I'm Afraid of Commitment

For days now, I have been reading on Facebook and blogs about the New Year's Resolutions of others.  There is one goal that I most definitely want to accomplish this year but it's going to be a challenge for me so I'm afraid to officially declare it.  If I don't officially commit, then I can't officially fail, right?

When I first started blogging, part of the motivation behind it was to put my goals in writing and hold myself more accountable for my actions.  So here it goes:

• Run, walk, and/or crawl 1000 miles (approximately 20 miles a week)
• Walk 100 miles with Julia (approximately 2 miles a week)
• Get married!
• Run a half marathon under 2:22:00
• Bring my bowling average up to 120 (haha, baby steps)
• Prepare meatless dinners on Mondays
• Continue to decrease body fat (down to 22%)
• Stay positive by writing in five things I am thankful for every day

There you have it!  I hope you are as excited as I am for this new year!

(FYI:  6 miles on Sunday---994 to go!)

What are your goals?

Is there a goal you would like to suggest for me?

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?

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?

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?









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?