Hey Hope, how sore are you today?
I'm sore in all kind of weird places that I didn't even know could get sore from that Pilates and more class yesterday. On the plus side, my legs feel better. We'll see how they feel tomorrow though.
Today was interval day. This time, it was a "ladder". I didn't get to the fitness center until this evening either so the track was packed with walkers. The indoor track is a funny distance - 7 laps for a mile - so I figure each lap is 228.5 m. I have just been eyeballing the distances based on this. So here's my workout:
400 m - 2:10
600 m - 2:54
800 m - 4:22
1200 m - 6:35
800 m - 4:27
600 m - 3:05
400 m - 2:12
I had a 2:10 rest period in between each interval and a mile warm up and mile warm down, so 5 miles total. I feel like I have a ways to go with my speedwork.
My next running day this week will be Saturday. It's supposed to be a tempo run. I'm thinking about doing a 5K but will see what it's like on Saturday. I learned a long time ago not to pre-register for races in January, February, or March because, if I pre-register, it will be 10 below zero and snowing sideways that day. I pre-registered for a race last year for April 21st. Pretty safe date, right? Wrong! It was 20 degrees with like 50 mph winds that day. It was so cold I considered hiding out in a port-a-potty until the race started. Luckily, I found a lobby of a parking garage to hang out in with about a hundred other people. We got to watch the Luigi's Italian Ice guy fight to keep the umbrella up over his kiosk before he finally packed up and went home.
So what kind of a workout did you do today?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
I Definately Do Not Do Mornings!
This morning, it was just plain gross outside - 30 degrees, gray, and pouring down rain. A good morning to sleep in. Even the chickens next door were sleeping in. Anyway, on mornings such as this, I drive my kids down to the end of the driveway (we have a loooong driveway) to wait for the bus.
I remember driving my daughter down and looking at the clock on my dashboard, thinking we were a couple minutes early for the bus. Next thing I know, it's 20 minutes later, car is still running, it's nice and cozy inside, and I'm all alone. I guess I fell asleep! I slept through the bus showing up and my daughter getting out of the car. Either that or I was kidnapped by aliens and had my memory erased.
I could have easily gone back to bed and slept a couple more hours. However, I told my friend Hope I'd meet her at the fitness center for a "Pilates and More" class at 9:30am. Um... we definately did the "and More" since the first thing I was told when I showed up was to go get some weights. 30 minutes on the bike after that. 8.68 miles, 87 rpm. My legs are still dead or maybe they're still sleeping.
Off to work now. I'm scheduled til 11pm so I'm hoping to get home at a decent hour.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? I am definately a night owl.
I remember driving my daughter down and looking at the clock on my dashboard, thinking we were a couple minutes early for the bus. Next thing I know, it's 20 minutes later, car is still running, it's nice and cozy inside, and I'm all alone. I guess I fell asleep! I slept through the bus showing up and my daughter getting out of the car. Either that or I was kidnapped by aliens and had my memory erased.
I could have easily gone back to bed and slept a couple more hours. However, I told my friend Hope I'd meet her at the fitness center for a "Pilates and More" class at 9:30am. Um... we definately did the "and More" since the first thing I was told when I showed up was to go get some weights. 30 minutes on the bike after that. 8.68 miles, 87 rpm. My legs are still dead or maybe they're still sleeping.
Off to work now. I'm scheduled til 11pm so I'm hoping to get home at a decent hour.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? I am definately a night owl.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Stockpiling Basics
I'm glad I did my 10 miler yesterday. It would NOT have happened today. I clocked into work at 4:55 pm yesterday. I clocked out at 4:12 am this morning. It was a looooong shift. My legs still feel like wet cement.
So let me introduce you to one of my other interests today - couponing. I have been a couponer my entire adult life. I've done it so long I can't imagine paying full price for almost anything. One of the fundamentals of successful couponing is stockpiling. Real life couponers don't buy 100 tubes of toothpaste at a time like those people on that TLC show that has given couponers such a bad rap. They do, however, maintain reasonable stockpiles. This is how it works...
Every household has stuff they NEED all the time or use on a regular basis. Examples include things like toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, shampoo, or pantry staples like canned foods or pasta. So, let's say trash bags are on sale this week for $2 (normally $3) and you have a $1 coupon. Instead of buying just one box, you buy a 6 month supply - so let's say 6 boxes. That way, when you finish your box of trash bags next month, you don't HAVE to buy another box at the regular price. As you stockpile more and more items, there will be less stuff you HAVE to buy at the regular price. Instead of spending money on stuff you have to buy, you can focus on buying just what's on sale with your coupons.
This is how it saves you money. Going back to the trash bag example, you just bought 6 boxes of trash bags for $6 - that's $2 sale price minus $1 coupon for each box. Regular price is $3. $3 X 6 = $18, but you only spent $6 so you saved $12. Repeat this process with lots of other items and the dollars add up.
Sometimes, you don't even need to have coupons. You just have to know what your regular prices are and what's a deal. I bought a year supply of trash bags on cvs.com on Thanksgiving Day. All CVS brands were 50% off, free shipping, and I had a code for another 25% off. I got 10 30-ct boxes (so 300 trash bags) for $20.02, delivered to my door. Mark that off my list of stuff I don't have to buy for awhile!
Get how this works?
So this is what I got today (neither deal required any paper coupons either so you can do them too):
20 32-oz bottles of Gatorade. 0.72 each at Kroger after sale price and Kroger digital coupon loaded on my Kroger Shopper card. I can usually find these for 0.49 on sale but I am completely OUT so I paid a bit more than I wanted. I am hoping I can get a better deal sometime soon.
Paper towel deal at Meijer.
1. Buy the Bounty 2-pack DuraTowels for $3.79 - 0.25 mPerks coupon + tax = $3.81, but you will get a Catalina coupon for $3 off your next purchase.
2. Buy 3 single rolls of Meijer brand paper towels for $1.29 each x 3 = $3.87 + $0.27 tax = $4.14 - $3 coupon from #1 = $1.14, but you will get a Catalina coupon for $3 off your next paper goods purchase.
3. Buy Bounty 2-pack again, use $3 paper goods coupon from #2: $3.79 + $0.27 tax = $4.06 - $3 = $1.06, get another $3 coupon
4. Buy 3 single rolls of Meijer brand paper towels, use $3 off next purchase coupon; $3.87 + $0.27 tax = $4.14 - $3 = $1.14, get another $3 coupon
So, so far I have spent $7.15 for 10 rolls of paper towels and still have a $3 coupon. You can keep rolling this deal as long as you do not use the same $3 coupon on the same product i.e. you can't use the coupon you get from Bounty to buy more Bounty because you won't get another coupon to print if you do.
Depending on how you look at it, I am either spending 0.72/roll or 0.42/roll for the paper towels. It's an OK price for me. I've done better but my family goes through paper towels like water.
OK, is your head spinning now? I love this game.
So let me introduce you to one of my other interests today - couponing. I have been a couponer my entire adult life. I've done it so long I can't imagine paying full price for almost anything. One of the fundamentals of successful couponing is stockpiling. Real life couponers don't buy 100 tubes of toothpaste at a time like those people on that TLC show that has given couponers such a bad rap. They do, however, maintain reasonable stockpiles. This is how it works...
Every household has stuff they NEED all the time or use on a regular basis. Examples include things like toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, shampoo, or pantry staples like canned foods or pasta. So, let's say trash bags are on sale this week for $2 (normally $3) and you have a $1 coupon. Instead of buying just one box, you buy a 6 month supply - so let's say 6 boxes. That way, when you finish your box of trash bags next month, you don't HAVE to buy another box at the regular price. As you stockpile more and more items, there will be less stuff you HAVE to buy at the regular price. Instead of spending money on stuff you have to buy, you can focus on buying just what's on sale with your coupons.
This is how it saves you money. Going back to the trash bag example, you just bought 6 boxes of trash bags for $6 - that's $2 sale price minus $1 coupon for each box. Regular price is $3. $3 X 6 = $18, but you only spent $6 so you saved $12. Repeat this process with lots of other items and the dollars add up.
Sometimes, you don't even need to have coupons. You just have to know what your regular prices are and what's a deal. I bought a year supply of trash bags on cvs.com on Thanksgiving Day. All CVS brands were 50% off, free shipping, and I had a code for another 25% off. I got 10 30-ct boxes (so 300 trash bags) for $20.02, delivered to my door. Mark that off my list of stuff I don't have to buy for awhile!
Get how this works?
So this is what I got today (neither deal required any paper coupons either so you can do them too):
20 32-oz bottles of Gatorade. 0.72 each at Kroger after sale price and Kroger digital coupon loaded on my Kroger Shopper card. I can usually find these for 0.49 on sale but I am completely OUT so I paid a bit more than I wanted. I am hoping I can get a better deal sometime soon.
1. Buy the Bounty 2-pack DuraTowels for $3.79 - 0.25 mPerks coupon + tax = $3.81, but you will get a Catalina coupon for $3 off your next purchase.
2. Buy 3 single rolls of Meijer brand paper towels for $1.29 each x 3 = $3.87 + $0.27 tax = $4.14 - $3 coupon from #1 = $1.14, but you will get a Catalina coupon for $3 off your next paper goods purchase.
3. Buy Bounty 2-pack again, use $3 paper goods coupon from #2: $3.79 + $0.27 tax = $4.06 - $3 = $1.06, get another $3 coupon
4. Buy 3 single rolls of Meijer brand paper towels, use $3 off next purchase coupon; $3.87 + $0.27 tax = $4.14 - $3 = $1.14, get another $3 coupon
So, so far I have spent $7.15 for 10 rolls of paper towels and still have a $3 coupon. You can keep rolling this deal as long as you do not use the same $3 coupon on the same product i.e. you can't use the coupon you get from Bounty to buy more Bounty because you won't get another coupon to print if you do.
Depending on how you look at it, I am either spending 0.72/roll or 0.42/roll for the paper towels. It's an OK price for me. I've done better but my family goes through paper towels like water.
OK, is your head spinning now? I love this game.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
10 Miles
My legs and my brain were having an argument with my soul when I woke up this morning. My legs still felt like hundred pound bags of wet cement and my brain was telling me that even with a day off, my legs hadn't recovered sufficiently for a long run today. My soul was telling me that I had felt like this lots of times before and that I needed to stick to my plans if I ever wanted to get anywhere with my training plans. My brain said I could flip-flop my days and do my long run tomorrow - the day I had planned as another rest day. I am scheduled to work from 5 pm to 2 am tonight. I didn't know if I was REALLY up to running 10 miles tomorrow as the shift could go 9, 10, or 11 hours... I was sore. I didn't want to get hurt. It was cold out... sorta. The sun was out.
We didn't get back from my older daughter's dance competition until after 9 pm last night so it was way later than that before we got to bed. Everyone slept in this morning. I finally got up and had the breakfast of champions - coffee and biscotti.
Finally, at noon, I decided to go ahead and run. Then realized I had no fuel - no Gatorade, no Powerade, no gels, nothing. Usually, when I go 10 miles, I run a 5 mile loop and take a sip of a sports drink. If I run over 10 miles, I will eat a gel. Anything less than 5-7 (during a training run), I won't stop because it's just too much trouble. My friend Judi calls me a camel. Today, all I had was water so I stuck a water bottle at the end of the driveway and took off.
As things went, it turned into a really pleasant run. I got all the kinks out by mile one and got myself warmed up by then too. The sun was out, the air felt fresh, and it was good to be running on the road again where I could let my mind wander and not worry about counting how many laps I'd run on the indoor track.
10 miles. Done. Now it's off to work.
We didn't get back from my older daughter's dance competition until after 9 pm last night so it was way later than that before we got to bed. Everyone slept in this morning. I finally got up and had the breakfast of champions - coffee and biscotti.
Finally, at noon, I decided to go ahead and run. Then realized I had no fuel - no Gatorade, no Powerade, no gels, nothing. Usually, when I go 10 miles, I run a 5 mile loop and take a sip of a sports drink. If I run over 10 miles, I will eat a gel. Anything less than 5-7 (during a training run), I won't stop because it's just too much trouble. My friend Judi calls me a camel. Today, all I had was water so I stuck a water bottle at the end of the driveway and took off.
As things went, it turned into a really pleasant run. I got all the kinks out by mile one and got myself warmed up by then too. The sun was out, the air felt fresh, and it was good to be running on the road again where I could let my mind wander and not worry about counting how many laps I'd run on the indoor track.
10 miles. Done. Now it's off to work.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Coconut Pistachio Biscotti
Today is my rest day. No exercising so I'm doing other things. Like enjoying this biscotti. I made it from a recipe I adapted from Whole Living magazine. I believe my adaptation may have made it a little less healthy. Oh well, enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shelled salted pistachios
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, corn meal, shedded coconut and baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together eggs, coconut extract, sugar and olive oil. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Add pistachios. Turn out onto a baking sheet and form into a log.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool. Once cool, cut into slices with a serrated bread knife and place back on baking sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes. Flip all the pieces over and bake for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Coconut Pistachio Biscotti
Try it with vanilla ice cream... or for breakfast!
What are you baking today?
INGREDIENTS
1 cup corn meal
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shelled salted pistachios
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, corn meal, shedded coconut and baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together eggs, coconut extract, sugar and olive oil. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Add pistachios. Turn out onto a baking sheet and form into a log.
Remove from oven and cool. Once cool, cut into slices with a serrated bread knife and place back on baking sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes. Flip all the pieces over and bake for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Try it with vanilla ice cream... or for breakfast!
What are you baking today?
Friday, February 22, 2013
Intervals... Just Like I Remember
I've been dreading this day all week. I love to run. I want to run fast. I hate intervals. Actually, this training program calls them "track repeats" but, whatever, they are intervals. For the nonrunners, intervals are when you run a set distance at a fast predetermined pace over and over and over again.
The last time I really ran intervals was in high school. I ran cross-country and track. The most common one we ran were 400m intervals, 12 or 16 at a time. I used to run them in 100 seconds for cross-country and 90 seconds for track. The only good thing about those days was the feeling of accomplishment once you suffered through the whole workout. I guess I just don't like to suffer...
The kids had a 2-hour delay this morning on account of the sleet so the whole morning was off to a slow start. After they left, I started thinking about procrastinating. But then, I thought of Beth's mantra at Shut Up + Run and just shut up and went.
It's been 26 years since I graduated from high school and over a year since I did ANY fast running of ANY kind, I had no idea what my pace was suppose to be. My training program bases your pace off your 5K time. I only ran 3 races last year. I did a 5K on March 10th at 26:06, I did an 8K on April 21st with a 3 mile split of 24:44, and my half-marathon on May 5th with a 3 mile split of 26:01... and I really haven't run since. My program spit out a 400m time of 1:56 for a 26:00 - 26:10 5K. I already knew THAT wasn't going to happen today. End result - I decided to wing it and see how I felt.
This is how my twelve 400m intervals went:
1. 2:12
2. 2:07
3. 2:09
4. 2:12
5. 2:26
6. 2:23
7. 2:22
8. watch malfunction
9. 2:20
10. 2:17
11. 2:19
12. 2:16
I had 90 seconds of rest in between each interval. After interval #4, I decided I was running an unsustainable pace so I backed it off a bit. They were just as sucky as I remember them. Probably suckier because now I'm 44 and had to run them by myself. Anyone want to run them with me next week? Isabelle?
I did a mile warm up and mile warm down so 5 miles total for the day. Tomorrow is a rest day so my first week of training is over. 17 miles total.
I also can across a little "uh...oh" in my program last night. I was re-reading my training book and came across the fact that you are supposed to have been running about 15 miles a week for 3 months before starting this. Ummm...yeah...looking at my calendar, I've run 57 miles in the 3 months before this week. Y'all might be witness to an epic failure.
The last time I really ran intervals was in high school. I ran cross-country and track. The most common one we ran were 400m intervals, 12 or 16 at a time. I used to run them in 100 seconds for cross-country and 90 seconds for track. The only good thing about those days was the feeling of accomplishment once you suffered through the whole workout. I guess I just don't like to suffer...
The kids had a 2-hour delay this morning on account of the sleet so the whole morning was off to a slow start. After they left, I started thinking about procrastinating. But then, I thought of Beth's mantra at Shut Up + Run and just shut up and went.
It's been 26 years since I graduated from high school and over a year since I did ANY fast running of ANY kind, I had no idea what my pace was suppose to be. My training program bases your pace off your 5K time. I only ran 3 races last year. I did a 5K on March 10th at 26:06, I did an 8K on April 21st with a 3 mile split of 24:44, and my half-marathon on May 5th with a 3 mile split of 26:01... and I really haven't run since. My program spit out a 400m time of 1:56 for a 26:00 - 26:10 5K. I already knew THAT wasn't going to happen today. End result - I decided to wing it and see how I felt.
This is how my twelve 400m intervals went:
1. 2:12
2. 2:07
3. 2:09
4. 2:12
5. 2:26
6. 2:23
7. 2:22
8. watch malfunction
9. 2:20
10. 2:17
11. 2:19
12. 2:16
I had 90 seconds of rest in between each interval. After interval #4, I decided I was running an unsustainable pace so I backed it off a bit. They were just as sucky as I remember them. Probably suckier because now I'm 44 and had to run them by myself. Anyone want to run them with me next week? Isabelle?
I did a mile warm up and mile warm down so 5 miles total for the day. Tomorrow is a rest day so my first week of training is over. 17 miles total.
I also can across a little "uh...oh" in my program last night. I was re-reading my training book and came across the fact that you are supposed to have been running about 15 miles a week for 3 months before starting this. Ummm...yeah...looking at my calendar, I've run 57 miles in the 3 months before this week. Y'all might be witness to an epic failure.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Social Media
Hallelujah! No work today. Today was cross-training day. I can only ride the stationary bike 30 minutes at a time at the gym so this is how it went:
First 30 minutes: 8.77 miles, 89 rpm.
Stretch and do core exercises for 30 minutes.
Second 30 minutes: 8.86 miles, 91 rpm.
I had an appointment to get a massage from a new massage therapist that I found on Groupon but when I got home I had a voicemail from her saying she had to cancel due to a migraine :(
So here I sit... blogging to the world (all 5 or so of you) about my day. Which leads me to the topic of social media. I do not have a Facebook or Twitter and can barely operate a cell phone. If you call and I don't answer, it's because I'm driving and I can't figure out how to answer the phone or my phone is dead. If you text me it will take 10 minutes before my fat fingers can type back a reply. My children, however, live on their iPods (because their parents are ogres and won't give them cell phones). The kids also do not have Facebook accounts but my 13 year old daughter has a Twitter account. I've known about the Twitter account for a long time. In fact, she asked me if me if she could have one and I consented. My husband found out about her Twitter account just the other night - because my daughter left it open on our family computer - and he FREAKED OUT! Of course he also read all her tweets and added himself as a follower. Then he proceeded to tell her that all the references to where she went to school and her friends and pictures of our house and car that were in the background of her photos would lead all the deranged pedophiles and thieves of the world to our house. He got her so freaked out she couldn't sleep in her room last night because she was afraid there was a murderer hiding under her bed in the dark.
So do your children Twitter or Facebook? I told my husband he was a little too paranoid but he thinks he's instilled a "healthy fear" in our kids.
First 30 minutes: 8.77 miles, 89 rpm.
Stretch and do core exercises for 30 minutes.
Second 30 minutes: 8.86 miles, 91 rpm.
I had an appointment to get a massage from a new massage therapist that I found on Groupon but when I got home I had a voicemail from her saying she had to cancel due to a migraine :(
So here I sit... blogging to the world (all 5 or so of you) about my day. Which leads me to the topic of social media. I do not have a Facebook or Twitter and can barely operate a cell phone. If you call and I don't answer, it's because I'm driving and I can't figure out how to answer the phone or my phone is dead. If you text me it will take 10 minutes before my fat fingers can type back a reply. My children, however, live on their iPods (because their parents are ogres and won't give them cell phones). The kids also do not have Facebook accounts but my 13 year old daughter has a Twitter account. I've known about the Twitter account for a long time. In fact, she asked me if me if she could have one and I consented. My husband found out about her Twitter account just the other night - because my daughter left it open on our family computer - and he FREAKED OUT! Of course he also read all her tweets and added himself as a follower. Then he proceeded to tell her that all the references to where she went to school and her friends and pictures of our house and car that were in the background of her photos would lead all the deranged pedophiles and thieves of the world to our house. He got her so freaked out she couldn't sleep in her room last night because she was afraid there was a murderer hiding under her bed in the dark.
So do your children Twitter or Facebook? I told my husband he was a little too paranoid but he thinks he's instilled a "healthy fear" in our kids.
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