We run, we blog, we Tweet...now we meet!

I had a lovely weekend, y'all.  How about you?

Following my 5 miler on Saturday, I met up with 3 of my favorite girls for lunch. 

The funny thing is that although Melissa,  Lauren, and I are friends "in real life" and see each other as our lives permit, none of us had ever met That Pink Girl (TPG) "in real life" before Saturday and yet we consider her to be a dear friend.

TPG came into town to run the Houston Chevron Marathon.  This was our opportunity to *finally* meet her.  Since both TPG and Lauren are vegetarians and I'm currently following Phase 1 of South Beach, it made picking a restaurant interesting, to say the least.  I googled "vegetarian friendly restaurants in Houston" and chose a link which named 5 restaurants.  Of the 5, I narrowed our choices to 3 - The Hobbit Cafe, Baba Yega, and Ruggles Cafe and Bakery.  I ended up deciding on The Hobbit Cafe since both Baba Yega and Ruggles Cafe had shrimp dishes that were antagonizing me since I can't eat shrimp until after my thyroid uptake test ends tomorrow. 

We loved it!  Such a cute concept for a restaurant!  So many wonderful food options!  I ordered the protein platter - a HUGE scoop of egg salad and a HUGE scoop of curry chicken salad (picked out the grapes since I'm not eating fruit right now) on a bed of green leaf lettuce with tomatoes.  Then I added avocado cuz...um...why not?!  I also loved that they had their iced tea of the day flavor.  I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was delicious - something like black currant cherry...  OH...and the service was amazing!  We were tucked back into a corner and had a nice 3 hour lunch discussing everything from running, blogging, and Tweeting, to our families, friends, and food.

After we ate, we had to take pictures for our respective blogs, don't ya know?! The one up top is of all 4 of us together - a kind Hobbit server was our camera man.  Below is yours truly and TPG.

I can't wait to hang out with TPG again when I travel to her neck of the woods for my Dallas Rock 'n' Roll half at the end of March.  =)  I only hope Dallas serves up some better weather than Houston!  =/

5 miles - we meet again.

I have been in such a bad place this month.  I have a tendency to get the January blues.  Combine that with some other stuff and...well...it just hasn't been pretty.  Just about everything has been suffering...well except for my food.  I have that under control, thankfully. 

Running has been harder than I had hoped.  I know I had my grand idea of going all fast forward through the C25K, but when I really started diving into it...well...it sounded like a better idea than the actuality of it.  I just can't do a 60-sec run followed by a 90-sec walk.  I mean I can do it, but it's too basic for me at this point in the game.  What the whole grand idea taught me, however, is that I need to go back to my intervals.  I had to swallow my pride for this.  It sounds stupid, but it truly was...no...is a struggle for me.  Endurance versus speed.  Is it better to be able to go longer without stopping/walking or is it better to be faster?  Post injury, however, it's been kind of a moot point.  I no longer have my endurance.  I did 3 runs at 2 miles a run and after each run I felt like I had hit my capacity.  Then I stopped running (for 2 1/2 weeks) out of frustration and depression.  That will teach me. 

I told myself that I had to do 5 miles on Saturday.  If I did not, I would be so far behind my half marathon training with no hopes of catching up.  I sucked it up and set my Garmin to 5/1 intervals.  I decided to run in my subdivision and I headed out with my tunes, my gum, and a Powerade Zero in the mailbox.  My first 2 miles were sub-13.  That was amazing for me.  It's been A REALLY LONG time since I've seen that.  I swung by my mailbox at 2.2 miles for a drink.  I continued along, trying really hard to maintain that sub-13, but my pace started slowing.  I swung back around to my mailbox at 3.7 miles for another drink.  I thought about only doing 4 miles and then I got mad at myself.  I headed out to do 5 and I was going to do 5!  I set off to finish out the remaining 1.3 miles knowing just the right path to finish it off.  I completed my run feeling accomplished.  I haven't felt like that in A REALLY LONG time.  In fact, the last time I ran at least 5 miles was back on October 30th when I ran an injured 7 miles before I found out about my stress fracture.  That was 3 months ago!!! 

On my last 2 mile run - 2 1/2 weeks ago (boo on me) - I averaged 13.28 min/mile pace.

On this 5 mile run, I averaged a 13.30 min/mile pace.

Looks like my 5/1 intervals allowed me to do the distance while maintaining my speed.  I honestly can say had I tried running the 5 miles without the intervals, I either never would have made it the entire distance and/or my average pace would have been around a 14 min/mile.

Since this post is mostly about running, I thought I would add that my friends Meliska, Lauren, Rachel, and I are all doing the Chick-fil-A 5K on February 19th.  This will be my first 5K for the year.  My PR is a 39.40.  That's a 12:47 pace.  I don't have any high hopes of PRing this race, but...well it would be really great to have a race I can be proud of.  The only way to make that happen is to run.  Practice makes perfect.  I have a recommitment to my "craft", if you will. 

My mileage for January is pathetic.  It's not even a drop in the bucket to get me to my goal of 600 miles for the year.  February, here I come!

a little venting is good for the soul

Some chick calls me from the hospital where I had that fateful bone scan that pronounced my pelvis to be unfit for running.  Well...correction...she apparently called my mom and dad's house and left a message.  My mother mistakenly thought she was calling for my father and gave my father the number to call the chickadee back.  After waiting for 100 years, he finally spoke to her just to find out she wasn't calling for him, but rather me.  Oh yeah...they had my parent's number on file for me.  nice.  I haven't lived with my parents since a brief 2 month stint between graduating college and getting my own apartment.  They had this particular number for me, however, as a result of my two knee surgeries that were performed on their premises some 16 and 11 years ago, respectively.

She informed me that I owe the hospital $237.38 and wants to know how I would like to pay that.  WHAT?  Wait just a minute.  Why do I owe money?  She explains that I only paid some of the cost of what I owed.  Um...I paid what you people told me I owed at the time of the procedure.  If it was more than that, you should have said so.  I don't really understand.  Furthermore, I feel like I'm under attack by some Guido.  Dude - send a bill like a normal person so I have a chance to look it over and figure out what's going on.  Don't expect me to blindly pay you to get you off my back. 

I'm still confused as to how they came up with the random dollar figure I paid at the time of the procedure - $639.08.  I know we have some weird deductible thing going on at my work, but still.  Anyway, I'm in the process of straightening the whole thing out.  Here's what I do know...if I do owe any additional money, it's no more than $110.91.  It's possible I don't owe anything at all or that I'm owed some money back, too.  Confusing?  You betcha! 

Anyway...don't treat me like I'm some slouch who doesn't pay her bills and make sure you have my information correct in the system.  How is it possible that you spent 15 minutes with me having me fill out paperwork before my procedure, that you accepted payment from me, performed a procedure on me, and  accessed my insurance information, yet you don't have my correct/current address and phone number?  I bet they did send a paper bill TO MY PARENT'S OLD ADDRESS - the house I grew up in.  lame.

Okay, done venting.

Reubenesque Pork: South Beach Style

We all know what a Reuben sandwich is, now don't we?  It's a delightful number - corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and swiss cheese all stuffed with love between two slices of rye bread.  It's magic in sandwich form, I'd say.  It's also a great big giant fattening mess! 

I have been toying with some new recipe ideas - shocking, I know - and I wanted to incorporate the flavors of a Reuben, but sans the bread and a lot of the fat.  Hence - REUBENESQUE PORK  (yes, yes...I know it's supposed to be rUbenesque, but bear with me here).  Please note that I'm purposely not using corned beef to reduce the fat and sodium content. 

Here's what you need:

Boneless pork chops
Sauerkraut
Lite thousand island dressing (according to Wikipedia, it's a "variant of Russian dressing")
2% swiss cheese

Here's what you do:

Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with Pam or something like it.  Trim the fat off of your pork chops - I find those kitchen shears to work wonders.  Lay them down in the dish.  I actually did use put a wee bit of the dressing in the bottom of the dish, before laying down my pork chops, and used a spatula to spread it out.

 

Season them if you like, but since sauerkraut is so flavorful, I didn't find it necessary.  Layer a bit of the sauerkraut upon the chops.  How much?  Well that's up to you.  How much do you like the kraut?  I'm a big fan, so I used a lot (just shy of 2 cans for my 8 pork chops). 

Next, liberally drizzle your dressing over the sauerkrauted chops. 

Finally, top them all off with a slice of swiss.  I used the slices instead of shredded because I have yet to find 2% shredded SWISS cheese.  I think it's also a good way to make sure you are really only having THAT serving size.  There were 9 slices to the pack and 8 pieces of pork, so ... hmmm...wonder what happened to that 9th slice...  I also sprinkled some parsley flakes and I grinded a bit of rock salt and garlic over the top for good measure.

Bake it in the oven - 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.  I think it's best to let it sit for a few minutes so the sauce has a bit of time to thicken.  Serve with a side of veggies if you are like me and nixing those bread carbs for the time being. 

I have thought about how I would make this again when I am not nixing the bread carbs and I think I would incorporate rye bread into the mix.  I once made this Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower dish from Carrots 'n' Cake.  In the recipe, you make a bread crumb mixture using multi grain bread, olive oil, salt, and parsley.  I was thinking I could use the same concept, but with rye bread and add this in as a layer before the dressing.  South Beachers are allowed rye bread, don't ya know!

So there you have it...yet another Kim creation - Reubenesque Pork.  It's a yummy dish and I hope you give it a whirl.  Oh, by the way...since I'm not a "food blogger", my pictures are sub-par.  I apologize for that!

Peace out!

whack-a-doodle doo

I had a whackadoo idea when I woke up this morning.  shocker.  I know so many people who are venturing into the C25K land with this new year and/or who started it last year.  Somehow/someway when I started my so called running thing last January, I had never heard of such a thing.  By the time my Meliska bamboozled  me into running my first 5K later that month, well I guess it just seemed silly to "backtrack" by doing a program designed to get me prepared for my first 5K that I had already run.

I also started thinking about how I went from doing my 3/1 interval method (February to April) to my 4/1 intervals (April to August) and then to straight-out running (September to current).  I'm kind of all or nothing like that, I suppose.  There was no other gradual progression put into place.  It was like BAM! take that body!  Now I seem to just be struggling to get back into the groove post injury.  I think it's because I want to be able to resume where I left off - not in distance, per say, but in my ability to rock the mileage outright (sans intervals).  I'm not so certain I'm being fair to my body.  In a lot of ways I'm starting over from scratch here.

My Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon is in a little over 9 weeks.  My Orange County Half Marathon is in a little over 14 weeks.  I'm not concerned with finishing either of these races in their time limits (4 hours and 3 1/2 hours, respectively), but what I am concerned with is finishing them with my head held high knowing I put forth my best effort.  I don't feel like I've been giving running my best effort in the past week.  I feel like I've been discouraged and so I've just not run.

Well, my friends...there's a new attitude in town - she just arrived today (oh dear - I hope it's a new attitude and not another personality indicative of some kind of personality disorder).  So this leads me to my whackadoo idea.  I'm going to do the C25K, but in fast forward.  This means instead of doing 3 workouts a week for 9 weeks to complete the program, I'm going to do 5 to 6 workouts a week to complete the program in 5 to 6 weeks.  This will be in addition to my long Saturday or Sunday run. 

Now don't be getting any crazy ideas that I will be overworking my pelvis.  I will still be cross-training one day a week with a 24-Hour Fitness class and keep in mind this C25K program incorporates a lot of walking intermixed with the running.  If I feel any pain at any given moment - everything comes to a SCREECHING HALT! 

Oh...I'm also wondering if this C25K program will help increase my speed.  I know I've mentioned it before (perhaps on SEVERAL occasions) that I was faster when I incorporated intervals into the mix than when I nixed them.  Perhaps by taking it back a bit and working through the transitions of intervals to straight running, I will learn how to maintain my speed.  By the way, I do use the term speed very lightly since we all know I'm a special kind of turtle!  =D

So, what do you think?  Whackadoo?  I'm starting tomorrow morning!

In case you are wondering - here is the program in a written out format.  I know I can get an application for my phone, but I don't want to carry my phone with me, so I'm going to set my Garmin for each workout to keep me on program.

Gumbo: South Beach Style

Younger sister Linda called me the other day asking if I had a gumbo recipe.  She had called our mother first.  I don't recall why my mother couldn't help and/or what lead Linda to me, but I didn't happen to have a recipe for gumbo off the top of my head or in my back pocket (shocker).  This meant I went to old faithful - allrecipes.com to find her one so that she could buy the ingredients on her way home from work (such a good sister). 

Linda knew she wanted to make it with brown rice which happened to be perfect because the recipe that initially caught my eye included brown rice.  She said it turned out really yummy!  I decided to make it myself for this week's meal.

Here is the original recipe:  Sunday Gumbo

Since I'm still doing the Phase 1 thing, I decided to nix the brown rice and to add in red beans - that way I'm still going all Cajun-like. 

Other modifications I made include:   nixing the sweet red pepper because I don't do cooked peppers (don't hate), using minced garlic in lieu of garlic powder, using olive oil in lieu of vegetable oil, using turkey Italian sausage links in lieu of Italian sausage links, doubling the celery, doubling the cayenne cuz I'm no wussy, increasing the okra cuz really...what am I gonna do with leftover okra?! and adding Cholula hot sauce.  Unfortunately, I also had to nix the shrimp even though I had already bought it and started writing this blog (pout).  Read here to see why. 






So here is my list of ingredients:

1 lb. turkey Italian Sausage, sliced
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium white onion, chipped
6 celery ribs, chopped
1TBSP minced garlic (I like lots of garlic - probably why I don't have a boyfriend)
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne powder
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fire roasted)
1 can red beans, undrained
1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (missing in action - travesty)
1 bag frozen okra, sliced
Cholula hot sauce to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, brown sausage and chicken in the oil.  Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings.  Saute the onion, minced garlic, and celery until tender.  Add in the seasonings and cook for another 5 minutes.  *Stir in the broth, beans, chicken, and sausage bringing the whole mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

*Note: If you are making this dish with rice, you will add in 2/3 cup UNCOOKED brown rice when you stir in the broth above.

Stir in the tomatoes, shrimp (tears), and okra.  Cook for another 10 minutes or until the shrimp (le sad) is pink, stirring occasionally.  Buen provecho!

no shrimp for me and other woes

My thyroid has been out of whack for a couple of years now.  I'm on Levoxyl.  I take a little pill every morning and then wait 30 minutes before eating.  I guess my doctor had some concerns about my age and the need to "fix" my thyroid.  She took that into consideration along with the fact that after a year of medication, it was still slightly out of whack and decided she wanted me to have an ultrasound done on my thyroid.  Well given the fact that my deductible was all paid for after that fateful bone scan, I thought it best to do it before the new year, so I did it on 12/28.

It was no big deal, really.  I went in a half hour before my appointment to "check in".  They had previously given me some forms to fill out - homework, if you will.  The technician came out to get me and had me lay down on the table.  She moved the collar of my clothing out of the way.  She then used the ultrasound on my throat in search of my thyroid and took several pictures.  It was a very fast process.  I asked her how long before I would hear anything.  She told me 3 to 4 business days unless they found something wrong - then I would hear something back much sooner.

I didn't hear anything back.  I assumed that meant all was well.  I actually kinda forgot about it.  On Wednesday night, 1/12, I went for a run and grabbed my mail on the way back in.  I saw a letter from my doctor's office.  I assumed it was the obligatory letter letting me know all was well.  I meant to open it, but since we all know I have A.D.D., well...  On Thursday night, I was cleaning up the kitchen after eating dinner and remembered the letter.  I opened it and didn't quite understand what I was looking at.  Basically, the letter included an imaging order for a "Thyroid with Uptake" and the letter said something along the lines that they had discovered a thyroid nodule and needed a scan of my thyroid for further information.

I was very upset by this.  I figured since I hadn't received a phone call, all was well.  Also, this was all Greek to me. I literally had to look up some of the terminology on the Internet to figure out what was going on.  When I do see my doctor next, she will hear about this.  I am certain that protocol was for me to receive a phone call.  I am certain that there was a break in the system. 

Okay, so I went to try to schedule this on Friday morning.  Apparently everyone was too busy in Imaging to take the call, so I got voicemail.  It said someone would return my call within 24 business hours.  I waited until Monday afternoon when I hadn't heard back and tried again.  This time I was able to get a hold of someone.  I found out they want me off my thyroid meds for 14 days (crazy considering everything I read on-line said 5-7 days) before I do the test.  They also want me to avoid consuming iodine.  She specified not to eat shellfish.  I was getting ready to make gumbo tonight with chicken, sausage, and shrimp.  I just bought the shrimp at lunch today, too.  I know I can make it without the shrimp, but it makes me sad.

I have to go in on Monday, 1/31, and get the iodine injection? (it's either a pill or a shot - not sure which).  I return 4 hours later for them to take a reading.  I then return on Tuesday, 2/1, 20 hours later for another reading.  I guess ultimately they are trying to discover the nature of the nodule - to make sure it is not cancerous.  The chances of it being so are slim to none, but still...

So, there's that going on right now.

No shrimp for me.  Bubba Gump wouldn't be too happy about this.

out with the old, in with the new

It started with me buying and using my very first Groupon.  I needed a new mattress so badly.  I blamed a lot of my upper back and shoulder issues on running, BUT I'm sure my mattress had something to do with it.  It was given to me from the parentals.  They purchased it for me following our house fire (lightening) back in the summer of '93, I believe.  I took it with me my junior year in college once I had the apartment.  It moved with me into my Houston apartment, and then it moved again into my house 10 1/2 years ago.  So, if you have mad math skillz like I do, that means my mattress was 17 1/2 years old.  Uh...yeah...that's bad. 

My $50 Groupon purchase got me $200 off a mattress / box spring set from Mattress Firm.  I went there on Sunday, 1/2, and got tested in their test bed for what kind of bed would be best for me...one with mild firmness.  All I knew is that I did NOT want too firm.  My parents have ridiculously firm beds in their house and I hate them (the beds, not my parents).  So, then I had to test out all kinds of beds in the store that the print out said would be just right for me.  I flopped around on my side and stomach on 6 different beds until I found mine.  It's a pillow top plush bed with memory foam and a certain level of firmness.  It's all mumbo jumbo to me, honestly.  I just liked the way it felt. 

The dudes delivered it on Tuesday, 1/4, and dragged my old set away.  This bed is much higher, so I worry about my poor Penelope (the blind one) getting on and off the bed.  We had to forego the puppy staircase and now we use the ottoman instead.  The memory foam is cool and weird, but it's a lovely bed and I've had such pleasant nights of sleep in it.  Ahhh...

just showing off my new area rug

Younger sister Linda decided she and her husband, Craig, are having a garage sale.  She asked if any of us wanted to sell anything.  I was thinking that since I got the new area rug for my living room and the new entrance way rug for Christmas that I could sell my old ones.  I'm not expecting to make big money or anything, but a few bucks never hurt anyone.  Then I got to thinking about how I really hate my couch.  I loved it when I bought it.  It is still comfy.  It's just that it has a tear in the leather (thanks, Delilah) and it's old and now I no longer like the color.  I had looked a few months ago at some couches...  Anyway, I got the idea in my head to sell my couch and love seat at the garage sale.  I have a big chair that sort of matches the set, but it's a couple of years newer and is hardly ever sat in, so I'm keeping it for the time being.  This meant...FURNITURE SHOPPING...one of my favorite things to do!

I started on-line just to get an idea.  Man, things are really expensive!  I just really didn't want to spend a whole lot, you know?!  I knew what style I was looking for and I knew kind of what color I wanted.  I mean I would love to have a dark brown leather, BUT I can't do that because I have dark wood floors and a dark entertainment center and dark tables, so I need to bring a little light into the picture.  After work on Monday, I went to Lifetime Furniture - a little corner store located near my office.  I had been in there before and was interested in a couple of things they had.  I walked in and told the saleswoman what I wanted.  She took me to the set I would come to purchase.  The color was right.  The price was right.  So, out with the old, in with the new...here are some pictures!

old sofa and love seat (beige)

new sofa and love seat (nutmeg) with the added bonus of Delilah

Oh and in case you are wondering what's next...I'm just fixing up my master bathroom.  I got most of the stuff for Christmas.  I will have to purchase a few items myself and get to work on that.  I have some other stuff in the house that needs to be hung up - decorations and whatnot, but I won't do that until I finally paint.  Oh how painting haunts me.  I've been meaning to do it for years now.  Someday...

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff: South Beach Style

If you don't like mushrooms, this one won't be for you.  If you don't like beef, we can work with that.  I love me the website allrecipes.com.  Once you find a recipe you like on there, often people will write in with their suggestions/modifications to improve upon that recipe.  You can use those or not...whatever, but I like to read them to get ideas.

I had the idea I wanted to make this.  Somewhere I have a recipe for a lovely hamburger stroganoff that my friend Kim (from college) gave me many moons ago.  The problem is that last week's meal had hamburger in it and I want to keep my meals different so I don't get bored.  So, I went onto allrecipes.com and found a basic recipe, but then I modified it according to some of the reader's suggestions and then I tweaked it some myself, so here is my version:

Ingredients
3 lbs of cubed stew meat (I feel bad because I can't remember what I used, but it wasn't stew meat.  The recipe calls for stew meat, but I sometimes find it to be a bit tough, so I spent the extra $1 per lb. and bought the next caliber up cubed meat instead.)
2 cans of Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup (not Cream of Mushroom)
1 small chopped onion
1 TBSP Worcestershire
1/2 cup beef broth (original recipe was for water, so if you are veggie, you can do that or veggie broth)
1 8oz container of mushrooms - sliced
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 individual serving size of Yoplait Plain Greek Yogurt
Salt & Pepper to taste

If you are following Phase 1 of South Beach, you will want to use spaghetti squash as your foundation.  If you are following Phase 2, you can use whole wheat pasta or brown rice.  You can find my instructions on how to prepare spaghetti squash here.

Okay, so really you just put everything in the crock pot except for the cream cheese and yogurt.  Set your crock pot on high for 5 or 6 hours.  When done, stir in your cream cheese and Greek Yogurt.  If you don't have Greek Yogurt, you can use lite sour cream.  I prefer Greek Yogurt because of the nutritional benefits it provides over that of sour cream.

I find that the sauce works best when it's reheated as it manages to thicken once it is refrigerated, if that makes any sense.  It's quite tasty!  Some people recommended marinating the beef in red wine prior to adding it into the crock pot - I bet that would be quite tasty, as well!

Serve it over your foundation of choice - spaghetti squash, pasta, rice, etc... For an extra kick, consider mixing spaghetti squash with your pasta!  Hope you enjoy it!

the power of gum (apparently)

Saturday's schedule showed a 3 mile run.  Saturday's 3 miler didn't happen.  =/  Where to start?

I have been bad about getting proper sleep.  I averaged 6 hours per night all week long.  BAD KIM!  I went to bed around midnight on Friday night.  I had the crock pot working away and I'm pretty sure it woke my dogs up around 3am because they insisted on waking me up to "explore" where the scent was coming from.  I couldn't go back to sleep until 4:30.  =/  I didn't set an alarm.  I didn't wake up again until 9:45.  I am currently taking a couple of medications that require me to wait 30 minutes in between taking and then another 30 minutes before eating.  I took the first medication.  I waited until 10:15 and I took the next one.  My plan was to eat something at 10:45, but then I figured since my thighs were still so very pathetically sore from Thursday's 2-miler, that perhaps I should soak them in an Epsom salt-bath for a little bit (uh...maybe I should have done that the night before).  Next thing I know, it's 11:15.  OH CRAP!  Family lunch is at 12:30.  I'm a super slow turtle runner - especially since I have extra calcification on my pelvis slowing me down, so I need to book it - STAT!  I never had breakfast.

I leave the house.  I had already stretched, so that was good.  I did not remember my gum, so that was bad.  I know many of you think I'm a silly girl for insisting that my gum "keeps me hydrated" and helps "regulate my breathing", BUT I really stand by those statements.  One of my meds leaves me quite thirsty, so while 3 miles should not require a drink - especially in these weather conditions - I was dying for one after the first half mile.  I was breathing like I was dying, too, for that matter.  I finally got it somewhat under control for my second mile, but I was so concerned about time and my thighs really were sore, so I decided coming from the bench with only one other 2-miler under my belt, 2 miles was going to have to do.

I was able to plug my Garmin in and compare Thursday's 2 mile stats to Saturday's.  I took 37 seconds off my average pace.  That's pretty impressive!  It could have been that I felt more confident, that it was morning versus evening (after work), but still...  The disconcerting thing was my heart rate.  I forgot to lap out Thursday's run, but I know that my average heart rate for the entire run was 156 bpm.  I did remember to lap out my Saturday run.  My average heart rate for the first mile was a 197 bpm while my average heart rate for the second mile was a 157 bpm.  This made my average a 177 bpm for the run.  The even scarier number was the max heart rate for the first mile - 244!  Yikes!  My max on Thursday was a 177.  What happened yesterday?!  Was this all because of the gum?!  Lesson learned - never ever leave home without it!  Rest assured, I will be keeping an eye on this, however, as I know that 244 is not a good number.

In the end, I'm okay with only doing 2.  I don't want to push myself.  I don't want to re-injure myself.  I want to be able to have a successful journey this year!  I would rather have a good 2 miler, than a crappy 3 if that makes sense.

Since I got my doctor's full release, I am now ready to move onto that other part of THE PLAN regarding picking out at least one 24-Hour Fitness class to attend per week.  I've picked out this week's class.  I'm a bit nervous about it, but I told myself that if I hate it, I don't have to go back to this one.  It's Tuesday @ 6pm and it's called the 24S.E.T.  Here's the description from their website:  This cardio/strength combination class alternates strength exercises to sculpt every major muscle group with easy to follow step moves.  Hmmm...easy to follow?  We'll see about that!  I was never very good at Simon Says or Follow the Leader!

The week's exercise plan:
Sunday - rest
Monday - 2 mile run
Tuesday - 24S.E.T
Wednesday - 2 mile run
Thursday - kettle bell workout (DVD)
Friday - cross-trainer elliptical (with arms) for 45 minutes
Saturday - 3 mile run

There you have it - one 24-hour class, two cross-training arm work-outs, 3 runs - perfect!  We'll check back in Saturday or Sunday to see how I did!  =)

back on the happy healthy train

I know I wrote about my PLAN for the new year, but I didn't explain that I was going back AGAIN to Phase 1 of South Beach.  Are y'all getting so sick and tired of me telling you that?!  Truth be told, I kept doing it and then I kept falling off the wagon.  My commitment and focus were lacking.  I really let this whole injury thing get me down.  I hate that.  Ah well...hopefully there won't be another.  If there is, however, hopefully I can be a bit more responsible in how I handle it.  So, the point is I have a little bit of depression/holiday weight that needs some removable before I can even chip away at the rest of this extra baggage that's been keeping me company for so many years.  I decided the best way to do this was to return to old faithful with true commitment and a renewed spirit.

When I first started doing South Beach in July '09, I actually did Phase 1 for 6 weeks to really give me that jump start, though the program only calls for 2 weeks.  The difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2 is really just that there are no bread carbs and no fruit in Phase 1.  Bread carbs, in South Beach terms, consist of wheat bread, brown rice, wheat noodles, sweet potatoes, etc.  This go-around, I am going for 4 to 6 weeks on Phase 1 before moving to Phase 2.  The point of Phase 1 is to get you in control of your cravings and to detox your body.  I can already (after a solid one week) feel the difference.  I can go to the grocery store without salivating as I pass the bakery section.  I can go to a restaurant without longingly looking at menu selections I can't eat.  This, my friends, is progress.

So, what have I been eating?  Well...I typically make one or two meals a week.  For breakfast, I usually eat a green monster protein shake.  This is by no means a low calorie meal, mind you.  Since I cannot put a banana in it (no fruit, remember), I like to add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to the mix.  My favorite protein powder is Jay Robb.  I tried to fight it because it's a bit pricier than some others, but the nutritional content and the taste can't be beat.  I take a cup of either skim milk or Blue Diamond chocolate unsweetened almond milk and put it in the blender.  I then add one scoop of my chocolate Jay Robb Whey Protein Isolate and the peanut butter.  I use the Simply Jif peanut butter because it has less sugar in it than regular peanut butter.  Next, I add in my spinach.  I don't measure...I just throw in a whole bunch.  I go ahead and blend and then I add in my 6 ice cubes or so.  I drink it on my way into work and it typically lasts me until lunch.

For lunch, I ate my pizza chili all week long.  I accompanied it with cut up colored peppers.  Did I ever tell you I don't ever eat cooked peppers?  It's true.  I hate them cooked.  I love them raw.  I buy them in the little multi colored 3 pack - red, yellow, and orange - and then I cut all 3 up and split them up into 3 baggies for lunch.  It's cheaper when you buy them in the 3 pack than when you buy them independent of one another.  I also eat either a sugar free / fat free jello pudding (my fave is the dark chocolate) OR I have one of those Carb Master yogurts from Kroger.  Now since it's the no fruit Phase, I eat the new Chai Vanilla flavor.  Yum!

For dinner, a few nights I ate egg salad (no bread, of course) accompanied by some roasted yellow squash and zucchini.  One of the nights I didn't have as much left over as the other two nights, so I accompanied it with a piece of chicken Italian sausage.  Another couple of nights, I ate a rotisserie chicken I had gotten from H.E.B. along with some veggies.  I then eat whichever I did not have for lunch - the pudding or the yogurt.

I have had 2 restaurant opportunities to choose wisely since I jumped back on this healthy happy train.  The first was last weekend at Family Lunch.  We went to Texas Roadhouse.  I ordered the grilled pork chop and for my two sides, I got the broccoli without butter or oil and the chili.  The second was at this week's Family Lunch.  We went to BJ's Brewhouse.  I ordered the bowl of chili, a side salad with no croutons and ranch dressing on the side (I do the fork dip method), and then a bowl of steamed veggies (no carrots, no butter, and no oil).

I mostly drink water, except in restaurants where I always seem to order iced tea.

This coming week's meal:  Crockpot Beef Stroganoff served over spaghetti squash - stay tuned for my recipe blog!

some things never change

Guess what, guys?  I still hate the first mile!  Do you hear me???  I HATE the first mile!  Do you know what that means?  I ran my first mile...and then...I ran a second mile!  Yep.  2 miles were on the schedule and I was bound and determined to do exactly what the schedule mandated (well as long as I could do so without pain).

I have had a problem lately with feeling chilled ALL THE TIME.  It's not even cold here.  People in the Midwest and on the East Coast would laugh at my ridiculousness.  I was not sure how to handle running in this weather.  Also, I have started having major anxiety about getting hit by a car while running.  I know how to properly gear up to best prepare for avoidance of such things, but still...  Furthermore, I was just plain sCaReD to actually get my booty out there and run after all this time wondering if I was truly healed.

I went to Target during lunch and bought a couple of light weight long sleeved shirts that had some reflective stitching on them.  I came home from work and charged my iPod and my Garmin.  I geared up, stretched, walked outside, said a little prayer, and hit the streets.  It was very important to me to be able to run the full 2 miles without stopping.  I did it.  It was slow...proof that I'm still a special kind of turtle...but I did it!  Too bad my calcified pelvis didn't bring me some magic super speediness, huh?

I'm a little coughy...apparently my lungs weren't used to working.  Time should fix that, right?!

Hopefully I wake up tomorrow with all my body parts feeling as they should!

Tomorrow is cross-training.

and she shall run free...FINALLY

After 10 whole weeks of being benched, I can finally be proud of my pelvis for healing up so nicely.  I had a follow-up visit with my orthopedic doctor today.  Have I mentioned how great he has been?  Sure, I had to wait an hour in the waiting room for him, but I didn't mind...not really...maybe it had something to do with Angry Birds keeping me occupied, but alas...I digress.  He really takes that time to talk to you...to listen.  I like that.

So, he had mentioned during our last visit that upon my return he wanted to take x-rays.  This confused me since my stress fracture did not show up on the x-rays we took 8 weeks ago.  He explained that the injury was too new at that point and that he should see that the bone has calcified in the new x-rays.  Hmmm...interesting.  So, I took x-rays and it was soooo cool to see my calcified former stress fracture.

I was told to take it slow and easy and to stop if I feel any pain or discomfort at all.  He said to make sure I'm incorporating cross training into my schedule and to avoid hills for the time being.  I asked if I needed to start out on that horrible awful treadmill and much to my delight he said it wouldn't be necessary.

So, I have 11 weeks to prepare for my next half marathon - Dallas Rock 'n' Roll on March 27th.  I've created a schedule based on Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training guide, but modified to fit my needs.  I'm excited, but kind of a little scared to get started.

Oh and another thing...since I've last run, some cRaZy things have happened.  The time has changed.  The weather has changed.  It is now dark in the morning before work and it is now dark in the evening when I get home.  Even though it has been in the 60s and 70s the past week or so, the air is damp and I find myself being so chilled.  However am I going to deal with the really cold temperatures we get?!  It's all going to be one big adjustment, but I can do it!

So, Saturday's big huge "long" run is going to be a 3-miler.  Sounds rough, huh?!  ;)  Don't laugh, but it probably will be for me since it has been 10 weeks since this girl has run and over a month since I've worked out.  When the doc said REST IT to HEAL IT, I did just that!  So, cheers to a new season of running - hopefully this one will be injury free and worry free so that I can run free!

Pizza Chili: South Beach Style

Since I'm vowing to kick the rest of this weight to the curb in 2011, I figured I had better get to cooking!  Eating out is lazy fast and easy, but that isn't gonna get me to my goal, so to keep things interesting I have decided to branch out and try new things.  For me, trying new things doesn't necessarily mean attempting other people's recipes, though I will do that, as well.  I like to come up with my own stuff - maybe it's pride, maybe it's my own little quirkiness needing release...who knows, really?!  Regardless, sometimes little masterpieces are created like this - Pizza Chili!

Here's how it happened...I had bought ingredients to make chili since I decided to take that step back again and do Phase 1 to kick the sugar craving (darn you Christmas cookies).  They were sitting in my fridge and in my pantry wondering when I would put them to use.  I was uninspired by them, honestly.  All I really wanted was pizza.  That's when it hit me - why do I have to make plain old boring chili?  Why can't I up the ante - kick it up a notch - and take the concept to a whole new level by making it into Pizza Chili?!

So, I'm kind of a boring pizza eater.  I kinda like just plain cheese with extra sauce.  When I'm feeling being bold and daring, I'll do mushroom or olive or maybe a combo of the two.  On occasion, I like onion on my pizza, too.  I know a lot of people dig pepperoni on their pizza - I don't mind it, but it's so fattening, so I usually avoid it.  I do, however, like the Hormel turkey pepperoni, so when I am making my healthy version of pizza at home - using a whole wheat tortilla in lieu of pizza crust, I will sometimes use that.

Here's what you need - think of your favorite pizza topping that seem like you could put them in chili.  Then just do it.  Note:  green peppers might be awesome in this if that's your thing.  I don't do cooked peppers cuz I hate them.  I eat them raw all the time, but I hate them cooked - go figure! 

Here's what I used:

1 large white onion
some minced garlic (didn't measure)
2 lbs 96% lean ground beef (of course turkey would work, too)
1 package Hormel turkey pepperoni (slice the pepperonis in half)
1 large can sliced black olives (or buy them whole and slice them yourself)
1 container of sliced mushrooms (or buy them whole and slice them yourself)
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted would be delightful)
oregano
basil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
2% Italian cheese blend as a topper

Here's what I did:

Chopped my onion and added it into the skillet with the hamburger meat cooking it until the meat was browned.  While that was cooking, I sliced my shrooms and pepperonis.  I opened my cans.  I drained my olives.  I seasoned my meat with all the seasonings above.  Once it was all cooked, I transferred the meat and onion into a large pot and added in the canned tomatoes, the shrooms, olives, and pepperoni.  I let it simmer on the stove until it was all nice and bubbly.  I then scooped it out and topped it with some mozzarella.  It was like pizza, but without the crust.  It was like chili, but without the beans and chili powder.  It is a Kim creation.  Enjoy.