Tag: snow

moving forward

Sometimes you just have to start over…Snow, Sluggish miles, and Super Bowl fun

Movin' it with Michelle

My year started out a little rocky between injury and stress levels running at an all time high.  For the first few weeks of the year I couldn’t run OR cook.  yeah…#killmenow basically was in affect.

But today, as we start the second month of the year I woke up happy, nearly rested, and ready to run.  We were hit by a terrible snow storm over night, and I am honestly just a wimp as I’ve aged with running outside in bitter temps/wind/crazy conditions.  It was snowing…SIDEWAYS.  yeah.  I was staying INSIDE.

But as I stepped on the scale before I changed in to my running clothes my heart sank a little, and I knew it was time to start over.  Despite giving up some bad habits in the past, I’ve taken on some even worse habits of snacking at 9 pm at night which have cause my weight to go up higher than I’ve seen since the birth of my last child.  I have honestly weighed the same give or take a few lbs. for the better part of my adult life….so fighting with the scale is a new battle for me.  But…

No more.  Time to start over.

This morning I started my day with a run. Loud capris and shoes in tow…Yup…that’s how I roll.

Longest run to date this year!
Longest run to date this year!

My kids played in the snow, while I made my Detox soup for the week!

detox soup, ready for my lunches this week!
detox soup, ready for my lunches this week!
Look at those smiles!
Look at those smiles!

I researched and found a new plank challenge for beginners that I will post daily on my FB page.  Have you liked my page yet? Please look over to the right margin of my page and give me a little love!

Check it out!
Check it out!

And then, I roasted an amazing pork roast as my hubby prepared to stream the Super bowl via the internet.  YAY!

I served this with a salad of fresh greens and baked sweet potato fries. YUM.
I served this with a salad of fresh greens and baked sweet potato fries. YUM.
Not the ideal way to watch the game, but hey! It worked!
Not the ideal way to watch the game, but hey! It worked!

We are ending the night with the hubs plowing and shoveling, AGAIN…note the look of disdain on his face…LOL

Closing in on almost 8 inches I think?
Closing in on almost 8 inches I think?

So with all that…today I am starting over (again).  I realized that the most important thing in life that we can give, is love…I’ve fought the emotional battles of “not being enough” and it just isn’t worth it.  People will make an effort to be a part of your life-if they truly want to…and sometimes, you realize that your efforts are falling on deaf ears and you need to step back and focus on YOU.  Starting over, daily, because isn’t that what life is all about? #Movin’forward

And sometimes….most times…and always.  You need to be your own hero.

How do you overcome the negative forces in your life? Are you an all weather runner?

Recipes

A whole lot of recipes with a dash of running

Movin' it with Michelle

I only ran once last week, and despite my scale being angry at me for the lack of exercise, I won’t complain.  The two nights during the week I can normally squeeze a work out in are Tuesday and Thursday.  Tuesday I got a couple miles in, but Thursday was my daughter’s school production and that trumps running any day of the week.  I did make sure to meet my goal of cooking at least 3 of the 5 days during the week though, leaving the other two days (Mon/Fri) for left overs/sammiches.

I woke up this morning after a good long week of a headache to not much relief so decided to push my run off one more day.  I’ll tready it tomorrow while Chiberia is in full affect. Yeah, I am wimpy like that.  I may even get bold and do yoga too!

Upon realization that we will be missing the Super bowl tomorrow due to lack of cable/streaming capabilities I wiped away my “poor me” attitude quickly and sat down to make my shopping list.  We would still eat great food and enjoy each other’s company this weekend.  Well, minus my eldest mover…she is off with friends because isn’t that what teenagers do?

Our list was filled with tons of produce and the ingredients to make some yummy detox soup I found over at Be Fit With Tracy.  Click HERE for the recipe.  I will be making this tomorrow, and can’t wait to give it a try!  We also had the ingredients for Beef Bourguignon because well, that’s what the hubby requested for dinner.  I borrowed the recipe from my favorite cooking store, Sur La Table and modified it slightly using finely diced carrots, baby shallots, pancetta and gluten free flour vs. the called for ingredients.  You can find the recipe HERE.

My youngest mover and I hit the road running and battled the crowds with smiles on our faces.  You’d think the world was ending without a single empty shopping cart in sight, and hundreds of people squeezing through the isles.  But we survived, LOL!

me and my mini mover
me and my mini mover

After unloading all of our groceries, I started the cooking process as this is no “quick” dish.  It takes about 2 1/2 hours to be exact!  Here is my prep in pics!

Everything is ready, and the lid is about to go on! T-2 hours!
Everything is ready, and the lid is about to go on! T-2 hours!
Be patient, let the butter and the heat do the work...after about 15 minutes you'll have perfection!
Be patient, let the butter and the heat do the work…after about 15 minutes you’ll have perfection!
1-31mushrooms
Use the same pan you cooked your onions in, just add a bit more butter!

Can I get a drum roll please?  Here is the final product after 2 hours of simmering.  Did I mention how GOOD my house smells?

YUM!
YUM!

My husband tasted, and literally picked me up and started swinging me around the kitchen.  I’d say that’s a win.  ❤

Final dish, served with red wine, Pinot Noir goes well with this dish!
Final dish, served with red wine, Pinot Noir goes well with this dish!

I can honestly say this is one of the best dishes I have made to date.  I am proud that I tackled a dish that Julia Child herself is known for, and even more proud that it tasted so good!  I was also reminded that I just can’t give up on my dreams.  It may not be happening for me now, but I will keep movin’ towards those goals!

How do you stick with your dreams and goals despite road blocks?  Have you ever tackled a recipe you didn’t think you could prepare?

❤ Michelle

food, goals, moving forward, running

Finding my peace…again.

Movin' it with Michelle

As most of you, it has been a rough time for me lately. I tell myself over, and over, and over again that it WILL get better, and life will sort itself out. It always does, when we keep the faith….right? Sometimes these conversations with myself can get a little heated. But I just can’t give up at this point in my life…

So Friday night I texted Andrea to see if she could run with me on Sunday. She too works crazy hours, but quickly said, “I hate you.” Followed by a reminder that she did heart me…lol

So it went like this…
We met up at Fabyan Windmill in Batavia for our scheduled 6 miler. I am semi-training for my half marathon in May by easing my mileage up, slowly…

1-IMG_5764
The trails were covered with snow, but the beauty of the river brought me immediate peace.

A mile and a half in, Andrea got a bloody nose…seems all of our runs have some sort of tragedy that we overcome…asthma attacks, falls, and now blood. This run has been named #bloodrun2014 lovingly.

Doh!
Doh!

We did learn that snow makes for a great packing material to get the bleeding to stop…#whoknew

bloody snot rockets...never a dull moment in a dedicated runner's life!
bloody snot rockets…never a dull moment in a dedicated runner’s life!

I offered to turn around, but she was determined to keep going…we got the bleeding to stop, and kept going.
1-IMG_5747

Of course no run is complete without cartwheels, yet mine was a bit scary…

And handstands...
And handstands…

While heading back into downtown Batavia, we ran into Karen from Trading in my heels. How awesome it was to see her lovely smile.
1-IMG_5769

And why is it, I ALWAYS choose the toughest path on the trails…this was about 4-5 inches of snow…whoops…I called it #crosstraining lol
1-IMG_5768

We had about a mile to go, and I am so glad I took the time to look around and enjoy the beauty of the Fox River trails….looks like we had a visitor! I was so excited to capture this picture!
1-IMG_5759

We finished strong, and my heart and soul felt a peaceful easy feeling of release…

1-IMG_5760

I came home happy, and finished some housework, and allowed myself an hour to lay on the couch and relax.

Dinner consisted of Mediterranean inspired stuffed pork chops and sautéed veggies. Super easy, and healthy…

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Season your (thick cut) pork chops with salt and pepper, and butterfly them down the middle. Set aside
For the stuffing:
In a sauté pan heat 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, and lightly brown 6 mushrooms and 2 cloves of garlic. Season with Mediterranean oregano.
Drain the excess oil and place in a bowl. Add in one container of fat free Mediterranean feta cheese and a handful of green olives, chopped. Stir together, and stuff your pork chops, leaving some of the mixture to sprinkle on the top.
Sear each side until golden brown in a cast iron skillet, and transfer to your oven to finish cooking-about 35-40 minutes.

1-IMG_5779

Serve with your favorite veggies, and ENJOY!

This weekend did my heart wonders, and although my alarm will be going off at 3 a.m. tomorrow, I will do my best to hold this joy in my heart this week!