Worry Wart Part 4: Deep Breaths

I have anxiety issues.  I've admitted this before.  *Deep Breaths*

Do y'all remember Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey?   This was one of my faves:

"One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to DisneyLand, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. "Oh, no," I said, "DisneyLand burned down." He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real DisneyLand, but it was getting pretty late."

See...deep breaths made me think of deep thoughts.  We are all on this roller coaster together, so hang on to your hats!

I've actually done a good job of staying calm this week, I promise...it's just that I will get excited and look at the course map and I get freaked out because 13.1 miles looks like a really long jaunt.  It was one thing when I ran 10 miles in my neighborhood by doing 4 laps of 2.5 miles each and then just thinking - hey...what's another 5K?!  This is like BAM!  In your face!  It's got my stomach all kinds of topsy turvy.  I keep wondering what if I can't do it...what if they kick me off the course cuz I'm too slow...what if I fail?!  Actually, the really funny thing is that unless you get injured, this race doesn't let you fail - if you are behind where they want you to be at mile 6.5, they shuttle you to mile 8.5 - how is that for service?!  No worries - I will not be needing this service.  Then I think how amazing will it be when I cross that finish line (see how I go back and forth) because a year ago there is no way I would have or could have even imagined even signing up for this let alone actually participating.  I know I can do this, though.  I really do.  I so got this.  I'm just being me.

One thing that I've done to try to calm this lunatic inside me is to read my friends' race reports.  I started with Lauren's 10 for Texas and then I read her Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Half Marathon.  Next I moved to Melissa's Women's Nike Half Marathon and her Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Half.  Then, I moved onto That Pink Girl's Texas Half and finally onto Allie's Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half.  These ladies inspire me!!!!

Yesterday, I discovered this e-article that was mentioning the "famous" peeps who are registered to run this race.  I put "famous" in quotes because it is basically one big reality show star line-up and I'm not so certain those peeps should be called famous.  I mean if I could potentially be running alongside Justin Timberlake, that would be a whole different story, but former Bachelor "star" Jake?  Not so much.  Anyway, that wasn't what put the knots in my stomach...it was the number of registrants for this race.  It's supposed to be 25,000 people.  OMG, y'all!!!  This is cRaZY!  I thought the 22,000 peeps for Houston is completely insane in the membrane and this is 3,000 more people?!  Yikes!  What if I come in last place?!  =P  I'm just kidding...I know I won't be last.  I'm more concerned with getting trampled to death cuz I'm so delicate and dainty, don't ya know?!

Well, I just wanted to leave you with my list of things that are in my quart size bag for the airplane because I'm like the mad packer and I am quite proud of what I was able to fit in my quart size bag.  I might need to sell my services.  It's that amazing.  Here goes:

2 packets of Justin's squeezable almond butter
1 bottle of 5-hour energy drink
hair spray
shampoo
conditioner
bath gel
tooth paste
Tiger Balm
Vaseline
sun screen
perfume
lip gloss
chap stick
deodorant

Now come on...how is that not impressive?  =)

Okay, no more posts until AFTER the race.  Best of luck to any/all racers this weekend.  Peace out!

High tAcKy Texas Tea

Are you just *dying* to know what in the world "High tAcKy Texas Tea" is?  Well...let me fill you in, but first a side step.  My mom, her sister, my dad, his brother (did I mention that my mom's sister is married to my dad's brother?) and my two double cousins (Danielle and Nicole) all went to Ireland and England on vacation at the beginning of this month.  Whilst my father and uncle stayed behind in Ireland to play golf, my mom, aunt, and cousins moved on to London.  On their list of "must haves" was a visit to The Brown's Hotel to have High Tea.  They learned all  kinds of important details - the proper order of the various courses of a proper High Tea, for example, and the reason why the pinky finger is stuck out during the drinking of hot tea (for proper balance, of course).

On Monday evening, I was minding my own business when I received this text message from double cousin Danielle?

D:  Will you join us for tea at work on Thursday?

My response:

K:  We are having tea at work on Thurs?

The rest of the convo:

D:  We are.

K:  Well that is random, but yes...I shall join u.

D:  Remember proper attire is required.

K:  Oh but of course.

D:  We will mark u down c u then.


So, I really had no idea what I had agreed to.  I did, however, discover the next day that my brother (who lives in D.C.), older sister Cathy, brother-in-law Jay, my father, and cousin Courtney (who lives in Columbus, OH) were also invited.  Courtney wanted to know if she could phone in, but Danielle informed her cell phones were not allowed during high tea (even a tAcKy one in Texas).  Eddie declined.  Cathy declined.  Courtney was forced to decline, apparently.  My dad initially declined, but somehow managed to join us...he said my mom made him, but my mom said she was surprised he partook in the activities.  Hmmmm....  Why was younger sister Linda not invited even though she wouldn't be able to skip out on work to join us?   No one knows.  I had Danielle invite her Wednesday night, but Linda said she was not happy about a pity-vite.  Jay did join us, though.

Okay, so what is the proper order for the courses of a proper High Tea?

Finger Sandwiches - we had  4 varieties - tuna, egg salad, cucumber, and tomato on whole wheat bread with the crust cut off.

Fruit - we had strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries

Scones - we had blueberry (with butter and our choice of raspberry or apricot sugar free jam)

Cookies - we had a selection of delightfulness like little wafers, chocolate covered pretzels, shortbread...

Cake - we had a selection of lemon squares, brownie/cheesecake squares, and Texas sheet cake from RJ Goodies.

What makes a High Texas Tea tAcKy?  Well...you might not be able to tell from the pics, but the table cloth and the plates are paper and the "silverware" is plastic.  The tea party was held in the breakroom at my work.  Oh and I almost forgot about the British bloke (one of my employees) who came into my office singing "Tea for Two" and then played me the Doris Day version on his Droid.  This was all after he asked my mother if she would be serving us clotted cream.  Yeah...I have no clue what clotted cream is and I'm sure glad it wasn't present at our tea. 

What was lacking in atmosphere was completely made up for in heart.  My mom, Nicole, and Danielle did a wonderful job of bringing the tea party to me (well...and to my dad and Jay, too, I suppose).  If you are wondering if this meal was South Beach friendly, the answer is NO.  The sandwiches were...and, of course, the fruit, but the rest of it was...ahem...carbo-loading!  haha!  Yes, that's what I'm calling it and I double dog dare you to call me out on it considering I am now slightly over 2 days away from my big race!

Here are a couple more pics for your viewing pleasure:

my cute mom!

Double Cousin Nicole (note the pinky is OUT)

Double Cousin Danielle

My mom and dad (note - the pinky is OUT)

So, this was our inaugural High tAcKy Texas Tea.  I did tell my dad (since he seemed to enjoy himself SOOOO much) that arrangements could be made for me to serve high tea every Thursday, but I don't think he was thrilled with the idea.  

Have you ever had a tea party or been to a tea room?  Good times, my friends...good times!

Worry Wart Part 3: What to Wear on Race Day???

I would love nothing more than to wear my Nike Dri-fit Capris, y'all, but sadly they are just too hot this time of year.  =(  Lauren was a smartie and told me to check out Old Navy for some knee shorts since she knows I like the fit of the capris, but wanted a shorter cut (but not too short).  I found just what I was looking for about 2 months ago and was able to get 2 pairs!  On Tuesday of last week, I discovered a similar pair of "shorts" at Target, so I went ahead and bought them.  I wore them on Saturday's run.  They were okay, but not quite the same fit that I prefer and I want to be in my comfort zone - wardrobe speaking since I'm gonna be outside my comfort zone - race speaking. 

As far as the top goes, my mentor suggests a loose fitting fabric so that the heat doesn't get trapped.  That's all fine and dandy, but it's difficult to find a loose fitting fabric for us girls!  Almost everything is tight.  I don't so much mind the tight because everything stays where it should, but I understand his point.  I was able to find and buy this top on-line (pictured up top) and also this other one (pictured to the right).  I received them both, but they are baggier than I would have liked (which translates to not as flattering for pictures.  We know from past races that I am not very pretty in my race pics (I've been practicing on my running facial expressions, by the way), so I don't need my wardrobe to bring me down any notches, if you catch my drift.  They will be great for training for my full marathon, though.  Then I bought this puppy featured on the bottom when I went with my mom to Academy on Saturday morning.  It's a tight one, but it's back to my Nike roots (younger sister Linda says I'm a label snob - well to be fair, she doesn't use the word snob - haha).  Monday, I went back to Academy to work on my visor situation and noticed in their "Clearance" section, they had the same top in lime green for $16.00 less, so I said, "yes, please." and bought that one, too.  I suppose the one I choose will depend on my mood - aqua or green.  I just felt like I should have a new top (or...um 4 to choose from) for my first big race, you know?!

Next comes the head gear.  My Nike sweat band is just not cutting it anymore.  I kinda wanna try a Bondi Bands.  I'm hoping they are at the Expo so that I can buy me one or two.  I know I could go on-line and purchase them, but I don't know if I'll get my order in time and so I will just hope for the best.  Worse case scenario - my Nike sweat band is better than nothing.  I also will run with a visor.  I'm leaning towards a white one given the look of my shirts, but it could be black since my shorts are black...see how rough it is to be a girl?!  haha!  I can't wear sunglasses when I run, so I rely on the visor to keep the sun out of my eyes and to keep me from getting sunburned since I also don't put sunblock on my face because I can't stand sunscreen in my eyes!  The visor also helps to keep sweat from rolling down my face - it's yet another barrier.  I have to confess that I did actually try to find a Nike visor to match the marina blue top above, but believe it or not, they discontinuted that particular visor.  In hindsight, it would have been quite the frivolous purchase because the visor would have only gone with THAT top.

I've discovered my favorite socks - they are Adidas brand and I bought them at Academy (see...not entirely a Nike snob).  They offer a nice cushioned heel and toe area.  I've yet to a have a problem with blisters (thank GOD).  I do, of course, Vaseline my feet up prior to a long run as sort of an insurance policy!  That was Meliska's tip! 

The shoes are easy since I only own one pair of running shoes - my New Balance Women's 1063 running shoes (and once again...not Nike).    

Then there is the sports bra.  Oh how this has been causing me some major grief!  If it wasn't disgusting, I would show you a picture of my shoulder wound from the 10-miler.  I must not have used enough Vaseline on my right shoulder because it was ugly.  I alternate between two different ones - the Enell (Oprah's pick) and The Goddess 5056.  The Goddess is the one that hurt me - I'm trying not to hold a grudge.  Truthfully, the Enell has marked my skin a time or two before, as well.  This last wound, however, was by far the worst - it was also my furthest run, though.  *Sigh*  I ordered the Enell in a smaller size (following the size chart) thinking that might be part of its problem.  I'm leaning towards wearing this new one on race day since the Enell does have the nice support panel on the back (thought it's quite expansive which equals HOT).  I was pretty proud of myself for this purchase, too, because normally the bra runs $65 a piece, but I bought it through a seller on Amazon for $54 including shipping.

So there you have it...I guess it really just boils down to me needing to pick a top, then a visor.  I guess it's really nothing to worry about, but I'm going with a theme here, so just humor me!  ***4 more days!!!***

Folks, we have a winner!

I went to the website RANDOM.ORG and used their random number generator to figure out the winner of my Bobo's Oat Bar giveaway.  I had 12 total entries - 11 on my blog directly and 1 on my Facebook (which I counted her entry as #12).  

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:7Powered by RANDOM.ORG

This makes Ginger of Ginger's Junket the winner!  Ginger,  please email me at mskimpossible1977@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will send you 3 peanut butter Bobo's Oat Bars!  

Thanks to all for your entries in my inaugural giveaway!  Stay tuned for future giveaways!

*Note - for some reason when I copied and pasted the number generator, it showed the "MAX" # as 100, I used 12 in the calculation - just wanted to make that clear - not quite sure why it reverted to 100 - weird.

Let the Carbo-loading begin: Chicken Tetrazini

Whenever I hear the words, I can't help but think of The Soup!  Have you ever watched it?  Have you seen the Chicken Tetrazini zingers Joel McHale so lovingly repeats?  It's hilarious!

Anywho...growing up, my mom served us her version of Chicken Tetrazini on a semi-regular basis and it became one of my faves.  I decided to tweak the recipe and make it South Beach style.  Please note that I don't really measure stuff, so it's usually a little bit of this and that and you kind of have to do whatever works for you, but if you do decide to make it, I do guarantee deliciousness!

Here is what you need:

Chicken - I used whatever size package that had 3 large chicken breasts
2 cans of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 container of plain Greek yogurt OR 1 container of low fat or no fat sour cream
Whole wheat pasta - 1 box whatever kind floats your boat - I used linguini
Parmesan cheese
Seasonings - whatever strikes your fancy - I used Adobo, Italian Seasoning, and Rosemary

In the past, I have marinated (in fat free Italian dressing) and grilled the chicken.  This time, I decided to shred it in the crock pot.  It tastes great either way - depends on what flavor you are going for.

Boil your pasta.  I always toss in a wee bit of olive oil into my water and add a pinch of salt.  With whole wheat, it is always important to make sure you cook it thoroughly.  I think that is why people have a tendency to complain about whole wheat pasta - they don't like the texture because they don't cook it enough.

While the pasta is a'boilin', you need to prepare the "goop" (as my mom calls it) by pouring the 2 cans of soup into a bowl and mixing it with the yogurt or the sour cream.  This was the first time I ever used Greek yogurt.  I was inspired by Lindsay (check out her blog:  Pancakes N Pajamas) as she uses Greek yogurt in a lot of her cooking and I was encouraged by older sister Cathy who swears by Greek yogurt because she is big on the incorporation of nutritional protein into one's diet.

So, after mixing the soup and creamy textured substance of your choice together, season it accordingly.  As I mentioned above, I threw in some Rosemary, Adobo (pretty much a staple in all my cooking), and Italian seasoning.  Then I set the bowl to the side.

Once the pasta was done, I drained it, rinsed it, and drained it again and put it into the bottom of one of my favorite Pampered Chef Stonewear casserole dishes.

Next, I put down the layer of my shredded chicken.  

Finally, I poured the "goop" over all of it. I then sprinkled the casserole with Parmesan cheese. You bake it for 45 minutes to an hour on 350 degrees.  (um...looks like the flash didn't "flash" for this pic - sorry!).

Then voila - serve it and enjoy it!  I have made other "versions" of this dish in the past.  For example, I have used lemon pepper and lemon zest in the  "goop" for a different flavor and even added some lemon juice to the pasta.  I have also sprinkled sundried tomatoes throughout the chicken layer and some sundried tomato pesto to the pasta for another kind of kick .  Get creative to give it a twist!  Add veggies like broccoli in lieu of serving veggies on the side (isn't that the beauty of a casserole?). 

What's one of your childhood favorites?

***Don't forget to enter my Bobo's Oat Bar giveaway.  It ends TONIGHT at 9pm CST. 

And it's official...

I signed up for marathon training!

On Sunday, I went to a Weenie Roast for Team Nam - this is the running group I have decided to train with for the Chevron Houston Marathon.  I met a lot of my fellow run-mates and ate a hot dog, some fruit, and cheese (no bun for me because whole wheat buns weren't offered and I didn't bring my own).  I'm one of the younger ones on the team, but everyone was so friendly and encouraging that I'm really excited to be a part of this team! 

I'm sad that I will miss my first group run - this coming Saturday, but it's for a good cause since I will be in Chicago preparing to do my first half marathon.

Beginning the following Saturday, I will meet up with them at the crack of dawn every Saturday to run, run, run!  I asked one of the guys how many miles the full marathoners will train up to and he said in the years past, it's 22, but that my mentor (one of the trainers) was commissioning for the group to push it to 30.  I am so not an over-achiever - the 22 will be just fine for me and then the 26.2 come marathon day.  There will be no need for 30, thank you very much.  I'm starting to get the idea that my mentor is a bit hard core!

Speaking of the Chevron Houston Marathon...registration is tomorrow!  Of course, as I have previously mentioned the powers that be decided to make it a lottery system this year, so I won't find out if I actually "won the lottery" so to speak until August 17th.  Yes, that's 3 whole weeks of waiting!  I will continue with the marathon training regardless of whether I make it into the Houston Marathon or not because my goal is to run a marathon (Houston would just have been ideal).  If I don't make Houston, I will seek out another one to run in the early part of next year.

***Don't forget to enter my Bobo's Oat bar giveaway that ends tomorrow at 9pm CST! 

Work Foils Running, Read All About It!

Set out to do my last "big" run before my very first half marathon.  I decided to do 6.55 miles - in other words, for all you non-math wizards, 1/2 of a half mary.  Kinda made my little plan for the ol' neighborhood run and headed out - hoped that my plan was 1/2 of the 1/2 of the 1/2 (or...um roughly 3 1/4 miles) so that when I swung by the mailbox for a swig of my Powerade Zero (in Mixed Berry this time), I'd be half way done.  After completion of the swig - which turned out to be half the bottle (I really gotta watch that), I positioned myself to start running again and then thought better of it figuring I should probably bathroom break first.  I headed inside, took care of business, was opening up the front door when "Little Boxes" comes blaring from my cell (the theme song to the tv show Weeds).  NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo!  I figured it was probably a work call....AND....I was right.

Turns out my one crew that had a delivery today locally in Houston did not have their paperwork.  This was an oversight belonging to my warehouse manager.  This meant I would have to go up to work to get it to them or else they would have no clue where they were going - no paperwork = no delivery address, etc.  It just sucks royally when yet again work foils my plans and it wasn't even my fault!!!  I do have to say that I think the timing of my driver's call was pretty wild, though.  Had he called 2 minutes earlier or later, he would have missed me and my dad is out on the golf course, so highly doubtful he would have been able to reach him and that could have meant disaster (at least until after I finished my run).

Was I annoyed?  You betcha!  Did I get over it?  Yeah.  What would be the point of harping on it?  I will go out and do my 6.55 tomorrow and at least I had the benefit of getting an extra 3.15 in today (guess my calculations in my head were off by 1/10th of a mile - not too shabby).

On a happy note - my double cousins, Nicole (18) and Danielle (16) are coming into town this morning - part of the reason why I can't continue my run since I'm picking them up from the airport with my mom.  I haven't seen them since Christmas which is far too long to go without seeing your double cousins, wouldn't you agree?!  Did you know that (and this is according to Wikipedia) double cousins have the same genetic make-up as half siblings and share 25% of their DNA?  Weird, huh?

So, Nicole and Danielle know all about our family lunches and wanted to make sure that they were able to participate in one so today is the day.  I think my family should sit in stoic silence during the whole meal just to be funny, what do you think?  =P

If you haven't done so already, don't forget to check out my first giveaway here (it expires on Tuesday, 7/27 @ 9pm CST).

Alright, that's all I have for you (for now).  I hope work doesn't foil any of your weekend plans!  Happy Trails to you runners and bike riders out there - be safe and stay hydrated!