Friday and Fun Food!

It's Friday, which means it's Rest Day!! Yahoo!! I plan to take full advantage of that and chill as much as possible, but not before telling you about our highly successful experiment in the kitchen last night!

I finally pried my mind open and tried to make sweet potato fries! You need to know, I *hate* sweet potatoes. So does Aaron. The kids have never tried them at home because we hate them. So, naturally, I would try sweet potato fries. That's Nancy-logic at its finest. It went like this:

There they are. I had no idea how to pick them at the store, so
I had to actually read the directions that are provided by their
price sign. They don't look too promising given I can't stand them.

The conversation went like this:

Aaron: I thought you hated sweet potatoes.

Nancy: I do.

And then I got this look from him. It's his
"You're a really interesting lady, and I don't
really get you right now" look.

In an effort to make these as good as possible, I cut them quite
thin (compared to the all of the recipes I found that said to make them
into big ol' wedges ... gross. That just increases the chances that
they will taste like sweet potatoes ...)

I tossed them in a little more than a measured
tablespoon of canola oil, then I ground these
spices over the top.

Into the toaster oven they went for 40 minutes at
400 degrees. I was skeptical to say the very least.

I have been a FOOL all of these years to have not tried these!!
They were DE-LI-CIOUS!! Every one of us wanted more! Too
bad I made a small batch in case they were gross! Oh, and that
white stuff is a mayo mixture ... mayo, lemon, basil, garlic ... in
case they needed flavor masking. They didn't! No need for that
dressing mixture in the future!

Super score!!!

And that, my friends, is a huge success in the kitchen!! The longer they baked, the less they tasted like strong sweet potato. You could taste it if you really, really thought about it in our outcome, but it was more in the background. I'm very glad to have rolled the dice to see what happened here because what a fun side these are ... yummy and chock full of good stuff for you!! Have something yummy today ... it's Friday, so might I suggest some Sweet Potato FRIES on Friday! See you tomorrow after the morning run!

So Many Things To Say

I just got an email from a friend who said the following: "Missouri, you do so confound me!" That was referring to our really chilly temps at the beginning of the week, but it's going to be in the 80s today. Upper 80s. (Yuck!) It was obvious on the morning run that the weather's heating up, too, because I was a lot sweatier a lot faster. Oh, and a lot smellier when I finished. After this past summer, I am so done with all of that! Evidently, I don't get a vote on the weather ...

Okay, SO many good things today! First, you'll never believe it, but my "Good For You" lady didn't drive by and call out of her car window to me ... she called to me while walking out of her house to her car!! I actually passed her house! Do you know how many times I've run that street and had no idea she lived there? She was coming out with her coffee and purse clearly heading to work. A lovely, "Helloooooo!" caught my attention, and I turned to see her smiling face and sweet wave. After saying hello, I told her I've missed seeing her (as I've not for weeks because I changed up my routes), and she said the same. I wanted to stop and hug her but thought that might be a little too much excitement from a girl and her dog ... Maybe someday we'll start with a small chat with respectable distance between us.

Then, as I continued down that same road, check these out!

Mmm ... eye candy for Nancy ...

Check it out, they're the same color as my shoes. SO PRETTY!

Elly and I had a great shake-it-out run. It wasn't quite three miles, and I was so okay with that. Elly was, too, and there has been no puking. There were multiple, multiple potty stops (I think she just does it to take a break if you want to know the truth), and she was in her glory on the way home:

In other news, I have a HUGE SHOUT OUT to my cousin who I learned this morning is participating in his first Half Marathon in December!! WAHOOOOOO!!! He's 16 and a great athlete, and I'm so proud of him and had to share.

Totally random note: Last night, I was making big salads for dinner and heated up some turkey bacon to put in them. Don't these pieces look like fingers?

I'm trying something new (for us) in the kitchen tonight ... one of those healthy swap things. Details and the verdict all at one time tomorrow! Enjoy your Friday Eve!!!

Take THAT, Used-To-Be-Me!!

I decided for this week that I would just run. I wouldn't clock a route ahead of time. Rather, I would mentally picture where I wanted to venture and then find out later how far that was. This is a rewarming week anyway, so my mileage isn't the focus. However. Unlike last year post-Half when I purposely stuck to 3-milers in a "just start over" mindset (which was totally fine!), this year, that wasn't working for me. Somehow, predetermined distances seemed more limiting than goals to hit. So, I decided to just run.

I am stoked to report that that translated this morning into 5.7 miles! Booyah! Totally take THAT, used-to-be-me! I would have never, ever gone that distance this time last year post-Half. Never. This year, it's a whole new ballgame!

In the meantime!!! Check it out!! Out of the gates ... Three pennies from a bus stop!! (I found the other penny at the gas station ... where I got myself a Diet Coke after chugging all of my water ...)

Yup, still working on the shoes ... patience ... patience ...

And, if you look close, there's a weed stuck to my shoelace from the run. I first thought it was a caterpillar and was excited because then Winnie would get a treat. But, then I thought, why would a caterpillar be stuck to my shoelace? (Speaking of wildlife, I'm going to have to start a road kill count. This morning was utterly disgusting, but keeping count helps dull the pain ...)

Okay, moving on, after getting the pennies, check out what I saw:

One word: AWESOME.

It was a fabulous run with all sorts of great (and gross) things to see. It would not have been possible to do this route, though, if not for the new sidewalk system our city just put in near us. It's soooooo great!!

Those sidewalks go on and on and on and connect us to the existing ones ... there's hardly a place not connected anymore! We used to feel like we were the only ones landlocked in a boating community; now, we can set sail with everyone! It's so much fun!! Kudos to the city for this improvement!

By the way, I came home to my dear friend and trainer who was happy to see me until she remembered, "Hey, you didn't take me with you this morning," and promptly gave me her best pouty face:

I'd feel bad for her, but I'm not the one who came home and barfed all over the kitchen floor after our last run. Tomorrow, my friend ... your day is tomorrow ...

There's something you've done today already that is awesome ... celebrate it!! See you tomorrow!

How Much Excitement Can One Person Take?!

What's totally cool about the running schedule I found and totally embraced is that I just had a week of rest, I ran yesterday, and here we are today ... already Rest Day again! I told you I strictly follow that calendar schedule which means I get this day totally Guilt Free!! Yeah!! You see that Lizzy is embracing it, too:

"I am completely exhausted from my 5 a.m. running-around-all-
over-the-place exercises, so remove the camera and leave. Please."

Instead of running today, I wore my purple shoes (still working on 'em!) to meet a friend for breakfast! What a treat!

In the meantime, I have both exciting news and a new challenge all rolled up into one ... today begins the annual McDonald's Monopoly game! Our family loves hunkering down to a good game of Monopoly when outside play time is thwarted by seasonal weather ... then to couple that with McDonald's?! That's just fabulous! But, with each year this game has been under the arches, we have managed to tone down the excitement for both nutritional and economic reasons (it's not like they put the game pieces on the salads ... even if they did, we might need to take out a loan to get enough winning game pieces ... heeheehee).

We will most definitely participate in the game because we love it. It's fun! The challenge will be to resist playing as much as I want. (insert smiley face here) I actually feel excellent about making that particular component part of the challenge; it's nice to feel that ... in control? ... of my world ... to feel like I can step back and make solid on-purpose decisions that make me feel good before, during and -- the key -- after. I enjoy that my game decisions will be made around running goals, in particular, the ongoing goal of how I feel during ... and why I feel that way ... the fuel I use is a huge component of that ... although, I have to confess that my first Half Marathon was fueled by a dinner of McDonald's fish sandwich, and I rocked that run ... see? Always a temptation! Anyway, I enjoy that running has brought me a really peaceful kind of mindset, and I like the decisions that come out of that. Ahhhh ...

Will keep you posted on our huge winnings ... that's bound to happen, right?! In the meantime, my more immediate goal is for tonight to sleep all the way to morning without certain felines taking that decision into their own paws ...

Back To It

It's Monday and time to hit the ground running after Rest Week (which, again, is awesome). But, it's time to restart, so off we went!

Elly had ants in her pants waiting to get out of the car and go!

It was a fabulous 49 degrees -- which poses the clothing dilemma ... shorts ... carpri pants (that I like to call shorty pants) ... I chose shorty pants for no other reason than because I like to say "shorty pants", and off we went! I decided the route I wanted to run, but it was new, and I did not clock it ahead of time. I wanted to be surprised. (sometimes, though, those surprises stink ... like when you just know you've run 5 miles and it wasn't even 2 ...) Anyway, I chose to roll the dice and see what happened.

After a half-mile warm-up walk (I knew Elly was going to be in the mood for taking care of business ... why get a groove only to foreseeably stop?), then we took off. I couldn't get over how fabulous the temperature was and how fun it was to see some of the trees just start to show their fall colors! Both Elly and I had spring in our many steps, and I felt very cool running by a "your speed is" sign to see it bounce between 6 and 7 mph (I looked, and there was no one behind me, so that was actually me) ... and I wasn't even going down hill! I'm usually a 5-er, so that was fun. I am not gunning for that, it was just fun. And, to continue the saga, my left purple shoe is annoying me, but the right one is great. Just like the last pair. Really? Just one? *sigh*

No matter, we finished, and it felt great! Or, so I thought ... we got home, Elly had some water and promptly threw up all over the kitchen floor. Nice! For as many pictures of random junk that I take, I did not take any of that. (Nor did I take any of the alarmingly high number of road kill rodents we happened upon and dodged along our route!) Instead, I cleaned up then got on the web to find out how long the route was ... 4.1 miles! Fabulous for a short one! I think that weekly 6-mile goal is going to be doable ... might be bumping it up faster than I anticipated. Hopefully the shoes will cooperate. I'll think about that later, though, because I not only need to shower, but I also need to eat one of these that I bought on the way home:

The apple price is about to kill me (where'd 99-cents/pound go?!), but wow and double-wow, these are fabulous! Take a big bite out of something equally fabulous to start your Monday!

Rest Week Wraps Up

This is the last weekend for quite some time that I will get up and disappoint Elly by showering instead of getting into my running clothes. Yes, friends, Rest Week ends today! It's both a Yay! and a Boo! Let's face it, I like to sleep in the morning and be slow going once I'm required to get up no matter what day it is. I haven't been kidding when I've said if I didn't decide some kind of exercise is mucho important, I simply wouldn't do it. Ending Rest Week is a Yay!, though, because lots of moving in the morning makes for a great day after! I feel good, I feel strong, and it is still pretty awesome going out and doing something that just three years ago I could not. Can't beat that!

So, to celebrate the end of a great week, I stunned the Pit Crew and made everyone breakfast. Aaron is usually in charge of that, but I told him last night that I would make a family favorite ... French toast! Even Pit Crew #3, who inhereted a choosey palate from yours truly, gobbles 'em up. Here's the work in progress:

By the by, if anyone can tell me how to keep a black stove top clean, I'm all ears.

Whole grain bread, 7 whites plus 2 whole eggs for the mixture, and my very favorite ingredient in the eggs: sugar-free French Vanilla creamer. Yup, the stuff you put in coffee. I got the idea from the Hungry Girl lady, and it is a huge hit!

I love this book. Highly recommend! Such yummy goodness in there!! I will spend some of today looking through and pondering meal options as I also plan my new running schedule. I'm planning on a week of 3-milers to get back in the swing and to warm Elly back up, then I'll launch the longer run schedule next week. Goal: 6 miler once a week with regular runs filling in the other running days. Secondary Goal: 8 miler once a week. (You knew I'd have a secondary goal. I always do. Like with any official run ... Goal 1, Finish. Goal 2, Finish at a pace that lets me continue on with the day as though little-to-nothing happened that morning ... You get the idea ...)

Round out your weekend with something awesome! Nothing fancy required. Maybe just some sugar free French Vanilla creamer! Enjoy whatever it is! See you on the road tomorrow ...!

Worldwide Day of Play -- Wahoo!

Okay, I could not have timed Rest Week any better than to have it come to an end on the weekend of the Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play! I thank the junior Pit Crew members for letting me know of such a day, and to celebrate, a killer game of four square is about to commence!

Before heading out, though, I have a few things to report. First, we visited my parents yesterday and celebrated some birthdays. My mom's cake kicked the booty of my coffee mug cake: 

Mmmm ... so tasty ...

My mom always has Dove chocolates around (they also always have an ample supply of Diet Coke ... yeah!!!), so I took a chocolate and read my wrapper message:

While I basked in the glory of such a
"fortune", my mom gave me a dollar coin.
Sweeeeeeet!

Okay, when is the last time I found a dollar on a run?! NEVER! And, while those pennies add up, let's face it, that takes a while and a lot of miles ... wondering if I should try my hand at flashing around my chocolate wrapper instead? (My dad read my wrapper and simply proclaimed, "HA." Perhaps I should just keep on running ...)

Speaking of, the jury is still out on the purple shoes. They seem better, so I'll give 'em a whirl or two on a run and see what happens. I can't decide if they actually are better, or if they seem so because I'm just that stubborn to refuse to buy new shoes when these are almost brand new ...

C'mon, purple shoes! Don't let me down!

Time to rock it on the four square scene!! Enjoy your Day of Play!!

It Was Icky

That's precisely how I often felt when I first started running. Icky ... Hurt ... Boring ... Not Worth the Effort ... Owie ... I'm pleased to report that it has been worth the effort to see beyond the immediate feelings, make a goal, and set off on a path to achieve it. (Yes, I, too, can hear the orchestra music swelling in the background!)

What was icky, though, was that cake recipe that showed up in yesterday's email ... it was a 5-minute microwave recipe. You put together tablespoons-worth of ingredients to make this:

Smelled pretty good; not quite right on
the taste, but we'll see ...

Then, you put that mug of batter in the microwave for three minutes, and it comes out looking like this:

Looks weird, but smelled delicious! All
Pit Crewers came around the corner ...

Then you let it cool for a few minutes before dumping it on your plate:

Looks awful, but I'm not in the game of
life for all things to be universally pretty ...
(Have you seen me after a long, hot run?
I'm good with it, though, because I just
accomplished a long, hot run!) I digress ...

We all had a bite ...

Ick ...

And it went away. It wasn't exactly terrible ... but it wasn't good. Have you ever used a microwave to make scrambled eggs and they're all dense and weird? That was the texture of this cake. I'll stick to the boxed cakes. Why mess with what I'd call perfection? Besides, we're not usually allowed to take many short cuts in life, so I'll let boxed cake be a celebrated short cut while I pound out the long way of doing things when it matters.

With Rest Week closing in on its end, I deem this microwave cake a very fun experiment but something from which I will run far, far away ... And, what a bonus to not be tempted by a chocolately treat!! Yahoo!! Excellent silver lining! May you find one for yourself today! Happy Friday everyone!

A Good Rationalization Never Hurt Anyone

Okay, now wait a second ... it is Rest Week, right? But, I spent the *entire* day on my feet yesterday, and, so far today, same deal. I don't think I'm doing this right ...

Do you want to know that about a year and a half ago, this would have been my cue to give myself permission to do a do-over? Yup, the whole week next week would have been reclaimed for Rest, and I know it! No ... more ... excuses ... What a drag ... I mean, How very grown up of me ...

In the meantime, I came home to these things in my email:

Go from Walking to Running ... OR go down a couple of
messages and get the recipe for 5-minute chocolate cake!

This just struck me as terribly funny. It's like when I'm listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio ("Where debt is dumb, cash is king ...") then you hear a commercial during his show for a payday loan. It just makes me laugh!

I subscribe to Runner's World magazine, so I get emails from them all. the. time. (And, they're always ads, so that's what the delete key is for ...) I love the magazine, though ... but I'm thinking I might love the email from the friend who sent the chocolate cake recipe more seeing as it's Rest Week and all (ah, there's a good rationalization for you!). Stay tuned ... this is going to have to happen ... Ah, Rest Week!

Body Resting; Brain Still Going

As committed, Elly and I went for a good walk this morning (where, by the way, I found dos pennios ... yeah!!). It does feel good to slow down for a bit ... and Elly sure likes the time to sniff weird stuff ... I have to admit, though, that it's a morning like this where we're going slow and I can feel my legs thanking me for the break where I find myself having to actually ask myself, "Did I really just run really far really recently?" It's amazing how quickly it can feel like I'm not capable of running even one mile much less double digits. That just tells me I'm in full rest mode ... and I have no problem with that!

But, it's also that mindset that can allow me to lose a lot of mental momentum which quickly translates physically. So, I spent the walk pondering a plan for next week. The goal is to maintain the weekly long runs between 6 and 8 miles with shorter runs filling in the other running days. I had a similar goal after my Half last year, and I blew it entirely. Frankly, I didn't even feel bad about it. I just slipped into a 3-mile run pattern and stayed there until April when I registered for a run longer than 3 miles. I want it different this year, though, so I'll just start that way next week instead of excusing myself for a few weeks with the intention of building back up. We all know that path paved by good intentions!

So, it's onward with Rest Week, and I'm using every minute of it on purpose because it'll be over before I know it! In the meantime, here's something I did with a little bit of my extra time this morning. I studied my cat's eye. Take a look ... how completely cool is that?!

Take a little time today to investigate a detail, and enjoy! On with the day!

Rest Week Continues

Last night, Aaron told me I needed to change my run status under the Komen Run from "Finished" to "Rocked It." So, I did. Because I rocked it. I'm the first to claim a run as terrible, so I'm thinking it's more than fair to proclaim a rockin' moment. See why I love my Crew?!

In the meantime, I'm completely embracing Rest Week! 

Today started with a stop at
the soda store before getting
together with good friends!

Then it was back home to take the time to
make a super-delish lunch!



I'm not the only one enjoying some
lower-key time ... the trainer took
out some time to sun herself!

There will be more walking this week but no-no-no-no-no running. That's the rule of Rest Week. Twist my arm! HA! Enjoy whatever it is you're doing today!!

Rest Quest

You know that a Rest Week has been on my radar since finishing the Half, but last week wasn't the right timing with another run on deck. That worked out great because I had a great run yesterday, but this morning, my legs are telling me that some down time is needed! SO, with that, I claim this the week of rest! (How cool is it to just claim your own week? I think it's super-cool!)

The week is not without its duties, though, and priority number one is making a final call on these shoes:

So pretty and purple ...

Here's the scoop -- I've been wearing New Balance shoes to run since I began. I've always really liked them and had great experience with durability, comfort, etc. The thing I hate is that by the time I'm ready for a new pair, the ones I'm replacing have been changed just enough to warrant a new shoe model number which translates into personal fear that the shoe itself is changed just enough to no longer suit my needs. And, it's not like shoes are cheap, so something that seems so easy quickly becomes complicated. And annoying!

For two and a half years, my fears were unfounded. Until this past Spring. I bought this pair, and they were awful for running (even though they are "running" shoes; should have been called "pants on fire"). They're my brand, they're the "next" model redo, and they're so pretty! But, I got them home, and it was kind of like being in high school when the best looking guy in school asks you out, then you go out with him and all you can think is, "Ewww ..." Yup, same with the shoes. Drat!

Within two weeks, I got a different pair which weren't too much better and required almost two months of breaking in. I was just stubborn enough to make it happen, but they were more worn than I would have liked when I wore them for last week's Half. I should have done something about it, but I had a hard time justifying it with a brand new pair in my closet coupled with my fear of getting another new pair with the same issues. Running Drama!

SO, the shoes I've been using to run are now retired to walking, and I will use the time this week to see if my pretty purple shoes can be broken in well enough to run. Elly will like it because we'll still go walk (the girl still needs her mani-pedis, you know). So, we'll see. I'm betting I'm about to find myself at the shoe store, though ... double drat ... If so, I'm taking a Diet Coke with me ...

What an Event!

Last year was the inaugural run for the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure here. I was ready to go until we had the sky-to-ground lightening moments prior to the start of the run. I was very disappointed to not participate, but I chose to leave. I was one of very few. (That felt really weird, by the way -- being one of the very few to leave -- I mean ... major lightening ...) So, was I surprised when rain was forecast for this year's event? Um, no ... BUT, we got a break and what an event it was!

As of Thursday, there were more than 4,000 people registered for
this event! I was very proud to be there and to have the Pit Crew
behind me!

In the background, you can see the sound stage for the emcees and
for the jazzercize people who came to warm-up and fire-up the
crowd. They did a great job!! Then it was time to line up ... timed
runners first, untimed runners next (that's where I was ...you had
to pay extra to be timed ... me? Pay to be timed? Hahahaha!
Decision to not be timed made!) and then walkers. With Melissa
Etheridge's "I Run For Life" booming from the sound stage,
it was hard (for me) to not be a bit overcome with emotion.

I'm on my way! (lower right) I was reading the sign on that girl's
back, and she's playing with her bag cords and ear buds. That
resulted in the following juke-and-jive ...

Good thing we warmed up with some jazzercize so I could have my
groove on! By the way, check out all of the people behind me ... and
they just kept coming! We have 10 pictures of the crowd progression.
I will spare you, but promise to visualize it! (Ha!)

This is closing in on Mile 3. The Pit Crew
happened upon a spot where they saw me,
so I not only got cheers, I got a high 5! YEAH!

The last stretch was around the football field.
Look close, and you can see the legs of Pit
Crew #2 and #3 ... I saw them on the side and
pulled them in the mix to join me to the finish.
I probably wasn't supposed to. But, I did.

While the Pit Crew chief was told not to go
on to the field to cut across to the finish line
(do they not understand the picture obsession
of the runner? Ha!), we three crossed the finish
line together! On to breakfast for those not full
from Pit Crew snacks!

We went to our favorite bagel place where I
found a penny! Booyah! Running pays!

From the bagel place, it was onward to the ice
cold Diet Coke ... mmmm ... perfect with my
everything bagel for a refuel!

I am so glad it didn't storm, and I am so glad to have been a part of this. I'm thankful for health that allows me to choose every day if I'm running or not. I'm thankful for the strength, body and mind, to continue to go out and hit the ground running on days I want to and on days I don't. I'm thankful to have been ready for this event and to have been a part of something much, much bigger than I. Today, perhaps even more than any other, I am so very thankful to have ever started running in the first place.

And, I'm so very thankful for all who have been behind me through every training mile, through every running event. It's never, ever been about winning. It's always been about so much more. And, that's what makes the endeavor worth it and the support cherished.

Keep On Keepin' On ...

I had a really good talk with a friend today. She was telling me about her week at work and how she went home on Thursday swearing she wasn't cut out for her job and she wasn't going back the next day. Of course, like all of us at some point, she was just needing to vent, and, of course, she went back Friday. And, you know what? Friday was a great day full of reason to remind herself she was not only capable of that for which she'd educated and prepared herself, but she was also really, really good at it.

I couldn't help but make immediate parallels to her story with regard to my running pursuit. I'm sure you can do the same with your activity! How many days have I gone out, had a crappy run and thought, "You're not cut out for this. What are you even doing?" (too many to count, so let's not) And, how many days have I gone back out the next day only to find myself rockin' out on the same route where I'd felt a miserable failure only 24 hours prior?

I'm pretending you're telling yourself to
"stick it," mommy. That's funny.

In our career paths, there is usually a point in one of our jobs where we very much want to call it quits. Immediately. Tell everyone to stick it, we're done. But, we don't. We return, we dig in and we find redemption. Can't the same principle be applied when we have a workout that blows? I mean, I really have no particular desire to tell myself to stick it about anything. Nor do I have a desire to decide I'm not cut out for something I know I can do. So, I keep tying my shoes (okay, that's a lie, they're always tied), I keep putting my hair back, and I keep running. No matter how long, no matter how hard. And, more often than not, it's awesome!

Hidden Motivators

Hey, hey! It's Friday! On this morning's run, I found myself with a very, very motivating thought: Running = Awesome Trick-or-Treat Training! Think happy thoughts today, friends! There's always a benefit behind the work!

Rest For the Not Weary

The schedule's all kinds of messed up this week with regard to which days I'm running, but it most certainly worked out for me as we celebrated a birthday here last night! I've learned -- particularly in the last year when I started paying attention to such things -- that there are certain things I should not eat at dinner if I'm going to run in the morning because I can still kinda feel it tumbling around in there. I'm pretty certain this luscious piece of carrot cake falls under such a category:

Ohhhh ... soooo ... yummyyyyy ...

Maybe it isn't so much the carrot cake as the size of the piece ... ha! SO WHAT! It was delicious and we all enjoyed every bite while celebrating! I will also enjoy every minute of continuing to digest it today during the off-schedule Rest Day!

In the meantime, there's someone here not happy at all about it being a Rest Day. Guess who:

No cake. No run. You've got to be kidding.

Tomorrow, good friend, tomorrow.

In the meantime, you should know that there is rain in the forecast for Sunday, which is the day of my next run. This is the same run that I left without participating last year because mere minutes before the start, there was sky-to-ground lightening that hit very, very close to the event. Many times. The Pit Crew and I watched from our car as the crowd accumulated even as the thunder and lightening continued. Scary stuff. The race began as scheduled. We went home. So, of course the forecast is for rain! I'll run in rain for an event, but I draw the line at thunder and lightening! So, the weekend update will include a run recap or it won't, but at least it won't include a report about Local Mom Fried At Race: Was Brought Up Better Than That!

Coins, Caterpillars ...

... tomato, to-mah-toe ...

I'm betting you have not said the following phrase: "Finding a caterpillar is just as good as finding some cash!" When you have a leopard gecko who loves these tasty treats, AND you have a bag with you in case your dog has to do some business, then you pick up caterpillars and take 'em home for the gecko! Particularly in the winter months, we have to buy insects for her to eat. Right now, she's getting treated with free-range food. If I'm going to break pace for pennies, I'm sure as heck going to do the same for the gecko's cuisine! Everyone wins! You may as well meet her now, too:


Mmmm ... tasty treats ...

Okay, back to business ... So, it seems my inertia switch isn't working all that well to accommodate Rest Week as it should be properly celebrated. I know I said I'd put in two short runs to stay loose for Sunday's run, but I have to say that this morning's run felt so (unexpectedly) good that I'm going forth this week with similar mileage to a normal week and waiting for my body to tell me when it's time for a "real" break. (Oh, and believe me, it tells me in no uncertain terms!) It seems I'm not there right now. That amazes me, friends, because I do so love taking a week off!

Here's what perpetuated my final decision as to how to treat this week:

Hello, old frenemy ...

With my trainer in tow, we set out on a route we've not been on in probably a year. More important, this route is the first one I used to reach my original 3-mile goal in 2008. It's the one where I walked up all hills until I could put the pieces together and run the whole thing. However, I hardly ever did run the whole thing because of this hill here at the beginning. It always got in my way. In the past 3 years, I've struggled up it maybe a total of 4 times. I lost count along the way because all of the oxygen runs away from my brain by the time I've grunted to the top.

But, not today. We simply ran up. I was glad to get to the top, that's for sure, but it was no big deal. It was at the top that the Rocky music played in my head while I realized that all of the work I've put in for I-don't-know-how-many-miles has truly paid off. It has really, really worked!! Rock. Star. Status. (Total side note: I was in choir in 6th grade, and we sang the theme to Rocky. Who thought that was a good idea?)

The trainer is already napping (doesn't take much) and I could use a shower (woooooooooo-wheeeeee! Yes, I could!). More important, though, take a sec and think about something -- anything -- you can do now that you once couldn't. Then give yourself a whole lotta credit for having pushed through to get there. Today's a great day to feel like a Rock Star!