MOVED - *New & Improved*

I wanted to give a little shout out ;-P to the loyal Why Dontcha Run blog followers. :o)

'WHY DONTCHA RUN' HAS MOVED to...

******* http://www.whydontcharun.wordpress.com/ *******

Please visit the new site, save it to your 'favorites' and come back often. ;-)

The new site features an 'About Me' section as well as a whole page dedicated to good-for-you recipes and all kinds of other fun, informative links/pages/info.

See ya there!

Hang In There

Evening, all.

I wanted to let you know that I haven't abandoned the blog. I've been busy updating/re-designing it and will be back tomorrow with hopefully a link to the *new and improved* blog with loads of new facts and information.

AND.... let us not forget that I am entering the ninth and FINAL WEEK OF C25K TRAINING! :o) Eeeee!! I am so thrilled and looking forward to my runs this week.

I'll report back tomorrow about how my outdoor run went yesterday morning, as well as how the week 9/session 1 goes tomorrow.

Talk to ya'll tomorrow! ;-)

Dinner Date

Happy Friday! :o) *grins*

I absolutely love Friday nights. The start of a weekend, time with the hubby and two mornings to sleep in. :o) Ah, yes.

The husband and I went to dinner tonight at a new local Greek restaurant. It was a small, family owned establishment with authentic Greek food.

Everything was really yummy! The husband got fried calamari as an appetizer and a gyro for his entree. He said both were fantastic!

Fried Calamari

(excuse the poor quality food pictures... they were taken with my cell phone)

For my meal, I ordered a platter of four different Greek "salads" with warm pita to scoop them up with and a small greek salad.

The salads on the platter included:
Tzatziki Sauce-  Yogurt, garlic, cucumber and extra virgin olive oil (Fresh and light - oh so good)
Melitzano-Salata- Roasted Eggplant Salad (Good, but not my cup of tea)
Kopanisti- Spicy Feta Spread (Favorite!!)
Hummus- Chickpeas with garlic (Classic and yummy)

This little Greek salad packed a serious punch! It was full of flavor and lots of bright, fresh veggies. :o)

We wrapped up the evening with a trip to Barnies where the hubby ordered a frozen mocha chiller with whipped cream and I chose a small soy cappuccino with (very little) sugar free vanilla syrup to add just a hint of sweetness. I guess I'm going to have to start carrying around a small bottle of agave nectar in my purse so I have a healthy, all natural alternative to sweeten my coffee drinks. I hate adding syrups, but it's pretty much all they offer at Barnies. :-/

I feel refreshed after a healthy dinner, especially since I'm still recovering from my cookie attack last night.  I told the hubs to pleeeease eat the cookies or give them to his friends. haha. Just get them out of the house!!!

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The C25K schedule has been changed up a little bit this week. Monday and Wednesday runs were right on schedule, but session 3 for this week is being moved from today, to tomorrow. I'm meeting Erin in the morning for a run outside so we can both get a feel for running outdoors instead of on a treadmill. This way, we'll be prepared for our first 5k on February 6th. :o) We're both a little nervous about tomorrow's run, but we agreed to keep it simple and to just get a feel for each others running style and pace. We're gonna have fun!

On tomorrows C25K week 8/session 3 schedule:

.25 mile warm up walk

2.75 mile run

.25 mile cool down

I'm not sure if I'm going to follow that exactly since I'll be in a different running environment and with someone else, but we'll see.

I'll be back tomorrow with running results. :o)

Owned

These little guys owned tempted me tonight.

Let me explain.

The husband had a rough day at work, so I wanted to have dinner and homemade chocolate chip cookies ready for him when he got home.

My intentions were innocent. Then I made a mistake. I tasted the cookie dough. What was I thinking?! I lost all control and began eating little pieces of dough with chocolate and peanut butter chips and that was it, I was done. Done as in throw all control out the window and shovel warm cookies in my mouth just about as quick as they were coming off of the cookie sheet and being placed on the cooling rack.  *blushes*

At least I balanced my little cookie indulgence with a good-for-me dinner.

I prepared Quinoa, sauteed mixed veggies (peas, lima beans, carrots, green beans and corn) in olive oil, garlic and pepper and topped it all off with crumbled goat cheese.

I got the idea from 'SELF' magazine. In each issue, they feature one of their readers with their real-life health and fitness tips for getting through each day. This month's featured reader, Callie Joy Palma, prepares a large batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and refrigerates it for use throughout the week.

I'm really excited about this new good-for-me recipe and have already added it to my normal rotation for go-to meals. :o) Yeah!

You all know my theory, moderation and a healthy balance. I may have gone a little over board with the cookies this evening, (Hey! I'm human!) but I've jumped right back on track and plan to stay the path from my healthy dinner, right through breakfast and on from there.  :o)

Tomorrow is FRIDAY! - Yeah!!  

Sweet dreams my blog readers. ;-)

P.S. Today marked over 1,000 hits/visits on the Why Dontcha Run blog! Ya-hoo!! 

Thank you for your support as I work through the C25K challenge and make it to and (hopefully through) my first 5k in February. I thoroughly enjoy blogging about my up's and down's of everyday challenges (cookies!) with health and fitness and find that this blog holds me accountable to my training schedule and choices. So..... Thank YOU!

Work Space

Evening, all.

My heart is hurting for Haiti. :o( I feel so useless and wish there was something I could do to help. When I see those children on the television, crying out in pain (both physical and emotional), I just want to scoop them up and hold them.  *sigh* My prayers will have to do, which is a lot more powerful than anything I could ever physically do for the people of Haiti.

When I got home from work today, I ran around with my Sultan for a little bit and then jumped on the treadmill for Week 8/Session 2 of C25k. This helped me release some tension and overall stress. Running always helps clear my mind, focus and think more clearly.

I ran my scheduled 2.75 miles straight through with no walking, followed by 1/2 mile of walking to cool down. this evening's run went well and has me more pumped for the February 6th 5k. :o)

You know what? I realized today that I've never shared my "work space" with you, my blog follower. Trust me, it's nothing interesting, (at all) but I thought it would bring you more into my little world of running and training. :o)

Come upstairs, take your shoes off and stay awhile.

See the aluminum foil? That's how I cover up the stats (time/distance/pace/etc.), to keep my from getting disheartened. Like I've said in the past, I do better when all that "stuff" is covered up.

 Please take note of the blank, neutral-colored wall in front of the treadmill. This, my friends, is what I stare at for 45 minutes at a time. Oh yeah, dedication. Pure dedication right there. ;-P Oh, and I can't forget about the spare mattress that is leaning against the wall... again, not the most interesting thing to focus on.

Today's run burned 520 calories (I'm not actually running to burn calories and lose weight, but it comes with the territory, ya know?) and covered 3.51 miles.  When I feel like I'm close to my goal, I peek under the fancy screen cover aluminum foil to see how far I've come.

And last but not least, a silly picture of me in action. :o) Oh yeah, I'm workin' it. haha.

Well folks, my warm bed is calling my name.  I've gotta pack up the leftover chicken n dumplin's from dinner, for lunch tomorrow and then I'm gonna be out like a light bulb! Evening exercise always knocks me out. Whew!

Does exercising at night keep you awake or help you sleep?

Green "Monster" Smoothie

Evening, all.

I'm still on my "runners high" from last nights 3.5 mile run. :o) *grins*

I slept so, so, so good last night. Would you believe that I think I run better in the afternoon/evening than in the morning? I'm not 100% sure if I'm convinced of this yet, but it's definitely something I'm going to keep an eye on and compare my morning runs with my afternoon/evening runs. Interesting....

Anywho, I made the most fantastic green smoothie for breakfast. Look at this beauty!

The husband walked into the kitchen this morning, saw the blender and exclaimed, "What the heck is that?!" haha. The concoction actually looked like Nickelodeon Slime but tasted oh so good! 

Here's the recipe of this morning's green smoothie (from Angela at "Oh She Glows")

Virgin Green Monster

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach

1-1.25 cups milk (cow’s milk, soy, hemp, almond, rice, etc)

1 tablespoon flax (optional)

1 banana

ice

Directions:

Hi there, Are you a Green Monster first-timer? Have no fear! This recipe is fool proof. Even the biggest skeptic will love this one. Place the ingredients into the blender in the following order: 1) Flax, 2) spinach, 3) banana, 4) milk. The reason for this order is so the heavier ingredients weigh down the flax and spinach and keep it from flying up around the blender and sticking to the side. Blend everything on the highest setting for 1 minute or so. Finally, add ice and blend on the ice setting. Pour into a large, fancy glass. Sit back, gulp it down, and be prepared to have endless energy!

I thouroughly enjoyed my first real green smoothie and plan to add it to my regular breakfast routine at least a few times a week. I'll be trying all kinds of new recipes off of the green monster website. Yay for new good-for-you recipes! ;-)

GOOGLE THE BENEFITS OF GREEN SMOOTHIES - YOU'LL BE IMPRESSED!

Ooops.... I ran 3.5 miles!!!

*drum roll please*

I JUST RAN THREE AND A HALF (3.5) MILES!!!!!!

That's MORE than a 5k and it was a total accident! Ha, let me explain...

As I've mentioned in past posts, I've recently started covering up the screen on my treadmill during runs. This way, I can't look at the statistics and get frustrated/disheartened with time, distance, pace, etc. I kept running and running and running and running without checking my time/distance for fear that I wouldn't  be as far as I thought. I didn't want to lose heart and feel defeated, so I just kept running until I thought I would be close to the scheduled 2.75 miles.

Soooo..... I was running my little heart out , with the screen covered, awesome music streaming through my Ipod and "Health" magazine in front of me, when I finally lifted the piece of aluminum foil (yes, I use aluminium foil because light won't show through from the screen.) from the screen, and saw my distance was "3.56". I literally shook my head and had to repeat the number over and over in my head until it registered that I had run just over 3.25 miles straight through without walking. (Note: I always run the first and last quarter mile of all my runs.)

I pushed through to 3.75 miles with a gigantic smile on my face and walked the final quarter miles for a total of 4 miles. I HAD JUST RUN 3.5 MILES!!!.... When the schedule only called for 2.75. HECK YEAH! ;-)

I'm absolutely exhausted and in need of some sleep, so that's just what this girl's gonna do. :o) I've got a man that is sure to snuggle me up on this cold night, so I'm outta here!

P.S. I JUST RAN 3.5 MILES!! ;-) Tehe

Good-For-You Chocolate?

It's another lazy day around this household today. I've actually gotten a few loads of laundry done and the floors swept, so that's gotta count for somethin'. ;-) I'm contemplating having the hubby open up the attic so we can put away some stray items that have been lingering around upstairs for, oh, you know... about a year or so! The items include a few rolls of extra carpet and hard wood flooring left from construction and misc. holiday "stuff". In addition to the storing away of unused goods, I need my dear husband to change a light bulb in one of the upstairs rooms. The room just so happens to be the one that houses my treadmill. I've been running in the dark with only the light from the hallway seeping in... talk about dedicated! tehe.

So,  how about that good-for-you chocolate?? I was completely thrilled when I saw the mail man outside my door with this little brown box yesterday morning.

The box didn't stay in tact for long, as I tore into it as if I were opening the grand-top-of-the-christmas-list gift, as a child.  Nestled in crumbled up pieces of paper and bubble wrap, was this jar full of CHOCOLATE!

The Wax Orchards website described this jewel as, Classic Fudge: A dark rich blend, bittersweet European style fudge with universal appeal.

Look at those ingredients! No junk, all natural. :o) Now that's what I'm talkin' about.

All their products are diabetic friendly, fruit-sweetened, fruit thickened, heart healthy, fat-free, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free.  I originally heard of this product from Marla, in her recipe for good-for-you stuffed french toast and knew I had to try the chocolate.  I haven't made the french toast yet, but it's on my recipes-to-try list.

My review of the jar of chocolate? YUM-AZING! There a slight hint of fruit flavor, but nothing overwhelming; mainly a bold chocolate flavor. I'm completely ecstatic about this product and can't wait to  use it on all kinds of treats. As an afternoon snack, I added a little drizzle to my usual peanut butter and apple slices.  Ohhh so, so, so yummy!

It feels good to have a chocolate sauce (of which I'm honest enough to say that I crave!) that isn't filled with all kinds of junk. Just as with any treat, (chocolate included) it will be enjoyed in moderation. ;-P

 Well I'm off to get some more stuff done around the house (and attempt to stay out of the chocolate) ;-)

Breakfast Cookie

Hi there! What a lazy day I'm having today. Ah, yes... a little R&R. :o)

I woke up to yet another cold morning (with NO SNOW - boo hoo hoo) and snuggled up on the couch with my blanket and "Women's Health" magazine. I've been really enjoying reading health magazines lately. They're full of tips and tricks to make every day health and fitness choices easier, more fun and spiced up. I'm trying to narrow down my list of ones I want to subscribe to, but it's very difficult since there are so many great options!

Week 7/Session 3 of C25K was on today's schedule, so I went ahead and got that outta the way. I did my 5 minute warm up walk, 2.5 miles straight through running, no walking and then cooled down with another 1.25 miles of walking for the heck of it.  I'm feeling very proud of what I've accomplished thus far and extremely anxious about week 8. I've come this far and will continue to rock this training program! :o) Confidence is key. ;-P

Guess what?! I've got my first reader request! Ya-hoo!! I've had a few lovely ladies request "my" breakfast cookie recipe.  A breakfast cookie gets its name from its shape. It's basically compiled of oats, nut butter, protein powder, milk,  mix-in of choice and topping(s). Without further ado, I introduce to you, the infamous...

BREAKFAST COOKIE

(adapted from Gina-aka The Fitnessista)

FIRST: Mix together

*1/3 cup oats

*1 tbs nut butter of choice (I usually pick either peanut butter or almond butter) 

*1/2 scoop protein powder (I use Designer Whey - Chocolate)

SECOND: Add and stir until moistened

*2 tbs Milk (I use almond or soy milk, but any type will work)

THIRD: Mix-ins! Make it your own ;-)

*Banana, pumpkin, chocolate chips, etc. - anything goes!

(This one is a very ripe banana)

FOURTH: Spread onto a small plate and flatten with the back of a spoon & Add optional "seasoning"

*I sprinkled cinnamon on top of this particular cookie.

LAST: Cover and refrigerate overnight

*The oats will soften from the milk and the "cookie" will harden from nut butter

The next day, it should resemble a giant cookie!

In the morning, dig in with a spoon and ENJOY!!

I love to make one of these cookies at night, so I can wake up to a fully prepared, delicious and nutritious breakfast. Talk about convenience and a time saver!

Now go, go now, make yourself a breakfast cookie for the morning and report back with results! :o)

Rumor Has It...

... it's gonna snow in Central Florida! See! The weather man said so!

 

 

NOW do you believe me?! ;-)

I know the chances are still slim to none for it to actually happen, but I'm holding on to hope. :o) Eeeeeee! I guess it's key that I tell you I've never seen snow. I've always wanted to and will hopefully see at least one little flurry before it hits the ground and melts.

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In other news, I ran 2.5 miles again this morning. :o) WOO HOO! I'm kickin' this training program's butt! Tehehe. I can't believe I'm already on week 7 of 9. It seems like just yesterday that I started the program.

Erin and I are going to register for a 2nd 5k which just happens to be before the Dsiney Princess 5k. We're going to run the FLORIDA HOSPITAL LADY TRACK SHACK 5K at Mead Garden in Winter Park on February 6th. We are soooooo excited! Since we both train indoors on treadmills, we plan on doing a few outdoor runs before the February 5k, just so we're more prepared for the big day.

My eating "rituals" (haha) have been tamed this week. I've been craving and fueling up with healthier choices throughout the day. For some reason, I was absolutely crazed about chocolate and sweets over the weekend. I don't know what got into me! Seriously, no reason.... just sheer craziness. ;-P

This little guy has done a pretty good job at satisfying my sweet tooth.

It's a multi grain cracker with natural peanut butter smeared on top with mini chocolate chips. I got this snazzy idea from Tina. I've also used the multi grain sandwich thin like Tina, which is just as yummy as the cracker. Why haven't I thought of this before!? I mean come on.... peanut butter AND chocolate with a little whole-grain goodness thrown in? Yes, please. ;-)

2.5

*Drum Roll Please*

I JUST RAN TWO AND A HALF MILES without walking!!!! This is a new personal record and right on schedule with week 7. 

I made the announcement a few days ago that I was going to repeat a week. However, after discussing my "troubles" and doubts with several wonderful people in my life, I realized my main problem was phycological and not physical. I was physcially able to make the run, but I was physicing myself out and hitting a mental wall at two miles.

The scheduled Monday run was skipped and then I slept through my alarm this morning because I was discouraged and not "feeling" the training. I realized something had to change and that the change had to be done by yours truly... ME! All day, I mentally prepared myself for a run this evening. I knew I had a dentist appointment at 5:20, right after work, so I planned ahead and brought a plain sweet potato to work so I could pop it in the microwave and eat it for dinner. This way, I wouldn't be starving by the time my dentist appointment was over, and have to eat right before my run (which always causes side stitches while I'm running.)

This strategy worked and I hopped right on the treadmill after walking in the door and "suiting up."

THANK YOU ASHLEY for making the suggestion to not look at the treadmill screen while running, which tends to overwhelm me. This totally worked and got me through this run.

THANK YOU ERIN for telling me that I've still got my "mo-jo" and haven't lost it, no matter what my mind is telling me. She reminded me that it's ok to slow my jog every once in a while to make it through the full distance. My body needs it!

This run is exactly what I needed to keep my chin up and renew my passion to make it through this 9 week program. :o) Three weeks left!!!

*Another drum roll please*

I REGISTERED FOR THE DISNEY PRINCESS 5K in March!!!!! Erin and I are going to run it together and we are soooooo excited! :o)

_______________________________

I have to take a moment to give my Cousin Matt a little shout out on the blog. ;-) He is flying back to California after his three week visit to Florida. :o( I'm going to miss him terribly. I very much cherish the time I have with him each year. :o)

This is a picture of us with our good friend, Lindsey, before going out for sushi. We had a blast!

Well I'm going ski-daddle and get my 2010 organizer somewhat put together and maybe peek at one of my new health magazines before catching some shut eye.

I (barely) Made It

Evening, all.

This has been one of the most lazy restful days I've had in a long time.  I woke up to this not-so-lovely rainy day... what a view. NOT!

On today's schedule was week 6/day 3 of C25K. Today's session confirmed for me that I'm going to repeat week 6 instead of moving on to week 7 next week.  I was scheduled to run 2.25 miles with no walking BUT I (barely) made it through 2 miles and just about had a heart attack. (Ok, so not really, but give me a moment... I was feelin' sorry for myself.) I walked the final 1/4 mile and called it a day. For the first time since beginning this program 6 weeks ago, I immediately sprawled out on the floor after stepping off the treadmill. I had a "moment" and somewhat of a woe-is-me attitude for about 2 minutes but was able to come back down to reality and realize that I had just run two miles straight through, and that is soooo something to be proud of!

I picked myself up off the floor, wobbled down the stairs and made a toasted sandwich thin with peanut butter, banana and cinnamon. A big glass of water washed it all down. Ah, yes.... sweet satisfaction! I was officially re-fueled. 

Since today was full of a bunch of nothing, I surfed the internet while the hubby watched lots of football and caught up on his fishing magazines.  I made an attempt to utilize my "new" I-Pod that Caitlin (from work) so kindly GAVE to me!! She basically rocks and came to me last week, wanting to give me her I-Pod since she got a new one for Christmas. Yeah, I know, she's pretty cool like that. ;-P (THANK YOU, CAITLIN!) On top of that, I received an I-Tunes gift card of which I took advantage of today.

For lunch, I threw together some delicious low-sodium turkey, avocado (the best part), spinach and Annie's Goddess Dressing on a sandwich thin.  Apples, grapes and mixed nuts were a scrumptious treat on the side, along with my water.

(Insert an insane amount of time wasted)

This afternoon, our Sultan (mini daschund) got sick to his stomach three times. :o(

We think it's from his treats, because he seems to get sick after eating them and who knows what kind of "mystery meat" is in them. I threw them all out and baked a batch of homemade pumpkin peanut butter dog treats for our little man.

I would be fibbing if I told you I didn't try one the treats. Come on! Don't eeeeven! They were made out of whole wheat flour, pumpkin, peanut butter, eggs, cinnamon and salt. 100% natural and 100% not freakish of me to try one. Thank you. Very much.

If you have a puppy-mut of your own, these treats are a must! Our Sulty Bear looooved them.

He perked up after having a few.  :o)

By the time the treats were done and my kitchen was in shambles, our tummies were growling for dinner.  Adobo Chicken was on the menu, along with brown rice and green beans.  All in all, this one was a winner and will be on the menu in the future. Ya hoo!!

Guess what? The hubs is feeling (significantly) better!  We have lots of things on the schedule tomorrow. Some of which include returning clothes, picking up Sultan's medicine and hopefully a lunch or dinner date thrown in somewhere. ;-)

It's Two Thousand and Ten

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to 2010. :o) Can you believe it?! I know I can't...

We didn't have any wild and crazy plans and actually fell asleep in our cozy bed around 11:30pm.

<<<<<  Yesterday, I got to spend some good quality time with my Cousin Matt who is visiting from California for a few weeks. We enjoyed some great conversation and yummy coffee and sandwiches at Boston Coffee House before we killed some time at Target. 

I had to hurry home to get ready for dinner at the DH's Mimi's house. When I walked in the door, the hubby said he wasn't going to be able to go to dinner because his back hurt too bad. :o( So I whipped him up this new (good-for-you) recipe for him before I left.

FETTUCCINE WITH CREAMY RED PEPPER-FETA SAUCE

 (source)

We thought it was decent, but I'm not sure if I'll be making it again.  I think it needed chicken or a little something extra.  If it were just me, I would eat it again, but I don't think the hubs liked it enough.

MY dinner was fantastic! Ham, cheesy potatoes, green beans, dump salad, baked potato soup and salad all graced my plate. I went light on the carbies, and filled up on the greens. :o)  Dessert was a little sliver of Mimi's famous chocolate-chocolate cake. YUM-AZING!!!!

After dinner, we gathered around the fire pit and enjoyed some nice conversation. We each took a turn telling the group of at least one thing that we had planned for 2010. I exclaimed, "Run a 5k!" :o) I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of health conscience changes/continuances that were announced for the 2010 year.

Bring on good health, 2010!