Maybe not THAT long but long enough. Life got busy, workouts got long and I watched 2.5 weeks of the Olympics…those are my excuses :) But Scottie reminded me I hadn’t posted in quite some time so I figured it’s always good to start anew on a Monday no?
I am less then 2 weeks from the Tobacco Road half marathon. You will remember I actually signed up for the full marathon but my knee problems kept me off track for about a month and I thought it was wise to train for a great half then a pathetic and painful full. I am happy with my decision as I expect to CRUSH my half time from last year but part of me is aching to do the full. I would love to find another marathon before summer but it is looking less likely so I think I will just sign up for the Richmond Marathon and train hard for that.
I am also less then 2 months from White Lake which is exciting and nerve racking. I have really upped my training so far this year, working on the bike with 3 spin classes a week and trying to get in a long ride since the weather is finally getting nice! It is such balancing act between the three disciplines. I sorta slacked on the swimming last week and this week I start a slight run taper for the half mary while still working on my bike strength. Whew! No wonder we eat dinner so late these days! I tried to combat this a bit by prepping 3 of our dinners to week, makes it super easy to come home from the gym and just reheat!
I am going to write more often, even if it is just a narrative. Just to keep all 3 of my readers up to date
That’s how long I have until my next beer, glass of wine or cocktail. Yep, I have decided to give up alcohol for Lent. It was that or meat and with the workouts I have been doing I feel my body isn’t quite ready to go without that but I figured cutting out alcohol for a bit wouldn’t be a bad thing for my training.
So in typical Shrove Tuesday fashion, I made pumpkin waffles for dinner with sausage, eggs and fruit and one massive oatmeal stout.
Yes the egg is on the waffle and it was fantastic!
I will let you know how this little experiement goes!
Yes I know many don’t celebrate this day, it’s just a Hallmark holiday to some but I happen to like doing things a little extra special on this day.
Scottie and I kept things low key, sleeping in a bit then I made pancakes for breakfast. I am convinced Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days for making pancakes at home, am I wrong? I have an awesome recipe I used/adapted but I will post is later as they were inhaled before I thought about taking a picture.
We followed breakfast with a pool swim, so like us! The pool was kinda busy but we were able to get in about 30 minutes of swim time which was fine with me. Then we came home and I cleaned up before heading out to 3 grocery stores to get supplies for tonight, crazy! I guess I shouldn’t wait until 4pm on V-Day to try and get scallops.
When I got home we were both famish so I made a quic Glenda-esque cheese plate of lite havarti cheese, TJ’s pita crackers and a sliced apple. Delicious with a small glass of Malbec.
I decided to make a shepard’s pie for Monday night’s dinner since I wasn’t starving thanks to the cheese plate. I was happy to have that done! Then I started on dinner.
Prosciutto wrapped scallops with fettuccine and bacon, brie and spinach. YUM! Jenna is always raving out this pasta dish being her favorite (the original has escarole but I have never had that so I subbed spinach] and it sounded perfect for our simple night in. The recipe is here. As I said I used spinach instead of escarole and also used Buitoni fresh fettuccine instead of linguine. Regardless it was perfect! I see now why she raves about it! The scallops were simply wrapped in half slices of proscuitto and baked at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes then broiled until the ham was crispy. Note when making scallops, rinse and dry before cooking as there is some grit involved. The only downfall to our dinner, oh well live and learn!
We rounded out the meal with a fantastic bottle of Peju wine from our Napa trip. So yummy!
And desserts? I was going to make something but we purchased two humongous slices of cake last nice from Hayes Barton Cafe so we will be eating those leftovers…seriously I may never bake again, will just go here for desserts.
I mean seriously? The size of this slice is ridiculous! But oh so yummy!
A fantastic if not low key day. I am lucky to be with someone that gets me and puts up with me. He deals with me when I am sad and grumpy and makes me laugh even if I don’t want to. I think I fell in love with him all over again while we were in Texas, it takes a tragic event to put your love in perspective. I am really lucky and I probably take him for granted at times but he always makes me feel special and loved, even if he is critiquing my dinners
This has become a bit of a traditional in our area, now people even travel to the race because it is quite epic. The challenge…to run 2 miles eat 12 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts and run 2 miles back to the NC State belltower all within an hour. The race benefits the North Carolina Children’s Hospital and this year the race raised over $40k…awesome!
Thankfully, there are two divisions; competitive in which you have to eat the donuts and casual in which you can eat all, none or even just one. I went the casual route to preserve my girlish figure while Scottie took the challenge…is anyone surprised about that?
I was super excited about this race but when the alarm went off at 6:30 and it was a whopping 32 degrees outside I was not too excited. But we bundled up, brewed some coffee and set out to the start line. This was a pretty big race and unfortunately there is major road construction going on on Hillsborough Street which made the start kinda dicey. Not only were their traffic cones, gravel and holes but also kids! Lots of them in and out of people I almost tripped over a couple. Scottie and I decided to run together so that I could capture the donut eating on video but that was a challenge with the crowds and his race style ;) But we stuck together and had an uneventful 2 mile run. Then came the donuts, which I will save for later :) I instantly put my box in my backpack, I wasn’t even going to attempt to eat one mid run. Once Scottie was done eating he sprinted off to the end while I took my time.
The run back required dodging lots of walkers, the last 2 miles has lots of uphills which is not so kind to new runners or those with 2400 calories of sugar and flour in their bellies. My knee began to ache a bit, and that is probably due to my lack of stretching and my non focused form. I was more concerned with keeping up with Scottie and running around people then concentrating on my form, which I think is what caused the pain. It wasn’t terrible just more of an ache.
So we both survived the race, some of us are better then others :) Let’s just say Scottie hasn’t eaten anything else yet and it is almost 6pm.
So now what you have all been waiting for…the video! Shot by me, produced by Scottie please enjoy!
Yesterday morning my Grandpa James died. It was one of the hardest phone calls ever received because not only was I shocked to have lost my Grandpa but to also hear the absolute sadness in my Dad’s voice. He died holding my Grandma’s hand, which just made me breakdown more as it showed their true undying love for each other.
This is the first Grandparent I have lost so the emotions are so raw and unbearable. I feel so blessed to have had him in my life so long! I think in the craziness of making travel plans and preparing to take off from work and board the dogs it hasn’t sunk in but then something small will bring on a flood of emotions.
Grandpa James was truly awesome, he was such a gentle giant and such a great listener. I would call and my Grandma and I would yak away and he would get on the other phone and just listen to us talk, telling me “Love You!” at the end…you know getting in his two cents. He also had awesome stories, he had such a sharp memory, I am still amazed he remembered all of those years! I can barely remember what I ate for lunch yesterday.
I will miss Grandpa but I know he is no longer in pain and that is comforting. He led a fulfilled life and that is inspiring, it is a reminder to never take anything for granted and to live life to the fullest with no regrets!
One warmed leftover Flying Biscuit oatmeal pancake topped with microwaved apple and yogurt mixed with a bit of maple syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon. Must make oatmal pancakes this weekend!
I have to remind myself that this was a goal of mine this year, but it is really hard when something that should be so easy is causing me so much grief. After 2 weeks of PT my therapist gave me the ok to try and do an easy run as it seems I am more aware of my weaknesses and I am showing progress in my strengthening exercises.
So I eagerly laced up my shoes tonight and set out for a treadmill run. I promised Scottie I would only do 2 miles (even though in my head I wanted to get to 3 since 2.5 seemed to be the point where it started to hurt.) I stretched like crazy, did my PT exercises while waiting for Scottie to get ready to leave the house. I even walked a half mile to warm up- unheard of! Then I started trotting along and I think I was so stiff trying to imagine my hip not dipping that it took all of the fun out of it. The first mile seemed to take forever, I was wishing the distance would come faster, I wanted to be able to run past 2 miles without pain. But alas, the pain came back around 1.8 miles. I was crushed. I almost burst into tears right there.
So I stopped (that is a feat in itself!) and decided to stretch and do some ab and hamstring exercises. One thing is for sure, I’m going to have some decent abs in due time! Then I sulked for a bit and once in the car, the water works started. I couldn’t help it! I so want to just run and not think about it, to curse about commiting to another marathon and eating up more of my time training. I would give anything to be able to go out and bust out 10 miles without a problem, why is this so difficult!
Unfortunately I couldn’t get a Friday PT appointment so unless someone cancels tomorrow I have to wait until next Tuesday which kinda blows. I need some reassurance that this will be ok.
In the meantime I suppose I should look on the brightside, looks like the 17 day cold streak is about to end so the temps on Saturday should be bearable enough for a nice long ride…I think I need to get some distance in of some sort. I will just continue to work on my exercises and stretches and just hope they will help me to get back on track. White Lake is on May 1st- I want to be ready!
As I sit here near my Sunday night bedtime I am just so pleased with the weekend!Nothing was really planned but things certainly fell into place.
Friday night I went to the gym after work and got in about 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, followed by about 30 minutes of swimming. The gym pumps hot water into the pool, which is nice when you first get in but it made me nauseous about halfway in, hence my 45 minutes swim turned into 30. Drove home in the freezing cold (WTH is up with the weather! There is a reason I don’t live up north!) and then felt kinda crappy so I popped in a frozen pizza and called that dinner. In bed by 10pm, yes I am getting old!
Saturday was house cleaning day and I am a firm believer that cleaning counts as cardio! Laundry started, house cleaned and now onto some fun with royal icing. My friend Christine and I made some cupcake toppers for her boyfriend’s birthday party that night.
Once we were done it was time for me to stop procrastinating and get in my 2 hr bike ride. I was not brave enough to deal with the elements Saturday, unlike some people, so I popped in a movie and started pedaling. I was so not into it. I got in an hour before I had enough and hopped off. I knew I needed toe covers for an outside ride next weekend, no more long rides indoors! But I spent a good 30 minutes stretching, doing PT exercises and working on my abs.
Once Scottie had thawed out we decided to head out for some dinner before hitting our friend’s party. We decided to try a new sushi place, which wasn’t too bad. It was just nice to get out and enjoy dinner together even if we talked about training and races the entire time :) The party ended up being fun but sure enough by midnight I was pooped and ready for bed!
We slept in a bit Sunday and by the time I woke up my body felt like a bag of bricks. I was tight and sore and just all over sluggish. I was brought coffee in bed (love that!) and took my time catching up on the internet and working on our weekly menu before coming downstairs and suggesting Flying Biscuit for breakfast. I had thoughts of keeping it healthy but when I saw oatmeal pancakes, I knew I was in for a carb fest (especially when you add in the biscuit and grits-eek I know!) Luckily I was only able to eat one as they were quite dense and figured I would save the other two for other breakfasts. After our meal we finally picked up some toe covers and headed back to the house. Scottie lounged while I hit the gym for a late afternoon elliptical session. I had 60 minutes of running on the schedule so I did 60 minutes on the elliptical watching Food Network on my personal TV ;) I was going to try to run since I have been diligent with my PT but Scottie made me feel guilty about ruining what I was working hard to correct. So I begrudgingly didn’t run.
I came home and showered and set off to the grocery store. I didn’t go last week which left us with an empty fridge (which I was able to clean though!)
Luckily I was able to fill it back up:
Dinner was a super easy hot dogs, mac and cheese and broccoli. Then I prepped for the week I even laid out clothes for the week! I know nuts but the weeks get so packed with work and dinner and workouts and personal time that I can take any extra time. The menu has been planned, including some meatballs that my friend Carol tried…very excited about these! And hopefully I stay on track with the workouts, I feel like last week I wasn’t quite into it but I am feeling good about week 2!
Today was my first PT appointment. I have waited two weeks for this and was strangely excited even though I knew I could get bad news. I was running late (which I HATE!) but luckily had downloaded the forms from their site which moved things right along. My therapist, Jenn, asked a bunch of questions then analysed the way I stand, walk and run. Then I did a few exercises and realized just how stiff I am! I used to be a dancer, I used to be flexible- wtf! She said that it looked like there were a few small things that just built up and led to the pain, so we would be working to “peel the onion” to get to the root of the problem. I tend to knock my knees a bit when I run, she also noticed my right ankle is a bit stiffer then the left. At the end of the session she did a bit of massage on my leg/knee (I think I need more massages in my routine!) and then went through my “homework” which included stretches and exercises to be performed daily. Then I asked “the” question…can I continue to run? She said since I run and bike as well it might be a good idea to take a break from running for a few weeks to let the injury rest while I work on healing it. Drats! I knew she would say that.
I prepared myself to cry but surprisingly, I didn’t! I think part of me knew I wouldn’t be able to run and I knew I probably wouldn’t run the marathon I planned in March, but that’s why I chose Tobacco Road since they allow deferrals! My goal is to be healthy enough to complete my planned triathlons this summer and wrap up the season with a fall marathon so a bit of a set back won’t kill me.
So I will be doing PT 2 times a week for the month and hopefully I will be able to taper off after that. Hopefully being the key word because those co-pays add up! But I am thinking positively and just going with the flow (a resolution of mine!) So tonight I went to the gym and did an intense spin class! The plan is to do one a week, one trainer ride and a long ride on the weekend…if it ever warms up! So variety is the name of the game, 4 months until the tri season begins!
Hope you all survived your New Year’s Eve Shenanigans.
This was a shanpshot of our night:
Hers and His
Cheese and Meat for Dinner
A Little Mumm
Yeah it was an exciting night. But that’s what you do the night before the Year of Training begins.
With the new year comes resolutions and crowded gyms…oh joy!
I don’t really have any resolutions this year, just to keep up what I am doing; training, eating well, staying financially responsible etc. I do have a few goals though:
-Complete a Half Ironman
-Swim a mile under 35 minutes
-Run a marathon under 4 hr 15 mins (hoping to complete 2 this year)
-Get more comfortable on the bike
-Try to get in 2 strength training sessions a week
-More yoga
-Relax more and go with the flow (maybe the hardest one on the list!)
So what are your resolutions/goals?
We started the Year of Training with sleeping in, because let’s face it we won’t be getting much of it! But then we finally got layered up and braved the 45 degree day (and wind!) and set out on a 23 mile ride. It was nice to be out again but damn it was cold! I was actually ok for the most part except for my toes (I NEED toe covers for my bike shoes) and my right index finger. the first half of the ride is not my favorite. It has a few hills that are a challenge and I usually need a good 10 miles to warm up on the bike especially when I am cold. But we stopped about halfway through and I ate half a Clif bar, the sun came out and I was feeling better. I practiced being in aero and am feeling much more comfortable! I also didn’t fall! I was able to come in and out of my pedals pretty easily.
Once home we then proceeded to watch the last 8 Kona Ironman races. Ugh it is so tempting to go ahead and set my sights on doing B2B this year but I really want to see how a half goes before I jump into that beast. Only time will tell!
Oh by the way, I am on Twitter now: http://twitter.com/SeeJenTri
