Cold But So Cool

Elly and I took off this morning in the 19-degree temps without Jacques as it was one of those mornings where you have that sudden, "Oh, crap! I have to leave now!" feeling. It is in such a moment that priorities need to be followed, and getting Jacques on Elly was not one of them! He didn't seem to notice being left behind; Elly always notices, so she still got to come.

The jar to the morning brain did not deter the run, though. In fact, the run might have been what kept me a little more sane! It started off with a bit of a stink because look at my awesome purple striped gloves:

Drat.

Oh, well. I switch to an excellent pair of gloves tomorrow anyway (it being December and all!). Besides, check out these cool sites this morning!

Did I say cool sites? I think I meant cold ...

I'd like to know from where that dandelion
came ... I don't even remember the last time
I saw one! And, check out that eaten leaf
below it, too. Awesome! This is that same
stretch of leaves that can annoy me because
Elly wants to linger in them. Today, we both
took advantage of that stretch ... but in very
different ways!

Sweet ... I just loved this one.

Seeing all of those frosty leaves had that same feeling I get when watching the end of one of the Sunday morning news shows ... I can't remember which one it is, but they sign off with visuals and sounds captured in nature. It stops me in my tracks when I actually catch it. I seriously could have just studied this particular leaf for quite some time. But, I didn't as I was getting chilly and the miles don't run themselves!

May you find your peaceful moment in an everyday spot today! See you in the a.m. ... three more days 'til the Jingle Bell Run!!

Making It Mine

If anyone were to ask me if I was into exercise at any time growing up, my immediate and sincere answer would be, "No." In fact, I'd likely add the statement that I never even did it.

But, that's really not true. The truth of the matter is that from the age of 8 'til my early 30s, I played soccer every chance I could. I swam from the day the pool opened to the day it closed. I played high school sports (even a volleyball bench warmer goes through the same practice rigors as the starters ...), and I was active in intramurals in college. But, none of that seemed like exercise (um, except maybe the volleyball practices ...). It was just fun.

I got to thinking about this today on this very cold Rest Day. I was happy to take the day off from running, but I also look forward to the morning tomorrow. I'm not so much looking forward to the run itself; it's more that I'm actually looking forward to:

She's hoping it's not Rest
Day. But, it is. She's also
pretending to not look at
me, but I know better.

• being out with my dog
• watching Jacques bounce on my dog
• wearing my fun purple striped gloves
• possibly finding treasures
• the time to just be for a while
• taking pictures of random stuff
• keeping the dog's toenails trimmed

I realize the health benefits are plentiful, but that has never before been a driving force for me to exercise, and it's not what I first think of now. It's about the fun as I've defined and incorporated it into my world. It's totally my way! I get to do it at my own pace without fear of "qualifying" or "not starting" (take that warm volleyball bench). I've bought a variety of gloves and ear warmers for different moods and holidays for the express purpose of wearing when I run. I've seen parts of my city to which I've never really paid attention, and I've enjoyed the new-to-me details (except for the dead, squished details; those never excite me). I bought a stuffed jockey to ride on my dog for crying out loud! FUN! And -- my favorite -- I can see where this activity has potential to sustain me for decades to come. (Wait, did I just say 'me'? I mean me and my new running pal!)

I've mentioned before that my Dad always used to tell me to figure out how to put the fun into work, otherwise, it's not going to be there. Clearly, I took that to heart here! See you after my morning outing!

Excellent Monday

This morning's run was a great one ... I really, really do like these cold temperatures!! I know Elly appreciates them, too, given she always has to run in a coat (and wait 'til you see what Jacques will sport for the holidays ...!). It's a good thing I like it cold given the prediction for Saturday's Jingle Bell run is that it will be in the low 20s!! Brrrr ... (yeah!!)

So, it was all back to routine for us today ...

We cranked out the miles together and took a group shot ...

Elly enjoyed a post-run ear massage ...

My runny-eye-booger dog is so pretty ...

I super scored! ...

And, I enjoyed a favorite post-run yummy breakfast with an extra
quinoa heap. I stopped at the gas station for a Diet Coke (where
I found another dime, by the way!), and when I have one in the
morning, I can get the hungries. Quinoa takes care of that.

This was a great start for a Monday! Richer for having gone both in health and cold, hard cash. Outstanding! For the record, while it was super cool finding that dime, it really was more fun finding yesterday's penny because I was with my favorite pal!

I also found an interesting little trinket in the street. I saw it last week, and as it was still there today, I picked it up. And, that's when my imagination kicked in; I decided that trinket could very well be the calling card of a criminal (you know like when the bad guys in Home Alone clog up the sinks and turn on the water so they can be called "The Wet Bandits" ...), so I tossed it into some leaves about 100 yards away. True story. Just go with it because there's really a lot of time to think out there when you're running with your dog ... she doesn't really engage in conversation, and my imagination is excellent.

Tomorrow's Tuesday, so you know that means it's Rest Day! See you during!

Running Pals

So, the other day, just after the Turkey Trax run, I was getting out of my car, and my lower back just seized up. I don't know what muscle I irritated, but it really hurt, and I've needed to pamper it since then. Fortunately, it feels markedly better every day. Unfortunately, I think it's going to take some time to get all the way better. (This helps explain my ability to embrace yesterday's sudden change in plans ...)

I was determined to run today if I could, and it felt that I could as long as I was smart about it. In short, I knew I needed a pacer to keep me steady no matter what. Elly, for as slow as she can go, was not a good option in the event that she decided to suddenly stop for a sniff or potty break only to jerk the leash, therefore, jar my back. However, her setting a pace for me was my original secret to success. So, I went back to the drawing board ... pacer needed ... Enter: Aaron!

Previously, I mentioned Aaron had cartilage transplanted in his knee. Given the impact our knees absorb just by living, you can imagine they take a whole lot by running. Therefore, to preserve his knee, he has been strongly advised to not run, but he is free and clear to walk as much and as fast as he wants. He did so fabulous at the Turkey Trax, I thought it wise (and fun!) to ask if he would be my pacer this morning. Fortunately for me, he readily agreed!

So, we got up, dressed for the 37 degree weather (awesome for me! not awesome for Aaron!) and hit the road. It was so much FUN! To be honest, years ago when we'd run together, I hated it because he always smoked me without even trying. I could never keep up therefore did not count it as running together. But, now, he has a controlled pace, and I have no desire to hit breakneck speed, so we met in the middle and were a fabulous pair!

This match-up came at a perfect time. I've been pushing away a lot of stuff in my head lately with regard to my own pace and what I "should" or "should not" be pushing myself to do, and this morning was very re-grounding for me. I've always enjoyed my pace because it's what makes the whole venture fun. If I focus too much on "figuring out" what I'm "supposed" to be doing, it gets complicated and burdensome ... and, for what? Lately, though, I've allowed those voices to re-enter my head only to learn, yet again, they're deterimental to my own goals.

One of my goals is to make running a lifelong endeavor for me; another is to be able to share it with Aaron. This morning showed me that I can have both.

I win!

And, by the way, I won double this morning:

It's actually more fun finding coins when someone is with you to share in the celebration! What a great way to cap off the Thanksgiving weekend! Running with Elly and Jacques tomorrow will be fun ... but I'm already looking forward to heading out with Aaron again!

The Battle

I woke up this morning to a battle between the calendar and Mother Nature. I had a run scheduled, but when I got up, it was very gray out, and I couldn't tell if it was sprinkling. I looked a little closer, and it was clear the sprinkling was starting. The bonus of it being Saturday is that I can simply move my run to Sunday. So, without much thought, mentally noted a Sunday run plan, and I went back to bed! It was a good move, too, because within five minutes, I was hunkered down under the warm comforter, a kitty was purring right next to me, and the rain began. Big time. Mother Nature looked at my calendar and scoffed. Fine by me. (I don't usually take rain on a run day in stride, so I'm enjoying this while it's happening!)

To further the day's enjoyment, I started it with a Diet Coke ... ahhh ...

... and festive decorations are emerging around the house! I do so love the holidays and all they entail! Wait, I take that back a wee bit simply because I don't enjoy the double-overtime it seems to take to motivate myself to get out there and run during December. I'm pretty certain that's my most difficult month to get through because there is so much extra going on on top of regular life! Well, clearly it's about time to push up the sleeves and get it done anyway. It always pays off, and with a Half looming just a season away, this is not the time to invent excuses ... no matter how Saturday-morning-sleep-in-comfy they are! So, here's to hoping the calendar and Mother Nature can get along. If not, I'll figure out a way to enjoy the ride!

Picture. Thousand Words.

Yeah, I'd say that about sums it up:

With a tummy still a bit full from our feast, I thought this morning about how fabulous it is that it's not only Rest Day, but it was a scheduled one. I didn't even manipulate the schedule to make it so! Whoever came up with the every-Friday-off routine that I follow is a genius. Enjoy your continued digestion, and I'll see you after what is sure to be a slow go tomorrow morning!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Woah! What a great day!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I can only hope it goes without saying, but in case it doesn't, we're so thankful here for health, happiness, our family and friends!!

Another moment punctuating our blessings was at the Turkey Trax run this morning when the donations going to each charity were announced. We knew how fortunate we were standing there ready to participate in a fun run, able to contribute to the donations and not requiring the charity's services. Truly a moment of thanks.

While the run was for serious causes, it was still, indeed, a fun run! Here we go!

It was about 42 degrees when we arrived, and we had almost an
hour 'til the run began. The youngest Pit Crewers took shelter from
the temp and the wind in their favorite race spot! They usually have
fruit and Pop-Tarts back here, but they're also usually waiting for
me. Not this time! They're about to hit the pavement!

Some of us needed last-minute assistance!

There we are, ready to go!

Almost 900 people participated! Check this out, though ... just 4
hours away, another Turkey Trax race was taking place with
9,000 participants!! Holy moly! Anyway, look close ... there's
Aaron (gray pants, white shirt, white ear warmer) and the Crew
on the asphalt! (In between the trees)

The arrangement was that I take off running
while Aaron and Crew did their things at their
paces. I had the camera with me, so I took
this pic along the way without stopping to do
so. I couldn't believe it turned out! Anyway,
that's quite a line of people in front of me! It
goes to the end of the road there at the horizon
line and all the way to the end of the run! We
had just passed the first mile and could hear
the announcement of the first person about to
finish! (And, if I ever thought my ponytail knew
how to rock a race, check that one out!)

It wasn't terribly long after I finished that the
fam came around the corner! There's Pit Crew
#2! She did awesome and was super proud!

Pit Crew #3 was determined to run past the
man in the black jacket ... so he did! That man
had a dog with him, too, so watching my boy
jam around the dog was very funny!

Here comes Aaron! So proud of him for power walking that route!
A little knee cartilage transplant will take the run out of a person,
but it won't take the spirit!

Reunited! So happy! A little smelly! We had so much fun!
(Hey, there's that man and dog! Did I mention it was a big dog?!)
Anyway, what a great experience to do this as a family!
How lucky am I!?!

And, then: check ... this ... out ...

Triple ...

Cha ...

Ching!

And, before the run began, Pit Crew #3
found a frog. Booyah!

Finding treasures seems to be a family forte! As I've said before: Running Pays! (even in frogs!)

With that, I wish you the very best this Thanksgiving!

We're Ready!

We've picked up the goods for tomorrow morning's run!!

I've not heard of this run, so I wasn't sure
what to expect in terms of attendance. When
we got to the store for packet pick up, there
was a line ... that was a good sign that it was
a good event!

Very clever to make the line go right past
the goodies ... reminds me of the strategic
ways you have to go through the arcade to
leave big rides at Six Flags ...

We have our goods and are ready to go! I
also found out that as of the time we picked
up our stuff, there were almost 900 people
registered!! Yahoo!! That's a great event!

Oh, yeah ... ready to go ... and look at that
ugly turkey ... he's fabulous!

The event shirt is excellent, too!

A kiss-in-advance from the pooch, and this
family is ready to roll in the morning!!
See you after!!



Morning Essentials

Getting up and taking a run on almost any morning is not a huge deal (anymore). Even if it's one where I don't yet want to get out of bed (which is all mornings), I can usually get over myself and my lousy morning attitude in good time to look forward to the run by the time I start.

But, this is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving!! That just adds a whole, new dynamic to the mix. Given last night was the eve of a break, I, like a little kid, stayed up entirely too late while Aaron and I decompressed from the week (even the short ones can be intense!), unwound from the energy brought forth by the young Pit Crewers who are totally stoked about not having school for a few days (reason never matters!) and made our Black Friday overnight shopping plans (in that we're not going). It seems talking about this stuff until 12:30 a.m. was a good idea.

So, it feels like an understatement to say that 6:35 a.m. came super early today!! I put my clothes out last night, so I really don't remember much about getting ready this morning. And, while I got myself ready, Aaron got Elly ready for me. Here she is very patiently waiting to go:

What is she looking at out of the corner of her eye? Take a look:

Lizzy's over there. Elly, the 60-pound hound, has spent a great deal of her own life being intimidated by that 11-pound kitty (with good reason, but still). So, Elly also spends a great deal of her life looking out of the corner of her eye ...

Anyway, you see that the running essentials were in place ... shoes on, Jacques poised and ready, and a poop bag.

All I had to do was get going, and it was a great run. My favorite moment was passing a neighbor who had just returned from getting a coffee and a newspaper. It was quiet outside, and it was peaceful; seeing him then with his brand of morning essentials was a little slice of fabulous.

Enjoy whatever way you start your day! See you after the Turkey Trax!!!

I'll Take a Lazy Day

I think it's funny that one beast is ignoring me because she's pouting, and the other is doing so because she has ignoring people perfected to an art form. Either way, it's good they are finding a way to enjoy my Rest Day together! This one worked out well because it's also raining. I couldn't have timed Rest Day better myself! Stay warm, stay dry, and enjoy your day! See you after the morning run! Just two more days 'til the Turkey Trax!! Yeah!!

Hug a Runner? Rock On!

According to the I Love To Run Facebook page, yesterday was "Hug a Runner Day". Who knew? And, who decided that? I'm not arguing, though, I think it's cool! So, seeing as I missed it yesterday, today, I hugged my favorite runner:

Yay! Hugs!

I give Elly a big ol' hug after every run we do. She's a great running pal! (Jacques did not get any hugs today ... he's a rider, not a runner ...)

It was a great morning back at it! I could tell the extra day off totally paid off the way it should. My knee still feels weird from last Monday's skating defeat. It's still swollen, and the bruise is mighty pretty (if it's going to hurt that much, at least it looks fabulous!). But, it's not a running hindrance, and that's a good thing considering there are not only the two holiday runs scheduled, but we also have awesome headwear for both occasions! Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, stop what you're doing, and hug someone you love ... just because! See you on tomorrow's Rest Day!

Perhaps I Should Just Stick To the Road

There I am in my first official run! It's
the St. Pat's run in 2009!

It's like this ... From my very first official run, the one thing I always do once registered is study the map of the route. I go over it many, many times to make sure I know where I'm going so I don't have to rely on signage or volunteers. I run through it mentally in my head a handful of times. I have driven routes I can't visualize. I've asked race organizers prior to a run about specific parts of a route if I'm confused. Most runs I've entered have had adequate-or-better signage, but I'd prefer to be as mentally auto-piloted as possible. I like it there.

Here I'm literally coming around the corner
out of that loop I thought was a mile but
turned out to be three. At least I'm smiling!

I've certainly screwed the visualization up a time or two, though, especially when driving the route isn't feasible. This happened when I studied the route for my first Half and thought a particular u-turn stretch on the map was a mile long; it turned out to be three (That'll mess with a girl while actually running: "Heyyy, is this ever going to end?" Yikes!). I managed to screw it up in that same race when crossing over a bridge and seeing runners on the route under me knowing that's where I was about to be ... you know, just over the bridge and around the corner. Or not. That underpass was 2 miles away.

Had I studied all of the details of the map and not just the road directions, none of the above would have happened. Apparently, I have that same affliction for blowing detail in the kitchen. A friend of mine read my entry about the Pumpkin Bean Soup. She showed it to her husband and pointed out that I'd mentioned it was heavy on the tomato flavor. His response was, in my words, "Really? That's weird because there's only an 8-ounce can of tomato in there."

Um, not in my creation. I used this!

Whoopsie ...

That is not an 8-ounce can of tomato!!
But, the recipe called for 8 ounces ...

For crying out loud. What is the matter with me?

I will say, though, that we really liked it heavy on the tomato ... perhaps that's what masked the pumpkin -- that I hate -- so well. So, the next time we make it, we're sticking with the bigger can. Just like my runs, things work out!

In the meantime, my shout out for today goes to this same friend who brought me these on Friday:

Sweet potato chips made from ... get this ... just sweet potato! NO
oil whatsoever! Seasoned with a little salt and made in the microwave
on a new Pampered Chef gadget!! I so need this gadget!!

Holy Crispy Goodness, these were unbelievable!! So, so good!! (And, so, so gone very, very quickly!)

And, there you have it. Rest Day recaps featuring the kitchen. I'm very much enjoying this trio of Rest Days ... and I'm looking forward to running tomorrow!! That's how it should be. See you after the morning run! I'm on a pretty solid auto-pilot for these runs, so it should be easy breezy! Even if I stray off course distracted by a penny prospect, Elly is pretty automated on where to go. It's excellent to let the hound do the thinking for me! Thank goodness for hounds and friends!!

Kitchen Tid Bit!

Okay, I most definitely know I made the right call for Rest over Running today! Not only did I go to bed early last night, I slept later than normal and I had a nap by mid-afternoon! Yes, indeed, I know I made the right call to not run AND I also know that by getting this extra rest, I'll be back at it Monday with great enthusiasm! Yahoo!!

In the meantime, I wanted to share my most recent favorite kitchen tidbit! Here's the scoop ... If there is one thing I've wanted out of food in the past two years, it's been something that is really good for me that will also keep me plenty full to keep the hungries away in between meals. Now, while I don't think that's asking for too much, evidently it is because I've not been able to crack that code. Until now ... Enter: Quinoa!

Say it with me: Keeeeen - wahhhhh (Hey, remember how Chachi on Happy Days always said, "Waaah, waaah, waaah!" ? Okay, back to the story ...)

I'd heard about this little gem in passing through different outlets on tv, the internet and magazines. What caught my attention was when I finally understood it is a protein source, and I have been wanting a protein option at breakfast besides egg whites. So, literally one day, two weeks ago, I went to the store, bought some quinoa in bulk, cooked it up, swirled it into my morning oatmeal, and I was full for hours. AND -- the key to success-- I liked it!

Here's how the deal went down:

To the bulk section of the grocery store I went! I had not yet
tried to find it elsewhere; I just knew it was here, I was in the
mood to get on with trying it, so I opted out of a hunt for it.
Sometimes, the hunt itself is a buzz kill, and I really wanted
to try this!

I bought about a half a zip-lock sandwich bag
full. It was around $2.

So tiny!



You're supposed to rinse it before cooking. I've read all kinds of
things on the internet from letting it soak to just rinsing it to not
having to do anything to it. The container from which I bought
this said to rinse, so, I rinsed. I even bought that new strainer for
the occasion. It was way better buying the kitchen tool from the
kitchen aisle vs. the previous kitchen tool I bought in the bathroom
aisle normally used to clean your toilet. I'm just sayin' ...

To cook, I use one part quinoa to two parts water. Bring to a boil,
then turn the heat down to let it simmer for 15 minutes. After the
simmer, let it stand covered with the heat off for another five. It
smells and acts like rice! Easy!

And, here it is in its cooked glory. All puffed up and ready to eat!
It's soft and a little nutty ... and really filling! I put two heaping
spoonfuls in my oatmeal (the spoon I use to eat, not a measuring
spoon) and mix it in. I know it's there, but it's not the prevailing
flavor. I've also mixed it in with peanut butter for a sandwich, and
I buried it in between egg whites on an egg white sandwich. Fab! 

This is such a healthy filler and just what I was after!! It's definitely helped me to temper that no-brain snacking during the day or even from being hungry later in the evening. These are both good things for me!

AND I've since found it less expensive than the above:

$3.43/lb vs. $4.19?!
Count the penny-picker-upper IN!

I'm making that yummy mac-and-cheese dish for dinner again tonight, and for good measure, some of the quinoa is going in. (the kitchen smells of cooking cauliflower right now again ... gross ...) Anyway, I know there are recipes where quinoa is the featured ingredient, I've just not tried them. It's a backup singer for us right now; it's in a good place!

Tomorrow's another Rest Day! I can't even believe how fun that is! I have a special shout out ready for tomorrow that I didn't want to get buried in this post-o-quinoa! I also have a correction about a recipe I made. Whoopsie.

Oh, and we're also this close to solving the Jacques Santa Hat dilemma ... you're gonna love it!