Almost Wordless Wednesday...almost...

If you haven't read about Faith...

faith the dog

Run safe, run happy!

-d

Slooooooooow moving target...

Have you ever felt like there is a slow moving target within site...
YET, you can't quite figure out what it is???
Like there is "something" there you should go do but you don't know what it is...
I have had this looming feeling for a while now, and I just can't place my finger on it.
I feel like there is something bigger, something greater out there - like a thing or a destiny that I can't see, although I am unsure what it is.
I have never been one to waiver on decisions in my life...
I knew my first marriage as wrong - I found my path!
I knew I needed a major career change, boom, I did it.
I decided I needed fitness in my life, now I can't go a day without it.
I saw a wonderful man - I went after him, and well, I got lucky.

So, now, here I am, at the best place I have ever been with myself but I feel like there is still something I am suppose to do...
That slow moving target is just plodding along, but I have yet to figure it out...
Any ideas?

Run safe, run happy!
-d

THREE THINGS THURSDAY!

Tri - This weekend I have a race! A triathlon to be exact...and I.AM.SO.EXCITED!
Pink Power - all ladies...well, almost...read on!
Here's why...Beverley, Michelle, G (momof3), and T (RacingWithBabes) are all racing it too.
4 great ladies all at the same event - 3 of them are first time triathletes! Whoo-hoo!
Bev is nervous but I know she will do great, and Michelle, well nothing stops her. G - she is a VIP and sponsored by the same sponsor I am, and I know she is ready and will do fantastic, nothing stops this girl! And T, well, we all know she's an a$$ kicker, she'll probably place and take home hardware! Best thing of all...I am dressing the famous Dr. G for the race - he will be racing in DRAG! Look out ladies, he's gonna be so pretty!

Cry - Okay, it's been like 2 months since I had the plantar's wart frozen on the ball of my foot...and it's still not gone! It still hurts every time I run. Duct tape is on it all the time. SO, I bit the bullet today and scheduled my next appointment with the doctor...probably means cutting it out...so if I get it cut out on Monday morning, I will TOTALLY be able to run on Tuesday morning, right? Hmmm...
Oh, bonus...while I am there, I get to get tested for Celiac's Disease. Apparently, because my sister and nephew have been diagnosed, I should be tested because if a sibling or parent has it, it's a 50/50 for me...GREAT, that would mean a gluten-free diet...sure am glad Carytown Cupcakes now makes GF treats! (happy Mom?) Love you!

High - Done pouting, on  to NUMBER 3! Some of you may have heard already BUT it's news that bares repeating! I pre-ordered my very own pair of Newton's Off Road trail shoes! I want to get them to have time to run some good and serious miles in them before the JFK50Mile in November! I am stoked to try them, and I would post a picture for a preview BUT what fun would that be? You know I am gonna post a picture the day they get here!

Happy Thursday!
Run safe, run happy!
-d

About The Runs...

HA! Got ya, you thought I was going to talk about, well, my favorite subject...but no...
This really IS about the runs, my runs.
I was thinking as I was driving home today - about what I enjoy about running.
Sometimes people ask me how I do it, why I do it, what I get out of it.
First of all, there are few things I love more than a good, strong morning run. It's so invigorating and it's MINE!
Like this morning, I went out on a run with 40+ people, yet I ran "alone"...not because I had to, but because I just did today. I was in my zone, my "running bubble", and I loved every sweaty, hot, humid, dirty, hill-climbing second of it.
Sometimes, I run in a group like this and I talk the entire time with my "running husband" or another friend, or sometimes I introduce myself to someone new.
I love to take in the scenery on my runs...I hate running with headphones, I miss too much.
Like the sound of a fellow runner cheering me on, the "hello" of a pedestrian or just the simple peace and quiet of Mother Nature while everyone else is still in bed and I am stealing all the beauty of the morning right out from under their sleepy little noses.
Speaking of sites, I have seen some things on these runs..."ladies of the night" being dropped off, young girls making the walk of shame to their car, even a naked couple on a stairwell so wrapped up in themselves (literally) they didn't see or hear me.
But I have also seen bunnies making their way back to their homes cross my path, geese flying silently in formation across the sky and the pristine sunrise creeping over the city skyline and I pretend all of these things are just for me!
I coach about 10 months out of the year and I love it.
Seeing someone new to running find their space, pace and place and I am part of that memorable experience. Watching a runner aim for and reach a goal, even a tiny one, is amazing!
I share a lot of my runs with Judy and Maggie and we have seen some sights too...stinky hoarder houses, snakes (dead and alive) or roads covered with fresh snow and we are the first footsteps on that path.
We've dodged snow plows, cyclists, angry drivers and, well other runners. Again, these are all things I treasure. We have been on runs where we laughed, cried, cursed and struggled.
All memories, all worth it.
I have found money, clothes, injured people and LOTS of chicken bones?
Why are there so many random chicken bones just layin' around?
Anyhoo, I digress...
What it all boils down to is this...
I run because I can...
I run for me...

...and I LOVE IT.
What is one of your favorite running sights or memories?

Run safe, run happy!
-d

3 Things Thursday! - Partners!

My two favorite running girls, Judy and Maggie, have been gone since Friday...I miss them beyond words!
They both will be home this weekend and we get to run/coach on Sunday and then go to breakfast and catch up and things will feel "normal" again. Funny how a slight change in what you are use to makes you feel so lost in a way!

My Seal Team running "husband" has been off running to nurse an injury since 3 weeks ago and gone the last 2 weeks from Seal Team all together for work trips...he is a good guy. The kind of guy that a girl appreciates as a friend. He tolerates my need for an escort for my "morning potty trips", my talk of anything completely unimportant or silly but most of all he is just himself. I have missed my friend. Good news - he comes back Monday. Bad news - I have gotten stronger and faster! Whoo!

My husband, yes the real one, the one that has to tolerate me all the time...good or bad, happy or sad. He has been working his butt off lately...at work and here at our home. I do not think I could have married a harder working, more loving and devoted man. I am lucky.

Plain and simple 3 things...but sometimes the simple things mean a lot.
Run safe, run happy!
-d

Wordless Wednesday - better late than never!

Run safe, run happy!

-d

Time for a photo run - mile by mile!

My SUNday, RUNday, FUNday!


T at Racing With Babes posted a cool blog a few weeks ago that I have wanted to try…Sunday worked out to be that day. Yay!

The idea was to give your “view” of your run at each mile marker. Normally, for my long runs, I am carrying a handheld hydration bottle in one hand and directions and/or a towel in the other so I do not dare try to add a camera into the mix. But Sunday was only a 7 mile run and I opted for no fluid since the SAG stop was at 3.5, so I grabbed my iPhone and got ready!






Here I am before the start… I was sporting my new BondiBand courtesy of Ms. Amy D! The "Om Nom Nom" with a shark!



 

Mile marker 1! Trudging along with the Pink Nation peeps through the fan...beautiful morning!

Mile 2 came quick - I was feeling really good and I love an early morning city run!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mile 3

 Such a pretty neighborhood and I love looking at all the houses and imagining which one I could live in, what our yard would be like...would the dogs be happy there...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mile 4

What? Already? Some people find this stretch of Patterson to be boring...I love it, especially crossing over the highway and waving to the cars passing by...I love open road!

Mile 5

The Museum District - still peaceful onthis Sunday morning - quiet and undisturbed...so lovely!

Mile 6!Darn it...almost home base...the corner of Boulevard and Monument! A spot vistited many times over our 23 weeks of training...always know there is only 1 mile left from here.

Home base......back at the stadium. Another GREAT Pink Nation run under my belt. And note to G of Momof3 - I sported the Cheetah skirt in your honor today since you were away at the "Cat Shelter".

Hope you enjoyed my run as mucha s I did or at least just a little.

Run safe, run happy!

-d

Savory Saturday!

Here they are...my 3 new recipes of the week. Courtesy of http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/
I cooked each of these this week. I have posted the name of the dish, my commentary, my picture then the posted picture, description and recipe.

Healthified Indian-Spiced Beef Patties with Cucumber Sauce
Feedback: This was YUM. I grilled the burgers a bit longer than I should have, so it just would have been better if they were a bit less done. It was filling and tasty. I served it with a side of Tandori Na'an, a cucumber, heirloom tomato and onion salad and steamed spinach. The cucumber yogurt sauce really makes this dish!

My meal picture:

Wander outside of the bun and serve these internationally inspired burgers with flat bread, naan, or pita bread.
Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:30 min
makes:2 servings



1/2 cup Yoplait® plain yogurt
1/3 cup chopped, seeded cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped, seeded fresh jalapeño chile pepper
1 tablespoon snipped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces 90% lean ground beef ( I used 96% lean ground beef)
Indian flat bread (optional)

1.For sauce: In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and cucumber. Cover and chill until serving time.

2.In a medium bowl, combine onion, jalapeño pepper, mint, cumin, garlic, and salt. Add ground beef; mix well. Form beef mixture into two 3/4-inch-thick patties.

3.For a charcoal grill, place patties on the rack directly over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, for 14 to 18 minutes or until patties are done (160F), turning once. If desired, serve patties on flat bread. Spoon cucumber sauce over patties.

4.Note: The internal color of a burger is not a reliable doneness indicator. A beef or pork patty cooked to 160?F is safe, regardless of color. To measure the doneness of a patty, insert an instant-read thermometer through the side of the patty to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.

*Nutritional Information
1 burger plus 1/3 cup sauce: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 420mg; Total Carbohydrate 9g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 6g); Protein 27g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 15%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1/2 Skim Milk; 0 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
_________________________________________________________________________________
 
Healthified Orange Pork and Pineapple on the Grill
Feedback: Wow! I was surprised by this one. I am not typically the type that likes fruit with my main course, but Bob loves pineapple so I tried it. I served it over rice noodles and with a side of asparagus.
My meal picture:

Here’s a Polynesian-inspired recipe you’ll turn to all summer long. It’s luscious and ready in just 20 minutes.
Prep Time:5 min
Start to Finish:20 min
makes:4 servings




4 boneless top loin pork chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored
3/4 cup Yoplait® plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup low-sugar orange marmalade
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme

1.Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Cut pineapple crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside. Combine yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the marmalade; set aside.

2.For a charcoal grill, grill chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 4 minutes. Turn; add pineapple to grill. Brush chops and pineapple with remaining marmalade. Grill 3 to 5 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in pork registers 160°F and pineapple has light grill marks, turning pineapple once.

3.Arrange pineapple and chops on serving plates. Spoon yogurt mixture over chops and pineapple; sprinkle with nuts and thyme.

4.Cost-Saving Tip: Instead of using a peeled fresh pineapple from the produce section of the grocery store, use a 15.25-ounce can pineapple slices (juice pack)—it contains 8 slices, perfect for 4 servings.

*Nutritional Information
1 pork chop, 2 pineapple slices, plus sauce, pecans, and thyme: Calories 320 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 95mg; Sodium 240mg; Total Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 23g); Protein 35g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 110%; Calcium 10%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 5 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
_________________________________________________________________________________
 
Healthified Sesame Beef and Green Beans
Feedback: This was tasty...of course Bob barked at the green beans and asked for broccoli next time, but I liked it!

My meal picture:

Create a stir-fry for dinner tonight—no wok needed! Just use a large nonstick skillet to pull together this delicious, citrusy dish.
Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:30 min
makes:4 servings




12 ounces Green Giant® frozen whole green beans, partially thawed and halved crosswise
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup bias-sliced green onions
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
12 ounces boneless beef sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and thinly sliced
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned or thinly sliced crosswise

1.In a covered medium saucepan, cook green beans in a small amount of boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; set aside.

2.For sauce: In a small bowl, combine orange juice, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, and orange peel; set aside.

3.Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic to hot skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the precooked green beans; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet.

4.Carefully add canola oil to the hot skillet. Add beef; cook and stir about 3 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from skillet.

5.Stir sauce; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Return meat and vegetables to skillet. Heat through, stirring to coat all ingredients with sauce. Serve over hot cooked brown rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with orange sections.

*Nutritional Information
1 1/4 cups: Calories 360 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 350mg; Total Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 11g); Protein 24g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 20%; Vitamin C 110%; Calcium 10%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Very Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Hope you try and enjoy!
Run safe, run happy!
-d

My Race Memories...

I have seen posts about bling, bibs, albums,etc...so I decided to share with you the contents of a tupperware bin in my workout room and a few other things.

I save race bibs - really, I do...upstairs, tucked away in a Rubbermaid dishwashing bin is SOME of my savings from the last 5 years. Here they are:

Okay, I know, I have a few and I don't NEED them, but I want to keep them. Each one means something to me. Whether it be my first race, a team event I did with a friend, a race I never imagined I could complete..they all have meaning.

I have some bling too...shame is I dont evenknow where all of them are...here are some of them:

I think I hear Lady Em breathing heavy (she's a self-proclaimed medal ho!)

I have been in the paper - ok, The Mechanicsville Local, but its still in print!

The question is - what do I do with all of this stuff?

I have framed my first 4 mararthons' pics, bibs and medals...(see 2 of them below)

But what do I do with all the rest?

Okay, this started as a blog to share and now it's a question needing an answer.

Any ideas?

Run safe, run happy!

-d

Three Things Thursday!

Trips - I have been looking over my race calendar and I get 2, let me say it again, T-W-O, race trips with Judy and Maggie this fall...YAY! MCM (Marine Corps Marathon) October 31st...and JFK 50 Mile the weekend of November 20th. I love, love, love my trips with these girls! Between Mom Judy taking care of us and me and Maggie staying up late, I always have fond memories of our times whether at home or on the road.

Chips - I let peanut butter back in the house and it's KILLING me. My secret obsession is standing in the kitchen, a spoon full of JIF and a bag of chips...any chips, I DO NOT discriminate! I could stand there all night...my fav is Tostitos. Enough said!

Nips - Sorry guys (and Mom and Dad), but it had to be said...What is it about nipples? Yes, I have them and they are "always on", high beams that is...but I KNOW THIS. Yet for some reason, people feel the need to "point" this out to me, as if I don't already know. They are just nipples - attached to - guess what - BOOBS - every other person in the world has boobs and some men do too. Seriously, I had a conversation about this topic this week with a friend and fellow bloggie bud...I don't need them pointed out. I know I can put an eye out in a Bikram Hot Yoga class at 20 paces. Can't we just get past this?
Oh, and my eyes...they are up HERE!

Run safe, run happy!
-d

Wordless Wednesday!

Guess who got accepted to the 48th Annual JFK 50 Mile Race Saturday, November 20, 2010?

ME! (and Judy and Maggie, of course!)

Run safe, run happy!

-d

Running from Maggie...

Ever had one of "those" runs?
One that leaves you on a high all.day.long.???
That was me on Sunday...I had it - the awesome run - thanks to Maggie.
It was a coaching run, and we were running a route with a few sketchy spots and a lot of turns, but next to the Industrial Route, this is one of my favs!
I started out just warming up and some how ended up in front with Coach Dan.
He decided to peel back at Blvd and Broad and told me to keep lead.
I looked at my Garmin and looked over my shoulder and saw the "pack" - those ambitious novice MTT runners and they were following me. I knew Maggie was a bit back, not because she is slow - NO WAY.
But mentally I used this to take and keep the front spot....I used her..I was "Running from Maggie".
As much as I love, love, love running with her, I decided then, at the corner of Blvd and Monument, I wasn't going to see her until the Stadium post-run. Period.
I felt in the groove, alone and being followed - I made my way down Monument, clip-clop, bam-bam, go my feet...my turnover was on spot and I was feeling it.
What was I feeling? I was feeling a euphoric high, I felt powerful and relaxed at the same time.
My mind and body were in unison, and to quote G, I was "having fun".
I got a "God Bless" and an "I love you" from some street dwellers, smelled some not-so-nice street smells and I felt every ounce of the humid air on my face but most of all, I felt alive!
I threw in some tempo sprints and kept hold of a strong pace in the 8-8:30 range and the hills downtown were blissfully tasty (you know I love to eat me some hills for breakfast)!
As I rounded the turn for the final mile stretch to the Stadium, I realized I had done it -
I was completing a perfect run.
Running from Maggie - she made my day and she didnt even know it until later...
Thank you Maggie!
Run safe, run happy!
-d

Swim Report – Rockett’s Landing Olympic Tri (or shall we say Try?)

This is a little late, but better late than never, right.

Last Sunday I did an Olympic distance Triathlon – which for me, because of the swim distance, is a feat in itself…
Pair that with the weather – um, well 80 degrees and 100% humidity at 530am, you can begin to understand it was H-O-T.
My biggest reason for choosing this race was because it would be my “attempt” at an against current swim in open water – 1.5 kilometers, over half being against the current of the James.
I had great support on the course race day. Hubby Bob came with me and Maggie, Emily and Kevin were racing, Sue was there for Chris’s race BUT I got to borrow her as a cheerleader as well, AND to make it XTRA SPECIAL, Hot “momof 3” was working the race so I would get the treat of seeing her somewhere out there.

(Me, Maggie and Lady Em post race)
The river, although I had been in it several times before, looked particularly daunting and nasty that morning AND being in the last wave (why do they always make the 40+ women go last?) was the cherry on top. So I am going into this not only worrying I won’t make the swim cut off of 70 minutes but also I have the added bonus of possibly being the absolute LAST person out of the water PERIOD.
With everyone being uber-supportive and my stomach not having issues for once, I decided I was okay with both of those options. It is what it is and it will be whatever it will be.
So in I went, found myself a nice little spot where I wouldn’t get kicked (or so I thought) snuggled in and waited for the whistle.
Off I went. My strategy was, well, not to have a strategy. Rather to just go out, swim at a comfortable pace, keep my breathing gentle and not panic – all of those things plus I added in a little singing and hollering “Om Nom Nom” like a shark, as well as chit-chatting a hello and thank you to the kayakers that were there to save me if I started drowning.
The water was warm and stinky and it didn’t help to read the sign about being below the sewage line and how we could be swimming in waste - but all in all it wasn’t going bad. I made it to the first yellow buoy, where I could turn right and start my voyage back in (with current) in just over 25 minutes.
Wow! I was pretty amazed. That was giving me 45 minutes before cutoff and I was already on my way back! I was extremely happy and I also basked in the glory of knowing there were at least 10 people behind me.
I was utilizing 3 of the strokes I knew… breast, free, and side, and I was rotating through them as not to wear myself completely out. I wasn’t speedy but I was consistent.
As I passed the last red buoy and started angling towards the exit dock, I realized how well I had done on time. Out of the water in 41:07! I.WAS.THRILLED! As you can see by my expression in this very unflattering photo…(lucky for you, I edited out the rest of my body, ugh!)

…and as I ran by a family in the swim exit area, I told their little girl of 4, “learn to swim now, don’t wait til you are old like I did!”

BUT, I did it…that was HUGE!

The rest of the race was good…sweltering but fun. I guess I shouldn’t call it a race because in that heat and after that swim, my only goal was to finish feeling healthy and not pass out.

I did both.

Bonuses for me that day:
1. My husband seeing me finish a race (hardly ever happens)
2. Having Maggie and Emily on course with me (although I never saw either of them during their portions of the race)
3. Sue being there to cheer me on
4. Seeing both Chris’s on the course
5. Seeing momof3 – at the very furthest out water stop out on the course – right at the base of the Mayan Ruins hill…what a treat to see her and get some supportive words from a friend! That is also where I got to meet, albeit briefly, Dave!

It was a good day and I finished delirious – but I finished happy and having fun!

Run safe, run happy!
-d