A Few Of My Favorite Things

In the past few weeks, we have had two times that it has snowed! We have really enjoyed them! Last time, Jason was still at work and the icy roads made his travel time a lot longer than normal. He did finally make it home and then we got to spend the next day together playing in the snow and having fun. It was a very dry snow that time, so it froze very quickly. We had a blast!

Then, yesterday evening/this morning it started snowing again! We were thrilled! This time, since Jason didn't have to go in to work all, we played in it and built a snowman. We tossed snow balls back and forth at each other. We just enjoyed our time while the snow was here. (It still is here!) :)

While the cold had set in outside, I was thinking about what I could make to fill a craving I had for something sweet. Last week I had made some banana muffins. Jason suggested I make some more. There was one problem... we were out of bananas! Well, no bananas, no banana muffins. But I knew that we had apples and carrots. Carrot cake is good. Apple muffins are good. How about putting them together and making something even better?! So I did. The banana bread recipe I used is from an Amish cookbook called Wow! This is Low Cholesterol and Sugar free and is super simple! I love that I can make it with just a few basic ingredients and that it doesn't require a lot of time. Jason specifically loves that it is a moist muffin with just the right texture... not too moist and flaky, not too dense and heavy.

To create this recipe I simply substituted 1 cup of a small apple, cubed and 1/2 cup of 1 medium carrot, grated for the mashed banana. I love this series of cookbooks! They use as many fresh ingredients as possible to create a wonderful, wholesome diet that nourishes their families as well as possible. There is another cookbook for creating allergy free dishes as well as one for baking sugar free desserts for those with blood sugar issues. If I could, I would have each one on my shelf to reference when I cook. :)

I hope others are enjoying the snow!

Turkey Trot, Reindeer Run and Life

Well, even though it's been a while, I want to give an update on what we've been up to the past few months. In November 2012, Thanksgiving day, Jason and I ran the Turkey Trot 8k (approximately 5 miles). I was thrilled to finish in the time that I had set for myself. I wanted to finish in less than 55 minutes. That was my wishful thinking/hope-I-can-make-it goal. I did it! I finished in 54 minutes and some odd seconds! I was thrilled!

The next week, I pushed Jianna in the stroller during a 5k race, the Reindeer Run. I hoped to make it in under an hour with her as well. It was a tough course, but I made it. Jason ran ahead and once he finished his race, he came back and helped me finish. I don't have the official time on that race, because it is a smaller race and I couldn't find my finishing time.

After those two races, we got several really cold blasts of winter air and I didn't want to take Jianna out in them, so I've fallen off the running bandwagon for a while. But this spring and summer I want to get back to it. In the mean time, I've been doing some exercise videos through sparkpeople.com. They have short videos that are easily played one after another to create my own unique workout every day. Jianna's favorite is a jump-rope interval workout. It is ten minutes long, but she enjoys marching and jumping with me. :)

For Christmas I decided to make the women in my family a scarf each. I decided to do that before I knew exactly how many people I'd be making gifts for. I also only thought of it Thanksgiving day. I was determined and crazy! But I pushed myself and without too much stress was done on time! I had fun figuring out what would be the best color for each person and who would like what style. Most of the scarves I made were my own creation. Not a single one was exactly the same as anyone else's scarf. It was fun to get creative with their gifts.

Since the beginning of the year, I haven't done much crocheting, but I needed the break. I've started back a few things here and there and am enjoying it tremendously! My goal this year is to make the gifts before Thanksgiving, so that I don't have as much last minute stress.:) We'll see how it works out.

Jianna is growing like a weed. This is my kitchen helper and enjoys helping me make dinner most nights and breakfast many mornings. She loves to dress herself and comes up with some interesting, but cute, looking outfits. :) She has started to ask me to fix her hair and help her put lotion on her hands. She hates to see anyone cry. It makes her sad when other kids or babies cry. She thinks her mommy and daddy can fix anything and tells us that a baby is crying and we need to go help. I keep explaining that the baby's mommy or daddy are taking car of it and that we can't go over and help. :) She has a very tender heart. She enjoys playing with play dough, coloring, drawing, playing with puzzles,  reading, building with blocks and legos, and so many other things. She keeps me busy.

Well I hope each of you are doing well. See ya later.

Running in September and Blessings

I've been following a 10k running plan to get ready for the Turkey Trot in November, and am excited to share that I am running faster, longer than I was before! I've been averaging a 12 min/mile and regularly running for a time in the 10 min/mile range, hills and all! This past week (I know it was the beginning of October), I had my first day that I just didn't feel like I could do the run that was scheduled. So I didn't, we went for a walk, instead. We didn't plan it that way, I just never got up the gumption to start running. Every time I tried, it was a like a mental/physical wall went up and my legs and mind said, "nope, not going to happen." So I didn't.

I've been regularly running 3 or 4 miles, 3 times a week, with a 5 or 6 miler on Saturday. I've found that I have to eat EVERY 4 hours to have the stamina when I run. Normally, I will eat a snack of trail mix or cheese or fruit or something like that. If I don't drink at least 1 liter of water a day (plus juice, and other things like milk and I take part of a powerade when I run), I can't run as fast, long or as hard as I normally do.

We've been getting some forced change of scenery on our runs, but it has been nice. We ran up near the dam this week, and enjoyed our time tremendously. They have some nice inclines and declines and it's not too terribly crowded, at the time of day that we went. The sound of the water and the scenery went from city park to country, and open. It was nice.

Jianna has been more and more talkative the past few weeks. This morning, her allergies were acting up and she sneezed. On me. :) After she realized what had happened and we laughed a second about she said, "Mommy, I blessed you!" I thought, yes, baby, you did! In more than the ways you're thinking about! It was a precious time.

To Run With Music or To Run Without?

I had purchased an mp3-player at one time to run with. But I haven't used it more than 3 times and I was thinking about why last week as I was running. If you know me, I always have some music going at home. I drive with the radio tuned to music. I like to listen to music most of the time. But I've realized that, for me, running is my unplug, disconnect time. It is a time that I put aside my devices to hear and listen and think. It is a time to hear the rhythm of nature (all those wonderful bugs, frogs and birds). To listen to the whir of the wheels on the pavement. To study the changing scene of the trees, grass and foliage during the year. To hear my feet, sometimes slapping the pavement, sometimes lightly being placed on the pavement, sometimes stumbling. It is a time to point out all these things to Jianna. It is a time to just think and ponder life and maybe where I am and where I want to be. It is a time to pray. I spend this time enjoying life and working hard spiritually, mentally and physically to slough off the stress of the day, of the week, of the month. For me, running wipes the slate of my mind clean so that I can face a new day fresh and without the past hanging over me. It is something I enjoy. And I like it to be peaceful, without the input of the radio or mp3-player.

What about you? Which do you prefer? To run with music or without? Have you ever thought about why? Have you ever thought about trying a different way? Did it work for you? Or did it not? Why did/n't it?

Running Goals for September

Well I have a new toy that Jason bought me. It's more of a tool than a toy, but it puts science behind my goals and experiences as a runner. I have a new running watch with a heart rate monitor. Included with this watch is access to a website to help set goals, train and keep track of how I'm doing as a runner. I have found that running with the stroller, when I first started running with the watch, put me into the 16 min/mi pace. And I was huffing and puffing to keep up with that pace! Not good. I have been using the 10k training plan to prepare for the Turkey Trot (even though it is only an 8k). They have had me doing interval training. During interval training, you run for a harder pace for a shorter distance (say for 2 minutes at race pace - 10 min/mi), then rest for 1-2 minutes (slow walk), then repeat 4 or 6  or 8 times, depending on the workout. I have been able to drop my pace to 13-14 min/mi pace for over 4 miles. I was pushing the stroller, as well. I was thrilled! I can see immediate results telling me if I am progressing or if I may need to slow down and rest or whatever the case may be.

So my running goals for September are to continue interval training once or twice a week. I want to include a long run once a week and maybe slip in hill repeats to train for running hills two or three times a month. Maybe I could lose 1-2 lbs this month. We'll see.