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).  

Working Up a Sweat

Ran 3 miles in 35:35. Incline at at 0.5 to 2.0.
Push-ups: 10 after run
Push-ups for This Month: 175
Push-ups Left: 225

I have been participating in Christine's monthly challenge.  Last month's challenge was to run 100 km. 

I completed that challenge and was entered into a drawing. 

I received my prize today and it is a cute Sweaty Band with pink gators against a green background. 

Super cute. 

And I wore that today during my run. 

It stayed on my head the entire run. 

My hair is very fine and quite silky smooth and the back of my head is kinda flat, 

so I always have trouble finding stuff that will stay on my head when I run. 

Sweaty Band truly does the job. :) 

Look! It is getting sweaty already! 

Thanks Christine for the prize. 

And even more thanks for hosting this challenge. 

Tomorrow is a no-run day. I am planning on doing some yoga.

Saturday will be my last long run! 

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?



Lose Yourself

Ran Thursday: 3 miles in 34 minutes. Uneventful treadmill run.
Push-ups: Friday=20.
Total push-ups to date=120.

*

On Thursday, after work, instead of taking a direct route home,
I drove through the windy country roads.
Sometimes, we just need to take the off-beaten path, to "disappear" from the regular life,
to "lose" yourself to something/some place new, different, unfamiliar.
The thing was, I wasn't sad or angry. It was a good day at work.
But I just wanted to be by myself, away from all the usual things.
I ended up parking by the side of the road, stared at the vast land ahead of me and the vast sky above me. I broke down and cried. And quite, frankly, I didn't know what I was crying about.
It didn't take but less than five minutes.
And I was back on the road again.

*

I received more goodies in the mail this week.
Bought some Gu Chomps (strawberry flavored) and a running light for my running friend.
I am excited to give it to him tomorrow when we meet up for a run.
It's a "Thank You for driving and running whenever I want" gift.

The biggie in the Road Runner box:
New running shoes.
I bought the same pair, same size, same color. 
The only difference?
The new smell!

 

I have been busy reading too!

Here's just a stack of what I am working on.

(And I am an extremely SLOW reader).

This Chicken Soup for the "runners" soul has been a really good read.

I like how the stories are short, but always motivating and uplifting. 
I have been reading a story at the dining table with my breakfasts.
Thank you Christine for this wonderful Christmas gift that I am still enjoying.

Under the Chicken Soup book is an iPad with a story for the beginner runner.
Will do a review when I am done.

Under that iPad is The Pregnancy Bible.

Like I said, running is a whole lot easier than getting pregnant.
Running is within your control. Getting pregnant - so out of your control. 



Upping My Challenge

Activity for Today
Ran: 2 miles in 21:59 minutes.  The run sucked! Maybe my nutrition is funky today. But it is really only 2 miles and I don't think nutrition has much to do with it.  Maybe it is because of me standing in heels all day? I am beginning to see that whenever I wear heels, my knees get tired or wonky. :( Definitely a thing to consider. 

Push-Ups: 10 counter push-ups in the morning in the bathroom before jumping into the shower. 20 counter push-ups in the kitchen waiting for food to get heated up.
Total Push-Up to Date = 100

Overall, the push-up challenge has been a challenge. I love the convenience of it. And it made me realize that sneaking a quick strength booster doesn't take the entire gym.  Yes, it is true that I am doing counter push-ups instead of a more "real" push-up, but this is what my puny weak little arms can do right now. Also, I really tried to step as far away from the counter and also, to keep my body straight. The form is there. This week, I want to gradually do push-ups on an exercise ball to bump the challenge up a notch.

I was driving to work and love how the sun shone into my eyes and onto my face.

Look what came in the mail today?
New shoes!
Ripped the box opened, threw my old shoes out, and get these new babies on. 

 

They are a pair of Clarks and weren't too expensive. 

I like the heel which was a little more substantial than a stiletto. 

And I like how it isn't pointy like you can smush a roach in the corner of the room. 

And I have more goodies in the mail! 

Wooo Hooo!

It's like it's Christmas all over again.

 

QUESTIONS for you: Do you wear heels? Do heels bother your knees?

Talk to me.

Push-Ups and Shopping

Week One of the 100 push-ups a week didn't turn out superbly well. I did 70. I got a little confused on the criteria too, so if anyone can offer some enlightenment, please.
I thought it is 100 push-ups per week and that means a total of 400 for February. But if I didn't hit the 100 on Week #1, does that mean I am out? Or does it mean I am still in the game, as long as I hit the 400 for the month?
Am I overthinking this?

Next, want a somewhat good bargain?
I just ordered a few items off Road Runner Sports and who doesn't love a good bargain? Plus, I have about 360 miles on my Brooks Adrenaline 11. So, it's time to buy another pair and have it handy. 

If you are already a VIP member, there's a coupon code out there that is in good working condition.
Type Coupon Code: CX12J120  when you check out to save 25% on everything during VIP Appreciation (expires 2/8/2012).  I believe first time VIP member costs less than $2. BUT you are set up to do the automatic renewal annually, which costs $24.99 or something like that. Anyway, I got "automatically renewed" for 2011 and realized I haven't bought anything to "offset" my membership fee, that's why I ordered a pair of Brooks Adrenaline and some other stuff that I will need before I cancel the membership. 
P.S.: I wasn't paid or solicited to write this blurb. Just spreading some bargains among friends.

Lastly, apparently running 10 miles is easier than trying to get pregnant - you know, when you just put on the shoes and go and the 10 miles will happen! Oh well, I guess I will go drink some wine and have some diet Mt. Dew. :)