R.I.C.E.

Baggy sweatshirt and pj pants? Check.

Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

That's my plan for this weekend. My stupid runner's knee has flared up again. I'm terrified of not being able to finish my marathon. I've come so far in the training, and I will be so bummed if my knee prevents me from finishing (or even starting) the race!

I was supposed to run 4 easy miles today, but I decided to skip it completely. Saturday and Sunday are scheduled rest days. So maybe by taking a three-day weekend off of running, I'll be good to go for my 12-miler on Monday. Next week is a step-back week, thank goodness (our long run is "only" 12 before bumping up to 18 a week from Monday).

I just finished reading Hal Higdon's book Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide and it is a MUST READ for anyone considering a marathon (or even a half-marathon). I learned so much from this book that I couldn't possibly share it all! Poor Jessica has listened to me go on and on about "Hal Higdon says..."  ;)

Source

One thing that really struck me was that during the entire 18-week marathon training program, I will have run 461 miles--which equals approximately 46,100 calories burned. Divide that by 3,500 (calories in a pound of fat) and it comes to over 13 pounds of fat burned! So theoretically, if I didn't increase my calorie intake at all during training (not possible, because I would starve), I would lose 13 pounds during marathon training. Haha, I wish it was that easy!



I've been eating out of boredom a lot lately, and I really need to quit doing that! My mornings are pretty busy--I get the kids ready for school and onto the bus, and then I run. After my run, I shower and it's usually time for lunch. Then I check my e-mail and maybe clear my Google Reader, but the rest of the afternoon I find myself snacking just because I'm bored.

I was thinking back on my weight loss and maintenance, and I realized that I do best when I have some sort of project going on. I went through a long knitting/crocheting phase during my weight loss; I redecorated my bathroom which took a couple of weeks; I organized photos on my computer (taking days of my time); I typed out a whole recipe book full of my recipes and nutrition info; I redecorated my bedroom; I organized my closet and got rid of clothes that I didn't wear anymore; I made (what seemed like) tons of Gockets... stuff like that.

I need a new project--something that takes a lot of time and really interests me. I really need to organize my photos again and back them all up onto the external hard drive, so maybe I'll start working on that. And I have a lot of new recipes to type out. What are your favorite ways to pass time when you're bored and want to snack?

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Yesterday, the kids colored Easter eggs. And being the genius that I am, I punched all the holes out of the box BEFORE I read the directions...

I had no idea how much vinegar and water to add to the dye tablets, so I had to dig the cardboard circles out of the trash and piece it back together.

My kids don't believe in the Easter bunny, so I have no idea why they like to color eggs, but they had fun. Tomorrow, we're going to my parents' house to celebrate my little brother's birthday (and have dinner), and then on Sunday, we're going to Jerry's parents' house for dinner. I'm going to try and rest my knee as much as possible, though. Have a nice Easter, everyone!

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