Three Things Thursday (8/10/13)

Missed last weeks 'Three Things Thursday'.. oh well.  But I'm back this week!

1.  I attended a wedding a Saturday ago that will be going down in the history books of one of the best I've yet to attend.  I know a wedding doesn't exactly mean anything about the success of that couple or the validity of the union... but this one sure felt like a reflection of the couple.  The ceremony was incredibly funny, yet sincere.  The vows were honest and loving.  The music was fun and personable.  Also, this was a second wedding for one of those getting married, and while I've been to second wedding before... It think they really strike at my heart. 

I guess when I go to first wedding I see the couple involved as in love, but maybe a trite bit silly, or even foolish... I don't say this or even think it per say, but it's there in my subconscious.  Certainly, as my friends get older, I find that I we've all got a little age on our hands and I feel this less and less.  

When I got divorced, I chose to level with the fact that marriage may not be in the cards for me.  I think, in some ways I didn't want that again, but as we saw that beautiful bride walk down the aisle the realness of second chances just broke down for me.  I guess I felt hope.

On a perhaps related note, my boyfriend, who will go by the pseudonym Mack Roberts on this blog, caught the Garter (I missed the bouquet) so read whatever you might into that.  ;)

Blowing the Bride kisses!

2. Marathon is this Sunday (October 13th)

Track Me! HERE  (https://register.athletetracking.net/bacm/index.html )  My 'ungoogle-able' real name is: Er!n M@nthey

I'm kind of nervous, but I know I'm basically ready.  The thing I'm most worried about is my knees giving out, and having to a walk a lot more than I would like.  Though I realized that no matter how good or bad the Chicago Marathon goes, my decision to run has been a good one. 

Running with Mack, he's agreed to do a 5K with me!

3. My cats scratched me this morning leaving quite the mark.  Not surprisingly, at least one student in every class felt the need to comment on that... I'm pretty sure my students think I'm kind of a dork anyway, so I guess it can't be helped.  

Summer Racing Recap

I participated in three major races this summer.  They were all a 'pretty big deal' and in an ideal world would deserve their own recap, but let's be real - that ain't happening.


Annadale Tri

This is the longest triathlon I've completed and I think it's going to stay that way for a while.  It was great to challenge myself, but the reality check is that I'm just not that committed to tri training and I was paying for that 'lack of commitment' during the very hilly bike ride.

That being said, when all is said and done, I'm really nothing but proud of this and a few years ago, none of this would have even crossed my mind, so I guess there's always that.  Also, the parents and the boyfriend came out to cheer me on and none of them seemed to care that I wasn't as quick on the bike or swim.  I think we can call that support.  :)  One more thing, I ran 10 min miles for the run and I'm going to say I'm pretty darn proud that I could pull that off for 5.3 miles after a half mile swim and a 21 mile bike!

That bruise is actually from before the race... but I think it makes me look pretty hard core anyway. 

Cheerleaders (ie Mom and Dad)

YWCA Womens Tri

Love this Tri! Beat my time last year by over 5 mins (1:40:45), despite 'slacking' on the swim (I was slower by a whole 2 seconds from last year).  I really enjoy this tri, the distances are manageable, the course is mostly flat and it's an un-intimidating crowd.  I think I'll keep coming back to it.

Me and my favorite Race Photographer

Splash!

It doesn't look like I'm moving, but I am.

The expression on my face says "I just want this over."

Womens ROCK half

Totally a fun half! This is a was desired repeat race from last year.  My not so public goal was to finish in 2:08, but I knew that was aggressive.  However, I was actually on pace until about mile 10, which is when my knee pain really started to kick in.  I kept pushing though and still did well and got a PR at 2:11:33, or a 10:03 pace.  Also, my 10K split here was 60:13, which would also have been a PR - how cool is that!

Three Things Thursday (9/26/13)

Did you think I wouldn't make it?  did you?  :)

1. A popular wisdom among the saving money blogs is switching to a cheaper or pay-as-you-go cell-phone plan.  So as a iPhone user with a relatively expensive phone plan... I have questioned the value of this choice.  However, I keep coming back to the fact that it's probably worth it's weight in gold to me.  I don't know how many times I've looked something up at the last minute, on the go, or when I least expected it resulting in saving me money and time.  Directions alone could account for major portion of this.  My phone allows me to use groupons with ease, take advantage of other deals, pay bills, find free wifi hotspots and much much more.  Sure... it's a chunk of change each, but for this ADD gal it's been a lifesaver.   

2. Against all odds, I ran 20 miles this Saturday... ok, so maybe that's an exaggeration, but really - I can't believe I did it, and that it went as 'fast' as it did.  11:43 is now my best average for any of the 18+ mile runs I've done.... weird to think that I actually have a few of those now. 


3.  I've been doing what most people would call light strength training, however I think it's quite a lot.  I've even hired a personal trainer, which was definitely a stretch for my budget, but so far I think it's been worth it.  Well I'm not exactly looking like a body builder yet, or benching some sort of extreme weight... I've begun to notice some pretty decent improvements in my ability to lift things... backpacks, boxes, household items and so on.  It use to be hard for me to lift just about anything and now I can do so in many cases with ease.   It's a hard improvement to measure really, but it's nice none the less.

Three Things Thursday (9/19/13)

So I miss blogging... but I don't have time to write long saga type posts, so here's my attempt at making blogging work for me again.  I guarentee nothing though!

1. So many personal finance blogs are geared towards those who make more money than I do.  Often suggesting things that aren't really realistic for us in the middle income bracket.  For instance, this post, while helpful still, suggests things like cancelling 'XM radio' ok, well what if you don't have that in the first place?  Here's a more helpful post that identifies stragies that could work for lower wage earners, though I will say even this does not adequately address people earning minimum wage or not much more who can barely pay rent in the first place.  (yes, so maybe we should raise that already). 

2.  I've self-diagnosed myself with Runner's Knee and it's brought my training to near screaching halt.  It's super annoying and is saping my already waning motivation.  The primary reccomended treatments are to rest and ice... and rest and ice I have.   I've run my '20 miler' already' so I don't know how much I can coast to the finish line, but I guess I'll be trying to coast... I do know I'll be in a corral in Chicago on Oct 13th regardless, and I do I hope I also pass under a Finish line that day too. 

3. Today marks what would have been my 5th wedding anniversary.  Doesn't really settle with me in one way or another... but it's weird to have a day that was meant to hold so much meaning now hold so very little.  It also kind of makes me feel kind of old, while still wishing those were actually longer ago. 

This post needs a picture, so here's my cat (one of them) and my man!

29

Another year.  I officially marked this milestone on Wednesday, which means I share my day with a somewhat sorrowful remembrance.  Don't worry, I don't entertain any feelings of guilt by having a good time on the one day a year I get to call mine, but I'm gracious enough to appreciate those who lost something that day, even if I'm not in favor of every political action following it.

No, I won't be writing 29 goals this year, though you can check out my progress on last years 28 (somewhat of a mixed review, as somethings were totally forgotten about).  That being said, I feel good about what I've done in the last year and in a generally good place in life.  

My twenties are almost over so I'm not sure how I feel about that.  I've noticed that the frequency of questions like "Do you have kids?" has increased, but meanwhile I still get carded fairly often.  So... appearances wise, it depends on the day or even hour.

Running is now a staple in my life as opposed to the new thing I'm trying, I'm not sure at which point I realized it switched, but could of been within the last year.   Though, as I look to next year, it's the first time since I've started that I'm actually looking to scale things back.  Chicago may or may not be my last marathon for a while.  I love the race, but the training is brutal, a fact I manage to forget every time I sign up for another one.  Also on the running front, I've found that I love pacing.  It's a fun way to participate in the race, without having to beat yourself up too much.  I've also gotten a bunch of 'free stuff' in the process.

Well I'm struggling with anything profound to say about my age, but I think you should know I had a lovely date for the occasion, which included a delicious looking steak dinner a $10 glass of wine (I rarely spring for that- luckily it wasn't me springing :).







   

An introduction

So I'll acknowledge that it's been a while since I've graced this blog with my presence.  Do I miss it or am I missed?  I don't know.  I owe you a race recap of the Triathlon I completed  on Sunday, but I want to include some pictures, so there's the hold up.  In the mean time, I have an introduction for you.
__________________________________________________________________

Life gets full.

filled with things that are wanted, and some not so wanted.

and somehow the things you love slip.

... and you find it's been 7 years since you've been camping.

but one day you dust off your camping pots, buy a tent and somehow cram a camping trip into an already full weekend.

why?

maybe it's because life is always about figuring out new priorities

maybe it's because it finally just worked out

... or maybe it's because you met someone who is just as crazy as you.

3 years later

3 years ago - I ran a 5K for the first time.  It was the start of something good.

It would take me a long time to tally all the ways that my life has changed since then, but suffice it to say Running is not the complete list.  So much of it I have shared in this space already, so today I give you numbers and pictures.  

My goal today was to finish in less than 30 minutes, with a dim hope that maybe I could PR too.  The last 5K I did was very flat, so I wasn't sure if I could improve.   I set my garmin up to pace 9:40 (for a sub 30 finish), but my splits were 9:15, 8:54, and 9:11.  I guess 9:40 was off  :)

I ran my first 5K in 36:52 for an 11:53 pace, Today I completed the 5K in 28:32 for a 9:11 pace, meaning I've shaved 2:42/ mile from my original abilities.   I don't think it always works this way for everybody, but to me that 2 minutes and 42 seconds represents a life that's been re-claimed.   I was 75th out of a total 1,242 female participants, which means I'm in the top 10%, that was neither true for me nor something I cared about 3 years ago.  

Some have asked what I've done to get faster, and to be honest I can't put my finger on it completely.  However, all of these things have been done and are likely related.

-I've run more frequently and longer equating to more miles/week
-I've done some strength training
-I've lost nearly 10 lbs

I should probably say that all of these things required me to change things, but those changes were relatively small, and have lead to pretty dramatic changes in my pace.  Which is to say that, never underestimate what you can do with a little things - they add up! 

Feet are ready.

Have to take this picture every year. 

Photo Proof

Delusions of Grandeur

Are you familiar with the strengths finder?  You should be!  It's an awesome tool to help you understand what you excel at.  I bought the assessment for my whole family one Christmas; a gift I'm sure they cherished (well maybe).  The creators realized that people spend more time being told what their weaknesses are then their strengths and perhaps ironically people do better when they focus on their strengths instead.

Mine are:

1. Ideation
2. Strategic
3. Input
4. Significance
5. Adaptability

All of these fit me... but I only want to talk about the one that caught my attention recently.  Significance.  What's that?

People who are especially talented in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.

Okay so when I first read that.. ah, so I'm full of myself? that's a strength?! but I read more.

Because of your strengths, you set definite goals for yourself. These performance objectives allow you to exercise control over the events in your life. They also influence many of the choices you make. It’s very likely that you are determined to be in charge of your own destiny. This is your life. You intend to be the ultimate decision maker regarding personal and professional matters. Instinctively, you seek jobs and assignments that allow you to influence people to do whatever needs to be done. You are eager to be in a position of authority. By nature, you definitely desire to be an influential person. You want to be put in charge of important groups or projects. You pay close attention to the behaviors, processes, or plans you need to perfect, upgrade, or simply do better. Driven by your talents, you understand the proverb “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Instead of choosing the easy and obvious path, you challenge yourself to overreach your goals. With courage and perseverance, you dare to produce exceptional results. You seldom ask for guarantees of success. Instead, you boldly forge ahead toward your desired goals.

Ok, so that sounds better.

There are so many sound bites in this paragraph that I resonate with or have a story for... but I think to sum it up - tangible specific goals work well for me... and I do well under pressure.

So that brings me to running,( like you didn't see that coming?? ) When I first started running... I thought it was pretty awesome that I was exercising period and that I finally found something I could stick with.  I've pursued other sorts of exercise in the past because I thought would be fun: yoga, rock climbing, badminton, and roller blading have all been given a fair shot, but fun doesn't really keep me motivated.  I still like to do those things on occasion still for social reasons and sometimes just to mix it up - but none of them get the attention that running does.  I think the reason is that none of these 'fun activities' drive me, is that at the end of the day fun doesn't really motivate me.  I'm actually sort of wondering if fun motivates people at all really?

Anyway, a couple years ago I got it in my mind that I would run a sub 30 5K... it seemed like a good way to legitimize what I was doing with running and I knew it would be hard too.  (at that time my best 5K was around 33 mins, with the average being closer 35).  I've been making a serious effort, but my PR remained 31:30 .  Anyway, a few weeks ago my work sponsored a 5K and I really only signed up for 'social and professional' reasons.  However, after my stellar 10K - I knew this could be it..... and it was!  

So I started off running really fast in the race... and my self talk was like "you are not going to be able to hold this - you need to slow down", but then I just kept telling myself ... "it's only a 5K... you don't have to go much longer"  Final time: 28:42  (9:15 pace)

Initially, just completing a 5K was unfathomable.  Considering I was far from an athlete in highschool and the farthest I was expected to run before this was a 1.5 mile run for gym class... A run which I vaguely remember having a slower pace than 12 min mile pace.  But I did that, and then I wanted to overcome longer distances and now I've done a marathon (well 2 actually).  Then I wanted to add in other sports and did a Tri.  When I finished the Tri at a better than expected pace... it occurred to me - that I could be fast (mind you I was still in the back half at this point).  I did well time wise at the Women Rock too and at the TC marathon I beat my first marathon time by over 40 minutes.  And then, this spring at the Securian 5K - it was the first time I finished in the front half for my age group.

So I've achieved all these things with running... and now you know what it makes me want to do - acheive more!  It's like I can't help it.  The next big goal:  'beat Oprah' in the marathon.  That would be a time of 4:29:20.  Race predictors have me coming in 10 mins slower based on my (new) 5K time, so it's a challenge... but I think that's my whole point.

To reiterate my initial sentiment, I strongly encourage you to learn about your own strengths.  The discovery has proved a powerful directive for me.

Thoughts down River Road

Yep, still alive and still running.  Blogging has fallen off my radar lately, and suffice it to say it hasn't totally been missed.  I don't have a plan or prediction on what I'll do next on the blog - so I'm just letting it be and seeing what comes of it.

My rather belated news is that Tony and I's relationship met it's expiration date (about 3 months back) and I think the writing was on the wall some time before that.  Unlike my ex-husband, there aren't any scathing stories to report and it sounds a little trite in my opinion, but I simply think we weren't a very good match - no matter how good of friends we made (and for what it's worth - still make).

It's fair to say, I'm more of a numbers than a words person, but I've always appreciated those who are crafty with the latter.  I don't fancy myself 'a writer', but I like poetry and have made a few stabs at it in the past.  As I was out on my bike today... the words for this came to me, and without giving too much away... the ideas here aren't concise to one person or place. Oh and perhaps at the inspiration of my Grandma Sharon - it rhymes.  


a path I've come to know is

down the river road

it's familiarity meets me strangely

which makes all the motion slowed


a life has its trials

and my feet remind me I'm able

to press on through many things

to find what is stable.


there are men on the path too

running with their tops unclothed

and of course I'm free to look

but it's not what I want showed


my demands are proving too high

though what I hope for isn't perfection

and so I'll tell you with a sigh

I guess it's called a connection

Two new 10s

10 mile trail

I ran my second ever 10 mile race on April 13th this year.  It had snowed beforehand the trail was not cleared; it was more like a 10 mile trudge.  40% of the registrants didn't even show, not sure I blame them.  The good news is that it was still a PR for me... the bad was that it was no where near where I would want to be for this distance.. my half marathon PR is still at a better pace... but conditions as they were I'm pretty proud of myself for just showing up.  

Also, on deck, was my first ever 10K.  I ran the popular Get in Gear: Rite of Spring on April 27th.  As opposed to two weeks earlier, it was a perfect day.  On my 28 for 28 goals list - I wanted to have a sub 60 10K.  Perhaps an odd goal, since I've yet to get the sub 30 5K.  For this race, I would have been satisfied with anything under 1:05.  Anyway, my finish time was 60:36. - for a 9:46 pace!!  Last year, I ran Get Lucky  7K at an 11:10 pace... which means I've shaved 1:24 off my overall pace in the last year for a similar distance.  Now I just need to figure out how to shave those last 36 seconds, which is less than 6 seconds per mile.   One thing that wasn't good about this race, is that my splits were somewhat uneven.  Mile 2 was a 9:00 mile, Mile 3 was a 10:22 mile.  Basically, I paid for that 9:00 minute mile.  I think if I can just even out these splits I might just find those 36 seconds, so here's to that! 

Dietbet recap

As I mentioned in an earlier post - I decided to commit to a dietbet.  I did so with some reservations, as I'm not a huge promoter of dieting per se.... but I did need to kick my healthy eating into gear and this provided the motivation that I was looking for.  For the record I was 0.3 lbs shy of my goal on the final weigh-in day... which was annoying to say the least, but obviously I still achieved the more general goal of losing weight.  Also, it's a week late, but I did step on scale yesterday to see that I had lost those additional 0.3 lbs (plus some).  I still have a couple more lbs I would like to lose before I'm 'done', but I'm under no strict timeline for that and don't intend to dietbet again anytime soon.

I appreciated the push (or shove?) provided by dietbet though.  At first I was attempting to micro manage my caloric intake but this was not something I loved and admit-ably after one week of strict calorie monitoring, I gave up on it and focused on more generalized healthy eating.  I know this practice doesn't work for everybody, but I felt the hyperactive monitoring was driving me batty.   Though, I did establish some monitor-able tasks for myself.   I've found that goals are best achieved when there are steps to take.  I only dined at a fast food establishment once and drank a lot more water.  I avoided alcohol by keeping it strictly to social outings.  I ate until I was satisfied but not stuffed, and I tried to make the foods I was filling up on more healthy in the first place.  I made a point to have healthy snacks available and ate more frequently throughout the day so that my electrolyte level didn't drop, which usually ends in a desperate need for Taco Bell :).    I also ran and exercised but this is consistent with what I normally do.

That being said I have mixed feelings about it and not just because I didn't win the money.  Because this was (thankfully) my first experience with dieting...I've never truly been aware of how hard it is too lose weight.  I tip my hat to anyone who has lost consistently for much longer than a month.  Maintenance is soo much easier by my account.  While I've seen my friends have both big success with weight loss, I've also seen disappointment (sometimes by the same people.)  I'm not an expert on any of this by any means, but  I do think the disappointment is often related to perceived external pressure (such as dietbet) which could very well be an unnecessary part of the equation.  Also, I think the problem with dieting is that it doesn't feel very natural.  I want to eat what I want to eat... I don't want to put it on a scale or scan it on my phone first.  I'm beyond thankful my body is generally very good at telling me when I'm sated and that through practice I find myself craving vegetables and water as opposed to wine and cheese... or at least I can balance it.  I think the pressure of the world is fierce and often clouds from truly knowing our authentic self.  I think if we could sidestep externalities, we would all hear our bodies more clearly... and find that they are wanting nutrients and movement... as opposed to chemicals and carbs.

Okay, and one more thing.  I hope it's a given, but just in case it's not I firmly believe there is no universal rule on what weight or dress size you should be, and that while bmi might be an interesting formula it is up to you to decide what your desired weight should be.  That being said there are many health concerns linked to obesity and anyone who wants to move away from that deserves a few words of encouragement.  Though in saying that it is still the individual's choice to want or not.

Racing and Pacing

Racing

So I completed my first race with the MDRA.  I joined the Minnesota Distance Running Association earlier this year when I learned that I could save money on races.  I paid $25 for the membership, and thus $0 for the race entry to the Lake Johanna 4 Miler.  I could run another 'free' race tomorrow, but I think I'm going to cool it... much to much to do.   I will still be running, but it's much easier to start a run from my house.  

No BIG recap here, but there are some highlights!

-FIRST race of a 4 mile distance (largely because it's the only one I know of with this distance)

-FASTEST race ever, had this been a 5K - I would have PRed.   The official clock malfunctioned, but my garmin time was 40:39 (4.05mi) which results in 10:02 min/mile average pace.

Ran pretty fast towards the finish line!

-HILLS were many on this course, and I'm happy to say my splits were still pretty even in-spite of it: (9:58, 10:12. 10:00, 10:03)

-MET @steveinaspeedo who was MDRA Grand Prix winner last year and blog's here

Pacing

As I mentioned in an earlier post - I will be pacing my first race.  For those of you who might not be familiar  pacing it means running the race at defined finish time allowing for others to follow along so they can achieve their desired goal.  I will be pacing the Eau Claire Half marathon at the 2:30 finish time.  A 2:30 marathon translates to 11:27 min miles, but since most people run farther than 13.1 miles in race I will be averaging 11:22 (as to do 13.2 miles).  When I allow for room to take walk breaks at the water stops, I need to be running at a 11:06 pace.  I've used a spreadsheet to figure all this out (nerd alert!).  Anyway, I tried to do a 'pace run' and it was surprisingly challenging to adjust.  I actually was 'too fast'... which is naturally better than too slow, but I will have to keep figuring out how to adjust.  I plan to do a similar but longer 'pace run' this weekend.   Again, any advice on the pacing front is welcome!

Ran-bunctious!

The Biggest Loser

Despite all the drama and stupidity, I still find myself watching the Biggest Loser.  I get attached to people and wanting to cheer them on.  As far as the trainers go, I'm not always thrilled with Jillian's approach, but I think she knows her stuff and deep down really cares about the contestants.  The show likes to primarily focus on the gym drama and show the trainers screaming "Do more!"  and "Last Chance Workout!" but in a rare turn of events actual details of their workouts were given.  Jillian wanted the contestants to run for 5 mins at a 1% incline at 6mph.  They were giving up, like they sometimes do, and it made me wonder if I could do that.  So I got on my friends treadmill in Jeans, Sweater and stocking feet no less... and set it up to the proper settings.  Guess what?! I can... and well it was pretty easy.  So anyway, I'm in better shape than the obese which I suppose is nothing to brag about, but I thought it was sort of a relief.

Pacing a Half ?

I got picked! (or I was the only one who volunteered) to pace a half marathon.  I'm super excited and super freaked out all at the same time.  I will be pacing the 2:30 group for the Eau Claire Half on May 5th... remember last year when that was my goal and yes, I made it... but I sort-of wish I had a little more comfort room between my abilities and the pace I'm required to keep.  Also, I would love to hear anything about what you would recommend for this task.  I'm all ears right now.   

100 % Irish for a Day

So in actuality I'm about 6.25% Irish, but my name is Erin and it means Ireland... So of course I can endorse the spirit that encourages people to shout "Erin Go Bragh!" (or Ireland forever).  At any rate I ran a 5K called "100% Irish for a day".... it was horribly wet weather and there were literally path wide puddles to be dodged and dealt with.   It very crowded too, so in some ways that made it low pressure.  However, I still ran my second best stand alone 5K - 32:26, which to be fair is the time off my Garmin, as it was not a chip timed event.  The only slightly annoying thing is that I wasn't too far off of a PR, and it makes me wonder if it had been better weather conditions would I have gotten it.  Oh well, sort of a waste of time to speculate anyway.  There will be another race. 

Last Weeks Eats (2/23/13 -3/1/13)

This week I didn't cook much or take many photos... but here's a few shots anyway!

White Chicken Chili and Bread from Claddaugh Coffee this local and awesome coffee shop - I love!

Food from my friend Christine's wedding I went to last Saturday

Dessert from Dinner with Amanda.  We each only had a few bites - very rich!

In Defense of DietBet

So the pot for the PriorFatGirl Diet Bet basically went viral and as of last I checked was up to $7280!!  I am not usually one to join up with these types of things... but the big pot of money had me going.  Also, I stepped on the scale recently to see a number I have never seen before, and that came with the reality check that I might have to do more than wish for the number to change.  Yes, I know I'm still a relatively small girl, and some people might be bothered that I'm trying to lose weight at all... but allow me to speak my case.

Diet Bet is 'only' a 4% weight loss, so I will have to lose around 5lbs in month, It's an aggressive goal, but not an impossible one.  Here's some facts around this:    
 
1) I'm 7 lbs heavier than I was last fall, and about 10lbs more than I would ideally be.

2) I'm about 20 lbs more than my thinnest as an adult... now granted that was 5ish years ago and I have no intention of getting back to that weight... but I know I have room to 'safely' lose.

3) I have some basic eating habits that I want to alter (too much wine and too much fast food) My primary goal is to nip those in the bud... and secondary is too lose 5 lbs.  I haven't lost perspective here.

4) I don't think there is anything wrong with making a case for small weight loss... I think choosing small weight loss is probably one way to prevent having to deal with dramatic weight loss later.      

5) It's a max $20 loss, and my priorities are set enough that if it's a choice between fueling properly for running and losing weight I will fuel properly.  I don't intend to 'starve myself' or live off rabbit food.

6) I have zero history of eating disorders (I mean no shame to anyone who has struggled with this)

7) All of my once fitting pants are now creating the 'muffin top' effect and several are unwearable.  I don't love how this looks or feels...  and I'm cheap enough that I'd rather not have to replace my wardrobe. 

8) I'm still more interested in toning and a better figure... if I can get that without the number on the scale budging... than I would be satisfied.  (Though I think the two goals are congruous)

9) I think I'm worth having the body I want.  This decision is coming from a place of self-acceptance, not self-blame or shame.  I know I could eat better and look better and I owe it to myself to try.  I like who I am now, and that means believing I can grow too!   

Alright, Do I have you on my side?

Yes?

Then go cheer me on!  I want to make some money!

Last Weeks Eats (2/16 - 2/22)

Well I didn't lie... I knew this would be hard for me to keep up with, but here's the eats... almost a week late. I'm going to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good and post this anyway.

yummy healthy wrap inspired by Falon's fb page

Healthy snacking at school

gorgeous homemade pizza

Dessert made with pureed frozen bananas.  I was skeptical, but frozen banana are awesome! This actually tasted like a dessert.

Quinoa, Red Peppers, Kidney Beans and Feta simmered in a broth.   The broth is key.

Above mixture with Spring Mix Greens and Black Olives on top.

Results of baking endeavors with friends.  The only thing I was actually responsible for here was the dicing the maraschino cherries and unwrapping the chocolate kisses. A small but noble role :).

Overall, a good week!  

Last Weeks Eats (2/9/13 - 2/15/13)

It's true, for a blog with food in the name there hasn't been a lot of food on here lately.  The truth is recipe posts are some of my most time consuming to write and often generate the least feedback (even if they get a lot of traffic) However, I do miss the food element on here and thought I would try to bring it back a little with "last weeks eats".  I will try to summarize my food ventures in pictures and words on a weekly basis.  In this way, I can share recipes and food ideas along the way.   I make no promises on my commitments here, but the idea is obviously to post weekly, but I avoided naming the series after a specific day so I can post them a little more ad-hoc... but hoping for the weekend after.  Again, no promises.

In other news... my regular food consumption could be best described as all over the map... and that will likely be reflected in the pictures.   

So on that note... we had Chinese Buffet Gourmet on Saturday and it was delicious.  Neither Tony or I are big fans of the fortune cookies, but we do like to read the fortunes (who doesn't?).  Look what Tony's was:

Three times a week, treat yourself to dessert

hmm...and with that I treated myself to fro-yo... Nothing wrong with co-opting fortunes.

 We then went to costco (with Tony's mom) and bought a TON of food.  Which gave us everything and more that we needed to make breakfast burritos.  We make them a little different each time, but they are basically a staple around here. We make enough for leftovers for the rest of the week. 



However I did have this for breakfast one morning too.  It was small but satisfying. 

Bread w/butter, fruit, coffee

I used to make Chicken and Rice frequently, but then I forgot about if for a while.  It's so easy and delicious.  This will totally be re-introduced into rotation. 

Chicken and Rice

Nothing like good ol' hamburger helper.  I used to think this is prime time eating in college, but I believe that's a little lost on me now.  The truth remains that it's easy to make, and food snobs aside - totally edible.  I threw in a side salad to make it balanced and there you go.     

Well, wasn't that exciting!  Obviously I didn't take pictures of everything that passed my lips.  I try to keep this remotely interesting.  Tony took me to Fogo De Chao on V-day (which was 2/9 for us), and yes I did make my weekly trek to Taco Bell.  They have these new things called something grillers...which lived up to their $1.29 price tag :)!      

Honestly, I'm not thrilled with this week health wise, though it could always be worse.  Perhaps related, I have class two nights a week from 6pm to 9:20pm.  Between that and homework, it's been hard to find ample time around meals to cook.  We've been doing a lot of quick fix foods, leftovers and admit-ably fast food.  The first time I went to college I ate like crap all the time, so I'm trying to avoid that, but also allowing myself to be human.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I hope this 2.14 finds you well, no matter your relationship status.  I had a good but busy day, and was in class until 9:20pm tonight.  I like everything I get to do, but I think it might be a little too much some times.  I guess there are worse things.

I have to say I was all settled in for just appreciating  a day that celebrates love and not needing any sort of 'materialistic adornments".... and while I really believe in that; I was overwhelmed by the generosity of many.  My parents sent me a card with a subway gift card earlier this week.  My friend C sent me two cards, one was under the guise of being sent from the cats (which was corny, but cute and creative too).  And to top it off Tony got me these:

  
  We celebrated early, due to time constraints on the 'official day'... but he still thought a little sentiment was in order... :).

Anyway, I read this earlier on a blog I like and thought it summed things up well.

"You don't need a partner, a child or a best friend to have a Valentines Day. You need an open heart and a willingness to receive good thoughts from any which direction."  J-Stephens-Couture 

Also, here's my cats with some virtual snuggles to send your way.  (from when they were babies)

Source: Uploaded by user via Erin on Pinterest

 Aren't they just love?

#runchat Recap

Has anyone here tried to participate in a twitter chat and failed?

I have, I always get super lost with what is going and can barely participate in the conversation.  However, I did some looking and found www.tweetchat.com which really helped me stay on track with the convo.  Obviously, I couldn't read everything, but it was a little easier to see what was happening.  I'd love more hints on how to have success with twitter.  

Anyway, I finally participate in #runchat, and it was pretty awesome.  Basically @iRunnerBlog and @RunningBecause throw out 5 questions and the #runchat community answers those questions.  

Here are the questions and my answers .. as well as other thoughts.  

Q1:  from by @OneFootThere: If you could pick a company to sponsor you, which one and why?

A1 Saucony, so I never have to buy shoes again... and I've loved my first two pairs

Basically, the idea of sponsorship for a slowish 'nobody' like me is pretty far-fetched.  However, having some free shoes would be pretty awesome, in retrospect though I would rather have my race-fees covered as those are the most expensive.  

Q2: is from @Shawnegreer: What is your most difficult distance to get a personal best time and why?

A2:   I PRed a few distances lasty year including 5K, but I still think it's my nemesis, more misses than hits

Ya'll know I want me a sub 30 5K... which has proved to be quite difficult.  Though, I did still PR one of my 5Ks last year.  As a side note, I really haven't done enough of any of the other distances to establish a lot of patterns.  

Q3: from our great friend @BartYasso: What is your favorite marathon or half marathon? Why?

A3:  I've only done TC marathon, my favorite half is WomensROCK - too much fun! 

TC marathon is my only marathon... but as biased as my opinion may be - it was totally awesome!  I've only done two halves as well, but again WomensROCK was awesome!  LOL - aren't you glad you come here for my well-thought out opinions.  

Q4: from @TimLaBrecque: Do you find it harder to run with or without music? Why?

A4:  I mostly run without, but it's partially because I'm to lazy to track down my ipod

Part of the problem is I have one of those big ipods and it's too awkward to carry while I run.  I don't mind running outside without a soundtrack, because I enjoy the scenery, but on the treadmill, I'm in need of some tunes.  Luckily, my mom gave me her ipod shuffle that she wasn't using, but now I need to create a appropriate running playlist.  I got these suggestions from  @RFKGuide2Runnin which looks like a good start.  However, what are your suggestions?  Even though my normal music likes are more mellow, I enjoy music that has a pretty good base beat when I run.  

Q5: from @26point2miles: What was your very first race? Have you done it since? What made it special?

A5:  first race was heartbeat 5000 5K, it was great and I have and would do it again

Some of the runchat-ers ran their first races in grade school... nothing like that fact to make you feel a little behind.  Well, all that matters is that you start.

Not sure if tweet chatting is totally my thing yet, but this #runchat sure is fun.  Join me (and a bunch of others) at 8pm Eastern on the second and fourth Sunday of every month

Surviving the Winter Running Scene

Normally, I consider myself a pretty tough cookie when it comes to the cold weather; I was born and raised in Minnesota after all, but these sub zero temps have not been my friend.  I've done just about everything to avoid them: basement treadmill, guesting at my mom's gym, my work's wellness center and running at the metrodome.  However, I did sign up for a 5K, and I decided I better suck it up and get my money's worth.  I've done one other winter 5K, and to be honest, I didn't love it.  So I braced myself for this one.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by a few nice factors.  Securian, the company sponsor for the race, did a really nice job of running the show.  Packet Pick-up was easy, free parking with skyway access to the start (so I didn't have to walk outside), and the swag was pretty good too.  Best of all, they had plenty of space inside for people to stay warm up until moments before the race began and get back inside moments afterward.

This race had a half marathon and 10K option as well, but I went with the 5K for a couple reasons.  1) It's freakin' cold here, so the 5K is the safe bet.  2) I want to do as many 5Ks as possible this year to increase my chances of a sub 30.  I realized a flaw in my last years plan was only signing up for only one 'serious' 5K.  Technically, I did 5 all together, but 2 were completely social, 1 was spontaneous, and 1 was more of a work function.  That last one was also at 4pm less than a week after my first half too, so not great timing.  Anyway, this year, lots of 5Ks and some other stuff too.

at the start 

The course runs through the downtown Saint Paul.  I've done a number of downtown Minneapolis runs, but none yet in Saint Paul.  The TC marathon ends at the capital which is just shy of downtown.  I felt like we were weaving and winding all over, but after looking at the actual course map, that might of been partially in my head.  What I will say affirmatively is that there were a lot of hills, both up and down.  I guess I didn't love that... reminded me that I could try re-visiting that whole idea about hill training.

After the marathon last fall, I took a pretty easy approach to fall/winter running.  While I enjoyed the time off, I'm naturally not quite in peak condition yet.  So for this race I just wanted to be under 35 mins.  My garmin was all sorts of wonky due to the temperature I assume, so I'm glad this race was chip timed.  As I approached the finish the most prominent clock said 43:XX ... which seemed fishy... it took me until after I finished and looked around a bit to realize it was the clock for the halfers and the 5K clock was in a different place.  However, I was able to check my time at a computer station immediately after the race (Did I mention this race was well run?) and found out I got 33:53.  It's not a PR, but still pretty good for me.  Even better, I was 23 out of 55 for my age/gender division (F20-29), which means I'm in the front half, so that's nice too.

This was great race to start 2013 with, I will be bookmarking this one for future years.

about to finish!

13 things I don't need to change in 2013

So this was in part inspired by this awesome post on Falon's great blog.  Credit where credit is due.

Anyway, everyone's enjoying writing there new year's resolutions and while I'm still working on my goals from 28 for 28, I've been thinking about how sometimes this blog is a reflection on the best parts of my life and not so much the mildly bad to middling parts.  Naturally, it's more fun to talk about the aforementioned fun parts, but suffice it to say I'm not perfect, and I'll probably stay that way. 

So, without further ado: 

1.  I have neither an organized nor well decorated home.   

2.  I procrastinate everything.  

3.  I have a mild case of (yes, clinical) ADD and am constantly forgetting my keys, my hat, my gloves, to wear a seat belt (getting better here) and losing things.  Some of those things have been quite expensive.

4.   I'm addicted to coffee 

5.  I love like wine. 

6.  I don't drive a fancy car.  

7.  I'm a cat lady.  Because cats are awesome! 

Eating string, like all the cool cats do (Spice)

Sugar

Kenya 

8.  I'm not a huge fan of the Princess Bride (It was okay, but I think I was too old when I watched it for the first time)

9.  If it weren't for endurance sports... I'd basically never exercise.  I really don't like the gym.  

10.  Perhaps related to 5 and 9, I do not have a toned stomach.

11.  Pizza, Quesadillas and Burgers are among my favorite foods.   

12.  I'm very much an omnivore.  

13. My blog isn't incredibly popular or even close.  

Me just being me

So, when I was piecing this together ... I totally wanted to add the "not so hot" tri photo to epitomize my humanness   ... but you know - I actually don't look half bad.  I don't think I'll being going for the hairless latex look, or that my stark white tummy is my best feature... but hey if this is the worst of it - I should be effin' proud.  

So there's a few things on this list that maybe I could/ should change... and maybe that will happen one day when it's supposed to.  There's also a handful that I'm secretly proud of.  But mostly, I'm content with things how they are.  

This blog is mostly for me, but there's a very important underlying message that 'everyone' can benefit from.  

It's okay to be okay. 

Go with that.

UPDATE: Tony thinks I should give Princess Bride another chance.