marathon training – Page 2 – Movin' it with Michelle

Friday Five!! #TGIF

May 8, 2015May 8, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Here are my Friday 5’s in which I’m loving, or not loving, in no real particular order:

1. I am still loving my Brooks Launch 2’s, and plan to order a second pair on pay day to break in for the marathon. I love how lightweight they feel, the cushion they provide my legs, and the fact that my feet rarely (after racing last weekend everything hurt, lol) hurt after a long run. Winning all the way around.

Maybe I'll get this color this time, what do you think? — Maybe I’ll get this color this time, what do you think?

2. I am not loving being a Mom to a teen. I LOVE her…but wow, no one gave me the listed side effects in advance that come with raising a teen. These side effects include the following, keeping in mind this list is NOT all inclusive.

Moodiness, snarkiness, outbreaks, tears, sarcasm, silent treatment and hatefulness, all with a side of ultimate love deep down to the core. ❤

Was I this terrible? Don’t answer that…I think I better apologize to my Mom for the umpteenth time for being such a crappy teen. LOL!!!

3. I am loving the warmer temps here in the Chicagoland area. It’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice to be out running in a tank and shorts. Despite having to slow down and watch my breathing, there’s nothing like the sunshine on your face and the wind in your hair after a long day of work. I have however, forgotten my bug spray and sunscreen on my last couple runs. Here comes the runner’s tan!!!

4. I am not loving the humidity. ‘Nuff said. But I WILL NOT complain about the heat. Nope. Not gonna happen…(recall Chiberia 2013/2014?!?!?!)

5. I am loving the fact that every day I dig a little deeper and reach a littler further towards my goals. Whether it’s simply pinning one of MY recipes on Pinterest, or writing up a new blog post, I am reminded daily that I won’t give up on my dreams.

Tomorrow calls for 14-18 miles for my long run that I missed last weekend and then off to my youngest daughter’s first Ballet recital. I was super stoked to get the surprise that my Mom is driving down from MN to attend! YAY!!! What are you all loving/not loving lately? Any big plans for Mother’s Day weekend?

Keep Movin’ forward, y’all!

❤ Michelle

marathon training, Recipes

Tuesday, tostadas, and truths in no particular order!

May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

After Sunday’s big race, (and during) I really have been thinking…shocker, right? I mean, what else are you going to do out on the trails for a couple hours? Although often times I can get lost in my own head while running/racing long, more times than not I spent the majority of the time thinking. It’s my therapy in essence, where I get to bond with God, nature, and everything in between.

Lately, I’ve been battling with myself, in regards to being upset over people who don’t get excited or support my crazy dreams. Not so much people, but FRIENDS. And after I wiped my tears away quickly Sunday during which time I was saddened to not hear from a couple friends that morning, I was reminded of the awesome support I DO have. My husband, sister, and a few friends all sent texts, and I had quite a few friends at the race cheering for me. Why was I upset over the few who didn’t bother to support me? That’s the question of the hour. I swear, I am my own worst enemy sometimes. I got this reminder, a text from 2014 when I ran this very same race last year, from my friend A and I just smiled. My sister reminded me of how far I’ve come, and I slapped away the sadness and drove on. Gah I am an idiot sometimes. LOL, at least I recognize it, right?

The last 2 days I’ve been walking around like I just ran a FULL marathon. WOWSA am I sore!!!! I truly gave it my all on Sunday, and am feelin’ it big time today. But, I had 4-5 miles on deck so immediately after work I changed clothes and ran. It started to rain, and I ran out of time, but I managed to beat the storms. 4.32 miles in 40:22 with an average pace of 9:20. Never did I think I would be able to say 9:20-9:30 would be an easy-ish pace. YAHOO!!! I finished up my work out with weights, and a wimpy 1:06 minute plank, lol!

It IS Cinco de Mayo, so I made chicken tostadas tonight for dinner after my run.

Chicken Tostada Recipe

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (You’ll want to bake your tostadas to crisp them up)

6 corn tortillas, baked on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken-cut into bite size pieces (I prefer thighs, but breasts work too!)

1/2 red onion-diced

1 red pepper-chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of frozen corn (wait until the very end to add this)

Shredded cheese-1 cup (may be omitted, I only use a tiny amount on mine as cheese and I aren’t friends.)

Seasonings to taste: Smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper

Sauté’ in extra virgin olive oil the onions, pepper and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add in your chicken, seasonings, and can of black beans and cook through-around 15 minutes. Add in your corn, stir well.

Sprinkle the tortillas with shredded cheese, and top with the chicken mixture. Add just a touch more cheese and put in your 325 degree oven.

While the cheese is melting, make your avocado topping.

Avocado topping

1 avocado

1 tablespoon of low fat sour cream

Juice of 1 lime

pinch of salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper

Serve, and enjoy!

Total prep and cook time was 20-25 minutes. This is a great week night meal!

Do you think a lot during your long runs? What’s your favorite easy week night meal?

Have a great week, y’all!

Keep Movin’ Forward!

❤ Michelle

Recipes

Mid week recipe…Avocado dressing!

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

I’ll admit, I’ve been slacking on my recipes and research in regards to my goal of writing my own cook book. As most of you know, I cook by taste, smell, and texture vs. exact measurements. In the last year or so I’ve really tried to quantify my ingredients and document my journey in regards to my love for food.

But then came marathon #3 training, and my goals have since fallen to the back burner (haha, get it?) unfortunately. So I’m back at it, with a goal to publish ONE recipe (at least) each week. Who’s ready for our first week’s exciting recipe? Ok…it’s not that exciting, but it’s simple, tasty, and a healthy choice for a mid week meal.

Avocado dressing/puree’

In a bowl place the following:

1 avocado

1 tablespoon of low fat sour cream

The juice of one lime

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder to taste

1 pinch of dried cilantro

Mix well until a creamy consistency is achieved. Serve over fish, chicken, or on your favorite salad in place of dressing. YUM!

This entire dish took 10 minutes to prepare!

Doesn’t get much easier than this, and my entire family enjoyed it thankfully!

What’s on your plate these days? Do you find it hard to balance work, training, and other hobbies?

Thanks, y’all!! Hope you enjoy this recipe!

❤ Michelle

marathon training

Monday Motivation and Boston thoughts

April 20, 2015April 20, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Hey it’s Marathon Monday!!!! I’m so excited for all those who ran this morning at the 2015 Boston Marathon. I have so many friends who ran today, both virtual and in real life that I found myself constantly checking updates on my phone!! I’m happy to report everyone I know finished the race, and it looked like such a blast. I wish I could list them all, but hope they know I love and cherish each and every one of them as runners, and friends.

So this got me thinking about all things that are Boston, the number one of which being SPEED. This is something that has never been a part of my life as a distance runner, or any other type of runner to be honest. I’ve always been an average runner. I’m not a ‘back of the packer’ but I am by no means, fast. So does that make me less of a runner?

Let’s ponder that thought for a bit…shall we?

For fun, I looked up the Boston Qualifying times…FOR FUN. Although I’ve never even dreamt of BQ’ing, I decided what better day to look up the facts and see if I could ever feasably qualify. For my age group I would need a minimum of a 3:45 finish time. Mind you, my fastest full marathon time is 4:25 and I have NO idea where that race even came from other than God himself as it truly was the best race of my life, and I can recall nearly every second of it. But on the same note, I pushed myself harder than ever that day, and had to reach down to the very depths of my soul to find the strength to finish that marathon so strongly. I can’t even fathom running a faster marathon.

Does that make me less of a runner? Some would say, yes…

Sometimes I catch myself questioning that statement…but only mostly during a race, or an event like the Boston Marathon. Most of the time I am completely satisfied being an average runner. But I suppose it is normal for nearly every distance runner to wonder…what if? Could I qualify? Could I run the race that is the end all and be all of all things distance running?

But I know myself, and my abilities as a runner…so the answer is:

Probably not…and that makes me NO LESS of a runner AT ALL. Because during every run I am out there giving it my all…it may not be enough to BQ…but I strive to be a little better with each year for ME.

That won’t stop me for drooling over Shalene, Desiree and Meb and their amazing talent. It won’t stop me from cheering on my friends who ARE speedy, and celebrating each finish line and finishing time. It also won’t stop me from hoping one day…just maybe when I’m 65, that I’ll BQ, lol!!! ❤

Have you BQ’d or are you striving to BQ? What are your thoughts on the importance of speed?

Thanks for your support! Have a great day, y’all!!!

❤ Michelle

marathon training, Recipes, Sunday Supper

Weekend Wrap up/Marathon training week 9 complete!

April 20, 2015April 20, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

My weekend was all over the place in regards to emotional highs, lows, and everything in between. Although I’ll keep the reasoning behind my roller coaster a bit vague, I will say I have learned from the events and feel better for it. It’s all about moving forward, right?

Friday night was a quiet night filled with Netflix and relaxing after a yummy night of sushi. (Sushi is carbloading too, right? lol). It would be an early night for both the hubby and I as he had his reserve duty weekend and I had a long run in the wee hours of the morning. I got all my gear set out, battled with some tummy issues, and drank some water before bed. I woke up at 5:45 am, battled with some more tummy issues and finally got dressed and headed to run club. My friend Deb agreed to slow her pace and run my scheduled 13 miles with me. YAY!

The first half of our run was pretty uneventful despite me having to stop several times to stretch out my ITB that was pulling hard on my right knee. We laughed, talked, and laughed some more. Halfway through we stopped to take a selfie with the Fox River in the background.

The second half of our run was a bit tougher with some really strong winds on our faces, but we kept pushing forward. We finished strong, and celebrated with coffee (her) and pomegranate lemonade for me. I even splurged and had a breakfast sandwich on an ‘everything’ bagel. YUM.

I spent the rest of the day with my daughter’s, and we shopped til we dropped at “Once Upon a Child, “Plato’s Closet,” and Clothes Mentor” stocking up for our warmer weather wardrobe. We all found some really cute items, and everyone came out with smiles, especially my bank account. Gotta love consignment shopping!

Today was chores, food prep and Sunday Supper. I made my own protein smoothies and stored them in previously used water bottles! Recycling=Winning! The smoothies were simple.

Berry Mocha Smoothie

1/2 cup of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries

3 scoops of chocolate protein powder

16 ounces of water

Liquefy in a blender, and strain out the seeds. Transfer to the bottles and refrigerate

Banana Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie

1 cup of strawberries

2 bananas

3 scoops of protein powder

16 ounces of water

Liquefy in a blender, and strain out the seeds. Transfer to the bottles and refrigerate

I also spent time organizing my groceries after shopping, getting everything prepped and ready for the week. I am battling the scale and my marathon weight gain, NOW.

I'm ready for the week! — I’m ready for the week!

Tonight’s Sunday Supper was a simple pork roast in the crock poat with roasted veggies.

Pork Roast in a crock pot

Season pork roast with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and season salt. Sear the roast on all sides in a cast iron skillet and set aside.

In your crock pot, add on can of tomato puree, 2 cups of unsalted chicken or veggie stock, roughly chop 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 stocks of celery and 3 cloves of garlic. Also add in 2 bay leaves (remove later) and Italian seasoning to taste. Add your roast to the crock pot, and cook on low for 6 hours.

While my roast was making magic in the crock pot I decided to go for a walk to stretch my legs. My daughters even joined me, YAY!

Roasted Veggies

1 cup string beans

1 shallot-sliced

1 sweet potato-julienned

1/2 cup of Shitake mushrooms-sliced

2 cloves of garlic finely sliced

Place in a bowel, and toss with 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and chives. I also added some grated parmesan cheese for a little bite! Roast at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Now after a weekend filled with more time on my feet than I care to admit, I am going to retire to my couch!

How was your week? Do you food prep for the week? What’s your favorite smoothie flavor?

Have a great week, y’all!

❤ Michelle

marathon training, Recipes

Refocusing and a recipe

April 12, 2015April 12, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

So wow…I haven’t blogged in a week. My goal of 2-3 times of posting per week was shot last week. And I’m totally ok with that.

Why?

Well, because I’ve realized I’ve spent far too much time engulfed in the virtual world that I lost site of what matters most. What’s that? Why family of course. MY family. ❤

So with that, I’ve spent more time reaching out, hanging out, and hugging my kids just a little tighter. Most nights we are wrapped up in blankets on the couch watching previous episodes of “Once upon a time” on Netflix…TOGETHER. And it wasn’t always this way. Before my daughter’s accident, more times than not we would all go our separate ways after dinner. But now, we nearly rush to spend our evenings together most nights.

My training is also back on track, and I managed to log 26 miles last week, which is a distance PB for 2015. I had my 15 miler on Saturday, and it mentally jarred me, briefly…I had forgotten how hard a long run can be, especially when your only distraction is YOU. No one to talk the miles away with, just you, and the road. My first few miles truly SUCKED. No pretty way around it, but I kept going. I’d stop to stretch every few miles, and at miles 6 and 11 I fueled with my Chia HUMA gels. Just when I wanted to quit, I looked back on my first marathon and how hard it was and how badly I wanted to quit. But I had my awesome sister with me, cheering me on every step and I could hear her voice in my head as I plugged along the middle of my run. Mile 11 I started to really fade as I had run out of Nuun and the temps were getting REALLY warm for how I was dressed. (It was 38 degrees when I started and finished up at a balmy 61 degrees). Then Andrea, Carolyn and my hubby shot me texts and suddenly the spring came back to my step and I took off. 15 miles? DONE. And with the help of 7 cardinals, 2 blue birds, and countless squirrels and chipmunks that cheered me on for 2 1/2 hours, LOL!

Mentally one of my toughest runs this year.

We booked our family vacation for the summer today, and I am SOOOOO excited. We are headed to Marco Island, Florida for 5 glorious days. We haven’t had a real vacation (we like our Chicago/Michigan staycations, though!) in 3 years, so this is long overdue.

So today I spent the afternoon meal prepping and making healthy snacks. (Gotta get beach body ready! lol) I made Kale chips (not sure how I feel about them, yet lol) and spicy chickpeas to keep handy. Here’s the chickpea recipe:

Spicy Chickpeas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rinse and dry two large cans of chickpeas

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl, and add the following seasonings:

1 teaspoon Tumeric

1 teaspoon Garlic powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon smoked Paprika

Kosher salt

Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, tossing every 20 minutes. YUM!

How was your week? Do you take regular vacations? What’s your favorite healthy snack? Have a great week, y’all!

❤ Michelle

marathon training, running, strength

Tuesday Truths…

March 11, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know of my love hate relationship with the Treadmill. While yes, I am truly thankful I’ve had it for yet another winter in Chiberia, 99.9% of my runs on the ‘mill have been downright painful. But I won’t keep playing that broken record, because in all honesty I am tired of that tune as well.

So tonight, as I walked out of work I had a well devised plan to pick up my youngest from after school care, my oldest from Badminton practice, and get home to change clothes QUICK and run outside. The temps were darn near perfect with the sun peaking through the fog and temps at a balmy 52 degrees. SCORE. And even though my hour commute home between the drive home from work and kid taxi’ing had a temperature drop – I was RUNNING OUTSIDE darn it.

A little sun would have made these conditions PERFECT!!!!

And so I did…I laced up my shoes, stepped out of the front door, and abruptly stopped. I hadn’t run OUTSIDE in nearly 4 months. Would I remember how to do this? I wasn’t sure…

The first mile was tough. My ankles hurt, my heels felt weird, darn it was my right shin acting up? I had to smack myself to shut up and I made my way around my neighborhood loop I have mapped out. The first mile was clocked in at a 9:06 mm. I stopped briefly to check my phone as I thought I heard it beep and wanted to make sure the kiddos were ok. As I turned I saw my hubby driving past me on his way home and he cheered me on. It was just what I needed!! The second and third mile were nearly effortless and I felt my legs get an extra spring in their step as I took off…It was just me, my music, my hood, and my miles…and suddenly I was reminded why I do this. Why I take so much time out of my life to train…because I LOVE the feeling you get when you are no longer running, and you begin to fly. My splits were 9:06, 9:11, 8:50 and 8:38 for the last tic. I feel like a new woman, honestly.

Today at work everyone kept asking me why I was smiling even more than I usually do…and I just smiled some more.

“I am running outside, tonight,” I said.

But I didn’t really run…I flew. And my soul is truly in a better place.

My take away is that although yes, my treadmill runs were tough this winter I truly believe they made me a stronger runner mentally. While I’ve always taken pride in my mental strength when it comes to distance running, that strength was tested over the last several months.

And I am happy to report…I passed!

How did you deal with less than optimal conditions when it comes to running? What is your favorite temperature to run in?

Thanks, y’all!

❤ Michelle

running

Monday Motivation and musings

March 10, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Here’s to week 4 of marathon training!!! Today is my rest day, but I walked a couple miles at work today. Our hallways our vast, and give plenty of room for some good leg stretching during breaks/while running errands. It all counts, right?

But I’ll admit. The first three weeks of marathon training I truly struggled to find my happy ~~place~~ ‘pace’ so to speak. Being forced to stay indoors has sucked the passion I have out of my feet and heart, and 95% of my runs have been forced because they were on my schedule. Other than my 10 miler with Janel, and a couple I better run or I’m going to pull my hair out because my teenage daughter is going to sass her way out the door runs, they’ve all pretty much sucked. I may or may not be going crazy…

Yet as I walked out of work this afternoon to the sun shining, the birds singing, the snow melting AND the temps at 52 degrees I swear I felt a tear well up in my eye. Although I couldn’t run today due to my youngest daughter having ballet, I knew tomorrow’s miles would be logged…wait for it…OUTSIDE. WINNING! Can you feel the giddiness (is that a word? well it is now!) in my voice? It’s been nearly 4 months since I’ve ran outside and I’m ready.I’m ready to get back on the streets of my hood, and the trails I love so much. I’m ready to run, and be able to run off a bad day or a fight, I’m ready to run towards greater goals and finish lines. I’m ready to run and have an outlet to let go of all the stuffs. Cuz Lord knows I have a lot of stuff. Running truly is my happy place besides the kitchen. It’s a place that no one can take away, control, or tarnish.

No matter how I look, I'm sure going to feel like THIS! Pic: veganstrong@blogspot.com — No matter how I look, I’m sure going to feel like THIS!
Pic: veganstrong@blogspot.com

It’s mine…and I can’t wait to get back at it…It’s time. Running makes me a better me…

What is your greatest motivator when it comes to running/fitness? How are the temps where you live?

Thanks, y’all!

❤ Michelle

Friday

Friday Five-Week 3 of training

March 6, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Here are some things/stuffs I am loving/living this week.

1. First, and foremost. My Brooks Launch 2’s. I love them. They are like clouds on my feet and I wish I could sleep in them…ok….maybe a bit much but still.

2. I chew gum when I run. Some question folks who can talk and chew gum at the same time. I MUST run and chew gum at the same time or my cadence is completely OFF. Brand? Extra, of course. Orange or Watermelon are my go-to flavors.

3. As I near my 1 year anniversary at work, I find myself almost waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am so in love with my job (minus weekends, holidays, and the occasional snarky person) that I keep shaking my head. Every day is better. Every day I feel like I am making a difference with the best crew I’ve ever supervised. Someone. Pinch. ME. now.

4. Single parenting is tough. We’ve discussed this before. But sometimes we surprise ourselves and realize we CAN do it alone. Going on the better part of the month, alone and – WINNING.

I may have served 20 years, but I still have years to serve as a spouse.

5. Dreadmill runs are extremely difficult for me. But as I ran tonight my virtual RBFF texted me continually telling me I COULD do this. Thanks, Maria.

So at the end of the day, I am living, running, moving, and loving EVERY single step of my life.

Winning.

Question-what made YOU happiest this week?

food, Recipes, running, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation and updates

March 3, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

So after finishing my temper tantrum from the weekend, I decided this morning to pick myself up and start over today. Despite struggles, single parenting, and normal teenage drama I needed a clean slate. So here….we….go….

This morning I woke up on time, and allowed myself an extra snooze. I smiled as I cuddled my dog, and I took my time getting ready since I only had ONE child to tend to this morning. And it felt great. This is a new day.

Work was great, and I had time to organize and file a lot of paperwork that had been collecting dust on my desk. YAY to organizing, right?!

My hubby offered to take our youngest to ballet even though it’s something I normally do, stating, “You need a break.” He’s right… I do.

Can I get an Amen? Pic: veryfunnypics.eu — Can I get an Amen?
Pic: veryfunnypics.eu

So I cooked the family dinner after work, and jumped at the chance to run. My legs are still very tight from Saturday, so it felt GREAT to stretch ’em out on the ‘mill. WAIT…did I say that out loud? A dready run that wasn’t so dreadful. Winning.

quick dready run that wasn't so dready... — quick dready run that wasn’t so dready…

After my run, I ate dinner, showered, and have been sitting quietly at my computer working on the recipe section of my blog for about an hour and a half. Have you checked it out yet? It’s just a start, but I’d love for you to try some of my favorite recipes! You can check it out here! Feedback, comments, and ideas are always welcomed!

It felt great ~~despite laundry duty~~ to give myself a couple hours to do something JUST for me. Running. Writing. And cataloging recipes. Does it get better than that?

How do you spend your down time? Do you allow yourself time to just do YOUR thing at least once a week? If not, I highly recommend it. I tell ya what…my uninterrupted shower tonight was off. the. chain. LOL

Thanks, y’all! I look forward to hearing from you!

❤ Michelle

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