Weekend Round Up + Random Tidbits

Exercise has been blah again. It has gotten increasingly difficult and I have been walking increasingly slow.

Monday: 0
Tuesday: 1
Wednesday: 1
Thursday: 0 - Woke up late. Baby's daddy called for vehicle rescue. His truck's battery died on him. So I had to go get them. We ended up having breakfast together, so that was nice.
Friday: 1
Saturday: 0 - I cleaned the house and sorted Baby C's clothes and got them laundered. So while I didn't walk, I didn't exactly just sit on my booty and eat bons bons all day.
Sunday: Walking around the grocery store. I actually drove to the grocery to walk. It is cool. There are things to see and distract me. I get grocery shopping in.  I actually had to stop and sit down halfway through the shopping. My legs were getting tired and my back was hurting. So I actually found a bench in the middle of the refrigerator/cheese section and sat down for a good 5 minutes to catch my breath, rest my feet and back.

Now the fun stuff!

I am totally digging my new Under Armor flip flops! We are talking about some serious thick, fluffy memory foam. Feels like I am walking on clouds..... Love!!!

I have been working on writing Thank You cards. I have never used the phone book so much before in my life, looking up address. :) I love it. Can't help but feeling incredibly appreciative and blessed for all the love showered upon us.  

Yesterday, I finally broke down and got rid of the badly chipped fingernail polish on my toes. Then, I had to contort my body almost Cirque du Soleil-style to paint those toe nails.

 

I also did the same color on my fingernails. Basically, it is 2 coats of a nude-ish base and a coat of a sparkly pinkish polish. It is light enough that when chipped, it isn't quite as visible. 
(I don't like pedicure/manicure at shops. I don't like people touching my feet or hands, or back. Which is why I am not crazy about massages either.)

Sunday has been wonderful. It has been gloomy and we have had some rain. Perfect day for something hot and soupy. So I made some chicken and dumplin'.

 Rolling out the dumplin' into thin strips using a sweet ol' lady's recipe.
This is so comforting, so hearty. 

Lastly, here's another belly pic. 

It is a little blurry. Sorry.
But look at THAT chunk-a-ginormous belly!

I am at the tail end of 32 weeks (+4 weeks since I am measuring REALLY BIG).

Baby C was active last night and this morning.
His daddy had his arms around me while sleeping and we were all awoken by Baby C's kicking.

It was neat. Baby's Daddy was smiling when he felt him moved repeatedly. 

I think I'll have a better week this coming week.
I will work on that. 

Question for you:
How was your week? Bought anything cool? Have another product that you absolutely love? 

Weekend Round Up

Monday: 1 mile

Tuesday: 1 mile

Wednesday: 1.5 mile in the morning. 0.5 mile in the evening.

Thursday: 1.5 mile in the morning. 0.5 mile in the evening. 

Friday: I probably got burned out with work. I came home and took a good nap and felt like a brand new woman. Totally needed that. 

Saturday: 1 mile at noon. Increased speed by 0.5 for every 0.25 mile. I like doing stuff like that - makes me work a little harder and kinda helps distract me and makes time seem to go by faster.
1 mile in the evening. It was a little slower. 

Sunday: 1 mile. Started at 2.5 mph, increased the speed by 0.1 mph for every 1 minute. 

This Week's Total: 9 miles.

This week is the first week back to work after a wonderful, restful, easy summer break. It is all about getting back into a routine, especially the morning routine with a time constraint. So far, I think I did a fairly nice job of getting my walks done first thing in the morning. Four days out of five weekdays. Not too shabby right? 

I think I could have boost the 0.5 mile in the evenings to 1 mile. I should be doing that. So, I will be working on it this coming week.

I love it that I broke the 8-mile per week this week.  I am going to break the 9-mile mark this coming week.

I have found that 2 miles a day kinda help prevent the rub-buh-dub-dub on my thighs a little. I am going to try and do that this week.

I did some kitchen experiments from the pins I pinned over at Pinterest this week. It has been quite a delicious week.

It says it is Texas Roadhouse rolls. 

I don't know. 

But it is tasty. 

Find recipe here.

This is crockpot beef and broccoli. 

I added mushrooms and bamboo shoots and sautéed the vegetables separately instead of following the instruction to dunk it into the Crock Pot. 

I am a rebel like that. 

Find recipe here.

I also did another tasty dish too. 

Crock Pot chicken teriyaki.

The recipe for  crockpot chicken teriyaki is here.  

How was your week? 

Any new experiments with runs or meals? 

Are y'all getting back to school/work like I am too? 

Phew! Momma's tired!

I am glad I got my walk in in the morning before life flashed across me.

Yesterday was an exciting day. I had a lunch date with a former grad school classmate. She has moved to Tennessee post-graduation and would make trips back to Louisiana to visit her family. Whenever she is in town, I will make the 2-hour drive to visit with her. 

We had a sandwich at Pickle Barrel. 

And I ate my sandwich up before I remembered taking the picture.

My friend, Brooklyn and her husband, bought this spice for me. 

It is peppery and delicious! 

I went to Target, trying to look for a pair of dark maternity jeans. 

This pair has those flap thing that goes over the week 22-belly. 

I was trying to get comfortable in it. 

I didn't buy it though. 

Bought these instead. 

Flat comfortable shoes.

I went to an Indian restaurant to grab a bite during supper time.

This chicken is delicious. 

Spicy and wonderful! 

Other random bits

- My legs and hips are sore. 

- I was tuckered out by the time I reached home. 

- I can't seem to be full, no matter what or how much I ate. 

The Week That Could

Oh gosh. Where do I even start? 

This past week's fitness activity is rather lackluster. Uhm... practically non-existent. Goodness!
Other than the mile I walked on Monday, I really haven't done much! I am definitely feeling some guilt.
Baby C must be settled in a position, which is putting some pressure on my lower back/sciatica nerve. Sometimes I feel some tingling in my legs and some numbness. Other times, it just hurts. So instead of walking on the treadmill, I tried to move around the house getting chores done. I figure that's better than just sitting on the couch.

Baby C is moving quite a bunch. Baby C moves a bunch whenever we talk politics and economics and food. I think Baby C will fit right into the family.

Here's what I have been doing all week. 

Celebrated 4th of July at boyfriend's work place and at his aunt's church for the volunteer fire department.

  Celebrated my baby's daddy's birthday. 

His sister made him a cake. 

There were a lot of candles to blow out. 

Thank goodness the fire department wasn't called in on this. 

The cake was colorful and tasty. 

P.S.: Happy Belated Birthday Dream Big Runner! 

We also had a college friend over at our place for lunch on Saturday. 

Friend is currently a biking fan and does a lot of mountain biking or trail biking (I don't know the proper biking lingo) so we had a good chat about the bikes, and he and my boyfriend chatted about polymers. Weird research people!

It is going to be another big week this week. 

I tried to psych myself up to can some tomatoes but I just couldn't muster the courage. 

So, I am having to do it this week. 

And hopefully, Baby C will find another nook to settle in and give me a break from the sciatica/back problem and that I can get some walking in. 

Hope your week was wonderful. 

Oh Macoroni!

I feel like I am racing against time. And since I haven't been sleeping well at night, I just wake up and take advantage of the non-sleep mode and do stuff around the house. No use tossing and turning and fighting it. For example, on Monday morning, I actually got 2 loads of laundry going before I left for work!

Also on Monday, I made this yummilicious dish. I found this cheesy sausage pasta recipe from Pinterest. The source is from this site.
I changed it up just a tad. Used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. Added mushrooms to add some vegetables. Used macaroni instead of the pasta she said to used cos' that was available in my pantry.
The result? A combination of Ooh La La! And Mama Mia!

I also went for a walk this evening with Paddy Wag. Since I am doing a little hiatus from running, a walk with Paddy is just the right thing to do. I ran a probably every now and then, playing catch with her. She did her business in the shrubs and we just walked. And mosquitoes fed on me. Perfect, right?

 

Love the black and green contrast. 

She loves being outside. 

 

Paddy Wag running toward me. 

 

She found the neighbor's dog. That dog is smaller than Paddy but is plenty mean! :( 

Long day at work today. My brain is literally fried and drained. I'm going to bed now cos I'm tired again. Will check back with y'all again soon.

Out With The Old? Or Is It Not Time?

Push-Ups: 10 (morning), 10 (after shower), 10 (after my run).
So that means 165-30=135

Ran: 3 miles in 29:32 minutes. (HELLO! I did it!)
Ok. Admittedly, this wasn't easy. But man, I did it! I had the treadmill set to 6.0 mph and hung out there for as long as I could. Then, I bumped it up to 6.5 and to 7 and to 7.5. Well, I was ALL OVER the shop. But never below 6.0. My feet were on FIRE.

This is taper week. I am wonky during taper week.
During my run today, I thought, "Man! I should have done more tempo runs." "Man! I should have done more speed intervals." It's like, I can train my body to run faster. And I haven't been doing so. I have been cruising....  Man. Oh. Man.  Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

I also wondered about shoes and have a question for you.
I have a pair of Adrenalines that has 350ish miles (definitely under 400). I have trained pretty much exclusively in this pair of oldies.
Then, I have a new pair of Adrenalines (same model, same color, same size). I have ran probably less than 30 miles in it, with an 8-mile run as the longest distance I have ran in that new pair.
Which one would you wear during your half marathon? Old vs. new? 

I love to cook. And I have been cooking A LOT lately. I am just inspired by I-have-no-idea-what!
Hence, this explains the excessive number of food pictures. Anyway, today's meal revolved around a sauce - aji verde (Peruvian green sauce made with cilantro, jalapenos, olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, and sour cream).

Other than using 3 jalapenos, I cannot tell you the exact measurement of the other ingredients. 

It was made by feel. But the liquids were about 1 tablespoon each). 

So, do a quick search on google to get the proportions. 

The sauce was delish! 

It was fresh, light, a hint of heat, and it was green! A pretty shade of green. 

This was great over a roast chicken thigh. But I can imagine dipping toasted flat bread in it too. 

Ok. I really love to cook. And I love to cook for people I love. 

To me, cooking is more than just slapping a meal together and keeping a person from starvation. 

Sure, there are days when I threw stuff together and can't be bothered, 

but most days, I do try to go above and beyond when it comes to food. 

I take pride in my cooking. 

And I take pride in running too. 

Bad To The Bone or Just A Procrastinator?

February's challenge to do 400 push-ups is proving to be just a little of a challenge. I don't know if I am just bad lazy to the bone or just procrastinating doing the push-ups. I was really good the first week and a half until I am just so tired of having sore arms. So I stopped for a day or two, and three and four .....

Today's Push-Ups:
10 (in a.m. while getting ready to work)
2 (on the floor - the Boyfriend wants to see what I meant by "real push-up" and apparently, I still can't do them).
10 (while cooking)
10 (just right before I write this post)

Total Push-Ups Left: 400-185(as of 2/19) +25 (2/22) +25 (2/27) = 165

Oh my goodness. 165 left to do in just over 48 hours.
Thank goodness today is a rest-from-run day. I'm just going to go do more push-ups!

Can I fulfill the challenge? We'll see!

This is for supper tonight.

Oven-baked chicken: Last night, I marinated the chicken  in Heinz 57 sauce, honey, garlic powder, and a bunch of other spices I have on hand (I really just pour and shake and pour and shake). Today, all I did was bake the chicken at about 400 (then turned down to 350).

Stuffed mushrooms: These were just so-so. I can make a pretty mean stuffed mushroom dish. But today, I just craved for stuffed mushrooms and didn't have my usual ingredients for stuffing. So I doctored up a box of Stovetop dressing and stuff away.

Of Laying Hen and Dog and Food

Tuesday: Ran 3 miles
Wednesday: Ran 2 miles. Push-ups: 10+10+5
Both runs were ran wearing my newest running shoe. I am trying to "break into it."

A co-worker gave me these from her chicken house.

And yes, some of those eggs are kinda blue-ish and yellow-ish. 

Just a different kind of hen that lay a different kind of egg.

Will eat them tomorrow and let you know if they all taste the same.

I came home from work and took my Paddy Wag for a walk. 

I think she is happy.

After my run, I assembled a pizza for the boyfriend.

Got a store-bought crust and pizza sauce. 

Layer the ingredients. 

Pepperoni. Mushrooms. Anchovies. 

It definitely was packed full of flavor with not quite as much grease.

I used extra sharp cheddar - the stronger the cheese, the less you'll need, which means, less fat.

That was his supper. 

I, on the other hand, preferred something else.

Yellow honeydew. 

Blackberries.

Blueberries.

Greek yogurt.

Honey.

Simple. Clean. Delicious. 

Satisfied. 

Do you fix one dish for your loved ones and a different dish for yourself? 

I don't always do this because I am easy-going when it comes to food and The Boyfriend is willing to try most of everything. But sometimes, I'll fix him pizza (his absolute favorite) and I will fix something that I'll like (or my diet allows).  

Happy Mardi Gras!

I spent about 7+ years living in Louisiana (out of the 10 years) and Ruston, Louisiana is home.

It is where my heart is, it is where my belly loves.

I learned a lot about myself and a lot about cooking when I lived in the great state of Louisiana.
Yes. The interstates may have pot holes and people may talk funny, but Louisiana is quite an awesome state. At graduate school, a good friend from South Louisiana saw all the Cajun dishes I was whipping up in my kitchen and gave me the nickname: "Asian Cajun."

And what respectable Asian Cajun wouldn't center tonight's supper around a Mardi Gras theme?

Cajun chicken and sausage linguine.

I "skinnified" this dish but saw I still have some sausage left, so I tossed it in there.

And King Cake.

Mardi Gras isn't complete without a King Cake. 

Not skinnified, but this will be the one and only King Cake I'll make this year.

I am going to go eat my yummy supper now and then hop on the treadmill to run a little later tonight.

Yeah, it is Fat Tuesday.

But let's not get too fat. :)

Happy Mardi Gras!

Laissez les bon temps rouler.(Let the good times roll).

A Girl's Best Friend

Push-ups: Ten this morning.  Fifteen after supper.
Total for this month: 165
Push-ups left: 235

When I got home from work today, Paddy Wag and I went for a walk outside.

Her friend, we named her Lyla, joined us for a walk too.

We picked some flowers for the house.

Forget flowers.

Paddy Wag decided that digging was much more fun.

I am glad my girl is a tom-boy.

I love how Lyla is giving Paddy Wag moral support. A girl could certainly use a BFF!

I came home and put those flowers in a small milk bottle. 

Did some cleaning around the house and around Paddy's pad.
Cleaned up and cooked supper.

I bought a pack of steak yesterday for Valentine's Day.  So I cooked the remaining two steaks today. Saute some mushrooms. Green beans. And added two pineapple slices to the grill. I love grilled pineapple slices.

I have a question for you.

I am looking into buying a medicine ball and was wondering how much weight I should buy for a starter ball. Do you have a medicine ball? What do you do with it?



Valentine's Day Special

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

And a run is the perfect way to celebrate it, isn't it?
Come to think of it, I celebrate every kind of day known to man with a run.

Three miles on the treadmill. 

Ran the first mile on 5mph setting at 3% incline.
Ran the next mile at 5.5 mph setting at 1,5% to 2% incline.
The last mile was at 5 mph setting.
I stopped a few times to drink some water.

I was texting my friend some questions about vitamins.
She texted me her hibachi valentine's day dinner
A loving gentle way to tell me "don't interrupt my romantic dinner, lady."

So naturally, after my run, the most natural place for me to go to is the kitchen.

I whipped these suckers out like nobody's business.

Emeril has nothing on me.

I mean, look at those grill marks?

Yeah, you are mine, sweet valentine.



Food + Push-Ups + Runs + Teeth. Oh My!

Wednesday

I made quite a lot of unhealthy food choices today.
I took a day off from work, and was on the road with my boyfriend delivering furniture.

Pizza from Sam's Club.
Sour gummi bears from gas station.
Also had an ice cream cone.

I got home and got to running on the treadmill.

Total: 3.5 miles.

Ran 8 x 400 at 6 mph. Recovery @ 5 mph for 0.05 mile.
But it was a speedy workout. Did 0.5 mile warm-up and some to cool-down after.

Thursday
20 push-ups. Goodness gracious sweet twinkle stars! I wasn't even sure if this could be considered a push-up but really, this was all I could do. And my arms were feeling the burn. Golly. I have absolutely NO upper body strength. At the end of this month's push-up challenge, I can only hope I am strong enough to do the non-whimpy lame push-ups and have progressed to semi-real push-ups.
Blogger is not letting me upload an YouTube video. But go to YouTube and type "Vision Runner Counter Push-Ups."

Friday
3 mile run (34 minutes). Ran early this morning. Which was good to get it out of the way.
20 push-ups. Oh my stars. I am still sore from yesterday. Apparently, my so-called lame, whimpy push-ups weren't so lame afterall. These counter push-ups are great. I do 10 when I was waiting for my lunch to get ready and did another 10 when I was waiting for my bread to knead in the Kitchenaid mixer.

Lunch was a Morning Star Chik patty, on those thin bread, and spinach. I also spread some hummus.

It may look blah, but it was tasty and satisfying.

 And in the evening, I decided to make bread again.

Flour, milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and butter. And love.

Simple ingredients.

Bread + Butter = Perfect Match Made in Heaven.

Needless to say, that's all I ate for supper.

Who wouldn't?

Just for fun and because I am excited at the progress.

Look at my teeth!

Specifically the top lateral incisor that's on the left in the pictures before.

Picture on left is the very day I first had my braces on in November 2011.

Picture on the right is February 2012.

I have a long run again tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

You Say Po-tay-to, I Say Po-ta-toe

Ran 3 miles in 32:12 minutes.
Feel: Ok.

The weather has been very un-winter-like. In fact, we had conditions prime for a tornado on Sunday. A severe storm ripped through this area. Several metal roofs were blown off. Power lines were down. Some trees were down too. Thank goodness we didn't lose any power. Paddy Wag was a hot mess. She was so scared till she literally peed her pants - except, she didn't have any pants. I stayed with her, stroked her and sang her "Angel of Music" from Phantom of the Opera. She stucked with me and I can't believe I have so much love for a dog. She has brought so much joy to my life.

Either my sinus is flaring up or I am at the early stage of a cold. Regardless, I feel a little run-down. And you know you are looking a little shabby when a teacher asked lovingly if I am feeling ok.

I made spaghetti tonight. It was a quick and easy thing to whip up. I always use the extra-lean ground beef. Diced up half an onion, a whole bell pepper, sliced some mushrooms, and add a can of those cheap canned spaghetti sauce. Throw in some dried herbs and half a can of stewed tomatoes. I like this dish because you can sneak in a lot of vegetables.

Speaking of herbs. Do you say "erbs" or "herbs" ?
And for "chipotle," do you say "chipotay" or "chipolay" ???

That's all folks. I am going to finish up my spaghetti and pick up around the house before going to bed. This chica needs some rest and Emergen-C.

Question: What do you use to shorten the length of time of a cold?

Ode to Lulu

Lululemon on my bed.

They looked so small. So tight.
I was worried if it was going to fit right.

I squeezed myself into the capris with all my might.
And believe the Lululemon's fans were right.

I am Christina.
And I am a potential Lululemon addict.

(Please pardon those sausage link looking calves)

Ran three miles wearing that.
Not sure about it making me fast.

But it is 3 miles in the bank.
Forty miles for January. 

Cha-ching!

Dinner has me whipping out a fast and easy meal.

Sliced some kielbasa sausage thinly.
Cut 1 chicken breast into chunks.

Seasoned generously with Cajun spices and whatever I want.

Saute it 'til its almost done.

Add bell peppers, onions, sliced mushrooms to cook.
In another skillet, cook a box of Spanish rice. Add some salsa.
Let it come to a rolling boil and then toss your chicken mixture on top of the rice.
Cover and simmer.
Ready to serve when the rice is done.

Very versatile dish.
You can add a more healthful sausage (or no sausage at all).
You can throw in broccoli, frozen vegetables, or squash.

About Pom and Half Marathon Goals.

First thing first, how do you choose a pomegranate?

I bought two at the store and the little seeds inside are hard! I cannot remember if I am supposed to spit those seeds inside out or if I am supposed to swallow them. But I am swallowing them.

Oooh, look who is getting lots of fiber?

This is this evening's snack. Greek yogurt with banana, grapes, pomegrante, a sprinkle of granola and a drizzle of homemade Arkansas honey. Delicious!

So, I'll be running #4 half marathon this weekend.

I haven't been the most diligent when it comes to training this time around.

But here are the goals.

Really and truly, I just want to enjoy this half marathon. The crowd support was awesome last year and I just want to enjoy it.

I am not going to be gunning and running a PR, but IF (that's a BIG IF), I have a time goal, it would be either

2:31:10 (the time it took for me to run this half last year)

or anything sub-2:27.

All right, gonna go for a short, easy few miler tomorrow before race day!