Getting nervous about race day!

I'm in the middle of my three 15-hour work days but wanted to do a quick check-in. Yesterday I made it to the gym before work to get in a 3.1-mile run, and today I managed two trips to the gym (before work and again at lunch), both consisting of the elliptical. I got in 3.1 miles in 25 minutes this morning, and 2.5 miles in 20 minutes this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm not sure whether to run or not because Saturday is my 10-mile race. Am I supposed to taper? I'm still a rookie runner, so I'm not sure of all the pre-race do's and don'ts. Oh well, I'm sure as long as I just do an easy 3 tomorrow, I should be fine. Or maybe I'll ride the bike. Hmm. Any opinions? Although I'm sure I won't have time to check before I get to the gym in the morning, Lol!

And on the chip front, I'm still going strong! Today was Day 8 of the #100daychipquest (at least 32oz water, no Chinese food, run 3x per week), and Day 23 of the #7daychip and/or #30daychip (track ALL food/drinks).

That's about it. Gotta hit the hay since I have to be up again in less than 6 hours. Nighty night :)

Friend Makin' Monday

If you've taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you're new, please take a moment to answer this week's question on your own blog then add a link at the bottom of this post so we can all see your post. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Be sure to head back to Kenz's blog - All The Weigh and check out the rest!

 FMM: A Few More Gender-Friendly Questions

1) What is your favorite physical feature? Gonna have to go with my feet on this one, since they are what enable me to run! And they don't even look half bad with my new pink polish :) 

2) List three adjectives that describe you. Optimistic, Spontaneous, Determined

3) How old were you when you had your first kiss?  13

4) Do you believe in God? Yes

5) How often do you watch the news?  I catch pieces here and there, but I don't ever really sit and watch.

If you participate, please put your link in a comment!  I'd love to see everyone else's answers!

Last week in review, and Weigh-in day

As most of you know, I write down EVERY SINGLE THING that goes into my mouth. Here's my weekly fridge calendar for last week:

 
I managed to get all of it logged into e-tools as well, and I'm happy to report a successful week!

 

And for my weigh-in this morning:  113.6

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Are any of you obsessive like me, and log your food in more than one place? 

I also use my WW 3-month tracker. I always have that with me so that as I eat/drink something I immediately write it down. And I also still track everything on SparkPeople.com. The nutrition tracker on SP makes it easier to figure out the Points+ on Weight Watchers.

I am AWESOME!

Most of the time I feel as though I am just an ordinary girl. There are some days where I do actually feel pretty good about myself. Most of those days are because of running. Well today, I ran 10 miles (my farthest distance so far) and I have to admit I feel way better than "pretty good." Today, I AM AWESOME! And that, my friends, is why I run :)

Quick check-in and a new recipe!

Friday night and the hubs and I are doing our usual- him on his PS3 (online w/his BC2 buddies), and me on my PC :) We are such an exciting couple- ha!  Actually, I just got home from work and am winding down before bed. Have to work at WW in the morning and then try to make it to the staff meeting which starts about 30 minutes after I get off, and is about an hour away. It's not looking too promising :(  After that we are going to check out the course of my 10-mile run next weekend, and then heading to Cabelas for a couple hours.

I'm on Day 3 of my #100daychipquest and so far, so good. I can't believe I've been drinking MORE water than I agreed to. BRB have to pee again ;)  Yeah, I'm in the bathroom about 712 times a day now, but I'm hoping my system will adjust soon.

Ok, the recipe. It's just a quickie and probably doesn't sound very appetizing, but it's YUMMO! It's a dessert glaze (and is fabulous with strawberries!). Today when I used up the last of it I added some crushed up low-fat cocoa nibs (Trader Joe's) and it was the perfect end-of-day snack :)

Mix 1/4c fat-free sour cream with 2 Tbsp brown sugar. That's it! Easy! 4 servings... (2 Points+)

Oh, and wouldn't you know, they wanted to order Chinese food at work today! I wasn't even tempted :)

Quest for the #100daychip

I like having goals to keep myself motivated and accountable. My friend Brad first created the #7daychip and then the #30daychip (I still haven't made it there yet!), and as of tomorrow there will be a #100daychip to work towards.  My only goal for the #7daychip (and #30daychip) is to be accountable of every single thing that goes into my mouth on a daily basis (In the words of Weight Watchers, "If you bite it, write it."). I'm currently on Day 15! Woohoo!  So anyways, I thought I'd set some different goals for the #100daychip:

1. Water.  I do not drink 8 glasses of water per day. Honestly, on most days I don't drink ANY water. I count my coffee as water because, well, it's made of water! But I digress. I know that I cannot drink 8 glasses without spending 90% of the day in the bathroom, so I'm going to shoot for half of that. 32 ounces of water per day. Ugh.

2. Running. Because of my sinus infection (and some other lame excuses), I haven't been running as much as usual. I have a half-marathon coming up in September and I really need to train. Not to mention the 10-mile race on April 2nd, but I think I'll be fine for that one :)  From here on out, I will run at least 3x per week.

3. Food. As if the water isn't going to be difficult enough, I'm going completely overboard here. Oh, I can't believe I'm going to say this out loud (well, you know what I mean)... I will have no Chinese food for 100 days.  Oh.my.God.

Interested in joining us? Just click here for the information, and then join us on Twitter :)

FMM: Giving the boys a chance

 FMM: Giving the Boys A Chance

1. Who is your pick for the Final Four? 

 I hate not being able to answer questions, but seriously, I have never watched basketball. Sorry :(

2. What is your favorite workout/fitness activity? Running!

3. Do you have a favorite healthy snack? Something that REALLY hits the spot? 

A 6oz container of non-fat, plain Greek yogurt with 1 tsp of Jell-O sugar-free, fat-free Cheesecake mix, and a Granny Smith apple. Cut up the apple and mix it all together = Yummo!

4. What is your dream car? 

A limousine, with a driver included. Seriously, I HATE driving!

5. Have you set any goals for yourself this month? What are they? 

I think the only goals I had set for this month were to track every day and to run at least 65 miles. I missed 3 days of tracking because of the funeral, and unfortunately my running hasn't been up to par either, because of the stupid sinus infection :(

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As always, thanks to Kenz @All The Weigh for the weekly FMM.  And thanks also to Josh @http://youhaveablog.blogspot.com for this weeks questions!

Shredded Mexican Chicken (Crockpot)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
1 packet taco seasoning

Pour the taco seasoning into one of those gallon-sized ziploc baggies and add the chicken. Shake until all chicken is well coated, then put in crockpot. Add the jar of salsa. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred the chicken and mix well. Done!

I used Trader Joe's taco seasoning and Trader Joe's Chipotle salsa

I can't believe I haven't made this recipe sooner! It's rather high in sodium but next time (in about 10 minutes) I will use my own taco seasoning and my homemade Super Salsa! Then I'll update the nutrition info.

Yummy!

Five Things Friday

1. I have been fighting a sinus infection the past couple weeks, and so I haven't been running like I usually do. I felt pretty good when I got up this morning, so after I watched The Biggest Loser (DVR'd from Tuesday) I immediately changed into some running clothes and went out the door. Wow, it was beautiful out today! 70 degrees with just a mild breeze- PERFECT! I was able to get in 3.5 miles before the golf course got too crowded and forced me to head back home.

2. Hubby works for a golf course and part of his salary includes a home, right in the middle of the course. I am so fortunate to basically have my own private running kingdom (and a horse stable!)  :) Other than those damned golfers who are always getting in my way ;)

3. I am obsessed with food! It's actually kinda weird considering that when I was fat I never even thought about food. Now I'm addicted to healthy food (and Reeses) and always thinking about new recipes (and healthifying unhealthy recipes), writing down every single thing that goes in my mouth, meeting all my nutritional goals for the day, etc...  I could easily spend hours and hours in the grocery store (and often do!) especially Trader Joe's.

 

This is seriously the BEST COFFEE EVER!!!

  

4. I love wigs :) Even when I had long hair I would sometimes wear wigs just to "change up" my appearance. Since I cut my hair short I can enjoy many more styles of wigs. My current profile picture is actually my real hair in the front and the wig starts about halfway back- it's the same EXACT color as my hair! Here are some others:

 

My hair in the front :)

5. I love Halloween and costumes! (probably where #4 comes from )  And I'm also kinda spontaneous ;) My hubby and I got married on Halloween, in Vegas, at a drive-up wedding chapel, in costumes! He was a pimp and I was (drum roll please) a bride, LOL! Strange thing was I didn't wear a wig for that!

10/31/09

Italian Casserole (w/pictures and instructions)

Got home from Trader Joe's and couldn't decide what to make, but then I remembered that I already had (Laura's lean) ground beef thawed out, so...

1 lb Laura's Lean Ground Beef (4% fat), 1 onion (chopped), 2 Tbsp lite butter, 1/2c fat-free sour cream, 1 cup pasta sauce, 3.8oz can sliced black olives, 1/2 of an 8-oz package of reduced fat crescent rolls, 1/3c reduced fat parmesan cheese, 1c reduced fat mozzarella cheese, 1 Tbsp EVOO, 1 Tbsp minced garlic

^ Brown the garlic, onion, and beef in the EVOO

^ Drain, then return to stove and add the olives and pasta sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes.

^ Pour into a PAM-sprayed foil pan. In a separate bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese and sour cream. Then spoon it over the meat.

^ Unroll the crescent rolls and put on top

^ In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter then combine with the parmesan cheese. Brush over the top of the crescent rolls and then sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes...

^ Tada! Makes 6 servings - see nutrition info below

^ I make the other half of the package of crescent rolls and immediately give them to hubby so I can't eat them ;)

 

So there's dinner. Served with 1.5c salad and 2T Newman's Light Sesame Ginger dressing. All for under 400 calories :)

Hope you enjoy- I know I sure do!

Friend Makin' Monday (on time even!)

I got this from Kenlie @ All The Weigh (♥ her blog, and her!)...

Please take a moment to answer this week's question on your own blog then add a link at the bottom of this post so we can all see your post. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts.

FMM: We Heart Surveys! 

1) What's your favorite brand of make-up? Are you loyal to one brand?  I use different brands... Bare Escentuals (QVC), Philosophy, Avon, Estee Lauder and Maybelline

2) What is the last thing you drank? Coffee. Ask me anytime and that will ALWAYS be my answer

3) What's your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Peanut Butter sandwich cookies

4) French Fries or Onion Rings? French fries, well done (burned), with cajun seasoning and sour cream

5) Share something you've done in the last week that makes you proud of yourself.  Passed up on Chocolate chip cookies (and Reeses) EVERY day!

6) What is your favorite inexpensive indulgence? Unfortunately, all my indulgences are expensive and most are running-related. I thought running was supposed to be a cheap sport?!

7) Are you currently reading a book? If so, which one?  I listen to audio books. Currently listening to the "In Death" series by JD Robb. I think I'm on number 11. Physically reading... Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham.

8) Do you prefer to text or talk? Text, definitely. I hate talking on the phone!

9) Have you ever performed on stage? If so, what did you do? Yes, sang. But I had a few too many and don't really remember ;)

10) Are you more likely to pick truth or dare? Dare!

10 servings of freggies today!

Breakfast: 3/4c Ezekiel 4:9 cereal, 3/4c skim milk, 3/4c mixed berries (and 4c coffee)

Lunch: Mexican "comfort" Pasta w/1c of my "Super Salsa" (and 4c coffee)

Dinner: 2c tossed salad w/10 green olives and 2T lite Sesame Ginger dressing, 1 serving of my Mexican Meatloaf (made w/my Super Salsa) and an extra 1c of the salsa on the side

Snack: 1c mixed berries w/4T fat-free whipped cream

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My (super easy) Super Salsa:

4 tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 large jalapeno, a bunch of cilantro, 1 lime (for juice), cumin and hot mexican chili powder

Add ingredients and push the button

Voila!

Makes about 4 cups. Pour into a container and put in fridge :) 

Saturday Sandwich

An Arnold multigrain sandwich thin with 2 Tbsp PB2 (chocolate) on each half, a banana and 4 strawberries... YUMMY!

Lazy Slug Day

I had such good intentions for today, and while I didn't forgo EVERYTHING on my list, I did much less than intended :(  First I overslept. Not such a big deal since it was my day off, but when I finally got out of bed it was 10am! For me, sleeping in usually means 8am at the latest! I immediately took off all the bedding and went straight down to the basement and got the first of about 10 loads started. I came back up and managed to get all of my "laying around" clothes put away, hung up, thrown out, etc... And I put clean sheets/bedding on the bed and vacuumed the bedroom. I started on the bathroom but then hubby came home and needed to go to the bank and run some other errands, and I never pass up going along for the ride as long as there's a skinny mocha latte from DD involved ;)  Got back home and made some lunch, did the dishes, did some more laundry, and then plopped down here in front of the computer. That was all she wrote. Never made it out for my run today (although that was probably a smart decision since I'm still not quite over this cold/flu/sinus whatever).

I just really have no motivation at all, and I HATE that feeling. Before I do another thing, I am getting on my bike for at least 30 minutes. I'll be back...

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Ok, biked like a mad woman for 30 minutes and now I'm going to attempt to "remodel" my boring blog. Hope this doesn't turn into a complete disaster. Stay tuned...

Back home and Back on track

It's been a rough few days, but thankfully DH has a huge supportive family so grandma is doing pretty well (considering). And when I say huge, I mean there are over 100 relatives in the "immediate" family! The priest even made a comment about how it was the biggest family he'd ever seen in one (definitely not big enough) room.

The last 4 days have been pretty much non-stop eating of Italian food/pastries.  I gained 4 pounds in 4 days, but it definitely could have been much worse. Yes, I went from 114 to 118 but I managed to sustain my ultimate goal, which was to not ever see 120 again!

We got back home late last night and as of today I'm right back on track. We went grocery shopping this morning so I was able to make my week's worth of healthy meals, and then I went for a 5.5-mile run. I was actually hoping to do a long run today, but the golf course was way too crowded and I had to use the treadmill.

I know this isn't a very exciting post but I'm still pretty much wiped out. No amazing adventures today, maybe tomorrow ;)

Here, but not really here...

As some of you know, my hubby's grandpa passed away on Wednesday night. I was home from work for about 20 minutes before we got the call.  We had to throw some stuff together and go charging out the door like bats out of hell. We spent the night with the family and sometime during the 2 hours of sleep I got, I've come down with something- flu? sinus infection? I can't breathe out of the right side of my nose and my head is all stuffy and I have razor blades in my throat when I try to swallow. Ugh!  Anyways, the "arrangements" were all made yesterday afternoon and since there's nothing we can do until tomorrow, we came back home today to pack up what we're going to need for the next few days (the viewings/wake, funeral) before driving back down there again tomorrow morning.  

So needless to say I didn't get my run in today, and tomorrow isn't looking good either. I also didn't feel like cooking today so I ended up with Chinese food.

Reeses for breakfast and Chinese for lunch/dinner: Bleh! That also means I have to start back at Day 1 towards my 30-day chip :( And not even because of what I ate (I can usually fit the Reeses into my day because I burn so many calories, and I allow myself the Chinese 2-3 times per month), but because I didn't even bother tracking yesterday or today. And that's my biggest thing- I am on track as long as I'm tracking! So tomorrow I will start back over at Day 1.

Oh, I am on twitter now (although I am still just learning how to use it) so feel free to add me. I am akaWonderWife and that will pretty much be my only contact for the next few days. Any prayers, thoughts, well wishes for the family would be appreciated. Thanks and good night :)