Milk: It does a body good

I'm a firm believer in this one.  I likely consume 5 glasses of milk on an average day.  We go through 3-4 gallons per week and there are only 3 of us in the house!  I add it to my oatmeal, my protein shakes, and have a huge serving every night before bed. 

Finally, the rest of the world is listening to me.  I love to drink a big glass of chocolate milk after a workout, before bed or when I am not feeling well.  Check out this article about the benefits post-workout.

There is even an entire Refuel with Chocolate Milk campaign going on right now....Too bad I missed the Richmond race that was sponsored by this group. 

Ummmm....

This is what my husband has been doing over the Thanksgiving break...

Pretty scary, huh?  Apparently the heat core went bad in the Audi, so instead of taking it to the shop and spending a small fortune, he decided to rip the entire car apart to get to the heat core and replace it.   It is not complete yet, but the part has been ordered off of eBay (brand new and a whole lot cheaper) and the coolant has been flushed.  The job should be complete this week....we hope.

Why go through all of this?  Well, an average rate of $70/hr labor charges plus parts would put us at over $1200 to repair it.  Rich is hopefully going to accomplish everything in just less than $100.  Fingers crossed that it works!

Thanksgiving...

Some of our Thanksgiving meal at our house.

Because I am being lazy about uploading pictures, this is going to be in reverse order of the actual events yesterday...

We ended the evening with Rich's family joining us for dinner at 5:30 pm.  Luckily, I had prepared most items the day before and just had to throw them in the oven.  Since there was no way to prepare a turkey with all of our running around we pre-ordered four rotisserie turkey breasts from Martin's, which we picked up on our way home from the Turkey Trot and put in the fridge until dinner time.  If you have not tried these turkey breasts, they are a MUST have.  They ended up being cheaper and more tasty than any other turkey that I've tasted over many Thanksgivings.  We ordered them a couple of years ago and were quickly reminded why it is such a good idea!

Turkey breast

Carol's new best friend, Dixie.

After having our second feast of the day it was time for some Texas Hold'em.  My mom came over to get a snack and helped me clean the kitchen and pack up all of the leftovers while Rich, Carol, Beth, and Evan played poker.  I had every intention of playing and taking everyone else's money, but the minute I sat in my recliner to put my feet up my eyes had a different plan.  I was out cold at 7:30 pm.   Guess that's what two days of cooking, cleaning, and a hard race will do to you!  

I slept until 11:00 pm and then got up just in time to tell everyone goodnight and eat another meal.  Yes, my metabolism is ridiculous.  Most nights I wake up around 1:00 or 2:00 and eat cereal or oatmeal before I have my "real" breakfast at 4:30 am.  I guess after almost four hours of sleep my body realized it was hungry again, so I ate a bowl of oatmeal and then a heaping plate of stuffing and cranberry sauce.  Who said you can't eat carbs late at night?

Mimi finishing up her homemade gravy. 

 

 

The two schemers...

 Our first meal of the day was actually a "Surprise Thanksgiving."  Yep, that is my family for ya.  Mimi typically goes back and forth about what to do for Thanksgiving and this year was no different.  She didn't want to drive over the mountain, but she didn't want to host it either so she told us to make our own plans.  She knew darn well that wouldn't happen.  So, long story short, my dad came up with a plan to take her out to eat since she was being so difficult. 

Table at Mimi's house

This is when I came into the picture.  Mimi called me, made me promise not to say a word, and told me that she was going to cook the entire meal and surprise everyone when they came to pick her up and take her out to eat.  Don't mind the fact that everyone else is stressed about what the heck is going on;)  This is when I offered to do some of the cooking and play into her little scheme.  And, I am happy to report that her "Surprise Thanksgiving" worked like a charm.  Everyone showed up before we got there and learned of her little plan.  That made it easy for Rich, Evan and I to tote all of the food we'd prepared in.  I think the plan probably ticked a few people off at first, but it ended up being a very nice relaxing event with the family.  Way to go, Mimi!

Mimi and Becky

Mom, Dad, and Mike

The grand master finally enjoying her meal.

Turkey Trot!

Pre-Race

Boy, was it chilly out yesterday morning! I'm glad I went wtih a long sleeved shirt and my new compression sleeves.  Speaking of those new hot purple sleeves....I could not be more impressed!  I am sold after one run.  I wore them the night before the race and my leg pain already started to feel better.  I was a bit hesitant to wear them for the "first time" during the race, but I am so happy that I did.  I had zero pain while running and I am NOT sore this morning, at all!  I usually get pretty sore after running outside because there is more rotation than on the treadmill, but I'm not feeling anything today.  Hot pink seems like the next logical color for me to invest in... Christmas present anyone?!

Post-Race

 The official race results finally came in this morning.  It was driving me nuts yesterday that we sat through half the awards ceremony before they told us that the adult division results weren't sorting correctly.  They promised to have them up on the website yesterday, but they finally came in this morning.

Official times for the Waynesboro Turkey Trot 5k: 

• Dana- 23:04 (2nd in the 30-39 division and 5th overall female)   

• Rich- 32:07 (15th in the 30-39 division)

I caught a nasty cramp during the last quarter mile and had to stop and walk for 20 yards.  I was pissed because I had worked so hard to pass every female except for one, which I knew I couldn't catch (she finished with a 19 min time).  While I was trying to work the cramp out of my side, three teenage girls passed me.  GRRRR.  I was not a happy camper so I picked up my run knowing that this cramp had just ruined my chances of a 21 minute finish. 

However, I am pumped that out of 300 participants I was 5th and 2nd in my division, which is typically one of the harder divisions.  No one in the 20-29 year old division got close to my time either which makes me feel great.  It's just those darn high school cross-country runners that I have to watch out for;)

Feeling good!

 I was definitely "that girl" who was running in a skirt.  I heard people whispering about me when we were getting ready for the race and I knew if I didn't back it up with a good run then I would have been out there just trying to make a fashion statement among all of the sweat pants and gloves.  Good thing I was able to pull through in the end!  And, the skirt by the way is the Nike Challenge skirt that was on my Christmas list.  They don't make it any longer so I had to fight off the other bidders on Ebay to finally win one!  LOVE IT!

Pretty buff runner, if I do say so myself.

Speaking of cramps, this guy also got a nasty one and had to walk for a bit.  It took a couple minutes off of his time, but the fact that he doesn't run at all makes finishing in the 10 min/mile range great!!  I'm just happy that he agreed to be my side kick before and after the race!

Gearing up for the T.T.

Rich thinks that we need to carb up for our big 3.1 mile/5k Turkey Trot tomorrow morning.  He doesn't realize that I run that much on a normal morning and then some, but don't think that I am not going to hit up Mi Rancho or Pizza Hut this evening just for him;) 

We'll see how tomorrow goes....I went from being super excited about it to very frustrated because I have nerve pain down my left leg.  It has been going on for a couple of weeks, but keeps getting worse.  The minute my foot pounds on the pavement or the treadmill I get shooting pains from my hip to my toes.  It is too the point that I'm afraid to run on the treadmill because I keep tripping myself up when the pain shoots down my leg.  The last thing I need is to go flying off of the treadmill.  Anyhow, I made it to the chiropractor on Friday and again today.  After my adjustment she did eletric stem and ultrasound on my low back to try and move the fluid that is building up there.  I hope it made enough improvement for me to actually run the race tomorrow. 

My goal was to run it in under 27 minutes (9 min/mile pace), but I would love to be close to a 7 min/mile pace....maybe 22 minutes?!  I guess it depends on these legs!

Lazy days

Thought this captured the title. 

I found this pic of Hay Hay after her big dinosaur party on my phone the other day.  She was one partied out girl.  I absolutely love the Cloud B company and I desperately want one of the Twilight Turtles that we gave Hailey for birthday.  Landon first introduced us to his turtle a year ago and I think I was more excited about it than Hailey!  I highly recommend these friends for anyone who has a toddler that has a hard time going to sleep in the dark. 

How could you not want this guy or his ladybug friend?

Not that we were feeling particularly lazy this week, but the dogs sure did enjoy the nice weather by lounging on the porch and getting long walks.

Huh?  Just taking a nap...

Guess the sun got too warm for this husky.

Our first Oct. snow in years is more like it for this fella!

She's got legs...

Well, not quite, but I sure do have some fun legwarmers that I bought at Kohl's last weekend.  And, I LOVE them.  I bought them on a whim because they were only $5, but then I started thinking about all the ways I can put them to use.  They are P-E-R-F-E-C-T for those early morning dog walks when I am way too lazy to put pants on and then change for the gym.  I also decided that on these chilly mornings it is okay to rock them to the gym:)  Who knows, I might bring back the 80's!

You know you like 'em.

Fall Weather

This past week was a great one for doing some outdoor activities.  There was a bit of a cold snap in the middle of the week, but other than that we tried to get in some extra long walks with the dogs and do some yard work.  I just got back from a beautiful outdoor run....a long one at that.  6.55 miles in 56 minutes to be exact:)  I seem to forget how much nicer, but harder it is to run outside.  I managed to keep an 8:30 min/mile pace even though it was a hilly and windy.  Hopefully this will help prepare me for the Turkey Trot that Rich and I signed up for this morning.  I wish that it was longer, but kicking off Turkey Day with a 5k should make us feel a little better about stuffing our faces later in the day!

As for enjoying the rest of today's weather, I think we'll be painting the mailbox, installing a new mailbox flag, and trimming some bushes.  We'll see how far we get though because Rich is pounding away at his keyboard trying to finish up one of the two papers he has due this week.  I'm slightly envious that he will finish up this week, get a week off for Thanksgiving, and then only return for two more weeks before the semester is over.  Oh how I miss those days!

I almost forgot that I actually got a bit a of a break this week.  Monday was a work day and Tuesday was election day so I had the day off.  While Evan went to lunch with his therapist, Rich, Jess and I went to Stone Soup and enjoyed our lunch on the patio.  Have I told you how much I love this place?! Rich and I both had the signature salad and turkey cranberry sandwich on multi-grain bread, while Jess had a nice big bowl of tomato basil soup. 

Signature salad with spiced walnuts, blue cheese, and cranberries.

Tomato basil soup.

Going Green...Protein Shake

I've stepped up my protein shake over the last three weeks to include some Chobani yogurt and spinach.  I totally get that the addition of spinach makes my shake look like something an alien gave birth to, but I can honestly say that it doesn't taste much different at all.  Now I get the benefits of adding another serving or two of leafy greens to my diet without actually having to "eat them".  I love vegetables, but this addition makes it so easy to incorporate them into my diet. 


So, my new post-workout shake is this:

• 1 scoop Vitol Egg Protein (which is backordered!)
• 1 tablespoon of Chobani vanilla yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of natural peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons of milled flax seed
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of ice
• 1 cup of skim milk
• 2 heaping handfuls of spinach

Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts

My left outer shin has been bothering me since my run on Saturday, so I took Sunday off and did 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer this morning along with a chest and shoulder workout.  I can NOT wait until tomorrow because it is Election Day, which means NO school for me:)  I can cook and clean and relax after a nice long workout.  I think I'll still to getting up at 4:30 am so that I can workout with Rich and then get stuff done around the house. 

I found a baked chicken recipe on http://www.onefitfoodie.com that I thought I'd try tonight.  I altered it a bit, but it turned out fantastic!  We paired these with with some boiled cabbage and green beans.  YUM.

Add the filling to one side of the breast fillet

Close those babies up and top with flax seed

Fresh out the oven!

Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts, butterflied
• 12 tablespoons of 2% cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup of mozzerella cheese (2%)
• 6 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
• 1/2 cup of milled flax seed
• 2 egg whites

Directions:

• Rinse and butterfly chicken breasts.  Place on cookie sheet covered in foil. 
• Combine cottage cheese, mozzerella cheese, parsley in a bowl.  Mix and then spread onto one half of each chicken breast.
• Place 3-4 cherry tomato halves on top of the filling on the chicken breast.  
• Fold chicken breasts over, brush with egg white, top with sprinkle of flax seed and pepper. 
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until chicken is done.

Gluten Free Healthy Apple Crumble Pie

I finally got around to using the rest of our apples from Carter's Mountain for a yummy apple crumble pie.  We've been using the apples up as snacks, but there were just enough left to use for the pie that I have been promising.  I took a few hints from recipes online and came up with my own gluten free healthy version.  No butter, no sugar....

Filling

Before adding the crust

Getting ready for the oven. And guess who was too excited that I forgot to take a picture before we devoured it?!

Gluten Free Healthy Apple Crumble Pie

Ingredients

Filling:

•  4 granny smith apples, thinly sliced
• 1 golden delicious apple, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup of Stevia
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• sprinkle of brown sugar

Crust:

• 2 cups of spelt flour
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon Stevia
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine oil, water and salt.  Whisk together.  Add in spelt flour until evenly moist. Use half of this mixture to coat the bottom of the pie dish.
• Combine all of the filling ingredients in one large bowl and toss until evenly covered with spices.  Pour into pie dish.
• Use the remaining crust to cover the top of the filling.  I made this more of a crumble than a covering.  Brush with egg white and then sprinkle with Stevia and cinnamon mixture.  
• Bake for 20 minutes on bottom rack at 425 degrees.  Reduce to 325 degrees and bake an additional 30-40 minutes until the apples are soft.  
• Let cool for an hour before serving.

Turkey Cutlet Parmesan

Tonight's dinner consisted of turkey parmesan cutlets, baked sweet potato wedges, and french style green beans.  This is the first time we've tried the turkey cutlets that are in the same section at the grocery store as the ground turkey.  We've looked at them several times, but I couldn't figure out what I'd do with them.  I found the solution tonight!  Rich can't stop talking about how good they are, so I think this one will be repeated in a week or so.  

Rich doing the dirty work.

Straight out of the oven.

Healthy, yummy dinner!

Turkey Parmesan Cutlets

Ingredients 

• 1 pkg. turkey cutlets, about 4 pieces
• 1 c. wheat germ
• 1 c. milled flax seed
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• Chopped parsley

Directions:

• Beat eggs well, dunk turkey cutlets in egg mixture until well covered. 
• Dredge cutlets in flax seed, wheat germ, parmesan cheese mixture on both sides.
• Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with parsley.  Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.

S-I-C-K

and no, not with a stuffy nose or vomit.  This is what is sick:

...almost 20 cc of fluid that I sucked out of a blister (well actually two blisters on top of each other) the size of China on my right pinkie toe!  After hobbling around at school all day on Thursday, I couldn't take it anymore and spent 40 minutes at work reconstructing my nasty, incredibly painful toe.  The good news?  Friday morning I woke up and was able to walk like a normal human being.  I held myself back at the gym and rode the bike 2 miles instead of running, but I think today is going to be another story.  I'm ready to get back out there and see how the toe holds up. 

I almost forgot the best part....how did I get such a nasty blister?  From running?  Nope, from wearing cute Halloween tights to school on Monday.  Never, ever again.  

While we are on the subject of gross things.  My right hamstring is still sporting a scar from my attempt at walking all four dogs at the same time in July!  I've been able to handle the task in the past because I get out there before anyone else is running or walking, but on this day some stupid lady decided to run at the same time.  I don't know who she thinks she is running on my street.  Anyhow, the dogs went nuts and Jack ran behind me causing the Flexi leash cord to burn the crap out of both my hamstrings.  There is a reason why there is a warning on these leashes!

I promise it felt much worse that it looks! Just try sleeping when the touch of the sheets cause the wound to stick.  Gross.

Too soon for Christmas music?

...I think not!!  Being around middle school kids all day long, especially 6th grade girls, I have grown to really like Justin Bieber.  I've listened to a few songs on his new Christmas album, "Under the Mistletoe", and I really like it.  I think there will be some downloading in the near future.  I happen to like the songs that are duets or feature other artists like The Christmas Song featuring Usher.

Speaking of Christmas, for the first time in a long time I actually have lots of things that I want this year.  I typically don't want anything, but this year I've found tons of fitness related apparel and equipment that I want/need.  I think I have finally worn out the old gym shorts, dingy v-neck white t-shirts, and sports bras from high school.  I deserve to get some new gear after all of the hard work I've put in!

Here's the current list:

• Nike Challenge Dri-fit Skirt (size small)
• Garmin Forerunner 405 (green)
• Skinnie Minnie hair bands from BicBands (Black sparkle and purple sparkle)
• Bowers and Wilkins C5 headphones
• More Nike Tempo Track Dri-fit Shorts (size small, any color, maybe purple??)
• An MP3 player that is great for running...I haven't figured out what I want yet. Suggestions???

      

Ran 3.0 miles on treadmill (6.5-7.2 speed, 1 minutes inclines of 6.0 with 1 1/2 mins rest of .5 incline)  I worked hard today, not long....those hills made me want to puke, especially are taking a tad too much pre-workout!

Arm Workout:

• 3 sets/12 reps bicep curls (20 lb dumbbells)
• 3 sets/15 reps body weight dips 
• 2 sets/12 reps close grip bench press (55 lbs)
• 3 sets/12 reps barbell curls (35 lbs)
• 3 sets/15 reps tricep kickbacks (20 lb dumbbells)
• 1 set/12 reps incline curls (15 lb dumbbells)
• 1 set of 21's bicep curls (10 lbs)