Time Off

Hey, I'm just dropping in to let you know that I'm still around. See.
I've just been tired this week. And I can't even blame it on my period. That was last week. Maybe it's the change in the weather. Maybe it's because the days are getting shorter and shorter. Maybe work just drains my energy because I hate it so much. I just know that I dozed off one day this week before 9:30pm with my work clothes on. That's sad. I would have run today, but I somehow managed to not eat enough to support any strenuous activity. Yes, today consisted of just coffee and garlic plantain chips. Goya needs to make bigger bags of plantain chips by the way.

In any case, the whole week wasn't a waste. I did manage to cook some red beans and rice with sauteed kale and cornbread.


I also spent today preparing ingredients for this recipe. And I had lots of fun using my food processor to slice peppers and onions. Not like you care but I'm the type to chop everything up. But never again. A food processor saves so much time. I should use it more often.

Well, I'm off to get ready for a college friend's birthday shindig. Enjoy your weekend.

Taking it easy

So I took everyone's advice and rested for two days. I was still pretty tired yesterday. I would have loved to finish out the month with over 50 miles, but it just wasn't in me. The most I've run in a month was 60 miles back in December. Well, there's always August. I decided to run before work this morning. It worked out pretty well after I made it out of bed, of course. Getting out of bed is half the battle. I just told myself to take it slow especially since I'm not a morning person. I felt better than I did on my early 2miler this week. I felt pretty sluggish then. Not so much this morning. Oh, and the best part about today's run was seeing four young deer (fawns - I just had to look it up) play in the park. It was like seeing playful puppies, but they were deer instead. So so cute. Yeah, I was also supposed to cross train for 40min but that's so not happening. I have 5 miles planned for tomorrow. So instead, I'm off to eat and rest some more AND watch What Not To Wear (love, LOVE that show). Happy running, everyone:) Activity Route: Park Run Elev. Avg: 33 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: -52 ft Date: 08/01/08 Up/Downhill: [+85/-137] Time: 06:29 AM Difficulty: 1.6 / 5.0 Weather: Fog/Mist 73 F temp; 87% humidity 73 F heat index; winds Calm Performance Distance: 3.50 miles Time: 0:34:42 Speed: 6.1 mph Pace: 9' 55 /mi Heart Rate: 161 bpm (Avg) Calories: 392 185 bpm (Peak) Notes Cool Down = .76mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Heart Rate (bpm) Heart Rate Zones Zone Range (bpm) Time In Zone Distance In Zone 1 93 - 111 0h 00m 1% 0.04 mi 2 111 - 130 0h 01m 3% 0.11 mi 3 130 - 148 0h 03m 8% 0.27 mi 4 148 - 167 0h 15m 43% 1.46 mi 5 167 - 185 0h 17m 50% 1.84 mi (none) out of range 0h 00m 0% 0.01 mi Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Heart Rate Elev Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 10' 38 +0' 43 5.6 -0.4 142 -53 ft 2 10' 05 +0' 10 6.0 -0.1 164 +4 ft 3 9' 27 -0' 28 6.3 +0.3 174 +7 ft end 8' 59 -0' 56 6.7 +0.6 179 -10 ft Versus average of 9' 55 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

I won't even dare

So two weeks ago I told myself that I'd try to run this weekend. Well then I got sick. And I'm still sick. Running would be a bad idea. Besides being loopy from the cough syrup with codeine, I haven't eaten over 1000 calories since last Saturday. Actually, most days were way less than that. I haven't lost my appetite since I had the chicken pox way back when. Anyway, I've lost 3 or 4lbs this week with my lack of eating and tons of night sweats. My pants fit like they belong to someone else. And it pisses me off because I just went shopping recently. And we all know how much I hate shopping. With all this going on, my body is in no condition to be out on the road even if my knee is okay. The good news is that I was actually hungry yesterday. And I'm hungry again today. Bad news is that I'm too tired to cook anything. I think I'm going back to bed. I need the rest.

No Runs For Me

I've been laying low in the running department. My knee would feel fine, then it wouldn't. I mean it would feel like it's back to normal. Then all the sudden, I can feel whatever it is that's wrong with it. It's like something is out of place and needs to be put back. It's fine again at the moment. I think I'll try running tomorrow in my new kicks.

Yep, I finally went to the Moorestown Running Company on Saturday. They measured my feet, watched me walk, and all that good stuff. I ran around the store and the parking lot. I settled for a pair of Asics Gel Cumulus 9 - Lime. They felt really good. Hopefully my knee will feel good too. **Fingers crossed** Oh yeah, I'm on their mailing list now. They know about all the local races that I don't have to cross a bridge to get to. So maybe I will do a shorter race first. We'll see.

I'm eating better now. I'm planning my meals because I kinda have to. Maybe I'll notice a difference in my knee and my performance when I do finally run. I really hope it's tomorrow. We'll see. So here's my grub for the day...

Breakfast: Quinoa (w/cooked apples, raisins, walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and a bit of soymilk) and rooibos tea
Snack: Fresh fruit cup
Lunch: Veggie pita w/hummus and tahini sauce, edamame and an orange
Snack: Granola bar
Dinner: Jen's Mustard Crusted Tempeh w/sweet potatoes and swiss chard (The recipe calls for kale, but the selection at the store was looking kinda busted. I'd really like to try kale next time though.)
Late night sweet tooth: Chocolate soymilk diluted w/unsweetened

Guess What?

I may have a running partner. The bartender at Bertucci's offered to run with me. He used to run marathons and whatnot. I'm sure he can run 3x faster than me, which I think would annoy him. But he did say that we all gotta start somewhere. That is true. We've all had to do something at least once. And the more you do it, the better you get. It should be interesting because I've never run with anyone. Also, I want to check out the running community at Moorestown Running Company. They run Thursday nights. But of course, I wouldn't dare show my face until I have a decent pace. Otherwise, I'd end up being left behind and jogging alone anyway.

In other news, today is another rest day. Yes, I'm a wuss and haven't strength trained all week. Just been too tired to be bothered. And, I'm not going to fit it in either. Tomorrow I will be running, cooking for my aunt's b-day party (which is Saturday), getting finger prints for my title license, then driving with my other aunt to NYC in the afternoon to help decorate. Decorate? I can cook, but crafts are not my thing. Oh, and I'm bringing my textbook to study and possibly make drinks. Someone mentioned apple martinis. I got my shaker tins, mixing glass, and jigger. I'm ret to go.

Oh and for the record, I did not drink today. Just good food, good conversation and lots of water at the bar in Bertucci's. I was in the mood for pizza.

Resting, Studying and Drinking

No workout today. I was beat. Sleep and I are not getting along. Sleep is not speaking to me at all. I went to bed tired with a headache. Those are the perfect conditions for a good sleep, right? Not!! I can count the hours of sleep I got on one hand. Oh, and I'm coming down with something with the weather changes. It's hot, it's cold, it's hot again. Dammit, make up your mind!!! Anyway, when I did finally get to sleep, I woke up before my alarm. That sucks. So I studied a bit. I haven't studied since I've been in the class (last Monday). I've been too tired. Class last week was from 1-5pm then 6-10pm. I'm supposed to take my midterm and final this week, along with a speed test. The speed test consists of 12 correct drinks made in 8 min. One of my instructors did 28 drinks in that time. Yeah, so not happening.

Anywho, I had a good food day, well, except for the liquor. Many peeps brought alcohol, so I had to partake. Okay, well not had to, but since I think I don't drink enough, I had some. I'm a social drinker and I was socializing, so that meets my requirements. I stayed for the shooters night class even though I took it last week. I'm terrible at shooters. So many recipes, so little time to remember them. So I practiced them behind the bar. Still not totally confident with them, but we'll see. Okay, best thing about tonight is that I got to play some house music and everyone screwed up my age big time. I've come to the conclusion that everyone doesn't look old. I just look young.

So here's my grub...

Breakfast: Hemp toast w/hummus, tomato, S&P and hot tea w/soy cream and sugar

Snack: Smoothie w/strawberry, blueberry, banana, flaxseed, and unsweetened soy milk

Lunch: Falafel sandwich w/veggie soup from Norma's

Drinks: Captain & Sprite, American flag shooter, Barcardi & Coke w/grenadine (and if I had something else, I sho nuff don't remember now)

Snack: Apple

Dinner: Tofu veggie leftovers

WATER, WATER, WATER!!!

Resting and Dancing

I was tempted to workout yesterday, but I let it go. I ended up at an after hours party in Philly. Let me just say that dancing is so much more intense than running on any day. I'm sure I burned about half the calories I ate yesterday. Well, that's what happens when DJs spin really good music. And you won't hear any of it on the radio. I heard Redman, Biggie Smalls, A Tribe Called Quest, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Roy Ayers, Bob Marley, Parliament, just to name a few. My friend said I was like VH1. I named a lot of songs as they came on. Hey, I love music. That's what my profile says.

It was good to be out and around a bunch of different people. People you think you'd never see in one place. People you'd think couldn't dance. Then next thing you know, they're battling each other on the dance floor. It was also good to be out in a place where no one bothers you. A typical club has people standing, holding up the wall trying to look cute to collect phone numbers. Here, people dance and have a good time. Oh, and running shoes make the best dancing shoes. I could easily slide across the dance floor. No, I was not out trying to be cute with shoes that have your toes overlapping. I was comfortably dressed in jeans and a breathable top. I came to get it in, which I did.

Cool stuff about last night...

**I knew the bartender. I went to ask her where the rest room was, then next thing you know we're catching up. I taught her how to make Sex on the Beach. Yes, I actually remembered something from class.

**One of the DJs came to talk to me. He meets so many people, I figured he may have forgotten me. I love him to death. I sometimes play his mixes for running. He's going to give me another CD. A couple of years ago, he told me that I have impeccable taste in music. That is the best compliment I can get from a professional DJ.

**I was twirled around on the dance floor. It was so much fun. My friend said it looked like we coordinated the dance.

**I made new friends, Ram, who did the twirling, and Lauren, who was celebrating her birthday and stressing about turning 23. 23? That's not old.

**I got to party til 4am. Well, actually 4:14am. Yes, I said it was an after hours spot.

**I had a tasty black bean burger in a South Philly diner. I'm going to assume it was vegan since it didn't make me sick.

**I found out that my friend is half Jamaican. So am I!!

**I laughed and smiled all night :)

Resting and Reading

I haven't been feeling so hot. I'm sure it has everything to do with the change in seasons. It's hot, then it's cold, then it's hot again, and I'm stuck in the middle. I've been sneezing and blowing and popping Benadryl to get a decent night's sleep. Actually, Benadryl is the only thing that guarantees that I'll get to bed before midnight. Well, alcohol could do the same thing, but I'm a social drinker. If I'm seriously drinking alone, it means I've got some problems.

So earlier this week I ordered Jill Scott's new album along with two running books from Amazon.com. I got the stuff today. I listened to the album (which is only for the grown and sexy if you're interested). Then I read the book (when I should have been eating a brothy soup). I rarely read a book in one sitting. I'm the type to read, put it down, forget that I was reading it, then come back to it a few months later very surprised that I remember where I left off. Anyway, I read The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women. The book is hilarious. I think everyone should read it. Even if you're not a woman and never plan to run a marathon, you'll find it entertaining. Am I inspired to run a marathon? Uh, no. Because I just can't get my mind around 26.2 miles. There's absolutely no need for me to run that far for any reason. EVER. I may change my mind. Yeah, after I've endured the pain of childbirth and a measly marathon will seem like a walk in the park. But I can see a half marathon. That doesn't scare me too much. Maybe I'll do that one of these days.

Now I think I'll try making the soup I should have made earlier.

On the Couch for Good Reason

I've spent the past couple of days on the couch watching the US Open. I haven't done anything remotely related to exercise. All bets are off on my period. Watching tennis is kind of motivating. I want to be an athlete. Or maybe I just want to have the body of an athlete. I guess running and more visits to the Y will get me where I wanna be eventually. I'm not getting any younger.

Anyway, I may run tomorrow. I felt like crap Monday and yesterday. I feel better today. I should feel much better tomorrow. We'll see in the morning. I have to get the run in early, because I have to get home in time to shower and catch the morning coverage of the Open.

So here's today's grub.

Breakfast: Cream of wheat w/cinnamon, sugar, raisins and flax seeds I figured I'd start the day with something rich in iron and good fat.

Snack: Strawberry blueberry banana smoothie w/soy milk

Lunch: Lentil patties and veggies w/mashed potatoes and gravy
I figured I'd get my bean on for more iron. Anyway, I wouldn't suggest eating this as a burger. The bread and fixings take away from it. I added garlic, but it needs some spices. I'll work on that next time I make it. It works well with the gravy though. The gravy was made from a no-salt Rapunzel veggie bouillon cube, corn starch, onion, garlic, and sage powders, thyme, kosher salt and pepper.


Munchies: Fat free caramel corn and a few dark chocolate covered almonds
This is what happens when you go to Trader Joe's hungry. Actually, I didn't realize I was hungry til I got there. But I had to restock my fu, soy milk, and dark chocolate covered almonds.

Dinner: I was gonna eat tempeh and veggies w/mashed potatoes and gravy, but I just may go for another smoothie.

Oh, and yesterday's grub consisted of: The last of the banana crumb muffins (I must make more), a couple of ACV cocktails (because it's good for this time of the month), lentil burger w/veggies, cantaloupe (which was really sweet), strawberry blueberry banana smoothie, cashews, a few pretzels and dark chocolate covered almonds, lentil patty, more veggies and mashed potatoes and gravy.

Resting and Thinking

I've decided that once the Couch to 5k program is completed, I'm going to move on to the One Hour Runner program found here. Why not? I've always wanted to be a runner. The first 3 weeks consist of running 30min 3 times a week before mixing it up. Some people tend to skip a week because that seems to be a bit redundant. Especially since the last week of C25k has you running the same program. But I think I'm going to stick with that and try to improve my distance during that time. Most people at the end of C25k can't run 3mi in 30min yet. There a lot of people following the program all over the Cool Running boards considering switching from time to distance. I think they're impatient and moving too fast. Yes, it would be nice to do a 10min mile but that will all come in time. Besides, I just started doing this a few weeks ago. And I'm doing better than I thought I would be. I swear that herbal iron supplement works wonders. And no matter how crappy I may feel while I'm jogging, something makes me want to come back and do it all over again. They say running is addictive. I think they're right. And it's all I want to talk about these days.

I didn't do anything but nap today, but I'm thinking of doing yoga on my off days. I went to my storage unit this morning trying to find my Rodney Yee yoga dvd. No such luck. But I did find my Windsor Pilates dvds and my yoga mat. For now, I have to depend on Yoga Journal. My aunt also told me about a yoga show that comes on at 6am during the week. Hopefully, I'll catch a show. My sleeping is a little messed up now. I've taken naps yesterday and today, and I woke up around 10am. That's weird for me. Maybe I need to incorporate some coffee back into my life. I don't know.

Here's today's grub.

Just to get started: Pineapple Juice

Late breakfast: Tofu Rancheros in a tortilla w/fried plantains

Lunch: Bertucci Leftovers

I used Cherie's idea and ordered pizza without the cheese and added a side of roasted veggies. The sauce was fabulous. I must have that again.

Snack: Dark chocolate covered almonds

Dinner: Black bean, sweet potato, quinoa chili and maybe a salad