Easy Egg Sammys

I'm a huge pinterest fan... especially when it comes to finding easy ways to make healthy food.
I'm a busy gal.  I tend to put too much on my plate and have trouble just sitting and watching tv or a movie without doing 5 other things at the same time.  I've just kind of always been that way since I was young and started working.

I'm often pressed for time and I'm also not the world's best grocery shopper.  I hate grocery shopping (stemming from 5 years of working in a grocery store) so I tend to procrastinate.


I don't eat breakfast as soon as I get up in the morning. I tend to not be hungry right away, so I eat when I get to work.  I usually grab something like oatmeal, greek yogurt or a cliff bar.  I decided I needed to change things up a bit and give myself more options because I don't always have healthy items on hand for breakfast. 

I love eggs. I almost always have eggs in my fridge. When I saw this recipe from Amy's Kitchen Creations I knew that I had try it!
Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches

So here is what you do.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray
Put spinach in the bottom of the tin
Crack an egg on top of the spinach
Season with whatever seasoning you like (I just did sea salt and pepper)
Bake at 350 for 15 ish minutes. My oven took about 17.  I wanted to make sure they were cooked all the way through because I wasn't going to be eating them right away.

You can then store the eggs in a container in your fridge for on the go breakfasts.  Amy says they will last about 6-7 days, but if things start to smell funny to not chance eating them.

I made about 4 of them, just to try it out and see how it worked.  They turned out great!

I think it would be great to try variations.  Add some other veggies, maybe some type of meat or cheese and spruce them up.  

I also thought this would be a great idea for a brunch or breakfast party.  You can make 12 of them at a time and based on how people want them cooked, you make them a little more runny or even scrambled.  


I grabbed an egg, a whole wheat slim sandwich bread (100 calorie) and a little bit of butter spread for a quick, low cal, easy protein filled breakfast.  Next time, I'll also grab a slice of tomato. Yum!

Back to Business

So I'm back.  I completed the 38 day #RWRunStreak.  I completed over 100 miles in 38 days.  Not too shabby.  I learned so much more about myself, my limits, my strengths and why I run in the first place.  Check that daily blog out 
http://2012runchallenge.blogspot.com/

The streak came at a wonderful time for me and had motivated me to keep pushing myself.  Immediately after the streak, I went on vacation and to be honest, lost some of the motivation.

It's hard to get up and force yourself to run in humid weather when you're on vacation and your bed is just so inviting.  Or you're slightly hungover and your stomach just isn't feeling a run.  Or you're exhausted because you were up until 4 am.  Regardless, all excuses. Time to get back to business!

The biggest news I have to share, I'm going to do another half marathon this year. The Erie Half Marathon at Presque Isle on September 16th. I created my training plan using the Hal Higdon Half Marathon Novice 2 Training Plan.  So as long as the race doesn't sell out by payday, this will be my next half marathon adventure.  Which means, training has already started!  I'm one run in and it was a struggle of a run.  First one back from vacation so that's to be expected. Regardless, it's back to business time so time to get back at it.  I had my vacation, I had my fun and now it's go time.


Other races in the next few months include the Color Me Rad 5k on August 25th and The Great Race on September 30th.


I have also decided to start blogging more about cooking and what I've been eating.  I think it will help to keep me on track with food choices.  I've also made a vow to cook more and pack my lunch more for work to save some cash.  I also recently bought a crock pot and I'm obsessed with it.  So look for more frequent posts about running and food in the near future :)

Some New Tunes

I stumbled across this playlist for running and thought I would share.  I'm constantly looking for new tunes to listen to on long runs and this list is pretty comprehensive.

Enjoy

The runiverse summer 2012 playlist

I Wonder if You Remember...

SOOO I bet you forgot that I ran my first half marathon on May 6, 2012....one of the best days/experiences of my life. 


Well incase you wanted to read another blogger's journey through the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, click on the link below and enjoy Omar's version of our journey.


The Revolving Start/Finish Line


Enjoy his journey, follow his blog and happy running fronds!

Day One of the #RWRunStreak

It felt great to head out for a run today.  I only did 1.62 miles, but I was a sweaty mess by the time I got back.  Gosh it's hot today! 

I only felt a small amount of annoyance/pain on my first run.  MUCH BETTER THAN A FEW WEEKS AGO!  Haha.  I can't stress that enough.  The true test will be how my leg feels tomorrow.  If it's bad, then I'll just stick to one mile a day until it's better. 


I'm going to stretch and foam roll and really get this leg back to business.  


There is still time for you to join us on for the streaking.  Here is the link to the blog where we will be tracking mileage for all involved.  


http://2012runchallenge.blogspot.com/ 

RW Run Streak 2012

Read this:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-269-14350-0,00.html


Runners World Summer Running Streak 2012=Challenge Accepted!

Any other takers?

I figure even with a bum knee, I can run 1 mile a day.  Doesn't matter what speed you run or if you run any further than 1 mile, but you have to run 1 full mile every day for 38 days.
I'll log everyday and let you know what I do.
Obviously in the beginning, it'll not be much more than a mile due to the bum knee, but hopefully as the weeks progress on, I'll be adding more mileage.

What perfect timing for a challenge like this! 


Think I can do it?  Can you do it? Let's do it together. PJ created the following site and he and I will be tracking results for all participants. Please think about joining us on this challenge. Perhaps prizes will even be involved!


http://2012runchallenge.blogspot.com/


Any takers?  Just follow the link and comment on the blog post before May 28th. Come on you know you wanna streak with us!!!


::crickets::

Green with Envy

Dear Running,

I miss you... terribly.  I can't wait until I can partake in your enjoyment/pain again. I hate this distance that we are forced to have right now.  I'm hoping to join you again soon on a wonderful journey. For now, I'll continue to read running/fitness blogs green with envy.  :(


Missing you,

Fishy


PS I never ever EVER thought these words would come out of my 27 year old mouth.  

Planning the Next Move

So the run on Monday... well that didn't go so well.  We only made it about 1.7 miles until I had to stop.  The pain was bad and I didn't want it to get any worse.  So we stopped and walked for a while.  I went home and foam rolled and stretched.  I was curious to see how bad the pain was Tuesday morning.
I was definitely in pain Tuesday. Sad panda.
Everything seems to be feeling better today, but I know that it's time to figure out where to go from here.  Now is the time to rest up and get this leg back to business.
So I'm planning, thinking and researching. I know that I want to do the Erie Half Marathon in September and the Great Race in Pittsburgh, also in September.  I won't have to start training for those until later in the summer.  So now I have a bit of time to get stronger and faster. 
I know that I can't run just yet, so I need to find some other forms of cardio to get some calories burned.  Fishy is feeling like a fat manatee lately! I also need to get some strength training in.
I want to do hot yoga (Vinyassa), I have 4 classes purchased that I need to use.  I also am contemplating doing a boot camp class.  I have also started researching Crossfit.... don't tell PJ haha.
I want to get stronger and more fit.  I want to be healthier. The problem right now is that I'm going to be travelling for the next 3 weeks for work.  No point in paying for classes and such when I won't actually be able to partake in them.
So I'm going to have to come up with a routine to do in the gym at the hotel and/or in my hotel room. Time to get this fat ass a-movin'! 
Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.  And if you're a woman and a crossfitter, I'd love to hear your thoughts/opinions.  I have heard from guys but I want to know what women feel about it.  


PS babysitting my nephew Noah tonight... can't flipping wait to eat those cheeks!  

IT Band Update, One Week Post Half

So it's officially been over a week since the half marathon and I can honestly say I'm still as motivated as ever to keep running and to get in better shape. BUT we have a little issue.  STUPID IT BAND.

I took a week off of all exercise for a few reasons, but the main one being my IT band.  Now that the half is over and I have a break before I conquer my next training plan, I could finally give my leg a break.  I know, from my experiences with this re-occurring injury, that overuse is usually the main reason for the soreness. 

Sometimes all I need to do is give it a break and stretch/foam roll the knots out of it.  Sadly, the pain was really bad this week, and it wasn't the sore type of pain, but the shooting pain that caused me to limp the first few days after the race, and then the next few days, limp every time I sat with my leg bent for too long.  The pain was so bad, that I didn't even foam roll.  Bad Fishy.  The thought of putting that foam roller on my already hurting leg just made me cringe.

Even after a week of rest, I'm still at the limping every time I sit with my leg bent for too long stage...   :(

This displeases me greatly.  I know now is the time to get this leg back to good, with no required long runs, etc.  But I feel like a fat lard, and I'm really itching to get out for a run.

So tonight, the plan is to test it out.  Weather permitting, I want to get a short run in with PJ, just to see how the leg feels.  I just need to know how badly it hurts during and after a run, so I can plan ways to get in physical activity that doesn't cause me further pain.  I have to do something, I can't just sit here another week! So fingers crossed that it's not too bad after a run, a foam roll and a killer stretching session. 

I am a RUNNER of STEEL!

Brief note before I give a re-cap...I realize that I haven't blogged since April 20.  Partially was from being a slacker but the other main reason was because I had a recent, very quick change in my work load and job description.  I was chosen to participate in a training for my job. My entire workload was taken away from me and I have been traveling to Philadelphia to receive training for a new initiative at my job.  I will spend about a month training and then about 8 weeks rolling the initiative out in my office, teaching my peers.  It's a lot to take on, and everything was very last minute.  My life, the week before the half marathon was thrown a huge curve ball, and it has been a bit overwhelming, so unfortunately my blogging had to be put on the back burner.  But alas, I had some free time tonight to finally provide a re-cap of the Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 6, 2012.

I have so much to talk about, I actually had to outline my thoughts on paper prior to writing this, just to make sure I said everything I needed to say.

So Saturday evening, the night before the race, Omar, Shay, Sarah, Big Al and Ben crashed at my house so that we could commute down to the race together.  We attempted to go to bed early, but all of our nerves were a bit shot, and most of stayed up much later than we wanted to.  I tossed and turned for quite a while.  I just kept thinking about how the race was already here.  These 5 months of training, 274 miles run, all lead up to this one day.  I kept worrying about the dumbest things, like driving down to the race and getting caught in traffic, or possibly getting into a car accident and injuring/killing all of my friends heading to the race, peeing/pooping myself during the race, etc...my mind was just going all over the place.

We got up bright and early, 5 am, to grab something to eat and make our way to the North Shore.  We used Omar's parking pass and then walked the bridge to the start line.  Sometimes, Omar working for the Pirates comes in handy and this was one of those situations.  We used the bathrooms in the parking garage lobby.  Unfortunately, by the time we got to the starting line, Sarah and I both had to go again.  Port-o-john lines were freaking ridiculous, so we just decided, against our better judgment, to just hit a port-o-john as soon into the race as possible, in hopes that others weren't doing the same thing. 

Before the race we got a group photo


From L to R: Omar, Me, Big Al, Shay, Sarah and Ben

 Omar purchased us the throw away shirts.  We matched. Aren't we a cute couple??
Here the girls prior to the race, ready to start the half (Shay, Big Al and myself) and the full (Sarah).


From L to R: Me, Sarah, Big Al, and Shay

 And me and my man

Waiting for the race to start was SO nerve wracking and all I could think about was how badly I had to pee. When I could get my mind off of the fact that I was about to run a half marathon, the longest I've ever run in my life, I tried to look around and just take the scene in. Over 25,000 people were signed up for the race, and it was just awesome seeing them all lined up for the race to start.  We were in the last corral, so it took us 20 minutes to cross the starting line. 

Ben was in corral c so he was way ahead of us and Big Al booked it as soon as the race started so we did not see her again until the end of the race. 

Shay, Sarah, Omar and I stayed together for a short while, until Sarah ducked off to use the port-o-john.  Omar, Shay and I ran just a bit further (a little shy of 1 mile) and waited for about 10 minutes to use the bathroom.  Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating.  I didn't want to have to stop during the race, but I had to pee so badly I honestly thought my bladder was going to explode.  I'm just so scared of being dehydrated again, so I was too loaded with liquids for my own good. I knew that I would only need to go once, and I'd rather get it done with early and not have to stop again during the race.

The first 6 miles went by VERY quickly. Too quickly, in my opinion. Shay, Omar and I were taking in the sites and enjoying ourselves.  We were weaving in and out of people trying to get a caught up a bit from our time lost going the bathroom.  It worked out well because the crowds had thinned and we could make some headway in the race not being completely surrounded by people, like we were in the beginning. I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire first half of the race.  This was the first large race I completed, and it was such an awesome thing, being surrounded by runners and having people in every neighborhood of Pittsburgh cheering you on.  Each neighborhood decorated with balloons and tents and were lined with people. Some were cooking out, had horns and whistles, signs and sometimes food for runners. Very cool.

The weather was beautiful, but pretty hot for early May in Pittsburgh.  The sun ended up being quite relentless.  Not enough clouds in the sky...every water station was a Gatorade or two down the hatch and a water thrown on my head and neck.

Around mile 7 things started to go a little downhill for me.  All of a sudden, my IT band in my left leg started to hurt.  Not badly, just enough to let me know that it was there, it was a re-occurring injury, and that if it wanted to, it could flare up and really force me to slow down.

In the West End, we got to see Shay's Mom and Aunt Nancy and that cheered Shay up and added some pep to our steps. By about mile 8.5 my IT band was really starting to hurt.  Why? I have NO IDEA.  I was pissed though. It hadn't been bothering me on runs since I got a foam roller and rolled it every night.  I blame being away from my house the week before the half and not having my foam roller in Philly.

Around mile 9-10, in South Side, we saw Omar's sister Mona and Omar's mom.  They were cheering us on with cow bells and signs.  We gave them both high fives.  That definitely put a big smile on my face.  It's really awesome seeing people you know while you're running, so if you're reading this and your friends and loved ones are racers, go out and watch them.  Support them.  Cheer them on.  It's SO appreciated by those who are running. 

By mile 10 my IT band was killing me and it continued to get worse, a shooting pain in my left leg the entire rest of the race. The pain was the worst on the downhill.  It felt like quad was going to detach from my knee.  I could tell that my form was really suffering and I was limping a bit, but we only had 3 miles left and I just refused to walk at that point. 

After crossing the Birmingham Bridge, the final of 5 bridges that you cross during the race, we thought the course would be most downhill until the end.  Boy were we wrong; way to throw 2 hills into the last 2 miles of the race marathon planners...RUDE!  By this point, the 3 of us agreed that we were ready to be done running, ready to finish.  We each would chime in the occasional encouraging phrase to push ourselves up these last 2 hills, before the final downhill decent to the finish line. 

The last half mile was thrilling. Running the last bit of the race, seeing the finish line in sight, and running down the street lined with people cheering you on.  Exhilarating!  Like nothing I've ever experienced in my life.  A complete and total high. 

Very close to the finish line I heard a familiar voice yell Shay's name, a bunch of her friends and boyfriend were watching us and were cheering us on during the final stretch.  We picked up the pace and gave it all we had, crossing the finish line with our hands raised above our heads in victory. 

Omar, Shay and I ran the entire race together. We supported one another to the finish line.  We laughed, danced, acted like fools, and made it 13.27 miles to the finish of Shay and my first 1/2 marathon and Omar's second. I definitely don't know if I could have pushed myself through the pain to finish the race without the support of those two. Running my first half marathon with my ever supportive, awesome boyfriend and one of my best friends. Shay motivated me every step of the way.  That girl is one of the best running partners anyone could ask for.  She is positive and peppy and definitely kept a smile on my face even when I was in pain. Omar is more of the quiet, supportive type.  He doesn't like to make small talk when he is running, but it's like he knows when you're struggling and when you need someone to push you.  It's at that point that he always has something encouraging to say.  Two very different support systems, but both helped in more ways than I can describe. What an amazing experience and memory to share with them.

Here was our final time (I paused my watch for the bathroom break)

I was hoping to get closer to 2:10, but I have no complaints.  Overall, my main goal was to complete the race.  I'm officially a Runner of Steel. BOOM!

We were all so happy to be done and show off our bling. Big Al killed the half with a sub 2 hour time. You go GUUUURL!


From L to R: Big Al, Omar, myself and Shay

I didn't get to see PJ at all Sunday  :(  So here is a celebratory picture that I stole from his facebook.  Where is your smile Joshy?  PJ's goal was sub 2:00.  He killed it with a 1:56.  I couldn't be more proud of ya buddy!!

And Susan (momswimbikerun) with her PR of 2:07.  You're such an inspiration!

Kim killed her first marathon with a 4:04 time.  You're amazing Kim!!!

AND, no picture sadly, but brother Ron also ran his part of the Marathon Relay.  6.4 miles in 56 minutes.  FANFREAKINTASTIC BROTHER!

And last but certainly not least, Sarah finished the Full Marathon.  I couldn't be more proud or inspired by my frond. She had an emotional week due to a sudden loss in her family.  My heart broke for her during the week and then again when she told me she decided that she was not going to run the marathon.  At the last minute, she changed her mind and decided to do the race, and I think she is happy she did. I have so much respect and admiration for this girl. She has inspired me so much during this entire training process.  Love her to pieces and I can't wait to run a race with her by my side.



Beautiful sisters!

It's been 3 days since the race and I'm still on a high. It's really hard for me to put into words every emotion that I felt during, and more importantly, after this race.  Sunday was hands down one of the best days of my life.  Is that pathetic??  I don't even care if it is.  I have never been so inspired to get myself in better shape, to be faster, to be stronger, to be healthier and most importantly to run more races.  I can't wait to get back into things and start training for my next half.  I'm officially addicted.  Who would have ever thought that would happen to me, the girl who has always hated running?

3 Run Re-Cap

I'm so behind on my blogging.
This will just be a short recap of my recent runs, just to get caught up!


Saturday April 14, 2012
This was my last long run before the marathon.  YIKES!  I can't believe how quickly this race got here.  
I was supposed to meet up with the girls in North Park to run the last one together, but I had some stomach issues the night before and that morning and running in North Park, far away from bathrooms, had me worried.  So I decided to wait it out a bit and attempt a run in the afternoon around my house.  I ended up doing a really hilly course around my neighborhood, not straying too far from my house just in case I had an emergency.
Omar ran the first 6 with me and then I was on my own for the last 4. My total time was 1:39:27. Here was the mile breakdown by average pace:

Mile 1 - 10:17

Mile 2 - 9:57

Mile 3 - 10:02

Mile 4 - 9:47

Mile 5 - 10:00

Mile 6 - 9:57

Mile 7 - 10:05

Mile 8 - 9:49

Mile 9 - 10:07

Mile 10 - 9:19

TOTAL AVERAGE PACE - 9:47

I felt like this was the most solid long run I've had during this training.  The back and forth jump in pace between each mile was interesting as well.  Kind of made me laugh a little. I felt strong during the run and also felt good running so many hills on a longer distance.  I tend to keep my longer runs on a much flatter course. My mentality during this run was to sit back and enjoy the ride.  I have put so much time and energy into training for this half marathon.  I have struggled through runs and over-analyzed every aspect of a run.  I've added foam rolling, dealt with injuries and tried to work on my form to make it more efficient.  I've been frustrated, sad and angry.  But the day is almost here, and I've gotta focus on trying to enjoy this journey a little more.  So that's what I set out to do on this run. With it being my last long run before the race, I tried to be positive and think about how far I've come in my training.  It actually seemed to help.  A positive attitude can do wonders mentally for a run.  Each time I started to struggle, I just thought about how this was my last long run and that the next time I'd be running over 10 miles, would be May 6th.  I also saw this post earlier in the week on Facebook and tried to think this way:

Each hill I ran, I tried to earn the downhill.  It really did seem to help, as silly as it sounds.  It was a solid run at a pace I was very happy with.

Sunday I played volleyball for 2 hours. Monday I went to Zumba for an hour and it kicked my butt; my back and abs are still sore today (pathetic).  Tuesday I played volleyball for an hour.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I had a very, very frustrating work day. I decided to take out this anger on my lunch time run rather than my loved ones. Yay for running and being an outlet for frustrations and anger.
I decided to do a timed 5k. I wanted to have an idea of how much my speed has increased since last year at this time. This Saturday is the Pirate Charities 5k.  Last year I ran the same 5k and PR-ed on the course at 30:12 with an average pace of 9:43.

Well this happened on Wednesday. Boom.

Average pace was 8:38!!!! AND this was a hilly course !!!!!!  !!!!!! !!!!!  !!!!!  !!!!

Needless to say, I was stoked.  My previous goal for this 5k Saturday was 28:00.  Time to re-assess that goal haha.  What an awesome feeling! I was beyond stoked about this run.  I was struggling to breathe the whole time and was giving it 90-95%.  I was congested (allergies?) and it didn't help with my struggle to breathe.  My goal for Saturday is 26:30.  Think I can do it? It's not going to be easy, but I'm surely gonna try!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

I took the day off work because I was taking the pup to the vet at 1:30.  I got up early and walked the dog and cleaned up the house a bit and before I knew it, it was later than 10 am.  I wanted to get in my 8 mile run, but in order to run 8 miles and get home in time to shower and drive to the vet, I needed to be running by 10 am.  I lost track of time, and didn't get on the road until after 11, so I set out to get in as much distance as possible.  I only ended up getting in 4.88 miles.  A little disappointing, but better than not running at all.  Sunday's 5 miler has now turned into a long run.  Oh well, it happens.  I did 4.88 miles in 46:35 with an average pace of 9:32.  I as very pleased with this time, even though this run was a bit of a struggle.  I think my legs were just tired from the week of exercising.

So today my legs are feeling sore and a bit tired.  I'm going to make sure to foam roll a bunch today and stretch.  I want these legs to be ready for tomorrow's race with Shay, Omar and Big Al.  We'll miss you Sarah! <3

PS  I didn't forget about my before and after post about the house.  I ordered a sectional on Wednesday for the family room and it'll be delivered next Friday.  I also haven't had the chance to get people over to the house to move my bedroom furniture upstairs to the master bedroom.  Once these things happen, I'll take plenty of pictures and post a little before and after blog of those two rooms!

The Perfect Run, a Fabled Creature

Although I was super busy last week, I was able to get in two of the most solid runs I have had in months.  What a confidence booster for the the upcoming half and boy did I need that.
I don't know why, but I've had a rough last month and a half of training.  My legs have consistently been tired, heavy and usually in immense physical pain. My runs have been disheartening. I haven't had that rush and endorphin high from a good, solid run in a long, long, long (ass) time.  Wednesday broke that terrible streak.  I had the PERFECT run last Wednesday.  YUP, you read that right, the perfect run!
What is the perfect run, you ask?  You know, the run where everything just clicks.  
Your legs feel stronger than strong.
Your lungs don't struggle and you're not gasping for air.  Your breathing is controlled and steady.
You can push yourself hard and you don't feel like you want to keel over and die on the spot from the physical pain your body is experiencing.
You finish the mileage feeling like a million bucks in a time that simply wows you.
You realize just how much your training has paid off, which makes all of the pain and terrible runs from the past melt away (okay in reality, no permanent meltage, but definitely temporary meltage)
You remember why you started running in the first place.
This was my perfect run.

Is this fast in the world of running?  No, absolutely not.  Is this fast in Fishy's world of running?  ABSOLUTELY.  I was completely stoked with this run.  I finished the last mile in an 8:15 pace (!!!!!!).  Total average pace was 9:27 per mile. I was trucking, and I was loving it.  Every minute of this run was enjoyable.  I kid you not, every minute.  I ran the steepest hills I could find and then came back and ran them again. Everything just clicked and it couldn't be better timing in my training.  I needed this run more than I can even begin to describe in words.  The perfect run, my fronds, is why I run. So although the perfect run has been a fabled creature to me in the last few months, it has decided to show it's beautiful face at just the right time, and for that I am so very, very thankful to the running gods (I'm sure all of my running friends are grateful for this as well, because my permanent bitching/whining about every run has come to a screeching halt).
  
As I've stated before, I'm not really running for speed in this half marathon.  I'm running to finish, to cross that line saying I did it, I completed a 13.1 mile race and I have a smile and this pretty medal to prove it to the world.  The next half (guess I'm going to make this a regular thing...), I will hunker down and get more serious about my speed and my time, but for the first one, I want to set realistic goals.  For a non-runner (as in I had never run more than 4 miles when I started training), my goal for this half was to finish without walking. I have no doubt in my mind that that goal is completely attainable.  If I can finish between 2:15 and 2:30, I'd be completely stoked. 


Saturday's run will have to be in my next post.  It was a solid run and one I'm also very proud of.  More on that later. 

Deadlines

I just wanted to write a quick post because it might be a while until I am able to post again.  Life outside of half marathon training is busy and I'm sore all over.  All I've done since Monday evening at 4:30 pm has been painting and physical labor. I have a deadline to reach; carpet is getting installed Friday so I need to paint 2 of the biggest rooms in my house, family room and master bedroom.  I also needed to remove the old carpeting.  Big thanks to brother Ron for all of the help.  As two klutzes, we got through with only minor scrapes and cuts and one small dent in the wall. Luckily no trips to Med-Express were necessary, haha.  Omar came over last night to help me paint and he is coming over again Thursday night to help me finish the family room. He has been so helpful with this house stuff lately, volunteering to cut my grass on his day off and coming over to help me paint when I'm on this deadline. What a keeper he is!  I'll post more about this later with lots of before and after pictures. 

To hold you over until then, there is this....

Dude, Ohm look how skinny you are!

and this

oh goodbye 28 year old brown carpet and 22 year old aqua carpet

I'm running 5 miles today on my lunch hour and getting a massage after work (I have two to use by the 17th, eeek), then back to painting.  At least I have playoff Pens hockey to listen to while I paint this evening.  LET'S GO PENS!

A Mistake that I will NEVER Make Again!

Saturday was an interesting day.  I learned a very important lesson about hydration... 
Here's the story:

I set out for an 11 mile run with Polish Josh.  His longest run so far in his training was 8.25 miles, so he was a little nervous.  I had done 10 once before, but I wanted to push to 11 this week just to see if I could.  I know that most 1/2 marathon training plans only go to 10 miles, but I'm a bit anal about being prepared for big events in my life, so I wanted to go into the half knowing I could do it. Only doing 10 and having 3.1 miles left to go on race day just didn't work for me.  I wanted to do 11-12 before the race so that I knew what it was like to hit the wall and push through, but I digress.


The weather was sunny, without a cloud in the sky and around 45 degrees when we set out.  By the time we would finish it would be in the low 50's; great running weather. I drank 24 ounces of water before running, along with a cup of coffee, a vitamin and some peanut butter on wheat toast.  I felt like I had properly hydrated beforehand, even more than I usually do on long run days. 

PJ and I figured out a course so that we could leave our Gatorade/water in the car and circle around at mile 5 and again at mile 9.5.  It seemed like a great plan to me.

Miles 1-5 felt great.  With all the physical pain I'd recently been having, it felt good to run some mileage without something holding me back.  My body felt good and I was in a wonderful mood.  We kept our pace anywhere between 9:30 and 10:30 per mile.  A nice pace that allowed us to chat.  


Around mile 5 we got back to the car and I GU-ed and PJ GU Chomped and drank some Gatorade and then headed back out on the road.  


Miles 6.5-9.5 were the worst miles I have experienced in my running thus far.  It was like a switch went off.  I went from feeling like a million bucks to feeling like complete death.  I was so thirsty and my legs felt like bricks. I just had to get back to the car to get some Gatorade, just a bit more, almost there, one foot in front of the other, push through the wall, etc. That Gatorade tasted amazing.  I gulped some down, caught my breath and then headed back out again.  I almost immediately felt better. I knew the last few miles would be tough, but I wanted to finish the mileage and knew I had it in me to keep going.  I knew it couldn't be worse than the last 3 miles. Josh sped up a bit, and I slowed down a bit.  I had to just take it at my pace and push myself.  I finished feeling fine, even though PJ said I looked like complete death haha.  10:27 average pace.  Not stellar, but not bad for how terrible I felt.

Obviously ignore the pace, PJ was driving when I took the picture

We got back to the car and chugged down some more Gatorade and water.  When I sat down I told PJ I felt a little nauseous. We chatted about how awesome it felt to finish 11 miles and both of us had smiles on our faces.  We felt good and happy.  We also had plans to meet up with an old co-worker of ours for lunch an hour later.  So I walked into the house and drank some more water and then got into the shower.


All of a sudden it hit me.  I couldn't stand up straight in the shower.  I went from freezing cold to boiling hot and unable to catch my breath in the steam. My mouth started to salivate and I knew I was going to be sick.  I was midway through rinsing my hair when I had to jump out of the shower and get to the toilet, fast.  I proceeded to get violently sick.  It was not pretty.  I'm pretty sure I threw up my entire bottle of Gatorade and all of the water I drank. After I finished getting sick, I decided to try rinsing off the rest of the soap and conditioner and got out of the shower as quickly as possible.


With the towel still wrapped around my body, I laid down on my bed and texted PJ to let him know what happened and that I wouldn't be able to go to lunch, and texted Omar to tell him as well (he was at work).  I could barely hold my head up or keep my eyes open.  I curled up in the fetal position under the covers and fell asleep for over an hour. My body just shut down. When I woke up, I felt a million times better.  I knew I needed to eat and hydrate myself.  I made some spinach stuffed tortellini's and drank some electrolyte water and then laid back down on the couch.  I stayed there until Omar got to my house after work at 8:45.  I felt fine, I was just really tired.

I can't lie, that was one of the scariest experiences of my life, especially because I was home alone.  I've never felt so weak in my life, and it just hit me so hard and so fast in the shower.  I'm assuming I was dehydrated from not having drank enough during my run.  I learned a very important lesson about hydration on Saturday and even though I hate running with a water bottle, I will do it anyway, because it's so important to stay hydrated.  Lesson learned, fronds. 

Today, I'm a WINNER!

So I have had a busy last few days with friends and house stuff. I've also given my legs a little break from exercising.  They have just been so tired and heavy lately, so I decided to shorten one run this week, and didn't partake in Sunday night v-ball or Monday night Zumba.  These legs-o-mine should be well rested for tonight's 5 miler.  I plan on kicking some serious butt tonight, resting tomorrow, and then putting in 11-12 miles Saturday.  Woo!


So today I'm a winner because I faced my shopping fear again.  I wanted to find just a few tops to wear now that the weather is getting a little nicer. Also, Friday Omar is taking me to see Beauty and the Beast the musical at Heinz Hall (I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am for this...what a nerd) with some of his friends and Sunday is Easter. I'd like to look nice for both events!


I decided to stroll to Macy's to see what kind of selection they had.  I saw so many tops that I loved!  I had a huge stack of clothing to take to the dressing room, a few dresses and some tops in varying sizes. The best part about it, everything fit!  I didn't end up buying it all, because even though a lot of the tops fit, they didn't necessarily look right on my body.  But I realized on this shopping trip, that it was the style and cut of the clothing, and not my body, that was the problem.  This isn't always true, but today it was.  I ended up with  4 tops and 2 cami's for 94 bucks!  Not too shabby, eh?  I still have a lot more that I need to buy but I'll chip away at it bit by bit as funds allow.


The tops are girly and pretty, and definitely not like a lot of the clothing I currently have in my closet. I'm a pretty casual dresser.  Give me flats, jeans, and a fitted T and I'm a happy girl.  I went out of my comfort zone today and tried on some flowy tops with lace and patterns, and even stripes, and I was pretty happy with the outcome.  I don't care the size of a shirt, if it takes an xl to look right because of the cut of the shirt, then that's what it takes.  If it looks awesome, I'm not going to not buy the shirt because of the size on the tag.  That's silly, in my opinion.  It's all about finding clothes that fit your body, no matter the size.  So today I fought my battle with clothing shopping and today I won! :)

Just a Short Run Race Re-Cap

The Just a Short Run was a success for all parties involved!

Here was our obligatory pre-race photo

From L to R Myself, Big Al, Sarah, Shay and Polish Josh

It was a long but good day.  I was up at 6 am, bright and early, so that I could grab my usual pre-race meal, a cup of coffee, a banana with peanut butter, a multi-vitamin and a glass of water.

Omar and I picked up Polish Josh along the way and drove out to North Park, where we met up with Big Al, Sarah and Shay. It was in the low 40's and windy. Not the most ideal conditions for the pre and post race festivities, but relatively mild for the actual race.  
Sarah and the other 30ker's starting line was in a different location than ours so shortly before 8:30 we wished each other good luck and headed to our appropriate starting lines.
PJ and Big Al decided their goal was sub 1:15.  Shay and I didn't really have a goal but decided on sub 1:30.  We knew there was no way we could keep up with PJ and Big Al on this 8.1 mile course.
There were around 2500 total people signed up for the races (5k, 8.1 miler, half marathon and 30k) and starting line was pretty dense.  It took a little while to weave through some people and actually get into a more open spot.
The race started with a gigantic hill that reached a plateau and then kept going.  It was tough to start the race and get into a good mental state and breathing pattern with such a large hill, but it helped to thin out the crowd a bit.  After the big hill came a decent downhill portion in which I caught up to Shay.  We ended up deciding to stay together for the rest of the race.  We each took a headphone out and spent the next 7 miles chatting a bit and motivating each other.  Well, she was motivating me, more than me motivating her, but nonetheless we were both there for each other.  The course wasn't too bad after the first killer hill.  It was mostly rolling hills and flat area.
I definitely was struggling during this race.  I'm not sure why, but my legs felt tired and my IT bands were hurting. We ended up being able to keep a decent pace throughout most of the course.  It was great to have someone to run with during a race, since I usually run them alone.  
Around mile 4 we saw Omar, which brightened me up and added some pep to my step.  Shortly thereafter we saw Lucy, Sarah's sister.  She had this big sun balloon and was yelling, cheering and jumping up and down when she saw us.  It was so nice to see people you know cheering you on.  I'm not used to having that in the middle of races, either.  We saw Lucy again around mile 7.5 when the end was in sight.  
I pushed as much as possible during the last few miles and Shay really helped to keep me going.  I kept telling her to go ahead, telling her I wouldn't be offended if she wanted to, and she strongly turned my suggestion down and stayed by my side right to the finish line.  We crossed the finish line at exactly the same time!  We also beat our goal by over 9 minutes.  Our average pace was 9:47 for 8.23 miles.  

2358   307   35  Trish O, 27, Pittsburgh, PA           31:18     1:20:27             
2236   308   36  Shannon J, 26, Pittsburgh, PA         31:18     1:20:27

Thank you Shay for sticking with me through this.  We talked about possibly doing the same thing for the half, come May.  It would be awesome to cross the finish line with one of my closest friends/training buddies by my side!

Big Al and Josh MURDERED the 8.1 miler.

Big Al did such a good job, that she actually got 1st place for her age group and a medal (which she didn't get until later on in the week because we must have missed the announcement of her success while at the race)! FANTASTIC JOB!

2202   84    1  Allison 24, Pittsburgh, PA            27:33     1:08:51
Polish Josh also killed his goal time.  His sub 2:00 Marathon is most definitely in reach! Amazing!
2562    85   12  Joshua 25, Pittsburgh, PA             27:32     1:08:52 
After finishing we all decided to wait in the car and try to warm up a bit.  We also wanted to cheer on Sarah during her 30k mission! We spotted Sarah before her last 5 mile loop and Shay, Big Al and I joined her for a short bit of it.  Sarah was looking good and feeling good.  Her achilles, which had been bothering her for the last week felt fine and she had complete confidence in her ability to finish strong.  
We all joined the finish line crowd to cheer Sarah on.  Omar with his 15/20 eye sight said he saw Sarah in the distance and we patiently waited for her to round the course out and run towards the finish line...


YEP Looks JUST like Sarah to me.... pfffffff.  We all couldn't stop laughing, so much so that Omar had to take a picture of this Sarah look alike to share later. Luckily, shortly thereafter Sarah came around the bend and finished the 30k strong.  It was fun to cheer her on to the finish and I look forward to doing it again come May 6th.



Happy to be done!



hoods for Omar
After lots of celebratory hugs and some conversation with Sarah's boyfriend Ben and Lucy, some of us decided to head out to a nice breakfast at our usual after race breakfast spot, the Original Pancake House, where we consumed far too much food and continued the laughter and stories. 


Overall it was a great day (minus the fact that my achilles was killing me on my right foot, wth is wrong with my body and it's recent rejection of running???)


Special thanks to Omar for waking up at 6:30 and braving the cold and wind to cheer us on for 5 hours.  Thanks for being a trooper, it means a lot to me to have your support during this whole process.Also thanks to Lucy and Ben for being great cheerleaders!  :)


PS I was having serious spacing and formatting issues that I could not seem to fix on this post. GRR blogger, grr.

JASR

A brief note to readers before I get into my post for the day.  I do realize that my last post was a bit debbie downer.  I'm not going to apologize for my feelings and being upset with my lack of results.  I know that I have to keep working and that these things don't come easily. I have never actually been someone who has cared about the number on my pants or on my scale.  I've always cared more about being active and fit.  I have always said, and will always say, that I'd rather be a thicker/bigger, fit and active person, then a skinny person with no muscle, strength or athleticism. I've realized that I do need to lose some weight in order to be healthy and to have happy joints, so that's what I'm working on. Anyone who has tried to lose knows how frustrating it can be.  I'm emotional at times and I can't always be positive, but I thought I should let you all know that I'm doing my best to bounce back.  Sometimes, I need to have a pity party.  I need to feel all sorts of sad and pathetic and cry and then I get it out of my system, and move on.  These flubs happen, but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop working hard to get what I want. So onward and upward, fronds. Have patience with me during this journey!


So big things are happening tomorrow.  My longest mileage race yet, 8.1 miles! It's the Just a Short Run in North Park.  Get excited fronds. I can't really lie, I'm a weeeeee bit nervous.  I've only run over 8 miles 3 times during my training so far, and with my IT bands being big jerks, it might be a tough race.  Who really knows, it's hit or miss.


I did 5 miles last night with Polish Josh, and I struggled immensely for the first 3.5.  I just couldn't get into a good groove and I could not seem to control my breathing.  Plus, my IT bands were not enjoying the run.  I'm glad I got the mileage in, and I made sure to use the foam roller last night and stretch as much as possible.  Today will consist of plenty of rolling and stretching and hydrating. 

Shay picked up our race packets yesterday.  I always get a little excited for packets pickups because of the goodies in the bags.  Asics running shorts and socks, and a neon green tech shirt? FANTASTIC. 


Good luck to Shay, Big Al and Polish Josh tomorrow on the 8.1 miler.  I know they are all going to kill it with me!

Good luck to Sarah and her quest to tackle the 30k (18 miles).  You're going to beat the beast frond! YOU CAN DO IT~

Too Soon

Well I went shopping on my lunch hour.  As you know from previous posts, I despise clothes shopping because it does nothing but bring me down. I usually just look in the mirror with disgust.

Today was no different.

I could go on and on ranting plenty of self deprecating thoughts, but right now I just can't even type it. Right now, I'm just disappointed and sad.

A Letter to You

Dear Body,

It's been a while since we've had a chat, but right now you're starting to scare me. You seem to have turned against me, and I'm not exactly sure why.  I think you find it humorous to consistently throw me small kinks in my path to a healthier, happier lifestyle and I'm starting to get frustrated.

I know that I've been working you hard the last few months; taking away so much of the food you love, forcing you to work harder on less calories and consistently pushing you to build muscles you didn't even know you had stored under those layers of flubber.  I get it, you're not happy, but now is NOT the time to lash out at me.

You've done so good so far, only minor aches and pains and tweaked muscles.  For the most part you have been handling this half marathon training plan like a champ.  Please do not crap out on me now.

I know that I've been putting a lot of stress on my IT bands.  I know that I have very tight hips and my legs could use some more strength training.  I know that I have overworked you in the past to the point of being unable to walk without pain behind my knee and I know that you enjoyed the 4-6 weeks of minimal activity and physical therapy, but for the love of God, please don't do this to me now, because there will be consequences.

Sure, you might get those few days of rest, but I will come at you like a spider monkey.  I will foam roll those knots right out of you while screaming in pain.  I will stretch you and I will ice you and I will do whatever it takes to beat you into submission, because I have come too far and I will not let you win this time.  

Read this article on Beating the Band. (Courtesy of Omar). You're going down IT band.  GOING.DOWN. I am armed and ready to fight back!

Love hugs and kisses,

Fishy

The Good, the Bad and the Weird

The Good
I have been doing a good job keeping up with all of my running workouts.  I've done extra workouts and even added more mileage to some of them.  I think having Polish Josh to push me during the week helps a lot. He helps keep me accountable. I put in 28 miles last week!! I've really gotten into a good swing with my running, zumba and volleyball activities.  I feel like I'm getting stronger and I have more energy.  Very, very good things.


The Bad
My eating has NOT been exemplary.  I seem to do relatively well all week (I've even been packing my lunch every day) and then the weekend comes and it all goes to the pooper.  I've gained a pound, grr.  I know, it's one pound, but the problem is that the scale is moving in the wrong direction. So, I'm going to have to work harder to plan healthier portion controlled meals.  As always, majority of the time, my issue is how much I'm eating.  I know what I need to do, I just need to do it. Time to buck up!


The Weird
I've started to notice some weird/interesting things about weight loss and running that I'd like to share because I feel like anyone who loses weight or starts taking running seriously experiences these things... things that I never really thought about before....

• My underwear does not fit. I never really thought about this happening, but obviously if clothing is getting too big, then unders are getting too big.  And wearing underwear that is too big is SO ANNOYING.  Talk about constant wedgie picking.  It's the worst when you're exercising and your underwear will NOT stay out of your butt! TMI?  Maybe (sorry?), but seriously, it's frustrating.  I'm trying to shake these hips in zumba and all I can think about is how my butt cheek is hanging out of my underwear, under my shorts, and jiggling around.  It ain't pretty.  I SERIOUSLY need to go underwear shopping.  
• My feet are shrinking. All of my dress shoes are just a little bit too big now and my feet are sliding all over the place in them.  It's quite embarrassing when you basically trip while walking down the hallway at work because your foot slipped right out of your once normal fitting high heel.
• Wearing over sized clothing is just as bad as wearing clothing that is too small for your frame. My dress pants are just big enough now that they hang on me in places that they should be complimenting and I look ridiculous in certain outfits I once thought I looked okay in. I really need to go shopping for new work clothes. Which leads me to my next point.
• I still dread clothes shopping.  You would think I would enjoy it more now that clothing should fit better, but I'm soooo not looking forward to my first trip to the mall/store to buy new outfits.  I'm dreading the fact that I'll probably go in and try on things in new sizes and will leave depressed and disappointed because things still won't look right on my body. If I was rich, I'd hire someone to go do my shopping for me, find me cute things to compliment my frame and then return them if they don't fit me.  Besides, I seriously lack any type of fashion style.  I can get by, but barely.  Any takers?
• I've become more judgmental of strangers (bad fishy :( ) I see people now, who are drastically overweight and unhealthy, eating junk like fast food, and I have a hard time not shaking my head at them for not having more respect for themselves.  Those people eating that junk are probably the same people bitching to their family and friends about how overweight they are. You can't have your cake and eat it too, people.  To lose weight you must move more, and eat less. Simple math, calories ingested must be less than calories burned. That's the healthy way to do it, there is no magic pill and there most definitely is no quick fix. It takes time and it takes a lot of patience.  Is it as easy as eating junk and not exercising and complaining constantly? No, if it was easy, everyone would do it.  So man up, starting watching your portions and get moving.  Start small and slowly work your way up.  You can do it, put your back into it! I really have no room to judge people and I actually hate that my mind goes there, because it makes me sound like a bitch, so my apologies #icequeen.  I'm still considered overweight, but I am seriously trying to lose it and make myself the happiest/healthiest version that I can.  I would never judge someone who was overweight but was attempting to change their life and get healthy again. I know that I still have a long way to go with my weight loss and my fitness level, so please don't think I'm on a high horse here, just sort of ranting frustrations...everything in moderation people! {end rant}
• I no longer judge a runner by their speed.  I used to look at someone running and think, psshhh I can run faster than them. Now I look at them and wonder what mile they are on and how many more miles they have to go. Are they training for a race, or just doing this to keep in shape?  How long have they been running? I commend anyone who is out running, biking, rollerblading, walking etc. regardless of pace, distance or physique.  If you're moving, you're doing something healthy and good for yourself, and you're doing more than the person sitting at home on the couch. The parks are full of people now that the weather is getting nicer, and each time I see the parks crowded I have to smile.
• Blisters.  Gross, gross blisters on my feet. Enough said.

So there you go, the good, the bad and the weird.  Happy First Day of Spring!

Foam Rollers, GU's and Water Bottles, Oh My!

So much to blog about today, so this post might be a little lengthy and full of fun stuffs.  

First off, let's start with something pretty.  This weather has been unbelievable lately. This has been one of the best winters to train for a half marathon because it's been so mild.  Spring is in the air and flowers are starting to poke their pretty little heads up.  These are the first flowers showing up at my house.  

I didn't plant them, obviously.  I think I might get serious about gardening next year, when I have time to plan what I want to do with the yard.  This year will mainly be fixing up the inside of the house, next year will be the outside! One of the biggest things I need to learn is to space out my projects.  I'm the type of person that wants everything done, right now.  Immediate gratification, please.  Obviously with the house, I'm going to have to space things out and save my money to buy what I want.

Second, I purchased some new fun tools/items yesterday for my half marathon training.

I loaded up on these bad boys so that I can get some more practice with using them, making sure they are what I need to help me get to the finish line without bothering my stomach. 

A lovely hand held water bottle.  This makes me look like a real runner! Haha.  I'm nervous about using this, just because I don't like the thought of having to carry something when I do my long training runs, but after Sunday I realized just how important it is to hydrate, especially when the weather is warmer and I'm sweating more. I won't be using this on my shorter runs unless it's very hot.  This will mostly be a long run tool.

Foam Roller, take 1. Rolo was curious about this new thing and kept walking in front of my pictures. What a jerk!

Foam Roller, take 4.  Rolo botched takes 2 and 3. 

So, I've been reading about foam rollers and the benefits of using them, and honestly what could it hurt?  It's only going to make my performance better and help with my IT band issues.  It's win, win.  

It's also pain, pain.  MY GOD WAS IT PAINFUL!  I, fortunately for you, did not attempt to take any pictures of myself while rolling.  Although, a video of me wincing in pain would have probably been pretty amusing for you to watch.

So here's the article I read and tried to emulate while rolling.

Foam Rolling for Runners

I also read this blog entry

One Twenty-Five

And watched her foam rolling video here. Watch this and you'll see just how painful it is.

Foam-roller-it-band-issues-i-am-not-a-doctor

I didn't really experience much pain while rolling my glutes and my hamstrings.  I felt a good bit of pain while rolling my calf muscles and excruciating amounts of pain while rolling my hips, my quads and ESPECIALLY my IT band. "Knights of Columbus that hurt!" I do realize that this is partially my fault, for not doing a good enough job of stretching my muscles, and I promise you I will be working on that!  You don't realize just how tight and knotty your muscles are until you roll them.

So rolling will now be a part of my running routine.  I will RUN<ROLL<STRETCH! And on days I'm feeling particularly sore, I will roll even if I don't run.  The key for me is to increase my flexibility and prevent injury.  I need all the help I can get in those departments. 

I expected to be bruised today, like E was in her blog entry, but surprisingly I was not. I find this really odd, because as stated previously in other blogs, I bruise like a peach.  And apparently I burn like toast, according to my brother Ron haha.  PROOF- my March sunburn from Sunday

My legs are very tender to the touch today, but otherwise they are feeling pretty good.  I have had a busy schedule and my legs have definitely been fatigued lately.  Running 4.76 Saturday, 8 miles Sunday, vball Sunday night, zumba Monday, and 5.1 miles Monday with Polish Josh meant my legs were T-I-R-E-D and needed a break Wednesday. I am not looking forward to rolling tonight, but no pain, no gain, right fronds?

Next on the agenda is the awesome snack I stumbled across (on pinterest) and decided to make yesterday. Okay, bare with me here... I know they sound gross... but I made Baked Parmesan Kale Chips yesterday.

photo and recipe from Gina at skinnytaste.com

I cut the recipe in half and used a little less parmesan cheese.  This were light, crispy and surprisingly flavorful.  I was shocked by how good they tasted!  Just go light on the cheese and olive oil and you'll have a crunchy, delicious, low cal snack. YUM!  EDIT: These are a good make then eat right away sort of snack.  Leftovers, not as good...

My last little comment.  Today I have on a belt AND I tucked in my button-up dress shirt AND I don't feel like a fat lard.  WOAH (said in my Joey Lawrence from Blossom voice).  I also had 2 people at work tell me I look skinny today. Skinny... me?  Skinny?  WHAT?  haha.  I wouldn't say I'm skinny just yet, but I definitely find the words of others encouraging to keep pushing myself.  I REALLY need to go clothes shopping though.  Everything is starting to hang on me and my clothes are not complimenting my frame. I guess that's sort of defeating the whole purpose of weight loss.  I just hate shopping and I hate spending money on clothes when I know I need to spend so much to get my house in shape (furniture, carpeting, air conditioning installation, paint etc).

So, this was probably my longest post, ever.  Have a great day fronds!