How my Ouch Landed me on the Couch

I'm seriously feeling old here with my achy, creaky body. Last Tuesday, I did my tempo run and had a little trouble with it. I couldn't get my breathing regulated. I couldn't keep and maintain my speed. That sort of thing. On Wednesday, I went and did my regular 4 mile run with my running group (in 106* - holy moly it was hot!), and couldn't run very far. I thought it was just the heat, but the further I went, the more my left hip started hurting. Boo! On Saturday, I headed out to do my "easy" 10 mile run. And easy it was not. My hip hurt SOO bad. I ended up walking most of 8.7 miles and then called it quits. I stopped to do some stretching at the end of my run/walk, and when I went to stand back up, it was painful to stand on. I shuffled back to my car and drove home.

Once I got back home, I took some naproxen, took an ice bath, and then iced my hip and thigh on and off for a few hours. Luckily, my mom and step-dad were here, so they helped me keep the kids entertained for the day. We went to the pool for some easy swimming/playing and then made a trip to Mecca. Er, I mean Toys R Us. We were trying to find Danny a skid steer. The kid is obsessed with skid steers for some odd reason. It might be because his new favorite show is Mighty Machines (on Qubo Channel at 10am here in Texas). Toys R Us showed that they had it on their website, but we couldn't find it in the store at all. So instead, Danny got an encyclopedia of Cars cars. As Derek called it - it's a catalog of all the Cars cars that he doesn't have (Mom! I need that car, that car, that car, that car, that car, etc, etc, on for infinity). It is kind of cool because it gives some back story of all the cars and also includes the characters from Mater's Tall Tales, Cars, and Cars 2. If you have a Cars lover - this would be an awesome Christmas present. Piper got a giant ball with Dora the Explorer on it. That girl loves her Dora! After the kids got their new toys, we headed back home to meet my sister and her boyfriend for some delicious, healthy supper and board games.

By supper time, my leg was killing me again. I took another naproxen and was alternating heat and ice while playing board games with the family. I won two rounds of King of Tokyo, and then my mom won once and then it was midnight and I was falling asleep in my chair! This morning I woke up and my hip hurt still. I took some more pills, more heat and ice, and have just basically sat on the couch all day (other than a quick trip to Run On to try on some new shoes and get some gels). I guess it's a good thing this week is a taper week because I am pretty sure I am out of commission for the next week. I'm really hoping that I'm not in too much pain to run the Hottest Half on Sunday. It's very disappointing to be injured.

From everything I read on the interwebs, it sounds like I have a hip abductor strain/tendonitis, which can be caused by an increase in distance, speed work, and hill work. What? Your aren't supposed to increase all three of those in the same two week period?? Ugh! I am awful at biting off more than I can chew when it comes to running. It's just so addicting and makes me feel so good - yet at the same time, if you overdo it, it can hurt SO bad. Anyway, from what I read, it said that I need to just stay off my leg, rest, ice/heat alternately, take ibuprofen,  and do some light stretching. So that'll be my week this week. Along with play dates and grant writing and starting cheer/tumbling classes for Piper. When did my little girl grow up?

Speaking of little girls, my friend Erin that I've mentioned in previous posts is in Ethiopia right now (!!!) picking up her little girl that her and her husband are adopting. They are actually taking her out of the orphanage tomorrow. I am so, so, so incredibly excited for them and am now praying that their "cocoon" period goes smoothly and that they make a seamless transition from a family of four to a family of five.

Ups and Downs with a Friend in Town

This week has been a challenge in my weight loss journey in that one of my husband's (and my!) best friends from Spokane has been in town for a visit. And we have eaten out. Every. Single. Day. The good news is that we are having a blast, and have explored some new restaurants in addition to some of our all-time faves. It's kind of cool, but I wish the food was calorie free so I could just eat and eat and eat. It's all been so good!

Karl came into Dallas on Monday, and the boys ended up going to Fuzzy's Taco. This is one of the best taco places in Dallas, in my opinion! They put cilantro and feta on their tacos and they are just plain crazy delicious. Fuzzy's also serves alcohol and is home to a Blue Moon Margarita (they take a regular ole margarita and then float a bottle of Blue Moon beer on the top). That's pretty much one of my favorite ways to drink a margarita. For supper on Monday, we had some which wich? Which is good. See what I did there? ha! I think we're becoming which wich? addicts. We've eaten there 3 times in the last two weeks.

Tuesday, I got up early and went to the track to meet some of the ladies from my running group for a tempo run. This was really my first "real" tempo run. In other words - the first that I knew what I was doing. Let me just tell you...I tore that track UP! My normal pace is somewhere between an 11 - 12 minute mile. For this tempo run, I did one lap around the track (1/4 mile or a "400" as fancy runners call it) at an average warm up pace. Then I started doing 800's. I did two laps at a 9:30 pace with two cool down/recovery laps at a 10:30 pace. Then I repeated that. Then I walked a lap with the ladies and then I slow jogged a few more laps for a total of 3 miles. I am so surprised and astounded that I kept my pace up. I've never run anything at a sub 10 pace. As I've said before, I'm slow. And this was really fast. And it was awesome! Our group has decided to now do tempo runs every other week (and do hill intervals the opposite week) to help build up speed. I'm completely down with that and hope it ends up with me being able to run a little faster.

After that I went home and we went to the pool for some fun swimming time. It was still early in the day so the pool water was a little brisk, but we all had fun and it tired out the kids. Piper came home and took a long nap. Danny as usual refused to nap. For supper we decided to try a new place one of my McKinney friends suggested: Whiskey Cake. Oh.My.God. This place was fantastic!! As the name suggests, they have whiskey. And scotch. And tequila?? Our waiter suggested that we start our meal with a "Texas Appetizer" - which is a shot of tequila. Karl and I obliged and greatly enjoyed it. Even though I'm not a huge tequila fan. We also had some food appetizers: fried green tomatoes and a meat and cheese plate. The fried green tomatoes were out of this world good. They had a nice thick batter and were fried to perfection. The sauce they were served with was also killer. The meat and cheese tray had a few different slices of meats/sausages and then 4 different kinds of cheese, a small loaf of crusty bread, some apple slices, and a slice of cantaloupe. The adults went to town on that, but really, it was Danny that surprised me by eating as much of the meat and cheese tray as he could get his hands on. He is his father's son! For supper we all ended up ordering the same thing (Derek felt silly doing this, so he changed his order and got a turkey burger). I got the BBQ Banh Mi. And I didn't think this meal could get any better than the appetizers! This sandwich was moist and spicy and everything I wanted. It was perfect. I had intended to only eat half of it, but by this point I had drank three more drinks (a Peach Pit and two Great Escapes) and when I drink I tend to eat more. So I finished it off. And then ordered cake :) The cake was good too - moist and with a crusty toffee layer. Luckily for my diet, we got one slice of cake and split it three ways. And then we rolled out of there (literally) and went on home. Oh, and did I mention that Derek and Karl both got glasses of scotch. That were $25 a glass?? It tasted like turpentine to me, but they choked it back and pretended to like it.

I was supposed to get up Wednesday morning and do hill intervals, but after a total of 4 drinks (followed up by a beer once we got home and played Castle Panic), I decided against it. Sweating out whiskey was not something I was up for! Instead I got up and determined that I would not blow my diet since my weight increased nearly two pounds from Tuesday to Wednesday. Yikes! So, I ate a small breakfast and then when we went to Torchy's Tacos for lunch, I made sure to mind what I was eating. I calculated points and everything. I was on fire! Actually it was my mouth that was on fire from their Diablo Sauce. I love that sauce!!

After that I did some work. And then we did some house decorating. And then I went to target and bought things to redo Piper's room. I'll post some pictures soon once I get it all done. But it's super cute (and she loves it!). Following my Target trip, I went to my running group and did 5 miles in 96* heat. Oh Lord it was hot! I drank over 100 ounces of water on my run. And that was just during my run - I'd had probably another 100 ounces earlier in the day. I came home to find the boys had ordered some Papa John's pizza. But I wasn't really hungry. I think the heat had gotten to me. I ate one piece just to have something in my stomach, but wasn't inclined to eat more. And then this morning when I woke up, I had lost my 2 pounds that I gained Tuesday night.

We're going out again tonight - sans kids - so I'm sure we'll have some drinks and yummy food. I'm planning on trying to get in a run this afternoon before we go so that I can work off some of the calories I plan on taking in. I want to be able to enjoy my time with Karl and eat out and have fun, but I also really want to lose or at least maintain my weight. So this week might have ups and downs for my weight. I decided that I would relax my eating habits two nights during the trip (Tuesday and again tonight) and then watch what I'm eating the other 5 days. And to just make sure I'm still running and getting those calories burned off as much as I can.

Boredom, Running, Food, and Friends

The past week or two, I've really been struggling with boredom. I have things to do - like work, cleaning the house, minding the kiddos, going to my mom's groups, running, etc - but in my downtime, I've just been plain bored. I've found myself sitting on the couch just starring off into space and genuinely feeling bored. I haven't felt this way in a long, long time. I think part of it is that we had a few weeks where we were constantly doing something fun - family visits and two mom's groups play dates on the same day. Not a lot of downtime. Plus, I finished up a big grant about two weeks ago for work, and didn't have a lot of pressing things to do for work. I started reading 50 Shades of Grey and despite it being hailed as the best ever (and yes, it is QUITE steamy!), I just find myself not getting into it that much. So last night, I decided that I would get a new book (for my kindle) and make a list of things I'd like to get accomplished this summer. I'm still working on my list, but I did start reading the new Jennifer Weiner book. As usual, I'm hooked :) AND, on Friday I had a meeting via phone with my boss that got me motivated to write some more grants. On Sunday, Derek went and found a desk on craigslist for me. He even hooked me up with double monitors. I feel like I'm at work now when I do work. It's super nice!

My running is going good. I'm still right on track for the Tyler Rose Marathon. Although, I think my insistence that I *can* do this marathon is wavering a little. I looked at the elevation chart and read some reviews and it looks like it is a killer course. And not only is it a killer course, but signage for the run seems to be bad too. People were getting lost and cars were coming at runners. Safety is a big concern for me when I run, so I'm not sure if I want to do it or not. I would absolutely HATE to have a DNF on my record for my first marathon - or to have something happen (like get hit by a car or get incredibly lost!). I would be a little sad, to say the least. There is a 6.5 hour time limit on the marathon. I'm still going to train for the marathon, but I'm very anxious/curious to see how long it will take me to do 18-20 miles. I think when I get up to that distance, that will be my deciding factor as for if I will or will not do the October marathon. I'm worried that the hills will totally wipe me out and that I won't have enough time to finish. So, we'll see. I still want to do it, I'm just starting to be a little more realistic. I read that the second half is worse than the first half (hill wise), and that makes me a little hesitant. I am going to start training on hills this week, so maybe that'll make me a little more confident.

Today was my weigh-in for my "Lose a Marathon" weight loss challenge. I'm down a total of 4.8 pounds. Woo-hoo! It's looking like I'm losing roughly a pound a week, so I'm rethinking my original goal of a 26.2 pound weight loss and looking to lose a half marathon (13.1 pounds) as a more realistic goal. I think re-evaluating your goals is crucial to success and finishing strong. If you notice that your goal has become unrealistic - whether for weight loss or exercise or any other type of goal you have set for yourself - re-analyze your goal and change it if need be. This week, my goal is to at least maintain my weight and not gain. I have been giving myself small rewards for losing each week. This week I gave myself a new pair of running socks. For this coming week, if I maintain, I'm giving myself a new running skirt. If I lose, I'm getting a pedicure. So if you see some polished piggies - you'll know I had a loss! It's going to be a challenge because we have a friend coming into town and plan to eat out. A lot. My mini-goal for the week is to just keep writing everything down and being accountable for what I eat, and the exercise that I do.

Between my moms groups and my running group, I really feel like I'm starting to make friends here in Dallas. I am a strong believer that it takes about 6 months after you move somewhere to really start making it feel like "home." I'm happy to say that Dallas is feeling like home. In fact, I feel like this is where I belong. The sunshine makes me happy, being with my kids makes me happy, working from home for a great company and with even great co-workers makes me happy, being close to my sister and mom makes me happy, knowing that my husband has a fulfilling job makes me happy, and so does the fact that I feel like I have people here in Dallas that I can call my friends and could count on. Life is good, and I feel like I'm able to enjoy it in ways that I wasn't able to in Spokane. Maybe it's the fact that I don't work full time and have more time at home with my kids and family. I don't know what it is, but I do know that I love it and I'm happy here!

Sink or Swim!

Triathlon day is here! I got up early thinking my Dad (who thinks getting up at 4am is a "normal" time to get up) would be up, but he's still fast asleep. So, I of course decided to blog a bit. I can't wait to see how this triathlon goes and if I'll be a convert. We were joking around last night and I said I was going to be a 'triathlete' and my husband said, "Your going to try to be an athlete??" Which I thought was pretty funny. But maybe that's just me because that's what I feel like sometimes. Like I'm really trying to be athletic. Before I took up running, I would never have thought of myself as an athlete. But now.....am I a runner? An athlete? I don't know. I just know it feels fantastic when I run and I'm training for my third half marathon in one year. That just sounds crazy to think that my first half marathon ever was only last year, and now I have set a lofty goal of completing a full marathon in December and possibly doing a sprint (outdoor) triathlon sometime this summer. I feel athletic...so maybe I am!

I still haven't cut up my veggies for my breakfast salads, so I decided to try something that Monica over at RunEatRepeat makes. And OMG! Now I know why she eats it so much. It's so incredibly good!! Here is what I did:

• Warm up a 1/2 cup of pumpkin in the microwave for about 30 seconds. 
• Add a little Splenda to your taste. 
• Add pumpkin pie spice and vanilla (I just shook some in; didn't measure) 
• Add some granola (I did a 1/4 cup of vanilla almond)
• Throw on some Chia seeds (which are actually pretty good - a little expensive - but pretty good)
• And the best ingredient: 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter 
• Mix it all up and enjoy. You'll thank me! 

It kept me full until about 1:30 pm when I ate it at 8:30 am yesterday. I'm doing it again today for race day. It's a little high in points, but it was so good and filling, that I'm going back for more. Now I better go get ready for that race!

Adult Conversations

Today was a fun day! I met up with my meet-up group for a play date at 10am. I don't know why, but being anywhere by 10am, let alone being dressed and presentable, seems to be a huge challenge for me. I mean, I go to the gym in the mornings, but I usually just pull my hair back into a pony tail, throw on a headband, brush my teeth, and put on my gym clothes. Not too sexy, but it gets the job done. I very rarely actually have occasion to wash and dry my hair. And God forbid I actually use a straight iron or a curling iron on it!! Or that any of that occurs before Noon. Anyway, long story short, it took me forever to get ready this morning. And to get Thing 1 and Thing 2 ready. Especially when D is screaming, "I don't want spiky hair!" and P is trying to take her clothes off. Seriously - that girl LOVES to just run around with no clothes on.

We did get on the road only about 5 minutes after I planned on leaving, so I thought I was doing stellar. Until I realized I didn't have coffee this morning. So, I treated myself to Starbucks. I used to order a Grande Nonfat Peppermint White Mocha (everyday back in Spokane). But those are like a bajillion Weight Watchers points, and on a week when I feel really motivated to lose (and know that my Mom is bringing a birthday cake with her on Saturday!), I chose my not so exciting stand-in: a grande skinny french vanilla latte. I know I should probably say, "It's low-calorie and still coffee and still delicious!" but every time I order it, I am just a *tad* bit sad that I'm not getting my favorite Starbucks drink. But I drink it all the same. And it is pretty good. Better than my normal cup of drip anyway! After my stop at the Bucks, our next stop was our play date.

Every time I meet up with these ladies, I just feel good for the rest of the day. I really miss interacting with other people, and comisserating about our mommy woes. The lady's house we were at today was just gorgeous. And it was really clean. Totally jealous! My house generally looks messy, but since I started putting in some extra work-from-home hours this week, it just looks ridiculous. I finally did a load of dishes this afternoon, but that was only because we had no more clean sippy cups or forks. Details! The lady's house was  also a great place for a play date as it had a bonus room area where all the toys were set up. I think that's one of the things I miss most about our house back in Spokane - the kids' play area nook. I hate having all of their toys spread all over the "open living" living room we have.

My kids got some serious play time in too. D made a friend and played trains and cars with him, and P discovered that they have the SAME cookie set that we do, and was just flabbergasted by that. And that's primarily what she played with. And she ignored the other kids for the most part. But that's cool because she's still only 1 and parallel play is still the way to go at that age. And I was able to chat with the ladies there and use my full vocabulary and not just, "No!" and "Be nice to your brother/sister - he/she is the only one you've got!" and "Do you need a diaper change/to go to the bathroom?" Oh, the joys and sweet, sweet bliss of adult conversation!

D and P both came home and crashed (after a quick trip to Wal-Mart and lunch), and I got in almost 4 hours of work. I still probably have 5-6 hours worth of grant writing to do before I can hit "submit" for them, so it felt good to get a solid 4 hours in this afternoon. After the kids go to bed, I'll be doing another couple of hours.

Anyway, here is my food for the day, minus my snacks: my latte and a piece of cinnamon raisin bread.

Breakfast:
a slice of bread with a teaspoon of butter, 3 turkey sausages, and lots of salsa to dip by sausage in. Only way it could have been better is if it would have been smothered in maple syrup....next time!

Lunch: a leftover taquito, some yummy sauce, and a banana. 

Supper: I had about 1/3 of this 7 layer dip with 2 servings of tortilla chips. I had intended to use sliced veggies for my dippers, but the chips were just SO good! Dip is one can of refried beans on bottom layer, 10 ounces of fat free sour cream mixed with 1 packet of taco seasoning for next layer, 1 cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce, and tomatoes. I added onion after the fact because my husband can't stand onion in his food. Even if you cut it really small, he finds it. 

Food for Thought

I thought about ways to keep myself "honest" with my food choices. So, I thought documenting my food might help me. I got pictures of everything today, except for the little bit of popcorn that P fed me (it was her snack, but she loves feeding everyone else her food). So here goes!

Breakfast:
Coffee with peppermint creamer and blueberry Greek yogurt.

Lunch: 

A veggie burger with 2 slices bacon, a laughing cow cheese spread on the bun, sliced tomatoes, roasted chilis, fresh jalepeno, and 3 clementines. Yum!!

Snacks: 

A 5 hour energy - to help motivate me to write grants! And a rather disappointing creation: two slices of bread rolled flat, laughing cow cheese spread inside, chilis, black olives, and jalepenos.

Supper:

Recipe from Our Best Bites: Chicken Taquitos, Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch Dressing, and a Wedge Salad. And a bunny peep. Yo. Those taquitos are so stinking good! I love them. I also like to double the recipe and freeze 3/4 of them for future meals. I ended up eating another 1/2 of one because they were just so good. I counted my Weight Watchers points, so I am good :)