Snow!

Hi friends!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We were home for Christmas, this never happens, and it was really nice. It's always fun to spend Christmas with our families, but it was great to just be able to stay in pj's and relax at home instead of going from house to house. We headed north a couple days ago so we're having Christmas fun with the fams now.

I'm thrilled about having some snow this year. Last year there was no snow for Christmas and it was so sad. We like to go sledding late at night on Christmas Eve. We, being the Sobo siblings and significant others.

I'm also happy to have some snow on my runs. Some of you already know this, but I really like running outside in the winter. It's one of my favorite seasons in general, second to fall, and it's also great for running. Yesterday I got a snowy 6 miles in and I loved it!

With a little preparation, mainly deciding what to wear, winter running is wonderful. I generally dress like it's 20 degrees warmer that it really is because I always warm up and don't like to have extra layers to take off. Yesterday it was 28*, felt like 20*. I wore fleece lined running tights (these ones), a short sleeved tech shirt, a long sleeved tech shirt (this one), my ASICS Storm Shelter running jacket, a hat, light gloves, and my Yaktrax. I ended up taking my jacket off because I got too warm even with all the vents open. 

You should try it before you decide you hate it. Just keep the pace easy on those snowy roads. It's so much better than running in the heat and humidity and hot showers never feel as good as they do after you finish a winter run. Seriously. They're magical.  

And get yourself some of these.

An epic game of Boxers or Briefs happened last night. It was tons of fun.

On the agends for today is more Christmas fun. 

Tie a Knot and Hang on

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."-Franklin D. Roosevelt

That pretty much sums up my week and weekend. I'm glad it's over and am hopeful that this next week will be better. Nothing that bad really happened this week. Pauls just been working a lot of hours, he informed me that he worked about 100 hours this week, that's 20 hours more than usual. Not kidding. When he works that much we all feel it, obviously not as much as he does, but it's hard. Add holiday prep, a major plumbing issue, and the fact that I only managed to run 13 miles this week because of injury, to the mix and you've got a disaster waiting to happen.

This wekend, we had Pauls parents come down and we also had a plumbing issue. Luckily, there was a spa day for the ladies, and a Lions game for the guys to help us forget about the crappy (literally) stuff. It was great to have them here.

On my run tonight I caught my foot on a section of sidewalk and wiped out. It was dark and I couldn't see very well. I did manage to break my fall quite a bit with my hands and feet and roll onto my side so it wasn't so bad, just annoying. I guess it had to happen eventually. Hopefully I'm not feeling it tomorrow. I should probably invest in a headlamp or something. I'm just going to call this week a cut back week since I ran less than half of my usual 30 miles and really go for it next week as far as miles goes.

Ok, enough feeling sorry for myself. Here are some good things that got me through.

 We fell asleep watching Gnomeo and Juliette

A 90 minute Spa Pedi

Mmm, so good.

I'm totally just kidding about this one. Really.

Playing in the little bit of snow that came our way. We'll take whatever we can get.

I also got to see some old friends for a night out and play with an adorable puppy.

I'm going to try to just focus on the good stuff for the rest of the year and hope it becomes a habit in the new year too. 

 I love this SO much. It's perfect.

Vegetarian Recipes

Hey guys!
My lovely sister in law has recently become a vegetarian and asked me to share some recipes with her. I thought I'd do that here so you can enjoy them too. These are some of my favorites, actually Paul loves them too and he's not even a vegatarian. Most of these are pretty easy to make, some take more prep than others. Also, a lot of these are not my recipe, just recipes that I've come across and love.


Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Roasted Acorn Squash

Thai Sweet Potatoes and Lentils, if you can't find fire roasted tomatoes for this, just use regular diced, canned tomatoes.
This pasta salad

Mexican Veggie Lasagna

Sweet Potato Chili

Veggie Lasagna

Black Bean Sliders

Mexican Tortilla Pie

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup I use vegetable stock instead of chicken and milk instead of half and half.

Tofu Potato Scramble Makes a great burrito filling

Sweet Potato Burritos I usually only make half this recipe because it makes a ton. Also, I use black beans instead of kidney beans.

Baked Banana Oatmeal: Yes, we have this for dinner sometimes too.
2 cups oats
2 cups vanilla almond milk( i use this because it's sweet)
1 cup regular milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 bananas sliced
3 egg whites
4 Tbsp chopped walnuts
*if you don't use vanilla almond milk you should add more vanilla and also some sugar.
Spray 9 x 13 pan and bake at 375 for 30 to 40 min, then top with brown sugar and put under the broiler for about 2 min, watch to make sure sugar doesn't burn.

And finally, we eat a lot of lentils. Lately we use them instead of ground meat in tacos and sloppy joes.
I generally cook lentils the same way as pasta, with lots of water and then drain them. I usually cook a cup of brown lentils per meal.

For tacos, you could use one of those seasoning packs, but I usually just use cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and some salt. Taste it as you go and add more spices to suit your taste.

For sloppy joes I make my own sauce out of sauteed onion (1 small), garlic (2 cloves), carrots (1-2 small) and green pepper (half a pepper). Then I add  about 3/4 cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and enough water to loosen it up a bit, salt and pepper to taste.

Let me know if you try any of these out.

5 Miles and Some New Gear

So...I took 3 days off hoping that would be enough time for my angry quad to calm down. Doesn't seem to be the case, but I ran an easy 5 miles anyway. I had to. I needed to. I was getting pretty grouchy and I could feel myself quickly going crazy. All the little things that normally don't bug me were starting to REALLY bug me. I just needed a good, head clearing run. Sadly, I didn't quite get that, but it was better than nothing. I'll take it. And I'll try again tomorrow.

So that I don't spend the next hour telling you how much I love running, let me tell you about how much I love finding cheap running gear. Those of you that buy this stuff on a regular basis know it's not cheap. I'm kinda cheap though, so I get really excited when I find running clothes that I can afford. I will say, when it comes to shoes and sports bras I will splurge. It's worth it. I usually find good, cheap stuff at Target and sometimes Old Navy, just FYI.

Today I tried out a new running tank from Old Navy, it cost a whole $11. It's cute, and worked pretty well. It has a drawstring at the bottom that cinches it. I had to untie it mid run though because it rode up, but was fine after that.

And I bought a pair of fleece lined running tights from Target. I haven't run in them yet but the tights I've bought in the past have held up fine. They are pink and were only $25!

Help a girl out, where do you find good deals on running gear?



To Read and to Make

Hi Friends! Happy Tuesday.

I said I was going to take a couple days off from running and this is day 2. I was struggling last night to stick to the plan, I really wanted to run today, but I came across an article in the January/February 2013 issue of Running Times that helped. The article is called The Long View, Strategies for maximizing your running life, not just the next race, by Richard A. Lovett. The article was basically about running with a long-term plan. There were 7 main points, here's my very abbreviated take on them.

1. Developing as a runner takes time (years), be conservative to stay healthy long-term.
2. Use each race or workout as a stepping stone, a short-term goal on your long-term plan.
3. Don't base your training plan on what works for others. Know your limitations.
4. Build a good mileage base.
5. Take time off between racing seasons.
6. Run a variety of races. Vary the distance and terrain.
7. This is a hobby, keep it fun.

The article obviously had lots of interesting info to back up these points, you should read it.

Speaking of keeping it fun...

This makes my heart so happy.

Also, dinner tonight is Cream Cheese Chicken Chili. It's so good, and even easier to make. Here's the recipe, this recipe is a combo of a bunch of other recipes I've seen for this. Sorry, no pic, but I think you can imagine what it would look like if you put all this stuff in a crock pot...

2 frozen chicken breasts

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans sweet corn, undrained

2 cans Rotel tomatoes (I use 1 regular and 1 mild) undrained

2 cans tomato soup

2 packages dry ranch dressing mix

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Cumin

16 oz light cream cheese

I mix all the canned ingredients, seasonings and dressing mix together and then add the chicken breasts to the crock pot. Put the cream cheese on top, don't stir in. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Shred the chicken and stir in the cream cheese before serving. 

It's also really good the next day on top of some salad greens.

And finally, there is a group that is organizing a run to honor the victims of Sandy Hook. There will be a virtual component so you will be able to do the run from anywhere. Check out their Facebook Group here for more info.

Fail.

I had every intention of doing a long run today. I mapped out a 10.5 mile loop and was ready to go. It was a rainy/cloudy 50 degree day. Perfect for running. I wasn't sure about my leg, my left quad has been bothering me, so I planned a route that gave me plenty of options to cut the run short. I know the best way to fail at Plan A is to have a Plan B, but the best way to get injured is to be stupid.

My leg didn't feel good from the start but it wasn't that bad either. I was hoping that it would get better as I warmed up, but no such luck. It only got worse. I took one of the shortcuts and it ended up only being a 3.6 mile run. Fail. Insert sad face, like this.

I've got my eye on a couple of marathons for 2013 so I'm going to give myself a couple days off before I try to run again. I'd rather take the time off now so I can still run later. I'll be spending the next couple days doing Pilates, foam rolling and in Pigeon Pose.

Check out what these bums were doing while I was running.

I should have stayed in bed....it looks cozy.

After I showered we went out, got coffee and did some shopping. Paul made mushroom risotto for dinner. It was wonderful, as usual. Sorry, I don't have the recipe, risotto is his thing.

Since we're talking about long runs, I thought I'd mention some of the things I have to have for my longer runs. I get blisters like crazy and the best socks ever are the Injinji Toe Socks. I've tried lots of socks and these help me the most. They feel a little funny at first but once you put your shoes on you don't notice them. Speaking of shoes, I'm madly in love with my Brooks PureFlows. I have 2 pair and they are both totally worn out. I can't wait to get my feet into the PureFlow 2 that just came out. I also take my Nathan Fuel Belt on my longer runs. For a 10 miler, I just take water. I find that I don't need any gels or sports drinks for that distance.

What are your long run must haves?

I'm Calling it a Rest Day

Hey guys!

No run for me today. My leg is really bothering me, even just walking. Call me crazy, but I'm just not a pill popper. I'd rather take a day off and try again the next day. I did do some foam rolling and dog walking. Neither seemed to help much. Olive enjoyed it though.

Lorelei demonstrated a new use for the foam roller...

And we messed around outside after church.

I have semi delusional hopes of getting a double digit length run in tomorrow. It's semi delusional because Paul is working a 26 hour shift today so he may be too tired to participate in my scheme, and my leg might still be a pile of crap. We will see.

Any of you have plans for a long run this weekened? I kind of miss weekend long runs. I'm strange, I know. There's just that feeling of accomplishment when you're done. It's awesome! 



8 Miles and a Sad Day

So this happened last night...we lead a very exciting life.

Of course I won.

I was planning on going to a Pilates class this morning but I couldn't get Lorelei out of the house in time. I just ran 8 miles instead. And stretched. And made friends with my foam roller. Days like today make me really glad I have a friend like that. My leg is a little unhappy. My pace was all over the place, I got bored so I varied it quite a bit. Overall it ended up being about a 9:30 pace.

I really like making salads out of random things. Salads made of only cold veggies aren't all that satisfying to me so I put other things in mine. Usually whatever I have laying around. This one had romaine (you can't see it in the pic, but I promise it was there), cucs, black beans, roasted butternut squash, cheese, and Red Hot Blues chips on top. It was pretty darn good.

Afternoon Christmas crafting.

It's a sad day out there in the world. In fact what happened today in Connecticut is pretty much my worst nightmare. I think most parents would agree. I'll be spending the rest of the evening annoying Lorelei with kisses and feeling very lucky and also very sad.

Be kind to each other.

6 miles, and I still love *NSYNC

I managed to get myself out of bed, eventually, and get to the gym this morning to run. I don't mind running in the cold, I actually like it a lot better than running in the heat. That's not why I suffer on the treadmill. I go to the gym because I really don't like pushing Lorelei in the stroller on runs, it's just so much harder, and Paul hasn't been getting home until it's late and dark.

Anyway, I did a really easy 6 miles today. My legs still weren't feeling it. You know how sometimes you just never feel like your legs get warmed up? That was me today. My pace ended up being 9:29 min/mile, considering my easy/conversational pace lately has been around 8:40 min/mile, it was a slow day. Also, for some reason when I run on the treadmill my normal pace feels a lot harder. I feel like it should be the opposite, but I'm always slower on the 'mill. My favorite boys from back in the day, *NSYNC, got me through it. Turns out I couldn't shame myself out of liking them.

p.s. I don't really ever share my pace, but I feel like if I'm going to talk about running I shouldn't avoid it. I'm going to try not to be so insecure about it. I know it's silly but it's something I struggle with.

The rest of the day has been spent hanging out, playing in our mud pit of a back yard. I hate mud.

See, just a tad muddy.

Then this muddy beast snuck in my bed. Good thing he's cute.

Happy Thursday!

No Workout Wednesday

Yep, that's right. I didn't run today. My legs were feeling pretty tired and achy yesterday during my run and since I'm not training for anything at the moment, my next scheduled race isn't until April, there's no reason to push through it.

Instead of going to the gym we just hung around the house this morning. Lorelei got some work done on the iPad.

She also kept hiding under the table and telling me she was "hiding from the future." I think by future she meant lunch. Ours was pretty lame. 

I know that looks like a 3 year olds lunch, and it is, but I had the exact same thing. PBJ with carrots and hommus. After lunch she was convinced it was a good idea to get her pool out and go swimming. Nevermind that it was only 40 degrees. We went Christmas shopping instead.

This is what she likes to do every time she gets in the car.

Dinner tonight was Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas from Door to Door Organics. This was the first time I've made them and they were amazing. Seriously.

Something else that's amazing...

I'll try to be more exciting tomorrow. I've gotta get my rear in gear. I'd like to hit 100 miles this month, I'm only at 32 miles right now, and get back to doing a weekend long run. I've been slacking since the marathon, but that was over 2 months ago.

What are your running/fitness goals for the month?
What did you have for lunch?





Trying this blog thing out.

Hi friends! I've been kicking around the idea of doing this blog thing for a while and I guess today's the day. I'm not really sure what this will turn into but it's likely to be a blog about running, eating, and keeping up with Lorelei. You know, the things that take up all my time. I guess I should say, the things I happily spend my time doing. I'll attempt an actual post later today when she isn't begging me to let her go in the pool, in December.