish my half marathon strong and decide on whether or not to do a marathon (which goes along with my goal to run 600 miles this year)
5. Increase fruits, veggies and water while decreasing refined carbs and sugar
You know, that looks a lot better than all the things I had floating around my head on the run. Hmmm...interesting. Usually a run is very clarifying for these sorts of things. Still, I came back thrilled that I'd run 6 miles in 1:10:16 (and I'd stopped to tie my shoe once...which I've never had to do on a run...and wait for a car once).
Today is a rest day, and I'm glad! I'm not too sore though, but I am looking forward to using The Stick to work out a few kinks.
We go back to school tomorrow, which always makes fitting in runs and training a little more difficult. Still, routine is a good thing. I'll get my miles in at 4:30 or so each morning before getting ready. Now if I can just get that strength training in. I guess I'll have to just get up that early 5 days a week now. I'd love to do it Tuesday/Thursday nights, but I just haven't gotten that down yet.
On a different note, I'm thinking about running with our puppy. Jessie's a 7-month-old black lab with entirely too much energy. She chews on everything, and I think a run or two a week would do her some good. There are a couple of problems with this though. First, she's not trained yet and doesn't follow commands and I don't feel like being pulled all over the planet. Second, I know that running with a dog is actually safer, but I hate dogs barking at me while I run and I know that running with Jessie will just make them bark more. Still, I think it would be good for both of us to run together. I just need to get her a good harness, and we'll head out for our first run.
It was cold! At first, I thought I was overdressed, but as I ran, I quickly found out I was pretty right on. The only thing I ended up shedding was a buff I had around my neck. It was handy for the first mile or so, but then I warmed up and threw it in my vest pocket. I am loving my new Nike DriFit top with the thumbholes! And I love my BondiBand hat with the ponytail hole! And I love my new SpiBelt (even if I did forget to actually put my phone in it before I left).
I tried Honey Stingers as well, and while I'm still getting the hang of chewing and running, I liked the texture and the effect...no crazy energy rush, just a nice boost when I felt like I was lagging a bit. I only had a couple every couple of miles and am definitely trying them again.
It felt great to run on the first day of the year...an omen of things to come this year. Unlike Friday's run, I spent this one thinking about the present and the year ahead. I tried to come up with some creative way of labeling or categorizing my resolutions for this year, but I came up short. So, instead, I just have a regular old list. It looks something like this:
1. Make time for a Bible study and prayer time daily
2. More face time and less Facebook (with my kids, husband, family and friends)
3. Strength train 2x a week
4. Finish my half marathon strong and decide on whether or not to do a marathon (which goes along with my goal to run 600 miles this year)
5. Increase fruits, veggies and water while decreasing refined carbs and sugar
You know, that looks a lot better than all the things I had floating around my head on the run. Hmmm...interesting. Usually a run is very clarifying for these sorts of things. Still, I came back thrilled that I'd run 6 miles in 1:10:16 (and I'd stopped to tie my shoe once...which I've never had to do on a run...and wait for a car once).
Today is a rest day, and I'm glad! I'm not too sore though, but I am looking forward to using The Stick to work out a few kinks.
We go back to school tomorrow, which always makes fitting in runs and training a little more difficult. Still, routine is a good thing. I'll get my miles in at 4:30 or so each morning before getting ready. Now if I can just get that strength training in. I guess I'll have to just get up that early 5 days a week now. I'd love to do it Tuesday/Thursday nights, but I just haven't gotten that down yet.
On a different note, I'm thinking about running with our puppy. Jessie's a 7-month-old black lab with entirely too much energy. She chews on everything, and I think a run or two a week would do her some good. There are a couple of problems with this though. First, she's not trained yet and doesn't follow commands and I don't feel like being pulled all over the planet. Second, I know that running with a dog is actually safer, but I hate dogs barking at me while I run and I know that running with Jessie will just make them bark more. Still, I think it would be good for both of us to run together. I just need to get her a good harness, and we'll head out for our first run.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)