Autumn-ish Chili

When I embarked upon the South Beach diet well over a year ago, I decided to be a bit more open-minded about food.  This meant I needed to be willing to step outside of my comfort zone and try certain food that I wouldn't give even half a chance to previously.

I've eaten spaghetti squash, butternut squash, salmon, sushi...heck, I even tried mussels on my vacation!  Prior to this weekend I've never tried acorn squash.  Though I never had an attitude against it, mind you, I was intimidated as to how to cook it.  Pumpkin is another story.  I have had a total attitude problem regarding it for years.  A few weeks ago, older sister Cathy made some kind of a pumpkin cake which had Jillian's protein powder in it and was very low calorie and actually quite delicious.  Then there is Lindsay from Pancakes N Pajamas - this girl posts recipes all the time with pumpkin (one might argue that she has a slight pumpkin obsession - ha)!  So, last week she posted a Pumpkin Turkey Chili recipe and I just knew I had to suck it up and try it.

Then, courtesy of that ridiculous article from Marie Claire, I was introduced to some other blogs I had never even heard of before so...um...Thanks, Marie Claire for making me curious and finding 6 more blogs I now love to read.  I guess whatever they were hoping to achieve missed its mark entirely, by the way.

Anyway, Heather and Mark from Hangry Pants posted a recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash Chili, so I decided to sorta take elements from the Roasted Acorn Squash Chili and elements from the Pumpkin Turkey Chili and then add in some creative license to make my own Autumn-ish Chili.

So here is the recipe I came up with:

1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 yellow onion - diced
1 stalk of celery - sliced
1 can of black beans
2 cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
1 can of pumpkin
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 TBSP cumin
3 TBSP chili powder
1 acorn squash (olive oil and a bit of cinnamon)

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut acorn squash in half.  Remove seeds.  Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Once oven is ready, place in oven (on a pan) for 45 minutes.  Brown ground turkey with the onion in a skillet.  I seasoned this with my Adobo and some cinnamon, but you can use whatever suits your fancy.  In a large pot, go ahead and get the party started by dumping the cans of tomatoes, black beans, pumpkin, and celery all together.  Add in your garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and chili powder.  Once the turkey and onions are ready, add them in.  Once the acorn squash is done roasting, allow it to cool and then cut into 1" to 2" cubes.  You can opt to remove the skin or leave it on (I left it on).  Add the squash to the chili.

Dress up your chili however you like.  I, of course, used Greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream for better nutritional content.  I left the cheese off this chili (rare for me, I know), but somehow the autumn-ish feel of it just didn't seem to need it.  I did add a bit of Cholula as recommended by Lindsay (and because I am in love with Cholula).

If it sounds a bit weird to you at first, you may want to give it a whirl anyway.  I have to admit this dish was out of my comfort zone, but I do love it and will totally make it again!  Happy Fall every body!!!

I was thirsty...so very thirsty...

I didn't exactly have the best run yesterday.  It wasn't terrible, either.  I just had these high hopes of it being this great pre-cursor to my half that's coming up next week.  I know I'm putting so much pressure on myself and I know that it isn't really all that fair, but...well...here's how it all went down....

I got to the park a couple minutes late (oops), but that's okay because I wasn't the only one and my team was just standing around and sharing some stories.  Some of the guys had run the 10 for Texas race the week before and were recapping.  They explained what we were to do...run 3/4 of a mile warm-up, then 1/2 a mile counting our steps.  I had missed the week (due to my whole food poisoning issue) when my team first did that.  That's hard, y'all.  Have you ever tried to count your steps?

Next, we were to head from Meyer Park around the fishing lake over to Collins Park out to Cypresswood Drive and run past TC Jester and out to Kuykendahl and then back.  We were then supposed to finish it with a timed lap.  We were told there was water placed out for us and where it was, BUT (and this is the part that sucks) I got confused and didn't find it (more on that in a bit).

Before heading out to Cypresswood, Collins does have a bathroom/water fountain house, so I did stop to take advantage of this as I did not know how far away the water was and/or if I was going to have to use the bathroom.  It always makes me nervous to leave the park because it's awkward if you need to use the bathroom.  I mean if you are in a race, at least there are port-a-potties in case of emergency, you know?!  Anyway, this was all at mile 3 according to my Garmin and I was quite thankful I at least had drank that water.

I then headed out to Cypresswood.  Shortly thereafter, my coach passed me on a return trip (he was JUST putting in 5 after having done 22 the day before - can't even fathom that).  He reminded me how to pump my arms and once I put it into practice, I started flying (well...for me, anyway).  Seriously, though...I was maintaining sub 13 miles and feeling great!  Funny how when we had done our 7 miler how far away TC Jester seemed and now...eh...not to bad at all!  I love that!  I will say it was much cooler out than that 7 miler day, too, though, but still!  So, we were told that we would have to cross the street and there was a little park and the water was on a park bench.  I thought this was perfect, so I planned on eating either my Larabar or some of my Shot Bloks with the water.  I kept going and going and going and finally I hit Kuykendahl.  I was totally ready for some water.

So, I got there and crossed the street into a subdivision...a little bit up the road, I saw what looked like a park...as I approached it, I saw that it was all closed up with a sign that said private park.  I couldn't see any gate open or any water on any of the park benches inside.  I stopped and stood there and honestly just wanted to cry.  My Garmin was at 5.75 miles and I knew I was going to have to run 2.75 miles back to the Collins water fountain.  I went ahead and took out my Banana Bread Larabar...ate it hoping it would give me  energy...and then a fresh piece of gum hoping it would somehow hydrate me...and I wished I had been smart enough to throw a couple dollars in my Spibelt because there was a gas station on the corner (I will definitely not leave home without a $5 with me next time).  I then started a much slower run back to the park...I was defeated.

When I finally made it to the Collins water fountain, I surely gulped gallons (slight exaggeration) of water from the fountain.  I was so thirsty.  I had gone 5.5 miles without water...I was now at the 8.5 mile mark and ONLY had 2.5 miles left to go on this jaunt.  I (still) slowly headed up the trail in Collins back towards Meyer Park.  I finally made it to Meyer and headed to our picnic table.  It was our breakfast day - our coach had made us oatmeal with egg and raisins.  He had brought bananas and honey for us to add into it.  I had thought he would have been gone by the time I got there, but he was still there along with one other girl.  I told him I never found the water.  We went over where it was supposed to be.  Apparently I misunderstood...it was at a little park off of TC Jester, not Kuykendahl - he said that way we could get the water twice - once going past it to Kuykendahl and once heading back to Collins.  Well that only makes sense...too bad I'm a dum-dum!  He told me I didn't have to do the timed lap, but I still had 1.1 miles left to go to hit my 11, so I gulped down my entire bottle of G2 (taking Amanda's advice that maybe I needed some calories coming from my drink - although it probably would have helped earlier in my run - ha)!  My coach said he would have oatmeal ready for me when I got back.  Um...okay.  The last thing I want when I first finish running is food.  I headed out do to my lap, but at the 1/4 mile mark, the charlie horses started making their presence known.  I continued to the 1/2 mile marker and they were just there at the surface threatening every few steps...I finally said "screw it" and ran on the path that lead back to the table not caring if it shorted me the 11 (which it did - I only got 10.8 in total).

My coach insisted on the oatmeal, so I had some.  It actually did hit the spot and the bananas were good for the charlie horse issue, I'm sure.  He gave me some water since I had finished my G2 before my last little bit of run and then the three of talked for a while.

I'm left not feeling as confident for my half next week as I did after my 9 miler a few weeks ago due to my poor hydration issues the past couple of weeks.  The only thing that gives me some comfort is knowing that the race offers up hydration stations every 2 miles and that my race plan is to walk through each and every station taking full advantage of the opportunity to hydrate.

So, one thing you can bet your bottom dollar on this week - you won't catch me without a bottle of water in one hand at all times!  I'm not taking any chances!

Special shout out to my friend Lauren who is running the Nike Women's half today in San Fran!  Wish her well!

fueling, hydrating, and repeat

You know what is frustrating?  It's my lack of energy.  I read so many articles on fueling while racing.  I read so much about proper hydration.  I read, but I don't practice these things.  I think that's what kills me in running AND recovery.  I did those 10 miles on Sunday and then I haven't done anything since.  This isn't good for several reasons.

First of all...um...HELLO...I have a marathon in 3 1/2 months.

Second of all...I have a goal of 85 miles for this month and I'm only 1/4 of the way there with half the month left.

Third of all...I need my muscles ready for the next big run (11 miles) and the only way to get them prepared is for their homework to be complete.   You see...my weekly runs are sort of like homework for my long runs, if that makes sense.

I know part of my problem is that when I fly I retain water (still dealing with that issue, by the way).  I know another problem is that my left knee is bothering me on and off (rar!).  I'm not quite sure what's going on there, but I'm thinking it's best to not run on it tonight (as was my plan).  I know yet another little issue is that I get a wee bit discouraged when I realize how difficult it is for me to complete bigger week day runs than 3 or 4 miles a pop considering how long it takes me to run a mile.  When I read tweets or blogs from faster runners who finish their 10 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes knowing full well it took me almost twice that time to do my 10 miles, it leaves me feeling a tad bit inadequate and disenchanted.  I know it isn't a fair comparison, but it's the head game I play.

I guess what it boils down to is that I want to be as prepared as possible for this race, but I don't really feel like I'm doing my part.

So, what to do, what to do?

I went to Academy during my lunch break to peruse the options for fueling.  I bring with me Clif's Shot Bloks on my long runs, but I don't always remember to use them.  Hmmm...nice consistency, huh?!  So, I bought some Larabars and my plan for this Saturday's run is to have a Clif's Shot Blok and a Larabar on hand.  I'm not opposed to eating both if that's what gets me through my run feeling all energized and whatnot.  I was majorly lagging the last 2 miles of Sunday's run which I chalk up to improper hydration and improper fueling.

I need to drink even when I don't think I'm thirsty.  My problem isn't that I hate water.  On the contrary, as I've mentioned before...I primarily drink water.  I order iced tea in restaurants, I drink a glass of milk a day, I very rarely partake in a diet soda (probably not even one a week), I drink Powerade Zero during and after my long runs, and the rest of my life I drink water.  So, what's the problem?  I have been known to go the entire day - including all meals - without drinking a drop.  Nice, huh?!  BAD KIM!  It's a tough habit to break.  I'm not that bad anymore, but it is a struggle to remember to drink and then to keep drinking.

I need to eat even when I don't think I'm hungry (while running and immediately following my runs).  Clearly, in general, I have no issue with eating any other time in my life.  =\

What do you do for fueling during your runs?
How do you stay properly hydrated?

Wedding Weekend Recap

I went to bed super late on Friday (shocker)...well maybe not super late by most people standards, but considering I seem to be burning the candle at both ends lately lets just say I needed sleep and I didn't get it.  So, at 11:30pm, I was in bed.  At midnight, my phone rang.  It was my dad.  Now, mind you...my parents were already in Scottsdale, so I was thinking he must have forgotten about the time change, but really he was prank calling or...um...butt dialing.  I tried calling him back to let him know the error of his ways, but he didn't answer, so I text him letting him know I was not amused and then I went back to sleep.  Flash forward 51 minutes when he woke me up AGAIN.  Same thing...another prank call...butt dial...whatever.  Thanks, Dad.  RAR!  I text him again that I was STILL NOT AMUSED and I meant it this time.  I then got smart and put my phone on silent.  Good thing I did, too, cuz I missed a call from Continental at 3:00am letting me know my flight was on time.  Way to be on top of your game, Continental.  Oye!

My alarm went off at 5:30am, and I was ready (er...sorta) to start my day.  Brother-in-law Craig (who was not going with us on this trip because he couldn't miss work on Monday) dropped off younger sister Linda at my house at 7:00am and then we picked up older sister Cathy and her hubby Jay at 7:15am and headed to the airport for our 9:00am flight. 

It was a 3 hour flight with a 2 hour time change.  We had some movie choices and/or tv options while on the flight, so Linda and I decided to watch 2 episodes Dexter, Season 4.  I love that show!  I need to finish the season so I can get started on Season 5!  Our brother Eddie and sister-in-law April picked us up in the rental car since they arrived an hour before us.

Eddie on the Trolley

Eddie and April took us to Walgreens so we could get movie snacks and some drinks.  Next, we headed to our hotel, The Hotel Valley Ho.  Linda, who once stayed at an element hotel, said it reminded her of that in decor.  Sort of a retro 60s swanky, green hotel.  We put our stuff in Eddie and April's room since our rooms weren't ready yet and went to find the free trolley that takes you into town.  As we were headed to town, our mom called and we found out she was hungry, so we explained to her how to get on the trolley and told her we would let her know where we decided to eat and then we would wait for her.  We picked The Grand Lux - our staple restaurant when we go to Vegas and since we aren't going to Vegas this year for our Thanksgiving celebration, it seemed appropriate.  We enjoyed our lunch and then parted ways with my mom and met double cousins Nicole and Danielle plus cousin Courtney at the movie theater to see The Social Network.  Have you seen it?  It's fantastic - totally recommend it! 

After the movie, we caught the trolley back to the hotel, got our keys to our respective rooms, moved out of Eddie and April's room and into our own.  The rooms were very nice and spacious and even offered a little patio/balcony area.  Linda and I really enjoyed our blue mood lighting above the bath tub.  Whenever she got mad at me, she would flip the switch to turn it off saying I didn't deserve it.  =(

I then headed to the pool to socialize with some extended family for a bit before it was time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.  We found out last minute that the rehearsal was to be a casual affair, but we had brought dresses, so we decided to dress up anyway.  We dined at Buca di Beppo.  We ate caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese, chicken piccata, and a trio of ice cream for dessert.  After dinner, a group of us went back to the hotel and had some more dessert cuz...um...that's how we roll.  I was VERY disappointed in my red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting because they were a sickly pale pink color with weird tasting butter frosting.  Total False Advertisement.  I stayed up way too late which was unfortunate because I had to wake up way too early for my 10-miler the next day.

After running my 10 miles and getting cleaned up, my family decided to go get breakfast.  We ended up back at the Grand Lux, but we had to go in 2 trips because all 8 of us didn't fit in the minivan.  We had a great time and then decided to head back to the hotel.  I had planned on swimming.  Since I didn't think it necessary to wait for my dad to make a second trip, I just decided to walk the mile back to the hotel.  My  mom thought this was crazy considering my 10 mile run, but honestly...sometimes it just feels better to move than to sit still, you know?!  So, Eddie, Linda, and I headed back.  We found out from Cathy that my parents basically pulled a stop, drop and roll on Cathy, Jay, and April - kinda shoving them out of the car as they paused at the hotel before heading out to the casino.  Once Eddie, Linda, and I got to the hotel, Cathy decided we should all go out and find Sprinkles to have a cupcake.  Guess where Sprinkles was located?  Yep...right where we came from - by the restaurant.  I said I wasn't walking back - it was HOT outside and I was tired, so Cathy asked if we would be willing to take the trolley and we agreed. 

Sprinkles was like a cupcake heaven.  Yum!  I ordered the chocolate marshmallow one.  It would have gone well with a nice tall glass of milk - too bad I didn't have one.  It was a bit rich...should have gotten the lemon one instead which was my initial reaction. 

chocolate marshmallow cupcake

my uncle walking his beautiful daughter down the aisle

Because of our cupcake adventure, we didn't have any time for the pool, so I got ready for the wedding.  The wedding was beautiful.  It was outside and in the shade.  There were fans and lemon water out for the guests.  The chairs were placed in a circle which was unique and worked really well.  My cousin looked absolutely beautiful!  They picked purple and lime green as their colors - classic car colors.  One of the surprises of the wedding was that her aunt on her dad's side officiated the ceremony.  She did an excellent job!  The bride's brother, also my cousin, sang an Elvis Presley song during the ceremony.  He is sooo talented.

they did unity sand instead of a unity candle

After the wedding, we headed to the pool for a cocktail hour with hor dourves. 

family pic (minus Craig)

sisters!

Then came the reception on top of the hotel.  Oh was it beautiful - the night sky - white lights - amazing!  The food was fantastic, the cake was the best wedding cake (or any cake, honestly) I've ever had.  It was champagne cake with white chocolate mousse.  Yum!  My talented cousin sang his sister an original song he wrote to her and her new hubby.  It was so amazing!  Later, we danced the night away!  We had such a fun time!  After the reception, a group of us went downstairs to the restaurant for snacks and some drinks and just laughed and talked for hours.  Eventually, we went to bed.

On Monday, we had a continental breakfast in my aunt and uncle's suite and then we flew home.

I love family events!  Next trip is Chicago in mid November for my annual management meetings - this is also a family affair since I work for the family biz!

Chicken Satay Pasta Salad

When I went to LaShaune's Pampered Chef party just over a week ago, I had the pleasure of feasting on Chicken Satay Pasta Salad.  Apparently LaShaune had eaten it a time or two before at previous Pampered Chef parties and had requested it to be made at her party.  I'm thankful.  It's delicious.  I took the recipe and tweaked it slightly to make it a bit more South Beach friendly.  Here's the recipe as I made it:

8 oz. uncooked whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
3 cups of cooked diced chicken (approx. 1 lb)
3/4 cup of Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger salad dressing
2 TBSP whipped Peter Pan Peanut Butter
1/2 package of broccoli slaw
green onion
1 diced red pepper
1/2 bag of sugar snap peas
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
chopped up fresh basil
the juice of one lime
grated ginger

Cook the pasta in water with some salt.  While I had the pasta cooking, I also boiled the chicken and then I began mixing my remaining ingredients.  I took a large bowl and poured the measured 3/4 cup of the salad dressing into it.  I did read all of the low fat/lite Asian salad dressings to try to find the best option as far as lower sugar / lower carbs / lower fat / lower calories went and Newman's seemed to be the best option.  The original recipe called for 1 cup, but I was trying to use less - keeping in mind I could always add more if it was necessary.  I then added the peanut butter by whisking it into the salad dressing.  Next I squeezed the lime into the mix and grated a chunk of peeled ginger and then whisked away.  The original recipe called for carrots, but South Beach kinda frowns down upon carrots because of the sugar content, so I opted to go for the broccoli slaw mix which has a bit of shredded carrot in it plus shredded cabbage and shredded broccoli stems.  I then added the pepper, green onion, and peas.  I should have then added my fresh basil, but when I started chopping it up I thought it smelled an awful lot like mint, so I looked again at the packaging and realized I accidentally picked up mint instead of basil.  Ooops!  I pulled a "Kim" yet again.  No basil in my dinner this time.  Once my pasta was cooked, I rinsed it and let it cool.  Once my chicken was cooked, I diced it up and let it cool.  I then added both to my big bowl and mixed it thoroughly and served it to myself.

This is soooo flavorful and so yummy!  It's great for lunch and dinner and it makes great leftovers - in fact the flavors have time to infuse and it might even taste better the next day!  Enjoy!

bustin' out that 10

We all know I had a plan in place for bustin' out my 10 miles while out of town this past weekend.  Let me quickly recap - I was going to run from my hotel to a park located 2.1 miles away.  The park had a 5K course at it, so I was going to run that twice.  Then, I was going to head back to the hotel - the final 2.1 miles - for a grand total of 10.4 miles.

On Friday, I received a text message from one of my cousins that she had heard from one of our aunts that there was a 38 mile course right outside our hotel.  WHAT?!  Surely she meant 3.8 miles, right?!  On Saturday when we arrived, I asked my cousin if she had typo'd that puppy and she said no - there is a 38 mile course that runs from the back of the hotel around the city.  Well...that didn't necessarily sound like it offered up the perks of a park - meaning bathrooms and water fountains, so I decided to stick with my original plan.

I had brought along my breakfast with me from Houston - a multi grain bagel from H.E.B., a packet of Justin's maple almond butter, and a banana.  I took a pack of Clif's Shot Bloks with me in my Spibelt for refueling during my run.  When we arrived in town on Saturday, we stopped at Walgreens to get some drinks, so I bought me a Powerade Zero for when I finished my run to replenish my electrolytes.  I headed out the door at 6:30am with my map of how to get to the park and walked out of the hotel.

Oooops!  I grabbed the wrong map - turns out I grabbed the map to the movie theater and I didn't want to disturb younger sister Linda who was still sound asleep inside our room, so I just decided to try to go off of memory and try to find the park.  About 2 1/2 miles into my run (running around in circles getting lost), I found a jogging/bike path.  Eureka!  I was just hoping this path would lead me to water because I needed it BADLY!  1.75 miles later, I happened across my park - totally accidentally along this path - go figure!  Yay - bathrooms and water!  I then had a decision to make - find the 5K course at this park, or continue on my jogging trail.  I had figured out at this point that I must actually be on the 38 mile path that runs throughout the city.  I decided to stick to my trail and I ran another 1.25 miles past the park before I turned around and headed back.  This meant I hit the water fountain again at mile 6.75.  I drank some water, stretched, and ran back on the path.  Since I knew where I was going this time, I knew it wasn't going to take me as long to get back to the hotel.  I got off the path at mile 8 and started running out of steam.  I knew I was dehydrated and I remembered where that Walgreens was, so I ran to it and went inside and bought me one of those zero calorie rehydration drinks - it had potassium and Vitamin B in it.  I drank all 20 oz. outside before I continued my run back to the hotel.  At this point I was at 8.75 miles.  I started running and got to the hotel and knew I was going to be short my mileage, so I ran around the block, then back to the hotel - running into the lobby and to my room and my Garmin literally turned to the 10 mile mark right as I hit the door to my room.  I then drank the entire 32 oz of my Powerade Zero.  For the rest of the day, I never stopped drinking...it was either water or iced tea until the Wedding and then it became champagne!  ha!

I almost forgot about my blister.  My right pinky toe decided to grow one.  I don't know if it's fair to say my shoe or sock caused it because I had some issues the night before with my heels at the rehearsal dinner and I did Vaseline up my feet before my run.  Oh well...  It was just another obstacle and I conquered it.

10 miles down - ran all of it - no walking breaks.  I stopped twice for bathroom/water breaks and then the Walgreens hydration break.  This Saturday's run is 11 miles and then I have my half on October 24th.  I'm really hoping to run the entire thing with the exception of the water stations.  I'm also hoping to shave 24 minutes off my previous half marathon time.  I'm on target to make that happen!

Next post will be a recap of the Wedding Weekend!

I run to be...

FREE!

It's true - it kicks my booty every time, the run does, but it never ceases to amaze me how freeing it feels to be able to do something I never thought was possible.  Lauren posted her weekly Workout Wednesday, Get Your Sweat On!  post asking the question how do I run?  It followed her post yesterday explaining how she started running.  Here's my story:

My friend Meliska trained for her very first marathon.  I remember being in awe of her mileage.  How could she do that?  When she actually completed the race (on 6/22/2008 in Alaska, no less), I was so proud of her - I mean there were literally tears of joy in my eyes for her accomplishment when I was sent the picture message of her proudly wearing her medal.   Could I ever do that?  No way, Jose.  BUT...it was in the back of my mind.

When I started my new healthy lifestyle back on July 6, 2009, I got the diet part down easily.  I mean there was a list of food I could eat from and a list of food I couldn't eat from...with a little bit of creativity and sometimes some gray area, I made it work and was very successful.  I exercised, too, but I wasn't really challenged.  I started off trying to do Zumba.  Zumba and I didn't get along very well.  I then headed over to the pool for some water aerobics.  I started off doing it twice a week and then moved onto three times a week.  Occasionally I would throw the elliptical machine into the mix for good measure.  Once 2010 was coming into view, I knew I wanted to change the game.   Silly me was thinking spin class initially, but apparently there was a bigger plan for me brewing.

Younger sister Linda started training for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in July '09.  In December, I started wondering if maybe I should consider training for that very same race for '11.  I had this grand plan of running as many 1 miles as possible in January and as many 2 miles as possible in February and as many 3 miles as possible in March and...well, you get the picture.  Come December I would be running 12 miles and that would put me in perfect position to run a half marathon in January 2011.  It was just a thought...

Linda ran the Aramco Houston Half on Sunday, January 17th.  I was so extremely proud of her.  I kinda got the running bug.  Meliska kinda preyed off of this.  That's when she hit me with the Rocket's Run.  I told her there was no way.  It was a 5K on January 31st - that meant 3.1 miles.  How could I do 3.1 miles when 3 miles were reserved for March???  BUT...Meliska can be persuasive, so...I signed up and ran it with both Meliska and Lauren and...it was amazing.  I cried at my triumph!  I had no rhyme or reason to my run/walk - I would just run as much as I could, take a walk break, and then start running again.

Melissa spoke to me about using an interval method - this is what she employed and she had a PR for her Rocket's Run.  I decided to do 3/1s. 

I had The Rodeo Run in February, the HEB Bayou City Classic 10K in March and then I started thinking that maybe, just maybe I could sign up for the full marathon in January.  It was around this time that I signed up to run my first half marathon.

I did the Tomball Bunny Run in April.  This time I had a Garmin Forerunner and I had a 4/1 interval method which made for a PR - yay!  My next race was the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on 8/1.

Upon returning from the race, the very next weekend, I began training with Marathon Team Nam - a running group associated with a non-profit organization.  We train every Saturday.  My coach has encouraged me to drop my interval method to build my distance endurance.  This past weekend, I am proud to announce that I ran 9 miles without any walking breaks.

I have two more half marathons scheduled this year - The Houston Half on 10/24 and RunGirl 13.1 on 12/12.  My next race after that will be the Houston Chevron Full Marathon.

Now, ironically, Melissa had to take a step back from running when she found out she was preggers with Baby-D, so we were only able to do 2 races together.  We have big plans, however, for reuniting in many races to come once the baby is born and she is able to get back into the swing of things.

I've posted before about what a difference a year makes with regard to my weight.  What a difference a year makes with regard to my fitness!  I may not be anywhere near my goal weight YET.  I may not be anywhere near the speed I would like to be (total turtle right here, y'all), BUT I'm doing something I never thought possible.  It's the hardest thing I've ever done - physically, emotionally, and mentally, but I'm doing it step by step, mile by mile. 

When the run is complete, it feels like I balled up whatever was haunting me...whether it was fear, anger, sadness, loneliness...whatever...and squashed it.  For just a little while, nothing else seems to matter.  I am free of the stresses.  That's why I run.

What's the hardest thing you've ever done?
If you run, how did you start?  Why do you continue?

Check out this iPod Shuffle and iTunes giftcard Giveaway on Shut Up & Run's Blog:  http://twentysixpointtwoormore.blogspot.com/2010/10/commit-to-fit-and-ipod-giveaway.html