Please please please, don't let me get sick...

Today has not  been so good. I woke up with a really tight lower back, and thought a nice 4 mile run would be good. I was wrong. My legs were tired, my back hurt, I was cold, my head hurt, and I was just not feeling it. So I did 2 miles, freaked out to JJ a little bit, had some oatmeal, then crawled back in bed and slept until lunch time.

I needed some caffeine, so I went out and got a coffee and then made some leftover soup.

I started to do some housework, but again, my head was pounding, I was getting heat flashes then chills, and it was just all around bad. I spent the whole afternoon laying on the couch. I really don't want to get sick, but I'm just not feeling well. I'm going to do everything I can to keep myself healthy and in good spirits this week. I really, really can't get sick!!!

For an afternoon snack, I had an apple and a new flavor of Stonyfield Farms yogurt, Maple Vanilla. It was delicious, not too maple-y, just enough to taste good but not too sweet.

For dinner, I had a quinoa-pomegranate salad and teryiaki tofu kebobs. It was a healthy food day, hopefully all of the nutrients and vitamins will keep me from getting sick.

I really appreciate all of your encouraging comments for the half. At this point, I'm excited for it, but ready for it to happen and then for the 15k and then to get back to normal. I like running far because it makes me proud and it makes me feel strong, but it's not good for weight loss. I want to fuel for the runs, but knowing a larabar, cliff gel and gatorade is 400 calories throws me off. I want to figure it into my daily calories, but it's different because I burn so many calories running. But I want those to help me lose weight... it's justs really confusing and I'm torn all of the time on weight loss vs. fueling to run far and fast. And then do I take more rest days and eat less, or do I keep working out and run the risk of having tired legs...

It's too much to think about. 2 more weeks. My brain hurts, I'm going to bed!

Goodnight!

Nervous!

Thank you all for your running vibes this morning! I honestly thought of everyone in the bloggosphere when I was struggling to keep going!

So let's see...

Obviously, I started out with a great attitude, really excited, ready to go.

But then around mile 2, it just wasn't clicking, and I knew it was going to be a rough run. I came this.close to breaking down in tears and stopping. It was not pretty.

I made a few mistakes, you see.

1. I had Mama Fu's for dinner last night - Spring Rolls, Spicy Green Beans, and Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Those things do not sit well in the stomach on a run the next morning. I had some serious heart burn.

2. I put sunscreen moisturizer on my face before I went for the run. This caused me to sweat a lot more than usual, and it was slimey.

When I got to mile 4, I thought to myself ok, 4 more miles, and then I get to see JJ. And get some G2 and a cliff gel, I'll feel better, I know I will. Just knowing I'd see JJ really helped me keep going. I think, for some reason, I lacked some motivation today. I'm really hoping that for the half, just being in Disney with a tons of other ladies and Crissy will help me keep the strength and determination up.

So, finally, around 7.4 in, I got to the elementary school parking lot, and there was my wonderful husband with the gel, G2 and the camera! What a good little blogger's-husband!

For some reason I had the hardest time keeping a steady (but much elevated) heartrate today. I felt like I was out of breath and my heart was going to jump out of my chest. When I got to JJ, I walked around the car a few times to slow my heartrate down, then I took the cliff shot in 3 bites, and followed it with the G2. It was like a liquified gummy bear, not bad, not great... Then I took off again. After about 30 seconds, I got a little side stitch, so I walked for about a minute, then got back to running. I can't tell if it really helped, maybe if I did go for 3 more miles, having the Cliff Shot would make a difference, but I didn't feel any different for the next 2.5 miles. I'm going to plan on having on during the half, just because it might give me an extra push the last 3 miles.

So I kept going and going, when I got to our neighborhood, it was starting to rain. And I was tired. I just didn't have the heart to keep going. My legs actually were very tired, so I stopped at 10 miles. I didn't do 11.34. Though I think, if I had to, and it was the half marathon, I could keep going for sure. I think. I'm going to need some serious pep talks this week....  I just feel so spent.

So when I stopped the iPod, somehow I hit the off button or something weird happened, and it didn't even track my run!!! I am SO MAD! I am getting so close to the next Nike+ level, and that was 10 miles that went unrecorded! So these 2 photos reflect that... and I look awful, but this is how I feel about Nike+ and my iPod right now.

So after that, I ate some breakfast, a Pom Chobani, and some G2 and water.

Then I think between the run, the cold weather, the sweat, and the exhaustion, I FROZE! So I took the space heater in the bathroom because it warms up so fast, and sat on the floor in there for 30 minutes while stretching. I know, it's probably weird, but oh well. At this point, you all know I'm weird, right? :)

I stopped by Starbucks and grabbed a Venti Soy Misto. Did my weekly food shop, and started to clean the house a bit.

Around noon, I decided to make some lunch. I was still freezing, so a pot of soup sounded fabulous. I really wanted some Suppe Toscana because I had a giant bag of kale, but I didn't have and sausage (nor did I want it), so I did a spin off. Here are the delicious ingredients...

And here is what I came up with!

In the pot was:

1 yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1/2 cup quinoa

2 medium potatoes

1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

8 cups kale leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. ground fennel seed

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. oregano

This pot of soup had about 850 calories in it, and I had about 1/3 of the pot. It was delicious and so so so healthy!

After lunch my co-worker came over so his wife could look at my old car, and they bought it! I'm so happy to be rid of that car once and for all.

Then I went over to the Jetta dealership to have my car detailed. It looks beautiful now! I'm so happy I got it, it's only been a week, but I'm so in love with Frau! I ran a few more errands, contemplated getting some fro-yo, but remembered I had caramel oikos at home, so I resisted.

For dinner I made polenta, fried eggs and a mushroom/pepper mixture. I'm going to be blogging it on A Year in the Kitchen, so if you're interested, check it out! It was my version of breakfast for dinner I suppose!

So now I'm just hanging out with the dogs and playing... don't laugh... Zoo Tycoon :)  JJ got it for me a few years ago because I was in a computer game phase, and I haven't played it in so long.

Of course I'm enjoying my oikos, apples and tea while playing :)

So to wrap up today... it's been rough. My run wasn't what I wanted it to be, but at the same time, I have confidence I'll make it through the half next week. But I am a little scared. I think that's natural though. I remember being really nervous for my first 5k and 10k races, but I did it. So I know I can do it....but I'm still nervous.

REALLY ready to run!

Ok, 20 minutes to go....

I've eaten half the Larabar (100 calories of nuts, fruit) and had a cup of water.

JJ is going to meet me at mile 7 with my cliff shot and some watered down G2.

I've got my playlist ready....

and I mapped my run!

I know, my playlist has some good 'running' music, but sometimes I like to have some mellow stuff to just calm myself down with. I can't stay hyped up for 2 hours. When I need a boost, I switch songs, but I also like to have some calming stuff to just kind of keep it going...
Alright, 6:45... I'm out. Send me your good run vibes :)

Ready to Run!

So tomorrow morning is my last long run before the Half Marathon in Disney.

I'm excited, but a little nervous. It has been fun getting myself prepared for this, but at the same time, I'm ready to do it! And not that I want it to be over with, but it's consuming my thoughts quite a bit. I just keep hearing from people that it's 10% physical and 90% mental. I think I've almost got the physical part down, and I'm really positive and sure of myself, so mentally I think I'm there.

Tomorrow's run should help seal the deal in my mind. I'm shooting for 11 miles. I'm going to have JJ meet me aroung my 6-7 mile mark with some watered down Gatorade and a Cliff Shot. Hopefully my stomach won't go wonky on me and I'll survive. If not, where I reach 8 miles is past my street, so I can run home if I need to, but I'm hoping to complete another loop and do the 11-ish miles.

My plan is to get to bed around 10, wake up at 6, eat the Larabar and then wait until a little before 7am to go on my run. This won't exactly simulate next weekend's run, but it's as close as I can do.

After reading through all of the literature, I have to be up at 3:30 am, then be on the bus by 4am to get over to the staging area around 4:30, then it's a 20 minute walk to my corral, which I have to be in by 5:30 and the race will start around 6am. So I'll have 2.5 hours of wakeful time before the race. Makes me a little nervous, but it's similar to the Thanksgiving 10k I do each year.
I know the electricity and excitement will keep me going next weekend, but it does worry me a little, I'm not going to lie!
Ok, I'm off to bed. I'm excited! (but scared...eek!)

Everyday Oats, Bridges, and My Most Favorite Dinner...

So yesterday's post was pretty lame. I was just so tired though. I love blogging, but sometimes I just want to go to bed. However, it was my New Year's Resolution to blog daily, and I'm almost two months in. I'm not going to stop now!

So I've blogged about eating my everyday oats often, but never posted the recipes. To make up for yesterday's lame post, I have decided to give out a bonus oatmeal recipe! I was going to save this for October's Oats of the Month, but oh well! I'll have to think of something new!

I also got a new bag of Fair Trade Coffee last week, the Hope & Justice blend. It's a shade-grown blend of coffees from Cooperatives in Mexico and Colombia. It's pretty dark, and very delicious! It's only sold in the ground form (I prefer whole bean), but I take what I can get!

Pumpkin Spice Oats

Makes 6 servings

5 cups water

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree

3 tbsp. brown sugar or organic cane sugar

1 1/2 cups soy/skim milk, divided

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, whisk in oats.

Bring to a simmer, turn heat to medium-low, continue to whisk and cook for 30 minutes.

Turn heat off, whisk in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin and sugar.

Pour into a large dish, refrigerate.

To serve, portion out 1/6 of the oats, microwave for 2 minutes, covered.

Stir in 1/4 cup milk and enjoy!

Below is an example of how I score my oatmeal with a knife so I know what the correct portion to scoop out is each morning!

There are about 230 calories per serving in this oatmeal.

So today, Lou and I actually did go on a very successful bridges run! We did each bridge 2 times, it was really hard. I was wheezing when we finished. My legs feel GREAT though, which makes me really happy. I'm planning on doing 11 miles Saturday, so I was really happy that my legs were in great shape after the 4 miles of bridges! Lilly, his chocolate lab, ran with us, so the big drop was when she had to take a bathroom break :)

After dinner, I came home and made my most favorite dinner ever, Spaghetti and Meatballs! Except this is the super healthy version. I add a box of frozen spinach to the ground turkey breast to bulk it up and make it healthier, plus I make my own sauce, so I know that's healthy, and I add a head of broccoli florets. And of course, whole wheat pasta. YUM! If you eat pasta the right way, it's very healthy, and something you can have often and enjoy! This is a perfect example of that.

And because I know you'll ask...

Spaghetti and Meatballs 

6 oz. Barilla plus spaghetti

Marinara:
1 yellow onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
1 5 oz. can Italian style tomato paste (minus 2 tbsp. for meatballs)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
Grated Parmesan cheese

Meatballs:
8 oz. 99%  lean ground turkey breast
1/2 small yellow onion, grated
1 egg white
2 tbsp. breadcrumbs (or more)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, onions and garlic. Soften for about 5 minutes. Add seasonings, wine, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Fill crushed tomatoes can half way with water, swirl the can to collect all of the tomato bits, and pour into the pan. Turn to low, cover and simmer.
Add all the meatball ingredients to a bowl, gently toss to combine. Shape into 8 balls and place on a baking sheet. Put into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove meatballs from the oven, drop the into the simmering sauce to finish cooking.
Drop pasta in the boiling water and cook 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and add to the sauce. Toss to combine all ingredients. Plate, add parmesan and toss to combine.


Ok, I had a few questions about quinoa in the post from Tuesday. It's SO easy to make, and so healthy.
All you have to do is remember 2:1, water/stock to quinoa.
Measure your quinoa, place in a mesh strainer, and rinse for about a minute under running water.
Bring stock or water to a boil in a pot, add quinoa, bring to a simmer, turn to low.
Cook for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid is gone.
Turn heat off, cover and let quinoa sit for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork. It should be similar to cous cous in texture and the way it fluffs.
I am going to be making many more recipes in the future, so I'll be sure to link them here from my cooking blog.  All about quinoa...

So happy tomorrow's FRIDAY!!!
I'm so excited for this weekend.... can't believe a week from now I'll be packing for DISNEY!

Yawn...

I just finished No More Trouble Zones, and I'm beat.
I'm glad I did it, I wasn't sure I'd get around to it (and by get around to it, I mean making myself get off the couch and do it).
I can't believe how fast the time is ticking by until the Half Marathon... today I got the final e-newsletter. I guess that's what happens when you register 3 weeks before it! Anyway, got some fun plans for the weekend, some things I want to talk about on here, and questions to answer... but I'll get around to them tomorrow, I promise!
Running bridges downtown tomorrow after work, hopefully the ankle doesn't act up on me!
Have a great night!

Coast to Coast...

Thanks for your comments about the new car :) I am so excited, and I love it so much! As you know, I have a long commute, so having the new car makes it 10 times better! 

Today's run was cancelled, and I'm actually pretty tired, so I decided to take the night off. Tomorrow will be lots of strength training! I love strength training, but I hate it. It's so hard, but it makes my runs so much better. My legs NEVER get tired when I run, I usually want to stop because I'm winded or my feet hurt. I have to credit all of the lunges and squats I do for this! Also, my core is stronger, and my back and arms, so that helps me stay erect and keep going! If you haven't done strength training before, I recommend starting with something like The Shred, or doing circuit training at the gym!

For dinner tonight, I was on my own. So that meant making a dinner of things JJ doesn't like - Tofu and Cauliflower! I made a mock Olive Garden salad to start, then roasted some tofu, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. I also made 1/3 cup (dry) quinoa, then topped it with a sauce of 1/2 cup lite coconut milk and 2 tbsp. red curry paste. Delish!

At Whole Foods last week, I found this Fair Trade Organic Quinoa. I love buying Fair Trade stuff (I've said it a million times, I know) because it really does make a difference for extremely poor farmers. The box had some information on the side....

For dessert, I had an apple with a CARAMEL OIKOS!!!!!! And a cup of tea with soy milk. Yum! I am loving the caramel oikos. It's amazing! A reader pointed out in a comment that yes, Oikos is expensive, but Stonyfield Farms does offer coupons on their website. I have been in contact with them a few times in the past, and they told me that the coupons reset each month. I always print mine off at work and at home. Sometimes Whole Foods also has coupons in their coupon magazine in stores. So yes, it  can be pricey, but if you coupon and stockpile when it's on sale, it's not as bad! Since I don't eat much meat, Greek Yogurt is a great protein option for me!

So one of the best/worst parts of our home is the GIANT master bedroom. I say best/worst because I love having a big room, but there is so much empty wall and floor space, and the bathroom and closet are small, and I wish they had made the bedroom smaller and those bigger.

So anyway, I have always been in love with the Pacific Northwest. I was determined to convince my parents to let me go to Pacific Lutheran University (in Tacoma, WA). They said it was just too far. Then after JJ graduated, I tried to talk him into taking a job in Washington state, but he also said it was too far! So rather than move where I wanted to, we moved to the opposite end of the country, the southeast. I'm just not a beachy landscape person, I like my lush, green forests!

So you all know I love, love, love the Twilight series. After watching the Victoria/Cliff Diving scene in New Moon, I was determined to find some prints of that forest and put them in our room. I suceeded! Thanks to allposters.com, I now have a little Pacific Northwest in my home!

It looks amazing in person, I promise! It's hard to get a good photo because of the light glare.  Anyway, now when I walk in my room, it feels so cozy and forest-like. I love it! And I'm still determined to one day move to Washington...
Have a great night!

My 1st New Car!

Well, after the constant drama from The Piece, JJ and I decided that rather than wait a few months, it would be best for me to go ahead and get a new car. So after some research and test driving, I decided that a 2010 Jetta is the car for me!

So meet Frau, my new car!!! (Frau means Mrs. in German) 

I've never gotten a brand new car before, I'm so so so excited!!!

It was so hard to decide until I went for the test drive. On paper, so many cars looked the same. But when I got in this car, I knew it was for me! My selling point was the crash test ratings and side air bags as I'm a really paranoid driver and I'm so scared of car crashes.

So yeah, JJ made me do this pose...

My family's heritage is 100% German, so I'm so happy to support the motherland... haha

So anyway, no exercise today since I ran 15 miles over the weekend. Tomorrow Lou and I are going to run the bridges downtown. Then I'm planning for strength training Wed. and Thurs.
I'm contemplating running 11 miles on Saturday, I feel really good today! I actually think I got too much sleep over the weekend, I kept waking up last night and at 6:30, I was wide awake! So I think I'll be ok to do 11 on Saturday, then the half the next Sunday.

I'm off to do some housework and watch TV, have a fantastic night!

What color is my thumb? Yeah, it's green.

This morning when I got up (after sleeping 10 hours...) I had a hard time convincing myself to go for a run. I felt good, but mentally I'm pretty exhausted. I'm kind of worried about over-doing it...so I decided to just go and stop if my body told me to. I didn't feel great, but I didn't feel awful. I felt a little tired, pretty much like I ran 10 miles yesterday! I didn't think my speed was that up and down, but apparently it was???

I was hungrier than normal, so I decided to have oats this morning, which is what I have on the weekdays. I had some steel cut pumpkin spice oats, a serving of G2 and lots of water. I'm starting to really enjoy dining outdoors!

I also iced my ankle, which was a little sore when I woke up, but didn't bother me on my run. It looked swollen though, so I thought I better be safe and ice it. I've had no problems the rest of the day!

After showering and getting ready for church, I discovered my car was once again dead. I've known the alternator is going, and the battery just had to be replaced. Also, there are some belts that are going to need to be replaced. My car is 10 years old, and I've been planning to get a new one for my birthday. So after getting jumped and charging up the battery, I went and test drove some cars.

After that, I stopped by Dick's to get some Cliff Shots. I am going to try taking one next weekend about half-way through my long run to see if it helps/hurts me. I am really sensitive to having any food/water in my body when I run. When I do run a race, I eat a small bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee at least an hour before the race, and I'm ok. But sometimes when I just take a sip of water at a stop during a race, I get an awful side cramp. I want to see how my body does because I'm sure I'll need some kind of fuel for the half.

For lunch, I had some more of the bean and cabbage soup from last night, and then started working on my garden! I lined the bottom of my planters with newspaper, then spread a layer of compost in the bottom, then filled them with organic garden soil. It was actually really fun, but a lot of physical work! Those bags of soil are heavy, and my quads are pretty tired from running + squatting in the planters!

While I was planting, JJ ran out to Lowe's to get some fencing to keep the dogs out. Charlotte and Belle can probably fit through the posts, and Pumpkin can hop it no problem, but hopefully they'll never realize that and stay out!

We should not freeze here again, in the 10 day forecast the lowest temp. is supposed to be 37, so keep your fingers crossed that my plants keep growing! I am so happy I was able to start them from seed, and I really hope that they survive!

For dinner, I just made us some French Onion Soup and a Zucchini and Potato Tortilla (spanish frittata like dish, not corn/flour taco shell).
Oh, and Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR race :)  So I'll say it's been a pretty good Sunday!


Ok, I've had a few questions I'll go ahead and answer because I've got some time tonight...

1. Summer Rolls - Here is a link to the recipe. I change them up often depending on what I have at home to stuff them. If you want them more firm and tight, I'd recommend adding the rice noodles. I wrap them in rice paper rolls, which are in most supermarkets in the ethnic food area. If you have a Mama Fu's, I highly recommend their Basil Summer Rolls... so so so good!
2. Meal Plans - I plan our dinners out each week, then do a weekly grocery shop for them. For ideas, I read other blogs, read magazines, take out cookbooks, and brainstorm on some of my favorite foods and how I can re-create them. I like to use seasonal ingredients, and I like to see what is on sale each week to help keep costs lower. I do my shopping in 3 stores, Publix for most general groceries, Whole Foods for organic meats, tofu, dairy and specialty, and Sam's Club for bulk items and some produce.
I tend to also pick up some extras in the produce area and tofu so I have ingredients to make lunches on the weekends. I usually plan about 4-5 vegetarian meals per week, 1-2 with organic meat, and 1 eating out.
3. Soy Milk - I don't like the taste of cow's milk, and I don't drink any milk at all. I just use a splash in my coffee and oatmeal. I love vanilla and chocolate Silk Soy Milk (not the light stuff though, it's only 20 calories less, not worth it to me!) It's about the same price as organic cow's milk, so for me it's just solely based on taste and being a little grossed out by cow's milk :)
4. Cookie Cutter - The bra and underware cookies were made with a <3 (heart) shaped cookie cutter!

Life's a Beach

This morning I got up around 6:45, drank a little water, and then set out on my run.

At first, I was planning on running 11 miles for sure. I could tell right away it was going to be a challenge. Last night, I probably has my usual amount of calories for dinner, but not the quantity since it was pizza. I had 2 slices, which isn't much food or fiber. I did not feel full when I went to bed, so of course, as I was running, my stomach didn't feel too good. I'm definitely going to have pasta with veggies and a lean protein Friday night, which should help keep me going.

Around mile 3, I was seriously doubting this run. But I knew I had to do it, there was no quitting. Around mile 6, my right IT band started to hurt. Then around mile 7, it stopped, but my left knee started hurting. Around mile 8, my feet started to get really hot, and eventually my right foot felt like it was blistering. I could have extended my run to 11 miles, but decided that it was just not going to happen. The last half mile was brutal. So I know that for the next few weeks, the night before my long run, I'll have a filling, fiberous, and bulky dinner and lots of water.

When I got home, I wasn't nauseous, I was pretty hungry! A great change from last week. So I had a yogurt and a sip of POM juice. I didn't have any La Croix, and it's just too strong on it's own (and pretty caloric) so I drank a big glass of water and set out on my grocery shop.

I grabbed some banans and G2 at Publix for the potassium and electrolytes. I had 2 servings of gatorade and a banana. G2 and Gatorade have the same amount of electrolytes, so I went with the lower calorie version. I'm not a fan of artificial colors, sweeteners, etc., but since I rarely have it, it's not too bad.

Just as a random side note, I switch back and forth between Chobani and Oikos depending on what is on sale. However, when neither is, I do favor some over the other. I much prefer Honey Oikos, but second place would be Blueberry Chobani. I like how Chobani has whole blueberries, whereas Oikos is more like a blueberry gel. I like Oikos Strawberry more than Chobani because Oikos tastes like a fresh strawberry puree, and chobani's is more like jelly. I also like the Chobani pomegranate because of the little seeds.

When I got to Whole Foods, the parking lot was full of seagulls! They gave me a great idea...

So I FINALLY found Oikos 4 packs, which will save me a ton of money! Not only did I find the 4 packs, but I found CARAMEL!!! This stuff is seriously amazing. Highly recommended as a dessert treat or snack. And I think they're around 120 calories. YUM!

So my original plan was to take a nap and rest after lunch. But after seeing the seagulls, I thought it might be nice to go down to the beach, eat lunch, read and relax a little. It has been a beautiful day here, so why waste it sleeping?? Besides, I was feeling REALLY GOOD! I definitely got the post-run nutrition and hydration down today!

So I decided to pack up a lunch. I thought about making a salad, but eating a salad is complicated at the beach, so I made fresh summer rolls with the random veggies I had. One key to making them is to have all of your veggie and protein fillers cut and ready to go before you start soaking and getting ready to roll...

This is how lunch should be eaten everyday, right??

So the summer rolls were just carrots, cucumber, avocado, mushroom and tofu. Then I had some soy sauce and Chinese mustard for dipping. I also had an apple and some cherry tomatoes. This little seagull thought he was going to get a bite of my lunch... no way!

It was breezy and a little chilly, around 68 degrees. It was gorgeous though! I'm wearing a tube top here, not naked! There seemed to be a lot of tourists at the beach because of the marathon here tomorrow.

After the beach, I started another batch of seeds for my garden. I found another planter pot thing that the previous owners left behind, so I'm going to get some more herbs started. Tomorrow I'm planning on getting the compost and dirt in my planters, then next weekend I'll hopefully get the plants in the ground!

There are quite a few bushes I want to rip out, and our grass needs so much work... I have a feeling our yard will always be a work in progress!

For dinner tonight, I made a giant pot of 10 Bean Cabbage Soup. It's really healthy, and full of bulk. It's great for dinner when you're absolutely starving because you can eat and eat and eat and it's low in calories and really healthy.

I started with this 10 bean base that I got from SERRV. It's from the Women's Bean project.

After dinner, I started some laundry and cleaned the kitchen. But now, I'm so so so tired!

I just made a dessert of apple, yogurt, honey and cinnamon and a cup of tea with soy milk.

I think today was a great success. I wish my run was a little better, but I think my recovery was great.
I feel like I ate a lot today, but if I break down my calories, it wasn't too bad, about 1500-1600. My BMR is 1850, and I burned 1200 calories on my run, so I actually had a great day for weight-loss.

Half Marathon Training/15k training has definitely been hard on the diet. I knew it would be hard to lose weight because my appetite would increase, but I've been doing ok with it. I keep forgetting to post my weight loss for the week. Right now I'm sitting around 168, so I have 15.5 lbs. to lose in 3 months to reach -100 on my birthday. I think it's possible, but will be a challenge.
Once the Half and 15k are over, I'm going to drop back down to running 6 miles on Saturday and 4 miles on Sunday, which always feels like a good workout, burns calories, but doesn't leave me 'starving' all day long. At least not mentally!

Tomorrow's plans are 4.5 mile run, church, errands and yardwork. Fun, fun! I know it's only 8 o'clock, but I think I'm about ready for bed...

Life is Sweet!

Thank you all for your well wishes for the Disney Princess Half! I'm sure during the next 2 weeks will be nervous, excited, worried, and hopeful... so if you have any advice or calming words, I could use 'em!

This morning JJ had to get up right after me, so I took the liberty of turning on the lights and trying to get the dogs to wake him up. See, he goes into work much later than me, and doesn't get up until maybe 9 or so (I leave the house around 7:20), so every morning, I give the 3 dogs and JJ a kiss goodbye, and I get so jealous! They get so much good snuggle time, and they get to sleep late!

By the way, JJ is the big bump in the background :)

I made these mocha cupcakes last night to bring to work. I didn't have a single one!

I will be blogging them soon!

I had a few people ask about recipes for the okra and chicken. I just poach the chicken in stock, the shred and simmer in bbq sauce for about an hour. For the okra, I do it sort of shake and bake style, I thaw a bag of frozen okra in the fridge, then I add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup cornmeal, salt and pepper to the bag, shake it up and lay the okra on a cookie sheet, bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Simple as that!

Tonight after work, Kate, Devon and Fawn came over to bake and ice cookies! Kate wanted to make cookes for a Bridal Shower/Bachelotte Party she's hosting tomorrow night. I offered to guide them in how to make the cookies, make the icing, pipe, flood and decorate. They did a great job, and we had a lot of fun!

You can find the recipe and directions for making these cookies on my blog!

So tonight, Fawn brought a salad and Kate and Devon got pizza. It was hard, but I limited myself to 2 pieces of pizza and 2 servings of salad. Not too bad!

Oh, and I had half a butt cheek cookie :)

So tomorrow I'm really excited for my 10 miler. Might try 11. We'll see!

My ankle feels really good, the ice and stim has worked!

I'll be hitting the electrolytes hard after the run, so I should rebound well. I have a great menu planned next week, I'm excited to shop tomorrow.

Have a great Saturday!!!