Tuesday Tidbit: It's My Birthday!!!

Middle age is when your age 

starts to show around your middle. 

~Bob Hope

Before breakfast I got the best gift. A jacket in summer! Yep, you read that right. I have been wanting a white jacket since forever. I feel like white jackets are feminine and pretty.

 Breakfast was Super Hubby's specialty Shakshuka. It was served with great crusty bread, fresh avocado and his signature chopped cilantro. We also had some cooling fresh fruit, watermelon and raspberries.

After breakfast I seriously considered crawling into bed and staying there, but feeling rested and well fed I thought I could make better use of my day and went to a boot camp work out at the gym. That was great and I made it home with time to shower and watch TV-fiddle on the internet for an hour and a half. Who knew there was so much time in the day?

Noon-Hair cut. Just a trim really, but I love that I get it blown out straight, I feel like a fun, prettier, hipper version of myself with straight hair. Like it is a costume or disguise or something.

Lunch-Lunch with my hubby at my favorite seafood restaurant in town. I was anticipated a mahi mahi or halibut encrusted with some delicious macadamia nuts or pistachios, but it wasn't to be. Instead I went with the California combo. This was fried taken to the extreme with a some cod, shrimp AND calamari. Too much food. Too much and no picture to share.

I planned to nap when I got home, but I was feeling home sick so I baked a chocolate cake and rainbow confetti cup cakes. Chocolate sounded boring so I put mini chocolate chips in it and that sounded too boring so I also made banana cream pudding and plan to make a triffle with it. Rainbow confetti didn't seem colorful enough so I portioned the batter out and used 5 different colors of food coloring and piped them into the cupcake cups to make a tye died confetti style cupcake. Super fun! So how does this relate to being home sick? Well, I am taking said deserts to my family for a dessert party. My parents were out of the country for a month and I figured why not use my birthday as a way to get us all together for a night.

In the few minutes after I was done baking and just settled into bed to finish my movie from early in the day I got a call (hang up) and a knock at the door. Would you believe it? I was delivered some delicious Sherry's Berries. Thanks AMW, this was a very cool gift.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I surround myself with awesome people who love me.

The Big Picture: I wasn't sure my day was going to be "perfect." We usually do something extravagant like a long weekend away, but this year with our family vacation coming up, we decided not to. Instead, I just took the day off to relax and found that the phone calls, text messages and family dessert night was just what my heart and soul needed this birthday.

Thankful Three:

1. For a peaceful day
2. For my new outfit from my nieces and nephew
3. For Netflix

 

Sunday Summary: Home Run in the Kitchen

  All happiness depends 

on a leisurely breakfast. 

~John Gunther

So while this blog post will focus on how flipp'n awesome I was in the kitchen today, I can't go without sharing with you a summary of the last few days. No I haven't worked out, yes I know that is not shocking anyone, but we'll talk more work out stuff in another post. First I have to tell you that my oldest graduated from preschool and he looked fabulous! I used to think "graduating" from pre-school or kindergarten was lame, but man did my son feel accomplished and it is certainly setting the tone for him as he prepares for elementary school so I guess these types of things aren't so bad.

Friday night my extended family gathered at a local winery to celebrate my cousin's 30th birthday. Why it didn't occur to us to get a huge family photo is beyond me. We did snap this one and it is a glimpse of what life would be like if I lived back home. I only live 15 minutes away, but when you come from a "small" town kind of place, anything outside of city limits is "far" and there is a tendency to get left out of the Saturday coffee invites or last minute drinks. It is only 15 minutes people! Ok, well 15 minutes plus trying to nail down a sitter, but still.

We were in town on Thursday night to see our nieces last softball game, my hubby sponsored her team. We ran into 2 aunts, 2 cousins and boat load of kids at the pizza parlor. Small towns equal impromptu family reunions.

Ok, on to my greatness in the kitchen with a nod to Pinterest, My Recipes and Farmer's Market:

Zucchini Puffs
Zucchini Puffs-light crispy outside, fluffy inside. I found several recipes on Pinterest all boasting tater tot like texture and I found that they were more fluffy and strata or quiche esque on the inside, but light and crispy on the outside. I made this for breakfast this morning hoping not to let my excess of zucchini's go to waste this week. I adapted what I read and did the following:

1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
(squeeze all the liquid out-used 4 medium zucchini)
1/4 cup (heaping) of finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup (heaping) of crushed saltine crackers
1/4 shredded parmesean
1 egg
salt & pepper to taste

fills 12 mini muffin cups, I sprayed with non-stick olive oil spray

400 degree over for 18 minutes

I would absolutely make these again and would likely serve them at a brunch or gathering, because they are so good, other people must try them.

Oatmeal Banana chocolate chip cookies

This recipe is straight from My Recipes and the only adaptation I made was to make a few in a mini muffin tin which took the same amount of time and dipped the tops in melted semi-sweet chocolate and froze them to harden the tops. So good with a cup of decaf in the afternoon

Farm Fresh Fried-Taquitos
2 inches of canola oil (can use any kind for frying)
Corn Tortillas for rolling (microwave for 25 seconds to soften enough for rolling)
sauteed in 1 tsp of olive oil:
1 tsp minced garlic
2 medium zucchini, chopped

Once the zucchini was semi cooked add
1/4 cup canned corn, can use fresh if desired
2 cups of spinach, cook spinach to desired texture

***I am so bummed I didn't take a picture of the sautee before I used it, it was beautiful***

I spooned this mixture into corn tortillas, sprinkled lightly with jack cheese (can't be too full or it will ooze into oil) then fried until golden brown about 1 minute then roll over for another minute. We served it with homemade guacamole, light sour cream and queso fresco.

Farm Fresh Fried-Enchiladas
Use leftover sautee from above and roll into corn tortillas filled with enough jack cheese to be ooey gooey and drizzle a little red enchilada sauce inside. I like to layer some sauce at the bottom of a 9x9 pan, put the rolled enchiladas in the cover them with more sauce and topped with cheese and a sprinkle of cilantro for an added fresh kick. (For my authentic enchilada makers, no I do not fry my sauce or tortillas in this recipe so I can same time on prep, if you know your way around enchiladas, adapt to your liking)

Why I Kick A$$: My yummy food speaks for itself.

The Big Picture: Enchiladas are delicious, even when I don't go all the way authentic like mom and cook the sauce and tortillas.

Thankful Three:

1. For a relaxing Sunday
2. For delicious confidence boosting home cooked food
3. For waking up motivated to be Susie Homemaker today

Friday Five: Actually Working Out

I was always looking outside myself for 

strength and confidence 

but it comes from within.

Anonymous

Glad they look fun and pretty, because it is not that much fun and it sure doesn't look pretty LOL

1. Wow, working a full 5-day work week is tough stuff. LOL yeah, I have been very lucky to be taking so much time off lately that this week was a challenge to get through mentally. I've gotten so much done and I have all day today to do more. Phew, good thing it is almost the weekend....wait?
2. Tomorrow I am going to a wedding. I am super excited for my friends to be married, I am NOT super excited about the heat for this outdoor 4PM wedding. Fortunately, there will be refreshments if you know what I mean.
3. Workouts, what's working and what's not. I haven't run since I can't remember when. Has it been a week? Two? I have been lifting weights though. Weights on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday I went to a HIIT bootcamp style class, Thursday was Kettle bells and today a class appropriately title Guts and Butts. I dig the class thing and I am definitely seeing some muscle tone from the weight lifting I am doing at home, but I was too weak to hold some of the 1-1.5 minute circuits at both HIIT and Kettle Bell. It is crazy, I have no idea how I was ever an athlete?
4. Sunday is fathers day and I haven't gotten my husband anything. He is nearly impossible to shop for so I need to get it together in the next, uh 24 hours? We are going to an A's Game and are pretty excited about Coco Crisp Chia Pet day LOL Actually, what is most exciting is some of our bestest friends who just moved back to California will be there and that is a gift in and of itself.
5. Eating. I packed my lunches all week, I am rocking my protein shakes, fiber and water in take, but on class days i am extra hungry, even beyond the extra calories I get for what I am burning. I am also not so restrictive that I am going to pretend that I am not going to drink and eat a lot at the wedding, like cheese off my fingers from the Nachos at the game or burp hot dogs the rest of the day Sunday. Yeah, I know super sexy for the hubby LOL It will be a fun day, hot and probably exhausting for the kiddos, but fun

Why I Kick A$$: My biceps are a quarter inch smaller and more defined. Out with the fat in with the toned muscle. NOTE: I am not trying to bulk up, just firm up.

The Big Picture: Damn it, I wish I knew. Actually, I love the way my body feels and is functioning. My biggest complaint is the belly swell, but I can feel my abs coming in underneath, just have to get more cardio in to burn fat. All in good time.

Thankful Three

1. For wonderful bloggers sharing great information.
2. For a really neat gym offering dynamic classes that not only hold my interest, but are offered at ridiculous 5AM and 6AM start times.
3. For the nice guy that sold me my protein and not a single unwanted-needed item more.

Monday Motivation: What's Next?

It is never too late to be 

who you might have been.  

~George Eliot

Recap: 
I starting eating better back in February and my energy levels and mood have steadily improved. No weight loss though. I started a weights routine early May and hot damn do my arms and legs feel sexy. They may not look it quite yet, but the fact that I feel it has done wonders for my self esteem. I've lost 1.5 inches from the smallest part of my waist in the last month. I am only 2 inches away from where I was once very happy with my waist.

My belly is a whole other story. I am 2 inches bigger than where I am comfortable and more like 4 inches from my goal. The belly is always the last to cooperate for me. Eating as a focus is a challenge, especially with so many festivities planned these last few months and going throughout the summer. The day to day I am good with. I have been packing my meals for the day and eating healthily for dinner when I am home. Out...another story.

I found my water, fiber and protein balance. Goodness gracious, it took me months, but I am there. I have found the balance. I have found my weight lifting zone, I am sure I'll need to mix it up, but wow, the results with such a manageable effort (3-5x per week about 20 minutes a night). So the last thing...cardio. Dang it, my last 2 weeks have been weak, I have an easy plan, but more excuses than I know what to do with.

Fitness In My Face:
A girl friend just finished her first full. My old trainer just won an award at a fitness model competition. A guy I just met at work this past week has been so committed to Cross fit, he packed an ice chest to our meeting so he could stay on point with his diet. My BFF has shaved inches off her body and has been building muscle successfully for the last 5 weeks. My other friend texted me Friday, she lost 6 lbs in her first week of weight loss efforts. I have run into several work people who are boasting about their latest half marathons or marathon plans. One was even going to one of my dream vacation places, Bend, OR to run and drink beer. How dreamy is that. So what do I think about all this? I think, H-E-double hockey sticks, yeah! I needed some motivation and now I have a laundry list of people who are holding themselves accountable and to look to when I need motivation.

So what is next?
I have got to get better at "the plan." Sure I have a general work out plan. Run Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. What I don't have is a drilled down version that reads what time of day I plan to do any of my work outs. Even my weights routine, I just do it at night without any plan. So I think I should have more structure. The reason my eating during the day is so controlled is because I pretty much plan the night before what I am going to eat and when and plug it into my handy dandy myfitnesspal app. I just have such a lackadaisical approach some times... fear of commitment LOL

Events: 
I am still trying to decide among an 8K, 10K, 12K and half marathon. August is a 10K for sure, September might be a mud run and October is the big one, Nike Women's half marathon in SF. I am fighting the urge to do a full in December. Some friends are doing their first full and it's fairly local....I need to keep reminding myself that I have no real desire to go that distance. 

Why I Kick A$$: I am overwhelmed by happiness tonight. I love when I get that feeling, like nothing in the world matters. I wish my only job was to be home with my family, hanging out and loving life.

The Big Picture: My life is pretty great, because I have a pretty great job that enables us to have as much family time as we do have and wonderful weekends like this past one.

Thankful Three:

1. For the ice cream, dipped in chocolate and nuts at Costco (shared)
2. For dinner with my in laws
3. So many people doing so well with fitness, so motivational

Friday Five: Nothing's Changed?

Easy reading is damn hard writing. 

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I don't know how I so much time has lapsed since my last post, but it seems nothing has changed? I am still focusing on my fitness and food. I guess to be a better blogger, I should start by just blogging. Novel idea, no?! The never ending saga. My guess is that since I blog at night and I have been weight lifting at night that I just can't seem to manage both lifting at night and blogging at night. That and my late bloomer self has hopped on the Friday Night Light's band wagon late and have been watching the series on Netflix while I weight lift and after as I wind down. Oooh, and I have been reading more. Without further delay, my Friday Five:

1. I read Bob Harper's Book The Skinny Rules. I wish he picked a different name, someone else published a book by the same title not so long ago HERE. Any way I guess that is neither here nor there. So I read the book and think for those with serious weight issues can benefit from his very simple plan. When I work on my weight I apply many of his same methods, but do not yield the same results....then again I don't stick to them for the blocks of time he suggests. For example there is an initial 30 day phase and then the program changes a bit. What I do like about his book and that I discovered only recently is that he emphasizes eating within 30 minutes to 1 hour of waking and having protein and EVERY MEAL.
2. I was tricked! I am embarrassed to admit it, but I am reading 50 Shades of Grey. People all over the place were talking about how great it was, it was on best selling lists and I thought it was a teenager book when I heard it was banned from a high school reading list. A friend of mine read it and said it was like soft porn. I laughed and thought it was an exaggeration. I figured I'd fine a taboo scene or something, but boy was I wrong. If you are interested, know you will be reading some risque stuff. Fun reading if you are into that kind of thing, but not for the bashful.
3. Eating. So I did great for a while and the energy levels were clearly up with my efforts. I prepped on Sunday by chopping fruits and veggies for the week, during week nights I pre-packed my lunches and wasn't eating after 8:00PM. I updated my fitness pal with more aggressive protein and fiber goals and started to really strike a balance with my food in take. Then Super Hubby went on a fishing trip and I spent a few days in San Francisco and at family parties and suddenly all my pre-packed and prepped life went down the toilet. Ok so I guess that was my fault. Darn food choices. I hurt my neck and obviously the only cure was brownies and cookies.
4. What seems to work for me and what doesn't

• Significantly more water. I was getting 60 ounces on non-work out days and thought I was awesome. 100-120 ounces really makes me feel so much better.
• Protein. I am now eating protein at every meal, not including snacks and I have upped my intake from the basic .8 grams per pound of body weight to closer to 1.3. This tough to do strictly through food so I am on the hunt for a protein powder that does not eat up my 1200 calorie daily in take.Whey isolate, not yummy. Spirulina, yummy. Next on my trial list is whey and casein combo, hemp and pea proteins. Soy is not an option.
• I am lifting. Almost every day. The focus on strength makes me feel fit even when the belly fat doesn't instantly disappear.
• Fiber. I used to get 15 grams. My doctor recommended 25. I find 30-35 is a better fit for me at the moment. My current issue is varying my insoluable and soluable fibers. I tend to get more soluable in my diet than insoluable. Trying to balance insoluable in my 1200 calorie daily in take target is my current challenge.
• What is not working is getting my runs in when Super Hubby is gone. I will be paying the gym day care in the future to make sure I don't have an excuse to skip a needed run.
• What is not working is staying up too late to watch TV

5. 10K Training round 2 is not going as well as round 1. So far week 1 I did my two weekly runs, but missed my long run. Good news is the long run was only 3.5 miles.  Week 2 didn't start off well either. I hurt my neck. It almost felt like whiplash so I had to skip my Tuesday night run and didn't want to push it tonight. I plan to pick back up tomorrow. Good news is that it is a repeat of week 1. It is a slow building 8 week plan and I think I may drop the 10K goal in favor of a local 8K trail run series.

The Big Picture: I still only have 10 lbs to lose, so I can take my time to learn and grow into a normal eater. My brain still thinks I am a division 1 athlete. While that was a lifetime ago, my brain really thinks that I have the ability to be that same girl. I can...if I was doing 3 a days, sure I could be that girl. The goal here is to learn how to be that girl that sits at a desk 8+ hours day and still looks close to the basketball player I used to be.

Why I Kick A$$: I only have 10 lbs to go.

Thankful Three

1. For quick fixes like better hydration and nutrition
2. For time to read again even if it meant a break from blogging
3. For a short work week

Friday Five: 10K, Fitness Check and Food

The belly rules the mind. 

~Spanish Proverb

1. Last week's 10K was spectacular! My body handled it well. I didn't run for time, but confident if I did that both my legs and lungs were up for the challenged. I stuck with my buddy.  She let me fly on the downhills, but I'd wait for on the flats and she was kind to me when she tackled the uphills.

I really love my new hot pink arm sleeves.

2. So while my legs and lungs were ready for that 10K, they were not ready for a Kettle Kore workout I did the day before. I thought a little core cross training wouldn't hurt the day before. I was wrong. The squat twists, obliques while in a squat and the single leg dead lifts made recovering from the 10K brutal. So far eating and running has not been completely effective in regaining a fitter version of myself and it is time to incorporate for strength to my routine. Super Hubby scored a great group on to a newish fitness studio in town, so my hope is to hit a kettle bell work out 1x per week for the next 10 weeks and see how that helps. Ideally, this will supplement what I should be doing at home in terms of core and general strength training.

3. This week was supposed to be an easy week with only 2 miles on the schedule for both Tuesday and Thursday and 2.5 tomorrow and an easy 25-30 minutes Sunday. So far I have done nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. I am ok with that. My next 8 week training cycle starts on Monday and it is easy with my week day runs at 2-2.5 miles and my long run at 3.5 miles. I am training for another 10K and I am really happy about the time that 10K training affords me and my family. It is a great distance, not too imposing on life, work, family etc..

4. Um, ok...silly question. How do I eat right? Plant based? Whole food? Organic? Yeah, those answers are no brainers, right? My body is normally very responsive. Cutting out fast food, fried food and sweets are normally a great way to drop those nagging pounds. Well it hasn't been working for me lately. (People who know me personally ignore the way you have seen me eat these last three days)

So now I venture into details. I hated detailed eating, I wish I could mindlessly eat exactly what I need when I needed it and only what I need. Now I am listening curiously to people not eating bread more than one meal a day, cutting out dairy to lower inflammation, eating 35 + grams of fiber, eating within an hour of waking, topping off glycogen stores every two hours and taking every vitamin known to man. I have juice fasted for 2.5 days once. It was funny. Not hard, no immediate results and no desire to do it longer. I know there are 1 day, 3 day and week long fasts and versions of others that last much longer than that. I am not a fan of fad diets because I have very little drive or committment for that kind of thing. I am not into meal replacement shakes because it is not a sustainable idea for me. Right now I am just trying to figure out how to get all I need, easily and within my 1200 calorie weight loss budget. I only want to lose about 10 pounds. Yes I said only, but damn it it is tough!

5. Good news! The new fitness studio I am visiting for Kettle bell also gave me a fitness assessment including a calipers body fat test. I actually have less body fat than where I was last year mid season. It is obvious that aside from my top heaviness, I am carrying my weight in my middle like most and I know I can overcome this with a little effort. Ugh, effort, bleh!

The Big Picture: Long term, I understand eating well and nourishing my body is a life long commitment, short term I know weight loss will take effort.
Why I Kick A$$: For working hard enough to be able to take a couple days off guilt free.

How I enjoy down time to myself...sitting in the sun.

Thankful Three:

1. For a night away in SF with Super Hubby.
2. For Duder having a great first sleep over with his uncle and aunt.
3. For so much time off work lately to recharge.

Thoughtful Thursday: Happy Mexican Mother's Day

God could not be everywhere, 

so he created mothers.

~Jewish Proverb

"Hot Mexican Mama"

"Happy Mother's Day to my Wife- Nothing could ever come between us, Dear."

"Well, except the kids. 'There's a monster under my bed.'"

I loved this card Super Hubby gave me this morning. There was also a special note inside that I am keeping to myself, but he was mushy, husband-y and father-y. I am a lucky girl.

The Big Picture: Family is everything.

Why I Kick A$$: I married the most amazing man and he gave me the most beautiful children.

Thankful Three:

1. For my own mother, she is an amazing woman
2. For a lunch date with Super Hubby
3. For time to myself today

The Turn Around: Finding Happiness, a Diary Entry

Most folks are about as happy 

as they make up their minds to be. 

~Abraham Lincoln

Wednesday "Hump Day" sounds funny, but like an out and back run it marks the turn around to the work week. Today is an exception to the rule in that I am off Thursday and Friday. An amazing thing has evolved...happiness, effortless happiness. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy and have been happy for a long time. I have always wanted and worked towards having happiness in my life. What I am talking about is the routine of making sure I have a balance of things in my life. Like working hard, but not taking myself to seriously. Like staying fit, but not obsessing. Like being with my family, but not neglecting myself. Spending time on me, but keeping my distance from being selfish. My goodness, it is this balance I have sought out for so long and I almost missed that it has arrived. I am riding a wave of balance...well almost. My weight is still a battle, but it is strictly for vanity. I am healthy, my weight does not prevent me from being active and I have no ailments. I just really want to feel better in my clothes. Moving on, here is a recap of the lovely life I've gotten to live since last time I posted. It is in diary format and long, but hey it's my blog and I am pretty sure I can do that, right?

05/02
I didn't have to work more than an 8 hour day, I got to run after work and took the kids on a bike and tricycle ride while my amazing husband prepared a delicious dinner. My man is a manly man and knows his way around the kitchen.

05/03
Another straight forward, 8 hour day at work. I am blessed to have steady employment and a supportive boss who has graciously approved my time off without question. I zipped into San Francisco this night to watch Don Quixote at the ballet with my sister-in-law. I feel weird saying in law, because the closer we become the more it truly feels like we are siblings. The night was wonderful, started with Sushi, then the ballet filled with gorgeous costumes and flawless choreography and if we weren't feeling fancy enough, we headed over to NOPA a trendy restaurant for 2nd "dinner." We had amazing deep fried Fava beans and serious cocktails. Strongly recommend the place to anyone wanting a quality food experience in a positive atmosphere. Bonus, one can actually go to dinner at 11 PM and have a great time.

05/04
I truly am blessed to live where I do. I ended up staying over in SF since my boss gave me Friday off. We woke up early, headed to the Embarcadero, ran-walked to Chrissy field and back, about 7 miles. I even got to stop into the Ferry Building for a croissant and Kefir and OJ. Seriously one of my favorite drinks. My morning was perfect and my afternoon was equally great. I got lots of house work done, then visited with my cousins who just had a baby boy, picked up kids from school and then went to our Uncle's house for Friday night dinner. Family is beautiful and time to spend with them, precious.

05/05
Just me and the kids today since Super Hubby was at an over night golf tournament (Fri-Sat). What better thing to do than to visit my BFF and her daughters who are the same age as my rug rats. Who needs therapy when you have best friends. D always grounds me, makes me feel confident in myself and in doing so makes me sad that I don't get to sit in her living room everyday...she lives out of town. Time with friends always rejuvenates me. At the end of our time I headed home, did all my house work chores and when Super Hubby came home to be with the kids, I walked to our neighborhood trendy restaurant for dinner and drinks with some of the local girls.

05/06
Super Hubs had to work a little and Duder had Temple pre-school. The arrangement allowed me and my Bug to have little girls day. We had breakfast then headed to farmer's market and then had time for the street fair with my mom and aunt. I can't wait for more of these little outings as she grows. After nap, we hosted some friends from school for dinner and a play date. The bonus about hosting a play date? I did all my house work on Saturday and Super Hubs did all the yard work. Our house is the cleanest when we are having company.

05/07
Monday was mellow, beautifully mellow and our little family got some swim time in after work and BBQ'd outside. I even hit the grocery before all this happened. I love how late it stays sunny. These types of afternoons scream weekend time, but this was my Monday!

05/08
Again with an easy day at work, I had time for short 3 mile run in the blazing heat then more swimming for the kids before a yummy dinner.

05/08
Work. Got EVERYTHING done. Seriously, every single thing on my to-do-list done. Dinner with my family and time for my hubby to head out for some afternoon fishing. Guess what, I have tomorrow and Friday off.

While I feel like I am taking a lot of time off from work lately, I also think it is an important component to maintain this sense of balance. Whether it is taking an half hour off to go run or a day off to relax. I understand not many people can do this. I know I am lucky to work for someone so flexible, but I also credit myself for positioning myself to afford the time off. I work my A$$ off to make sure I am not skipping out on my team or not pulling my weight. I instill confidence in my team and my boss that I can leave and that I have done what I need to do.

The Big Picture: There are times I will love every minute of my life and others where I will have to remind myself to love every minute. I am just enjoying how effortless that is for me right now.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I am working my training plan, it is not working me. Can't wait for Saturday's Trail 10K.

Thankful Three:

1. For life, for living, breathing and having my family with me.
2. For sunny days
3. For some mother-daughter time with my Bug this past weekend.

Tuesday Tidbit: Running and Fun, what more could a girl ask for

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.

~Coco Chanel 

Training got a little weird last week. I wanted to run on non run days so I did. I wanted to run further than was scheduled do I did. It has been great, eating last week was great, the scale was great, then the weekend arrived.

Training  miles planned/miles actually run
Mon rest/4 miles
Tues 3 mile run/rest a.k.a. Happy Hour
Wed CT/ 5 miles
Thurs 2.5 mile run/rest
Fri rest/2 mile run
Sat 4.5 mile run/2 mile since I ran 5 Wed
Sun CT/rest

This week is off to the exact right start, a rest day! On the horizon:

Mon- rest

Tues- 3.5

Wed- CT

Thurs- 3

Fri- rest

Sat- 5

Sun- 40 min EZ run or CT

This weekend I partially hosted a Bachelorette weekend. The sister of the bride arranged an amazing spa day with a delicious brunch. Mimosa's, Sangria, a chicken salad with curry in it that rocked my world and fruit salad etc. Then it was my part of the trip, a couple little "get to know you" games, went to a fancy restaurant TASTE and the next day hit a few wineries for some tasting. I had such a relaxing weekend. I also got to pick the brains of a personal trainer in training and a registered dietician. Fitness, health and girl talk all in one weekend. It was pretty awesome.

Saturday night dinner drinks

Filet, greens and that little tart is a Pt. Reyes blue cheese tart

I just had fruit and toast, but these eggs Benedict for everyone else were picture perfect

Such a beautiful group of girls on a beautiful day drinking beautiful wine

The Big Picture: As I reconnect with a running, a schedule is just a guide... kind of a minimum if you will. So when I was feeling a like a little more last week, I was ok with going for it.
Why I kick A$$: I have entered a fitness world that has some semblance of consistency.

Thankful Three:

1. For a girls weekend
2. For making another successful batch of my white chocolate cashew fudge
3. For mapping a wine tasting run, 6 miles, 4 wineries...should be fun!

The Turn Around: Wordless and Wonderful

Friday Five: HOT Baby!

Sunshine on my shoulders 

makes me happy. 

~John Denver

You can't tell, but my shirt is completely soaked through and had it not been for the 15 minute drive with the A/C blowing, you would have gotten a picture with my face as red as my tank top!

HOT? Yeah you read right, HOT in more ways than one.

1. HOT- Running this week has been perfect. Nailed my Tuesday and Thursday run and despite planning to count tomorrow's 3.47 mile obstacle course mud run as my scheduled 4 miler, I felt like I needed a consecutive 4 miles *sans obstacle course* so I decided to run after work. Smart, no? 
2. HOT-HOT- I worked my regular 8 hour day, dropped off snacks at the pre-school since I would be running late and headed out for a 4 mile loop. First I misread the route and was finishing too soon, then about mile 2 I just could not stand the heat any longer and had to walk. I get that I live in California and people love the California sunshine as I did for my Tuesday and Thursday run, but today was ridiculous! 89 degrees of sunshine without shade--ridiculous! I know it doesn't sound bad, but there was no weather transition to acclimate to this HOT weather so it literally felt like a scorcher today. I planned to finish in 45 minutes, but with so much walking in miles 3 and 4 I finished drenched with sweat, skin on fire and energy zapped 47:45 minutes later.
3. HOT-HOT-HOT- Tomorrow is my mud run and I'm counting it toward my scheduled 35-40 minute easy run. It will take me longer than 40 minutes for sure and I am not sure how easy it will be. FUN yes, EASY? Maybe not so much. Sunday and Monday are consecutive rest days now and I think I'll appreciate that *schedule subject to change.
4. Woo Hoo I am on FIRE- My hydration has been so much better since I refocused a week or two ago which helped on today's surprisingly hot run.
5. UH, NOT SO HOT- The eating, my goodness, I am so not there yet. I am eating mostly good things, most of the time. My problem is volume. There is such a thing as too much good stuff. Calories in and calories out--tough concept I know. My weight is unnerving, but mostly I just want to fit in my pants...at that point I would care much less about the number on the scale. Unfortunately, I punish myself by stepping on the scale knowing what it is going to say and then sadly wiggle my way into some SPANX so I can try and fit into my work clothes. P.S. Some how I forgot how spandex-y running clothes don't quite make me feel like a rock star when I am not fit enough to be wearing them. I laughed when I saw a SPANX advertisement with people wearing them under work out clothes. While I refuse to do that simply because it is too damn HOT, I do get it now. I get it.

The Big Picture: Getting back to fit is a process. REPEAT, getting back to "FIT" is an ongoing process.

Why I Kick A$$: I gritted out the 4 blazing HOT miles today like a idiot trooper!

Thankful Three:

1. For tomorrow's mud run with Super Hubby.
2. For Sunday's family day.
3. For making it through my first full week of work in 4 weeks...I got away with several 3 day weekends these last few weeks for fun times, now it's is back to reality.

Monday Motivation: Kitchen Help!

Health and cheerfulness 

naturally beget each other. 

~Joseph Addison

I have stumbled upon some successful food methods for my household. I am not brilliant, I am not a genius and yes many of you have been doing this kind of stuff since forever, but here is a little of what has worked for us and plea for your fabulous ideas

Make large batches and refrigerate for easy use throughout the week.

• Steamed cubed sweet potatoes: great for a side dish or addition to our smoothies
• Baby spinach: great for sauteing into omelets, add to home made pizza or smoothies
• Couscous: great side dish, yummy made breakfast style
• Quinoa: great side dish, yummy made breakfast style
• Fruit: We always have apples and bananas, but we also have a seasonal fruit of the week that we can buy in bulk at an affordable price. So far this year we have had weeks featuring- Bartlette Pears, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Strawberries, Blueberries, Kiwis, Papaya, Pineapple, Mangoes... I can't remember them all, but with apples and bananas to mix up the daily serving of fruit, these feature fruits have been great for our budget while giving our kids much needed variety.
• Eggs: we boil 6-12 eggs and use them throughout the week for breakfast, snacks and sandwiches.
• Nuts: Cashews and Almonds are always in the house.
• Raisins: plain and yogurt covered. We use the plain raisins not only in oatmeal, but to make rice dishes more dynamic.
• Veges: We're boring. We are heavy broccoli, carrot and asparagus people. It is why we use spinach so much... to fill the green void. I personally love Brussel sprouts, beets and squashes, but my family doesn't. Any easy staples out there? 

So what do you do? 

I am looking for ideas. We are not great crock pot people, we have a few meat recipes we like, but it is not really a good fit for us. How do you cook and use beans or lentils? What planning methods do you employee? Any kid friendly tips?

The Big Picture: Healthy living is science, but not rocket science. Every good choice keeps us on a good path and every bad choice is nothing to dwell upon.

Why I Kick A$$: When I account for my actions, current waistline aside, I am not doing so bad. In fact I make plenty of good food and exercise choices for me and my family. I am proud of this.

Thankful Three:

1. For getting some rest this past weekend.
2. For my beautiful family.
3. For feeling refocused (again).

Sunday Summary: Playing Catch Up

Exercise should be regarded 

as tribute to the heart. 

~Gene Tunney

Goodness, I have had such a wonderful time since I last posted. Here's a mini-recap of what has happened and what will be happening in the next few days. Hope everyone is have a fabulous weekend especially all our very special BOSTON friends...pretty exciting!!

04/05 skipped my run in favor of running on my off day tomorrow
04/06 sub 10 minute miles for the 2 miles on my schedule, plus another 45 minutes on an elliptical, weights and abs since I had a gym date. I wish I had a gym date everyday, I am not the most self motivated person ever. Then I treated myself to some down time.

04/07 Family Vacation! Ok so not a long vacation, we just got a hotel in SF for the night, but look at how fun that turned out to be:

04/08 SF Zoo anyone? We started our day with another swim in the hotel pool, hours at the zoo and as you can see very tired babies 5 minutes after getting into the car for the drive home.

I got home and knocked out my short 3.5 miles on the schedule. Felt awesome, consistent pace and since I was so energized after my run I did some yard work before dinner. I love productive days.

04/09-04/12 boring, no workouts and lots of work. I hate when the week escapes me that way. I need to be better at not staying late up watching MADMEN on Netflix so I can wake up early instead and workout before my work day starts.

04/13 Disneyland! Yup, I went from one weekend in SF to another in LA. I must say, living in California has it's perks. The upside to it pouring rain? We got on every ride we wanted and there were hardly any lines.

04/14 Today we opted out of our plan A: More Disneyland and B: Hermosa Beach and went with plan C: 2.6 mile to The Grove, had a lovely lunch and walked the 2.6 miles back to the apartment before we embarked on our 5.5 hour drive home. Yes we came home early, but Friday went so well, we didn't NEED Saturday more than we needed today as a rest day. To top it off I came home to a new jacket, so super cute! I got a sweet jacket and I brought my husband a Jawa Star Wars car...fair trading of gifts, no?

04/15 Oh gosh I needed today. I missed a few invitations for a confirmation, two different gym date invites, volunteering at my synagogue etc...but I needed to sleep. I needed to spend time with my family taking my son to religious pre-school then enjoying Noah's Bagels and Starbucks with Super Hubby and the Bug. I needed to feel good buying fresh fruits and veges on a quick trip to Trader Joe's. I am hoping that with this beautiful day I will muster up the energy to knock out my 3.5 mile run before Super Hubby sets out for a round of golf. Right now I am a little tired. Too tired to push, but I hope in an hour or so I'll be ready to get going.

What is going on this week? My simple 10K training continues with week 4:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
4	Rest	3 m run	CT or Rest	2.5 m run	Rest	4 m run	35-40 min EZ run or CT

Saturday's 4 miles is actually going to be replaced with our local "Survivor Run." It is only 3.1 miles, but I figure the mud and obstacles will more than make up for the .9 I am shorting myself. If I feel like I have enough energy Sunday, I may run the full 4 that is on the schedule, but we'll play that by ear.

The Big Picture: I am doing it. I may not hit my mileage on the scheduled day, but I am committed to flexibility and catching up when my miles don't fit in on the scheduled day. Playing catch up is better than giving up.

Why I Kick A$$: The fact that I am still going into week 4 with my 10K training is a big deal... I have been struggling with commitment lately. Exercise has been so critical to my heart and soul that I really am just so happy to be moving again.

Thankful Three:

1. For my life, I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I sure am thankful.
2. For my new purple jacket.
3. For affordable tropical fruit at the grocery.

One Thing At A Time

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. 

The question is: 

What are we busy about?

~Henry David Thoreau

I have had some difficulty multitasking lately. Actually, I was on multitask overload checking my phone, FB on the laptop, open magazine and TV on...I was absorbing NOTHING. I feel like I can get that way with fitness thinking too much about my weight, what will I eat, how will I work out, what will be enough, what the weather is like, what my schedule will look like....and on and on. After a few days, weeks, months ....who can count anymore I finally realized the error of my ways. 

Last Friday I slowed down. I volunteered my time and didn't think about work or how the second day of my volunteering would look like. I had lunch with my hubby and a friend and limited checking my iPhone, went to a movie, enjoyed quality time with a friend for dinner and slept soundly. Saturday my volunteering went perfectly, I had a lovely lunch with my SIL and finally ran some errands like getting new make up. I had been thinking, really dreading the two day volunteering thing. I felt pressured to buy make-up as I had run out like 3 weeks ago. Make-up is not really my thing, but a necessary evil for work. My brain was multitasking by thinking about these tiny little things, making them bigger than they actually were and feeling weighed down. Do you do this? 

Well I finally crashed. I napped all day Saturday, slept in Sunday and hit the gym. Aaaahhhh, sweet relief. Monday, one thing at a time, one work out at a time. Tuesday, I made the decision that if I was going to work extra it would be on a significant project, if I wasn't really going to focus on it, then I should do something for me. I laced up my sneakers ran out of our building. I had an amazing 2.5 mile run and I did it at a pretty fast pace too! I picked up the kids, volunteered again for about 45 minutes and still had dinner on time with my family. Doing one thing at a time is much more effective than maybe a Type A personality person like myself is willing to accept, but it is tried and true. 

So don't trouble yourself with the entire laundry list of things and just start with number one on the list. Decided to take action and do it, it is amazing what you can accomplish.

Why I Kick A$$: Week 2 of 10K training and I am feeling focused knocking out 10:20 min miles and hoping to break 10 on my short distances since the plan is so basic with pretty low mileage.

The Big Picture: There are a million things to do, but only one you and 24 hours. Plan, budget and execute. Stop thinking and wasting time and just do.

Thankful Three:

1. For spending more time these past few days feeling happy instead of stressed.
2. For sunny days and sneakers.
3. For cinnamon raisin bread, delicious!

Monday Motivation: Small Things and Great Ambitions

Most people would succeed 

in small things 

if they were not troubled 

with great ambitions. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One of my favorite quotes and it really sums me up... also could contribute to my tendency toward procrastination. I can sit all day thinking about the things I want to do and at the end of the day realize I did not accomplish anything. Sometimes it is good, other times bad. For example, when I want to write something for work I can think about it for a day or two and when I sit down to type an elaborate review or workflow my move effortlessly to creation a masterpiece. My peers think that it comes easy, they don't realize that I can casually compose in my mind for hours or days before I even start to type so what they see are only the finishing touches. When it comes to workouts and being fit, I think I day dream about the fitness model I could be if all I had to do in life was focus on being a fitness model and then not workout at all.

Last week I decided it was time to take action and went to the gym 2-days in a row! On day one I just worked out on one of those glider things. My gym partner was late so my planned 30 minutes, turned in to 1:20 and about 6 miles done. The next day I decided I would hit the treadmill and to my shock and amazement, I could not run a mile without stopping. Ok, let me qualify that, I am sure under pressure or stress I could manage to run a full mile, but in a casual starting to go-back-to-the-gym kind of way, there was no way it was happening. How does one fall so far behind??? Well, I think I am ready to try and give consistency another go with one of my favorite carrots dangling at the end, a 10K trail run! It's slated for mother's day weekend at that. It is a simple plan. No speed work, no fancy fartleks, tempo runs etc. This little plan will be difficult for me to follow since I struggle with consistency. I have no delusions that I will nail every workout. I do however plan to enjoy a lovely trail course, one I have done before and one I will not be able to fully enjoy unless I can cover the distance at least at a jogging pace. So for that I will train. Believe it or not these 7 weeks will be my success with something small so that I can stop spending so much brain time on my great ambition of getting my weight down. All things in due time.

Wk	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	R	2 m	CT or R	2 m	R	2.5 m	25-30 min EZ run or CT
2	R	2.5 m	CT or R	2 m	R	3.5 m	30-35 min EZ run or CT
3	R	2.5 m	CT or R	2 m	R	3.5 m	35 min EZ run or CT
4	R	3 m	CT or R	2.5 m	R	4 m	35-40 min EZ run or CT
5	R	3 m	CT	2.5 m	R	4.5 m	35-40 min EZ run or CT
6	R	3.5 m	CT	3 m	R	5 m	40 min EZ run or CT
7	R	3 m	CT or R	2 m	R	10K	Yay Me!!!

The Big Picture: I have learned I need to set my self up for success. What else to make a young mother feel strong than a trail run on mother's day weekend. I am all about feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Why I Kick A$$: I made a delicious southern style meal for the family tonight including home made biscuits. Yummy!!

Thankful Three:

1. For several invitations to the gym this week
2. For finding a simple 10K plan
3. For making time to create this post in advance