June 15, 2014

Pecan Pie

My kids stayed the night at my parents' house last night, and Jerry left for work early this morning, so I had the perfect opportunity to sleep in again. But of course, when opportunity presents itself, it just doesn't work out. I was up by 7:00.

I started to get dressed, and then had the sudden urge to go for a run. My last run was the Heartbreak Hill Half last Sunday, and I had planned to take a full week off of running in order to get my head back in the game. I think it worked, because I definitely felt like running today! So I started back to it a day early.

It wasn't humid this morning (thank goodness!) and the fish flies seemed to be hiding out. It's kind of strange--they hatched and were ALL over the place a couple of days ago, but now, they aren't too bad. I decided to run a four mile out-and-back route, away from the lake, so that the fish flies wouldn't be so much of a problem.

I was a little nervous about how my legs were going to feel after six days off of running. For the first half-mile or so, I felt a little stiff and clumsy, but I could feel myself loosening up as I went. I was sure my pace would be 11:00+ minutes/mile, but my pace was under 10:00, so I felt good with that. I think the week off was good for me.

I saw my dad's truck as I was turning a corner, and he was heading home. Since it was only 7:30 in the morning, I immediately thought, "Ohhh, I bet he just got doughnuts from Monica's!" and I was so tempted to just run straight to his house, but I kept going ;)  (I later found out that he did, in fact, get doughnuts from Monica's.)

After the first few miles, I saw that I was finishing each mile progressively faster, so I decided to try to aim for negative splits all around. I ran a sub-9:00 fourth mile, and felt really good!




I sat on the porch for a little while, just enjoying being outside without the humidity.

My calves were bothering me a little after my run. I had noticed that they were hurting a little while I ran the Heartbreak Hill races, and I think it may have something to do with the hills--I'm just not used to them here. At the expo, the blogger group I was with was given a coupon to get "The Stick" (or another product from that booth). I'd heard of it before, and I know a lot of people swear by it, so I chose the "Stiff Stick"--sounds so naughty, doesn't it?! The first one I picked didn't fit in my suitcase, so I had to exchange it for a smaller version.

Anyway, I decided to give it a try on my calves today.


It definitely hurt while I was rolling it over my calves, so I think that means I was doing it correctly. It reminds me a lot of foam rolling, only it's a lot easier to do. I don't know how well it works, but some of the other bloggers I was with said they love their sticks ;) It may have been my imagination, but my calves did feel better after "sticking" them.

After the kids came home, I decided to make a pecan pie for my dad. I never know what to buy him for Father's Day (or his birthday, for that matter), but he loves pecan pie, and I actually make a pretty good one. Normally, I can't bake to save my soul, but I can make a damn good pecan pie. It came out picture-perfect!


The kids and I went to get a Father's Day present for Jerry, and then we brought the pie and a card over to my parents' house. I made sure to leave before my dad cut into it, because it would be too hard to resist--and it's something like 500+ calories per slice! I usually only have it once or twice a year--Thanksgiving and my dad's birthday.

Well, we are off to take Jerry out for dinner! It feels like a Friday night, for some reason, and I keep forgetting the kids have school tomorrow. It needs to be summer already!

14 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a good run. I have only begun to dip my toes into running, although it's been weeks since I've done it. It started when I did Run or Dye with my best friend and my daughter. I fell in love with the way running made me feel, but I don't fit it in my schedule with work/family and all. I just need to DO it! Thanks for your inspiring posts!

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    1. Sometimes it can be tough to fit in, but I'm a much nicer/happier person when I manage to run 3-5 times a week ;) It's worth it!

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  2. Congrats on your good run and for going a day early! The pecan pie looks delish too! You're smart to leave before they cut into it! I can't believe your kids are still in school?!

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    1. I know, right?! They had 16 snow days this year, so they are still making them up.

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  3. I love my stick! I did it this morning on my legs and lower back since I pulled something hauling around construction debris. I'm not 100% but that thing works WONDERS!

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    1. That's good to know! I'm always skeptical of this kind of stuff, but when I hear from real people who have tried and loved it, I want to give it a try, too ;)

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  4. Pecan pie is one of my favorites, but then I never met a pie I didn't like. I bake quite a bit (more than I should), but have had bad luck with pecan pies, they won't set up for me. Just as well, that discourages me from making them, since one piece is more calories than I should eat in an entire meal. Your pie looks perfect. WTG on the negative splits. Very impressive!

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    1. Yeah, the calories are outrageous! But totally worth it for a splurge--I just have to make sure that my "splurge" remains only a couple of times a year!

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  5. Great job on your run - love your stats! OMG, my husband and I LOVE pecan pie - but when I make it, I make a mini one - have you ever seen mini pie tins? So cute! We split it and it cures our jones for it, and there are no leftovers!

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    1. That's a great idea! Do you have a recipe that makes a tiny amount, too? It seems like it would be hard to scale it down so much. But I like that idea!

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  6. AnonymousJune 16, 2014

    I am so curious about "the stick" or foam rollers in general...I've tried to use one at a gym once or twice, and I'm just confused...do you have a link to a video or something about the best way (right way?) to use it? I know it's supposed to hurt-so-good, but beyond that I'm a little lost, lol!

    And I have always been the designated pecan pie maker in the family too...it's hard to mess one up thank goodness! I hope your dad and Jerry had great Father's Days. :)

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    1. I don't personally have a video, but I'm sure there are a ton of them on YouTube!

      And I agree, pecan pie is hard to mess up--that's probably why I can actually make one ;)

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  7. I stick roll after all my long runs and any time my calves feel a little tight. I'm convinced it helps a lot with my recovery and keeping my legs from being sore!

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    1. I was told that we should use The Stick after all runs, but it's hard to remember to unless I'm feeling sore or something. I'm definitely going to give it a good try, though!

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