Saturday, May 31, 2014

Dump is a weird word. Say it. See?

Photo dump from Memorial weekend!
We went on a 24 hour trip down to Glenwood, UT to see cousins. Can you spy Cory's super happy face?
Mason the morning after a very rough night in a camp trailer.
 
More cousin time
I love that these guys are such great buddies.
We have established THE best way to eat raspberries. You must try this now.
Another family outing to Yogurtland. I had their homemade strawberry, and I've been craving it ever since.
I read Galloway's Marathon FAQ book. It was a really quick read (It's printed in a ridiculously huge font.) It was interesting and my main take away is that I need to be smarter about making most of my runs "easy" and do my long runs at a very slow pace. He's really into the walk/run method, but for some reason that doesn't appeal to me??? I'm a few chapters into Eat and Run and I'm loving it so far!
What's your favorite running related book?

What is your favorite book series?

What is your favorite yogurt/ice-cream flavor?

Friday, May 30, 2014

Hanging with the Big Cheese

I can’t believe the little baby that made me a mama is 5 years old. For some reason I’ve been emotional about this milestone. I’ve learned so much in the past 5 years about patience, humility, love and selflessness.  In many ways I’m a completely different person. I’m thankful for all parenthood has taught me, but I can’t help but look back with regret over my many short comings. I can’t get these past 5 years back. I know I tried hard, but it’s easy for me to wonder if I could have, should have, tried harder.
I know I need to put the negative thoughts to rest and focus on the future, and how I can continue to grow as a person and parent, but sometimes it is hard for me to not beat myself up. Just look at this cute little guy!



 
  His birthday just happened to fall on the last day of school. His class went on a field trip to a local pizza place and then had a police officer come and visit them. Basically 5 year old heaven.

 Dinner at the Brick Oven. They gave him a man sized portion of pasta and he was happy about it!

 Lollipop sundaes all the way around! Who knew that a sucker makes the perfect utensil for eating a sundae?!
  
He requested a visit to Chuck E Cheese's, so we ended a darn near perfect day with the Big Cheese himself.

 
Today's Workout:
Lower body weights - 3x15
Leg press machine- normal squats, sissy, sumo and calf raises
One leg hops using the suspension straps
Frog jumps using the suspension straps (these were so hard!)
Hamstring leg curls with ball
Leg lifts- outer and inner thighs
Bicycle crunches
V-ups

3 mile run
It was a beautiful morning to be out running around.

What was your most memorable birthday as a kid?

Homemade cupcakes or store bought?

Name one thing you did today that made you feel happy?


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Alpine Classic Half Review

"Departure from traditional down hill... fun but challenging experience."

The Course:
This video was a great preview of the race. They had 2 goals in mind. 1- Highlight the city of Alpine 2- Provide a unique and challenging course.  I'd say they did both.

Support: There was sufficient support for a smaller race. (Five aid stations and 4 bathrooms along the course) The aid stations offered GU (even the delicious Salted Caramel flavor). The course was well marked, with "race course" signs every couple hundred yards, and "arrow" signs indicating turns. Alpine police drove the course reminding runners to stay on the right side of the road.
Extras: They advertised free race day photos, but I didn't see photographers out. It was drizzling during the race and raining hard at the finish line, so that may be why.  The medal was simple and attractive. The race packet was a draw string backpack and included a free haircut coupon, Alpine Half sticker and race shirt. They had the cutest race shirts that weren't covered in a bunch of sponsors' names.
  (source- Alpine Half Facebook)
The female pacers had tank tops, but runners had t-shirts.

An hour before the race started there was a steady rain coming down, but by the start it was only lightly drizzling. The overcast skies and light rain actually made for perfect running conditions. The cooler conditions were appreciated on all of those Alpine hills. :)

Runners: There were about 169 half marathon finishers.

Bottom-line: I would definitely run this race again. I love the fast downhill courses here in Utah, but I appreciated the variety this course had to offer. It really was fun to have all of those challenging hills thrown in throughout the race. Runners were able to enjoy great scenery without having to deal with being bussed to the top of a canyon.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Running Nightmares

So you know those awful nightmares you have before a big life event. Like the ones where you go to work naked or you get up to give a speech and you can't find your notes. I've had a few running nightmares, like the one where I was walking to the starting line and realized I was wearing jeans and flip flops. So traumatic. Well I just had a new running related nightmare this last weekend.

I dreamed that I was pacing the Alpine Half, and then at mile 12.5 I realized I was completely off course and lost. Then the dream just got totally crazy because I hitch hiked ----twice---- trying to find where I got off course. Then I finally found where the end of the race was, just to start running to the finish line from the wrong direction.

You know in dreams where you're thinking...this can not really be happening, but you just can't seem to wake up?? Well that's totally how I felt as I tried to circle around and "sneak" back onto the actual course only to finish in the pouring down rain 8 minutes past my assigned finish time.
Well, it's been over 74 hours and I still haven't woken up. Yes all of that actually happened to me on Saturday. Best and worst running story ever! :)

I may have paced those first 12 miles perfectly, but I'll forever remember the Alpine Half as the race where I missed a turn and hitchhiked----twice. :)

This was me the moment I got out of the first car I hitch hiked in, and realized I still wasn't on the course.

 
 This gif pretty much sums up my desperation those last 10 minutes of the race. Longest 10 minutes of my life! I was like a little determined running psycho. I was going to get that blasted chip across the finish line.
  
My family and I have had some good laughs retelling this story over the weekend. The good news is that I ran 13.9 miles at the Alpine Half and then ran 8.53 on the treadmill after (it was raining and after all those Alpine hills I thought the flat would be good for my knee), for a total of 22.43 miles. Now I begin the taper until Utah Valley.

The Alpine Half was actually a wonderful race (and the course was well marked unless you were me). I'll post a full review soon!

Have you ever had a running nightmare?

What about a dream where you can fly?
Those were my favorite dreams when I was a kid, but I don't have them anymore.

Any one ever missed a turn during a race? I can't be the only one? Anyone? Anyone?

What was the best part of your Memorial Day weekend?

Friday, May 23, 2014

Pace me, maybe.


I just laugh every time I read this. Tomorrow morning is the Alpine Half Marathon, and I get the opportunity to pace the 2:20 group. I'm really excited to run in a new place and to experience a challenging course. It's also my 20 mile run day, so I'll get to run 7 more miles after the race. :)
 
With any new distance I get a little nervous, but honestly with the way the week has gone, I'm kind of in a "Just bring it!" mode. I need a confidence booster and running 20 miles is a sure fire way to get it.

The pacers get to wear these cute tanks.

 Started today off with boot camp. If you're local, Kick Your Trash Bootcamp is taking new people for June. The trainer who does it is great and you will most definitely get your trash kicked in a good way. ;)
These 3 yahoos kept me entertained this afternoon. 
Just look at this little face.

Friday Foodspiration

Maybe my body is just craving veggies to counteract all of the birthday week junk I've been eating non-stop, but I just can't quit with the salads.

Zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese and TJ's cilantro lime dressing, over baby greens.
Left over fajita chicken, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, cucumber, tomatoes, TJ's cilantro lime dressing over baby greens.
 
Black beans, Costco's fresh salsa, avocado, cucumber over baby greens.
 
Costco's chicken meat balls, peppers, red onion, feta cheese over greens...No dressing needed!

Some days I just need some comforting carbs, so I made this Wow Butter and banana sandwich more than once.

Breakfast casserole:
I made it up so there's not an exact recipe, but here's the gist.

1. Layer diced potatoes (I steamed my potatoes in the microwave for 3 minutes before I put them in the dish. If you used hash-browns you wouldn't have to add that step.), peppers, onion and ham in a casserole dish.
 2. Blend eggs (I used 5), white whole wheat flour (1/4 cup), and milk (about a cup).
 3. Sprinkle some cheese (about half a cup) on your casserole and then pour egg mixture over evenly
4. Bake for about 45 min at 350 or until potatoes are tender.
We made it to Friday! What are your weekend plans?

Anyone running any races or doing a long run this weekend? 

Breakfast for dinner - yes or no?

Thursday, May 22, 2014

I got mail!

What a dandy of a day this turned out to be. I got a special package from Active Bands! I won a set of their headbands in a giveaway on the Run Your Race Pacers blog, and they finally came. I'm pretty much obsessed with them. If you have problems with your headbands slipping while you run, these will change your life.

 I made my main men model them for me. Don't they look thrilled.
We spent the afternoon doing yard work. All 4 of us absolutely love being outside. It was such a beautiful evening!



I made up this recipe for dinner, and it was a hit with 3 of the 4 of us. Cory decided he only wanted cheese and juice for dinner. Some days I am just done fighting by dinner time. :)

Mexican Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb of ground turkey
1/2 c chopped peppers (I used red and green bell peppers)
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion)
2 T cumin
1 T Mojito Lime seasoning
1 t chili powder
1 can of rinsed black beans
1 cup of water
3 diced roma tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 c of shredded cheese (less if you want to cut cost/fat)
Optional- Fresh salsa

Brown 1lb of ground turkey (I already had this cooked and frozen in my freezer)
Saute peppers and onion for about 5 minutes, add ground turkey, cumin, Mojito Lime, chili powder, beans water, roma tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to combine flavors.

In a sprayed casserole dish, layer corn tortillas, meat mixture, cheese (I did 2 layers, but I think 3 layers would have been even better!) I dropped about six spoonfuls of fresh salsa on top before I put it in the oven.

 Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes and Voila!
Do you wear headbands when you work out?

Do you ever make-up recipes or do you always stick to the "known"?

What's your favorite flower?