Making It Work

I love our morning routine.  We get up about 5 a.m. and workout.  Usually, walking/running in our neighborhood.  We trade off who takes Millie depending on what we are doing.  I don't like her to run more than a couple days in a row since she will has growing bones. It usually takes us 45 minutes to workout. Then we get ready for work. Such a good way to start off the day.

Our regular morning routine was interrupted today. I had to be at work extra early and my husband is having a bit of foot pain. So, I didn't take the time to walk this morning. Instead of running in the neighborhood, my husband hit the elliptical machine at the gym - easier on his foot.

There is one very disappointed puppy in our house. She stayed home :(

Since I went in early, I got off early. When I got home I decided to go to the gym with my husband. He does weight training in the late afternoon. While he was working the weights I did a cardio workout.  I walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill and  then rode for 15 minutes on the bike.

I am proud of myself for not blowing off the workout just because my routine was interrupted.

GYM WARNING:  Taking pictures of yourself in the mirror while on the treadmill might look like this.

I was happy that I remembered my headphones. The last time we went to the gym I could only watch the silent televisions :(  Today I got my Jeopardy! fix...good ol' Alex Trebek.  I didn't do so well.  Turns out I don't know my American literature.

I am usually pretty hungry when I get home so it is a bit of a challenge to go to the gym first. From the time I get home until dinner is a big snacking danger zone for me. I am sure I am not the only one. Before we left I ate a little snack (about 150 calories). Surprisingly by the time we got home I wasn't starving.

I had planned to grill tonight.  But my plan blew up...not literally. We are out of gas! No grilling tonight. Thankfully, dinner was easily moved inside.  I made turkey burgers and roasted asparagus.

The turkey burgers were my best yet.  My husband hasn't stopped talking about them since we ate. A couple of weeks ago I made turkey burgers from Skinnytaste.com as her recipe was written (check them out).  Today, I modified the recipe to reflect our tastes.

The original recipe calls for grated zucchini and fresh grated garlic - which I did.  Then I added chopped fresh cilantro (from the garden).  In my husband's burger I added chopped jalapeno - he is a spicy guy!  In both burgers I wrapped grated cheese in the center. I used a Provel cheese that we both love. It worked out perfectly the cheese melted and oozed about as we ate them.  I topped the burgers with red onions, lettuce and tomato.  They were a huge delicious mess.  Good thing it wasn't a first date :)

Our whole dinner was 433 calories (including a bun!) . Can't beat that.

Had I known they would be so good I would have taken a picture.

Just in case you are feeling sorry for poor ignored Millie please know her life isn't that traumatic. No matter what she says...

Headed out to the farm to play with her friends.  Please note I am the one in the backseat!!  We were taking balloons and thought it was safer for me to sit with the balloons than for Millie to sit with them.

Millie enjoying her new pool.  My husband's Father's Day present from his mom :)

Weigh-in and Tonight's Dinner

Well, it wasn't quite the weigh in number I was hoping for, but I will take it.  1.2 pounds lost.  That brings my total to 12.4 lost in 4 weeks.  I can't be unhappy about that :)  I have decided that I will not weigh everyday this week. No sneak peeks at the scale. I am going to eat well and work hard this week and next Tuesday see the results.

This morning my husband started to run and he was having significant pain in the arch of one of his feet. He is bumming. He has been so excited to be running and this is going to set him back a little. I suggested we ride our bikes instead this morning. It was good. We rode 5 miles in about a half an hour. I did my best to pedal constantly...only coasted going down the hill. Tonight we are going to the gym. He has been lifting weights and while he does that I am going to see if there is class I can join. That should be interesting considering how not coordinated I am :)

Watching our calories really forces me to be better about meal planning. This morning I put some chicken breast in a marinade - basil, garlic, pepper, balsamic vinegar (pomegranate flavor) and a touch of olive oil. It will spend the day in the fridge getting super yummy and will be grilled tonight for dinner.  The basil is from our garden.  Love, love, love fresh herbs.  If there is one thing I believe everyone should grow I think it should be herbs. What a difference it can make for the simplest of ingredients.

Chicken marinating in basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil...can't wait for dinner.

First picking of green beans from our garden.  We will definitely be having these for dinner. It won't be quite enough so I will have to supplement with store beans...gasp! We love them cooked crisp tender on the grill. I think they will go great with the basil/garlic chicken.

First beans from our garden...going on the grill tonight!

I would love a bruschetta with this meal. Bread can be a downfall for me though. Maybe I can go to the bakery and just get a hoagie roll.  It would be enough for the two of us without tempting leftovers.

Have a great day!!!

Am I Really Hungry?

Originally, I planned to still walk on Sunday morning - maybe a leisurely pace :) However, one look at my house told me I better use some of that time and energy to regain control. I am loving our new workout schedule, but it has made an impact on housework. I am a zillion times more productive first thing in the morning so I often do housework before I leave for work. Now that we are working out during that time I need to figure out a new plan.

I spent the day cleaning and getting ready for an evening Father's Day BBQ at our house. I also spent the day being very "hungry".  Probably not really hungry - I just wanted to eat stuff.  I had a smoothie and piece of cheese for breakfast and within an hour I was thinking about food again. I have this breakfast frequently and easily make it to lunch so I don't know why yesterday was so different. Could it have been the long walk the day before? Or maybe I just wanted to stop cleaning house. By the time I was doing errands, I was ravenous. I decided to pick up a Jimmy John's sandwich - turkey, no mayo. Let me say, the mayo makes all the difference. My sandwich was not the least bit satisfying. Then I wanted something sweet. I had a small box of raisins.

I didn't want to give into snacking because I was trying to reserve calories for the BBQ.  My mother-in-law was bringing Jello cake and ice cream. I wanted some of that. I did pretty well at the BBQ.  Potluck type meals are difficult to figure calories. I try to look dishes up on MyFitnessPal and make my best educated guess. For example, we had potato salad at the BBQ. I looked up homemade potato salad on MyFitnessPal.  There were several options.  I picked one that was in the middle and kept to one serving. Who decided 1/2 cup of potato salad is one serving anyway???

When in doubt I keep to one serving.  Even ice cream.  The package says a serving is a 1/2 cup. So that is all I have - even if I have the calories to spare. I am trying to train myself to be satisfied with a serving. Again I have to reflect on how much I would have mindlessly eaten had I not been tracking calories. I am a huge believer in the power of the food diary. 

Tomorrow is weigh-in.....

Route 66 10K

What a morning!!   Today was the day we did our much anticipated 10K race. This race has been our motivation for some serious workouts the past 6 weeks. We were up bright and early. I was much calmer, less anxious this morning than I was last night. We had laid everything out so all we had to do is get up, get dressed and grab our stuff on the way out the door. We had debated taking our headphones, but decided against it. Maybe if we had earbuds. Honestly, I don't think I would do it in the future either..it was nice to just be in the moment, say hi to people, hear the birds, etc.

We arrived at the start almost an hour early. I am terrible about wanting to be places early - I tend to be too early. I want to see the lay of the land and not be rushed. Nothing is worse than stressing the whole way somewhere.

Finally it was time to race!  We all got in the corral. I planned to walk and we weren't sure what my husband's running time would be. He hoped to run about 5 of the 6 miles at around an 11:30 minute pace. We knew to stay in the back because we were slower. We might have done some internet research on race ettiquette :)

The people watching was great. I loved seeing everyone's running gear and gadgets. At this point, I was looking all around me to spot other walkers. Not sure what walkers look like, but I was looking. 

Off we go and it wasn't a block or two before this was my view:

I  could tell there were people behind me, but I didn't want to be looking over my shoulder. I wanted to hit my stride and walk my walk. I did make a point of saying "hi" to the volunteers - made it more fun for me too since I didn't have a racing buddy.

I had a Garmin watch malfunction..I believe they call it "user error." Turns out I didn't get it started at the beginning of the race. I was trying not to check my watch every 5 seconds so I didn't notice until about a 1/2 mile into the race. I started it as soon as I noticed. When it finally registered a mile I was happy to see I was just under a 15 minute/mile pace. I wondered how long I would be able to keep that up.

There were a few places along the way that people had set up cheering stations. Unfortunately, this was not the finish line...it was only about 1.5 miles in :)  The cheering was quite enthusiastic.

Some signs I particularly liked along the way...

Made me chuckle.

Who doesn't love a gingerbread man??

By the time I saw this I figured my husband was finished and couldn't wait to see how he did.

After about 2.5 miles through residential areas we turned onto the bike trail system. Our county has a really great bike trail system. The shade felt so good. We have been "training" early in the morning.  I was nervous that a later start would make it too hot. That ol' sun can really wipe me out.

Love these trails!!

I felt good most of the race. There was a tough hill right before the 3 mile marker. Miles 3 & 4 were a long bike trail straightaway. For me mile 5 was the toughest.  I think it was because it was in the sun.  Also, there was a bit of a psychological issue. At that point we turned away from the direction of the finish line. We would then turn back for the final mile. When we made the turn away I thought I could hear cheering at the finish line. Knowing I had another mile and a half was a little disconcerting. Turns out it was just another cheering section about a 1/4 mile away.  Finally, the end was in sight as well as my husband. I could not wait to hear his time. 

I look a bit more wiped out here than I really felt.

And here are your happy, happy 10K finishers!!!

Our times....

Husband 1:05:19 (10:32 min./mile average) - He ran the whole way!!!  I am so super proud of him :)  He never thought he would run the whole race. He would have been thrilled to have run a total of 5 miles with walking breaks.

Me - 1:33:12 (15:02 min./ mile average) - I walked the whole way.  If only I had not slowed to take so many pictures I would have been well under 15 min./mile average.  Okay, if you know me, you know not taking pictures is NOT an option. Several people asked me if I walked the whole way and seemed impressed with the time I made not having run at all. I didn't see anyone in front of me that didn't run at some point.

Placing - Husband 320/448 - Me 448/458 - Woohoo!!  I beat 10 people!! 

We were both very pleased with out times and are both looking forward to our next adventure.

There was food after the race. I just had water and a few grapes. They had lots of cookies, but if I decided were going to have a cookie it wasn't going to be from a box. We walked through the farmer's market a couple blocks away where I found a freshly baked (and kinda gigantic chocolate chip cookie). I thought of Katie from Runs for Cookies when I bought it and enjoyed every crumb. My husband  treated himself to the most delicious strawberry/lemonade (sugar free).  

Home for showers and then off to our celebratory lunch. There is a small airport near our house. We recently discovered a restaurant there that we really enjoy. Today we sat on the patio for the first time and watched the plans take off and land. The weather could not have been more perfect...sunny, breezy...gorgeous!

They were have a Kids Ride Free event - various pilots volunteer to take the kids on short plane rides. So cool! Wish I were a kid. Maybe when we hit our goal weights I will hire a pilot to take us for a ride.  Maybe in that sweet little blue and yellow biplane in the middle of the picture.

All in all we have a fantastic day.  I end this crazy long post with a big smile.  I love these guys - the husband and the inflatable bendy guy :)  Both make me smile.

Pre-Race Prep

Okay, night before our first race. Tomorrow my husband and I are doing a 10K - he is running and I am walking. Neither of us really know what to expect for our times. I have been able to walk 15 minute miles for 3 miles and I did 16:30 miles for 6 miles last weekend. So I guess I should be somewhere in between there.

Since most people will be running the race I have been a bit anxious about potentially coming in dead last. I suppose that just gives me more room for improvement. We are already talking about doing it again next year to measure that improvement.

We have worked very hard to get ready for this race. We've been consistently exercising - we've made a habit of getting up at 5 a.m. to workout before going to work. We have been eating mostly healthy foods within our calorie budget. My husband has lost about 25 pounds and I have lost about 11 pounds.  We are on our way!

Everything is laid out for the morning...clothes, bibs, sunscreen, camera. Garmin watches and cell phones are on their chargers.

Guess it is time to get to bed and hopefully get a solid night sleep. Full race report tomorrow.

Thank you for your encouragement :)

A Peek in My Diary

Just a quick walk so our 13 year old dachshund could go.

This morning's walk was pretty uneventful. Millie walked with me because she has run two days in a row and we don't want her to stress her still growing bones. For the first half mile she was a handful...always looking for her running partner. Finally as the walk progressed she settle down and I could let my mind wander. I thought I'd been talking so much about my exercise and have not mentioned much about the food side. I have heard many people say that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I don't know if that is true, but I do believe that diet is the major factor.

I decided to share my food diary from the past three days...okay, make that four. I feel like I should include Sunday also because it was unusual.

Sunday - Total calories - 1663
Breakfast - 1 egg, Healthy Life English muffin (before 6 mile walk) / Smoothie - banana, 3/4 c frozen blueberries,  3/4 c. almond milk (after walk) - 328 calories
Lunch - 2 small corn tortillas, 1/2 c. fat-free refried beans, 1 oz. queso fresco, 1/4 c. pico de gallo - 307 calories
Afternoon Birthday Party - 2"x2" white cake, 3/4 c. homemade vanilla ice cream, 1 oz. regular potato chips, 6 tortilla chips, 2 T guacamole, 1/2 c. pineapple - 765 calories
Dinner - 1 c. Eating Well Lo Mein, 1 c. steamed broccoli - 263 calories

Monday - Total calories - 1313
Breakfast - Smoothie (banana, 1/2 c. frozen blueberries, 3/4 c. almond milk, 1/2 c. fresh spinach), spiral string cheese - 223 calories
Lunch - 2 pita bread pockets, 3 oz. deli turkey, lettuce, 1 c. pineapple, 1/2 c. strawberries - 353 calories
Dinner - Skinnytaste Flounder Piccata, 3/4 c. red quinoa, 1 c. steamed spinach - 461 calories
Snacks - 2 Midnight Milky Way minis, 1 small piece pizza - 276 calories

Tuesday - Total calories - 1334
Breakfast - 1 c. mixed cereal, banana, 1/4 fresh blueberries, 3/4 c. 1% milk  - 291 calories
Lunch - 1 oz. deli turkey, 1 oz. deli roast beef, pita bread pocket, lettuce, 1/2 c. pineapple, 1/2 c. strawberries - 206 calories
Dinner - 2 Skinnytaste Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas, 1/3 c. cabbage slaw, 1/2 pear - 456 calories
Snacks - Gouda cheese stick, 1/8 c. almonds, 2 Midnight Milky Way minis, 1/2 c. chocolate ice cream - 381 calories

Wednesday - Total calories - 1345
Breakfast - Smoothie (banana, 3/4 c. frozen strawberries, 3/4 c. almond milk, 1/2 c. fresh spinach), hard boiled egg - 225 calories
Lunch - 1 Skinnytaste Salsa Verde Chicken Tostada, 1/4 c. cabbage slaw, pear - 295 calories
Dinner - Fajitas (2 corn tortillas, 1 flour tortilla, 5 oz grilled chicken breast, 1 c. orange peppers, 1/2 c. onion, 2 T light sour cream, 1/4 c. pico de gallo) - 447 calories
Snacks - Gouda cheese stick, 1/8 c. almonds, Midnight Milky Way mini, 2 Twix minis, 1/4 c. chocolate ice cream - 378 calories

I track my calories/exercise using MyFitnessPal. I have it set for 1650 calories, but aim for 1500. Yes, it is a mind game, but if I set it for 1500 I might think I am being starved to death. Obviously, the days I have shared are closer to 1300. I am not quite sure how this happens. I am satisfied with what I am eating. I am getting plenty of "goodies" so I don't feel completely deprived. Sometimes, I just want to stuff my face, but the temptation has passed without too many tears :)

The toughest time was Sunday at the birthday party. The food was constantly available for snacking. I have a terrible time passing up chips. I do know if I had not been tracking I would have eaten much more without giving it a second thought. I did enjoy what I had at the party. Even though I went slightly over the 1650 max. for my day, I don't feel too guilty since I had burned over 500 calories on our 6 mile walk that morning.

Walking Hard

Do you think we are wearing our poor Millie pup out? 

Three days until our 10K.  Today I decided to do a different loop - same neighborhood just different scenery. That part of the neighborhood has more in elevation changes. Not big hills but definitely enough to notice. Today I wanted to do 3 miles and go hard. My goal was to be as close to 15 min./mile as possible. Here are the results:

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	47:22.4	3.08	15:24
1	15:18.7	1.00	15:19
2	15:08.6	1.00	15:09
3	15:14.1	1.00	15:14
4	1:41.0	0.08	22:20

I am pretty happy with that!!  I confess I was wiped out afterwards. A big ol' sweaty mess. I also felt a bit of nausea afterwards - maybe I got too warm. It didn't last long :)

I wish the race started earlier so it would be cooler. It starts at 8 a.m. so by the time I finish it will probably be getting pretty warm. I don't do as well with the heat, so I am sure I will always do my main exercise in the morning. That works out well too because there aren't too many demands on your time at 5 a.m.

This evening we decided to ride our bikes around the neighborhood. We took turns leading the way. I have no idea how far we rode, but I was begging to go home. My hiney was killing me!!  I hope someday I will be able to keep up with my husband better. He was literally riding circles around me.

Check out Statue of Liberty Midwest!

Success - taking pics without wrecking!