Author: Amy

2019 Last Week Running (4)

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I decided that for the last week of Bingo, I can double up and mark multiple squares per run. This is helping, but it’s still going to be a bit of a stretch to get them all. Run before the kiddos wake up is going to require a 4:30 AM wake up call, so I’m not sure about that one. And, watch an entire movie while running is also going to be tricky because even if I split it up I’m not sure I can finish a movie before the end of the month.

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I ran 3 times this week, on Monday I multi-tasked by studying flashcards during the run. It was a bit tough, but I felt doubly accomplished when I was done. Then, on Wednesday, I wore all black. It wasn’t as fun as dressing up in rainbow colors, but it was easy.

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My last run of the week was a virtual 5k! I listened to an episode of the Ali on the run show podcast while running, and knocked out two more squares for that. So efficient!!

I ran the “Stage 5k Clinger” through the Harry Potter running club I’m in. Mostly, I did it to cross a square off my bingo board, but I also pushed myself a (very) little bit so I can have a starting point for my resolution to PR the 5k. I upped my run segments to 8 minutes, and ran longer than I normally would in order to hit the 5k. I also ran slightly faster than normal. All this got me a 40m:20s 5k time. I included my warm-up walk in the time/distance, which was probably a mistake. I’ll need to shave off roughly 15 min. in the next 10 months in order to get my PR (yikes!).

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Proof!

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my medal

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Victory ice-cream!

I still haven’t thought too hard about my “training” for this PR, so I’ll need to give that some thought. My virtual run club just announced their second race for this year, and it’s another 5k, so I might throw my hat in the ring for that one as well, with the intent of trying a bit harder and showing some improvement.

 

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2019 Last Week Running (3)

/ Amy / 3 Comments

I am a little bit behind on the running updates, so let’s get caught up! Towards the end of January, I was really pushing to finish a study goal I set for myself, so the blog went by the wayside (as it often does). I kept running during that time, but in the last two weeks I have pretty much lost all momentum I had on ALL fronts. I don’t know what the deal is, but it’s been long enough and I have to get things turned around and start being productive again. So here I am, hoping that a post will give me some accountability or something…

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I haven’t completed my bingo board, but it’s slowly getting filled out.

Since I last wrote, I finished the following squares:

Do a Fartlek run: on the treadmill this consisted of me listening to Harry Potter and speeding up or slowing down to random paces every time someone said “Harry”. It was tough, and good!

Wear every color of the rainbow: This was fun! I looked so bright and colorful. SUPER FUN!

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Run a string of numbers (2.22 miles): I upped my run/walk ratio to 7 min running and lengthened my run by 5 minutes and this worked perfect!

Take a selfie: All the pictures I took looked pretty bad. How do you not take an awful picture while running?

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Run wearing only underwear: Man I hated this. I was dressed in a sports bra, underwear, socks and shoes. So basically what elites wear to race in. It was so uncomfortable (physically and mentally). I quit early, and do not recommend. BUT it got me my first BINGO! so it wasn’t a complete waste.

Run two days in a row: the shortest streak possible! I felt like a bad ass, anyways. LOL

I have quite a few runs left to get a full card in February, and “earn” some running gear. Still more days than runs, though, so anything is possible. And maybe I’ll just extend it a week or two to make up for my poor motivation the last two weeks. I make the rules in this game, so why not? 🙂

Flashback Friday:

Check out this post from 5 years (?!) ago, Feb 15, 2014: Winter Weather + A Long Run

Today, I’m writing about two unrelated topics, the weather and this week’s long run. I don’t know how to tie these things together, so it’s a two part post! (If I put an exclamation point, it makes it sound exciting and not just lame, right?)….

 

 

2019 Last Week Running (2)

/ Amy / 2 Comments

I’m tired.

Yes, I have two young kids, so I’ve been tired for years now, but today I am more tired than the baseline level of tired I normally operate at. This is a result of more than usual wake ups from Miss baby for the last few nights and earlier than normal wake up times for both kiddos for the last few days. I hope things will get back to normal soon or I’m going to have to do something drastic…like move up my bedtime!

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For now, I’m drinking coffee and trying to get it together. But I am really not feeling sharp today. Hopefully, I’ll perk up a bit as the day goes on. Aside from needing to make some progress on a project at work, I have studying to do, and big plans to run tonight (I have a particular square picked out on the bingo board).

I haven’t quite finished all the “give me” squares, but am having to get a little creative in order to check off some of the boxes.  I still have yet to get a line (I am dying for some starbucks!), but I think I can make it happen this week…stay tuned!

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Last week, I said I was going to run with a 3:30 to 1 ratio one more time, but on Tuesday (“Run on a Weekday”) I felt good and went with 4 to 1; which ended up feeling great.  I was a tad worried that I wouldn’t feel as good on Thursday, but I kept with the 4:1 and felt great again!

For Thursday’s run, I played with the incline, something I haven’t done in ages, but used to do all the time. It’s one of my go to strategies for breaking up the monotony of the treadmill. I progressively increased the incline for one of my 4 minute intervals and then progressively decreased the incline for the next 4 minute interval. It was a nice challenge, and made the time pass a little quicker.

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I also listened to the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Thursday in prep for listening to the first episode of the Unspoiled: Harry Potter podcast. The idea behind the podcast is that one host has never read the series before and they talk through the books chapter by chapter. I started listening to that on Saturday when I “ran during nap time”.  Honestly, it was the only good thing about that run. I wasn’t really feeling it, but had planned to run during nap time, so I sucked it up and did it. It felt hard and I didn’t really enjoy myself. At least both kids slept long enough for me to relax for a bit after running and showering…this is most often not the case.

I’m really happy with how attempt #2 at treadmill bingo is going, and am enjoying my comeback (aside from Saturday…haha).

I feel really hopeful about getting that full card and earning some new running shoes.

Triumphs and Fails

/ Amy / 4 Comments

One of my current favorite podcasts is a parenting podcast called “Mom and Dad are fighting” which you can find on slate.

At the beginning of each episode they do a segment called “parenting triumphs and fails”, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the show. It’s nice to hear about the triumphs; they can give me some good ideas. But what I really like are the fails. It’s extremely comforting. And often hilarious.

So I thought it might be fun to do a little triumph and fails series on the blog (potentially more than just one post). Initially I thought I”d post a single triumph or fail, but I can’t think of one that I can write more than a sentence about, so I’ll do a list of each for the month of December.

Triumphs:

  • Did not need to rush out last minute to buy any gifts. (I did need to get paid shipping on a couple of items, but nothing was “Rush” or “Expedited”)
  • Started Running again….somewhat consistently, and I don’t hate it!

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  • Started reading and listening to books
  • “Tricked” Mr. Toddler into thinking frozen peas are a fun snack!

Fails:

  • Totally flopped at treadmill Bingo
  • Could not keep up with my blogging
  • Spent far too much time getting settled into a desk at work every morning (I don’t have a specific desk; I need to book one, and thus cannot leave personal belongings there.)
  • Did not get back into studying like I had planned.
  • Ordered Miss baby’s birth announcements, which is a fail because it is SO LATE.

Flashback Friday:

Check out this post from Jan 11, 2017 – Good Idea/Bad Idea 

Alright, let’s play a game called “Good idea or Bad idea”!

Here’s how it works: I’ll tell you about my life, then ask you a question about whether I should run a half marathon, and you tell me if it’s a good idea or a bad idea. (Spoiler alert! It’s a bad idea, but I want to do it anyways, so tell me it’s a good idea. wink wink!)…

2019 Last Week Running (1) – Treadmilling

/ Amy / 6 Comments

My second start to treadmill bingo seems to be going well! I printed the board, and this has been immensely helpful in tracking the runs I’ve done. So far, I’ve been knocking out the easy ones, but I’m going to have to start putting more effort into choosing particular runs if I ever want to get a bingo! And I do, because I love and miss my starbucks!

I’m less confident that it’s possible, but I also really want a full card in order to earn me some new running shoes. My current pair are on their way out and are getting a tad uncomfortable. Not to a point that would cause an injury, though so I’m holding firm that I must get a full card bingo in order to get new gear.

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My first run for this round of bingo was on 1/1/2019…starting the year off right! So I took advantage of the fact that it was New Year’s day and marked off “Run on a holiday”. I did a 3:1 run/walk ratio, and it felt good enough that I decided to up it to 3:30/1 ratio for my next run two days later.

I always struggle a bit more when running at night (“Run after the kiddos are in bed”) than during the day; that combined with upping my run interval made this run feel hard. In a good way. I kept the same interval when I ran again on Saturday “Run/Walk”, and it felt good.  I’m planning to keep the same ratio for at least one more run before upping it to 4:1. Baby steps on my way to PR the 5k.

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Shh…babies are sleeping!

2019 Resolutions

/ Amy / 2 Comments

There are about a million things I’d like to accomplish in 2019. To keep things somewhat realistic, I’ve whittled the list down to 8.  Who knows, if things are going well, I can always accomplish more. Even now, I keep thinking of more I want to add, while simultaneously starting to feel overwhelmed with the 8 I have. So even though it is killing me not to list every single thing I want to accomplish and/or make into a habit, I am calling it! Eight is enough.

Without further ado:

  1. Finish Knitting Miss Baby’s baby blanket: easy, I just need to do it.
  2. Play ALL of our board games: I want to list them, rate them, and get rid of ones we don’t like.
  3. Pass LTAM exam: this exam has been a thorn in my side, and it’s VERY important that I pass it this Spring. VERY very important.
  4. Read/Listen to 35 books: I’m not sure if this number is low/high or realistic, I basically assumed I could read 1 book and listen to 1 book every 3 weeks (the length of a library loan). I might adjust this as the year goes on.
  5. PR the 5k: I want/need a running goal. It can’t be terribly time consuming, but I do want it to be difficult. We’ll see how it goes.
  6. Organize my clothes/our closets: Pretty self-explanatory, the twist is that our bedroom closet currently has no shelving or rods to hang things from, so requires some work. That is part of this resolution.
  7. Lose 25 to 30 lbs: I was 10lbs heavier than I wanted to be before I had Mr. Toddler, then I held on to 10lbs from him, and have another 10lbs from Miss Baby. Alone, 10lbs doesn’t sound like a lot. But then you multiply that by 3 and 30lbs kind of does.
  8. Meditate: I am a broken record on this goal. I have the headspace app. I love it. I just need to freaking DO IT.

So there you have it…the great eight! And now that I’ve written them down, I’m totally jazzed about doing them. Here’s to a productive and fun 2019!

P.S. In 2014, I had 8 running specific resolutions, oh how times have changed.

Treadmill Bingo – Take 2

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I meant to start treadmill bingo for December & January, but after about 5 runs I got sidetracked from running for holiday stuff – gift buying, wrapping, packing for holiday travel, traveling, etc. And to make matters worse I wasn’t marking runs on my bingo card and have now forgotten which ones I’ve done. So rather than guessing and powering through with little hope of filling the full card….I’m starting over.

And what better time than the New Year to start over! Here again are the rules, and now this will run for January and February. I’ve also swapped out a couple squares, so the board is slightly different.

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P.S.  I also cheated on the no Starbucks rule, so I’ll be getting back on that wagon, too. No one’s perfect, right?

Easy (like really easy) Pizza Pockets

/ Amy / 2 Comments

I don’t like cooking. I always mess something up.  I’m not really sure if I mess up because I don’t like cooking or if I don’t like cooking because I mess up…it’s a chicken or egg sort of thing. I hate how it takes soooo long to make things and not nearly as long to eat them. And then there’s the dishes! It’s always the annoying sort of dishes too that don’t go in the dishwasher and are really awkward to fit in the sink.

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But you get the point, I don’t like cooking. Unfortunately, I really like eating, so sometimes cooking is unavoidable.

I have a few requirements when looking for recipes that I will make myself:

  1. They need to be easy/quick
  2. They need to make A LOT (or be easily doubled)
  3. They need to taste good

I am willing to do a harder recipe or one that doesn’t make a ton if something is especially good. I’m also willing to make something that is good, but not great, if it fulfills requirement 1 and 2.

Preparing for baby number two, Mr. Husband and I decided to make as many freezer meals as possible. He did the vast majority of cooking (doesn’t bother him), but I was responsible for a few things – pizza pockets being one of them!

I thought it would be nice to have some tasty handheld food for lunches, and pizza pockets couldn’t be THAT hard, could they?

I googled some recipes (mainly to figure out cooking times), and then bought refrigerated dough…making the dough isn’t too hard, but is time consuming. Unfortunately the dough I bought, while delicious, was just too annoying and time consuming to work with. So on my 3rd attempt I tried Pillsbury refrigerated dough (you know the one that comes in the can), and my friends…that is EASY. Not as delicious maybe, but worth the trade off in my book.

Easy Pizza Pockets – double recipe (makes 12)

  • 2 Cans pillsbury pizza dough
  • 1 jar of sauce (but you really only need a little of the sauce)
  • 1 bag of shredded mozzerella cheese (or 2 bags if you really like cheese)
  • Optional – additional fillings (I like mushrooms and black olives, but this takes longer)
  • Optional – pizza seasoning
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This is all you need to make these.

  1. Preheat oven to 425F
  2. Spray a baking sheet or two with Pam
  3. Open a can of dough and spread on the baking sheet, cut into 6 equal(ish) sized rectangles
  4. If using, sprinkle with seasoning
  5. Spread some sauce around on each pocket
  6. If using, toss on your additional toppings
  7. Add desired amount of cheese
  8. Fold each pocket closed (I did this super awkwardly) and press edges with a fork
  9. Bake for 15 min
  10. Repeat with second can of dough.
  11. If freezing, reheat by putting in the microwave for about a minute
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Four larger pockets is also an option.

There you have it…super easy, customizable, freezer pizza pockets. Enjoy!

The Turkey Trot that Wasn’t

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I assumed that my glorious return to running after having Miss Newborn would involve a Turkey Trot. I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to get in shape, and it would be a stretch if we were travelling to Buffalo, because that Turkey Trot is 8k (5 miles), but I figured I could get to the finish with walk breaks if I needed. What would have had to happen, though is for me to start running right when I got the green light, but I did not do that.

Meanwhile, we decided not to go to Buffalo for Thanksgiving even though it was a Buffalo year, and around the same time I started seeing signs pop up for a local Gobble Wobble that had a Family walk and a kids race. So that became the new plan: Walk 2 miles as a family and have Mr. Toddler run the kids race.

However, as I went to sign up days before the race, the forecast was calling for a high of 13 F. Brrrr  Although I would have run in this weather in years past, it was not the weather for walking with a newborn and a toddler who will strip off his gloves and hat no matter the weather. So for the first time since I started running, I didn’t do a turkey trot. An 11 year streak broken. What a BUMMER!

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Turkey Trot 2014

On the bright side, I wouldn’t have really wanted to run a 5k in a feels like temp of 2F, so I’m glad I had the excuse of the kiddos. 🙂

I’m not sure when I’m going to race again, but I’m already planning on running the 2019 Buffalo Turkey Trot.

Back to Running and Treadmill Bingo

/ Amy / 2 Comments

I recently mentioned that I need to procrastinate more effectively, and I’ve been doing better at that! I read a book, Wonder, and started two others. And, I’m almost completely done with Holiday shopping (!!!). I’ve also been attempting to post more often.

And, last but not least, I started running again! I thought my first post baby run was going to feel momentous (it did after Mr. Toddler) and also terrible. But turns out it was pretty uneventful. I walked to warm up, then ran until I felt uncomfortable, then walked, then repeated until I hit 30 minutes. I read while running, which was the best part I think. Overall I feel pretty ‘meh’ about the whole running thing right now.

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Where are my sneakers??

That is, until I came up with the idea for TREADMILL BINGO!!

As part of my procrastinate better resolution, I created this totally awesome Bingo board with 24 different runs and a free space.  When I get Bingo, I get a reward! (Yes, I am a child.)

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Rewards:

  • First Horizontal Line – Starbucks drink
  • First Vertical Line – Starbucks drink
  • First Diagonal Line – Starbucks drink
  • Four Corners – Starbucks drink and Breakfast Sandwich
  • X – Starbucks drink and Breakfast Sandwich
  • Full Card – New Running Apparel!

Rules:

  1. I have two months: December and January
  2. Only one space can be marked off per run
  3. To complete any “wear X, Y, Z” space, normal running shoes are allowed
  4. I cannot purchase Starbucks for any other reason (However, I can use rewards to get free drinks)

Pretty, simple, right? Feel free to join me! (Please join me, it will be so fun!!) And if you do, feel free to make modifications to the Bingo card.

Flashback Friday:

Check out this post from November 30th, 2013 (5 years ago!)  2013 Holiday Running Streak – Day 3