My Week in Review: September 30, 2012

Monday:  Rest Day
Tuesday: 55 min walk
Wednesday: 30 min walk
Thursday: 30 min run, walk, run (No stats for today)
Friday: 30 min exercise bike
Saturday: 30 min walk
Sunday: 1 hr 11 min run/walk/run   5.52 miles, Pace: avg 12:53 min/mile

Today was my longest run ever, 5 1/2 miles.  I have to say, I was really nervous about it.  I was supposed to run yesterday, but my husband and I got a babysitter and had a "date day".  So, instead of going for a run in the morning I was playing with my kids, getting organized, and getting ready.  It was so worth it!  We had a great day shopping for fireplaces, pot lights, flooring, and bought new living room furniture.  (I know, doesn't sound romantic, but it was lots of fun). If you can't tell, we're about to embark on a renovation.  We live in an older home and have lots of updates to make in our kitchen and living room first.  I'll be sure to share before and after pictures with you as we go along!

This morning I woke up and it was cold, dreary, overcast and drizzling rain.  I found myself convincing myself of all the reasons I couldn't go for a run: I might catch a cold, slip in the mud, bla,bla,bla.  In the end, I waited it out and after lunch the weather improved.  I started off around 2:30 and the temperature was close to 20 C.  Warm!  I ran 5:2 intervals, occasionally upping it to 5:3 or decreasing it to 5:1.  After the first half, I started feeling stronger and stronger and finished with a negative split!  Whohoo!  I know for all your seasoned veterans, 5 1/2 miles is nothing, but for me, it was pretty exciting!

 

Here's a picture from my run.  Hill-training definately isn't in my vocabulary right now.  Congratulations to everyone who ran the Tower of Terror 10 miler this weekend.  I can't wait to hear about, I love the medal!!

Question of the day: Do you remember your first "long" run? 

Tasty Tuesday

This weeks recipe is a very versatile one.  I like to serve it with Breakfast Enchilladas, but it also goes well with ham steaks for lunch, or almost anything actually.  :)

Hashbrown Casserole

250ml container of sour cream (or half a 500ml container)
1 can mushroom soup
2 lb bag of hashbrowns, defrosted
1 onion, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and bake for 40-50 minutes at 350.  I sometimes hold a little bit of the cheese back and add it to the top of the casserole...or sometimes I just add a little bit more.  This recipe definately isn't in my "healthy foods repetoire".  In my defence, I usually use low-fat mushroom soup, low-fat sour cream, and skim-milk cheese, but that only makes is moderately better.  It can be made up the night before with the breakfast enchilladas and then popped in the oven before you go for your morning run.  MMMMM....enjoy!

My Week in Review: September 23, 2012

Monday – 34 min run/walk/run   2.62 miles, Pace: avg 12:57 min/mile  

Tuesday – Rest Day

Wednesday – 32 min run/walk/run   2.42 miles, Pace: avg 13:13 min/mile  

Thursday – 30 min walk in the am, 45 min walk in the evening

Friday – 29 min run/walk/run    2.18 miles, Pace: avg 12:56 min/mile 

Saturday – 20 min Yoga video

Sunday – 29 min run/walk/run    2.25 miles,   Pace: avg 12:30 min/mile

I’ve increased my running to 4 minutes running, one minute walking, but usually somewhere in the middle I take a break and walk for 2 minutes.  I think I would like to get my intervals up to 5:1 and then stick there for long runs.  For my short runs, I would eventually like to be able to run the whole time and run an entire 5k.  But, to be honest, I haven’t decided for sure.  I REALLY enjoy my walk breaks, so maybe I’ll just stick with them all the time. 

This week was pretty low key.  Life is busy right now (isn’t it always?), so I never seem to have the time I’d like.  First “official” day of Fall on Thursday, and it definitely looks the part in my area of the country.  The leaves are falling and the days are getting shorter.  Ready or not, here comes winter!

This week, I signed up for Twitter, so give me a follow, @EveryDayGirl5. 

Question of the Day: Are you on Twitter, and if so, what’s your Twitter account?

Tasty Tuesdays

Breakfast Enchilladas

8 floured tortilla shells                   ¼ cup green pepper, diced

2 c shredded cheddar cheese     ¼ cup red pepper, diced

2 tsp oil                                                 5 eggs

1 onion, chopped                            2 cups milk

1 garlic clove, minced                     ¼ tsp Tabasco

2 cups finely chopped ham          1 tbsp flour

**4 slices cooked bacon finely chopped

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion, garlic, and peppers together for 5 minutes just until softened.  Add ham & bacon.  Place about 3 tablespoons of meat/vegetable mixture on half of each tortilla.  Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of cheese and roll up tightly.  Place seam side down in a 9” x 13” greased baking dish.  Beat together eggs, flour, milk, and Tabasco.  Pour over tortillas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 F for 40 to 50 minutes or until set when knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Good to reheat for lunch.  Can make ahead by freezing filled tortillas.  Then add milk/egg mixture/cheese just before baking. 

**I usually only end up with about 5 or 6 enchilladas, but I use the large tortilla shells...not sure if that makes a difference.  I don’t really measure out how much I put on each rolls, I put on how much looks right, same with the cheese, I don’t use a measured amount.  Truth Time: I have to get my hubby to roll them for me.  I am the WORST tortilla roller!!  J

This breakfast is time consuming, but delicious!!  I like to do most of the work the night before and store wrapped enchiladas in the fridge.  In the morning, I pull them out, add the egg, milk, Tabasco, flour mixture and cook.  This goes well with Breakfast Hashbrown Casserole....stay tuned for next Tuesday!!  

Source: This recipe came from a local family cookbook, and has been adapted by me. 

Question of the Day: I love hot breakfast...do you have a breakfast recipe you love?

My Happy Place

My happy place is my backyard.  I love sitting in the backyard and not having to worry that the kid’s have left the yard and are running onto the street.  We have a play centre, playhouse and sandbox for them to play in and I can sit in my swing, relax, read a book, or whatever else I feel like doing.  I love it. 

My daughter and I planted a garden with: cantaloupe, honey dew melon, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, peas, carrots, onions, bell peppers, green beans and potatoes.  It’s been a great experience for her this summer to learn how food grows.  She loves running out to the garden and picking vegetables for our supper.  She’s planted the seeds, weeded, watered, and is now harvesting the produce. 

This is where I spent a lot of my time.  In the mornings, I love to sit in the swing and read the paper while watching my children playing on the swing set or in the yard. We live in a small town so there’s not a lot of traffic.  Often in the mornings, all I can hear is the sound of the birds chirping and my kid’s playing.  Sounds cliché, but it is beautiful.  Sometimes in the evenings, we have a fire, roast marshmallows, and sit outside and relax.

When my husband and I moved in together, we started working on the yard.  We reseeded all the grass and built a fish pond with waterfall.  Eventually, I would like to make it bigger, but for now it’s perfect.  We built a grate to go over the pond for the next few years to keep the kid’s out.  Earlier in the summer, one of my sons stripped his clothes off and tried to bathe in the pond.  The grate keeps the kid’s out of the pond, and therefore my stress levels down.  J

We have a huge open area where the kid’s can play ball or soccer and a shed that I painted this year to spruce it up.  It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do!  It completely changed the look of the shed...it’s no longer such an eye sore!

See the little brown bridge in to the side?  That’s what my handy hubby built for me this summer.  I remember as a kid LOVING bridges.  I thought they were soooo much fun to play on.  So, when we had extra wood left over from building the fence and the sandbox frame, I begged my husband to build a bridge for the yard.  The kid’s love running over it and playing “troll bridge.”

So, now you’ve seen it.  This is my happy place.  Just being in my backyard brings a smile to my face and makes me feel happy.  I love being outside, but I think it’s also that I love watching my kids, seeing them play together, and realizing that we are making memories.  I hope they look back at their childhoods and remember the time we spent back there with a smile like I will. 

Question of the Day: Do you have a Happy Place...somewhere that makes you feel happy and de-stresses you automatically?

My Week in Review: September 16, 2012

 Monday – 30 min walk

Tuesday – 30 min run/walk/run

Wednesday – 30 min walk

Thursday – 32 min run/walk/run  2.32 miles,  Pace: avg 13.08 min/mile

Friday -30 min walk

Saturday – 52 min run/walk/run    3.96 miles, Pace: avg 13.07 min/mile

Sunday – Rest day

This week was a lot more successful than last week!  And the second half of this week...I was feeling it!!  Wow, it was awesome!  My runs on Thursday and Saturday, I felt great.  It is requiring a great deal of effort to NOT go for another run today, but I know the rest day is important too.  After I got through the initial cement leg feeling, I felt amazing!  Usually it takes me a long time to stop feeling like it’s a huge effort to move my legs, but this week they seemed to run themselves.  If you can’t tell by the amount of times I’ve used exclamation marks, I have a huge smile plastered across my face!  I’m not sure if the universe lined up to make my runs feel so good or if it was partially due to the podcast I was listening to...the Marathon Show’s recap of the Disneyland Half Marathon.  The whole time I was picturing myself in four short months on the course, running, seeing the characters, and then getting that medal.  Aaahhh...there it is again, huge, goofy grin!

I finally got around to printing Jeff Galloway’s Tinkerbell Half Marathon Training schedule for beginners from www.runDisney.com.  I perused through the long run days and have been marking them on my calendar trying to determine how/where I’m going to run.  I also took another huge step this week...I pulled the trigger and bought a treadmill.  Well, another treadmill.  I have a treadmill I got about 7 years ago, but it is only for walking.  To be honest, I don’t remember why running isn’t recommended on it, but it was very clear in the owner’s manual you shouldn’t be running on it.  I found a huge sale on treadmills and bought a Nordic Track for $1200 off...I figured for $599 it was now or never.  I sold my old treadmill for a couple hundred dollars to help with the cost.  I know I would prefer to run outside, but realistically, I will be training in the middle of winter in an area where we often see temperatures drop to -40 C and snow storms and the nearest gym is 30 miles away.  To complete my runs, I’m going to need a treadmill. 

So, that’s my week in review.  I’ve been busy with work, children, and life in general so I haven’t got all the posts up that I have prepared for you.   For some reason, I’m having real problems adding pictures to one post I have drafted?  I’ll try again soon and hopefully have it up right away.  I am also still making a list of all the blogs that have Disneyland Half Marathon recaps on them, and will be sharing that with you soon.

Question of the Day: Do you have a blog with a Disneyland Half Marathon or Carsland 5k race recap?  If so, would you comment with your blog so I can link to it in an upcoming post?   I want to share with the world what you have all got my so inspired by!

Tasty Tuesdays

Tasty Tuesdays

Two weeks ago, I posted a recipe for Parmesan Orzo.   I usually make this as a side dish for two different meals: Zippy Pork Chops and BBQ Salmon.  Since I gave you the recipe for the Zippy Pork Chops already, I'll share the Salmon recipe today.   Plus, colder weather is coming here, so I like to get in as much barbequing as I can before the snow flies and this recipe is delicious!  My husband, the non-salmon eater, even loves this it.  I do find it’s best if you let it marinate for the full day.   

BBQ Salmon

4 salmon steaks or 1 large fillet 

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup soya sauce

Combine maple syrup and soya sauce in resealable bag.  Add salmon and marinate at least 2-3 hours for up to 24 hours.  Grill on medium heat for 5 minutes/side.  Careful not to burn.

I've been busy tracking down different bloggers who have Disneyland Half Marathon recaps, and will do a post as soon as I can. 

Question of the Day: What was your first race?  Was it a 5k, 10k, or longer?

 

My Week in Review - September 9, 2012

Monday – 30 min walk

Tuesday – 30 min Run/Walk/Run intervals

Wednesday – 30 min walk

Thursday – 30 min Run/walk/run intervals

Friday – Rest Day

Saturday – Rest Day

Sunday- Rest Day

Do you see anything strange about this week?  It’s the first official week of Tinkerbell Training...and I had three rest days in a row.  Brutal!  In my defense, it’s been a tough week for my family.  We lost a very special man and everyone is struggling.  But taking three rest days in a row isn’t doing me any good.  Logically, I know that I need to be active, that it will help me get through this.  But, my heart is sad and it’s hard to get moving.  Tomorrow though, I am setting my alarm, dragging myself out of bed, and hitting the pavement.  Dale, for you, I will remember that each day is a blessing, nothing is more important than family and friends, and life should be cherished.

I had several posts written and ready to post for last week, so I’ll share them with you this week.    A couple months ago, I bought a little wooden block with a quote on it I love.  I’ll end this week off by sharing it with you.  

  

 

R.I.P. Dale Douglas Fisher



Question of the Day: OK, for today it's not a question, it's more of a request.  Take tonight to hug your children, your spouse, your family, or your friends.  Take a good look at them and take a second to remember just how lucky you are to have them in your life.  And then tell them...you'll never regret telling someone special that you love them. 

 

My Week in Review

 Monday – Run/Walk/Run Intervals - 30 minutes

Tuesday – 30 minute walk

Wednesday – Run/Walk/Run Intervals – 30 minutes

Thursday – 30 minute walk

Friday – Run/Walk/Run Intervals– 30 minutes

Saturday – Rest Day

Sunday – Run/Walk/Run Intervals – 39 minutes

I wasn’t keeping track of my pace and distance the rest of the week, but Sunday was 2.83 miles with an average of 13.46 min/mile.  Whohoo!  I have a long way to go, but it’s great to be on the track now.  I ran intervals of 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking.  I LOVE the Galloway method! 

Another exciting thing about this week... it was the Cars Land 5k and Disneyland Half Marathon!  I am so excited to read everyone’s race recaps and hear about the weekend.  Congratulations everyone who completed races this weekend!  I’d love to do a blog post linking back to everyone who ran this weekend’s race recaps, so leave me your blog below if you’d like to be linked. 

Question of the day: Do you have a blog and plan on recapping the race?

Taking the Plunge

I have finally done it...taken the plunge.  This week, after months of thinking about it, talking about it, dreaming about it, I finally did it.  I started running again.  I know what you’re thinking....what’s the big deal?  People run every day...what makes you so special?   It’s special to me because after a foot injury last year I haven’t run for almost a year and I have missed it.  I loved running once I got into it, and that’s the problem. I didn’t want to start at square one again.  How ridiculous is that.  Don’t start because you can’t do what you want immediately.  It’s embarrassing to even admit just how foolish I have been.  But that’s all behind me now, becauseI am back on track.  After the first run, I realized that just because I have to start the Couch to 5K program again, doesn’t mean I won’t love it.  Yes, it was hard, but it was also rewarding.  No, I couldn’t run for 30 minutes straight, and I won’t be able to for a while, but I felt GOOD!  I have been walking every morning for months now and I feel great.   It’s a wonderful way to start your day.  The days after I have run, it’s hard to describe, but I felt even better, refreshed, and proud.  Proud that I am finally taking the step I have been dreaming about for so long.  I can already feel myself improving and I’m looking forward to the future! 

You see, it’s not just running that I have been dreaming about.  I want to run a half-marathon.  I want to push myself to do something physical, step out of my boundaries, and get healthier.  I stumbled across a little something called RunDisney...oh yes, you’ve seen it too have you?  J  After reading race reports from these sites, www.disboards.com and www.runningoftheears.com  and watching You Tube videos of all these amazing athletes I was inspired. 

                       

So, I stepped out on a limb a few months ago, I booked myself in to the Disneyland Tinkerbell Half Marathon.  There it is, my big secret, and the reason why I have been so mortified that I hadn’t started running before now.  I have a deadline to meet!   The Tinkerbell Half Marathon is January 19, 2013.  Even now as I type, I have a giant grin plastered across my face and am getting twitchy to get out and run again.  I have no dreams of grandeur for this race...I will PR simply because it will be my first half-marathon and I’m sure that 95% of the runners there will finish before me.  I want to participate, I want to be there, feel the energy of the crowd and accomplish this. 

Question of the day: Have you ever run Disney?

Source: www.facebook.com/RunDisney

Tasty Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

I thought I’d continue on with my Tasty Tuesday tradition (and by tradition, I really mean that one time I did it).  J  Today I will feature another recipe that is a big favorite in my home.  Well, actually two recipes, so I suppose I should call it a meal, Zippy Pork Chops and Parmesan Orzo. 

PARMESAM ORZO

3 tbsp margarine                              ½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 ½ cups orzo pasta                         1 ½ tsp dried basil

3 cups chicken broth                       salt & pepper to taste

Melt margarine in saucepan over med-high heat.  Add orzo and sauté for 2 minutes, till slightly brown.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover & simmer till orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed—about 20 minutes.  Mix in parmesan and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serves 6.  Very nice with salmon or pork chops. 

 BBQ Tangy Pork Chops

6 bone in, 1” thick pork chops     2 tbsp Lemon-Pepper Seasoning

¼ c Water                                            3 Garlic cloves (minced)

1/3 c Soy Sauce                                 1 tsp Montreal Steak Spice

2 tbsp cooking oil

Combine ingredients and pour over pork chops in zipper plastic bag or marinating dish.  Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but I find it’s better if left over night.  This recipe is best if the pork chops are barbequed.  During the first 10 minutes of barbequing, baste with the sauce.

I usually serve these recipes with a side of cooked vegetables or tossed salad.  The pork chops freeze great, so I will often make up a few batches at once and freeze a couple in zipper freezer bags to pull out at a later date.  Both these recipes were given to me by a friend of mine and are great summer recipes.

Question of the day: Do you have a favorite BBQ recipe?

Goals

One of my goals is to become more active and healthier for my children.  I’m in okay shape and eat fairly healthy...but I’m not sure that’s good enough.  I’m on the very top end of normal weight and would like to bring myself down about 10 lbs.  I don’t even think it’s a number on the scale so much as I want to feel good.  I want to feel strong and healthy.  I know I don’t have far to go, but I also know that those 10 lbs will be hard.  I have lost 10 lbs already and can feel such a difference.  

Over the past year, I have been reading a lot of running/healthy living blogs.  Wow, you people inspire me!  I finished the Couch to 5 k program a year ago and started running...and I loved it.  But then, life got in the way: I injured my foot and by the time it was healed, my husband was gone working and I couldn’t get away for a run.  Then winter hit and who really wants to run in -30C.  Excuses.  That’s what actually happened....a whole simmering pot of excuses on why I couldn’t.  Now, I can’t seem to find the jam to start the program again.  I’m disappointed that I even have to start again...I wish I could pick up right where I left off.  So not realistic. 

So, I’m also hoping this blog will hold me accountable to exercise.  Keep me on the path because people will notice if I fall off again.  I’m really hoping at least one of you out there reads this little diary and holds me to it...any takers?

Source: http://agents.hometownquotes.com/2010/12/your-insurance-agencys-goals-for-2011/

MIA

Missing In Action.

By this point in time, you probably thought that was me... just another one of those people who started a blog and realized after a couple of posts that they really don’t have anything to say.  Well, you could be right.  But I’m back again, ready to take another swing at this. 

I follow a lot of blogs and am hooked on reading them.  I’m hoping someday someone reads this...even just one person would make my day. 

I still don’t have one specialized thing that I want to write about.  I can honestly even say what I am going to write tomorrow.  But, I’m going to try and write more often....hopefully way more often. 

I’m going to share with you my journey from “couch potato to sort-of athlete”, the joys and challenges of motherhood, and the path I’m on to discover “what I really want to do with myself”.  Along the way, I’ll probably miss a few posts, fall, stumble, but hopefully I’ll reach new heights.  Hopefully someone will miss me if I quit posting.  Hold me accountable and remind me that someone is reading...and kick my butt back into gear.  After all, we all have our moments, our good days and bad.  And I’m just like you...I’m just an everyday girl.