Taper Crankiness

Still here.  Official Taper for Little Rock Marathon has begun.  12 days until the race and I'm so relieved that it is almost here.  Some folks call this time before the race taper madness.  Workouts are shorter, some folks gain weight during this time, race performance stress kicks in, and you seem to notice a lot more aches and pains that you didn't when you were in full-on training.

I have deemed this period of time -  taper crankiness. 

This training session has been incredibly difficult - I think because of the weather.  It seems like Denver has been abnormally cold. Quite frankly, I'm more than tired of contemplating running outside in sub 10 or 20 degree temperatures, in the dark.  The alternative is no better, facing the dreadmill.  This time last year, my winter target race, the Phoenix Half Marathon,  had come and gone.  So I think because Little Rock included training through all of January and February it made it more maddening.  A few of us have already declared...never again will we train for a late winter/early spring race. 

I guess my crankiness has made me unwilling to blog.  Let's see if I can catch you up quickly. 


Men

On Friday night, I went out with the one and only bachelor currently in the mix.  The other bachelor has chosen other things in his life over dating.  This is a shame because I had enjoyed spending time with him.  Anyhow, the current bachelor and I went to my law school alumni hockey game reunion and we had a great time.  As soon as I invited him, I thought maybe this wasn't a good third date option.  However, he's an alum of the same university and he loves the hockey team and university, so he was more than willing to participate. 

While things are still in the very early stages, I have a good feeling about this bachelor.  We have fun together and unlike other bachelors in the past, he calls and texts on a rather regular basis.  This is nice.  He seems willing to put the time into a relationship and is a great listener.  The fact that he is cute too is just icing on the cake.

Runs
Saturday I had a 16 mile run on the schedule - the last big push before taper.  I woke up to snow and cold.  I made it to the running group's meeting spot, a good 30 minutes away from my home.  And I arrived cranky.  There were only four of us from my pace group (compared to the usual 25 folks).  Smart people were those who did not run that day.  Conditions were not ideal.  A layer of ice was underneath a layer of snow.  Kinda like running in sand.  So instead of 16 miles, I did about 12 miles.  This is unlike me for sure.  I usually following the schedule exactly.  But my frustration with the weather got the best of me.

Today is speedwork day.  I couldn't fathom meeting the group this morning in 15 degree weather, so I'm planning to hit the afternoon session - while it will be dark, it should be warmer.

Eats
Saturday evening, I went to Elways in Cherry Creek to kick off Restaurant Week.  Here in Denver, for $52.80 (our altitude), a couple can have a three or four course meal at some of the top restaurants in town.  I went with two friends and the food was amazing.  Unfortunately, our service was rushed.  Our entree arrived while we were still eating our appetizers.  And when this happened, our wait staff were not around to "fix it." We all started with the roasted red pepper soup, which was divine.  My entree was salmon, which was perfectly cooked.  Both friends ordered steak, one had the sirloin and the other the prime rib.  Everyone was happy.  Dessert was the right ending: cheesecake and brownie lollipops.  Sorry no pictures - I need to just jump in and start doing this!

Sunday morning a friend and I went to my favorite breakfast spot, Snooze.  I had the eggs benedict and we split a blueberry pancake.  After grocery shopping, I made chicken soup and banana bread.  This cooking reflected my need to clean out the freezer - and out of my freezer came homemade chicken stock, chicken, and bananas!  The chicken soup was divine and all without a recipe.  I literally threw in stock, chicken, carrots, onion, garlic and whole wheat egg noodles.  Simple.  And the banana bread was so yummy.  The recipe is below!

Banana Bread

3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. sugar
2 T melted butter
4 bananas, mashed
1 egg

Spray one loaf pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first 5 ingredients.  Stir.  Add remaining three items.  Stir until moist.  Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Cool on rack.  12 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 147 calories, 2.6 g total fat, 1.4 g saturated fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 124 mg sodium, 29.5 g carbs, 1.4 g fiber, 13.2 g sugar, 2.5 g protein.

I'll get back to daily totals sometime this week.  Have a great Tuesday!

Laura

Not Enough Sleep Made Me Do It

Instead of eating a banana, I opted for...

And if you are familiar with this tasty treat, it isn't actually all that smart.  I had 1.5 oz, which has a whopping 15 grams of fat.  And this quick decision impacted my daily totals.

I'm short on sleep.  And the benefits are many, including increased focus on your food choices and well, increased focus around everything in life!  So I'm hitting the hay early this evening.  Harvard would approve of my early to bed decision.

Other than the Smartfood, my morning and afternoon was routine.  Dinner was a bit of a departure.  I've read on other blogs all about this wonderful product...and this evening was time to try it.

This was really tasty!  I highly recommend you give it a try.  I paired it with some sauteed spinach (yes, that would be a vegetable on my plate) with 1/2 t. of olive oil and some chopped garlic. 

Usually my dinner is about 200 calories more, so I think this is why I ended up a little on the low side of calories.  Sure I'll make up for it tomorrow.

My evening snack was the omnipresent Girl Scout thin mint cookies!

Daily Totals
Run: 3 miles
Eats: 1511 calories (14% Protein, 48% carbs (188 g), 38% fat)
Calories burned: 1975
Calorie balance: -464

Have a great evening!

Laura

Kickin' and Screamin'

This was me.  Monday.  When I contemplated my trip to the basement to get on the treadmill.  I wimped out from going outside because it was cold...windchill in the single digits.  I had three miles, it shouldn't have been so bad.  And it wasn't once I got the first half mile in.  I must have recovered quickly, because I was downstairs again on Tuesday for 7 miles, with 6 X 800s thrown in for my own entertainment value.  Voluntarily.  No kickin' or screamin'.  This morning I ventured outside for a nice 3 mile recovery outing.  And you know what?  It was light outside!  Spring has to be around the corner.

Yesterday, I chose the treadmill over going to speedwork with my running group.  They were meeting in a location that takes me about 25 minutes to get to, and they were meeting kind of late, which would have made me late for work. Truth be told, the real reason is that I was not up for company.  Monday night Bachelor #1 dumped me.  I wasn't surprised.  He was uncharacteristically silent all weekend long.  Skiing with another girl.  And I don't know even if I have a right to be sad or angry.  I really like Bachelor #2 and #3 too.  In any event, Bachelor #1 was different from the other two and I think rejection hurts, no matter who it comes from.  He seems to feel bad about how he did it.  He sent me two emails yesterday apologizing.  Onward for me.  Especially because I just have this feeling about Bachelor #3.  Really too early to have such a feeling, anyhow...he called me this morning.  Can't think of a better way to start the morning.  OK, maybe the most perfect run...but the phone call was equally awesome. 

My eats have been pretty standard fare.  Its better this way.  This week I have two meals out - Friday night, date with Bachelor #3 and Saturday night, dinner at Elway's with my friends - kicking off Denver's Restaurant Week.  Restaurant Week is actually two weeks and for $52.80 two people can dine on three or more courses at some of the nicest restaurants in town.  My promise to you dear readers is to capture some great food shots!  If my dining companions allow...

Wow, I got off track thinking about all that yummy food.  Here are my eats from Monday and Tuesday...

Monday
Breakfast was my usual coffee (1/2 c. 1% milk and 1 t. sugar) and my oatmeal (1/2 c. oats, 1 c. water, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1 T brown sugar and some cinnamon). 
Morning Snack was a banana. 
Lunch was a chicken burger (the ones I picked up from Costco), on a slice of bread and 1 T. bbq sauce and two clementines.
Afternoon Snack was a chocolate chip Clif Z bar and an almond & cashew KIND bar (I'm hooked, can you tell?)
And for Dinner...well, does it look familiar?

Two eggs with some white pepper and 1 T. ketchup and two slices of toast with a little bit of whipped butter and 1 T each slice of jam.  I ended the evening with 4 thin mint Girl Scout cookies. 

Tuesday
Pre-run, I had my coffee and two fig newtons.  Post run, at my desk at work, I had a Clif Bar - Chocolate chip peanut crunch (my favorite of all the Clif bars).  My morning snack was an almond & cashew KIND bar.  Lunch was Cedar Lane Garden Vegetable lasagna and apple slices.  My afternoon snack was a Clif Z bar.
Dinner called for some comfort food.  Innocent looking turkey sandwich...right?

Then BAM...added a little comfort...otherwise known as GRAVY.

This was a.o.k. calorie wise, but this certainly increased my sodium intake off the charts!  In fact, Tuesday was a 3400 mg sodium day - 1000 mg too much and the scale showed it this morning.  I am diligent about my sodium intake, so this is a rare day, and that is OK.  You'll never guess my evening snack...more comfort from 4 Girl Scout thin mints (which are only 160 calories).

Daily Totals
Monday
Run: 3 miles
Eats: 1793 calories (14% protein, 60% carbs (287g), 26% fat)
Calories Burned: 2049
Calorie Balance: -256

Tuesday
Run: 7 miles, 6 X 800s
Eats: 1734 calories (19% protein, 60% carb (266g), 21% fat)
Calories Burned: 2501
Calorie Balance: -767

Have a great Wednesday!  I'll check in later with my totals for the day!

Laura

Beans and Chocolate

Happy Valentines Day!  If you love the holiday like I do, I hope you had a wonderful day to celebrate LOVE.  And if you think it is a contrived Hallmark holiday, I think you are missing out!  What's not to LOVE about the colors red & pink, flowers and chocolate!?!

My chocolate arrived in the form of Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies!  Don't ya love Girl Scout cookies?

And a serving of these delicious chocolate treats supplies this athlete with 22 grams of carbs!  How's that for justifying munching on these!

This weekend was such a great weekend.  A perfect blend of running, dating, and resting.  This afternoon, I enjoyed a 3 hour nap.  Wonder if I'll be able to sleep this evening...

Run
Saturday morning was a 10 mile run with my fabulous pace group!  I love the course we ran, it was a mix of bike trail and neighborhood streets.  There is one challenging hill but a downhill finish that's sweet.  The plan was to hit 4 goal pace miles.  I only managed 2 miles and both were 15 to 45 seconds faster than goal pace...wonder if that evens things out? 

Weather was perfect.  But my IT band is not.  This should not surprise me.  I have neglected stretching on a regular basis.  And last week was a 40 mile week.  Both these factors aggrevate things for sure.  This week my goal is to follow my training plan, make time to stretch and go to my chiropractor for some much needed ART (active release technique). 

Beans
I made this fabulous recipe a few weeks back.  For pictures, revisit this post...I recommend these burgers, they were filling...I found the recipe at the NY Times.  I think you could really customize these burgers by varying the spices. 

White Bean Burgers
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, minced
2/3 cup finely grated carrot
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or thyme ( I used fresh sage)
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Whole grain hamburger buns and the condiments of your choice

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium-size skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, the garlic and the grated carrot, and continue to cook for another minute or two, until fragrant and the carrot has softened slightly. Remove from the heat.

2. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, puree the beans with the lemon juice. I did this with my small processor in a couple of batches.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion mixture, the parsley, sage or thyme, the bread crumbs and the egg. Season to taste. Shape into patties, ½- to ¾-inch thick. Set on a parchment-covered baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. This is critical as it will make them easier to turn - they are so delicate it is important they get a little firm.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy skillet or on a griddle over medium heat and brown the patties for 4 minutes on each side, being very careful when you turn them over. An offset spatula works well for this. Serve on whole grain buns, with the condiments of your choice.

Yield: 6 patties.  (I made 7 burgers...about a 1/2 cup of the mixture each).

Advance preparation: You can make the patties up to a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.

Eats
Saturday morning, pre run, I had my usual coffee with a slice of peanut butter toast.

After the run, I enjoyed a hot chocolate with a friend from the running group.  I hadn't seen her since before Thanksgiving, so it was good catch up time!  For lunch, I had Amy's Margherita Pizza.  It was so simple and I think that makes it so good!

I snacked on some rice crackers with some cream cheese.  They were wasabi flavored crackers and they were yummy!  Then I went to a friend's house for an all girls' unValentine party.  There I had a glass of red wine, an amazing chocolate covered strawberry and some guacamole and chips.  I then left the party to meet up with date #3.  I wasn't hungry and ended up drinking my calories over the next five hours.  A beer and two lemon drop martinis.  This is not good fuel for an athlete...

This morning, I started with my oatmeal and finally figured out how to cook it in the microwave and not have it overflow from the bowl!  The solution was a bigger bowl :-).  My morning snack (and I repeated this for my afternoon snack) was some reduced fat wheat thins and some tex-mex smoked gouda spread.  I got this during my trip to Costco!  I love Costco!!

Lunch was a sweet carmelized onion chicken burger...from Costco on a slice of honey whole wheat bread and a little bbq sauce on the side.

Dinner was waffles, with 1/2 c. frozen blue berries and 1 T. maple syrup. 

My plan had been to make sweet potato and peanut soup...but I forgot the sweet potatoes!  Maybe I'll make it tomorrow evening...

Daily Totals
Saturday
Run: 10 miles, 2 at faster than goal pace
Eats: 2207 calories (11% protein, 62% carbs (288 g), and 27% fat)
Calories Burned: 3269
Calorie Balance: -1062
Men: date with bachelor #3 - He seems to have all the good qualities of bachelor #1 and #2...he's heading out of town but we are going to attend a hockey game on Friday evening

Sunday
Run: None, planned day off
Eats: 1448 calories (13% protein, 54% carbs (203 g) and 33% fat
Calories Burned: 1900
Calorie Balance: -452
Men: a few emails...bachelor #1 was going to call, but he has not...hmmmm.

Have a great evening!

Laura

Friday On My Mind

I've had "Friday on My Mind" since Monday for sure!  I'm happy the weekend is upon us!  And the Winter Olympics have started!

Tomorrow morning, I have a nice 10 mile goal pace run with the fabulous 4:45 pace group.  Saturday evening, I'm going a girls only unValentine Party, and then sneaking out for date #2 with bachelor #3!  Is that playing both sides?  I hope I am forgiven.  I have no plans on Sunday, so I'm hoping to get in some ab work on my bosu ball, post the recipes I've been promising, and clean out some closets.  I  think I will also be mourning the first weekend without football.  How are you spending your weekend?  Here's what I've been up to since Tuesday...

Eats
On Wednesday, I had my usual breakfast of Nature Path's Maple Nut Oatmeal with 1/2 c. frozen blueberries & cinnamon in addition to my coffee with 1/2 c. of 1% milk and 1 t. sugar. 

In the morning, I had an Almond & Cashew KIND bar and 1 oz of Pirate's Booty.  Lunch was a Pesto chicken flatbread by Lean Cuisine and two clementines.  Afternoon snack included a banana and a Clif Z Chocolate Chip bar.  I was hungry all day long.  I think it was due to work stress.  Anyhow, I met a friend for happy hour and had two waterbabies (martini with vodka and pineapple juice), some brie with crackers and pear & blue cheese thin crust pizza.  Yum!

Thursday was another high calorie day.  It marked my return to plain oats as I was out of my stash of my usual oatmeal.  So I used 1/2 c. of these oats...

And I added 1/2 c. frozen blueberries and 1 T. of maple syrup.  The oats were substantial for sure.  But the maple syrup didn't really do the trick for me, and I love maple syrup.  My snack and lunch eats were pretty similar to Wednesday and then I had happy hour with bachelor #3, our first date.  I had two pom martinis and chicken flatbread pizza (not by Lean Cuisine). 

Today was a day to put things back in check.  Both Wednesday and Thursday had been 2000+ calorie days.  This is fine if I want to maintain my weight, but not OK if I want to lose. 

I again had the 1/2c. of the irish-style oatmeal this morning, but instead used brown sugar as my sweetener and added some pecans.  It was far better than the maple syrup option.  I had a Gingerbread Clif Bar for my morning snack.  Lean Cusine mac & cheese and two clementines for lunch and afternoon snack was just a Clif Z bar.  Dinner was yakisoba noodles with some Morningstar Farms Chick'n Nuggets,  low sodium soy sauce, and cherry tomatoes.

I realize that the combination might sound a little odd, or perhaps you are looking for the word disgusting, but it really hit the spot, and gave some needed carbs!

Runs
Wednesday was my third day in a row on the treadmill.  UGH.  I promised myself that no matter, I was heading outside on Thursday.  4 miles on the dread, recovery pace.  I fought every second on the treadmill, that's when you know you've spent far too many mornings on it!  There was a new old guy in the basement gym, so I wasn't alone but he wasn't much of a distraction to take my mind off of the boredom.

Thursday was freedom!  I ventured outside with my new warm tights and did a nice 5 miler, a few fartleks thrown in, but only when the loop wasn't covered in ice or snow!  I enjoyed watching the park come to life...even if my hands got a little chilled.  There is no reason for that, I have a box of hand warmers and just forgot to bring them with me...the sunrise was pretty as I watched the sunlight illuminate the clouds with a wonderful pink color.

Men
Bachelor #1 and I had a fabulously candid conversation last night.  He's a good man and he reinforced this with his honesty about his reaction to work stress and his weekend plans.  Bachelor #2 and I had a rather juicy text exchange on Wednesday night, which was a lot of fun. 

And then on Thursday, I met Bachelor #3 for the first time.  It is always interesting to see yourself in someone else's eyes.  Especially when the person is rather perceptive.  Bachelor #3 told me I sounded hesitant to meet him in person.  And I was.  Only because we hadn't exchanged a lot of emails first.  And I'm used to doing this before meeting a match.com guy face to face.  I thought however that I hadn't let on about my hesitancy.  The evening was great, I really enjoyed our conversation.  I think he could be a hybrid of the best qualities of Bachelors #1 and #2.  I'm excited to see him again tomorrow.

Daily Totals - Wednesday
Eats: 2098 calories (14% Protein, 59% Carbs (299 g), 27% Fat)
Calories Burned: 2005
Calorie Balance: +94 calories
Run: 4 miles

Daily Totals - Thursday
Eats: 2176 calories (12% Protein, 64% Carbs (320 g), 24% Fat)
Calories Burned: 2236
Calorie Balance: - 60 calories
Run: 5.09 miles

Daily Totals - Friday
Eats: 1667 calories (14% Protein, 62% Carbs (265 g), 24% Fat)
Calories Burned: 1725
Calories Balance: -58 calories
Run: Planned day off

OK, all caught up!  Hope you make the most of your weekend!

Laura

A Better Day

Hope you all had an awesome Tuesday!  Work stress is still the same.  But I've decided, with the help of my friends, that my conversations with Bachelor #1 did not warrant anymore stress!

Eats
I started the morning with my coffee, with 1/2 c. 1% milk and 1 t. sugar and two fig newtons.

I love fig newtons.  I had these beauties before I hopped on the treadmill for a 7 mile speedwork session.  I would have preferred to be outside, but it was on the cold side and could have been a little slippery with the snow we got yesterday.  Plus, I think it is easier to do speedwork on the treadmill.  Anyhow, I did three miles at easy pace, three miles at marathon goal pace and then 1 mile at recovery pace.

I then ate breakfast no. 2.  Two frozen waffles, 1/2 c. blueberries and 1 T. of maple syrup.

I find that if I am using frozen blueberries, there is enough juice after warming them up that I don't need as much maple syrup.  They were yummy!

My mid-morning snack was an Almond & Cashew KIND bar.  Lunch was Lean Cuisine Mac & Cheese and two clementines.  And my afternoon snack was a banana and a Clif Z bar.  I know, same exact thing as yesterday.

Dinner was all about my love.  The avocado.  I mashed up 3.75 oz of avocado and added some onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper and sea salt.  I served this with a few grape tomatoes and corn thins (skinny rice cakes made out of corn).

And then I had some MorningStar Farm's Chik'n Nuggets with 1 T. bbq sauce.

I then checked my calories burned for the day and saw that I could eat a few more calories.  So I had a slice of honey whole wheat bread with 1 T. of jam.

No Pirate's Booty binge this evening!

Calories Burned
When I started my weight loss journey, I joined 24 hour fitness.  I hired a personal trainer and he introduced me to the Body Bugg.  You may have seen it on the Biggest Loser.  Its something you where on your arm and it looks like this...

I've worn it practically for three years and replaced it when the new model, pictured above, was released.  And each evening I download the data it collects and it tells me how many calories I burned.  And this is also the software I use to log my food.  It shows me my calorie balance.  Based on this, I could predict with shocking accuracy how much weight I would lose each week.  The results were right on par for what the program told me.  It was key in making sure I was moving...and the more I moved, the more I could eat.  Viola, the 100+ pounds came off. 

The body bugg showed me that weight loss really is about calories in and calories out.  Yes, hormones, medication, salt intake and other things can impact your weight too, but at the end of the day, its really about calories in and calories out.  So when I report my calorie burn, it is based on what my body bugg says.

Daily Totals
Run: 7 miles speedwork, 3 miles at marathon goal pace
Eats: 1854 calories (11% protein, 62% carbs (299 g carbs), 27% fat)
Calories Burned: 2482
Men: Sexy email exchange with Bachelor #2, he made me blush!  Confirmed date with Bachelor #3 for Thursday.

Good night!

Laura

Slow Start

Sorry I didn't check in last night but I do have totals from yesterday.  I was on track to have a calorie deficit and then I let my work stress and relationship anger dictate my choices in the evening.  At least I'm being accountable to myself...right?

Food
My eats yesterday included:
Breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries and cinnamon; coffee with 1/2 c. 1% milk and 1 t. sugar
Morning Snack: Almond & Cashew KIND Bar
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Mac & Cheese and two clementines
Afternoon Snack: banana & Clif Z chocolate chip bar
Dinner: 2 eggs, 1/2 T. ketchup, slices of toast with 1 T whipped butter and 1 T raspberry pom jam...and I  remembered to take a picture of it! But not before I grabbed a bite of toast. 

I also ate my dinner without the TV and computer on.  I enjoyed the experience and focued on eating slowly.  All was great.  And then Bachelor #1 called.  It was a frustrating call.  He was exhausted and I'm not even sure why he called, he really didn't have the energy to support a conversation.  His indecision about this coming weekend or any plans to see one another in the next two weeks created a lot of doubt.  After we ended our conversation, I realized how mentally tired I was from work.  I should have gone to bed.  Instead, I ate a bag of Pirate's Booty.  Not a serving, but a whole bag.  UGH.  So I'm getting off to a slow start to the "back on the wagon" declaration.  But I'll get there.

Daily Totals
Run: 4 miles, on the treadmill, nice recovery pace
Eats: 2104 calories (12% protein, 60% carbs (327g), 28% fat)
Calories Burned: 2141 (I'll post later on how I compute this)
Calorie Balance: -37 calories
Men: a delightful email exchange with bachelor #2; a frustrating email exchange and phone call with bachelor #1

The scale was nice to me this morning.  I'm glad some of the gain was merely water weight.  But I need to be focused on having a better Calorie Balance.

Have an awesome Tuesday!

Laura

I Need You

OK, my bravado of "I don't need to log my food" and "I want to be 'normal'" has officially backfired.  The scale was not good to me this morning.  Neither was the pair of pants I put on.  I am "back on the wagon."  And part of that is this blog.  Reporting daily on my activity and calorie intake.  So you'll hear from me this evening! 

This weekend was good in the activity department.  I completed a 20 mile run and felt strong afterwards.  This gave me additional confidence to know that the Little Rock Marathon is exactly the race I am supposed to do.  While my training has not been perfect, I am going to enjoy the experience and have a good race. 

This weekend's food was too much.  It included buttercream frosting, avocado roll, polenta with parmesan cheese, grouper, hot chocolate, 7 layer dip with tortilla chips, wings, chili, pizza (thick crust), beer and wine.  UGH.  So this morning, I began again.  Oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries.  And a renewed commitment to track my activity and food.  I'm going to toast to that!  With a glass of water.

Laura

Weekend Catch Up and January Wrap-Up

What a weekend! 

A Few Runs

Saturday was a 10 mile goal pace run.  And my first week as pace group leader.  As pace group leader, I'm to hit certain paces so that folks can just follow along.  There were about 15 people in the group.  A lot of people were planning on running 4 miles, a few 6-8 and one other person was going 10 miles as well.  We started off great, but after the 4 mile turn around, a few people picked up the pace.  Which is totally OK.  Unfortunately, this "fast" group missed the trail marker and went straight when they should have gone left.  So yes, my first day as pace group leader and I lose my group.  They didn't seem worse for the wear, perhaps we because we had some great views!

Sunday was an off day.  Monday was a four mile recovery run.  I opted for the treadmill.  No, the weather is just like it usually is in the morning, mid twenties, no precip.  Sometimes I get spooked when I have to head outside and its still dark out.  And I opted for the treadmill again this morning for a 8 mile run with 16 x 400s. Actually, the schedule called for 8 miles with 8 x 800s, but I don't think I can maintain good form at tempo pace for that long.  The workout was hard, but the sense of accomplishment was huge!  The first eight 400s were challenging, but I was strong and my form was great.  The last eight 400s I had to fight hard to maintain good form. 

This will be my highest mileage week of this training session.  I'm looking forward to saying I had a 40+ mile training week after my long run on Saturday!

My total mileage for January was 123.32.  Not too shabby.

The Men
I started the weekend off on Friday evening with a date with Bachelor #1.  We've been dating for about four weeks.  We cooked chicken piccatta at his place.  Bachelor #1 is a very sweet man.  He is good with the nice touches...fresh pasta, flowers on the dining room table...And he's a good man.  I then helped him prep for his Saturday ski trip to the mountains.  I joke that he's a successful ski bum. 

Saturday night was a date with Bachelor #2.  This was date #3.  He's quite different from Bachelor #1, communication style, career, life experiences.  I like them both equally well, so I think this spells trouble for me.  We had a pleasant evening of cocktails, appetizers, excellent wine and his hot tub. He's incredibly easy to talk to. 

Sunday night was my first and only date with Bachelor #3.  I had a feeling that it wasn't going to go well.  Let's just say that Bachelor #3 was not as advertised.  Honestly, I wanted to flee from the wine bar as he was walking in.  I felt badly, dating is just a very vulnerable experience.  You have to put forth your confident-self while fighting down the demons of doubt.  I think this can manifest itself so that some guys focus on the possessions they have accumulated instead of what makes them special. 

Monday night was another date with Bachelor #1.  It felt perfect.  He's the type of man that makes you feel safe and appreciated.  He's engaging and sweet.  Oh, I mentioned that already.  Anyhow, he's off on vacation this week so this will be a quiet weekend for me.   I have a date with Bachelor #2 tomorrow and then that will be it for the week.   Bachelor #2 has his daughter this weekend.  I'm actually looking forward to the "me" time.  What should I do with that time?

The Food
Well, I ended January weighing the same I weighed at the beginning of January.  What does weight have to do with food?  Well, everything.  Exercise increases your calorie burn but if you don't watch your calorie intake, then you'll gain.  A part of me is happy to have maintained my weight, because I've been eating a lot of meals in restaurants and drinking far more than I usually do.  And yet another part of me is unhappy because I wanted to be a few pounds less.

February is a new month.  I have not determined my strategy.  Honestly, I'm tired of logging everything I eat.  I want to feel "normal."  So for the next two weeks, I'm not going to log my food.  That means no daily totals.  Let's see how it goes, eh?

I will however do a better job at sharing my food and posting recipes over the next few days.

Have an awesome evening!

Laura