Go, Women, GO!!

Do you ever wake up in the morning and are just craving something in particular for breakfast? I used to not be much of a breakfast fan, but in the past year, I've grown to love my breakfast of scrambled egg whites, oatmeal and a glass of cold milk. Mmmm ... Once I discovered putting fruit in my oatmeal, I totally look forward to that meal! Ahh ... here it was in all its glory just hours ago ...

That is one mouth-watering bite after another!

You can see I overdid it on the strawberries this morning. But, really, can you overdo strawberries? I think not. And, the walnuts were a brand-spankin'-new addition this morning as I stole the idea from McDonald's and their new oatmeal offerings:

While you can buy a whole lot of oats or
a lot of strawberries for the $2 this cost, I
have to hand it to them that it's delicious!

Frankly, this was the perfect cuisine to start my day!

By the way, I found a bit of time yesterday to read a couple more pages of my May/June 2012 Women's Running magazine, and I stumbled upon this Olympic fact: The Women's Olympic Marathon event debuted at the 1984 Los Angeles Games!! 1984!! How crazy is it that it's that young of an event in the Olympics?! I guess it's even crazier that there had to be such a push and lobby to get it there. I just can't wrap my mind around not allowing women the opportunity to compete as runners. I guess I'm fortunate that I can't understand it ...

See you after tomorrow's early, very hot, competitive-in-my-own-mind run!

We All Have Our "Don't Want To" Mornings, Don't We?

Just before heading out this morning, I went out on the deck to see just what "76" on the thermostat felt like this morning (felt excellent), so I grabbed Elly's leash. This act alone usually sends her in a mini frenzy of crazed anticipation. That girl loves to go!!

This morning, however, she just stared at me until I gave her a command to come. She lazily got up and wagged her way toward me, but it was clear she was not excited to get out there. Our last outings have been much warmer than she'd like for sure, so I'm certain she anticipated much of the same. Did I say 'anticipated'? I meant 'dreaded'.

Fortunately for both of us, it was much nicer than it has been for weeks! And, the drop in morning temperatures is just enough to turn Elly's frown upside down! See?

I'm glad she enjoyed the run today. I did, too! I felt the temperature difference when we were ascending the last real hill of the route and we could cruise up it instead of our recent trudgings while gasping for air! It was at that moment that it was clear these last weeks of continuing to go out in the heat whether I wanted to or not (and, most often in the heat, my vote is for not even though that doesn't help anything in the long run ... *sigh* ...).

I was also glad it was a good run because I had a lot of mental spring to my step after finally putting the Half Marathon training miles on my calendar last night! Whee!

Here ... We ... Go!!!!

I had some help, too:

Help or Annoyance? You make the call.

I am going to be perfectly honest that I thought I was going to feel overwhelmed when writing these miles down. The combination of a jam-packed summer of life stuff plus battling so many morning runs in the heat do not add up to an inherent feeling of "I've totally got this." But, with every, single mile I wrote on that calendar, I felt the spark re-ignite inside, and I got totally excited to start the countdown! I say again: There is nothing like shooting for a goal to motivate the process it takes to get there!!

I will take Elly with me for all runs the temperature and distances allow! So, I'm on my way again! But, not too fast! It's Rest Day tomorrow ... YEAHHH!!! See you then!

That's right, puppy dog ... we rest tomorrow!
You've earned it!

Truer Words? I Think Not ...

'Never so true as on a Rest Day, don't you think? Thank you, my Mary Engelbreit day-by-day calendar and Ghandi ... going to have to remember this tomorrow morning ... See you after that run!

Many Thanks

It was really hot and humid out there this morning, so instead of focusing on how much that sucked, I looked for the silver linings and found some! So, today's post is about thank yous ...

To Elly: Thank you for getting me up at 5:40 a.m. because you had to potty. It was then that I felt wonderfully crisp, morning air. I haven't felt that in a very long time, and it almost enticed me to go ahead and run. But, I didn't, and we went out two and a half hours later and many, many degrees hotter. So, thanks for making sure I knew what I'd missed ... But, thank you for going with me ...

"Aw, it was nothin'. See how I put on my
cute face so you'd take me anyway?"

To the people on my routes who never seem to care about picking up their money: I've said it before, and i'll say it again ... I don't get not picking it up, but I love finding it. I found one of your nickels today. Thanks for that. The Food Bank thanks you in advance, too.

There it is in Elly's shadow. Excellent!

To the dude I said "hello" to as I rounded the corner: Thank you for understanding that when I have sweat in my eyes and look toward you -- which is also into the sun -- that it makes me look like this:

There's something wrong with that girl ...

To the lady walking her baby and her dog: Thank you for retracting your dog's retractable leash when you saw us coming. Your dog was so happy all the way across the street from you, but you took us into consideration instead. Not everyone will do that. Thank you.

Again to Elly: Thank you for making your lingering potty stop in the shade!

Finally, I'm thankful for tomorrow's Rest Day!! I'll see you then!

It's Almost Here!!!

Kinda speaks for itself, doesn't it?

I CANNOT WAIT!!!

USA! USA! USA!

See you after tomorrow's run when I'm quite sure I'll win gold in my own category.

It's the "Over 40 Mom Fast Jogging" category.

I win ALL THE TIME. It's awesome.

See you after I rack up another win!

Just Keep Going

Today was a day to "just get it done" so much so I didn't even consider grabbing my camera. And, that's okay because the things I thought about the most while out with my pup today aren't tangible.

I was so thankful for --

* having the ability and strength to get out there when I was Completely. Exhausted.
* a family that is 100% supportive of me, no matter what I'm doing and, most certainly, regardless of how many miles I logged that day.
* tomorrow being Rest Day.

I'm proud of myself for getting out there today as it was the perfect one to say, "Um ... not today." And, there is no one who would have argued with me on that. But, I have worked past the days of having a reason to skip a day and have turned them around to understanding that those are the very days I need to give it all I've got on behalf of my own self. And, it always pays off. These kinds of exhausted days will pass, and there will be a return to normalcy. I want to be ready for that, and there's only one way to make it happen: Just Keep Going.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to using tomorrow to its fullest in terms of rest. I need it!

Taking the Heat

It was already 86 degrees this morning when I took off to run. So, Elly didn't get to go. Check out how she felt about that:

Oh, now, that's nice.

Hey, Elly, use your manners, please:

She's now giving us that over-the-shoulder
Senior Year picture pose. Fabulous.

There is very little fun about running in that kind of heat that early in the morning. I could have gotten up an hour earlier, but I chose not to, and, frankly, it wouldn't have mattered that much. But, while not fun, it was one of the best things that I did today. Funny how the thing you probably most don't want to do (thanks, heat) becomes that thing that saves your day ...

Besides, I found these, too:

Look how very magestic I made these look.

It's another running day tomorrow ... let's see if I can get myself up early enough to make it not quite so miserable! Whatever you need a break from, I hope you get it, too. See you after the run!

Simultaneous Smarts

To my right ...

Directly behind me ...

And, to my left ...

I love when the spirit of the day is embraced!!

See you tomorrow after hitting the pavement!

Looks Can Be Deceiving

It was when PC#2 was born that I really got in the groove of walking every day. A friend of mine in the neighborhood and I met almost every morning and walked the same 3-mile route I often run. I distinctly remember one morning when, as we passed a runner, she said, "I do not get why people run. At all. I mean, they never look happy."

Given this is what I looked like immediately after this morning's run ...

Post-run pic or mug shot? Your call.

... I'd say she had a point! I guess at that time, she and I didn't stop and think about it's not so much what one looks like as much as it's about how one feels.

Oh, but in the just-being-real category about how it feels, I will note that I was almost finished when I told myself, "Don't Quit". I had 137 steps to run (yup, counted). That's it. But, it was hot and I was ready to be finished. It happens, and so what. I still ran those 137 steps and finished up!

If it's 137 steps for me, how many is it for Elly?

It doesn't take long after a run to go from looking like the above to looking like this:

Ba-da-bing! It's a nickel bouty out there! And, of course, lovin'
the addition to the BB collection. It's just fun!

The facial expression turn-around time is usually in the 5-minute ballpark. Always doable! And, the way it feels as a whole lasts a very, very long time! That just has to be remembered in the running moment: It's not necessarily about right now ...

Elly couldn't be bothered with her fans today as she poised herself at her water and stayed put:

PC#3 was initially happy to take a pic with me ...

... 'til he realized I smelled really bad and had no problem telling me so. Just for that, a pic was in order!

Picture agreed upon as long as there was distance between us!

I'm not digging the heat, but I'm thankful to still be able to go out and run. The morning temps aren't fun, but they are fine.

Oh ... and, to the guy we saw running at 2 p.m. yesterday in a sweatshirt in 100+ degree heat without so much as a visible water bottle ... it hurt to see you. Seriously upsetting. If that was about a body image issue, you don't have a problem. Even if you did, that was a heck of a risk. It is my prayer for you that you see yourself how we saw you, and that you will keep yourself safe.

Kicking back for Rest Day tomorrow! See you then!

Here Fishy, Fishy!

I'm noticing the following theme in my life as of late: There is nothing particularly restful on my Rest Days!

I remember 2 summers ago when I adopted the Rest Day notion. I made sure I was as chilled out as possible on those days, or I wouldn't be able to run the next one! Fast-forward two summers, and things are very different. I can't help but wonder what duties and activities I was completely ignoring in those days to actually feel rested?! In fairness, running whipped me so bad then that I needed that kind of down time! Now, I would just like it in general having nothing to do with running!

Rest Days have become good-nutrition target days for me. I make a good effort most of the time (great compared to a few years ago, so, insert mini celebration here), but I'm far from perfect, so using the days before running to laser in on gives those meals great focus and purpose. This latest effort from the kitchen was no exception!

For some reason, for the past few months, I have been craving trying fish tacos! I'm not a huge fish fan, but I am a huge fan of the health benefits of eating it. While the McDonald's fish sandwich makes for some happy taste buds (um, remember how it fueled the night before my first Half Marathon?!), it's not the greatest choice there on the nutrition charts compared to eating just fish. I mean, duh.

Last year, I figured out I (and the rest of the family) really digs the taste of tilapia, and now that I've found it big-time economical (thank you, Aldi!!), it's making a household comeback! Bring on the fish tacos!!

Because I assumed (whoopsie!) the taco toppings would mix
and flavor up the fish, I didn't season it with anything. At all.
That was a mistake as tilapia is so almost not-there in terms of
taste. Next time, a little bit of salt and pepper will do the trick!

I had to mention ... does this look like a baby spinach leaf?
Just asking ...

We had all kinds of toppings -- I went for the spinach, black
beans, green chilis, tofu fiesta dip and a pinch of cheese. Oh,
and I'm a huge fan of La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious
products, so I bought their small-sized wraps, green onion
flavor. SUPER YUM all the way around!

I'm still craving doing these again, so at this week's shop stop, more tilapia will hit the cart, and we'll be back at it! In the meantime, I still have to get those training miles on the calendar!! It took the back burner today not only because the day has been beginning-to-end packed, but I also know I have a week or two before I have to pay closer attention to the miles. Right now, I know I'm on target, so I'm giving myself a bit of grace instead of pressure. (That doesn't happen often enough, so I'm giving it a whirl!)

Speaking of running, I'm back to it tomorrow ... see you after!!

Away We Go!!

We really lucked out with the morning temperature today -- it was almost comfortable to head out for a run! So, Elly and I took off!

The cooler temps put much more of a spring in Elly's step than
has been there this week!

Ahh ... it was good to have her trot and enjoy looking around!

Aaron left the house shortly after Elly and
I to run an errand. It was my goal to make
it to our turn-around point before Aaron
passed us on his way home. It was like a
contest only he didn't know he entered.
And, we won! This is Elly all perked up
after hearing him honk on his way past.

She was so excited to see him but didn't know where he went.
She looked everywhere, even behind her, and he was nowhere
to be found. Behind her. Silly dog.

By the half-way point of the run, I was already banking 11 cents, and that was sweet!! I was pondering how cool it was to add this change to my cash count for the Food Bank when DOUBLE BAM I found two nickels!! And, as an added bonus, another penny was right down the road! That's some seriously good fortune!

It wasn't long after that I came across this sign. Props to the
creators, it was fabulous garage sale publicity. I even had 22
cents jingling in my pocket ... HA! That's better spent at the
Food Bank!

With no real issue except for Elly getting startled by the Boston Terrier who took after us right at Mile 2 (I'm not kidding when I say that what I thought I heard was a leaf scurrying on the pavement turned out to be that Boston Terrier ... not really in tune with the ol' surroundings at that moment!), we victoriously rounded out our run!

But, look whom Elly went to first for her
post-run lovin'!!!

She received extra ear rubbing for that
while I had my water and made faces at
her.

WHATEV, I got the post-run pic without
her ...

... Oh, wait ... she can't resist the camera!

I'll see you tomorrow on Rest Day with reports from the kitchen and from the Half Marathon planning meeting with myself!! Yahoo!!

It's Official!

Whoever decided that a house-cleaning-overhaul on Rest Day was a good idea wasn't so bright. Just sayin' ...

But, in the meantime, check it out!

Refreshments after registration ...
what a deal!

That's PC#2 right after filling out her registration form for September's Komen Run!! YEAHHH!!! She's participated in a 5K walk and, of course, the summer 26.2 challenge with PC#3 where they blew the lid off of the time frame for completion. As well, she was a part of last Thanksgiving's Turkey Trax ... see?

There she is crossing her first timed
finish line! Woohoo!

But, this is the first event she's entering with a goal to run without walking at all, so I think it's feeling all the more "official" for her! She's going to do awesome!!

She and I will run it together, and I'm totally jazzed about having her with me!!

Want to hear something else jazzy? We received prizes just for registering!!

Coupons and movie passes! How exciting of a surprise was that?!

I am all about registering for this event and supporting this cause, but to get prizes to boot? Holy smokes!

So, we're all set on paper with many weeks to prepare! Little does Aaron know that I plan to enlist his assistance in her training while I wrap my Half training around hers. It'll be a blast for him, I just know it!

It's back to the overhaul now with more of those fabulous S'mores Oatmeal Bites on the agenda to make this afternoon. We shared some with our neighbors and received a request for some more. That's a good endorsement! Another kitchen plan is just around the corner, and I'll share soon. In the meantime, enjoy your Friday, and I'll see you after the morning run!

Oh, Morning, Why Do You Hate Me So?

I'm not sure how I ever incorporated this running thing into my world ... I'm just not a morning person, and Rest Week punctuated that emotion for me! So, suffice it to say, this morning was a killer in terms of getting up! I'll get back into the swing soon ... I hope!

Elly seemed in no real hurry to go with me this morning, either. Well, she was very excited to see the leash, but when we got outside and she noted the pace, she was all about taking her own sweet time. She warmed up quicker than yesterday, though, and, after a very necessary potty break, she regained the spring in her step. Whew! because I was in no mood to dawdle today!

I realized while out there that it's important for me to get the Half Marathon training miles on the calendar a.s.a.p. (which means 'before the weekend ends'). Having a specific, measurable goal in front of me is just what I need to completely reboot and inspire my system. Runs for the sake of running are great, don't get me wrong. But, nothing gets me going like aiming for a target!

We finished our run in due time with nothing really notable crossing our paths. Do you think Elly was ready to be finished and get inside?

"Let me in!!"

She and I both get a break tomorrow as it's a Rest Day! We'll take it!

And, We're Off!!

And, we're back at it!! I really thought this morning was going to be a terrible run after not only having Rest Week, but I enjoyed the heck out of Rest Week so much that I didn't rest at all! The up side of that was not only all of the wonderful activities I was able to do, but it also kept me active to the point* that I could hit the ground running today without much issue. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to run double digits, but it was good to start off the week feeling strong!

*I might add, though, that given the lack of rest, when I sit down to schedule the Half training on the calendar, I'm going to keep an eye out for one 3-day break along the way. Just being real.

For today, I was up early enough that it seemed okay to take Elly with me! I was really glad that I could because (a) I've missed our running time together especially since this summer's extreme heat has meant our outings together have been at a premium, and (b) unlike the rest of us, she was so lazy and inactive this past week that she wouldn't even finish her food by the end of it! I figured a trot with her mama should rev up her appetite (which, by evening, it most certainly did, and she polished off her dinner with no problem!).

To get to that dining experience, though, we first had to work:

Look at her go, look at her go!!

Truth be told, the temperature number was deceiving. I'd even walked outside before getting Elly's leash on to feel the temp, and it seemed okay. But, it didn't take long to realize it was going to be a really hot one, so I slowed way down to keep at Elly's pace without pushing her at all.

"I'm a'comin', mama! I'm a'comin'!!"

As happens to me all the time, right before Elly hit Mile 1, out of nowhere, she picked up her pace and motored along! I guess she warmed up and her muscle memory kicked in because she was her usual self at that point heat and all. I had to stop and get a closer pic of that tongue, though:

Outstanding!

My focus this run was split between listening to Elly's breathing to make sure she wasn't getting too hot and keeping my eyes peeled for ... you guessed it ... road prizes! (which is very different from road kill ... saw none of that, thank goodness) The first day back plentifully rewarded us:

Sha-zam!!! That's a great haul for one 3-mile run!

Elly and I soldiered on, and I was increasingly pleased that the run didn't hurt. The only real part of the experience that hurt was getting up way earlier than I wanted to. But, that comes with the territory. It was a great restart for sure!

With four-tenths of a mile to go, Elly's breathing was louder which tells me she's getting hot. We slowed it down some more and finished up. She was very compliant for a finish shot ...

"Cheeeeeeeese!"

... and then made it her business to hit the water!

"Ahhhhhhh ..."

Tomorrow's another day out there! I'm glad to be back to it! I'll see you after the morning run!

Ummm ...

It's hard to write with a kitty in the chair ...

... which is okay because it's the last day of Rest Week!! Tomorrow is going to be rough! But, it's going to be worth it! See you when we get back to it!!

A Commitment of Change

You have seen what I've seen ...

Look familiar? It most definitely should as you've seen 'em all documented this year! Indeed, that's my found-change stash from running! I bring it up now because I finally decided to commit everything I find to our local food bank at their Thanksgiving food drive! They can purchase 15 pounds of food for every dollar donated, so, at this point alone, that's already 75 pounds of food!!

You might remember that, at the beginning of the year, I wanted to pursue having my miles sponsored so as to donate that money to a charitable organization. However, you also know I've been sideswiped by life pretty hard this year, and those matters have been immediate. So, the planning of my idea had to go to the wayside. For now.

But, that doesn't mean I can't do something, so I'm looking at this is starting small and building from here! WooHoo!! Lemonade from lemons, baby!

I can't wait to keep adding to this stash and to give it away!! But, those runs will start up again in a few days ... still chillin' right now!

Have You Seen This?!!

It's rare to actually catch a commercial anymore (thank you, recorded tv!), but I caught one that I had to actually rewind and check out again. It was for Coppertone sunscreen, but the subjects were athletes (instead of, what I would have predicted, sun bathers or swimmers). As I watched, I saw this:

Yup, totally took a picture of my tv screen. It's not the first time.

Am I the only person to have never seen this?! (I'd believe that. We all know how far behind I was on the Icy Hot.) I rewound this a couple of times because I thought it was So! Awesome!

Aaron didn't share my enthusiasm as he pointed out, "You do know you'd have to run fast enough to make those chutes open ..." Um, yes, I did figure that out ... and it sounded so fun!! I totally aspire to give this kind of thing a whirl! Even if I turn out looking like a complete idiot, I don't care! I want a more colorful chute than what these dudes have, but this is most certainly on my things-to-do-sometime list!!

I hope you have a cool-things-to-do list ... I'm no real fan of the "bucket list" title, but I like having fun thoughts in my head! Ponder yours while we continue to enjoy Rest Week!

Thoughts Running Through Her Head

While Elly is feeling a bit robbed on the amount of running time she's had, her brain is busy thinking about it. Very soon, dear friend!! Very soon, so keep enjoying the down time!

Lovely Little Nugget

Before I even begin today, I want to note that the irony doesn't escape me that on the day I write about a tasty treat from the kitchen is the same day I receive the race route to October's Half marathon. HA! It made me laugh. And, with that, here we go!

Okay, as you know, after a long run, I am craving a Diet Coke. Hands down, after chugging some water, that's what I want.

There are occasions, though, where my body is calling for a very, small bite of something sweet. Those are days where I've run particularly long and it's particularly hot (although, I totally admit and happily recall those days used to be called "3-mile days" :)!). So, it was a real treat to come across the following recipe when I was scoping out the Runner's World Facebook page! Check it out! And, spoiler alert ... get ready to make them!! They're no bake and perfect for summer!

They're called S'mores Oatmeal Bites. I was attracted to them because I am a sucker for any way possible to use or otherwise slip in oatmeal to a recipe! Before the rundown, here's the link to the original recipe! Now, ready ... set ... roll!

The ingredients are crazy easy ...
1 C oats
1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C mini chocolate chips
3/4 C marshmallow fluff

All you have to do is mix up the "dry" ingredients (marshmallow
fluff doesn't count as dry here). And, if chocolate chips are in a
recipe, isn't it a law or something that some must go directly in
your mouth? I think it's on the books ...

There it is ready for the fluff ...

I wasn't really looking forward to using the marshmallow given
how crazy sticky it is. There is a suggestion in the recipe to spray
your spoon with nonstick spray to help the mixing. I tried that,
but I found it easiest to just use my hands and work it in.

Once everything's mixed, roll into balls! Mine were in the
ballpark of 1 inch.

There's the stash!

And, there are my taste-testers ... they popped theirs in, and ...

... I love when I get a double-thumbs up!!

These little nuggets were really yummy! Of course, they didn't taste like a S'more from the campfire (does anything?!), but they were a great little treat!! They'll be a great way to curb the crave after one of these crazy summer runs! One will be perfect to pop after the water and the Diet Coke!
The fam has done a stellar job demolishing the batch I made (wait a minute ... they weren't running ...!!), so I think I'll have at least two little helpers on the next round!

Thank you, Liz, from Little Bitty Bakes!! These are a great new treat in the homestead!!