This week we celebrated our one year anniversary of closing on our house here in Florida.
Hard to believe it’s been a year since moving in!
Work was fairly uneventful which is a good thing.
I got two tough runs in. One solo.
And one with our neighborhood run club. We’ve missed previous weeks due to our daughter’s voice lessons being on Fridays so it was a blast to be able to go!
We had another quiet weekend at home. We incurred some much unwanted debt with our move and our doggy vet bills over this year so we’re trying to get caught back up. We did enjoy another weekend of fun and sun at our neighborhood pool.
Speaking of dogs-can you get any cuter than this?
He’s worth every penny.
❤️🐾❤️🐾
We are on point with Keto eating. We’ve wrapped up our 6th week and I’m down almost 6 pounds and the hubby is rounding out at an 18 lbs weight loss! Our goal is to continue with this lifestyle once we hit our goal weight, but allowing ourselves a cheat day every now and then. Here are some of my easy, go-to meals.
Last week I will admit I had started to get a little nervous about my upcoming marathon. Why? Well, the chance I might be running it solo had come to play, but it sounds like my nephew is doing MUCH better and that the original plan of my sister and I running this race together is back ON, knock on wood! Although I had trained primarily solo, I didn’t push myself in regards to pace because my ONE goal for this race is to have FUN with my sister…oh…and to finish. So I have TWO goals, LOL.
But, just to be safe and plan ahead, I decided to get my Jeep’s oil changed and a few other things to make sure I could make the trip to Minnesota by myself if needed. I also go my emission’s test for my upcoming annual tag renewal.
My mini and I having fun.
Saturday morning I set my alarm early because I had a massage scheduled at noon and I wasn’t going to miss that appointment. LOL!!! My run was AMAZING, and I couldn’t believe how good my legs felt. Maybe because I took Thursday off since I had weird aches and pains everywhere, and maybe because I just cleared my mind and ran…regardless, I left it all out there, and was speedier than I have been in quite some time.
Splits:10:21, 10:29, 10:13, 10:20, 9:55, 9:46, 9:37, 9:23 for my last long run of 8 miles. Average pace was 10:01. Yes please, and thanks! Here’s a couple photos I snapped during fuel breaks:
Next…My massage. I may or may not have asked my therapist to marry me come with me to Minnesota, LOL!!! She’s worked wonders for my wonky ITB and crazy knotted calf that has plagued me for a couple years. I love her. Thanks, Amy!!
And then, insert taper crazies here…I cleaned my husband’s closet, cleaned and purged a bunch of lotions and crap from the bathroom, and scrubbed the house from top to bottom. All with a smile on my face, and a feeling of light-heartedness that quite possibly came from my morning 8 miler. Anyone that has trained for a marathon while working full time, (and on single Mom duty more than half the year) knows that housework falls to the wayside, and quick. It feels great to have my life back in order, LOL.
I’ve spent the last few days talking with Charissa, Allison, and Hanna via FB chat. These amazing ladies all plan on running the marathon in around 3 hours or so, and I am in awe of their talent and speed. But more so, they’ve supported me and my blog for quite a while and I can’t WAIT to meet them in SIX days!!!! I’ve started packing, and am over the moon excited to finally be the one traveling vs. the one staying home!
Fuel is good to go, not pictured are my salt tabs and Motrin.
I am also excited to meet Eric Strand (I hope) and give him his #DoEpicShit bracelet from my friend Andrea who’s been one of my biggest supporters. He doesn’t only run Grandma’s Marathon, he runs it twice, started at 3 am running TOWARDS the start line from the finish line. Check out the video!!!
And that my friends…is a wrap. My training is complete minus a couple short runs this week, and I. AM. READY.
Thanks for those who’ve consistently supported my crazy dreams and goals. It means more to me than I could ever put in to words. Y’all will be with me, for 4-5 hours as I run my 3rd (and possibly final full) marathon!!!!
Today I am linking up with Mar,Cynthia, and Courtney for my first Friday five link up! Please head over and check out their blogs!
I’m super excited!!!
Today’s topic is a day in the life…my life is pretty routine, so please bear with my monotony. The key to the excitement is that any deviation from my routine truly throws me off…ack! LOL
My alarm goes off promptly at 6:03 a.m. every week day for work. If my husband is in town, I allow myself 2 snoozes because I am only in charge of getting myself ready, and taking my oldest to school. After the second snooze, I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I put in my moisture eye drops (I have terribly dry eyes), turn on my curling iron and hot water (it takes several minutes to heat up) and then use the restroom. After which I get dressed quickly (my clothes are set out the night before-always), put on deodorant, brush my teeth and wash my face. I shower at night…Then it’s quick make up, throw my hair up and I’m ready to go. All in exactly 15 minutes flat.
Just can’t delete my MC audition alarm, lol
Next I grab my Starbucks refresher which has been my BFF since my insomnia resurfaced. I gave up most caffeine quite a while ago, but this has become a necessity to function. I like it because it’s cheaper than going to Starbucks, and has WAY less sugar/crap in it I’ve found. Here’s my favorite flavor!
Yes please and thanks!
My day then becomes rather boring. Monday through Friday, and every 5th weekend I am working. My job is foreign to most, but I supervise an Anatomic Pathology laboratory and although it’s not my life passion I have really grown to love the people and place I work.
My workouts depend on the day/my schedule. Normally Monday is rest/light weights, Tuesday/Thursday running, Friday light weights, and Saturday or Sunday are my long run days with the other day used for walking/rest. My youngest accompanied me on my 4 miler yesterday. It was sheer bliss seeing her smile from ear to ear and giggle for 1.2 miles.
Can someone BE any cuter? Talking about my youngest of course…lol
My evenings are normally filled with kids homework, chores, cooking, etc until about 8 p.m. where I shut down and allow myself time to blog, fb, do SOMETHING I enjoy. We deserve a little down time, right?!
LOL
So that’s my Friday fives!!! So excited to link up this week, and hope you enjoyed!!
What does your daily routine look like? Are you a planner? What do you do for enjoyment?
We’re in week 3 of marathon training, and so far, so good…I’ve been using a modified version of Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 training plan and am admittedly happy that this weekend is a cut back week for my long run. His plans have a progression of miles for 2 weeks, and then a slight cut back on the 3rd week. This gives my weary legs time to rest which is exactly what this middle aged runner needs. My knees have been a bit achy this week, and I’ve yet to determine if it’s the weather, or just the increasing mileage. Regardless, I am thankful my long run is only 6 miles this weekend. I haven’t decided if I’ll go back to the track, or try and knock it out on my treadmill. We shall see!!!
Hal Higdon
Time:
I often hear people tell me that they don’t have time for this or that…”I don’t have time to run like you,” is probably the best one I’ve heard. We all have busy lives between work, family, maintaining a home etc. But it’s a choice we EACH make to MAKE time, or make excuses. I choose to make time for things that are important to ME. Running happens to be one of those things. I have no need for snarky comments on how I make the time, either. Thank you very much. 🙂
Trust:
This one is near and dear to me, as I don’t trust very many people with my heart. Be it friends, family or coworkers, the people I chose to spend my time with are held very dear to my heart. But sadly sometimes that trust is broken. And it hurts. The snarky comments from people when you’ve repeatedly given of yourself, well, hurts. I suppose no matter how hard you try, it never is enough for some. So be it, right? It’s all about movin’ forward. THAT is something I’ve got no TIME for. Ha!
Questions! Do you use a training plan? Do you hear snarky comments about how you make time for things, and if so how do you deal with them? What are you thoughts on trust, and forgiving past hurts repeatedly?
First off, I finished my second week of marathon training strong! My first 20 miler week is complete and I am quite pleased. A couple of the miles were walked, but the majority were spent running and I even finished my first double digit run of TEN miles on the indoor track in a neighboring suburb on Saturday. 8 laps equaled ONE mile, so yeah…you can imagine how this MIGHT have felt. But it went surprisingly fast mostly due to my awesome friend Janel providing me with great conversation as well as keeping track of the miles with a clicker. I set out for 8 miles, but felt so good I did an even 10 miles for the day. I don’t do a mid week long run, so often times add a mile or two to my weekend long run. All in all-WINNING. (My only set back for the week was missing my yoga work out, but I made sure to foam roll and stretch today to help with the soreness. I also took a 25 minute Epsom salt bath tonight to help ease my sore muscles).
Runner love right here!!
I came home to be informed that although my hubby had returned from his 3 weeks of travels just this past Friday, that he would be leaving again on Wednesday and suddenly my runners high was deflated. First I got mad, then I cried, and then I decided to just take a hot shower and try to move forward with my weekend.
As you all know, his travels are a bitter chip that resides more times than not on my shoulder. I wish I could kick this chip’s butt, but darn it the anger sure seems to win most times as I tackle the single parenting gig. Keep in mind I have a job too, kids that are in school/have activities to be taken too and a house that needs tending to…after a while, any normal person would break, right? Please say this is normal…lol
So this morning I awoke after FINALLY sleeping most of the night for almost 9 hours and I felt…better. It’s Sunday, and with Sundays in our house comes Sunday Supper. We decided to have a chopped challenge as well, and my 5 ingredients were:
Beef round roast
Tomatillos
Beets
Mangos
Mussels
So here’s what I came up with:
Appetizer
Mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and saffron with red pepper flakes served with a salad over tomatillo dressing.
For the tomatillo dressing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, husk and rinse your tomatillos and quarter. Dice 1/4 onion, 2 cloves of garlic and add in the tomatillos. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes. Transfer to your food processor or blender, and liquefy the mixture. Strain for seeds, and set aside.
For the mussels, in a stock pot melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and extra virgin olive oil, and add in 3 cloves of minced garlic, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of saffron. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, and add in 3/4 cup of white wine, and a splash of water. Bring to a boil. Add in your previously cleaned mussels and cover the pot, shaking every minute or so. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until the mussels open. Pardon my spelling error…
This was…divine! .COM
Main course
Beet and chipotle pepper soup serve with braised beef.
First, season your roast with your favorite Mexican spices. I used cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sear on all sides, and transfer to a crock pot or dutch oven. Add 2 cups of beef broth (unsalted), 1 cup of red wine, and a large onion that has been sliced. Let simmer for 2 hours.
Secondly, for your soup…
In a soup pot that has been preheated to medium high heat with extra virgin olive oil add:
1 onion-diced
3 cloves of garlic-minced
4 large beets, peeled and chopped
1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce
Sauté for about 5-6 minutes until just tender
Add in 3-4 cups of unsalted beef stock and bring to a boil. In a separate cup, add a teaspoon of corn starch to cold water. Mix well, and keep the soup at a boil for a couple of minutes. Reduce to a simmer for about an hour.
Puree the soup, and just before serving add a couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt. Mix well, and serve! Don’t forget to check for seasoning! I sliced the beef thinly, and served with the soup!
Gosh, isn’t it pretty? ❤
Desert
First off. I don’t bake. I hate to measure, and baking makes my crazy. But I decided to use the mangos in a desert type style, trying to keep with my Mexican type theme of cooking.
I peeled and chopped the mangos, and added them to my food processor. I added in brown sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of water and mixed well. Set aside.
Take 2 sheets of puff pastry dough and roll out. Cut 8 circles out, spoon in the mixture, and pinch the edges tight. Crimp each tart with a fork, brush each tart with a fork and sprinkle some more brown sugar over the top. Back at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
In my defense I only half of one, and skipped the vanilla ice cream but YUM!
So at the end of the day, I’ve trained, I’ve cooked, and I’ve shed a few tears. But I’ve kept moving forward.
How was your weekend? Did you cook? Are you training for any races? How do YOU deal with stress?
Although I haven’t joined the 30 day Yoga challenge, I have decided to include Yoga in my weekly routine, at least 1-2 times per week. Those of you that know me, know I am NOT flexible…But I am working towards being a leaner, stronger, more flexible runner in 2015…so here we go…
Balanced and even?? Heck no…but I sure am trying.
And meet my amazing yoga partner, my mini Mover.
My 8 year old held strong for 30 minutes tonight; So proud! (notice my photobombing dog, yeah…lol)
After work, and Yoga, we decided to prepare a healthy meal. The chicken wings I had (again) in the Caf at work were NOT healthy. Argh. Someone please pass me a side of will power, please…lol. I am down 2 lbs so I won’t complain-too much…8 lbs to go…
We made a yummy salad with mixed greens of baby kale, arugula, and spinach along with some chopped romaine. I added radishes, tomatoes, green onions and a healthy yogurt dressing.
Top your salad with crab meat that has been seasoned with a little Old Bay and YUM!
Tonight we hunkered down on the couch and watched American Idol. Yup…still a junky 13 years later. There are very few shows we can catch on our ONE channel, but I’ve been trying to gather the family more at least a few nights per week for at least an hour. We all love music in our house, so this show is a win/win. And it’s an hour spent with my favorite people. What more could I ask for?
And now I sit here, with my thoughts and honestly I think I’ll go to bed soon. In my efforts to disengage from FB, I still find myself checking back far too often seeing people’s posts that just (sorry) piss me off. Why do I bother? As my sister says….FB sure can be a ‘Life suck’…I need to not let it suck the life out of me. This brings #SMDH (shaking my darn head) to a whole new level….
So tomorrow I have a good ole dready run on deck, and despite work, kids, housework, etc, I’ve decided to MAKE the time. Because guess what….I NEED it. This…is no longer a want.
OOPS, my laundry timer is going off…Back to reality gang!!!
What are your favorite cross training work outs if you are a runner? Have you ever tried Yoga?
In 2013 I ran my second FULL marathon. I swore I’d never run a second full, but got the bug after the first training run. I PR’d by nearly an hour (58 minutes to be exact, I SHOULD know the seconds, but don’t, lol) and I SWORE I’d never run another full marathon. I ran a couple half marathon races in 2014, to include my husband’s first half…did you read about it? You can read about it HERE!
I love this guy…
So today while on my break I decided to catch up on blog posts. My friend Kim asked when training for the Grandma’s Marathon started, and after scratching my head and thumbing through my calendar I realized official training starts in TWO weeks. WHA???? Here. WE. GOOOO! In two weeks I need to be back up to a steady 6 mile run. Easy peasy, right? I’m a marathoner for goodness sake…Ack…I haven’t ran more than 13.1 miles in 4 months…but I’m ready. And a little scared, too…<3
Yup…
Have you heard of this race? If not, read here! For those that don’t know, this is my hometown race, where I grew up watching marathoners crossing the finish line, thus my dream of being a marathoner began.
And a marathoner I am…to me, this is one of the hugest mental and physical accomplishments of my life. I have loved, I have lost, and I have ran 26.2 freakin’ miles. yeah…quote THAT. 🙂
But the last 2 days I fought with some mental demons, past hurts, and irrevocable YUCK that just can’t be forgiven forgotten. I ALMOST let it get to me….but NOPE. Sorry y’all, I’ve got a marathon to train for…#movinforward
So I thank you all for your positive feedback in regards to my last post. I know we all struggle, we are all human, and we all have those negative forces that try to creep in…BUT…I also know, only some of us decide to move forward…and not let that crap in. (Yes, I was literally shaking my head today)!!!!
LOL
At the end of the day, I managed to finish my plank challenge (Day 2) and added an additional 10 seconds, as well as did the push up challenge I am participating in this month. Tomorrow is mill day, and I hope to get in at least 3 miles. I’ll be taking all of my fear and frustration and ‘running it out’ tomorrow…who’s with me? Let’s leave the crap behind us, right?
#this
What are your plans for the week? Do you have any upcoming races?
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!
My kids played in the snow, while I made my Detox soup for the week!
detox soup, ready for my lunches this week!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!
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.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?
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?
Ok, so I started last year at a pretty dark place, but managed to finish on a pretty high note with lofty yet achievable goals. Running, writing, and researching recipes are high on my list this year mixed in with some awesome photography…Right? Um…so yeah…about that…
Then, I cut my thumb on Christmas day, and my running, motivation, and goal making days halted all too quickly. BUT…thankfully only for just about a month. Whew…bullet dodged. I caveat this with saying I DID NOT/DO NOT want a repeat of last winter. Ever. Both the weather, and my mood were beyond frigid.
So here we go…
First:
I started running again last week. My miles are minimal and my pace is slow as can be…but I’m MOVIN’…can I get a yahoo??? Today at work I had a leadership workshop of sorts to attend so my 8 hour day was squashed in to 4 hours of playing catch up. I was tired by the time the final ‘bell’ rang, so upon arriving to my daughter’s school I texted my Maria…”I’ll be on the dreadmill in 30 minutes in case you want to join me.” Of course she did, despite battling a migraine for 5 days, and her virtual hug and push helped get my on the mill. 2.6 miles, complete.
My pace may have slowed, but the passion is still very real.
Second:
I hit the restart button after the holidays to try and lose my 5-7 lbs of marathon training/winter weight/I’m lazy and just ate all the food weight…so I’m back on MyFitnessPal for anyone else who uses this app, tracking my food and fitness and REALLY trying to stop eating all. the. chips. I have to giggle when it says I should weigh a certain weight if I continue to eat the way I am because yeah-pre-menopause obviously isn’t calculated in to the equation, and well yeah…I don’t see that number on the scale. BUT…I’ve just restarted in the last week or so, so baby steps, right? With that I have been eating high protein/veggie/fruit type of diet, so here is tonight’s easy peasy dinner recipe!
Baked Pork chop with white wine, onion and caper sauce over baby spinach salad
Easy peasy pork in just over 30 minutes!
What you’ll need (pork chops):
4 thick cut boneless pork chops, seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, and a dash of lemon pepper seasoning on all sides-apply liberally and set aside for about 5 minutes while you get everything preheated.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Pre-heat a non stick pan and add extra virgin olive oil and 1 pat of unsalted butter. Heat to high heat, and pan sear chops on both sides (5-7 minutes each side-don’t over crowd your pan!) until golden brown and transfer to a baking sheet. *Tip-line your pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up! Place in your pre-heated oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until your chops have reached 155 degrees-let rest for 10 minutes minimum-chops will reach required temp of 160 degrees by this time. *Tip-cover with foil while resting your meat. It helps hold the temperature.
While your chops are baking, make your “sauce.”
Sauce
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons of Kalamata olives, chopped
Zest of a lemon
1 cup of white wine
1/4 of cold water mixed with cornstarch to thicken
Kosher salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.
In the same pan you seared your chops, deglaze with the white wine (make sure it’s wine you’d drink!)
Add your onions, garlic, capers, and olives. Reduce down the liquid by half, and add your seasonings and cornstarch water to thicken. Add zest just before serving. I served the spinach and pork with the sauce, who needs dressing/gravy? Not this girl!
So in order to stay on track with food, fitness, and life in general my TRUE goal this year is to BE CONTENT. I have said it before, but I’ll say it again. I am, and I have, ENOUGH.
Who’s with me? How are your eats and exercise lately? How do you battle off season eating/motivation?
1. I was tagged to participate in a pretty fun post, but will have to work on that this weekend. HAHA, way to keep you hanging, right?
I did however get THIS cool notification after just over a year of having my blog on WP. 🙂 A HUGE thank you to those who have taken the time to like, comment, and engage with my quirky little place in the world. Mad love to you all!
YAY!
2. After working 6 days in a row I realllllllllllllllllly wanted to come home and put my jammies on and…NOT. MOVE. But after work I picked up my youngest and ran a couple errands. I knew once arriving home I would HAVE to change in to my running clothes and hop on the mill. I texted my friend Maria, as we had another virtual running date, and got ready. She was running a little late, so I started on my own. Just after hitting the one mile mark (2 miles on deck) I really wanted to give up. My legs were sore after my run Tuesday and I found myself questioning if I’d be ready for marathon training in just ONE month after nearly a month without a single run. My legs were SORE from a 2 mile run…really? But then I got this text…and I knew I could do this. No quitting. (Thanks, Maria…truly!)
YAY for friends!
3. I admittedly haven’t cooked at all since I’ve been on single Mom duty this week. The kids are happy with left over, sammiches, and breakfast for dinner so it’s been pretty easy. Tonight after my run I decided to make an easy homemade pizza with a little help from the store. My friend Kristina from @Life laugh love run asked for the recipe, so I thought I’d share with you all!
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil-set aside while you get your ingredients ready!
1 package of corn tortilla/gluten free tortilla/wrappers
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce. I am lucky to have an amazing Italian market just 1/2 mile away that makes their own homemade sauce that is totally organic/preservative free!
Your favorite toppings! Here are some of mine:
1 pepper, diced
Several mushrooms, sliced
Garlic-minced
1 package of lean/low fat/low sodium pepperoni. I get mine again, from my amazing grocery store so I know it’s “good” for my family.
Oregano/basil
Mozzarella cheese (I only use a little as dairy and I aren’t friends)
Line the cookie sheet with the tortillas, making sure NOT to overlap. Take 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce, and spread evenly over the tortilla. Add your veggies next, then the pepperoni. Sprinkle lightly with the cheese, and season with basil and oregano. Bake at 425 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
easy, quick, and healthy! Can’t go wrong!
Enjoy!
Have you struggled with winter running or injury? How do you get past the struggle? What is your favorite healthy go-to meal?
Movin' it with Michelle 