Great day - 5 mile race, beer, and Bachelorette

OMG I was not ready for that 5-miler today. A - I have not been running much, let alone training for this thing. B - I've put on a few lbs (purposely) from doing more weight-training and of course, not running nearly as much. (to be honest, I look way better than I did before...was a little too skinny). C - I had a couple late nights leading up to the race, so THAT never helps!

This course was hilly, and described as "challenging" on the website. I handled the hills fine actually, it was just by mile 4 that I had some lactate build up and it didn't go away until well after I finished the race. Bottom line, I was not in optimal shape for this, and my legs told me so. They are still feeling like bricks right now. Which is crazy since I've run 1/2 Marathons and had way less of an effect.

Needless to say, I managed 3rd in my age group?! (20-29) I ran so much slower than normal. I typically can run a 40 minute 8K, today was 44:30. Yeah. SO MUCH SLOWER. If only I could have grabbed that first place trophy instead of the third place one, ahhhh well! :-) Seriously, though, I was surprised and super happy about it! What a great treat! Afterwards I hung around for a burger and free beer, shot the breeze with some fellow runners, mozied back to my car and actually stopped in at work to sign someone up for some new personal training. All in all, what a great day! Now, gathering with friends to watch the finale of Bachelorette. Get any better? Nah.

Two favorite things - food and babies - at the homestead

How have we gotten this far into the summer? Wow. Here are some pics that have been hiding on my tablet...or maybe I've just been too lazy to post them.

Just a bit of breakfast - eggs/cheese/peppers on a flat bagel, with some zesty sauce, woohoo!

Nicki and me - post bath. What a blondie.

Tomato and kale salsa, over basil leaves, topped with avocado.

Quinoa with yellow and red peppers, and spinach.

Cozy living at the homestead

My little 14-month-old reader.

I just hopped on Bloglovin to find more cool blogs! You can also follow me on there, as well :-)

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Edibles outside my door, and into my kitchen!

So, it turns out, most things in my garden...which basically consist of anything outside my front door...are doing phenomenally. My basil is out of control (in a good way), my nasturtiums (ya know, those cute and colorful and EDIBLE flowers) are gorgeous, and I'm starting to get some tomatoes! In the basket is also some kale and peas. 

My diet these days consists of most things paleo (check out last post), although I'm not going total freak out mode on it. In other words, I'm not allowing it to be a fad, rather, I'm slowly but surely incorporating it into my life. It's a fantastic thing. I feel better, look better, and have a sense of control. Think about the things that we all put into our bodies, really sit and think about it. In the words of Michael Pollan, if you don't know where it came from and what it's made of, don't eat it. It's a simple concept, but most people can't manage to grasp it. I think it has mostly to do with emotional issues that we all harbor, that weren't present in years past. But that's a subject for another day...SO back to Michael Pollan. He is one of my favorite authors on the "food dilemma" we face these days. Please do check him out. One of his books, Food Rules, lays the groundwork for exactly that, the rules of food and how and what to eat. Clear, concise, and to the point. 

Eating healthfully is actually easy, it just requires some thought and planning. If you can't be bothered with thinking about what you are about to put into your body, then, well...that is quite possibly the epitome of laziness (which all of America has seemed to adopt).

Til next time, 

~here's to learning more about paleo eating and exercise!~

Take control of your health; your life! The Primal Blueprint.

At work, many of the people I see are grossly overweight, injured (or injury-prone), stressed out, and unhappy in their little worlds. They claim they want to lose weight, or just feel better in general. They want to work on making an overall lifestyle change and then maintaining it...but then they walk right out my office door and forget all about these "goals" they speak of.

What has become of our population? I don't quite understand how people can be so uneducated about what they should be putting in their bodies, and how they should be moving, to stay in optimal health. Obviously, it is mostly due to the fad diets and conventional wisdom surrounding what a "healthy lifestyle" is. People don't know how to get what they want, and most importantly, don't care about how to actually do it. They want someone else to do it for them (personal trainers, nutritionists, doctors i.e. weight-loss surgeries/plastic surgeries, pills, fads, etc.).

In my spare time (ha! did I really just type that?), I've been reading Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint. I'm not reading this because I am interested in the latest fads of weight-loss/health, and actually, his book is completely anti-dieting. The fact that there should be no such thing as dieting is old news to me, and hopefully to you as well. I'm enjoying reading what he has to say, because he expounds upon how you can live the life you want. It's quite simple, actually. His book tells you how to take control of your life, your meals, your body. I recommend that everyone reads this, no matter what your qualms are. Even if you think you have your health down to a science, please, read the book. Also check out his blog, there is tons of information, and hundreds of comments made by people like you. 

Here's to being more like GROK!

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Kelley on Pinterest

Is it possible to organize your WHOLE life? I actually read the blog post that went along with this photo...and well...you should read it too so that we're on the same page.

For moms/parents with even just 1 kid, it seems impossible to be totally organized to where nothing ever gets out of place! I mean, I have no dishwasher, and I'm sorry, but there is no way that my dishes are done every night. More often than not, they are piled high in the sink. And the laundry is overflowing, or still wet in the washer (any one else have that happen?), and the toys are all over the place and, like tonight, no one really feels like picking them up (do they really need to be picked up each and every day? It's SUMMER, people!), and there are cheerios on the kitchen floor...and...you get the gist. Some days I would love to purge the things I have no need for, have everything labeled, everything in the right drawers, etc., but that takes time that I don't have!

So, as nice as it would be to be totally organized in all aspects of life, I think it's entirely impossible. At least at this juncture of my life, pure organization is not about to happen. Hell, it will probably never happen. But nice to dream about right? We aren't all Martha Stewart, after all. And I hear she's kinda crazy anyway. Not that I'm not...

Beautiful babies! (my baby, duh) and what's goin' on in my garden

Hold on a sec - would you look at this FACE?! Couldn't be cuter. He is my food-hoover; you put it in front of him and he will eat it. What a good boy :-)

Recent pickings from the garden - radishes and oak leaf lettuce. Some people don't like radishes because of the fiery taste, but that's what I love about them! I just chop them up, throw them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then rip up the lettuce and throw it on in...voila! I'm easy to please. I'll keep you updated on what's going on in my garden. Currently, what's growing is: lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes, peas, onions, beans, tomatoes, peppers, kale, cucumbers, strawberries, chives and kale. I'll post more pics of what I pick next!


What did you do today to better your body/mind/health? I worked (fitness assessments/consults), read a great book, and am planning on making a delicious meal for one (no kids tonight). Possibly some yoga before bedtime.

Rotini and Chicken Caprese Salad (with black beans)

1/2 a tomato

3 large basil leaves, torn into a few pieces per leaf

a few slices of fresh mozarella

1/4 cup black beans

1/2 a chicken breast

1 serving rotini pasta

~ cook the chicken in a pan over medium heat, in olive oil, seasoned with lemon pepper, cut into smaller pieces while cooking

~ cook rotini as instructed

~ slice half the tomato and set aside on a plate

~ put a slice of mozarella on each tomato slice, and top with torn basil leaves

~ place rotini on a plate (or shallow bowl), add the chicken, and then place the tomato/moz/basil slices on top of it all

~ I like to sprinkle on some black beans just for fun, but you don't need to do this.

~ drizzle with a light dressing, preferably a balsamic vinaigrette, and some more olive oil if desired. black pepper as well.

I FINALLY got my bike fixed. I haven't actually been on it in almost 2 yrs...the summer in between Logan and Nick being born...and last summer after Nick was born there was no WAY I was getting on that thing! Plus, I don't know how I would have found the time. So this summer, it's up and running and looking pretty spiffy. I now just need to get some regular biking and swimming in so that I can manage to do a sprint tri this summer/fall. I'm way out of that kind of shape...not having been on a bike in so long will probably wake up some seriously dormant muscles. Well...I've been spinning a lot...so maybe not. We'll see! It will be tough getting rides in, since it's just me and the kids. I'll have to wait til times when they are with their dad. So that means I will really have to streamline my workouts. I'm not obsessive about my workouts, and I know if I get quality rides in then I will be just fine.

Can't talk much tonight, really must get in BED. Need to catch up on sleep that was lost this wknd!

Coming back to life...

So, the reason I have been MIA, is because I just went through a pretty ridiculous divorce. In fact, it was JUST finalized about 2 weeks ago...and there are still many problems that will likely take years to iron out.

There's no need to go into great detail, plus I don't feel like talking much about it since that has been all I've been talking about for a long time now. Long story short, I left someone that was emotionally, verbally, and sexually abusive. I'm not embarassed to admit these things, because I'm proud of myself for finally putting myself first and removing myself from a poisonous environment. It was also the best thing I could do for my two beautiful boys. Yes, they still see their father, but at least I will be able to parent them the way I know I can. No more being berated and degraded on a daily basis. No more control. I am crawling out of the huge hole of depression that I had fallen into.

I'm closing that chapter of my life and starting a new one where I can make my own decisions, do what I love, and raise my boys happily.

~~~~~~~

Speaking of doing what I love, here are some pics from the last 5k I did! Also, Logan (my almost 3 year old), did his first race the same day! (The Tot Trot)

It seems that I haven't been on here in quite some time. A lot has happened. I will let you all in on it at some point in the near future. But don't worry, all is okay. There is no way the next chapter of my life can be anything but BETTER than the last.

Life Rules and Finding Happiness

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how to be happier. This notion seems to be a new phenomenon happening around us. There was a special on Oprah on how to be happier, where she interviewed the author Dan Buettner about his book Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way (check out the bluezones website, it offers cool facts and information on the happiest people and places in the world, plus allows you to take a happiness quiz which is quite accurate). I also have been frequenting Gretchen Rubin's website, The Happiness Project, for inspiration, resolutions, videos and more. I found this one on What did you do for fun when you were 10 years old? to be thought provoking. Many people can't figure out WHAT they want to do...for fun, for work, for a hobby. It seems like an easy question to answer, but adults have a difficult time thinking about and articulating what they want to do. So, Gretchen's question asks us to think about what we did as 10 year olds. Usually, it's something that we would like to do as adults as well, in a more reformed way.

Something else that people don't realize is that it's work to be happy. I think that people sit around waiting for something to come their way and make them happier. It doesn't work that way. When you wake up in the morning, you have to tell yourself, "I'm going to be happy today. I'll make today a good day". Without positive thinking, it's hard to just magically become happier. I think a lot of us think something drastic must happen to change our attitude, but it really depends on our thoughts and where we want our life to go.

I keep telling myself I want to start my own Happiness Project, but I get bogged down with the rest of life. How much of a cop out does that seem like? Gretchen recommends having a list of personal commandments. My list is a combination of commandments and life rules. This is a starting point, and will likely be revised over and over again, because, philosophies are everchanging and never completely concrete. I doubt I'll ever be finished with the creation of this list. But, it provides me with a starting point, and that is a step in the right direction.

My 8 Life Rules

1. Be true to myself and others, especially my immediate family and friends.
2. Eat the "French way", as Mireille Guiliano describes in her book French Women Don't Get Fat, meaning, eat with my head and not my stomach.
3. Get 30-60 minutes of exercise a day.
4. Belong to a group or club that meets often enough to form bonds/friendships.
5. Know why I wake up in the morning - to be the best, most caring, mother and wife possible and to continually engage and connect my family so that we can thrive.
6. Appreciate the small things in life such as a beautiful picture, view, flower, plant, a special moment with my family.
7. Avoid too much TV and "screen-time".
8. Upgrade my social network - surround myself with people who are happy themselves and in turn make me happy. Depressed people will only drain me.

What are your rules for life? Have you ever thought about making a list?

This guy makes me pretty happpy :-)

Pregnant Shot

Here I am, every one. Truckin' along, one day at a time! Is May here yet?

I just did 30 min with the BOB, windy and with a flat tire! AH! But it's done, yeyy! I'm going to track my miles from now on via DailyMile so that I can see what I'm doing during this pregnancy. Hopefully will give me some validity.

Have a good Sunday!

Pregnancy = Slow down

So, you know how when you're pregnant you can tell when you've ohhh just overdone it on a given day? That was me yesterday. No work, as school started today and I won't be working until Friday myself, but I ran around like a crazy woman. Babysat 4 children in the AM, came back to give Logan a nap and do laundry, make calls and take care of some issues (order tail light for car, make dr. appointments, etc), grocery run for inordinate amounts of fruits and veggies, off to gym to meet Mike and get in a (short) run, some eliptical, some light weights, and stretching. Back home to feed Logan, make dinner for me and Mike, and make a massive pot of soup for meals for the rest of the week. Take a shower, chat with Mike, say Happy Anniversary (our 2nd wedding anniversary :-) we already went out for it over the weekend), and get in bed. Oh and then get a pout from the husband when I didn't want to "cuddle". Lame. Sometimes I can't do it all, right?! But really, all was good, just a tad exhausted. It was the gym that did me in, and so today will be a non-workout day. Not like I can go anywhere, Mike took my car this AM because he lost his keys! Hopefully they turn up today somewhere...

So anywayyyy there is my story about yesterday. I have not been working out/RUNNING nearly as much as I did while preggo with Logan, and that is by choice. I think it is doing good things for me, as I need to keep myself in working order rather than exhausting myself from silly workouts. For now, it is for health and happiness that I workout, not high physical fitness. Although, I have been dreaming about triathlons and getting back into them...things to look forward to!

Enjoying some quality time together

Here's to hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a happy New Year as well.

This week has been great. Aside from cleaning the house, de-cluttering, and making it look open-house ready for people to view, Logan and I have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Not having work until next week when school starts back up, we have spent the mornings in my bed watching cartoons with coffee and a sippy cup of milk, Logan actually sitting between my legs and relaxing (which is not much like him at all), me reading a book off of my new Kindle. After a while we rouse ourselves and get to work on the day. Someone stopped by to see our house last night, and so I spent the entire day dusting, sweeping, shoving books and magazines in strange places. I've packed away a lot of things that we don't use frequently, away in bins in the garage. Summer clothes, regular clothes that I just can't wear anymore, our entire spare bedroom which has been converted into Logan's new room with his new race care bed. Although I've been on mission to get our house in order, I don't mind. It actually gets better as more gets cleaned, more gets put away...things seem more simple as I discard things to go to the Goodwill...and there is less stuff around. The process is actually meditative and soothing.

The days here have been gray for almost 2 weeks now, it seems, but I don't mind much because it is a break from the relentless, glaring sun and huge open skies. I feel more enclosed with this cloud cover, less vulnerable. I've gotten out for jogs/walks with the BOB when the weather permits and isn't too windy. I rarely go to the gym, and when I do, I only spend about an hour or so on the bike or treadmill and doing some light weights. If anything, by going there I give Logan some time to play with other kids in the daycare. Starting next week he will be back to seeing our friends' kids a couple times a week when we trade off babysitting for each other, and then a new boy and girl at a woman's house where he will go for just one day a week while I work.

For the next few days, though, we will continue to enjoy our time off, relax in the morning with no place to go, and savor the moments together.

Merry X-Mas Eve...some lost thoughts about life on this day

Lately, I have been turned off by going to the gym. I just can't force myself to go into that place, always crawling with the same people. Running on a treadmill or climbing on a stairclimber to nowhere...it seems ridiculous to me. Even lifting weights...it seems so fake and superficial and...silly. To repetitively lift these crafted weights when we could be lifting things like our children, boxes, laundry, wheel-barrows. I don't know. Maybe I'm looking for something more...simple. I think this recent turn-off to our gym is merely a small part of what I've been feeling lately. Sometimes I'm angry and almost sad at the world we live in, hoping to simplify things and live a life where I enjoy the small, ordinary things that go on rather than always push for more. More money, more house, more activities. These things don't even seem to make people happy. They are filling some void that still remains unless we fill it with awareness and thoughtfullness.

So anyway, not quite sure how I will deal with these issues as the world around me is increasingly plagued by a fast pace that the human brain is not actually programmed to keep up with (tid-bit from a teacher-prep class this past semester). Sometimes I wish I could be raising children 20 or 30 years ago...when things were less competitive and it was okay to have, well, and ordinary day.

Have a wonderful X-Mas and I hope that every one is grateful for what they have.

4 months of silence, but I'm breaking it!

I got through it. The semester has come to an end, I received A's in my classes, and I feel truly accomplished. However, through recent developments, it turns out that I will not be able to finish this program here in NM. It looks like we are planning to move back to NE in the near future (meaning, before I will be able to finish the program), and that I would have to teach under the license for 3 years here before being able to transfer it to Mass. or NH. So, needless to say, things won't work out here. I was bummed at first, yet, I think these are all signs that we are supposed to go live in NE. Various things have been going on, and I think it's time for us to end our stay in NM. I have put the house on the market, and we will try to get it sold before we leave, but if not, we have a free place to stay back in NE until it DOES sell (with family). Oh, and did I mention that I am 4 months pregnant? Yeah, there's another singer! I found out right after starting classes, and being plagued by excessive fatigue, managed to get through my studies and classes dealings with home life and work. Amazing, the things you can do when you put your mind to it. But I am glad it's all over, because now I can focus on my family, being home at night with them, and being pregnant. As for continuing my education, I will probably enter a Masters program once we get back to NE, as that is something that I can take with me everywhere.

As for fitness related things, the first three months of this pregnancy kept me down and out, and I did minimal exercise. I have been sticking to walking/jogging, stretching, minimal weights, and some yoga at home. Oddly, I have not gained as much weight as I did the last time. Having an active 17 month old attributes to that. Time for me to snarfle down some lunch, now.

I have been MIA

I have been MIA for sure. Just super busy and really trying to prioritize my life. Although I love writing, this blog took a back seat, and things will most likely continue this way. I  may post every now and again...something on a workout or a recipe or the like. I recently got accepted into an Alternative Teacher Licensure Program, so I am going full steam ahead on that one! SO EXCITED. So with a few classes, work, babysitting my friend's kids one day a week, and school work....oh and child and husband...I have been focusing on what's most important.

Happy running, eating, training, living!

BDay Cake and Getting Ready for New England Vaca

Happy hump day!

Where do the weeks go? The days? The month of July? :::sigh::: Almost end of summer and then back to school/work mid-August. I can't say that I mind...I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work. I have my babysitting set up so that Logan will be w/ grandma and a friend on the 3 days that I work, so I'm not relying on daycare anymore. If I need to work an extra day I may have to find someone who will take him as a drop-in, but that shouldn't be difficult. Super excited that he will be spending time with people I know and trust, and that I will be saving the extra money!

We had his birthday party, which was a huuuuuge bash, over the weekend. Lots of people, lots of food, lots of craziness...and lots of cake. Someone needed an immediate bath. Check it out.

So darn cute. :-)

So, from one thing on to another. We have company coming for a couple days this weekend, and then I am leaving on Sunday for New England. Yeyyy! Just me and Logey, hubs can't make it due to work. We'll miss him a looooot. But it should be good to get away :-) We'll be up at my parent's lake house in NH, then down to MA for a while...and then possibly to Cape Cod to visit my Grammie. Maybe get in some beach time? Logan hasn't been to the beach yet, so that'll be interesting. If you can't tell from the picture, he is Mr. Whitey. We'll have to bathe him in SPF. But, as I sit here, I am realizing I only have 4 days until we leave...hmmm. It's not like I have to clean the house, because Mike will be here and well...wait a sec, what am I thinking. He won't clean the house. So looks like I'll have to do some maintenance cleaning before I leave. As far as packing goes, I won't have to bring a ton since I'll probably wear the same thing every day (you know how vacas go...), so the real project will be packing for the boy. Ah well. I have a lunch date today with a couple friends, so the packing can wait.

Annnnnd on to EXERCISE. YES I still do that. It has been 100 degrees here lately, so running outside has just been miserable. I ran 4 miles on Saturday and thought I was going to DIE. I poured sweat for an HOUR after I was done, which never happens. Yesterday I did 600-800-800-600-400 on the treadmill. I didn't have my watch on, but I started out at 7:24 pace for the first 600, cut down to 7:19 for the next 2 800s, and then cut down to 7:03 pace by the end of the 600. The 400 was at 6:45 pace. I know. Looks a little inconsistent. I was trying to get faster each time, and my conclusion is that I could have started out faster, around 7:15 pace and then gotten to just under 7 minute pace by the end. I like to start slow(ish) and finish stong. Anywhoooo, today will be ean easier day, as I also lifted yesterday. Feeling a little sore today. Maybe a little walk/jog with the stroller and some yoga.

Okay, have a good day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happiness Journal

I am soooo happy for vacas to see family and friends!
I am soooo happy for a good night's sleep (doesn't seem to happen anymore!)

Birthday Wishes to my Baby...and some yoga today

Today is my son's birthday - he is 1 year old! Crazy to think at this point last year I was in a whole helluva lot of pain, lol. But it resulted in this little cutie.

Sometimes I feel like the year went by quickly, but other times...not so much. People say that the days are long but the years are short. I think there's some truth to that.

Now, a whole year later, he is walking around and getting quicker every day. He'll be running before I know it, and then I'm really in for it.

So, on to another year here. Wish me luck ;-)

It's hot here today, or at least, it will be. No run for me today, as I am super duper sore from lifting over the last week. I really went at it to jolt my body awake, and it worked. So today I am going to get out for a walk before it gets too hot, and get some easy yoga in. Tomorrow I will get a run in - 4 miles. Nothing crazy. I've kind of been on a running hiatus the last couple weeks. Not sure why...do any of you ever go through that? I'm sure I will get back on it, but lately it has just been so HOT here that I find it unmotivating to run outside. It will be really nice once September hits. But that's not for a while.

I forgot to do a happiness journal last post! So here it is:

~~~~~~~~~

Happiness Journal:

I am happy that I have a healthy, active baby :-)

I am happy for frozen berries from Trader Joe's.

I am happy for the healthy body I have that can take me all over the place and give me the energy I need to get through each day!