Laffy Taffy Tuesday

Whoa...I almost forgot.

Q:  Why was the tomato blushing?


A: Because he saw the salad dressing.

Hope you had a Laffy Taffy Tuesday!

I can't take it any more

13 degrees.  That is what the temperature was this morning. Seriously.  I am more than over this bone chilling cold.  It is spring for crying out loud.

Anyway, Long Run Saturday is over and done with.  It was another a step back week so we only had 8 miles on deck for today.  Some of our running group was participating in a local 5K so our group was small.  We ran an out and back through the woods along an old railroad pathway that has been paved.  This is probably my favorite course because it is so peaceful and most of my marathon training runs were done here.  If you are wondering if I took a picture...of course not.  Do you really think I would remember to do that?

I did however have my husband take a photo of me prior to leaving the house...

I was feeling pretty stiff for the first 2 miles or so, but then I loosened up.  I wanted to run this at a faster than comfortable pace just to see what I could do.  The first four miles went great.  I even had a 8:58 mile in there.      I wasn't quite confident that I could keep that pace for the remaining four miles, but I tried.  My breathing kind of got all out of whack there around mile 6 so I had to slow down a tad so I wouldn't die.  Overall, I ran 7.96 miles at an average pace of 9:17.  I don't know why I feel a bit of disappointment in this because that is the fastest pace I have sustained for that duration.  I feel like I could have done better but I will take it.  I really have been working on speed work and it is nice to see it is paying off.

This week I was happy to receive two things in the mail.  One was a sticker that Jim at 50 after 40 had made up and kindly sent to me.  Jim's motto is Be Great Today!  I love that.  I have learned a lot from his blog.  He is pretty darn witty to boot.  I don't know how his wife Michael puts up with his shenanigans.  

I also received my Road ID this week.  I was a winner of a Road ID coupon from Detroit Runner's "I just felt like running" Virtual 5K.  I was so happy to have been fortunate enough to win this because I never carry ID or a phone with me when I run.  I know...I know.  Anyway, I opted for the shoe ID.  You can see it on my right shoe in the photo.  It is perfect.  It doesn't bounce and it is so super light and the strap is reflective which is good 'cuz I like to run ninja style.  Thanks again, Jeff. 

Total miles for this week = 17.

May the sun shine on your face.  Have a good weekend.

Laffy Taffy Tuesday

*** This joke probably wouldn't make it to a Laffy Taffy wrapper....

Q: What do you see when the Pillsbury Dough Boy bends over?

A: Doughnuts

Have a Laffy Taffy Tuesday!

A Public Service Announcement

On Saturday, April 30th, the DEA is sponsoring a drug take back day.  This is a chance to get rid of your unwanted medications SAFELY.


To find a collection site near you click HERE.

If there is not a collection site near you follow these federal guidelines put out by the Office of National Drug Control Policy :

Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so.  For information on drugs that should be flushed visit the FDA website.

If a drug take‐back or collection program is not available near you:

1. Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers
2. Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
3. Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag.
4. Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black permanent marker or duct tape, or by scratching it off.
5. Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash

Thank you for doing your part in helping to protect the environment and preventing diversion!

Whoa Nelly!

Crap.  Why do I always forget to take a photo of me running so I can post it here?  I just don't think about it until it is too late.

I had a 12 mile run planned for today with the running group.  I wasn't quite sure how this was going to turn out for a few reasons.  I only ran a total of 8 miles this week and only did strength training once.  This is not very typical of me.  I opted not to do an additional four mile run this week because of THIS. I also bagged a strength training session because my work out buddy bailed at the last minute because she is still struggling with the flu.  Sure, I could have done it on my own and I had every intention of doing it but THIS got the best of me.

My nutrition, Wednesday through Friday in particular, was pretty much nonexistent because of THIS and I could feel it.  I didn't necessarily feel the normal growling stomach feeling when you are hungry, but my brain felt like it was definitely deprived of glucose.  Not good.

All of this was setting up to be a not-so-spectacular 12 miler.  I had my normal pre-long run fuel which consisted of steel cut oats, string cheese and a small glass of milk.  I had my normal pre-long run ritual of gagging down my pre-long run fuel.    (Seriously, I literally dry heave more times than not while eating oatmeal for some reason.  It never used to be that way.)  All was good there.

What is your pre-long run fuel?  

I met up with my fellow runners and as we headed out I really didn't have high expectations for this run.   I was just gonna run at a pace that my legs wanted to.  The result?

A 9:36 minute/mile average pace.  

I have never sustained a pace like that on a long run.  If this was supposed to be a long, slow run I wonder what I could actually do if I made myself run faster?!

This route was quite hilly to boot.  I am starting to kinda like hills because I feel like a warrior after a conquer one.  Bring it!

Overall, this run exceeded my expectations and I feel awesome. 

I realize too that it is very important to not let THIS overtake your life.  I need to get better about that.

As a side note, I really smelled today.  Not like I normally smell after a long run.  Not even after lifting weights for an hour in a hot, sweaty gym.  The smell was somewhat reminiscent of a barnyard.  Yup, a barnyard.  Wonder what that was about?

Do you notice sometimes your stink is a little off?

Total miles for this week = 31!  WAHOO!!  

Laffy Taffy Tuesday

Q: What kind of shoes do frogs wear?

A: Open toed

Bahahahahah...

Have a Laffy Taffy Tuesday.

Look at the Loot!

This has got to be the best prize package ever!  Even better than the Price Is Right stuff 'cuz I don't have to pay taxes on anything I have won.  Spike over at Running Spike wanted to place a bet on when the Chicago Marathon would sell out.  I guessed 672 hours and the actual sell out time was 741 hours.  Sounds like I had some insider information doesn't it?  I guess I am just a good guesser.

Dear Spike,

• How did you know I like to run ninja style (i.e. dressed all in black) especially for early morning runs?  The amphipod is perfect! 
• Look at all of the chocolate stuff.  I totally wanted to have a Macrobar today after my 11 miler but figured an empty package wrapper wouldn't make for a good photo.  Haven't tried either of these items so I am excited to try 'em out.
• Sweet PhD socks!  I am picky about my running socks and these are ones which I LOVE.   
• I have heard other bloggers talk about the Yankz and how much the like them.  I am sure I will too.   

Thank you Spike and Redhead.

Good luck to all of those who are registered for the Chicago Marathon.  May it NOT be 85 degrees like it has been the past 3 out of 4 years and may it NOT steal your running mojo from you like it did from me (thankfully, I have stolen bits and pieces of it back in the past few months -- sucka!).

On to other things...

I had a pretty decent 11 miler this morning with my sherpa.  I have been doing my long runs either at the scheduled time (Saturday morning) with the running group or with a few ninjas from the running group on an alternate day when our schedules conflict with Saturday run times.  I couldn't run Saturday morning because I had to work and one of the ninjas has had the flu for over a week and I forgot about asking the other ninja if she wanted to do the long run on Sunday.  So I accepted the fact I was stuck doing a solo Sunday 11 miler, but thankfully my husband offered to ride his bike along side me for my run!  Yes, I have got the most supportive husband in the whole wide world!!!!!

I had in mind that I wanted to do a trail that kicked my butt last year (so I took it out of marathon training rotation early on) because of the killer hills.  We drove to the trail and on the way I remembered that they don't plow this trail but with the warmer temps lately I thought maybe it would be OK.  No such luck.  The trail was packed with snow still.  So we drove over to an alternate trail and we did the same route that I recently ran a 10 miler on.  This, too, included hills. Yay, me for conquering hills.  Overall I had a pretty fantastic run, but the last mile could not finish quick enough.  I think it had to do with the fact I had to run past my car and then back in order to get in that last 0.8 miles.  That stinks.  I hate doing that.

I made a deal that after any run longer than 10 miles I treat myself to one of these.  I really like them and they help me recover so much better than what I would normally do which is....uh...nothing.  And I feel like crap for two days when I do...uh...nothing.  'Nuff said.

You know spring is on the horizon in Michigan when you see one of these:

Hello feathered friend.  We have missed you.

Yes, my friend, that is a robin and I saw one today.  WAHOO!!

With the warmer temps comes melting snow.  One thing I noticed a lot while out running this morning was the massive amounts of dog poo I had to dodge on the trail.  Do dog owners take the winter off from picking up after their pets? Just an observation.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and got miles. :o)

Miles for the week (Sunday - Saturday): 10.  Off kilter 'cuz of today's Sunday long run .

Take the reins

"Taking control of your life is about knowing what you want and going after it without hesitation.  You don't need permission.  You just need to know you deserve to be happy."             --- Self Magazine March 2011

Laffy Taffy Tuesday

Q: What did the grape do when it got stepped on?

A: It let out a little wine.

Have a Laffy Taffy Tuesday!

Yes...Soup for You

I don't necessarily consider myself a great cook, but I can hold my own.  I usually have to follow some sort of recipe though because ingredients are too expensive to just willy-nilly throw around.

Saturday evening I was in the mood for soup.  I decided to go with a White Bean and Ham soup adapted from a  recipe from one of my favorite websites -- Allrecipes.

Here is the recipe:

• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 2 potatoes partially cooked in microwave but still firm -- diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 
  

In a large saucepan, saute the carrots and onion in butter. Stir in the water, broth, ham, potatoes, seasonings and bay leaf; cook over medium heat until heated through. Simmer covered over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes.  Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yum.  I really enjoy this soup.  It makes about 6 servings.

(I forgot to take a picture before I ate the last bowl for lunch)

I ran a 5K in the rain and pelting snow because...

I just felt like running.



Jeff over at Detroit Runner decided back in January to host a virtual 5K.  He put a lot of time and effort into organizing this and he was hopeful that a few runners would even show up in person in his hood in Dee-troit to run.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate (big surprise) and I think a lot of runners even took to the treadmill.  Yes, it was that miserable.

It was a step back week last week on my training schedule so I only had 7 miles (at race pace) planned for my long run.  My running buddy asked if I wanted to run our long run on Thursday due to the possibility of rain on Saturday and I agreed.  Thus, we ran 7 miles Thursday morning.  It ended up not being race pace because of the slick conditions on the trail we ran.  (Note to self: ice chunks do not crush under foot and may cause you to roll your ankle.  Why did it take you three times to learn this?)  Nonetheless, we got in our 7 miles.  (She subsequently has gotten the flu -- the one that seems to have knocked a lot of you out for a few days.)

I woke up Saturday morning and expected it to be raining since it rained all day Friday, but it wasn't.  I just felt like running so I quickly got dressed and no sooner did I back out of my driveway when it started to snow.  Oh well.  I met the running group with plans of running 3.1 miles.  Even though I had heavy legs from doing a spinning class the day before and icy snow was pelting me in the eyes, I finished with 5.2 miles.  It was hard fought though and I was pretty much cursing the whole time.

Why is it that sometimes the shorter runs knock you down more than the longer runs?

Anyway, I meant to 1) take pictures of me running and 2) look at my time at 3.1 miles but I failed on both of those things.  I never remember to take pictures.  I need to get better at this as it makes blogging more personal.

If I calculate my time from my Garmin splits then my 5K time was 30:28.

Thanks Jeff for organizing such a great virtual 5K.  Sorry Mother Nature wasn't cooperative.

Workout Buddy..kinda

My husband has off on Wednesdays as do I, so we like to plan things to do together on our day off.  So yesterday I woke up and asked him if he would like to go to the gym with me.  I was surprised when he said yes.

I typically strength train on Wednesdays with a friend from the gym.  Lately, no matter how exhausted we are from the weight session, we will run 3 to 4 miles afterwards since we are both training for a 25K in May.  I asked my husband if he wanted to join us for either or both activities and he kindly responded no.  He wanted to do his own thing which was fine.  I really liked knowing that he was out here somewhere working up a sweat too.  At one time I didn't see him out on the floor and I joked with my workout partner that he probably left to go get coffee from Starbucks. :o)

I have been a member at my gym for almost 6 years now.  Since he has been so busy finishing up his graduate degree, it wasn't really worth it for him to have a membership.  Now that he has graduated maybe it is time for him to join?

(He did tell me he was sore today...the good kind of sore!)


Do you strength train/run/swim/bike/do yoga with your significant other?

I'm Stylish?

I was tagged by Michael over at Slowly Tri-ing with a Stylish Blogger award.  You need to check out Michael's blog, it is one of my favorites.  Thanks Michael!

I like reading these posts on other blogs so now you get to learn a little more about me.  Here are the rules:

1. Make this a post and link back to the person who gave the award to you
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 5 great bloggers
4. Contact the bloggers and tell them they've won

Here it goes:

1.  I have worn my seatbelt long before it became a law to wear one.  My mom took my two brothers and me on a vacation to Washington DC to visit an old high school friend of hers during the summer of 1983.  It was a spectacular road trip that I will never forget.  One of the requirements though was that we wear our seatbelts the entire time the car was in motion.  I have obeyed ever since.

2.  I have worn the same pair of shoes to work everyday for the last 9 years.  I stand for over 9+ hours a day so I learned very quickly that comfortable shoes are important.  I have had them resoled twice.  (Hey, they cost a lot of money and it is cheaper to resole them.)

3.  I eat fast.  I mean like Jimmy Johns freaky fast.  I am typically the first one done with my meal, and I impatiently patiently wait for everyone else to finish.  I think this stems from not getting any sort of lunch break at work  so anytime I have a free moment I eat. Fast. Before I get interrupted.  Again.

4.  I want to open a bakery.  I even have a name for it.  I LOVE baking.  Cookies, cakes, pies, pastries you name it I like to bake it.  It's like a mini science experiment.  I find it a very calming stress reliever.  Maybe someday you all can visit my bakery -- if I ever open it.

5.  I hate the taste of fresh tomatoes.  I do, however, love pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, and ketchup.  I really want to like fresh tomatoes but I just don't.  My husband and I honeymooned in Italy and we ate at a very quaint ristorante in northern Italy.  The first course was fresh mozzarella balls with tomatoes.  I tried to eat a tomato and gagged.  I forced my husband to eat some of mine (after he ate all of his) so that the chef wouldn't feel bad.

6.  One of my best friends is my former high school physics teacher.  She turned 70 years old last year.  When I was in high school I would help her do summer projects around her house.  I learned so much from her and I credit her for being where I am today.


7.  I am ashamed to admit this one.  I can't swim.  My mom forced my brothers and me to take swim lessons when we were little.  I failed the Tad Pole class  Twice.  I didn't want to attempt the third time.  I would like to learn how to swim, but I am too embarrassed to take swim lessons as an adult.  :o(



I am supposed to tag 5 bloggers for this award.  I know this has been around the block a few times so I won't tag anyone.

Instead, leave a comment of something great that happened to you this week.

Laffy Taffy Tuesday

Q: How did the farmer fix his torn jeans?




A: With a cabbage patch.


Have a Laffy Taffy Tuesday.