I'll Take It However It Comes

Some of my favorite aspects of running have little or nothing to do with running itself (have you noticed?). For instance, I love seeing Elly in the rear view mirror as she anticipates our outing:

Look close, and you'll see our friend Jacques ready to go, too.

I love having to accommodate Jacques:

"Last night, the kitty saw the error in her ways of yesterday's
assault and came to apologize. We made up, and that's cool ...

... Also cool is my super-comfy new place
to hang out in the car after the run! This is
way better than being dropped on the floor.
Booyah! I rule."

And, I do so love Elly's floppy ears when she runs. I love watching them when she decides to go fast enough to be in front of me. She ran behind me today (which was actually a bit of a pain because she was slowing me down considerably; it's not like I go at a breakneck speed ...), but I still got to see those ears fly in the car!

Some days, it just has to be the little things that motivate the run. Today was fine, it just wasn't especially interesting. It won't get any easier for a while, either, as motivation can be tough in the winter months when there's not much going on in terms of scenery. This winter, though, I'll be putting in half marathon training ... I've never done that in the winter. In fact, this past summer when I was training and it was so blazing hot, I remember thinking to myself, "Maybe I should pick a half where my training months are in the cold ..." I'm about to get what I asked for ...

In the meantime, I have a new Unexpected Benefit of Running: Mowing and mulching and preparing the garden areas for winter did not wear me out! That's the kind of stuff that tends to whip me. It just didn't today (even after a run!), and there's no way that's not a direct result of running.

I'm still looking forward to a really fun benefit: Major Sledding Energy! I guess that will have to wait, though. So, for now, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's Rest Day! Enjoy Monday ... not always easy, but always worth it!

One For the Team

I don't think I can articulate how glad I am that I didn't have running on the calendar today. The wind is holy-moly wild!! It's the kind that knocks you a bit sideways as you walk. I have to admit that when that happens, it makes me giggle. But, running in it is brutal, so I'm happy to be inside!

I'm not so sure Jacques is happy about his current indoor situation:

"I'm totally going to get Jacques and eat him.
He scares me, and he's invading my post."

What.

Thank you, Jacques, for taking one for the team today. If someone has to exert major physical energy today, then Tag, You're It. You'll be rewarded with a run tomorrow on the pooch!

In the meantime, I'm crazy excited because the family is registered for a 5K on Thanksgiving Day!! I already had 3 miles on the calendar for that morning, so that was a no-brainer. But, it's a run/walk which totally works for the whole family!! I'm super excited, too, because I'll go ahead and run it and take the camera with me, so this time, I get to be at the finish line to take pictures of them!! WooHoo!! Everyone is looking forward to it! Then, we return home to watch the parade on the dvr. Excellent! (Hooray dvr!) I am so stoked about this opportunity for all of us! I already can't wait!

The run has a tag line that's something like, "Do this and eat guilt-free tonight." HA! Gosh, speaking of, we've been so spoiled with awesome recipes from Runner's World that I've not put any thought into something new for tonight. Perhaps new won't be necessary ... just yummy ... something to crank up the morning run ... See you afterward in the a.m.!

Major Progress

Six a.m. came earrrrrlllyyyy today ...!!! I did not appropriately honor Rest Day yesterday. It would have been wrong to do so as some neighbors needed help with a major yard work project, and we were happy to do so. I will say about an hour into it, it hit me that the morning run might not go quite how I'd envisioned!

From the moment I got up today, I could tell I was right about the vision! My thighs felt as thick and heavy as the wood I'd hauled! All of what I felt was very concentrated; the rest of my body was fine. It was nothing I could stretch out, so I figured I'd do what I could on the run and move on with the day! I decided to think of yesterday's ventures as major cross training. Booyah!

I started getting ready for today's run last night by mapping my route and getting out the things I need that I have trouble finding in the morning. Most important when it's cold but most difficult to find when it's dark and I'm tired:

Ahh, the gloves and ear warmer ... straight from the wash! That
little used up dryer sheet had a big job to do to make these smell
good! I always linger the ear warmer over my nose when putting
it on the day after washing! Yum ... better take advantage while
it's clean because that smell is about to change ...

While I was stretching ... or trying to ... I noticed what the lazy hound was doing:

"It's too early even if I wanted to go ... so I'll pretend I don't see
you." Seriously, she didn't even acknowledge me. She can be
like that in the morning. I'm always bright and shiny in the morning,
so I don't get it ... HaHaHaHaHaHaHa ...

After giving the pooch a kiss goodbye, I turned around and saw this out the window:

Holy moly, did I luck out or what to see that?!?! Given the route I was going, I knew I wouldn't be facing this direction for about 15 minutes. By then, I also knew it would be gone. So, I took these. I'm glad I did because I was exactly right about hitting the spot where I knew I'd see it only to find it no longer there! (Woah ... that's two things I was right about today ... that might be it for the day ...)

Overall, the run was fine, it just hurt a bit. But, I realized with clarity today that I've gotten to the point that my body is at least as strong as my mind ... if not a wee bit stronger on some days. You see, it used to be that to get through a run, I would spend almost all of my time with positive (and sometimes cheesy) self talk encouraging myself to continue on even though every part of my body voted for stopping. Yup, I was both mentally and physically exhausted at the end of those. Wahhh!!

You can tell by what I write that my mind now often wanders really, really far away having been released from the necessity of telling myself I'm still a good person whether I can run up a particular hill or not. With all of this extra thinking time, I started to notice this week that some of my thoughts have been straying into the territory of, "I'd rather be sleeping than doing this."

However -- and this is new -- my body has not followed suit. In fact, my legs just keep chugging along without regard to my thoughts of settling into a recliner for the rest of the day. It took more than three years to get to this point, but I'm thrilled to report I'm here. That, my friends, is major running progress.

So, when I did choose to walk a stretch today, I did so to ensure the success of the run as a whole. Yesterday's unexpected exercise was heavy, it was long, and it was worth it. And, my body required a bit of accommodation for it. The walk break was completely proactive, and I embraced it. Previous walk breaks when I've allowed them have been reactive, taken too late and with my head down. Not today. Not again.

I'm certain I should have learned how to take these to my advantage years ago. But, I was a tool and stubbornly wouldn't allow it. And, check it out, even with the walk, I still finished all 7 miles a minute ahead of my target time out the door. But, I used to beat myself up for walking. Seriously, what a fool.

Well, lesson learned, moving on and feeling really good about where I've gotten! And, check out what else was pleasing on my run:

How cute is that?!

So, there's another long one in the tank! An excellent outing for sure ... and not just physically! And, what's tomorrow? REST DAY, BABY! I think my jelly legs and I will enjoy that!

ElevenElevenEleven

On this 11-11-11, what do you think, shall I commemorate the day with 11 miles? HA! NO WAY! It's Rest Day, and I've learned not to diverge from the running plan!

Let's start today's entry with the following. I call it "Resting Perfected":

We hound dogs are resting afficionados ...

The point of the day being made, I have a new food from the kitchen to share with you! Take a look as I made a version of mac-and-cheese ... cauliflower style! Stick with me ... the ending is great!

There's the head of cauliflower getting ready to get the tar boiled out of it. Man, that made the kitchen stink, but I'm no fan of cooked cauliflower! Not a fan, and I still made it? You might recall I hate sweet potatoes but tried -- and loved -- baked sweet potato fries. Nancy logic won out on that one, so I gave it a whirl here. By the way, one of the main reasons I went ahead to try this one is because there was nothing in the recipe blurb protesting how this doesn't taste like cauliflower ... you know that argument made popular by the my-cauliflower-actually-tastes-like-mashed-potatoes craze. (I call "pants on fire" on that one ...)

Anyway, after the cauliflower was boiled and smelly, it got mashed up with a mess of stuff in the blender from chicken stock to a smidge of cheese to spices. And, when you need an eighth of a teaspoon of something and only have the spoon measuring a fourth, you guess. At least, I do:

I'd tell you what that spice is, but I've already forgotten. I don't remember things that I know I can look back up. (If there's a way to check my mapping history at Map My Run, I'd see the same route mapped over and over. Save the route? I think not.) That orange goo in the background is the pureed cauliflower with all of the other ingredients in there. At this point, it smelled great!

It was time to put the base in the pan:

Whole wheat elbows cooked for only 5 minutes. They get the rest of the cooking love in the oven! And, while that baked, I also took that chicken recipe and made it again but in nuggets!

A winning decision and smashing success! And, check it out ... both recipes bake at the same temperature for almost the same amount of time ... when does that happen?!

The mac-and-cheese result:

Seriously yummy! There was barely even the hint of cauliflower! I baked mine in a 9 x 13 stone pan ... I used the bigger pan so it would cook faster in the stone. That way, the dishes to came out of the oven close to the same time. The most surprising part of the recipe? It's a serves-four dish. Four? How about twelve?! Good leftovers, though, it's really, really good! Here it is from Runner's World magazine:

And, there you have it. Yummy goodness on a Rest Day. Well, okay, yummy goodness leftovers! I'll take 'em. More recipes to come as I try them! Good fuel = Good run. That's my kind of math! See you after the early a.m. run!

Just Get It Done

It's another one of those days where my morning run was delayed for a bit because of another commitment. This is the exact kind of day where it's a little more difficult to get on out there because by the time I'm starting, I would normally have already finished! It's a mental thing to push through, but it has to be done.

All things being different anyway, I chose to run on a street I don't often utilize. I'm so glad I did because look at the fancy fire hydrant I found! I honestly just think this is fabulous. So colorful!! I realize it's just old layers of paint. I still think it's awesome.

About a mile later, I saw the tree; you might remember I mentioned how much I love when there's a little bit of green amidst the Fall colors! This tree totally had it going on! It was easier to see in person, but you get the drift! 

While the sight seeing was fun (and a little necessary to keep my mind off of how cold it was), the wind was wicked and biting my face, so I cruised along as fast as was reasonable to just finish. It was a short enough run to pull that off, so I took full advantage of the opportunity!

The cold did not deter me from stopping and getting a Diet Coke on the way home, though. The weather and Diet Coke are not mutually exclusive variables. It's ice cold, and it's delicious!

I did come home to a warm puppy, though. She's not thrilled that she didn't get to go with me today. Fortunately for me, she's very forgiving. See you on tomorrow's Rest Day!! I have some kitchen tid bits to share! WooHoo!! Rest up for a long run on Saturday!

Oh, mommy, you can do no wrong ... except for making me sit out here in the cold! Let's go in!

A Very Blustery Day Indeed

Okay, I actually consider myself very lucky having been able to run outside this week given the week's forecast indicated so much rain that I'd be forced to use the Mean Machine. So, I'm not complaining. I am reporting, though, that the wind this morning was most unexpected. It was the kind of wind for which you actually have to hunch forward in order to go forward. That makes for a very interesting run! It makes it kind of fun, though, when I have Elly because that kind of wind really makes her ears fly!

Such wind keeps blowing the pretty leaves off the trees, too, but it's cool to see them gather like this:

I totally dig it when there are a few green leaves mixed in with the color. Yum! I love passing this little spot. Blink, and you'll miss it. Blink longer, and you'll be rewarded by missing that dead opossum that's still there. It no longer smells, though.

Overall, today's was a run like most others, so I had a lot of time to ponder the following: Will I look for a baby doll sized Santa hat for Jacques, or will I make one? If I make one, will I make a handful in case one falls off and I don't notice or in case the wind takes it and I don't feel like running after it? Or, will I make one really good one and adhere it to his head? And, by adhering, do I mean using tight elastic? Or should I pin it? If I pin it, will that pull and damage him? If I use elastic, will it create a permanent, indented ring around his head?

While I was mulling over such plans, I had a near on-foot miss of more road kill. This time, it was another opossum right in the middle of a crosswalk. Poor, ugly thing was even using the cross walk. They just can't win.

A half mile later, Elly, Jacques and I wrapped it up and called it a day! It was good to be out of the cold wind. We got into the warm car where I continued thinking about festive wear for Jacques. Evidently, Elly had thoughts to think as well, so she hunkered down to do so:

Back at it tomorrow! See you after the run!

Mostly Winner Chicken Dinner

Here we are on a very damp Rest Day! I would give some thought to if it's going to rain or not, but it just doesn't matter because I'm not running today! I told you, I enjoy days on ... and days off!

In the meantime, it's time to report from the kitchen as we tried another recipe out of Runner's World magazine last night!

Now, I love chicken and am willing to try it almost no matter how it's made. This was appealing because I really love fried chicken, but I hardly ever eat it! Not to mention, if there's a way to make the white meat taste as good as I think dark meat tastes, then I'm game for trying!

Remember how I thought it was a good idea to dink around with the previous recipe (by adding too much chorizo) because I didn't trust the outcome? This time, it seems I decided my key to success was to not read the recipe all the way through before getting it together, so I missed that part about how long the chicken needed to marinade. Whoopsie. I was just in the nick of time to let it soak for an hour, but next time, I'll allow for more time! So, while it soaked, I got the other pieces together ...

These were new to me:

Verdict on these: Totally dig 'em!! I think I've only heard of "Panko" from the Food Network, so I actually had to look it up to see how readily available it was to non-tv people like myself! I know there are whole wheat varieties out there, so now that I'm sold on their basic function (keeping the coating crispier than would regular bread crumbs ... yum!), I'll be looking for those from now on!

The recipe was simple, it just took more time than I was prepared for from marinading to letting the chicken sit in the fridge before baking. Anyway, here's our oven of yum in progress:

Chicken on bottom, sweet potato Mom Fries on top ... mmmmm ...

Verdict? Very, very good!! Very filling for sure, and the chicken was so moist!! I can't wait to try it again with longer soaking time. It was too spicy, though, so I think we're going to eliminate the red pepper and just maintain the hot sauce. All of us had that spicy tongue burn, and after a while, that's annoying! Yes, I measured the spices correctly ... Oh, and I'm also going to cube the chicken next time and make nuggets! Yum!

It's an excellent protein-packed meal, and a recipe to retain. I just need to budget more time for it! But! I wanted to pass it along! Anything good for us that we all also like is a winner to me!