Beam Me Home

Tonight is my last night in Grand Rapids, MI.  The kind folks at GRGrub gave me a bunch of awesome-sounding places to eat while in town, but I didnt realize I wasnt staying downtown.  Normally, I would be excited to venture out, but I forgot my glasses and that makes driving at night difficult, especially in a new town. 

Uccello's was a quick drive from the hotel and had gotten awards for best pizza in Grand Rapids.

I started with a garden salad and the house balsamic dressing.  The dressing was good and the salad was fresh.  For the pizza, I ordered a grilled margherita.

I was disappointed as soon as I opened the box. I expected the grilled crust to be crispy.

It was soggy and seemed like they took a piece of store-bought flatbread and threw it on the grill.  Not at all like was described in the menu as " a 9" hand-formed crust brushed lightly with garlic butter and olive oil grilled over an open flame".  nope - it definitely wasnt that.  I barely ate any of it , which is saying something if I can stomach pizza! 

I ended up popping popcorn to go with my salad.  I also enjoyed a mini Diet Dr Pepper.  Love it.

Workouts 

When I arrived at the hotel earlier in the week, I was disappointed to see that the gym was the same size as Storage Room B.  Monday night, I did a 25 min upper body lifting working with the free weights they had available.

The next day, I was talking to the instructor of my class about it and she mentioned she had a free week-long pass to her gym that she would be happy to give to me.  YESSSS.

MVP Sports Club was a huge, awesome gym with the nicest treadmills I have ever run on.  Touchscreens on each one and there were at least 40 of them.

• Tuesday, I ran 4.2 miles in 40 mins.
• Tonight (Thursday), I ran 3.0 miles in 30 mins.

Tomorrow, I have my last full day of class and then am heading home to Baltimore.  I am so excited to see Kevin and my animals - it has been lonely in the hotel room all by myself!  I am ready to be home!

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Labor Day Weekend

What a week it was...all due to a crazy deadline at work. BUT, I am happy to report that I kept up with my running despite working 60+ hours.


Last Sunday to loosen our legs a bit, Kevin and I went for an hour mountain bike ride. I tracked our ride through Patapsco State Park using Trail Guru - a very cool iPhone app.


The map below shows the path we took through the park.


You can see more about our ride HERE, including a scary picture of me after the ride. Sweaty helmet hair is tough to fix.


Other workouts this week included:

• Mon - 6 mile run
• Tue - Arc Trainer 40 mins, Row 15 mins
• Wed - OFF
• Thu - 6.2 mile run
• Fri - OFF
• Sat - Lift 40 mins, upper body and abs only.

Which brings me to today -

• Sun - I am happy to report that I completed 14 miles this morning.

It was a tough first 3 miles because we were on a main highway and I always seem to feel miserable during the first 3 miles of any run. We had a great bay breeze from the water and eventually got on more secluded back roads. 14 miles later, I was thirsty, hungry and my legs were aching. Came home and ate a donut. It tasted DELICIOUS.

I have lots of other things to show you and write about, but I forgot my camera cord and am down at the beach for the Labor Day Weekend.

Let me give a quick shout out to my DAD and SISTER though...HAPPY BIRTHDAY to both of you!

In the meantime - you can find me on TWITTER HERE - since I am officially addicted. Fun to see what people are up too. My famous favorites to follow - Chris Cooley, Taylor Swift, Andy Roddick, Demi Moore, Jessica Simpson, Serena Williams, Rick Baylis, Ruth Reichl, and many others...


oh and you will also find me at the beach or pool RELAXING - Mango Mojito and good book in hand.
Enjoy the rest of your labor day weekend!

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Get Some Mojo

Eats


Last night, we made some pretty tasty fajitas/tacos and I wanted to share our process. First, the chicken marinated in Goya Mojo Criollo Marinade overnight. I really don't want to eat chicken another way - it was juicy and had the best flavor. Every chicken needs some mojo.
Next up, we sauteed a colorful mix of onions and peppers (some spicy) in a little EVOO.

Meanwhile, refried pinto beans went into a pot to warm up.

Normally, I would use corn or flour soft tortillas for fajitas, but we were fresh out, so I was happy to discover these hiding in the pantry.
After the onions and pepper cooked for awhile, we removed them from the pan so we could add the chicken w/ marinade to cook through. Then, we mixed the onions and peppers back into the chicken with some chopped tomatoes.

All together...topped with shredded cheese.

I was worried that the whole grain hard taco shells would taste too "whole grainy" - if you know what I mean - but they were incredible. Ortega Whole Grain beats Old El Paso any day. I ended up dipping my tacos into the beans before each bite. It was one of the most satisfying meals and SO simple.


The other day at work - I finally tried the German Chocolate Cake Larabar. I brought some greek yogurt to go with, but ended up eating it alone since I was crunched for time at work.
It was a pleasant surprise because I haven't enjoyed the other Jocalat larabars, but this one was great! Next time, I would top it with the almond butter for a major treat.

Last, but certainly not least - I had a wonderful salad for lunch today. Since I tend to be picky with salads, I was happy to find one I enjoyed so much. It was from Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD. Spinach, pinto beans, gorgonzola cheese, marinated/sauteed tofu, and cranberries. It came with a raspberry vinaigrette that I didn't use at all. The tofu was seasoned to perfection and all the flavors mixed together nicely.

Workouts/Running

I am currently training for the Baltimore Half Marathon on October 10th and finally feel like I am getting somewhere. Basically, over the past month or so, I have stopped all of my slacking and inconsistency and feel like I have gotten my mojo back. ;)

This week has gone well so far:

• Saturday: 17 mile bike ride
• Sunday: 6 mile run
• Monday: day off
• Tuesday: 6 mile run
• Wednesday: Jillian Michaels - Quick No Trouble Zones
• Thursday: 5 mile run
• Friday: day off (consider it done)
• Saturday: 10 mile run (planned) - I know it seems a little sudden for this long of a run since I haven't been posting my runs here regularly, but I did 8.6 miles the first two Saturdays in August.

Random

Anyone else watch Top Chef last night? Jen is a tough cookie and right now - I hope she goes all the way.

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DNS #2

Here comes my little confession - I had my second DNS this weekend. (DNS stands for "Did Not Start".) This weekend was the EX2 Off-Road Duathlon out in Rocky Gap and I didn't even attempt to make it to the race. I canceled my hotel while on vacation at the beach a week or so back knowing I wasn't going to do it.


Why didn't I make it? Well, I have a list of excuses a mile long, but when it comes down to it - I just wasn't motivated to train properly. It didn't help that I had 3 weddings 3 weekends in June and then a 10 day vacation to the beach. But, if I had really wanted to train - I could have made time, especially since I wasn't working during the month of June. Looking back, I am wondering what I did with all my time.


I have always had structure in the form of school, sports, work, etc. So, when I didn't have anything to do - I just couldn't get much accomplished. Interesting, I guess.


Oh and I had my first DNS last year for the exact same venue, except I was signed up for the Off-Road Triathlon. Hmmm. I guess this race and I are not meant to be.


Anyone else have a DNS (or two) under their belt?


Instead of competing in the duathlon, Kevin and I took Oscar for a walk/hike/swim in Patapsco State Park.Oscar followed Kevin around as they explored the river.
Once Kevin got too far out, Oscar would swim back to me.
The water was cool and refreshing.
Kevin found a live snail that was pretty cool to see. I took some pictures of the scenery.This was a neat pathway leading to another trail.
Overall, it was a great way to spend a Sunday...since I couldn't make the duathlon. ;)


Tonight (Monday) after work, Kevin and I started out on a 40 min run. It was hot and humid and the sun was beating down on us. We both felt like it wasn't in the cards for the night. Instead of giving up completely - we ran a little under a mile down to the soccer field near our house - all down hill.


I led us through the following workout, trying to stay in the shade:

• 5 sets of 20 yard sprints, jogging back to start, so there was no rest.
• 10 squat jumps to touch the top of the goal
• 10 burpees
• 15 push-ups
• 15 sit-ups
  
• lap around the soccer field, sprint the end lines, jog the sidelines
• 20 walking lunges
• 10 squat jumps to touch the top of the goal
  
• lap around the soccer field, sprint the end lines, jog the sidelines
• 10 burpees
• 15 push-ups
• 15 sit-ups
  

Then, we ran up the hill, back home. It was a tough workout that was SO much more fun than just running.


Dinner was sauteed shrimp w/ onions and Adobo seasoning (the BEST), corn on the cob w/ butter salt & pepper, and roasted brussels. It hit the spot.
Good night everyone!

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Full Day

Lately, I have been on an egg kick in the mornings. But yesterday, I wanted some good old OATS. In the mix: oats, skim milk, cinnamon, bee pollen, blueberries, 1/2 banana, spoonful of natural PB.

I needed all that good energy for the hour and fifteen minute Total Conditioning class that I took with my sister at her gym (Lifetime Fitness in Columbia, MD). That gym is HUGE and AMAZING. The class completely kicked our butts - I had no idea that my body could produce that much sweat. I munched on a Peanut Butter Larabar on the way home.


This is what I saw when I walked in the door after class. Oscar was ready for his walk. For lunch, I knew I wanted to have a salad because we had SO many veggies to use up, but I wanted something HOT. I sauteed yellow squash, mushrooms, and onions in a little EVOO. Seasoned with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Placed on top of field greens and topped with feta cheese.
Oh wait, what are those things on the side? Oven roasted potatoes. I sliced up potatoes and tossed in EVOO, salt, and pepper then baked at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes, flipping once or twice.
Later on, my sweet tooth hit me, so I combined a container of Honey Oikos Greek Yogurt, grape nuts, and blueberries. That hit the spot.
Later that night, even though my entire body hurt from Total Conditioning, Kevin convinced me to go mountain biking. It was a beautiful night - check out that sky!
Unfortunately, the trails in Patapsco were not that beautiful. They were extremely muddy from all the rain we have been getting. After falling in a mud pond and then a stream - I was irritable and ready to go home.

We stuck it out and eventually got back onto some trails that weren't as muddy - that is when it became fun again. Kevin got this video of me biking through a stream. Wheeee!

By the end, I was tired, but felt good to get back out on my mountain bike - it had been awhile. We have the Off-Road Duathlon in a few weeks, so we HAVE to get ready.
For dinner, I had made a Beef Vegetable Soup earlier in the afternoon that turned out better than expected. I say that because I just sort of threw a bunch of stuff in a pot and hoped for the best.


What Went into the Pot:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 white onion diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1-2 cups shredded cabbage
• Beef Stew Cubes
• 2 splashes of red wine
  
• 1 package frozen soup vegetables (okra, green beans, corn, potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, lima beans, and peas)
• 2 cans Hunts Tomato Sauce (14.5 oz each)
• 2 cans Beef Broth - fat free (14.5 oz each)
• 1 can Hunts Diced Tomatoes in Sauce (14.5 oz)
• 1 bay leaf
• lots of ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• splash of Worcestershire sauce
• a bit of dried oregano
• a bit of dried basil
• about 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

We picked up some cheese bread from Panera on the way home that was perfect for dunking.
I topped mine with feta cheese because I am a firm believer in that fact that cheese makes everything better. :)


Hope you are getting out there to enjoy this wonderful summer weather!

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Negative Nancy

I know most everyone has had one of "those" runs, but tonight was definitely my night. Kevin and I had a 40 min run with a sprint workout planned.


By the time Kevin came home - I had no motivation. Not to mention that my legs felt like they each weighed about 3,000 pounds. Monday, we had done a 35 min trail run and then a hill workout. I also did a Jillian-esque circuit/weight lifting workout earlier. Tuesday was 45 mins on the arc trainer and then 2,000 meters of rowing. So I had pretty good reason to be tired.


After I procrastinated as long as humanly possible, Kevin dragged me out of the house for the run, but I was "Negative Nancy" and kept trying to talk Kevin into going different routes to cut our run short. I also needed to "stop and stretch" like 5 times - I just felt exhausted and wanted to walk.


Even with all my antics, we ended up running for about 35 mins! We also ended up doing a basketball themed sprint session. I didn't want to wimp out, so I tried to channel my competitiveness from the hundreds of basketball practices I had growing up.


It worked and I was able to do 5 "suicide" or "separator" sprints. It was extremely tough. I only did 5 of those suckers and my legs felt like jello and I could barely breathe. Oh man - much improvement is needed. BUT, it did feel incredible to be finished.


Guess what I noticed at my grocery store the other day? Coconut water. After reading so much about this stuff in blog land - I bought one to try it out. It was very refreshing and did quench my thirst. I would most definitely buy this again.

I did some cooking yesterday for my grandparents. Since my grand mom dislocated her shoulder a few weeks back - it just hasn't been right. She still cant fully use her arm, so that makes it harder to do lots of things - Cooking is one them. Anyways, yesterday I made them a casserole and blueberry bread.
I cant claim that this blueberry bread was anything creative because I used a blueberry muffin mix and then followed the recipe on the box for Quick Bread. I did throw some brown sugar on top to give it a crumb topping.


For the casserole, I decided to use one of Pioneer Woman's recipes. She is such a talented and entertaining writer - plus her photography and recipes are incredible. Not that the recipes are always the healthiest, but decadent and rich things in moderation are totally OK in my book.I used my new knife that was a gift from my parents, along with other great kitchen stuff, and it was incredible. Nothing like a good sharp knife for chopping.I decided on the Chicken Spaghetti and it did not disappoint.Here it is going into the oven. I forgot to take an "after" picture. Notice the small tray in the bottom - that is Kevin and my portion. We had to try it too! It was SO good and I really don't think there is a palate it wouldn't please.


While I was a busy bee in the kitchen, I also marinated some tuna steaks in a mixture of EVOO, Soy Sauce, OJ, minced garlic, black pepper, parsley, and oregano. Sounds a little weird, but it was based on a marinade I found on AllRecipes.com. By dinner time, I was all "cooked" out, so Kevin was put in charge of the side dish and grilling the tuna.
He is so talented. He sauteed green beans in a little EVOO, added peanuts and then mixed them with Fage 0% greek yogurt and Sriracha. It was SO spicy, but I loved it. The fish was topped with a dollop of plain yogurt, but I thought my piece of fish tasted fishy. Kevin thought it tasted fine, so he saved it for lunch as I made a piece of PB toast to go with my green beans.


PB Toast and spicy green beans - perfect dinner. :)


Quick Question


I am looking for some different workouts. The sprints tonight were fun because it made me feel like I was back in basketball practice and had to finish 5 before I could go home. Do you incorporate workouts you used to do in sports practices into your training? If so, what are they? Do tell.

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Highlights/Lowlights

It has been a rainy mess in Baltimore for the past few days and that means I have felt pretty "blah". Weather has a way of doing that to my mood. Thank goodness the sun is out today in full force and it is supposed to be a great weekend.


Eats


Some food highlights and lowlights from the past few days....


The other day I was talking to Kevin on the way home from work and was in a foul mood because of the traffic that occurs when rainy weather hits this area. I was also hungry. That can be a bad combo for me. I came home and found this...
This guy is good. :) Whole wheat pita w/ cashew butter, honey, and chocolate chip smiley face.


Lunch yesterday was supposed to be Shrimp Summer Rolls from Trader Joes refrigerated section. They were horrible. It said they were good for another two weeks or something, but the lettuce inside was brown and the shrimp was slimey. yuck.
Dinner last night was seared scallops and steamed brussels w/ garlic. Oh and a small amount of leftover rice noodles w/ peanut sauce, but they looked like brains, so I left that picture out.

I picked up the Green Tea flavor of Mochi from Trader Joes and am sorry to say they were SO bad. It tasted like freezer burn, so I am thinking it had been sitting for awhile. The outside rice doughy stuff was hard - and it should be stretchy and gooey. ughh. I still ate it for some reason that I can not explain.

I tried a new flavor of CLIF nectar bars - Cherry Pomegranate. I love the nectar bars - big chunks of nuts all throughout and a great chewy texture.
The ripest mango I have ever eaten was consumed today. They were on sale for 99 cents each, so I bought one. Is that even good? I don't buy them enough to know.

But seriously, so sweet and juicy - my desk is a sticky mess now. Oh well, my last day is tomorrow. ha!

Workouts

I decided the take the week off from running to try and let my hamstring rest a little bit so I can make the best decision about whether to do a marathon this year. Also, I am competing in my first Adventure race next weekend, so I want my hamstring to be ready!

I have been doing other forms of cardio (arc trainer, biking, rowing) as well as more lifting than usual.

Saturday, Kevin and I have plans to do a run and then rent a canoe to practice our skills (or see if we have any) for the adventure race. It should be comical.

Other

Tonight is the Baltimore Blogger Meetup @ Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill. Be there at 6pm. I cant wait to meet some of you!

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I Can't Believe I Am About to Say This...

...but before I do, let's look at some food. The suspense!

Dinner last night was Chicken Fajitas. The star of this show was the chicken that had been marinating all day in Goya Zesty Mojo Criollo marinade. It was extremely tender with a ton of flavor.

Served on grilled, white corn tortillas w/ homemade guacamole, grilled red peppers & onions, and cheddar cheese

Kevin made his plate look prettier than mine...for the blog. :)

He is great and brought me these pretty things with a card.

The reason?...I got a new job and start in 2 weeks. With the economy the way it is I feel very fortunate to have a great opportunity in a new place. Once I start, my blogging may be less frequent, but I love this hobby of mine and plan to keep up with it as much as possible.

Dessert was 2 of these little Mochi ice cream thingees - Mango flavor - that I picked up at Trader Joes.

I think that the trick is to let them thaw for about 10 mins, so they are all ooey and gooey when you bite into them.

2 pieces = 210 calories, 6 g fat, 3g protein.

Tuesday Workout

Last night, while Kevin was slaving over the oven preparing dinner, I took an hour spin class at the gym. The instructor was really annoying and would sing along to every song and then be like "Whohoo!" - she probably said it 50 times. I think I have been to this Tuesday class and even wrote about how annoying it was on here. Oh well - got a good workout in at least.

Hamstring

Sooo, I haven't been writing as much about running and workouts out because I didn't want to face the fact that my hamstring has been bothering me since the mountain bike race a few weeks back. When Kevin and I ran our 60 min trail run on Sunday - I felt it - twinges anytime I would take longer strides or jump up over logs. I ended up having to go much slower than normal to ensure I didn't feel it as much.

Last night in spin - it actually hurt a few times and was throbbing afterwards as I sat on the couch watching The Biggest Loser. I was thinking how glad I am that I didn't sign up for many longer distance running races this year.

Plans Change

That is why I can't believe I am about to say this, but, I am considering signing up to run the Baltimore Marathon this fall. Why? Well, my boyfriend ran his first marathon last year - Recap Here - and wasn't happy with his time. He wants to improve and said that he wants to try Baltimore again this year - and wants me to do it with him. He is ready to sign up today, but I said I need some time to consider it. Am I ready to commit to this training again? Is my hamstring ready to commit? It would be my 6th...oh geez...I kind of want to do it. What is wrong with me?

So yeah - lots of thinking to do and I want to look at the calendar to see how a training schedule would look - consult my marathon trainer - a.k.a: dad. Will keep you posted!

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