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5.18.2012

late poster


Sorry for the lack of workout updates lately! I've been consistently working out but just haven't sat down to tell you about it. 

Sunday, May 13 - Mother's Day

Today was a special run for two reasons.

#1 - My sweet Emma ran with me for the first mile! She did so good and I'm so proud of her.  We talked about how running is 90% mental and how thinking positive thoughts when the going gets tough can make a huge difference.  I even have -Mind over Miles- on my RoadId band so each time I need a reminder it's right there.  Anyway, she is a champ and did fantastic!

#2 - I ran 7 miles total!!! After the first mile, I passed Emma to Daniel and Brock, ran to the bathroom and then continued running.  I ran 6 miles in 57:02 and it felt fantastic! It was the farthest I'd ever run by a mile.  My legs were definitely getting tired toward the end but overall I felt great.  We finished the day with a cookout, playing 4 square, and making S'mores with my parents and sister. Happy Mother's Day to me! I also got a gift card to Dick's and happily used it the next day!!

Off We Go!

Almost done

She did it!

My sweetie

Me and my sis - "fighting" over a marshmallow :)

My beautiful mom

best kids on the planet!







5.10.2012

New running buddy!

Reporting 2 workouts!


Wednesday, May 9


I was in the gym and started with the bike.  I rode 4.5 miles, hills, level 8.  After the bike I lifted weights for 30 minutes.  I wanted to run but didn't want to overdo since I had run 5 miles the day before.  I ran for 1 mile with a starting incline of 2 and slowly increased the incline and ended with an incline of 8.  Whew, that was tough.  I basically ran a big hill for a mile! Felt great!



Thursday, May 10


Today was special.  My daughter, Emma, told me that she wanted to start running with me! I am so happy that she is showing interest in my hobby!  She did amazing and ran 1 mile on her first run! I couldn't be more proud of her.  She said she could have gone further but I thought it would be best to start slow.  She wants to run tomorrow! I'm pretty sure tomorrow will be a rest day for me because I've had 3 consecutive pretty hard workouts and my body is tired.

After our run, I took her over to Daniel and Brock who were playing baseball and headed out for my run.  I ran 3.5 in 31:58 - My fastest time yet.  I felt great! It was still morning so the sun wasn't super intense yet.




New Recipes!

4 NEW RECIPES!!!

I finally ran out of freezer meals and have been forced to cook!!! I have to say it's about time for another cooking and freezing day.  It has been super nice not having to worry about every meal and what to cook.  I've obviously cooked other meals that haven't made it on the blog for various reasons, mainly time, but here are 4 new and super simple recipes that I've more or less created myself. 


The first one isn't a meal as much as a side dish however, I turned the leftovers into a meal. So, I guess if you count that I have 5 recipes for you. SCORE!


Trio of Fresh Veggies Side Dish


Ingredients:

One green pepper
4 ears of fresh corn - uncooked and the corn cut off the cob
several handfuls of mini carrots, diced small
EVOO- to coat the pan
A generous dash of Ruth Ann's Muskego Ave Chicken and fish seasoning
(find it at Penzey's Spices)



How To:

It's so easy. All you do is clean, dry and chop your veggies. Chop small to cut down on cooking time. Don't chop the corn (obviously, just cut it off the cob)
Next, add a good swirl or two of EVOO in your hot pan/skillet, add veggies, seasoning, and stir frequently.  It takes around 20 minutes for the veggies to cook.  Be careful not to overcook.  That's it! I served this side dish with baked sweet potatoes and chicken.  It was yummy!


How I used the leftovers....

Veggie Tortilla

Ingredients:

butter
leftover veggies
cheese (of your choice)

I heated up the griddle the following day and lightly buttered 2 tortillas.  I put one on the warm griddle, added sliced cheese and the veggie mixture. Topped it with the other buttered tortilla, flipped it once, cut it into 4ths and called it lunch. It was pretty good, easy and healthy! I ate it with veggie chips and water!



Fruit Smoothie

The next recipe I have to share is a simple smoothie.  I buy all the ingredients from Aldi and save tons of $$

It's probably one you've made a hundred times, but I thought I'd share it anyway since I make it several times a week.

Ingredients:

Y'all know I don't measure so do your best...

Frozen strawberries
Frozen mixed fruit - blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries
Fresh Banana or 2
Milk

To Do:

Blend it all together until smooth

It's the perfect breakfast, snack or just because smoothie!




Baked Red Potatoes

I usually bake Yukon gold or russet but decided to use red this time. I think I like this recipe using red the best!

Ingredients:

Red Potatoes (however many your fam needs)
1/2 stick melted butter
3 cloves minced garlic
dash of onion powder
dash of salt and pepper

Dice potatoes and add melted butter, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Oven to 425 and bake for 30 minutes.  Pull out of the oven and add a good handful of Parmesan cheese, stir and place back in oven for 10 minutes.



5.08.2012

St. Jude Heroes Page

I'm pumped to announce that...

My St. Jude Heroes page is up and ready to accept donations!!!

Please consider helping these amazing children in their fight with cancer.  It's super simple...follow the link below and click the purple DONATE button!
I have a pretty tall goal of raising 1000 dollars by December 1, 2012 but I know with your help, we can do it!!! Spread the word!

 A million thanks to all who give!!!

Personal Heroes Page

Heat & Humidity

Saturday, May 5

I ran at the park today and hot and humid would be the way I would describe this run.  Well, the past several actually.  Oh my goodness, running in the heat and humidity is a completely different beast to conquer than running on nice cool days.  I know that is a no brainer, but the temps have gone up so quickly that there really hasn't been a transition period.  I ran 4.5 in 43 minutes.  I have to be honest and the past couple of runs haven't been what I consider fun.  They have really pushed me to stay at it mentally.  I've had moments of doubting myself and abilities and moments of wondering why I'm running in the first place.  I tried to focus on the reasons why I love to run and concentrate on those things when the going gets tough.  Here's what I came up with...

I love to run because.......

I am able to

It feels good to the body and the soul

I can just be me

The way I feel when I finish the run

I feel like I can accomplish anything I set my mind too

The alone time

The sound of my feet striking the ground

How it inspires me to eat healthier

Setting small goals and meeting them

Setting big goals and working toward them

The mental battles I face and conquer during each run

It's the perfect time to thank God for the blessings in my life

That is only a few reasons that I have come up with and I'm sure if I really thought about it for a longer period of time I could come up with more. The bottom line is I really do love to run...even when the going gets tough!!!


Tuesday, May 8


Today I was so very happy when I headed out to run because the temp was in the low to mid 70s and there was a light breeze! Thank you Lord!!! I felt like the heat and humidity cloud that had been following me around for the past several days was finally lifted.  I know this cooler spell won't last long, but I'm sure loving it while it lasts!  I ran my neighborhood and ran a few extra coves to make my normal 4 mile route a 5 mile route.  I felt so good overall.  I still had mental walls to break down when a hill would approach, but I overcame and feel great. I ran 5.01 in 50:04.





5.02.2012

Run and be happy!


I have two runs to tell you about today. 

Yesterday we had dinner with my parents.  I decided to run in their neighborhood before dinner.  It was around 4 when I ran and was nervous because it was so hot and last time I ran in the heat, it didn't go so well. 
It was pretty tough but I found a sprinkler to run through, which was so nice! I ran 3.24. I hate stopping at a distance like that but it's what it read when I made it back to their house.  I much prefer seeing my mileage at a flat distance like 3, 4.5 or 10...haha, not yet, but soon :) I'm just weird like that I guess!  I also had eaten taco soup for lunch and was battling heart burn. Yuck!!! But, overall I was pleased with my run!


Today I was at the gym.  I rode the bike for 4 miles on the cardio setting.  It adjusts the resistance so you can reach your target heart rate.  Mine, being 30, is 153 and I really tried to stay on that heart rate so I could burn the most calories possible.  I did weights for 30 minutes and then jumped on the 'mill.  I ran 4 miles in 42 minutes. I ran the first two with an incline of 2 and slowly lowered it toward the end of the run.  Is it me or does the treadmill seem way faster than running outside? It seems when I run at 6.0 or 10 minute miles that I'm flying on the 'mill but when I'm outside running 10 minute miles I feel slow? It's a mystery!!! Anyway, I was dead tired when I left the gym..I was there almost 2 hours!!!

Hopefully I'll have recipes soon, we have been enjoying our freezer meals and eating out or with other ppl!

God Bless,
Allie