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Showing posts from 2015

It's that time of year...for gifts and a giveaway!

So I'm running these days, but I am still under 15 miles per week because I have to take a day or two off between each run because my ankle is a little sore after every run. I have been very patient and always err on the side of caution, but my patience is running out so I finally went back to my doctor and he recommended a few weeks of physical therapy. I've been to physical therapy twice, and it seems to be helping. I ran five miles yesterday, and my ankle is feeling pretty good today! I'm hoping my Christmas gift to myself can be a double digit run. So keep your fingers crossed! Speaking of Christmas gifts, are you ready for some more gift ideas? Because in all my shopping adventures, I have come up with a few more gifts for the runners in your life. And because there are some unfortunate souls who have not yet found the gift of running, I included some things for them as well. For the Non-Runner in Your Life Maybe a fitness tracker will put that special someone

I'm just over here trying to make your Christmas shopping easier...

What better way to kick off the month than with a few perfect gift ideas? I am actually almost finished shopping, which I'm pretty sure is a record for how early I have this much finished. So I figured it is my duty to help you out. I've picked out three perfect gifts for the runner in your life (or yourself, because it's always nice to treat yourself) and three gifts for pretty much anyone else on your list.  First there's the Legend Loop Armband . Here's what the makers of Legend have to say about it: "We believe it's the thinnest, lightest and fastest running armband in the world. Legend Loop Armband is also unlike all others. Thin, light and fully featured, distinctive yet not overpowering; it's the perfect addition to your next run or workout. Not to mention it just fits; whatever size your arms are whilst the armband also secures your smartphone regardless of size or model." I have always been afraid to strap my phone to my arm. I

You had me at pumpkin pie.

It's time to break out the maternity pants. And pass them around because Thanksgiving with all it yummy goodness is just days away and then it's full swing into Christmas. And the closer December 25th gets, the busier life seems to be. At least for me. This is what prompted one of my most recent internet searches. Because I am still only running every other day, I do a lot of ellipticizing and cycling. But there isn't always time to fit 45 or even 30 minutes into my day. And for some reason it is easier to find the time to run than do other kinds of cardio (wink-wink). Maybe that means I'm a runner. Anyhow...that search I was talking about was for workouts that don't take much time but that will make me feel like I really got my workout on and my heart pumping. Since I'm fairly sure I'm not the only busy person out there, I thought I'd save you the time of searching out some shorter but killer (aka effective, calorie torching) workouts and share

Darth Vadar, Tomato Soup, Running Tights and Other Randomness

It is officially running tights weather. I love the snow, but I hate being cold. I don't like tomatoes, but tomato soup is one of my favorite foods. Life is full of contradictions.  Just some randomness for your Thursday. Another thing you may not know about me... I don't mind getting up early, but I like some time to wake up before I have to invest in human interaction, especially conversation. This couldn't be more true: In other randomness, Scott turned on this station the other day: And it ABSOLUTELY rocks. My girls were in complete awe of my dance moves. I even busted out the moon walk for them. If you need a little pick-me-up, head over to Pandora and spend some time with MC Hammer radio. We spent some time last weekend  trying to figure out what to wear for our upcoming family pictures. Scott thought this was appropriate for the timing of the pictures: Hey, at least it would make coordination easy. You can't

Life should have more refunds.

So I have clearly been listening to Christmas music already. It happened occasionally in the weeks leading up to Halloween but became all I listen to once Halloween was officially (and thankfully) over. It's extra nice that two radio stations are already playing Christmas music 24/7! My question is...when can I start wearing my holiday/Christmas shirts? I got a new one the other day, and it is begging to be worn. I think I might need to order  this one  and add it to my collection as well! Which reminds me of this... And since we're on the subject of funny (but true) things I've seen this week, here's this #truth as well. I'm up to running 35 straight minutes, which usually ends up being a little over four miles. So I'm running between eight and twelve miles per week right now. Not the 40+ miles it once was. But I do have 40 minutes on tap for Saturday. However, my ankle felt a little off yesterday, so I'll be babying it today (lots of ice

It's basically Friday.

My girls don't have school tomorrow, so it feels like a Friday. And Fridays make me happy. Here are some other things that make me happy: That my girls, Super Girl and Rainbow Unicorn (from Inside Out), had an awesome Halloween. That this movie comes out this weekend. That I get to focus on all the things I'm thankful for a little extra this month. That this is true.

A life lesson...and other pics from my phone.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a little insider information helps it make even more sense. So that's what you're getting with all these pictures from my phone that reveal what's been going on in my (and my little family's) life lately. I'm up to 25 minutes on my runs. And still pain free. Sometimes I multi-task while cooking. Boiling eggs for breakfast, dinner in the crockpot, and roasting veggies for lunch. Another batch of pumpkin muffins . Baked and consumed. Lots of pics of peeps dissolving in glasses for Grace's science fair project. Pumpkin ice cream.  Pumpkin cookies . This. Shirt. And a good life lesson.

Speaking of...food (and other stuff)

So I'm easing back into running. I got in 10 minutes last Thursday. Grace ran with me the whole time, and I kept having to tell her to slow down. Ellie and Scott came along on their bike and scooter, respectively. Then I celebrated my birthday and my gradual return to running on Saturday with 15 minutes on the treadmill. When this is your view, you don't mind running on a treadmill. Add that to the the fact that the view was the result of my friends (and hubby) surprising me with a girl's overnighter for my birthday, and the result was a pretty great run! Monday's 17 1/2 minutes were a little harder because my stomach was rebelling after ALL. THE FOOD. Apparently for me, a birthday means I eat everything in sight. Which included my two friends and I polishing off a carton of ice cream and all but a few bites of a mini (because that designation makes it not quite as bad) cake.  That's actually one of the things I love about Megan and Janae tho

Lessons from NOT running

Before I start running again (today!), I want to share some things I have learned and the good that has come from being injured and NOT running. What happens in the kitchen really makes a difference. Have you heard the saying "abs are made in the kitchen"? I now understand where that saying came from. And while I wouldn't claim to have abs (except maybe when I lie flat on my back, flex like it's my business,  and make sure the lighting is just right), getting my nutrition figured out and on the right track has made a difference in how I feel physically. I don't know if anyone else can see a difference, but I can. And that's who I am doing this for, so I'm fine with that. Strength training can be fun. It is also a great way to feel strong, look leaner, and maintain fitness. I will always love running, but I've definitely found a place in my heart for strength training over the past three months! Life goes on, even when you are

My non-running funk...

I've been in kind of a funk the last few days. Monday I struggled all day with frustration about my ankle. Then our dishwasher broke that evening, which actually made me a little depressed. Especially after our fridge had problems and had to be repaired just a few weeks ago. I gave myself a little pep talk that night about what is really important and tried to focus on how lucky we are that Scott can fix almost anything, which saves us a lot of money. But my funk has lingered. Washing all the dishes that were in the full dishwasher when it stopped working, plus all of Monday's dishes, and then all the dishes from making a moon cake for a project Ellie had due on Wednesday didn't bother me as much as I expected. Yet the funk was still there on Tuesday. The two hours I spent with Megan Wednesday morning were funk-free. But then it came back as soon as I got in my car to head to my girls' school. I just can't put my finger on why I feel this way. N

10 minutes of running...I'm coming for you!

This week is overwhelmingly booked. I have an important, meaningful blog post all written out in my head, but it will have to wait. It is one of those that I want to be able to take my time to write. And today is not a day with extra time. But I have a few other things I want to share with you, so you get those today instead. Things like this this Instagram post Scott tagged me in that is pretty much always how I feel. And this Instagram post my friend Jen tagged me in because she thought I would like it. And she was right. I loved it. And of course there is the obligatory pumpkin item. I made these muffins Sunday morning, and they were the bomb. For the record, I am still not running. But I can see those 10 minutes of bliss happening in the near future!