My most favorite smoothie yet...

I am always trying new and different blends of things to make smoothies. Some are fruity some are not. Some are yumtastic and some are truly fails. Today I decided to try some things we had at home in a smoothie.

   
                           

I put the banana, rice milk, peanut butter and a drizzle of coconut oil in the Ninja. Initially, I did not use oatmeal, but the smoothie seemed a little thin. The oatmeal thickened it up and gave it a little more texture.I should probably admit that I am a fan of chunky milkshakes/smoothies. I loooved the texture of this one and it was also delicious and filling.

I have made fruity smoothies that I have found to be terrific but this one was great for what I was craving today. It was thick and not too sweet and pretty nutty and wonderful. Try it if you, too, are a fan of the chunky smoothies. Chunky and smoothie? I guess that doesn't really match but that's OK. You'll love it!

Tree pose and intervals

I have been relegated to the treadmill recently due to the fluffy, yucky pollen filling the air. I did try to run outside a couple of times but my allergies do not allow me to have a sneeze and/or snot free run. I have noticed changes in my body and definitely would like to continue to see these changes. I’ve had to challenge myself. I’m still doing yoga twice a month with the patients at the clinic where I work. I was able to do Tree Pose and  Warrior III. I am so excited about this!! I think that I would like to start practicing yoga more regularly. It is so expensive though!! I may have to do some videos on Hulu, Netflix or Amazon. I've been lifting weights. I have also been doing intervals on the treadmill. My buns are so tired after I am done with them!!! I run in increments of .10 of a mile. I run for 2 miles and it takes about 23 minutes to finish my workout. My interval run looks like this:

0-.10	4/pace of 15min mile	1.00-1.10	4/pace of 15min mile
.10-.20	6/pace of 10min mile	1.10-1.20	8/pace of 7.30min mile
.20-.30	4/pace of 15min mile	1.20-1.30	4/pace of 15min mile
.30-.40	6.5/pace of 9:14min mile	1.30-1.40	7.5/pace of  8:00min mile
.40-.50	4/pace of 15min mile	1.40-1.50	4/pace of 15min mile
.50-.60	7/pace of 8:34min mile	1.50-1.60	7/pace of 8:34min mile
.60-.70	4/pace of 15min mile	1.60-1.70	4/pace of 15min mile
.70-.80	7.5/pace of  8:00min mile	1.70-1.80	6.5/pace of 9:14min mile
.80-.90	4/pace of 15min mile	1.80-1.90	4/pace of 15min mile
.90- 1.00	8/pace of 7.30min mile	1.90- 2.00	6/pace of 10min mile

My tree pose is starting to look pretty good. I am so excited about the progress I am making in yoga! Yoga and my laptop. Multitasking?

Interested in an entry in the Running for Hope 5K?

Are you looking to run a race this summer that benefits those in need? The Running For Hope 5K on June 28th at 9am is the perfect opportunity. The race is located at the Kopf Family Reservation in Avon Lake, Ohio. The race course is scenic and flat and could potentially afford some speedy runner a PR. Comment below or on Facebook for a chance to win a free entry. The deadline to enter is June 9, 2014. In the event that you do not win the free entry, please consider registering to run this race for only $20. All proceeds go to charity. If you register early enough, you will walk away with a snazzy tee and there will be food and refreshments after the race. If you happen to be super fast, you could win the top prize of a $100 gift card to Red the Steakhouse/Moxie!!

"Love Without Boundaries Healing Homes provides care for orphaned children with serious medical conditions requiring specialized care. These children have needs that cannot be met in an institutional setting. LWB also supports orphanage assistance and nutrition and educational support for Chinese orphans. Since the foundation of LWB in 2003, thousands of children have received surgeries or other medical care."

If you are interested in donating to this cause, go directly to their website: Running for Hope 5K

Hope to see you there!!!

My 2014 Cleveland Rite Aid Half Marathon Experience

The Cleveland Rite Aid Half Marathon kicked my butt. Prior to that, I was having a great weekend courtesy of the Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon.

I attended the reception on Friday night with my son, J1, as my date. We arrived a little late as we both had other engagements prior to this. When we arrived, we were able to hear some of the speakers and chat with a few of the other bloggers (Joe, Brian and Stephanie). We were also able to eat and J1 seemed pretty pleased with the selection!! We had a great time and he was a great date.                                                     

                                     

             

On Saturday, I went to the Expo alone. I was able to leisurely peruse any table that interested me without any one complaining that we were taking too long. It was awesome. I bought cute compression socks from runningskirts.com, a snazzy 13.1 tee, Jelly Belly sport beans and some Nuun sport drink tablets. I also visited a table for the Detroit Free Press Marathon and I’m almost convinced that I should run it!!!

So…the race… I was very worried about my tummy issues this race. When I ran my long training runs, I had serious stomach issues. My stomach was very sad for almost 2 days after the 10 mile run. My time was great and on pace for the race but my stomach was troubled. I talked to the dietician at my job who suggested that I try the BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce and toast) diet for a couple days before the race. I decided that maybe Saturday was enough time for the change. I was pretty sure that this was gonna work well. While at the expo, I purchased Nuun and was convinced that race day would be a great day to try something other than water in my CamelBak. I have NEVER had anything other than water during a race or a run. For some reason, this sounded like a good plan to me. I prepared the night before. Everything was laid out and I pre-made my banana and rice milk smoothie and popped it in the fridge. In the morning, I jumped up, got dressed (in a super cute running skirt and matching socks!), blended my smoothie and was on my way. I was feeling very confident. I started my run with my cousin, J. 

We ran our first 3 miles under race pace. I was feeling great. I was feeling great until about mile 2.5, that is. I saw someone run into what looked like a hotel and I joked “I wonder would they let me use their restroom?”(I wasn’t joking) At mile three, I stopped at the porta-potty and my downfall began. I have NEVER used a porta potty during a race. NEVER!  My first poo-stop turned mile 4 into a 16 minute mile. The next stop registered an 18 minute mile. (The lines were long and the issues were troubling).

Miles 6,7,and 8 were under race pace but then mile 9 happened. My stomach was gurgling like a tiny geyser. I made my last stop (during the race). As I sat in that tiny little stink pot, I realized that I would not be making my goal. At all… Mile 9 was a whooping 21:38!!! I told my cousin J that he could leave me, but he stuck around for all 4 potty stops. (I stopped once and didn’t go because I thought that I could make it without going). After the mile 9 debacle, I tried to jog a little but my stomach was not having it. I walked and ran the last 4 miles.     

                                                                                                        

Cousin J finished his first half marathon in 3.06. He left me at mile 12. I finished in 3:10. I was super excited to see my own cheerleader J2 at the finish line.

The race atmosphere was great. There were so many people all along the course and great music scattered throughout the route. I passed a church with some young ladies on the porch singing a song from my running playlist,  Israel Houghton’s “Te Amo” which I assume means that we are all good at picking great running songs.

I am not happy at all with this time. I would calculate that I spent about 25 minutes in line for the porta potty or inside the porta potty. I actually want to scream!!! I, of course, cannot take this defeat. I have to redeem myself. I have to get a better time than my first half (2:49). I have to run another half!!!And sooner rather than later…

The highlight to the weekend for me was my little cousin Victoria Bankhead finishing her first marathon. She is a rockstar and an excellent example of hard work paying off!!! Congrats Vickie!!

Make-up and other first world parenting issues...

The Littlest Joe is 12 years old. She is in the seventh grade. She is almost the youngest girl in her class. Most of her friends have already turned 13. There are a couple 14 year olds tossed in the mix. I have noticed that some of these girls wear makeup. I haven't noticed anything too crazy. I've seen a little eye shadow, eye liner, mascara and lip goo of varying types. I've told my Joe that I would let her wear some makeup at thirteen. There are many problems with this. One problem is her mother's lack of make-up applying skills. I don't wear make-up. I can not teach her a thing!! Occasionally (And I mean super rarely) I will throw on some mascara and lip gloss. While I am not a make-up wearer, I am convinced that I should be. I buy all kinds of make-up that I don't wear. This over abundance of make-up works out very well for a sneaky 12 year old who knows that if she takes makeup from my bag, I will never notice. Recently, I have been finding makeup that previously belonged to me in The Littlest Joe's room. This drives me batty. We are constantly battling about my rules. I don't want to see my baby looking like an adult human in make-up. I am torn, however, because she never looks crazy with the makeup on. On several occasions, I had to admit to myself that she looked really pretty... I am sure that there are bigger battles I could be fighting. I get worried, however, that my giving in to The Joes tells them that they can forever ignore my rules when they are not convenient for them. I need to learn to pick my battles but I am never sure which battle is a battle I can afford to lose. The Littlest Joe will be 13 at the end of August. She has about 5 months. I may need to let this make-up rule quietly die. And maybe I'll  teach her a lesson that life is flexible and people who are inflexible have a greater chance of missing out on growth or joy or mother/daughter moments with their little joes... 

Weeks Four and Five of Training: Kettlebells and cookies

     Week four was terrible with regards to running. I just didn't feel like doing it. I have been doing a lot of later hours at my job because we started a few new groups for our patients. The new groups are exciting, but I am tired at the end of a long day. UGH!!!I did hit the gym and I did some kettlebell workouts at home with my 20 pound kettlebell. My favorite moves are the swing (of course!) and sit-ups. The Biggest Joe suggested that he might be helpful with the sit-ups. He held my feet and barked at me to do them faster and to sit ALL THE WAY UP!!!  Week five saw some mileage. My goal for the half in May is 2 hours and 36 minutes which equals 12 minute miles. During my practice runs, I have been trying to keep my pace close to my goal race pace. My runs outside showed me that I can run faster than a 12 or 11 minute mile. Last Wednesday, I told my friend that I was going to run 6 miles that evening. This was a motivator to actually meet this distance goal. I dropped my car off at the school where The Littlest Joe was at track practice and text her to wait in the car if I was not back by the time she was done. I started this run thinking I would finish in about 1 hour and 12 minutes. When I finished mile 1 at 10:27,  I felt a little excited. Mile 2 was 10:35. At that point, I was convinced I may be able to finish the six miles in a shorter amount of time. I changed my goal and decided I wanted to finish before 1 hour and 6 minutes. I finished in 1 hour and 4 minutes. I am in competition with myself and no one else. I would like to run this half in May faster than I ran my first half. I am determined to do that. This run convinced me that I can do that!! 

     I am excited to see that I am maintaining my recent weight loss. I'm still abstaining from all meats except seafood. I do still have a love affair with sugar and I have been eating desserts again. I have not had any moments of binge eating. I have only eaten sweets in moderation. I ate my last box of girl scout cookies this week. They are all gone. Instead of feeling sad, I feel relief. I also have not had sugar in my house for about 2 months now. The Joes are acting as if the world is ending. They are very vocal about their disgust with the lack of sugar in our house. We do have honey and agave. We made yams with butter, agave, vanilla and cinnamon. They could not taste the lack of sugar. They are super tasty this way!! We have lots of fruits. I also bought some sweet-ish snacks (animal crackers, applesauce, etc.). They are surviving... I am doing great!! Hope everyone's training is going as planned!!!

Win an entry to the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

Have you been putting off registering for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon events? Have you been feeling unsure about whether this is the race for you? The good folks at the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon have made a race entry available to me to give to one of you lucky readers!!! This is a great year to race with us. The course is new and you'll get to see some great views of Cleveland. If you have not registered, enter below for a chance to win a free registration to the event of your choosing!

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