“If you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? ---- Carpe -- hear it? – Carpe, Carpe Diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” ― N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society

Man, I have to watch Dead Poet's Society again!
Such a good story.

Oh Captain, my Captain!

Well, today was semi-stressful. The husband and I went to the DMV to get all the new documents we need for living in our lovely new state. In total it took 3 hours and considering the average wait time is 4 hours, I'd say we got lucky! The worst part was waiting to get our licences, which took about 2.5 hours of the 3 hours we were there. Then they transferred us over to get the rest of the paperwork done and it only took 30 minutes between the two of us from there on. Overall, not a bad experience and it went rather smooth.

And our new licence plates are cute. ^_^

After spending our morning at the DMV and being terribly hungry we tried one of the 10 food trucks that line our road. My husband got a beef burrito and I got pork and cheese pupusas. It was AMAZING! My husband's burrito was the size of what you would get at Chipolte or Qudoba but mostly made of huge chunks of steak. Good, slow cooked steak. I've never had a pupusa before and I am now a huge fan. The pupusas (3 for $5) came with some pickled onions, carrots, and jalapenos and some curtido (cabbage salad). The flavors just blended together so well and was just delicious! For a total of $12 we had a great tasting, filling lunch. Nom nom nom.

I forgot to take a picture but this is what they look like!
Courtesy of  nahrendt.wordpress.com

I love my new neighborhood.

So I didn't get to my run until 3pm. The gym was all but deserted except for myself and a guy I call "marathon runner" because he's pretty tall, has lots of lean muscles but not ripped and he hauls arse on the elliptical! So myself and marathon runner got our sweat on. Today I pushed myself just a few minutes longer and now I am back on track! I'm officially on Week 8 of C25K. Week 9 is the end so I'm almost done. Then I have a 10K training plan in tow and some hill work to start. The run today was really really hard. I wanted nothing more than to throw in the towel at minute 15 but I kept pushing. Today I really needed my ipod and was glad the music was there to get me through the run. My leg was bothering me most of the time, every muscle fought against me, and I swear I could feel every extra pound that is on my body as I plodded on. Some days, like Tuesday, I feel powerful and light as a feather. Other days, like today, I'm happy just to get it over with. I know my sluggishness today was caused by the pupusas, but there are going to be days when I can't eat exactly how I want before a run and I need to learn how to run through feeling like a lard.

I want this shirt!
Courtesy of urbanfitstudio.blogspot.com

Fun times.

This weekend I'm going to visit my family-in-law. They always have such delicious foods around, but I swear I'll try and be good! I am taking my running gear. I planned to start running outside this Saturday and I want to stick to the plan. My husband's neighborhood is rather nice and should offer an array of small hills and flat roads to give me an idea of how prepared I'll be for the race in April. From here on out I really need to stick to outside running. I'm still trying to find a good area around my neighborhood to run that I won't get hit my a car. It is nice to live on a main road, but it is a VERY busy main road with busy connecting roads.

We shall see what happens!

Oh before I forget... good news! My Polar HRM came in today! So now I can run anywhere, anytime and know my pace! Can't wait to try it out on Saturday!

Awesome sauce!

Well February was a good month. Farewell February and bring on some warm March weather!

connect.everythingzoomer.com

Minus the wind...

Mileage: 3.06

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” ― Pablo Neruda

TODAY WAS FANTASTIC!

I'm back to normal, feeling good, and back on track with training. I'm using the rest of the week to finish up week 7 of C25K that I missed out on last week and then I'm right back on track. I had to push back training outside until next weekend since we're going to visit family, but I'm going to try and sneak my running shoes in the suitcase and get outside if the weather cooperates!

I'm just so happy to be back to normal.

Now for some food stuffs! I made what is possibly my favorite chili ever! Today for lunch I baked some homemade tortilla chips to go along with it. Simply amazing! Interested? Get the recipe here.

Mmm, tasty food!

I don't believe in eating boring bland food while losing weight, and I would NEVER stick to it for life. I'm not dropping the weight for a month or two, I'm going to stay down for good. There's no good reason to be super restrictive unless it is medically necessary. Long live tasty food!

Mileage: 2.87

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

I'm baaaack!

Where have I been? Well, my body decided it would be a good time to get sick Thursday of last week. I didn't agree with it, but it convinced me that it would be a good idea. My body betrayed me.

Anyway, time to share some yummy recipes I have found! I love food. I love to cook and bake. It's about time I dedicate a post to food. Nom nomz!

First is Bolognese sauce. It was a fairly easy recipe but it has to simmer for 1.5-2 hours so make sure to start it ahead of time!

^Sauteed veggies and center cut bacon. Mmm bacon. ^

^ Look at that delicious sauce. Almost done!^

^And it's all done! I should have wiped the dish but I was just too hungry!^

Another great recipe is Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake from skinnytaste.com! It is a bit time consuming since you make your own pesto, but I made mine well ahead of time and it still tasted great!

It was super delicious!

Now, my favorite lunch food. My take on a frittata. I take some of my roasted veggies that I make ahead of time and throw them in a frying pan to heat them up (medium heat) with some cooking spray or olive oil. In this picture I also added 3 slices of center cut bacon. Then pour in 1 scrambled egg (or 1 scrambled egg + 1 egg white, or 2 egg white, or 2 scrambled eggs) and pop on a lid. Once it is almost set on top after a few mintues, I added 1/4 cups of 2% milk cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice) and pop the lid back on top until the cheese melts. Finally, slide onto a plate! Salsa or ketchup goes well as a dipping sauce if you like. Depending on what I add in (veggies, meats, etc) it is usually around 300 calories.

^ Ignore our 1970s plates, lol. This is tasty tasty stuff.^

Tonight I'm making beef and bean chile verde. It is going to be a tasty week!

Stay hungry my friends, stay hungry.

Mmm fish fingers and custard.

Sunday mileage: 1.6 (recovery run)

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -Theodore Roosevelt

Today is not a good day.

I woke up about 5 am with a super sore throat and felt achy. I slept like a log until 9 am and got up to start my day with my usual awesome Irish oatmeal with flaxseed, blueberries and brown sugar. Seriously, it is the tastiest breakfast ever.

^Eat blueberries. They love you!^

I fed myself a Zicam and decided that I was feeling decent enough to go for my run. The first 15 wasn't too bad. I hit minute 20 and thought I was going to die. My body was screaming for me to stop. I was so tired and I kept feeling a tickle in my throat. But being the stubborn girl I am, I decided to keep pushing. Minute 25 I had to take out the incline and reduce my speed and this seemed to do the trick until I hit 30 minutes and the 5 minute cool down.

I don't understand how I did the same thing on Monday and it felt like nothing. Off day and/or I really am coming down with something. Of course I panicked myself into a mini panic attack, but after the walk back to my apartment and a protein shake I was back to normal.

Ugh frustration!

In other news, I'm hoping to keep this sickness that wants to infest my body at bay since we're going to Medieval Times dinner and show on Friday!! Super excited! I know it isn't going to be hard core jousting like in the (very) old days, but one can hope that a rider will be flung off his horse. I like violent sports. I found that one out in high school when I dated a hockey player (not professional, but he dabbled in a small league). Gosh do I love to see buff guys on ice skates take each other out! And it's sexier when there is blood on the ice. I think I was the wife of a Spartan in my previous life. That would explain a lot...

^ There's something about a man in uniform....^

Is it March 30th yet? Seriously I want some new Doctor Who in my life! I saw a post on Pinterest the other day that a "true Whovian" loves the Doctor and not an actor. I would have to agree. While David Tennant makes my heart go pitter patter and his Doctor was amazing, I love the Doctor no matter who is playing him. I started watching Doctor Who when Matt Smith was new to the role. The story line of the Doctor and Amy Pond just matched perfectly what was going on in my own life. It reached the eleven-year-old girl inside of me and was an hour of my day that I didn't have to worry about work, relationships, money issues, and could just escape on an adventure. I did enjoy Eccleston's Doctor, although I think I would have liked another season to really get hooked on him. And then Tennant's Doctor came into my life. But Matt Smith's Doctor is my first and I'll never forget that story. While I'm looking forward to see if he will regenerate or not by the end of the year, I will probably cry and miss him as much as the other Doctors. But there will be someone new and interesting and the story will (hopefully) keep going and going and going.

 No, no, don't you allons-y on me! Such a good regeneration.

Please let it never end!

My hubby was very excited yesterday since Lego Harry Potter came in the mail. I was skeptical at first, but it is really a fun and relaxing kid game! Also, Harry Potter was one of my first addictions at the age of 10. Then came Harvest Moon, Pokemon, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha, insert many more anime titles here, and then eventually Doctor Who. I have an addictive personality. I'm learning to manage it in all ways from food to television and gaming. Moderation!

Happy Hump Day!

Mileage: 2.6

"I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so. Some things I cannot change but till I try, I'll never know!" - Defying Gravity, Wicked

Gosh today was a great run!

The run was semi effortless, minor pains, and enjoyable. I didn't want to stop, but I didn't want to overdo it and regret it.

These are the days I love.

^ Love this! Except I'm going to keep going even when I don't jiggle anymore (that will be awhile though). ^

It's official, my Dad is signed up for the race with me in April. I got to chat with him for about an hour this morning, which was nice. He seems to think we're going to finish in 30 minute. Uh huh. He said he's going to act as a "rabbit" to motivate me to run faster. Well I have 2 months left so maybe I can shave my mile down to 10 minutes, but I sincerely doubt it. An 11 minute mile would be realistic, but who knows? My body surprises me every time I run with something new, whether it is hunger pains 20 minutes in or a smooth enjoyable run with no major issues.

I really must take advice from my post's title and not accept "limits" and keep on trying. You never know what can happen until you open up your mind to other possibilities. I never thought I would lose weight or run again. I thought I would just be fat and unmotivated the rest of my life. Those are some things I thought I couldn't change, but I tried and I am changing. I'm done giving up on myself. I'm finished quitting. I will see this through. That 15K is waiting for me in November. I can suck it up and kick arse or I can give up and watch my Dad do it for the 20th time. No no, this time I will be crossing that finish line freezing my arse off come snow, rain, or anything else in between.

I can and I will. Watch me.

So while I wait for Doctor Who to return, I've been searching for a show to get into. Last night I finally found a new show to get hooked on. The Newsroom. I only watched one episode, but I really enjoyed the message the show sends. It's about restoring news as it should be: less sensationalism and more facts. I'm excited to see how the first season plays out and the second season starts sometime this year. I'm still a communications nerd inside.

Oh man, I love this so much. ^ This makes me excited for the rest of the episodes, which will be playing tonight when the hubby is home. He's hooked too. I love shows that make me think. I'm not going to put my stamp of recommendation on this series until I get through the first season. I do recommend the first episode.

Good stuff!

"And nobody in all of Oz,
No wizard that there is or was, 
Is ever gonna bring me down!"

Mileage: 3.10

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." - Steve Prefontaine

I feel great.

The best part of my run today was when I was stretching. It was during this time I realized how much I have accomplished. I can run a 12 minute mile comfortably for a little over 2.5 miles.

And I ENJOY it!

Now every run is not fantastic. Thursday's run was the worst I've had yet. I felt sluggish and unmotivated. Today was the opposite story. I felt comfortable, motivated, and just plain good. And the gym was rather busy and I had a lady on the right side of me doing hill work and sprinting. At first I felt a bit intimidated by her; she was much more fit and could run faster. After 5 minutes or so I found that even though she ran a bit faster than me, we could sync up pace wise when she was going slower and that was great. I miss running with someone. Based on today's experience, I can not wait for the 5K!

I still have a lot of work to do.

Right now I'm running 2.5 miles (give or take) regularly. I still have 2 more weeks on this program to get to 3 miles. I'm a little nervous, but I know I'll get to 3 by March. I'm hoping to have long runs of 4-6 miles come April.

Fingers crossed!

Tonight we are going to a gastro pub! I'm very excited and already have my meal picked out. I'm finally getting my burger! Mushroom and swiss wagyu beef burger. And I'm allow to spend the extra $2 and get the truffle cheese. Oh. My. Goodness. This is going to be good. I'm only eating half because I want to save the other half of heavenly beef for Sunday lunch. Sure, this is going to be a hit to the food plan, but I've planned accordingly all week.

And you got to have some fun sometimes. Key word is sometimes.

Sunday is going to be a lovely rest day and Game of Thrones marathon. The new episodes are coming so we have to watch all of the old ones again of course! March is a great month for TV...new Doctor Who, new Game of Thrones, and new The Legend of Korra. Yes, I still watch nick shows. Avatar: The Last Airbender was better, but Legend of Korra holds its own and doesn't destroy its predecessor's story. If I decide to have children, they will watch both. Yes, there are people who think I should "grow up" and stop watching "kiddie shows" but, what's the point of being a grown up if you can't act a little childish sometimes?

Thank you Mr. Baker.

Allons-y!

Mileage: 2.6
Weekly Mileage for 2/10/13-2/16/13: 13.2

"She said that you were a Mr. Hottie...ness. And that she would like to go out with you for...texting and scones." -The Doctor

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Best valentine card ever right up there.

Any who (ha ha who, Doctor Who...I have issues...), today was a lovely sunny day that woke me up bright and early with the sun shining in my face. I love that it is sunny every day or every other day, but the blinds in our place don't block light very well. And I hate curtains.

At least it is sunny!

Today's run was interesting. I started off strong but lost steam about 20 minutes in. By the time I was warming down, my stomach was demanding food. I've never had hunger pains during exercise. As soon as I got my post workout snack in everything was fine. I ate the same for breakfast as I normally do. Something new I guess?

Everything is changing.

I have a defined waist and an hourglass figure again. My arms aren't as doughy and shapeless. Sadly, I lost a cup size so bra shopping is in my future. I have calf muscles! It's crazy. I'm ALWAYS hungry.

Interesting stuff.

So I have another A-mazing recipe to share with you. Skinnytaste.com is my new favorite recipe site! I made  Chicken Rollatini with Spinach Alla Parmigiana, which is a fancy way of saying chicken parmesan stuffed with spinach and cheese. This recipe came out amazingly well! The only thing I changed was putting onion and garlic powder in the filling. I'm glad I did because it added so much flavor!  Also, I had to cook it for 30 minutes instead of 25 because my chicken was a little thicker. The chicken came out juicy and tender. I don't know what more you could ask for. Here it is: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/chicken-rollatini-with-spinach-alla.html

For dessert I picked up some caramel peanut chocolate gelato and we're having Young's Double Chocolate Stout with 2 oz of Framboise raspberry for a tasty alcoholic treat! We got the idea from The Perfect Pour (an amazing wine, beer and liquor store).

What a lovely end to a good and sunny Valentine's Day.

Mileage: 2.5

I want a burger...and a beignet.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS/ FAT TUESDAY EVERYONE!

Hope y'all are having a great day. Today was a good day. Week 6 of C25K has commenced. The run was pretty good. I've gotten used to running on the small incline and I pray that's going to help when I transition to the road shortly. On Sunday the gym in my apartment complex (it's free and decent so why would I pay to go somewhere?) was busy with myself and 4 other people. Now to be fair, it's a small place compared to a Planet Fitness or Gold's Gym, but it felt great to have other people around me! Today I had one other lady working out with me. I LOVE having other people around working out with me. Although, a few year ago I would always get discouraged and try to beat out other people. Now I just feel this wonderful sense of community and seeing all body types makes me happy. No matter how big or small, slow or fast, toned or not, we're all there to improve ourselves in some way.

"You, you may say 
I'm a dreamer, 
but I'm not the only one..." ~ John Lennon, Imagine

I haven't been so happy, positive, and optimistic in a long, long time. Whether it is the running, better food, or both, I'm going to try and stay this way for as long as possible. I'm expecting to hit a wall when I transition to running outdoors since it is much harder, but I'm ready for it. 

So how's the dieting going? Ah, well, yeah...going I guess? I'm stuffing my body with better foods but the past week I kept waking up between 1-4 am STARVING. No, I'm not being a drama queen. The hunger pains were so bad I tried going back to sleep for an hour before giving up and going to get some cereal (fiber one, mmm) and OJ. Within 30 minutes, my stomach stops hurting and it is time for me to go back to sleepy land. My whole weekend was the attack of the stomach pains. So I upped my calorie intake 100 calories and now I'm just praying I'll be able to lose weight. I was scared going from 1550 to 1750 calories when I first started and it worked like a charm. Now I'm at 1800 cal a day. A day?! OMG...I'm going to be so massive I mean really you can only lose weight on 1200 cal a day riiiiiight?!! Naw, eff that. I like food.

I'd love a juicy cheeseburger and some kind of fried dough dessert right now. So why don't I go get one you ask? Well, I don't know who has a good burger around here. At home, it was ALWAYS the Ale House. Those burgers...oh yums! Fast food burgers? I do have a Burger King AND a McDonalds within a 2 minute drive. The problem is what my body does with fast food burgers. It's fine when I'm eating. It's the hour or two after that isn't so fine. My body still tolerates Arbys (mmm roast beef), but it isn't a juicy cheeseburger. I'd make one but I forgot to get ground beef at the store. -_- I'm too lazy to go and fight the crowd to get some.

Who'd have thunk that my laziness that helped me gain weight, now helps me stay away from fast food? Not me, captain, not me.

So the scallops and creamy orzo I made last night will have to do. Seriously, spend the extra money at the seafood counter and get the fresh stuff. The scallops are so sweet. Here's a link to the recipe: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2013/01/creamy-orzo-with-bay-scallops-asparagus.html

Now to make that recipe not so fatty, I substituted fat free half and half (who knew they made that? I didn't!) for the heavy cream and used only 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil. When I ran it through the calorie calculator it came out to be 466 cal per serving and it makes 6 servings. So tasty!

Well, hope everyone enjoys their Fat Tuesday! For the love of all the is good and holy, someone eat a fried dough product for me today! Mmm.

Mileage: 2.80

I AM the dreamer of improbable dreams.

If you told me 12 weeks ago that today I would be running 2+ miles without stopping I would've laughed and rolled my eyes.

It's amazing the difference that 12 weeks makes.

My mom is afraid for my joints. She tells me to just walk and don't stress out my knees and feet so much. She's afraid I'll need my knees replaced too. Well, I have a strength training routine to help strengthen my legs and other areas that running doesn't touch. If I'm going to need a knee replacement because I ran too much over the course of my life, then so be it. I'd rather have them replaced because of pounding pavement than having the extra weight press on them. Before I started this my knees ached and I didn't do much in the way of exercise at all. I'm done killing myself with inactivity and fast food. 

But, I don't think anyone believes me...

So now comes the job of proving everyone wrong. 

I'm very excited for my first 5K. My dad agreed to run the race with me. I cannot begin to explain the comfort in having my dad run with me. He ran my first race ever with me 3 years ago (2 miles) and now he's running with me through my first 5K. We chatted for a half hour about techniques, training, shoes, and what to wear on race day. I've never heard him sound so happy and excited. 

I'm a daddy's girl. 

Well, now I'm off to enjoy a lovely Sunday and a great start to the week. Now all I need is some new Doctor Who in my life and everything will be perfect. 

Mileage: 2.61 

“Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?’” – Peter Maher

Today I was strong.

Week 5 Day 2 of C25K training. It's starting to get real.

When I've done this training before, this was always the week the tested my limits. This time around, it doesn't seem as hard. Although, I'm getting rather lightheaded at the end so I need to extend my cool down to help bring my heart rate down safely. Of course I'm freaking out thinking I have a heart problem but I've thought I had cancer, heart disease, a heart attack, stroke, and various other illnesses and I'm FINE and ALIVE. My body is just getting used to a new intensity.

I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. I'm also not allowed on webmd anymore.

Anyway...

I'm now in the 180's again. 189.8...I'll take it!! For anyone who has struggled to lose weight, you know how wonderful it is to get into a new weight range! Also, I have a healthy waist to hip ratio again and my BMI is now in the overweight range! I'm not obese anymore!! This calls for an exclamation point celebration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day. Sunday it's 2 miles of running with no walking. Bring it on.

That about sums up this week! ^


Daily Mileage: 2.25 mi.

Whovian. Girl. Runner? Maybe.

Welcome to my blog...or another attempt at blogging!

So what's up here?

This blog will be a way to talk about running and Doctor Who. Doctor Who is my favorite television series and running is, well to be honest, a love-hate relationship. I'm looking to turn running into the third love of my life (behind my husband and Doctor Who. Oh yeah, my cat is in there somewhere too).

Why running?

Well, running has been a giant part of my life regardless if I was the one doing the running. My father is my hero and has run more marathons than (then? grammar nazis help me out here!) I can count on 2 hands. And that doesn't even count the 5K's, 10K's, 15K's and everything in between! Now that he is slowing down with running, I feel like it is my job to continue the tradition. It's not like it is a bad tradition to continue and the health benefits are great (minus the overuse injuries that can pop up). So what's the problem?

I gained 50 pounds.

Yeah, that's a big stress on my body for sure! I got serious about my weight on November 3, 2012 and started eating healthy. I waited until I was well under 200 lbs. before starting couch to 5K training on December 29, 2012. I lost the first 10 pounds making good choices and doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Before you scoff at me for doing an exercise DVD go to YouTube and try it. Isn't easy is it? Exercise DVDs have come a long way since our mothers' Sweatin' to the Oldies VHS. Insanity and P90X are prime examples. Currently I'm at 190 and praying to see the 180's soon.

Baby steps.

Today I completed week 5, day 1 of C25K training and it felt great. I'm now running a half mile with no major problems whatsoever. Small victory! I also bought new running shoes since my Asics were giving me rather bad forefoot pain. Now I'm sporting Brooks Ghost 5 and they are WONDERFUL for people like me who have high arches and need that extra cushion. Just look at that sexy shoe!

So when's the first race you ask?

Well, initially I signed up to do the Color Me Rad 5K in June. I'm super excited to do this race since, not only do I get to be a giant tie-dyed human at the end of the race, I also get to see a friend I haven't seen in at least two years. And she has a team that I am a part of. I'm really pumped for this race since I will be with a group of people instead of lone wolfing it.

So then I got to thinking, well, I want to be sure I can run a 5K beforehand on my own just to be certain. That thought led to me signing up for the Iron Girl 5K in April. I'm beyond nervous since I've only ever run a 2 mile footrace, got caught up in the race day excitement and ran a 10 minute mile I wasn't ready for. The result was dry heaving at the finish line feeling like death. I'm hoping I don't repeat that in April.

I'm feeling better about this race because of 3 things:
1.) I'm way farther into my training and I still have over 2 months left.
2.) I'm planning to do hill training starting in March.
3.) I'm planning on doing street running on weekends starting in March.

Now I'm a wuss and love the treadmill and indoors. I didn't gain 50 lbs. by loving activity and the outdoors! I love the indoors but most races are OUTSIDE in the elements (please do not rain..please...) so in order to be a "real" runner I'm going to need to develop a thick skin. Literally.

If thousands of people can run outside, so can I! It's just going to take a while to get accustomed to it.

So why is my blog called "Basically...RUN!"? Well here's a quick clip that explains it if you aren't into Doctor Who:

New Doctor Who...MARCH 30th BBC America!

Today's mileage: 2.25 mi.