Personal Throwbacks

I had just about convinced myself to get up and go for a short run or a long walk this morning when I decided falling back to sleep sounded even better than either of those ideas. Sleep = Good.

Not that I fell asleep in my supper dish ...

Speaking of which, today was monumental for me: I bought my first-ever pork loin. TA-DA!! Seriously, this is huge. For my entire adult life, I've stuck to ground turkey and big bags of frozen chicken. Throw in pork steaks here and there, and that's called variety around here! (This is where my parents duck and hide; they totally brought me up wayyyyy different in the meals department than what my kids experience ...) Anyway, a crock pot recipe for cooking pork loin came through my Facebook feed, and the intimidation of making one went out the window!

I love that particular website for finding Trim Healthy Mama recipes, by the way, so it's a great one to bookmark if you like it, too. I particularly love that most ingredients and prices she finds, I can, too, including today's pork loin.

I know this is far from a big deal for most people, but it's really quite huge for me. My pursuit of feeling energized and healthy via the THM guidelines has more than forced me out of my comfort zones and into a whole new world. The pork loin is slated for tomorrow's dinner; I'll let you know if it is a winner or if that particular part of the new world falls flat!

I really do have to laugh at myself about this one; pork loin was something of a standard meal when I grew up. Tomorrow's dinner will be something of a flashback ...

Oh, speaking of flashbacks, I have to share this before signing off: The other day, I was cleaning out the marker drawer. (Yes, that's what I said. Cleaning out the marker drawer. You know. It's when you scribble with every marker in there to see how many are still good and how many are just hanging out taking up their piece of dried-out space.) That drawer has been in existence for more than a decade, and there was random crap in the bottom of it to prove it. But, amongst the crap was this gem:

It's just a little monster Pit Crew #3 made. I'm certain it's one of an army he made, but this is the one that was the fittest of the survivors. I love knowing that it once came to life -- lots of life. I love coming across such things. They just make me smile.

May something random, found in a really odd place, make you smile today or soon!! Speaking of smiling, I'll be checking in after the morning run ...

Perfect

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 66 (running: 65.3; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 39.1  Money Found For Food Bank: $31.68

This morning was perfect. On the way to our starting point, Aaron was playing awesome jams in the car that I normally listen to before a big run. It was 40 degrees. It was a little damp. It felt exactly the way most morning of a Half Marathon feel. It reminded me of why I signed up for the one in April, and it motivated me to want to start training.

But, this morning was about me and my pup. She pulled back just a wee bit on the last half of one of the hills in the fourth mile, but that was it. She did great. There was nothing to worry about with her.

I told Aaron there was no way we'd get to the finish before 9 a.m. That was mostly due to not wanting to push Elly, but I admit that just gives me an excuse to chill here and there (because I can).

We showed up to the finish before 9 a.m. Clearly, there was nothing to worry about for our girl.

We did great. I'm super pumped for all of the upcoming events. And, I remain crazy thankful for Elly. This was the perfect morning run.

Relax and Run Free

Oh, how I love FRIDAY!! I particularly love Friday when I earmark it to do things I really need or want to do and it actually turns out that way!!

I just sent Aaron an email to let him know that upon his arriving home from work, the Oooooing and Ahhhhhing may commence about the newfound cleanliness of those corners of the kitchen that we normally don't even notice. Let's just say I found one area to be just as disturbingly disgusting as that once-every-decade clean-out under the seats of the car. I couldn't even take a picture of it, it was that nasty.

During my morning flurry around the house cleaning this and picking up that, I kept thinking about my run tomorrow morning. I was thinking about how I'm not at all looking forward to getting up early but that I am looking forward to striking up a longer distance. I kept debating, though, about taking Elly. I really, really want to take her. Between the decent weather and the fact that I'm not needing to push to any particular degree is the perfect combo to have her join me. But, I know I'm getting more cautious about her going longer distances because they can tire her. I don't even know if that's bad, but I do factor it in. (Do we really ever know when a hound is actually tired? Hmmmm ...) I go back and forth, though, because I always watch her while we're out, and she's more than fine in these cooler temperatures. And, she's happy happy happy.

I was very much leaning toward taking her, and then I opened the package of the medal I'm earning which solidified my decision:

Umm ... yes. The girl is going. I mean, look at this!!!!

That might be the best medal ever.

The run benefits the National Mill Dog Rescue. While Elly wasn't a part of a mill, she had her own troubles. We're thankful her previous owners took her to the Humane Society where we could find her. And, if not for her, I'm not sure I would have kept up with running to this extent. I am forever thankful for that connection she and I have. How could I not take her tomorrow no matter how long that means our run will take? I signed up for it because of her, after all. Plus, it feels like the best way to honor her. There will be a time when I know she shouldn't go certain distances. As that time isn't now, I should probably just relax and let her enjoy.

I might even join her in an afternoon nap; she's full of good ideas like that.

So, she's going. And, I can't wait for our adventure together. I'll check in tomorrow and let you know about it!

Wrapping Up the Unplanned

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 59.8 (running: 59.1; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 32.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $30.25

Did you hear the one about the dog that ran the Half Marathon and came in 7th place? Yeah, for real. And, no, it wasn't Elly (duh). Check it out:

Photo source and Runner's World article here.

This canine, who resides in Alabama, wandered to the start of the Half Marathon fundraising event when the race started, and she took off with everyone! She finished the entire course in 1:32. Seriously, that bandit dog is a bad ass.

Speaking of hounds, mine would like to report that she finished 14 miles this week over the course of three consecutive days. So, there.

"Booyah. And, look at me, standing in the
middle of this morning's run."

We had a good little outing this morning. I meant it to be a 3-miler, but, with no route mapped, it went just over 4. I admit to my legs doing some screaming as they would have appreciated a rest, but once I finally figured out my schedule for the rest of the week, running today made more sense. So, off we went on a sunny, no wind morning! That lack of wind plus sun made the 19 degrees almost feel warm!

I'm looking forward to a couple of upcoming things. First, there's Saturday's virtual run; who doesn't love a run where there's a bit of bling at the end? (Just ask that Half Marathon dog -- they gave her a medal!) Second, the training schedule will be nice to give me a little structure which translates into not having to do a whole lot of thinking. And, last, there is a new pair of shoes in my very near future. The ones I bought a month ago are fine, but they are not double-digit-miles fine. I'll keep them as the 'bridge pair' when a really good one wears out but I don't yet have new ones, but I need a new pair before getting too deep into February.

Perhaps there will be a shoe shopping trip from my Valentine ... And, yes, that's totally awesome to me. It's a gift to Aaron, too, really, because then he won't have to hear about my feet hurting from something I'm totally choosing to do. Everyone wins!!

Like I said, this run wrapped up the last few weeks of the unplanned outings or otherwise not-tagged-with-a-goal runs. I love the freedom of these stretches, but they don't come without the challenge of figuring out how to stay motivated! I think I did it right this time, though. Both a goal of how many days a week I would run and wrapping the whole thing up with a run to push me a bit before starting over with a schedule was just the right combo!

Do what you need to do to stay motivated in the short run so as to support what you aim for in the long run, and I'll be checking in during these Rest Days!

Dime a Dozen

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 55.5 (running: 54.8; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 28.6  Money Found For Food Bank: $29.14

 



In many ways, this run was a dime a dozen (which is different from the fact that I found almost a dozen dimes today), but it was fun nonetheless. I'm really liking changing routes each run; it definitely cuts out any stretch of boredom, and I can totally feel the challenge it's putting on my muscles. Huh. Look what happens when you listen to the repeated advice of experts: It works!

It was 20 degrees with the wind chill (the 20 is fine for me; the wind is what sucks), but it was made better when the snowflakes started to fall!! It was just a little flurry situation, but I was so glad we got to experience it!

There's a flake on her head and on her lower ear. Thanks for
catching them just for me!!

There were a lot more runners out this morning than I tend to see. And, every one of us looked cold. Just ... cold. This is supposed to be the coldest of the week although I'm confident that right behind the little warm up will be another temperature drop. Enduring the weather roller coaster around here is an endurance training all on its own!!

My current debate is whether to run tomorrow or Friday. Thursday is already out because I made awesome morning plans, and I need one more before Saturday's 10K. This is the last debate I'll have with myself over the running schedule until late May, and I can't seem to make up my mind! After a couple of months of winging it, I think I'm looking forward to going back to the calendar telling me what to do! But, before that, I need to finish out this week. I know how it ends, but I haven't decided exactly how to get there!

May your day's decisions either be easy or be about something as non-earth-shattering as my debate, and I'll check in tomorrow ...

Ready Or Not, Here's Monday!

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 50.9 (running: 50.2; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 24  Money Found For Food Bank: $27.31

 

You think you have Monday trauma,
talk to the gerbils who are waking up
to this ...!

I just got an email from a friend who said she's experiencing her "usual Monday motivation problems." I responded letting her know I was having no motivation problems, per se, but my motivation continues toward things I want to get accomplished vs. those things I need to attend to. At least there's accomplishment in there to start the week, and this morning's run was the first on the list!

Elly and I set sail on a very chilly 37-degree morning. I dressed for the weather, but there was still a bite to the air. Anyway, I didn't have an exact plan this morning in large part to support my quest of not running the same route two times in a row. So, instead this morning, I knew the general direction I wanted to head, about how far it would be and the point where we'd turn back around. Other than that, the roads were ours to explore!

It was an adventure for sure. All roads and sidewalks had both clear and snow-patch spots. Some of the clear spots had evidence of melted snow. And, some of those wet places were icy. But, some weren't. And, some of the snow was still just snow and easy to walk over. But, other snow spots? Yeah, those were ice mounds. And, there was no possible way until getting right on top of any of it if to tell what we were dealing with. It was that sucky inconsistent. And, it made for quite the adventure including a mid-run prayer of thanks that I didn't slip sideways off of what I thought was a little mound of snow and onto the hood of a parked car. Fo'real.

Our new route brought about even more opportunities to find money for the Food Bank, and find we did! Today's total was $5.55 in change (whuuuuuuuut?!) including a $1.50 in one fell swoop:

You've often heard me say that I don't really understand when people leave a smattering of pennies on the ground. I mean, I don't but I do ... but, I don't ... I get I put more value on pennies than others. But, when did the value of quarters go up for debate?? As Aaron often says when we find silver on the ground, "These people know they can exchange this for goods and services, right?" Whatever, now the Food Bank will use it!

 

Like I said, I didn't know how many miles comprised this route, but, clearly, all systems were good for both me and Elly as it wound up being a half mile longer than our usual route.

Yahoo!!

A half mile is huge for her which is probably why she passed on her breakfast and went straight to the couch for a day-long nap ...

Tomorrow is another day and another run! This week is pretty normal with 4 runs planned including Saturday's virtual 10K! It'll be a fun week before the training schedule begins! Here's to hoping your Monday starts out better than my friend's and our gerbils'!, and I'll see you after the morning run!

The Truth Of the Matter

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 45.8 (running: 45.1; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 18.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $21.76

 

So, I won today in that Aaron accompanied me on my outing. He won because, even though it was 20 degrees, there was no wind chill. WooHoo!! In truth, neither of us was particularly excited about getting out of the warm bed to get on out there, so these mini victories felt even bigger today!

As it turned out, it was an outing of ups and downs. The down? Okay ... So, there we were a little more than half-way through our route when we passed some dude strolling on a sidewalk. He was well into his 50s dressed in a non-descript, unzipped Winter coat, jeans and carrying a backpack. I think he was even at a bus stop, but I can't be sure. Anyway, Aaron and I were about 10 feet past him when he called out to us. No, it wasn't to say hello or good morning; it was to say, "At that pace, you'll burn more calories walking."

Um ... excuse me? Aaron somewhat acknowledged him while I just kept on going. I was a little stunned that there was an unsolicited evaluation process going on much less that it was worth offering.

I first asked Aaron for clarification of what the guy said, and I followed it with asking exactly how that translated. Aaron said he was probably coming from the angle that it is more difficult to sustain a slower walk than it is a jog (which I happen to agree with because there's not as much momentum to keep you going ... that's based on how it feels, not that I know anything physiologically).

And, then all I could think was, "That guy sucks!"

In moments of lunacy and/or disbelief over what someone says or does, I can always look at Aaron, note the moment, ask him to be funny about it and he does. It goes like this: "Aaron. Dude with the running commentary. Be funny. GO." Then he launches into some deadpanned, sarcastic imitation of (or response to) the person turning their moronic statements into something that's supposed to sound like the most wise words ever spouted. In this case, it went something like, "Hey, guy we didn't ask and don't know and knows nothing about what we're doing or what goals we have, you are so right that what we're doing has absolutely no cardiac benefit whatsoever or that, by the way, we actually care about what you're saying." And, he went on for a bit making me kind of giggle. About a quarter mile later when I'd decided I wasn't finished bagging on the guy, we both joined in on some pretty snarky stuff that need not be shared but made me double over laughing at Aaron.

At least there was that.

This moment reminded me of last Spring when I was at a stop light at Mile 8 of 10 when I a guy decided to tell me, "I used to run, but I hurt my knee and had to stop, but I guess if I were going your pace, I could totally get back into running, huh?"

I. Mean. Seriously. I have to say I find it unbelievable that there is any unsolicited commentary or otherwise input from anyone ever. Mama never taught 'mind your own biz?' I didn't so much take offense to either situations as I just thought about how rude people can be -- especially today's guy: The guy who had no idea Aaron is medically not supposed to run so must walk (walks like a boss, I might add). The guy who had no idea that walking did not serve my purpose for my upcoming goals. The guy who had no business getting into ours. The guy I'm pretty certain was waiting for a bus instead of walking his own ass somewhere. Oh ... wait ... I might be starting to slip into aforementioned snark zone. I'll stop there before getting too carried away.

I guess the moral of the story is I'm a huge fan of (a) cheering others and (b) keeping your mouth shut if you're not going to cheer. The. End.

In addition to the laughs we extracted from that moment of human ridiculousness, other pieces of the run were excellent! The recent snow assuredly covered some money finds, but it also seems to prevent people from wanting to linger and/or stoop for money they drop:

I'll never understand such a stash being
left, but I'll always rejoice in finding it!

And, we saw itty bitty birdie feet again!!

This was my favorite moment, though ...

... when we happened upon that squirrel sitting in the snow going to town on the muffin wrapper it found! It was cute as could be, and it seemed completely oblivious to its audience until the very second I was ready to snap the pic. So, I present: Squirrel With Muffin Wrapper In Motion.

Enjoy.

And, that was our outing. For its ups and its downs, it was good to be together:

It was particularly good to be together in the car where Aaron
could simultaneously cool down and warm up. You need only
be a human who has ever been out in the cold to get that!

Tomorrow calls for Rest! (Yahoo!!) Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, and don't let the fools of the world get you down! As Aaron noted about today's commentator: "It says more about him than it does about us." --> TRUTH.

In No Hurry

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 41.3 (running: 40.6; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 18.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $19.68

 

Given other obligations, I couldn't have run yesterday had I wanted to. But, when I looked outside at the time I would have been running, I wanted to be out there soooooooooo bad!

It's impossible to tell from this picture,
but it was snowing!!

While I can find merit in many weather scenarios as they relate to running, I do believe running-while-snowing is my very, very favorite. Yesterday's snow would have been perfect, too, as the flakes were a good size, and they were in no hurry to make it to the ground. They just drifted. And, I watched. Until I looked at the clock and had an, "Oh, CRAP!" moment and had to go on to my appointment!

I thought about running during the entire drive.

So, running was out yesterday but in today! I think I heard the real temperature was 20 degrees, but the wind chill made it feel like 10. Honestly, it felt worse than that; I was downright cold when running into it. At least the cold didn't freeze my brain senses so I could be on the lookout for this:

Yeah, today constituted a few walk breaks because mama's not running on the multiple ice landmines! There were some sidewalk stretches with packed snow that I could run on, but I've learned not to test the uneven, unpredictable ones!

The snow made finding money difficult but not impossible (a penny a mile today -- remember when that used to be the hope?). And, while it made for some treacherous spots, it also made some really pretty ones:

Like yesterday's snowfall, I was in no hurry to finish today even though it was super cold. I might have to adjust that drive for tomorrow, though, because I believe I have convinced Aaron to go with me in the morning run/speed walk. He's not terribly excited about it because it's supposed to be rather cold again, similar to today, but I kind of ignored that feedback and am planning on it being a duo effort!

Stay warm, stay safe if you're in the line of the blizzard, and I'll be checking in after the morning run!

And ... Never Mind It All!

After an afternoon and early evening of snow, I decided late last night that a run was definitely out of the question for today. I did consider a walk, though. I even considered it early this morning. Then I regained my wits, rolled over and went back to sleep!

There was just nothing wrong with taking today off in every way. And, tomorrow is scheduled from early 'til pretty late, so I'll be back to the run on Friday!! Stay warm, above all stay safe, and I'll see you after Friday morning's run!

It Finally Happened

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 38.3 (running: 37.6; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 18.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $19.65

 

How is it that I've already found almost $20 for the Food Bank?!?! Well ... it's from finding such things as this ...

Seriously. HOW does that happen? And, WHERE is my
hand lotion?!

... as well as this!

The dollar was kind of funny because it was at a point in the run where I had a choice to turn right or to go straight. Lately, I've been turning right, but I felt the pull to go straight today. And, twenty or so feet later, there this was. Booyah.

Also of note today is that it finally happened. The story: There I was cruising through my money pit of a parking lot (the very lot I have to avoid when training so I don't take a walk break there) when I hear, "Ma'am? Ma'am?" It took two 'ma'ams' for me to respond because the first one could have been to anyone, don'tcha know. I looked over to this very young (20s), very sincere young lady who kindly asked, "Are you looking for change? Is that what you're needing?" while she was starting to reach into her purse.

(This is where all of my thoughts happened in a split second but will take a minute to read.) Recently, I said to Aaron that I wondered what people thought (if they ever thought anything) when they see me check out these meters. He said, "They know exactly what you're doing." I followed my thought with saying, "Yeah, but I wonder what they think the story is. Like, am I so cheap that I scour the ground for money? Or, is it that I'm that frugal and clever? Or, is it that they think I'm in need?" The last one is what made Aaron respond, "Um, I think the Nike pullover gives away that you're not in need." I wanted to counter that with, "What if I'm wanting to buy a new Nike pullover, though, and I don't have the money on hand?" but thought better of it because I knew he'd laugh at me. Anyway, more than once over the years, as one who people watches and thinks about others' potential stories, I've wondered what people think about my money collection.)

Well, here we were. I didn't know her assumptions, but I greatly appreciated the guts to ask. For real, she was so kind. After she asked, I giggled a bit when I said, "No, no, no ... Thank you. I am actually looking for change, but I donate what I find to the Food Bank." It took her a second to let that sink in before she was all, "Ohhhhh ... well, okay then!" and carried on with her day thinking whatever it is she thought about it -- anything from, "Well, how cool is that?" to "That lady is full of it." Regardless, right now my finds will get the Bank almost 300 meals, so I really don't care what anyone thinks!

That was one piece of my run. The other was the weather which I found outstanding! It was 20 degrees with little wind, and -- bonus -- it was snowing for the first mile!! Ahhh ...

And, the run, beginning to end, was bangin'. Not once was I tired or out of breath or dragging or otherwise shoddy. It felt great. If this is the worst of what's to come between now and my Half, I'm in for a good ride!

Okay, so it's snowing as we speak. And, it supposed to continue. I'm not necessarily seeing a run on my morning agenda, but I'm not counting it out until I have to! I'll check in with the turnout!! Stay warm, and enjoy the beauty of wherever you are!

Fuel Restocked

Yowza!! It's COLD out there!! It's a good thing I planned ahead and watched the weather so I would know what to do this morning. It was sunny and beautiful out, but looks can be deceiving as it was also 2 degrees not including any wind chill!! I didn't find any of this out until I got up after sleeping in late ... which was fabulous! Anyway, I'd already prepared to take today off from running along with yesterday, so it all worked out great!

I used a lot of this weekend to get the kitchen reasonably ready for the week! More accurately, last week, I used little holes in the day I could find to scope recipes in the new Trim Healthy Mama cookbook to see if there was even one more that caught my eye. Believe me, there are plenty waiting to be caught; it's a matter of sitting down to find them! I figure if I look for one every other week, I won't get frustrated with too much new at once, if you know what I mean!

To that end, I found a BBQ chicken recipe we have on the dinner menu for later this week, and I also found a recipe for ketchup that turned out to be awesome! I had some with my black bean burger wrap for lunch today, and it was perfect!

I know it looks like a mess. But, focus on the ketchup ...

This recipe for no-sugar ketchup is really close to the THM one I made. Ditch the molasses, allspice and cayenne pepper, and it's almost the same. I adjusted the water content of mine up, but that's a personal thing. Anyway, if you're on the hunt to get rid of sugar in one more place in your corner of the world, I recommend trying this! I love THM, but I did miss ketchup. Ba-da-BING, it's BACK!

It's the little things that can make for a fantastic lunch ...

With the wrap in the back and a side of quinoa that I reheat on a frying pan until it got crispy (my favorite way to eat it), I topped of this frigid day's lunch with a vanilla smoothie finally amended to the way I like 'em!

The smoothie quest has been a slow and quiet one for me. Aaron's the real smoothie king around here while I have other things I enjoy for lunch or in-betweens. My smoothie issue has been its density, but I got that figured out today by throwing in a half cup of light cottage cheese. After blending that up, the consistency of an ice cream milkshake held up all the way through the last sip! The above drink contains 1/2 C each of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and light cottage cheese, about a tablespoon of sweetener (I could have used another teaspoon or so), a tablespoon of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of sugar free French vanilla creamer and a cup of crushed ice, all thrown in the blender and blasted together. Had it been my meal, I would have put in a scoop of protein powder. But, I really just wanted something to accompany my burger and quinoa.

Another kitchen success were these last night:

Last Fall, I shared an Everything Bagel Breadstick recipe. This is the exact recipe, but I made them into balls instead of sticks. Frankly, I thought they were much better! With more surface to cook, they were a little more bagel-bite than a soft breadstick very closely resembling the taste of an everything bagel. They're really good either way, but I'll be sticking to making them into balls! They're easier to create (seeing as you don't have to roll them long) and manage (much easier to place one little dough ball on a pan than to move a breadstick without breaking it). Oh -- the original recipe for these calls for egg washing the outside before putting on the seeds. I did no such thing for these, and the seeds stuck great.

Rounding out the kitchen this weekend was another batch of my aforementioned Cry No More brownies ...

These just don't last. I cut them into small squares and put half
in the freezer with the other half available in the fridge. That way,
if we forget about them, the whole batch isn't lost as well as it
helps ration them a bit because they're known to be easy to grab
and throw in the ol' mouth for some people around here!

... and Aaron's sprouted bread that I lovelovelove to use for egg white French Toast:

A work in progress. So yummy!

That recipe is here (yeah, it's not actually Aaron's sprouted bread as it is that he's the one who makes it for us.). Aaron's a super-whiz at whipping this up. The recipe makes two loaves, but we landed on cutting it in half to make one at a time because, if you don't eat it fast enough because you went on some other oh-I-found-and-now-love-this-recipe tangent and forget about your beautiful bread, it has nothing in it to preserve it for a forgetful amount of time! Just a heads up.

So, the kitchen has served me well on these really cold days!! I'm genuinely thankful for the THM guidance -- I've said it before, but I'll reiterate I feel so much better all the time because of it! And, now that I'm restocked in the fueling department, we'll see how much the weather lends itself to running this week. Tomorrow sounds like a definite at this point, so I'll be checking in after I thaw!

Quick One!

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 33.7 (running: 33; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 18.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $17.49

 

The more I thought about the whole drop-in-temperature thing, the more running this morning made sense -- even though it didn't feel like it made sense! So, I kind of compromised with myself and decided to go for two miles and call it good. That I even got out of bed when I did is called a victory, so the miles were just icing on the cake!

Mmm ... cake ... as we speak, I have a pan of the THM Cry No More Brownies cooling in the kitchen ...

Anyway! Elly went with me. I was glad for the company as she motivated me through the first mile when I had not yet thawed from the onslaught of BRRR when I walked out the door. She was still all giddy and spry after those miles ...

Post-slurp pic

... I was ready to get inside!!

So, the verdict is in about the next two days and the below zero wind chills: NO RUNNING! I will be checking in, though. Stay WARM ...!

Mix It Up

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 31.7 (running: 31; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 16.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $17.49

 

The temp was the same this morning as it was yesterday -- only difference being that that was the high for today! That translated into Elly and I beating the colder front blowing in. And, when you're starting out in the upper 30s, it's not bad to beat the temperature drop!

We went for a cool 3, no pun intended, as we got a later start, and I had many things to accomplish today. I took a different route from yesterday and was quickly reminded of that whole thing about mixing it all up to 'confuse' your muscles. It's very true that running the same route day after day instills muscle memory -- seems weird to think I can get used to a hill, but it's very true. Anyway, this morning's mix up was great for both of us but made it all the better that I took it down to three.

I know Elly appreciated it:

"I'd be upset about that slow and steady
hill at the beginning, mommy, but it made
me feel like a boss. *slurrrrp!!!* "

Elly's sentiment is true as well; I no sooner think, "Why the hell did I run this way this morning?" before I'm all, "I rule entirely making up that hill." Booyah. I've been toying with different strategies for my running; not doing the exact same route back to back might be exactly what I'm looking for ... Whatever I choose can't be so drastic or otherwise unfamiliar that I don't stick with it. I might just give this a try. I'll update at the end of the month to report if I did or did not let this one settle in!

 

 

I haven't quite decided how the morning is going to go. I got my four runs in for this week, but the morning (and, frankly, all day) temperatures for both Sunday and Monday are awful. Like, wind chill below zero Monday; yeah, that morning is already ruled out! Anyway, I'll either throw in a run in the morning, or I'll be taking a 3-day break! I'll check in tomorrow with what the morning brings! Have a great start to your weekend!!

Simple and Good

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 28.7 (running: 28; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 13.9  Money Found For Food Bank: $17.10

 

It was a balmy 37 degrees out this morning -- a perfect one for a run!! Sunshine, no wind ... what more could I ask for?!

Elly and I took off and thoroughly enjoyed our outing together! She smelled all kinds of good smells while I took in all kinds of good sights ...

Our shadows are on the rock ... So, there's that tree, then Elly
is the little blob to its right, and then I'm next!

This run felt great, and I have to credit the return to eating like a normal, healthy person post holiday! I enjoyed my holiday with a bounty of popcorn (mmmmm ...), but, by the end, I was ready to feel better! I went right back to the guidelines as set out by the Trim Healthy Mama ladies, and I felt better after only 3 days. And, now, two weeks later, I'm ready to cruise the streets! I know how much of a difference this eating plan made in my GO! St. Louis run last year; I'm pretty stoked to go into this year's way ahead of the nutrition game!

This return to energy is a little disappointing to Elly because she has to work a little harder when she joins me. I think her indulgence on the couch for the rest of the day helps with that, though!

Before she hit the couch, I hit the grocery store for a few items. I didn't know going in that a few items would translate into a flat of blueberries!


'Gotta love the off-season sale prices!!

Assuming the overnight rain gets out of here by morning as is currently forecast, I will be back at it tomorrow! I'm in the mood to free up Saturday morning, so, let's see if that can happen! Good luck with whatever you are planning, and I'll check in tomorrow with the recap or with a super-simple, awesome recipe ...! See you then!

Accomplished

There is a slew of examples any of us can give about what we consider our life challenges. From family crises to personal challenges to any of the 'damn-dailies,' we've all been there.

I note up front that today's biggest challenge -- which resulted in today's biggest victory -- is not life changing, and I'm thankful for not having any such thing to tackle today. With that out of the way, I present the following:

It's hung.

You might remember I got this for Christmas. And, when you get such a spectacular gift, it takes time to find just the right place for it. I thought I had such a place picked out, but I'm glad I waited to hang it because it wound up in an even better spot. YAHOO!!

It's not just that it's finally hung; it's that its frame is one of the more difficult to navigate and finally get on the nail. I didn't know that until I attempted it, and I will spare you of the story breakdown. But, when I could tell it was just about there, I could hear Joey Tribbiani's voice in that episode of Friends when he sits down to an entire Thanksgiving turkey and says, "You are my Everest!" Now, he was intending to eat that whole turkey, and I had no designs on doing such a thing with my picture. But, I could relate to the sentiment of having conquered something huge!

And, I thought the day's biggest accomplishment was going to be having dusted every room in the house all in the same day. I did that, too, but that was child's play compared to the picture hang. I'm thinking that picture will join the ranks of a couple of others we have where I have sworn they are never, ever coming down because I don't want to again deal with putting them up. Never say never, but I will bask in this glory every time I go down the stairs!

Tomorrow's morning run will be far less of a challenge than that picture, but it will bring about its own brand of accomplishment! Celebrate what you tackle today, and I'll see you after the morning run!

Stopping Is For Suckers

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 24.1 (running: 23.4; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 9.3  Money Found For Food Bank: $16.54

 

I braved the Facebook feed this morning (no bad news: hooray!) as well as the elements. This morning was a super-crisp 23 degrees with a feels-like-5 wind chill. That's not horrible running weather for me, but it does leave me with little to no control over my runny nose.

I suspect we are all now thankful I forgot to put the memory card in the camera. That's actually too bad, though, because I saw three blue jays toward the end of my outing. I was taught (long, long ago and have since dismissed it) to not like blue jays because they can be destructive or they're mean or something. I really don't know and don't care; they're beautiful. Picture them in your mind's eye against the white snow in a tree. It was worth stopping in the cold to look at for a minute. But, for only a minute because the stop made the blood flow slow and I got all sweaty and started to get really, really, really cold! I'm not sure I've ever run to the end of this route as fast as I did today ...

I got home to see watch another kind of battle stage itself. This one:

It's a daily standoff. It's ridiculous.

Tomorrow's plan is to rest and, perhaps, let it warm up a smidge?! Whether it does or not, it's a day for a break! Frankly, knowing that helped me get out and get the run done today, so don't underestimate the power of small reward!! Take care where you are, and I'll be checking in!

I Shouldn't Check My Facebook Before I Run

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 21.1 (running: 20.4; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 9.3  Money Found For Food Bank: $16.22

 

Before I headed out today, I checked my Facebook feed where the very first post was a friend announcing she and her husband are splitting up, divorce merely pending. And, it made my heart ache. Unfortunately, this isn't uncommon around me. At all. After touching base with my friend who posted, I got up, hugged the kids and moved forward with my morning plans thankful that my biggest grievance was the wind chill. News like that calls for a run, planned or not.

So, off I went -- 19 actual degrees registering at 3 with the wind -- and it was fabulous after the first half mile which I needed to warm my body up. Admittedly, my heart was heavy which required its own kind of work to relieve, but the run was really, really good.

Did I mention it was cold? Yeah, but it was also beautiful:

There was a lot of evidence of being out and about. Of course, there were many of these:

And, there were a few of these:

And, what do you know, but I even saw some of these!

Itty bitty birdie feeties!!!

This was a lot less common ...

... but, I did pause long enough to realize just how brave anyone on a bike is today because the cheeks have got to be burning!! Kind of like mine started to after the first mile; see?

Rosy. From being bitten like hell by Jack Frost. I dig him,
though, because he makes the snow all sparkly.

While I was out doing this, Elly was doing this:

I don't like taking her out in these temps. After a while, the cold hurts the pads on her paws especially if they get clogged with snow. No one likes that!!

It was a beautiful run although a pretty funky one. I'm very bothered by how many couples are splitting around me. Very. Hurts my heart.

And, tomorrow? I go back for more. I'm sure I'll be solo as it's supposed to again be bitter! I hope your Monday started off strong; I'll check in tomorrow!

And, That's the Weekend

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 18.1 (running: 17.4; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 9.3  Money Found For Food Bank: $16.10

 

I think when I report that we spent the entire day yesterday taking our bazillion ornaments off of our Christmas Trees, it is clear where my time went! I did not even see a computer but for mere moments yesterday. And, that's okay. The ornaments got put away yesterday -- one tree in reasonable, organized fashion and the other in such a way that I could not be described as anything less than a Tasmanian devil -- and the trees got down and are put away as of mere moments ago. While Aaron took on the put-away task, I devoted my early afternoon to a long overdue kitchen reorganization. Can I get a hearty, "Ahhhhhh ..."?!

That the reorganization exposed areas that now need cleaning need not be discussed.

Before all of that, though, was an adventurous Saturday morning. You might recall Aaron wanted "go for a run" to be code for "go get a bagel," but he allowed the compromise to be first one, then the other! I knew there was snow in the forecast, but we weren't supposed to get more than an inch, nor was it to start in the morning as far as we knew.

We were totally wrong! Almost as soon as we started going, the flakes began. And, they just kept coming!!

Three miles into it, we were getting pelted
by a snow-sleet combo!! Whee!!

The snow totally made up for the fact that the wind was pretty brutal depending on the direction we were facing. Aaron noted getting the little pellets in his eyes, but I wasn't paying much attention as I was running with my tongue hanging out because you could actually feel the snow hit! It was totally fun.

This is what we saw when we got in the car when we finished:

The weather was more than we bargained for, but I was glad to have not understood what was going to happen before we set out because, frankly, we would have passed and missed it all!

We believe we have Elly to thank for the weather because I'd put her "Let It Snow" bandana on her right before we left the house.

There's a lot still left to tend to this weekend so as to get the week started out right, and it's time to get back to it! The plan is to run in the morning unless the wind chill is below 0! Start your week off the best you can, and I'll be checking in with the verdict from here!

A Just-Right Start

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 13.5 (running: 12.8; walking: .7; biking: 0) Elly's miles: 9.3  Money Found For Food Bank: $15.66

 

Okay. That felt good. Running was the perfect way to start the day both physically and for the very fresh air!! It was 44 degrees, so I didn't even have to bundle up. The air was wet as it had just finished raining when I got out there which also makes for a comfy run in the Winter. Wet air in the Winter is the exact opposite of wet air in the Summer when wet air totally sucks.

Anyway, both Elly and I had a very fine time together. She got all kinds of wet from the grass and random puddles, so we had a good gal-pal chat while I dried her off after:

She's either intently listening or spacing
off. Who can tell.

So, I sent a message to Aaron this morning that he was going to run with me tomorrow, to which he responded that he assumed 'run' was code for 'go get a bagel.' Seriously.

I'll be checking in after both tomorrow! Here's to a great weekend!!

To-Do's Are Getting To-Done!

It's been another uber-productive day around here, but I'm ready to get out and run tomorrow!! I plan to run if even it's raining (unless it's pouring, then, all bets are off). I'd say 'new year, new me' to that one, but I started to get the hang of why running in the rain doesn't entirely suck last year. So, let's hear it for that sentiment's staying power!

On my to-do list included making this:

Yes. I put 'making chocolate' on my
to-do list. It seemed reasonable.

It's a Trim Healthy Mama recipe for chocolate -- coconut oil, cocoa powder and sweetener. Freeze 'til set. 'Tis THE BOMB. Clearly I like it as I dove into it immediately upon it setting. Yup, that's where that missing corner went.
I was too busy to get the mail, though. So, when Pit Crew #2 brought it in, I was just dazzled to see this:

Compliments of the Danbury Mint. Just ogle it for a minute, won't you? It's breathtaking. The ad says so. (And, by 'breathtaking,' I mean 'barfy.')
I was busy in the for-real kind of way all day long. Daphne was not:

So, by the end of the day tomorrow, I should be in normal, functioning shape! I might even map out my upcoming 10K plans because I already have a medal on the way to my mailbox! Yup; that was on the to-do, too!

I'll be checking in after the morning run ...!