Week 4

This is week 4 of my half marathon training. That means that in 2 months, I will be running my first half marathon. 2 MONTHS!! Is it too early to freak out now. I am sure it is not, but I need to stay grounded so that I can keep training. My training isn't anything more different from what I was doing before, now I am just a bit more focused on getting it done. That is why this weekend was terrible. I really didn't get my cross training in, or my long run, but I did get to work A LOT of hours in 2 days. Makes me glad that I still have 8 weeks to get going. So while I can't do anything about my training getting messed up the last 2 days, I can do my best to make sure that I won't miss another day (well with the exception of my weekend on call when who knows how much I will work). So thanks for stopping by and listening to me. I will do my best to let you know how my training is going, at least every other day.
Happy Monday!!

What I ate Friday

I have decided that quite possibly I don't enough calories in the morning for breakfast. I am not going to over indulge, I just think I need more. I found this awesome, yummy recipe and I made it today. I didn't take any pictures, but if I make it tomorrow I will just to share.
It's called easy mug eggs..
You take 1 12 oz coffee mug and spray it with nonstick cooking spray
Add 2 eggs and 2 Tbsp milk
Mix together and then put in microwave for 45 seconds.
Mix again and microwave another 30-45 seconds (I did 45 seconds)
Then you are supposed to top it with 2 Tbsp of shredded cheese and salt and pepper. I added a dash of pepper, no salt and maybe 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese.
Let me just tell you, it was the easiest tastiest breakfast yet.
I also added 2 pieces of thin wheat bread and I feel like I have eaten enough now to make it to lunch time.
According to my pal Hal, today is a rest day. So, I am going to do housework and homework. Have a great Friday!

Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, and I have to say that for the first time in many years I was at Mass. Not just any Mass, but Mass at 0830..do you have any idea how hard that is to get out of the house and to Church at 0830 with a 14 month old?! I have a lot of respect for my parents who did it with 3 children. Anyway, Makayla was good, she read her Bible, didn't fuss too much, but after the Gospel had had enough. Thankfully, Pop-Pop was there too and he kept her occupied. Because I can, here is a picture from yesterday, when she just HAD to wear my glasses...

January was a good month for me at the gym. I went 12 times, and even made their "awesome" wall. If I can keep it up for 10/12 months, I get a shirt at the end.

I won't get 12 times in this month, but...I am allowed to miss 2 months. So, my goal is to get in as many 12 months sessions as I can in the remaining 10 months ( I only need 8/month to get my insurance to pay for the membership). I know I can do that.
This is my 3rd week of my half marathon training. I have 9 weeks until I ever run a race at 13.1 miles. That distance seems so far away right now, but I know I can do it. If you follow me on twitter/facebook you get to see my workouts posted there. I don't do anything special, I just follow Hal Higdon's novice half marathon training and just tweek it when I have too. But, here is the biggest news. This October will be the First Ever Runner's World Half Marathon in Bethlehem and yours truly signed up to race in! I cannot believe that I did it, but I just signed up for my second half marathon! I wanted to be part of something special, and since this is the First ever and they are expecting 6000 runners, I knew I had to be a part of it. So stay tuned for the many adventures I have ahead of me with training for my first half, to then the adventures of training for my second, and all the stuff in between. Hang on, I am sure it is going to be a bumpy ride!

Hot Fudge Face

This is what happens when you give your child homemade ice cream cake that includes hot fudge...

Needless to say, she loved the cake, loved to wear it (a huge change from her 1st birthday) and I think she loved the bath even more!
Speaking of 14 month old, on Valentine's Day my wee 1 turned 14 months. Here is the monthly picture, although it is getting harder and harder to get her to sit still...

I am not sure if she is falling asleep, or letting me know that she is getting bored. Either way, that was the end of our photo shoot, but a great start to our Valentine's Day. I hope you had a great V-day, I know the best part was spending it with my daughter!

New Bathtub

Since the move that happened 2 weeks ago, my daughter loves taking a bath. No seriously, she really does. I am not sure if it is because she is no longer in a baby tub, or because she is starting to develop or own personality, or well a combo of the 2, but let me just tell you how happy she gets when I tell her it's time to take a bath and to go to Makayla's bathroom. I mean come on, how many 14 month olds get their own bathroom! So, when I tell her it's time for a bath, she runs into her bathroom and stares directly at the faucet wondering why the water isn't coming out yet. Then, when it is time to get in it, she has a fit like she is in her own little swimming pool. Well, I guess to her it is. So, without further ado...

Week recap (Yes, I know it's only Tuesday)

I am supposed to be doing homework, don't worry, I will get it done, but I needed to reflect on this week. I am down another 2.2 #s this week, which puts me at 47.2 pounds loss. My original goal of 50# is soclose, yet I can't seem to get the scale to budge. I will keep trying, don't worry. Monday, I went to a store called Aardvark's and got fitted for running shoes. I learned that when I walk I walk on the outside of my feet, and the running shoes that I had pushed my feet outward more. Explains a lot of the shin pain, AND why my feet hurt so much on Sunday. I cannot wait until Friday to pick them up. (Don't worry, there will be pictures). I guess that officially makes me a runner now, that I am excited about getting new running shoes. Also, I stress out about my Garmin, everytime I walk past it I make sure it is charging. This week is 12 weeks until my first half marathon, and is day 2 of Hal Higdon's game plan. It is also my first run day after a 10K, and my first time trying to find a route at the new apartment. First things first. My legs felt like I was wearing shoes made out of iron and I was trying to run on magnets. It took 2.5 miles (only slated to run 3) just to feel like they were warming up. Oh.my.gawd! I hope this doesn't keep up! But I wouldn't let myself quit. What's 3 miles when you just raced 6.2? Then came the problem of finding 3 miles that was good to run. I found a route, and it had a lot of hills. I am sure I will run it again, but I think my run on Thursday will be on the bike path or somewhere FLAT. I think my legs need something flat. I also need to find a good home video or something to help me stretch (suggestions greatly appreciated).
In running, as in life, you meet some great people. I have met a lot of great people with BCR and I hope that I can consider them friends one day. I owe a lot of my success to them, whenever we do our weekend group runs they are always encouraging me and helping me NOT QUIT. I hope that in my running, I continue to make them proud.
I still can't believe that I have only been running since Sep, and I have completed a 10K and am now training for a half-marathon. Who would have thought it?

Race Recap!

Where do I start with this race. The beginning. It was fa-reezing this morning. There was a firepit advertised, but really, it was more like a smoke pit. Lots of people, not a lot of port-a-potties=long lines. Anyway, the race did not start on time, but when it did, at first there was a false-start. (I think they were trying to get us ready for the game tonight) and then we were off. Up a hill...up a long and gradual hill, but a hill none the less. Let me just tell you, for this race, I started at the back of the pack because I didn't want to start off too fast. Do you have any idea how lonely this race was. I understand it was cold, but really there weren't many spectators there to keep you going. Oh, and did I mention we were on roads that were not closed to traffic. Or, did I mention that some random runner right before the race started and the announcement was made that the roads would be open to traffic kindly told me about a runner in Illinois who was hit while running and is in Intensive care? (No, I forgot to tell you, oh wait, DID NOT calm my nerves at all!) Anyway, at the top of the first hill the road curved to the left and up another gradual hill. I believe mile 1 was seemed to be the fastest mile. Anyway, we continued to weave through a neighborhood and before you know it, the fast runners started on their way back while I was trying to just get to the turn around point. Today was my first experience with water stations, and there were 2 of them. Mile 2 had one, and while I believe only a sip of water actually made it into my mouth, it was actually nice to wear some of it. I know mile 3 was only a mile, but it seemed like it took forever to get there, maybe that is because I knew that was the turn around point. Anyway, the turnaround came and went, and then at mile  4 was another water station. This time, I was greedy and took 2 cups, managed more to drink than wear, and then the pain began. Not like injury pain, not like over training pain, just pain. Pain in my feet at the balls of my feet. It went from the balls of my feet to the toes. What do you do at 4 miles, but I pushed it. I also wanted to make sure that I held myself accountable to all those training runs and run sub 11 minute miles. I know that may not seem fast to you, but I have only been running since Sept '11 and my 2 prior 5Ks were run at paces between 11 and 11:30. I knew I could do faster than that, so I made sure each one of my miles was sub 11. Back to the pain. I couldn't get it off of my mind. I tried to change my music, I tried to turn it up. I tried to lose myself in the scenery. NOTHING worked, but I knew I came to far and worked to hard to give up. Fast forward to mile 5. Couldn't have come soon enough! I don't really remember much about that mile, I just know that it was down hill and the pain in my feet was constant now. Somewhere around mile 6, I ran into my friend Jan from work, which helped me keep going, and shortly after that I ran into my friend Roger, from Breakfast Club Runners. Seeing him at the end always helps me through...this time more so than ever! The pain in my feet was so bad, I was near tears, but I knew I had to finish. I crossed the finish like in 1 hour 6 minutes. A time I was happy happy with, but I know, had I been pain free, I might have been able to go faster. After the race, the line to the club house was way too long, and Pizza was on the menu. Who wants greasy pizza after a run? Not this girl. So, I skipped the pizza, went after the drinks instead and grabbed an apple instead.
Will I run this race again, most definitely! I hope they give better post race food next year. Maybe metals for all finishers? Wishful thinking, yes, I know. Hopefully next year, more spectators, warmer weather.
I give this race an A, but post run B+.
Thanks to my running family and Jacobsburg Park for giving me some insane hills! At least I felt equipped to handle them, albeit slowly!

First race of 2012!

Today, is my first race of 2012. I am sure it won't be my first (well, I know since 1/2 marathon training starts tomorrow) and I am excited to see what 2012 has in store for me. I know it has been a while since I have written. This week has been crazy. The hubs and I have been looking for our next place to live (the lease was ending on our current rental and the space was just not big enough) and this awesome new place was opening. They gave us an offer we couldn't refuse. So, on Wednesday, we moved. My father helped the hubs all day, since I had to work. We are mostly now in our new place, with some of our stuff still at the old place. We go back and forth to move the stuff. Hopefully, soon we will have all of our stuff here. There are some boxes left, and hopefully soon they too will be disappearing. Between the move, school, being a mom and running, there hasn't been much time for anything else. I promise, a new month, I will do my best to get on here some more. Anyway, last night, in honor of my race today, I decided that I wanted to carb load. Well, as you may or may not recall, I am also on a quest to get healthier and lose some weight. I am down 45 pounds so far since May, with my first goal of 50# weight loss knocking on my door. Anyway that is a story for another day. Well, I wanted the carbs, and not the calories, so I tried this Hungry-girl recipe for Fettuccine with Clam sauce. You can get the recipe here. Let me just say, that I didn't know what to expect of tofu, but actually, it was good. To me to tasted like clams, and with only 181 calories and 20 grams of Carbs, it was something I would definitely try again. The hubs, not so much. I had to make him his version with the "normal" noodles.
On this Superbowl Sunday, may the team you want to win-win.  May you feel the love of God, and if you are racing the Superbowl 10K today, may you find the strength to get up all those hills! Have a great day!