Just plain nutz

January has been an interesting month in running for me.  I'm trying to streak through January (run at least  a mile per day every day), started the effort on the 4th.  It's 11 days later, and I'm still going strong.  I'm hitting my miles and even doing some speed work.  I get lost in my runs and my body just handles it.  I'm not tripping over my own feet or kicking myself in the ankle (which I've done frequently before).  Everything is...good.

Today was an interesting run.  Temps were going to hit a high of 21.  With windchill - it was going to feel like it was in the low negatives.  I bundled up in my new Underarmour set (yay birthday gift from Dad!) and started out.  I probably should layer up more next time because I definitely felt chilled for a large portion of the run.  I also think I made the mistake of stopping for water/fueling at mile 7.  Even though the water was room temp (thank god!), I think my body was sending blood to the stomach to digest and it probably made it more chilly.  Also I had stopped about a mile earlier to go to the bathroom and I think my glove got a bit wet next to the sink.  I looked down at a little over mile 8 and the tip was frozen stiff.  At that point I could have stopped; I was next to a T station and had cash, I could have hopped on and finished my run on the treadmill in comfort.  I seriously thought about it but in the end kept going.  Mostly because I knew if I took the T it would be the T and a bus because of construction on the line.  And I still don't like the treadmill.  Not hate as much anymore, just not my favorite.  Definitely warming to it for speed workouts, however.

Anyway, like I said I kept going.  Around mile 10 my fingers started feeling numb.  It was definitely scary, but I kept moving them and putting my hands in my armpits when I was at stoplights.  I got to mile 11.5 and that's where I was supposed to turn it on for the last 5 minutes.  Amazingly I did.  Even after 11.5 miles I had something in me and I poured it on.  It felt good.

I'm a couple months away from my next big race and I am already excited for it.  I'm going to be careful in my training and eating going forward.  I have high hopes for a great race and for a great 2012.  Don't forget - I already called it as my year!

Food, as simple as that

Remember when I used to blog about my cooking?  If you've read my blog lately probably not.  If you look at the url for my blog you can see I started it centered around cooking; specifically cooking five new recipes a week.  This was years ago and a prior job and I actually did pretty well at it I think.  But times and hobbies change, and, well...

But this weekend I cooked.  It's actually not a surprise I cook most weekends but I just don't take pictures.   I think pictures are more critical in a post about food than a regular post so, no pictures, no post.   But - I remembered to take pictures this weekend!  Yay!

Sunday night was Classic Beef Chili from Eating Well .  I stuck pretty firmly to the recipe but declined to buy scallions just to act as a garnish/topping.  It's a waste because I never use the rest of the scallions before they go bad.  Anyway, result is below.

I don't love the result.  It's an interesting recipe in that it includes shreds of sweet potato which are meant to melt into the chili.  Mine ended up with most melting in but some still around which gives the deceptive appearance of having cheese in the result.  It's kind of disappointing to expect cheese and not get it.  Other than that it's kind of a generic chili.  Not spiced strongly enough for my tastes, and the meat wasn't meat-y enough for what I am used to.  Definitely not a repeat.

I was in the mood for chili after New Year's because my brother made some on New Year's Day.  It's our traditional family meal for the day.  This chili satisfied that craving but didn't make me long to eat the leftovers in my fridge.  I'll definitely keep and freeze what's left - squeezing in to my freezer (pictures will be with post tomorrow), but still on the lookout for a good beef chili.

Use it or lose it

Hello!  Been a bit since my last post.  Not as long as a lot of the gaps in this blog in the past, but more than I wanted to have given my recent posting history. 

It's long enough since Christmas that I can't believe I ever went away.  It's always a funny feeling to get off a plane and be home after being away.

I think I'm past the post-holiday doldrums; advent calendar is away.  That's about it for my Christmas decorations this year.  I can get exceedingly lazy when I am decorating just for myself.  If I had folks visiting I would do it up a bit more.

My next race is a the Black Cat 10 Miler, but my next goal race is the Quincy Half Marathon.  As I said before I am aiming for a 2:15:xx in the half which I believe is a non-stretch goal.  This is my third time through a half marathon training program but I decided to choose a more challenging one.  My first two I went with the Hal Higdon Beginner program; this round I went with an 18 week schedule from Brad Hudson's Run Faster.  Definitely more challenging, as my attempt at a ladder workout today will attest.  It's higher volume and includes more speedwork.  I am pretty sure that I will use his plan when I start my marathon training in a few months.

Other than running nothing major going on.  My PM work is getting more smooth (as far as I can tell) but I'm still working which is always good.  My company hit 2 out of 3 of our bonus goals (unofficially) so I will get a bonus, just not the full one we would have gotten if we hit 3 out of 3.  But hey - a bonus is  a bonus!

So with that catchup I'll say what the post title means.  I'm someone who buys stuff - in this case food - because I love it in concept but then get it home and don't eat it that fast.  It mostly comes from years of limiting myself when I was losing.  I don't have anything but good things to say about my experiences losing/maintaining with Weight Watchers, but there is no question in my mind that it gave me a lot of reluctance to eat outside of the bounds of "the list" of healthy foods.  Now that I'm eating more in tune with my body and mood I actually allow myself once in a while to buy non-wholesome snacks!  Wow!    So I buy them and now I have a full shelf of snackiness just for me.  With that said my goal is to buy less of the stuff while I do some more eating from what I have. Not a big goal, but meaningful to me.  I have such wonders hiding in my kitchen too, so I'll probably be sharing what I've found.  Look forward to it!

All good things...

Home again home again, jiggity jig.  Not so happy to be home after a wonderful trip to see my brother's family.

Oh how I miss this little sweetness

It was a very relaxing trip.  We got out some more after our day at the zoo, including going to the botanical gardens.  They had a train exhibit which of course fascinated my niece.

After the garden it was time for lunch at a diner that has fabulous desserts.

Family!

My partially decimated reuben

The highlight of the rest of the week for me was my birthday!  It also happened to be New Year's Eve, but we all know that my birthday takes precedence.  My brother and his wife had some friends over and we all had dinner and played Cranium.   Definitely a lot of fun and laughter.

Yay cake!

Morning after

I flew home on the first.  I really miss my family right now.  It's really hard to get back in to the swing of things - definitely some post-holiday depression.  It's only natural after so much joy.  So - I guess I'll take it. The trip is worth the let down.

Hope to see this lovebug again soon!

Zooooooooooooooooooooooo

I seriously cannot remember what it feels like to work.  I have off until January 3rd and am enjoying every moment of peace.

I've been getting in my runs for my half; so nice to run on bike paths.  I will have to use the one near me when I get back home.  It's also been nice for winter in Wisconsin, which is a great benefit.

It's also been fun to spend more time with my family.  Not concentrated time - we usually do our own thing most of the day - but we are doing some fun stuff together as well.

Like - cookie baking!

And the zooooooooooooo!

*roar*

The rare purple-hatted polar bear

An entire lion family!

How wide are your arms compared to an ape's?

Mama and baby chick!

It was pretty much perfect.  It was a relatively warm day but there was hardly anyone there.  And as you can see, the animals were all out!  

After the zoo we hit the Original Pancake House, where I proceeded to clean my plate.  Which was alright as I was fueling for the 8 mile run  a couple hours later.  Do not ask what I am fueling for with the cookies/licorice I ate tonight

With all that excitement there is always exhaustion, as modeled by sweet Luna below.

I'm exhausted and happy, and have 2+ more days to enjoy this feeling!

Mo' pittures!

Christmas is over, time to relax.  I'm especially lucky that I'm able to relax this week.  I was expecting to have to work the week between Christmas and New Year's, but last week our CEO sent an email to the company giving us this week off!  Yay!

The extra time has been spent in very relaxing ways.  Yesterday we didn't do much, just going to the park and out to lunch with my niece.

Hazel and Grammie

Push, Daddy, push!

Start of lunch

Mom and me

Dessert!

End of lunch. =)

I also managed to squeeze in a run that afternoon - back on track for training after my cold!  It was kind of awkward to run; I ate more than usual at lunch, and I could feel it!  Very successful runs the past few days - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, day after Christmas = total of close to 20 miles!  Back on the horse!

Last night my brother, his wife, my mom and I played a new game.  It's called Forbidden Island and it is challenging, not only to play, but also to even understand the instructions.  It was a co-operative game so we all had to work together, but there were still arguments over how to play.  In the end we won, but barely.  I think we might play it again sometime this week and will be better at it.

Today was a rest day, and boy did I need it.  Actually most days have been rest days; I've been napping post-lunch.  I'm not alone in that.  My niece takes a nap right after her lunch, and it seems that all of us want to join in.

Mom and Luna reading on the bed

But not all was laziness today.  There was minor adventure - a trip to Old Navy!

Best dressed of us all

Clothing and jewelry were bought at ridiculous prices, then it was home for stir-fry. 

Tonight there was some work to be done so no games, but there are still plenty of days of fun to come.  Tomorrow's plan - cookie baking.  Can't wait!

Merry Christmas!

Very late in the day but still officially Christmas in Madison, WI, so I say - Merry Christmas!

My Christmas was absolutely a blast.  Sure, the presents are nice, but that's not the point.  It was spending the time with my brother, his wife, their little girl, and my mom.

Won't say much about the details, because that probably won't be that fascinating.  We woke up, opened presents, I went for a run, and we had a wonderful Christmas dinner of prime rib.  I'll leave it at that, and just share some pictures of the joy.