Jiggle Jiggle



That's right, I'm fist pumping as I crossed the finish line at the Turkey Trot!    This course was an out and back so it was super fun to cheer on the faster runners that were lapping me by fist pumping.  I'm telling you, it's exhilarating and you must try it.  I'm still working on ways to incorporate it into an everyday run by myself...

Look at me! 

 Yesterday was a telework day and was lucky enough to go out and run 5.34 miles.  I wore both the Garmin and my Nike + and the total distance was very different.  Garmin said 5.34 miles and Nike + said 4.94 miles.  What the? 

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with my performance.  I have been eating a ton of sweets lately and have gained five pounds or so.  I swear to you, I could feel every pound of those sweets jiggling on my booty while I ran.  It was so weird.  Note to self:  eat less sweets and run more.  I will be a happy camper if I can lose the five pounds by Christmas, therefore not adding insult to injury ;)

It's only a couple days until the 15k and I have only recently began to think about how I will maintain energy throughout the race and what I will wear.  I have run this distance before and I'm pretty sure I just used the Power Gel blasts every couple of miles or so to maintain energy.   I can't compare them to anything else since these are the only things I have tried.  As for what I will wear, my new gloves and smartwool socks  are at the top of the list.  I have some random moisture-wicking tights that I will wear but they are intended as a layering piece and not necessarily for running.  I'm still trying to decide if I should wear one long sleeved shirt or two....hmmm...

What do you use to stay energized during long runs?

Is your booty jiggling after too much pumpkin pie?

Triplets?!!!

Good Evening!  We have a new addition to our house that is kind of taking over our lives...

That's right, Julia is a proud mommy to three beautiful cabbage patch dolls.  I can't remember ever giving my dolls weird, nonsensical names but apparently that's what five year olds do.  Precious pa-pa, cheerleader, and Yankee Frankie never leave her side.  These have been one of my favorite gifts to give her although it involves me pretending to burp them, rock them to sleep and playing peek-a-boo.  One of the great things about being a mommy is getting to stroll down memory lane with your child, even if it means endangering the possibility of wanting to have more children in the future ;) 

I'm pretty excited to make some baby blankets and reusable diapers for her dolls.  Yes, those will be the lame Christmas presents that I make for her.  Who knows though, maybe one day she will be talking to Delilah on the radio about the amazing time her crazy mother would take to make blankets with coordinating diapers for her dolls.  A girl can dream, can't she?

Anyway, let's talk about chocolate.  It's three days until the Hot Chocolate 15k :)  I'm really excited for the run this Saturday.  As of right now, the weather should be 48 degrees and partly cloudy, which is perfect for a race!   I am going for a five mile run tomorrow and then another run on Thursday.  I will be resting Friday and hopefully finishing the 15k in under 1:42:31 on Saturday :)

Did you have Cabbage Patch dolls?

If you pay to run a race, do you ever just run for fun?  Or do you always have a goal?

Gobble until you Wobble

That has been my activity for the past weekend and the scale laughed at my this morning.  I'm not sure how I thought eating my weight in turkey and pie wasn't going to negatively impact my health but it has. I'm pretty confident that the Hot Chocolate 15k will not be any easier carrying an extra five pounds on me either.

After my disappointing meeting with the scale, I hopped on the treadmill for some much needed exercise.  I didn't feel like running so I decided to bust out the HIIT.  It felt really good to move something other than my fork to my mouth.  Really, really good.  It felt so good that I even treated myself to a post-workout Max ARM (Anabolic Recovery Matrix) from Max Muscle Sports Nutrition.

I tried the watermelon flavor.  It wasn't terrible but I will NEVER crave that flavor.  Ever.  I actually went to a Max Muscle store right before Thanksgiving.  The woman I met with was wonderful.  She talked to me about putting together meal plans for me and sent me home with a TON of free samples.  I have been looking for something to drink after my workouts to help me recover faster and the ARM was what she recommended.  I really don't feel any different than I normally would so I am not sure how well it worked.  The true test will be after a longer workout.  Don't worry, I still have lemon-lime and strawberry to try out so stay tuned for that ;)

Do you have something you drink after a workout?

Versatile Blogger

I was just tagged by Jen from Running with the Girls :)  I was originally tagged under my craft blog but I blog more here so I thought I would repost here.

Thanks, Jen!!!

The "rules":

1. Thank the giver
2. Share 7 random things about yourself
3. Tag 15 people

I really consider myself to be quite ordinary so the random things may be a challenge...

1. I love all nut butters...sunflower, cashew, almond, peanut...etc etc etc.  Spoonfuls are the best way to eat them but I also enjoy them in cookies and oatmeal.
2. Instead of going out and getting drunk for my 21st birthday, I went skydiving with my daddy.
3. My initials are ABC (well for the next 11 months or so)
4. I am on a bowling league and my average is only 105 ( = pathetic)
5. I attended three colleges in four years and still graduated on time
6. I have broken only one bone in my life....it was my sister's arm
7. I can flip my eyelids inside out

Tag you're it!

•  Heather @ Muffin Top
• Emily @  In the Between
• Amy @ Run Mom Run
• Alyssa @ Chocolate is My Life
• Kelly @ Free Spirit Food
• Jessica @ Sweepin' Out the Bats
• Stacy @ The Flakey Baker
• Nanette @ Crazy Mother on the Run
• Andrea @ Run. Learn. Repeat
• Boston Bound Brunette
• Gina @ Fitnessista
• Kara @ It's a Dog Lick Baby World
• Carly @ Chubby Chicks Run Too
• Kari @ Running Ricig

Have a great Sunday!

In Search of Indulgence

Good Turkey Eve!  Thanksgiving has started early here!  It is my mom's birthday today and in true celebration, we went out for lunch and stuffed ourselves.  We met up at Famous Dave's and ordered their double lid feast.  That's right folks, two trashcan lids full of delicious barbecue and sides.  Even after absolute gluttony, we went home and soldered the cracks with vanilla and chocolate cake.  Remember the ultimate vanilla cake?  Well, I got some more of that and also tried the ultimate chocolate cake.  Yum yum yum!

In a related story, I have been thinking more and more about finding a half marathon to sign up for.  My first half marathon was Disney's Wine and Dine.  Unfortunately, a mystery pain in my leg sidelined me about two months before the race and prevented me from finishing my training.  I ended up running cold turkey and the pace clearly shows it.  My finish time will not be hard to beat and I am really excited to try again.

I'm not sure what finish line will beat Epcot but I'm willing to try to find it.  It's weird but my searches for "Oreo half marathon" and "bacon half marathon" came up with nothing.  There was a Turkey Hill 10k but the distance was all wrong.  I did find a nice half marathon in Pennsylvania.  Hershey, PA that is!   I know I am already running a race that ends in a chocolate heaven but I'm pretty sure chocolate is always motivating! 

Here's the deal, this race was held October 16th this year.  Our wedding is planned for October 20, 2012. 

Who's up for moving the wedding to PA?

Do you have running bumper stickers on your car?

Hot BAM

I did it!  I finally did it!  I actually went to HOT YOGA.  It only took me a few months but I have now attended class one of four that I purchased through Groupon.  I have three classes left and they expire on December 6th so it looks like I will be doing a lot of hot yoga in the future!  At first, I didn't think the room was that hot but the heat seemed to build over time so by the end of class it was almost unbearable.  The absolute best part of the class was the chilled, lavendar-scented washcloth they handed out at the end of the class.  It was the best feeling in the entire world.  Although I enjoyed the class and only found some of the poses to be challenging, it begins my list of things you shouldn't do before a race.

Things NOT to do before a race:

1. Try a new fitness class the day before (Hot Yoga will help you find muscles you didn't know you had)
2. Go out for dancing and drinks the night before (Magner's is full of carbs, right?)
3. Dance like a crazy person for three hours (droppin' it low is a great pre-race stretch)
4. Go to bed at 2:30am
5. Have a pre-race breakfast of a cup of coffee and an expired Power Bar gel
6. Arrive to race approximately two minutes before start time, use the port-o-potty (because it's a non-negotiable) and run directly from the potty onto the course because the race has already started

Needless to say, this race was not my most shining moment.  The cherry on top of my poor decisions prior to the race was the race course itself.  Holy Hills.  My quads have never been so sad :(  At about halfway through the 10k, my legs felt like they were made of lead and I was contemplating just telling my dad to leave me for dead and walking the rest of the way.  He refused and continuously told me that he was just out to have fun.  I'm not sure what "fun" he was having because I was not experiencing the same. 

While running this race, I got a side cramp.  It was very similar to the cramp that I got while wearing the heart rate monitor last week except for the fact that I wasn't wearing the heart rate monitor.  I stopped to walk for a minute and then began running again.  I tried to really focus on my breathing and it ended up going away after a while.  I'm really confused as to what that is all about.  I used to get cramps all the time when I was younger but have been totally fine until recently. Any ideas?

Here's the good news:  I finished!

Not only did I finish but I was third in my age division!  This truly speaks for the size of the race, haha!  I was third out of four girls in the twenty-somethings age group.  My overall time was 60:36 3/4.  Like I said, I was running from the POP onto the course so the Garmin actually had me completing it at 59:13 (-1:14 from official).  My goal for this race was 1:08:21 and I beat it!  This is also a 10K PR (personal record) for me.  Woo!

I'm so thankful for goals.  It's very exciting to accomplish them :)  I'm also very thankful for my dad because I would have wimped out and run much slower if I was running by myself.  I'm also thankful for those people that didn't sign up for the Turkey Trot, which enabled me to come in third place in my age division!  I'm also thankful for giveaways!

What mistakes have you made before a race?

Operation BAM: Day Four with some Jersey Shore

Yesterday didn't start off as BAM-errific as I wanted but I let the excuses keep me in bed until six so I can't blame anyone but myself.  I did get home and jump on the treadmill though :)  It was a quick three miles but I am going to go ahead and pat myself on the back anyway.

I don't love running on a treadmill because it's boring, duh.  To mix it up a bit, I left the lights off and tried a few Jersey fist pumps.  Having the lights off was ok but I got spooked a bit with the shadows coming in from the window behind me.  I saw the shadows of my neighbor going passed the window behind me and I got so spooked trying to check behind me that I nearly fell off the treadmill.  I should invest in some curtains.

What was an exciting discovery was the exhilaration that I felt while Jersey fist pumping on the treadmill.  It's amazing that I didn't go flying off the treadmill in my Snooki endeavors.  This will probably be a move that I keep to the privacy of my own home for now.

I'm still working on the necessary muscles

What do you do to get pumped during your run?

BAM it! :(

Yesterday's 10pm bedtime was an intentional fail.  I forgot about this growing addiction on Wednesday nights...

So let's just call today a rest day too because I didn't get up and run either.  No BAM today.  I love that tomorrow is Friday though!  It means I can go to work in jeans and sweatshirt.  That also means that it will take me half the time than it usually does because it will require NO ironing.

So the plan is to get up and run five miles on the treadmill.  Boring but necessary to keep in training for the Hot Chocolate 15k and the Lake Ridge RidgeRunner 10k Turkey Trot.  I'm getting pretty excited about the Turkey Trot race on Sunday :)  It's nothing compared to Kara's JFK 50 miler but let's face it, 10k is going to take a lot less time and won't make me nearly as sore.  Those are two things that I am very grateful for!   I updated my races page with a couple more runs.  My time for my first half marathon was added to it and it was AWFUL!  I need to sign up for a half marathon and redeem myself...immediately!

I have mentioned before that when I was training for my half marathon, I got some leg injury that no one could help me with.  I did physical therapy and saw an orthopedic surgeon and still had no diagnosis.  I ended up resting all of August and September (as in NO running) and ran the half marathon cold turkey in October.  It's no small wonder that I was doing a 14 minute mile. 

Do you know of an awesome half marathon that I should redeem myself at?

Do you have a TV show that wins over sleep?

Operation BAM: Check out this Motha Runna!

I may have crossed over from casual runner to actual runner...

It's a great thing that I have a father that brought me into the wonderful world of running but he's not too serious about it.  For instance, this Garmin Forerunner405 was a Christmas present he received from my mom last year.  He has never used it.  In fact, he has never opened the box.  I was complaining about how I wasn't really sure that my Nike+ and he just handed over the Garmin so I could wear them both and figure it out!  He also said that maybe he would just let me hang on it to it and wish me a merry Christmas! It would be a very, merry Christmas if he did :)

Today was chock full of excuses and I didn't use any of them!  I got to bed last night at 10:30pm and allowed myself to sleep in because I was going out for a run on my lunch break (yay, telework!).  I had charged up the Garmin a couple days ago and unplugged it because it was fully charged.  I had no idea that it would lose all of it's charge by the time I was ready to go out for my run today.  Excuse number one. 

I  was super excited about comparing the Nike+ and Garmin on my run so I decided to download some new songs for my IPOD :)  Ok, it was going to happen at some point anyway but the new fun toy was a great reason to do it today.  Anyway, I couldn't find my IPOD.  After tearing up my house, I found the IPOD only to realize that I can't get it to play any music.  (FYI:  I'm a little dumb and instead of using the athletic band on my arm to hold the IPOD, I clipped it to my shirt....right under my chin where a ton of drops of sweat fall....hello, water damage)  I usually just keep touching the screen until the music starts playing but today it wasn't responding.  Excuse number two.

By the time I gave up on the IPOD that took forever to find and strapped on all my gear, my lunch break was almost halfway over and I wasn't going to be able to complete my 5.5 mile loop.  Excuse number three.  I ignored the excuses and went out to run an abbreviated route anyway!

It turns out the Nike+ isn't as far off as I thought.  The Garmin said 3.28 miles and the Nike+ 3.25.  I finished in 29:21 with a 8:56 minute/mile!  BAM!  I am so excited to see that my Nike+ is actually pretty accurate.  Can you image how good running will be when I get down to a healthier body fat percentage?! 

Perfect after-run snack

Here are the things I am thankful for today:

• strong legs
• Garmin/Nike+
• My Daddy 

What excuses did you kill today?

How many gadgets do you wear when running?

Operation BAM: Day one

Thank you, Kara, for giving me a name for the goals I have for this week :)  I loved your comment yesterday

I do want to be a badass mommy!  I gave it my best effort this morning.  I ran three miles in 29:53, which is just under 10min/mile overall.  I actually walked the first couple minutes and then ran very slowly for the first quarter mile and then bumped it up to 6.5 miles/hour (9:13 min/mile).  I should have run a longer distance but unfortunately, I snoozed a few too many times and then had to get my running clothes together.  Tonight I will be getting my running gear together BEFORE bedtime.  Oh, by the way, I fell asleep before ten o'clock last night and got into bed by 10:20pm.  I missed some key dances on DWTS but I feel great today!

Let's get onto to some more feel good stuff ---Things I am thankful for!

• Running Ricig's giveaway of a noodle hugger
• Febreeze!  (I must saturate my back seat when I get home)
• Concealer (hello, under eye bags)

I'm pretty excited for teleworking tomorrow because I am going to run outside on my lunch break and it is going to be infinitely better than running on a treadmill.

Are you a BAM?

What are you thankful for?

Reason VS Excuse

Good Afternoon :)  I just finished reading on another site about busy mothers making it a priority to workout and the difference between a reason for missing a workout and an excuse.  This weekend I was full of excuses.  I'm not surprised by this but it's definitely a reality check for me.  The only legitimate reason for not doing my run on Sunday afternoon was my daughter threw up all over the backseat of my car after an afternoon of picnicking and tire swinging.  It was pretty imperative that I steam clean the car immediately.  I am seriously considering selling my car due to the remaining throw up smell, however, I don't think that would be a selling point for others. 


It's all fun and games until someone throws up
a gallon of Hawaiian punch in the back of mommy's car


My general excuses for not getting in my workout has been "I'm tired."  What has happened to my 4:30am workouts?  I used to enjoy them and the quietness of the house at that time of the morning and felt hugely accomplished by breaking a good sweat before six.  Apparently it takes approximately 66 days to create a new habit so if I get up at 4:30am for the next 66 days then I should be golden.  66 days?!  Oh my.

Here's a quick list of things I am planning for this week:

1. Ten o'clock bedtime (I'm so thankful that I have a wonderful fianceé who will support me in this)
2. Four-thirty morning workouts (thank goodness for my treadmill!)
3. Run the Turkey Trot in under 1:08:21 :)  (I'm thankful for my running partner who completed the Richmond marathon this past weekend at under a 9 minute mile over all!  Way to go, Dad!)

I think all of these are completely attainable if I am willing to put out the effort.  Let's do it!

What are your goals for the week?

Unreal Expectations

They are not just for girls anymore...

Hello, manorexia

I bought my child a GI Joe Real American Hero for her birthday.  I was a bit shocked when I saw he came equipped with a twenty-four pack.  Who looks like that?!  Oh and by the way, they aren't the greatest quality dolls.  His legs came off about one day after she opened the box. 

I think about the struggles that I had when I was growing up.  Shoot, who am I kidding?  The challenges that I face now with the way I look and the way that I think I should look.  It's pretty heart breaking that our society is only becoming increasingly more focused on a person's physical appearance.  I can't even begin to imagine the emphasis put on physical appearances when Julia gets into her teenage years.  With altered images like these, how can anyone have a healthy image of their body?

How do you teach positive body image to your child?

What body image atrocities have you witnessed?

11-11-11

So this morning I tried something new and I really, really liked it.  Some of you may recall the dinner in a pumpkin that I made the other night.  I scraped the remainder of the pumpkin and saved it for future meals.  This morning I decided to try the pumpkin in my eggs.  I had some sage sausage that I cooked up with the pumpkin, spinach and eggs.  It was pretty phenomenal.  The sweetness of the pumpkin was a great contrast to the savory sausage.

Julia even ate them up....actually to really impress you, I should let you know that even ALEX went back for seconds!  To round out the meal, Julia and I made some cloud biscuits.  These are the biscuits that my mother made when I was a little girl.  It's a pretty solid recipe.

Cloud Biscuits

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk

Combine ingredients and roll dough 3/4 inches thick.  Cut into desired shape.  Bake at 450 degrees on an ungreased pan for 10 to 14 minutes.

Really, really delicious.  I'm a carbohydrate addict.  I could live on biscuits and jam alone.  There has been more than one occasion when I have gone to Bob Evans with friends and family and cleaned up every one's biscuits.  They love me :)

I'm not great at transitions but I would now like to take a moment now to say what I am thankful for with a little more seriousness than usual.  I have always been in awe of military families and the sacrifices they endure so that we can enjoy our lives here in this great country.  I'm not great at expressing my feelings and gratitude so I will simply say, thank you!

I should spank you!

Yeah, that's what she said!  Really!

Patrice was in a bit of shock at my measurements today.  She literally said she should spank me.  On more than one occasion, I have been disappointed with my progress and Patrice and I have talked about not being so focused on the scale.  I must have given her the wrong impression about my progress and she was borderline mad when she saw the progress I made. 

There was only time enough to take my body circumference and body fat measurements.  We are planning on meeting on Saturday for the other metrics.  Let's get down to the interesting stuff:

	June 22, 2011	November 10, 2011
Weight	200.6 lbs	171.8 lbs
Calf	15.5”	15”
Thigh	24.75”	22.75”
Gluteal Fold	28.5”	26.5”
Hips	47”	42.75”
Smallest part of Waist	37.5”	33.375”
Navel	44.75”	39”
Biceps	13.5”	12.5”

I have lost a total of 28.8 pounds and 19.625" in under five months.  It's not Biggest Loser style but I also don't have twelve hours a day to devote to working out so I will take it!  The best part of it all was the body fat percentage....dun dun dun dun.....I started at 36.9% and am now 27.1% !!!  I have now moved from "very poor" to "poor."  Woo!  In all seriousness, my goal was 32% and I killed it. 

The three things that I am thankful for today?  Patrice, goals, and killing goals.

Tell me about a goal that you killed :)

Rumble Rumble

Today's post will be about food because I am starving and can't stop thinking about everything I want to eat :)  So here are some foods that I am thankful for:

Don't get me wrong, this will NEVER replace peanut butter for me but it's very delicious as well.  I have been mixing it in with my oatmeal in the morning.  I am almost out and will be getting some more soon!  I actually want to do some baking experiments with it so look forward to posts about that! 

I guess I have a thing for nuts because I also love these:

These guys have actually been my breakfast for the past couple days or so.  I have been running late in the mornings and this is all I have to grab for breakfast before catching the bus.  They keep my stomach from eating a hole through me and then I usually have my fiber one cereal once I get to work.  Seriously, they are unlike anything I have ever had before.  If you get a chance, try them out!

Finally, I am thankful for celebrations at work.  My coworker Erica is getting married this weekend and so we had a mini-shower for her.  Of course, there was cake!

This was the most phenomenal cake I have ever tasted.  It was moist and light and...and....delicious!  There is just nothing more to say.  It was a Wegman's Ultimate Vanilla cake and from what I understand, there is an ultimate chocolate cake too.  Guess what I am doing this weekend???  It is taking every ounce of will power that I have to not grab another slice from the kitchen.  Is it too early to start carbo loading for the Hot Chocolate 15k?  I was super excited that I had lost another couple pounds after being stagnant for a couple weeks but after this cake, I doubt that loss is here to stay!  I am planning on running three miles tonight :)

What do you like more:  nuts or cake? 

Running, veggies and ball

Good Monday!  Clearly the weekend has zapped all creativity out of me as that is the lamest title yet...I probably have no energy for creativity because this weekend has been a great weekend for running!  On Saturday I unintentionally ran 8.8 miles and on Sunday I met up with the Lake Ridge RidgeRunners and ran another 5 miles.  I have to admit, I feel pretty good!  The run on Sunday was a chill forty-degrees and so the smartwool socks came in VERY handy.  My toes were still cold when I began running but they warmed up a lot faster than with my regular running socks.



Overall, I am very thankful and pleased with my sock purchase.  For dinner last night, I made my mom's recipe for dinner in a pumpkin, which is a seasonal favorite of mine.  Julia was able to decorate the pumpkin while I prepared the "stuffing." 



Only a mother could love that face!

Here's the recipe:

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 medium pumpkin, cleaned out of pulp and seeds

1 small onion, chopped

2 lbs ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 1/2 cups cooked, brown rice

1 can of cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 can sliced waterchestnuts

1 can sliced mushrooms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the top off of the pumpkin and clean out all the seeds and pulp.  Draw a spooky face on the pumpkin and set aside.  Brown the ground beef and onions.  Drain liquid and add in the remaining ingredients.  Once everything in mixed together, spoon rice/meat mixture into the pumpkin and place lid on pumpkin.  Place pumpkin on cookie sheet and cook in the oven for approximately one hour.  Dinner is served once the pumpkin cooked and easily scrapes off when spooning out the mixture.

Mmmm...

I'm so thankful for great recipes like this one that allow me to serve veggies in new and different ways.  I get a little bored with the traditional side salad or green beans.

I am also grateful that I have found a wonderful partner who enjoys being active.  Every Sunday I go out to watch Alex play softball.  It's a lot of fun to cheer for him :)  Julia and I play catch sometimes while he plays too.  I'm even contemplating dusting off my old glove and practicing my swing...I hear there are co-ed leagues out there. Alex and I have done alright being on a bowling league together.  Would adding softball to the mix be too much?

Do you play sports with your significant other?

Things I shouldn't be thankful for...

It's a funny thing how at the moment when things are happening, you aren't necessarily happy at the situation.  Sometimes it takes distance and time to realize the benefit of it all.  For instance, when you set out for a four mile run to your ring-giver-boyfriend's house and plan to have him give you a ride home.  When you get to his house, he has decided to take a shower and is unable to open the door so you can ask him for a ride home and therefore has doubled your intended run.  I was not thankful for the 8.8 miles I ran yesterday, however today I am kind of proud of myself :) 

It's a good thing I had this!

It's also a good thing disguised as a crappy one when your phone wakes you up an hour early when it decided to adjust for daylight savings time AFTER you made your coffee and got ready to run with the Lake Ridge RidgeRunners.  I was totally irritated because I was loving my sleep after that long run yesterday!  But instead of trying to fit in a pathetic, tiny nap, I had some extra time to blog and I'm always thankful for that :)

Well, it's just about time to get ready for that run with the RidgeRunners!  Running in the cold is not my favorite and there is plenty of frost on the ground so it's a wonderful morning to try out my new Smart Wool socks.  I guess I'm thankful for that (but only if the socks do their job).

What lemons have you turned into lemonade?

Do you love or hate Daylight Savings Time?

When you lack motivation, buy new toys!

Today's thankfulness was delivered by the postman!  If you recall, I don't have the necessary winter running gear and I will definitely need some as I continue to train and run the Hot Chocolate 15k (Dec 3rd!).  I pay myself $1 for every 15 minutes that I exercise and then use that money to treat myself.  I decided to use some of the money that I earned to buy some new running toys:

Moisture-wicking lightweight gloves

Smart Wool socks -- Thanks Laurie!

Amphipod water bottle

I am pretty excited to get out there and test them out!!  I am signing up for the Lake Ridge RidgeRunners 10k on November 20th so hopefully these will come in handy.   The last 10k that I kept track of was the Ukrops Monument 10k (not sure which year) and I completed it in 1:09:46, which is about a 11:13 mile.  I am hoping to get under an 11 minute mile overall for this 10k so I am shooting for under 1:08:21.

I'm also very thankful that I got home before the sun set!




What race are you training for?

How do you reward your fitness efforts?

Thankful Thursday

Julia sleeps with a night light that pretty much lights up her whole room and the hallway to my room.  She woke up at 2am because the beacon went out.  There was some crying and whimpering but eventually she went back to sleep even though the electricity was out.  Even though I was able to go right back to sleep, the quality of interrupted sleep is not nearly as good as as a solid night of sleep and that's why I am thankful for commuter buses (and the government subsidy that pays me to take it).  I love my hour nap to and from work.  LOVE.

It's pretty ridiculous that Alex has asked me questions about how I get to work, like road names etc, and I have no idea what to tell him.  I'm pretty sure that I would start out on 95N but then things get blurry and dark.  Thank goodness for GPS :)  What did we do before?  I don't even own a map.  It doesn't really matter though because me with a map is the same as me without a map.  I'm pretty useless at navigation.

One place I never need directions to is Dairy Queen, especially at this time of the year.  It's a small thing but I'm thankful for their pumpkin pie blizzards.  They are super delicious and if you haven't had one, I highly recommend you go out and try one immediately!

What's your favorite DQ Blizzard?









The joys of Teleworking

Good Evening!  I just got done working from my couch all day.  It's a tough job but someone has to do it, right?  I have been teleworking one day a week for the past couple weeks and there is nothing better.  So that's why it makes the top of my list for things I am thankful for!

Hello, office!

When I first signed in to my computer this morning, I was sitting in my pajamas and ready to start my workday and I couldn't log onto the system.    It was like someone punched me in the stomach :(  There was no way I could have dragged myself into the office after being totally excited about teleworking.  Luckily, a call to the computer guy in our office and I was all set to work from home again!  Yay!

I'm so thankful for being able to go outside for a run on my lunch break when I am working from home.  I love that there is no one at my house but me and the dog so it doesn't matter that I come in from the run and spend the next two hours on the phone in my sweaty running clothes.

Oh, it matters.  Even I don't smell that bad!

My previous runs have been marvelous and I have really been feeling awesome about my pace.  Every good thing comes to an end, I guess.  Today's run was awful.  I usually do 5.5 miles on my break but I could only bring myself to complete 3.33 miles today.  I guess it's all the cookies, fudge, and candy that I have been inhaling the past couple days that made my legs feel like lead.  I literally wanted to stop running as soon as I started but told myself I couldn't wimp out like that, especially since I had so many extra calories to work off!

Finally, I am thankful for having enough time to cook an actual meal for dinner :)  I made a fabulous sweet and spicy pork roast from my Biggest Loser cookbook.

Don't judge me.  I know that's rice AND potatoes on the same plate.   The cheesy broccoli rice was the only vegetable I had to serve.  Maybe you don't mind but my mother would be horrified. 

Do you lounge around in your sweaty workout gear?

Are you judging me for serving two starches in one meal?

A Month of Thanks

Good Afternoon!  Halloween is always a fun holiday for me but not only for the dressing up and candy.  I love Halloween because it is the official kick-off for the holiday season!  I really love Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I have previously mentioned that one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is participating in Turkey Trots.  I also have another tradition that I write three things that I am thankful for each day in November. 

I really love the opportunity to refocus on the great things in life because it is all too easy to complain about what's not right, fair or good.  I'm going to share these on my blog (lucky you!).

Today I am thankful for my treadmill, Japanese peanuts and microwavable meals.  First of all, without my treadmill I wouldn't be as physically fit as I am.  I love my treadmill.  I actually got up this morning at 4:30am and got a tiny three mile run in before getting ready for work.  I have said it too many times to count but if I don't exercise in the morning, it probably isn't happening.  I will not run outside by myself in the dark.  Not happening.  That really limits the window of opportunity to go out for a run during the winter time when you work a full-time on top of being a mommy.

Secondly, I am thankful for Japanese peanuts.  A coworker from Arizona brought these to our office on a visit and I was instantly hooked.  These suckers are good.  They have a hard candy-like shell on them so they are super crunchy and they have the perfect balance of sweet, salty and spicy.  They are definitely one of my favorite snacks after working out!

That's right, Japanese peanuts made in Mexico

Lastly, I'm thankful for microwavable meals.  I would spend hundreds of dollars and gain millions of pounds without them.  It makes life so much easier to just grab one out of the freezer and head off to work.  These meals are already pretty affordable PLUS you can always find coupons for them and they go on sale frequently too.  They are a complete lifesaver for the busy, single mom on a budget!

What are you thankful for?