Beautiful Mum

Remember last Fall, how Dan and I ripped out a boring, stickery, thorn bush that was in front of our house and my Dad replaced it with a little mum???

August 2010

Remember how I was so concerned that this little plant would not make it through the harsh winter?? Well folks, it did... and today it's the most beautiful mum in our neighborhood! Well, maybe it's the only mum in the whole neighborhood, but still... it is gorgeous!

Ewwwww... Ahhhhh...

Look at all those blooms! Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen!?!

Thanks Remington... you're silly!

Week #21 of Kendra's Cooking Challenge: Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is so easy peasy I had to try it!  And... seriously... who doesn't like pumpkin tasting things in the Fall!

Pumpkin Muffins (pinterest.com)

Ingredients

• yellow cake mix
• 16 oz can of pumpkin

Dump both ingredients into mixing bowl and blend!

Put in muffin pan.

Follow instructions on cake mix box on how long and temperature to cook.

And there you go... pumpkin muffins!

My taste tester wasn't around this weekend when I made these, but my parents were... they rated them as "good" :)  I thought they were excellent!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of September 19th - September 25th... this past week my Grandma S. had hip replacement surgery.  It was definitely bitter sweet for me.  Bitter because I worry about her recovery and sweet because she was in such horrible pain and this will hopefully solve the problem. During the times I ran this week I choose to think about her. It truly pains me to see both of my grandmothers age and to not be able to do the things they once could.  I take for granted how lucky I am to be healthy and in good physical shape. I decided to run this week for all the people who can't run... because no matter how much I dislike it sometimes, how sore I get, or how tired I am some days... I want to savor the moments that these two legs can carry me and I can run. 

I think that I have finally came to the conclusion that I'm not going to be able to pull off running my Half Marathon this year.  I'm disappointed in myself.  I should have pushed harder, not let school and work get in the way of my training, and ran tons more than I have. It makes me sad and I feel like I let people down in the process (including myself).  But on a positive note, I'm proud of myself for what I accomplished this summer.  I ran my first 5K and 10K.  For me that was a huge hurdle!  I haven't given up on running a Half Marathon.  I plan on keeping myself in good shape this winter so I don't have to struggle to build up my mileage in a short amount of time.  If I am able to keep up running around 6-7 miles in the winter that will help a lot.  My main goal is to run a Half Marathon before I have my first child. That of course gives me a lot of time, but I want to do it next summer if possible.

Monday, September 19th, 2011 - abs/stretch/strength

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 - sprinted 1.7 miles (I ran with Dan tonight... I couldn't do distance so I sprinted instead)

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 - ran 3.14 miles

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 - abs/stretch/strength

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 - ran 4 miles

Saturday, September 24th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Sunday, September 25th, 2011 - REST DAY!

Total miles for the week : 8.84 miles

Happy 1st Day of Fall

Running is Fun... RIGHT?

I keep asking myself this question as I have been doing my nightly runs. Before I started training for this half marathon I enjoyed going on runs... they seriously made me feel alive!  There's just something about the wind in your hair, not being able to breathe, and the pain you feel during and after the run that has that affect on you. However, recently running has become an all out chore for me.  It's kind of like since I set my mind to doing this half marathon I now feel like it's my job to run.  I'm obligated in a way.  You know how you feel when you have to go to work on Monday morning... that is how I'm feeling every time I need to go out and run... DREAD! Sad isn't it?

I need to somehow get back to feeling like I'm just running for the fun of it.  I need to stop thinking about my agenda of going faster, increasing my miles, and being able to run this 13.1 miles.  I just need to head out the door with the purpose of enjoying myself and feeling good afterwards no matter what the outcome is.

Or... at least that's what I'll tell myself.  Running is fun... RIGHT?

Kicking the Coffee

Coffee... not sure if that is exactly what you would call my morning drink of choice. You see I tend to add a lot of cream and a lot of sugar!  And... I have a special relationship with McDonald's McCafe Carmel Mocha Lattes. Yes, that is pretty much all I drink. However, I do still consider this coffee and it has become a habit I want to kick! My reasons to kick the habit may be few, but they hold great consequences to me.

Reason #1 : I'm starting to not be able to function on those weekday mornings that I don't have my coffee.  Maybe function isn't the word I'm looking for... it's more like I'm not myself.  I'm grumpy (Dan would say I'm this everyday), sleepy, and pretty much would rather not talk to anyone until at least 10:00 AM.  I hate the fact that I crave coffee that bad in the mornings, that if I don't get it then it changes my personality. I don't like that!

Reason #2 : This should actually probably be reason #1 since it is the biggest thing on my radar at this point. My daily cups of coffee are slowly but surely staining my teeth!  EKKKKKKKK!  Of course I knew this was a possibility, but I thought that by taking great care of my teeth that it wouldn't have too much of an effect.  WRONG!  Obviously, at this point they aren't too bad, but I don't want to wait and see what will happen to them if I continue my habit!  My parents paid way to much money on braces, retainers, pulled wisdom teeth, etc... for me to throw these pearly whites away on something that tastes good to me!

Reason #3 : The calories in my morning coffee is through the roof!  In a small Carmel Mocha Latte at McDonald's I'm looking at 500 calories! GEEZE!  That is ridiculous! No wonder it is so hard for me to lose the weight I want to!  I'm taking in a whole meal pretty much and I'm not getting any satisfaction from it because they are all empty calories!

Reason #4 : My daily small cup of coffee at McDonald's cost me $2.50.  Yes, this is cheap compared to Starbucks, but it still adds up!  I get a cup five days a week which would add up to $12.50 per week. For a month that would be $50.00!!!  And for a whole year $600! Just think of how much money I could save if I gave it up!!!

I'm not gonna lie... it's gonna be hard.  REAL HARD!  But... I really want to kick this habit not only for me, but for my bad attitude, teeth, belly, and wallet! I'm hoping I can do it!

Broken Computer Charger

Even though we look like the best of friends in the below picture, Remington was not on our good side this past week!  Because of my schedule he was crated more than usual leaving him with a ton more energy to spare.

Doesn't Remi look gigantic in this picture!!!

Because of all the extra energy in his blood stream at the moment he has been spending some of his time in the house running around like a wild child. While Remington was romping around the house, he accidentally ripped our computer charger out of our wall and broke it. Lovely...

Broken computer charger...

"Oops... sorry Mom!"

Him romping around the house is nothing new, but this incident was... in his two and a half years of life this has never happened.  I guess he taught us a lesson about having random wires just laying around.  We forgive you Remington, even though to replace this charger it was $85!!!  The things we do for our children. Remington is definitely looking forward a much more normal schedule in the weeks to come!

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of September 12th - September 18th... my running was a little hindered by my work schedule this week. I really did try to get my little bum outside to run.  On every run I did this week I couldn't help but kick myself for not running the past week and a half.  My runs suffered greatly because of this mistake.  I worry that I will not be able to get my body up to the mileage I need by the time my half marathon rolls around. This week I was suppose to be up to 8 miles at least... I'm struggling on my 6 mile runs.  All I can hope for is to really crack down hard on my runs and try to bring my mileage up... and quickly!

Monday, September 12th, 2011 - REST DAY... I was up until 1:00 in the morning doing Phonathon schedules :( I just couldn't bring myself to run today.

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 - ran 4 miles (this was the worst 4 miles of my life after not running for the past week)

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 - cross train/stretch (should have ran, but I opted for a nap instead)

Thursday, September 15th, 2011 -cross train/stretch

Friday, September 16th, 2011 - ran 4.5 miles

Saturday, September 17th, 2011 - ran 6 miles

Sunday, September 18th, 2011 - stretch/strength

Total miles ran for the week: 14.5 miles

First Attempt at Running Gels: GU Tri-Berry

I finally tried my first ever running energy gel.  I have been very nervous about taking one of these.  I have heard good things about them as well as bad.  People have told me they don't do their long runs without these and that they love the feeling of getting that second wind from them.  However, I've also heard that the gels can cause cramping and a very upset stomach on runs. EKKK!  I have kind of a sensitive stomach so this was my biggest fear in trying it.

The first gel I tried was the GU Tri-Berry.

Taste - this was the first thing I noticed... YUM!  I thought that it tasted pretty darn good!  Much better than I expected!

Consistency - not a big fan.  I've heard most people just take this in one huge gulp, like a shot.  I could not do this.  The gel reminded me of very thick honey.  I had to take it a little at a time.  This didn't necessarily bother me, but I could see how it will hinder my time during a run.

After Taste - after I took this and drank some water to wash it down I could not help but focus on the after taste during the rest of my runs.  I felt like I kept burping up the stuff.  YUCK! For the rest of the night I swear I kept slightly tasting the after effects of the gel.  Not a fan of this.

Energy - this was a little bit disappointing for me... I really didn't feel like it gave me any more energy on my run.  This could be because I'm struggling on runs right now, but I was disappointed not to feel that second wind that so many people speak about.  BUMMER!

Cramping - when I tried the gel mid way through my run I made sure I was not too far from home for the rest of my time running since I was worried about having problems.  Much to my surprise I did not feel any cramping or upset stomach!  YAY!

I still have 2 other gels I'm going to experiment with before my half marathon to see which I like best.  I'll make sure to do post on the next ones as well! So far I would say I'm not real impressed.

Week #20 of Kendra's Cooking Challenge: Apple Salad

I know, I know... things have kind of went downhill with my cooking challenge huh?  I only have 2 more meals to create after this one to be completely finished with it.  I haven't given up, I've just gotten busy and haven't had time to cook. But seriously... no excuses!

I was looking through a recipe book my Aunt Ingrid made me for Christmas and I found a few new things I wanted to try.  This week I decided to make her Apple Salad recipe.  Actually it isn't really a salad... it is more like a dessert and very yummy!  And this isn't actually cooking, but more like throwing stuff together and mixing...

Apple Salad (Aunt Ingrid)

Ingredients

• 3 Granny Smith Apples
• 3 regular size Snickers Bars
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choosing... we used Walnuts
• 16 oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
• 8 oz of Cool Whip

 Chop up your Snickers Bars.

Chop up your apples.

Then mix it all together and ENJOY!

Dan rated this dessert an 8.

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of September 5th - September 11th... can pretty much be summed up as "RAINED OUT!"  BLAH!  This week here in Indiana the weather was cloudy, rainy, chilly, and kind of miserable. I shouldn't complain though since we need the rain desperately in this area.  I think we were getting hit with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  I hesitated to run in the rain because I have gotten stuck in a down pour, miles from home, and let's just say it was not a good experience for me. So, if it is raining or there's rain in the forecast, you can count me out for that day of running.  Because of the forecast this week, I have once again started looking into a gym.  I often find myself joining a gym in the winter time because... well... I hate the cold weather with a passion. If I didn't join a gym then I wouldn't work out period.  I'm much more likely to snuggle up in some blankets at the end of the day. Another huge reason my running really suffered this week was because of work being a bit crazy. When my schedule isn't familiar and I'm working late many nights it affects my runs. I enjoy running in the evenings but with the schedule I'm going to have this next week or so it is going to force me to run in the mornings or early afternoons.  I'm going to have to just take that step out of the door and run or I will end up not doing it at all.

Monday, September 5th, 2011 - cross train/stretch (raining)

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 - REST DAY (raining)

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 - REST DAY (raining)

Thursday, September 8th, 2011 -cross train/stretch (raining)

Friday, September 9th, 2011 -stretch/strength (raining)

Saturday, September 10th, 2011 - worked

Sunday, September 11th, 2011 - worked

Total miles ran this week: I think you know the answer to that

Hectic!

Things have been pretty hectic around here lately....

First, school started up again so I'm now spending my evenings trying to stay on top of my assignment for my Master's Program.  I really enjoy the program, but at this point I'm burnt out! It's really not fun working all day and then coming home and working some more... BLAH!

Secondly, Phonathon has begun which means everything for work is CRAZY!  I've been doing massive amounts of interviews trying to hire students for positions, getting manuals printed, scripts written, binders put together, etc.  It is fun, but wears me out ;)

 
Third, I'm still trying to train for my Half Marathon... but that has been put on a back burner at this point.  Not a good thing when the race is in 6 weeks!  I feel like I have been bogged down with more important things at this point such as school, but I can't let that get in the way of my running.  This is the closest I have EVER been to doing a Half and I can't give up now!!! 

Anyways, no matter how much I complain... believe me I do realize how truly lucky I am to have the opportunity to get a college Master's degree, have a job that I enjoy, and have the ability to run.  There are people out there that do not and would love the chance to have and do these things. I am blessed.

So Over It!

That's right... I'm so over it... so freakin' over it!  Anyone else out there hate school as much as me right now!  As I sit here typing this post, I actually should be doing my GERO homework... but I'll say it again... I'M SO OVER IT!

It seriously depresses me to think that I have been in college for the past eight freakin' years!  I know one day all this studying, assignments, papers, and busy work will be worth it... but let me tell you this... right now, I'm so over it!  Anyone else out there just plain over it?

Mileage Monday

Running stats for the week of August 29th - September 4th... okay, after being a total slacker last week for my Mileage Monday post I didn't want to let you down on this one :) I didn't run as much as I should have because of the heat this week.  We were back up to 100 degree temperatures, but at least I wasn't AS lazy :)  Next week the temperatures are suppose to be back to normal... we're looking forward to temperatures in the 70's. This makes staying on a running schedule much easier :)

Monday, August 29th, 2011 - cross train/stretch

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 - ran 7 miles

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 -STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH (my legs were so sore today)

Thursday, September 1st, 2011 - REST DAY

Friday, September 2nd, 2011 - ran 3.1 miles

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 - ran 3.1 miles

Sunday, September 4th, 2011 - stretch/strength train

Total miles ran: 13.2 miles