Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving went well yesterday, and I stuck to my plan. In the morning, I had a four mile run at race pace (9:00/mi) scheduled. It was rough. As soon as I started running my legs felt heavy and just kind of uncoordinated. That goes to show that there are good days and bad days when it comes to running.

I still managed a good pace, however.

Four miles in just shy of 35 minutes. I'm confident that I can hit my sub-55:00 goal for a 10K if I race one. I've registered for a 5K on December 9th--so hopefully I can run that sub-26 and retire from 5K's :)  Not really--I'm starting to like short and fast, so maybe I'll continue to try to improve my 5K time!

In the afternoon, I went to my parents' house for dinner. My little brother Nathan was there too, with Baily (his dog). My mom made turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, corn, rolls, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy; and pumpkin pie for dessert. Like I mentioned, I'm not a huge "Thanksgiving dinner person", so I planned on just having some turkey and sweet potatoes.

Before I left my house, I nuked a sweet potato and added some Stevia, and decided to have that instead of my mom's sweet potato casserole. Her casserole is SO good that I don't know if I could have stopped with a little. So I ended up having some turkey with gravy, the sweet potato, and a couple tablespoons of cranberry sauce for dinner. For dessert, I brought over Pumpkin Fluff, a recipe that I got at the Weight Watchers meeting I went to on Wednesday.

It tastes like pumpkin pie, just in mousse-form. It was good! (I also posted another recipe today for "Chicken 'n' Noodles"--I made it for dinner, and it was really good! Even though I used chicken, it'd be a great use for leftover turkey).

I was cracking up at Estelle when I was making the pumpkin fluff. The cats always come running when they hear me open a can in the kitchen, and Estelle heard me open the pumpkin. She was circling my ankles and meowing, thinking that I had a can of food for her. I said, "Estelle, it's not for you, dummy!" and I held out a spoonful of the pumpkin for her to smell, so she would leave me alone.

Well, she went nuts for it. She ate it all off the spoon, so I gave her a little bowl of the leftover pumpkin, and she ate all of that, too! It was so funny, because even when I give her some canned food, she only gives it a few licks and then she's done with it. I've never seen her go so crazy for food as she did with the pumpkin!

The other cats all swarmed around me, demanding their food, too. When I let them sniff what Estelle was eating, they gave me a look like, "Oh, yeah, like I really want THAT."

Last night, I was so completely bored that I went to bed at 8:30--and without my nightly wine! Usually, after the kids are in bed, I'll watch a show on TV and have a glass of wine and a Dove Promise. Last night, there was nothing on TV, and I just felt so incredibly bored that I went to bed. (I really wanted to eat my boredom away, but figured sleeping would be better).

Today would have been my long run, but I took today off because I made plans to run with Stephanie early tomorrow morning at the Metropark. I haven't run with a partner in a while, so I'm looking forward to it! It's going to be very cold, in the mid-20's, but we're only running six miles.

Today, I cleaned the heck out of the laundry room, and then scoured Pinterest for some sewing ideas. I desperately want to get crafty with my sewing machine, but can't figure out what I want to make. If you haven't checked out yesterday's crafty post, make sure you do!

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RECIPE: Pumpkin Fluff (a light alternative to pumpkin pie)

I got this recipe from my Weight Watchers leader on the day before Thanksgiving. I'd made something very similar before, and really liked it, so I tried this "light" version for dessert on Thanksgiving. It was a great replacement for pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Fluff

1 (4 serving) box of fat-free sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 oz. Cool Whip Free

Whisk the pudding mix and milk together well, and then stir in the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the Cool Whip Free. Divide into four portions and refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.

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RECIPE: Chicken 'n' Noodles

I was really in the mood for some creamy comfort food, and since I already had cooked and shredded chicken in the fridge, I just threw this meal together last-minute. Jerry and I both loved it! If the chicken is already cooked, the whole meal comes together very quickly.

Here is a printer-friendly version!


Chicken 'n' Noodles

16-20 oz. cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
4 cups chicken broth
6 oz. (uncooked) pasta (I used egg noodles)
1 (10 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, corn, peas, carrots)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

In a large pot, combine the broth and cream of chicken soup. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Simmer about five minutes, and then add the vegetables and chicken. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is almost done. Add the cornstarch mixture to thicken. Makes 6 servings (approximately 1 1/3 cups each).

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Handmade items from RfC readers

I've been really excited to share this post! And since tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year, what better time to post this? There are some very talented Runs for Cookies readers out there, and I wanted to let them share their handmade items/home-based businesses. Handmade items make fantastic gifts, because they are always one-of-a-kind. They are usually a little more expensive than you would find in a big store, but the love, care, and time that goes into making these things make them totally worth the money. I hope you enjoy browsing these websites and designs as much as I have!

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I'm Sarah, and I make handmade quilts from your favorite t-shirts. These quilts are perfect to keep your memories close and keep you warm, whether it be shirts from your favorite races, t-shirts from school or sports. I have also made several memory quilts with pieces of clothing from a passed loved one.

My quilts are not like traditional t-shirt quilts made by piecing the same size blocks together in rows. I custom cut each shirt in multiple sizes and piece my quilts like a puzzle. I take pride in delivering the best quilt possible - something my customers can be proud to show to friends, family and co-workers and eager to use. You can find details on my website, and check me out on Facebook as well.

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Hi all!  My name is Lindsey, and I make fused glass art and gifts in my tiny home studio in Boulder, Colorado.

Working with glass was a hobby for years, and when we moved for my fiancé's work, I found myself jobless and friendless in a strange new place.  I used my free time to start an Etsy store and practice my craft, and was so surprised when I had my first sale!

I strive to keep my glass business zero-waste, melting even the tiniest of scraps into cute stud earrings, and reusing shipping materials.  I am grateful for the opportunity to share my art with others, and hope each piece brings its new owner the joy I felt while creating it! You can find my designs in my Etsy store, Boulder Design.

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Hi, I'm Helen from Vancouver, BC Canada. My little home business Juicybath Soapworks started out as a creative hobby. I had so much fun with it that a few years back I decided to start offering my soap for sale. I have an online shop and I also sell my soap at a few local holiday craft fairs each year.

I make soap from vegetable oils, like olive, palm, coconut and castor. My Oh Baby! line of soaps are 95% olive oil with goat milk. It is a super-gentle soap that's perfect for babies or for problem skin. My regular line of soaps are made with a balanced blend of veggie oils. They are super bubbly with thick, luxurious lather. You'll never go back to commercially made bars or body wash once you have tried handmade soap!

Please visit and Like my shop's Facebook page to see more new product photos.

I'm offering a special coupon code to Katie's blog readers for a limited time. Enter the code  AL6N92  with any order of 3 or more soaps from my online shop before November 30th and get one FREE bar of Oh Baby! Unscented Olive Oil & Goat Milk. Just in time to stock up for holiday gifts! (Free samples are included in every order, too!)

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Hi, my name is Liz and I have a little Etsy shop called September Lane.  I started my shop as a way to take my mind off food and weight loss, no joke.  I found that by keeping myself busy and interested in other things I’ve had an easier time staying focused on a healthy lifestyle.  It has worked so far because I have lost 35 pounds with 25 more to go!  I am trying to set a good example for my five boys by showing them that being healthy and productive is a better life.

September Lane is a shop that is all about adding just the right touch to your home, embellishing a gift for a special friend, and creating a keepsake that you will enjoy for years to come.  Everything from September Lane is lovingly handmade and created for your delight.  I have items such as personalized clay eggs in a nest, fun and useful magnets, unique name place holders, decorative clay balls, and personal gift tags.  I hope you find something you like!

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I'm Ellen, and I've always had a desire to run my own business.  After college I ventured into many creative jobs:  Mural painter.  Illustrator. Furniture Painter.  Eventually I fell into private home care and that is where I remained for over a decade.

As a result of unforeseen circumstances, my self employment had to come to a close in May of 2012 and at the same time I found myself in need of major surgery.

With a recovery time of 6+ weeks, I found myself inactive for the first time in years.  Thankfully, I had my personal blog to keep me connected to the things and people I cared about, but I also realized that my recovery time was precious; I didn't want to squander it.

My convalescence, at first seen as a hindrance, ended up leading me back to my original love: art.  Once again, the six year old within me began working fast and furious, and my shop on Etsy, Ellen Brenneman Studios, was born.

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My name is Jessica and I'm a ceramic artist, graphic designer, and love to experiment with everything in between. I have a love of printing and have a new Etsy shop that I'd like to share with everyone.

I've started with single color black ink prints on a warm, earthy brown card stock. Please come have a look at my hand-carved, hand-printed stationary and be aware that I will be uploading new designs weekly, so check back often!

You can find my designs at Paper Planes & Mud Pies on Etsy.

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My name is Misty, and I live in the piney woods of northeast Texas.  It's about an hour drive from Shreveport, Louisiana, and about two hours from Dallas.  All my life I have had a love affair with baking.  (Baking - not cooking - I can bake a cake or make a fabulous creme brulee, but I burn Hamburger Helper every time! My poor husband exists on a diet of mostly cakes, pies, and cookies!)  It started about age 6...I can remember baking my first cake.  Then about age ten I remember setting the oven on fire and learning what a timer was for.

Over the years, thankfully I've gotten much better at my craft! Once I reached high school, friends and family always assumed I would bring the cake when inviting me to showers, birthday parties, etc. And after a while word got out, and about two years ago I decided to set up a website, post some photos, and get busy!  Boy did I ever get busy!  I love what I do, and learning new techniques and tricks.  I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. You can find me on my website, and also on Facebook.

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I still remember my first glitter nail polish. It was 1986 and I was 6 years old. That year my mom made me a Rainbow Bright costume and we were at a Halloween costume store looking for some accessories. I came across a bottle of purple glitter nail polish and begged my parents to buy it for me. They gave in and my love of glitter began.

My name is Jennifer and I am a 31 year old with a not-so-exciting job that allows me to work from home full time. Since most days I don't dress up and put on a full face of make-up I've found that nail polish is an easy low maintenance way to still feel fun and dressed up. I started looking for some super chunky glitter nail polish and after being super disappointed at what I found in the stores, I decided to learn to make my own.

After lots of trial and error I finally came up with the perfect blend of base and found just the right kind of glitter. People started taking notice and asking if I would be willing to sell them the polish and make them their own custom mixture. From there Viva La Glitter was born. Each bottle is jam packed with an assortment of glitter in different shapes, sizes and colors. Custom polishes upon request. Remember: You can never have too much glitter!! I'm hoping that I can bring that same joy to everyone else who wears my polishes.

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Hello, everyone. My name is Angelina and I am the owner of Race Junkie Tutus. I started running about a  year ago and it changed my life forever. I was at a low point in my life in regards to my weight and decided to do something about it. I started running. I instantly loved how strong I felt and the way running was transforming my body and washing away all my stress. After a few weeks of running and feeling good about the results, I decided that I needed to challenge myself even further. I signed up for my first 5K Run. I remembering looking around and seeing all the runners. Most were dressed in your basic black and white gear. But the ones who stood out the most, and seemed to have the best energy about them, were the ones with festive costumes and colorful running apparel. Well I was dressed in the basic black and white and blended in with everyone else. When I looked at all the photos after the event, I had trouble finding myself anywhere. However, the runners I saw crossing the finish lines in costumes, hats, and colorful knee high socks, not only looked really happy, but they were easy to spot! 

  After that I decided to design my own Custom Made Tutus and run my next few races in them. I began to instantly get noticed and stood out from the hordes of people dressed in black and white. I guess you can say that’s when a light bulb came on and I decided  to make Tutu's for more runners like me... Race Junkies! I went home and made some samples of my best Tutu designs and opened a home based Etsy shop. The response has been great. I really enjoy working with my customers and helping them design their dream Race Tutu. I can honestly say one my greatest joys is being able to read the excitement from my customers once they open the box and post pictures and compliments via my Facebook page. I remember being a kid and my parents saying to me that 'The real gift at Christmas was watching me open my gifts”. It made zero sense to me then, but I get it now. And besides, shouldn’t every runner look and feel as good as they could when they cross the finish line? Yes, they should.

When I design my Tutus I make sure they are fully handcrafted from American made products. Each Tutu is custom made to fit the individual wearing it and tied in such a way as to not only be big and fluffy, but also super durable. Personally, I think a tutu is perfect for any occasion! I have worn them running, cycling, dancing, and just around the house for fun. For me wearing a tutu to an event just makes sense. We all train hard and its our time to shine, so why not shine in style!

Note: Angelina is offering a discount for Runs for Cookies readers! To get 12% off, use the code COOKIES. 

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I'm Mandee, and I make hand sculpted, hand painted polymer clay jewelry. I have lovely sugar skull pendants as well as adorable kawaii-style jewelry.

Everything is handmade with lots of love and attention to detail.You can find my items in my Etsy shop, Killer Kawaii Designs.

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Steel cut oats failures

You know what time I woke up this morning? 4:45.

FOUR FORTY-FIVE.

My kids spent the night with my parents, Jerry was at work, I didn't have a run on the schedule, so it was the PERFECT morning for sleeping in. And I was wide awake at 4:45. This insomnia I've had lately has got to go.

Anyway, today is Wednesday--my weigh-in day :) I was pleased with the scale this morning:

135.5... so I am just 2.5 pounds away from my goal weight! I used every available PointsPlus this week, too. ALL of my daily points, ALL of my 49 weekly points, and ALL of my 27 earned activity points.

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Yesterday, I had a really big craving for steel cut oats for dinner--which is very strange, because I never eat steel cut oats! So I made a big pot of them for dinner, being careful not to ruin them like I usually do, and Jerry and I each ate it. I thought they tasted funny, and especially smelled weird (kind of like cardboard), but I figured that's how they were supposed to taste/smell.

I had used the last of them, and when I went to Kroger for grapes, I also bought some more steel cut oats. Last night, I opened the new oats to smell them, just to see if they were, in fact, supposed to smell like cardboard. And no, they smelled very nutty and fresh. I'm guessing the ones we ate for dinner were at least three years old, if not older. Blech!

Since I had screwed that up, I was still craving a good bowl of the oats. So I put them in the crock pot to cook overnight. (Let me just preface this by saying that the reason I never eat steel cut oats is because I cannot, for the LIFE of me, cook them--they either burn, or boil over, or undercook, or I use oats that are 3+ years old). Here are a couple of past attempts:

Microwave fail

Stove top fail

At 5:00 in the morning, way earlier than I should have been awake or eating, I went to check on the oats--and they were burned to the side of the crock pot! I tasted them, and they tasted very burnt, surely because I put the sugar in to cook with them, rather than wait until after they were cooked. Awesome. Burnt sugar tastes great.

Crock pot fail

I threw those out, and decided to make them in a pot on the stove like I had last night, since it was so God-blessed early and I certainly had the time. I put everything in the pot, and went in the living room to watch some TV while I waited. Totally forgot to reduce the heat, and they looked like this about 10 minutes later:

Yum!

I was SO frustrated. Why can't a girl just have a frickin' bowl of steel cut oatmeal at 5 in the morning?!

I gave it one last chance. I put the stuff in the pot (the bag was nearly empty already, and I had just bought it), and set the heat to LOW so that I couldn't overcook it. I set the timer every 5 minutes to check and stir. Announced on Twitter that this was my final attempt. And finally, FINALLY--at 7:00, I had a nice bowl of oatmeal. Actually, four bowls--three for the fridge and one for my belly.

Finally, I felt satisfied. The oats were delicious, and super creamy. I used 1 cup oats, 2 cups water, 2 cups milk, and a pinch of salt. Then I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the whole pot after it was done. At four bowls, that totaled 6 PointsPlus per bowl. I learned that low and slow on the stove, checking constantly, is the way to go when it comes to steel cut oats. I'm glad it only took me 218 tries to figure that out.

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Today I went to my "first" Weight Watchers meeting. I put that in quotes because I've been to plenty of meetings in my lifetime, but this was the first in a very long time. I wore really heavy clothing, boots, and drank a ton of water before I left. I want my WW goal weight to be 143 (that's with clothes--at home, for my weigh-ins, I weigh naked). Which means I'd have to start at 148 in order to lose 5 pounds and reach goal. At the meeting, I weighed in at exactly 148 with all of my heavy stuff on. (I could have avoided all this math if I didn't have to wait so long for a new 12-week session through Jerry's work).

Anyway, I was SO nervous when I went in there that I felt like I was going to poop vomit. They had me sign in, and my hand was shaking so badly that I couldn't even read my signature. I sat down and there was another girl in there, who was probably a little younger than me, and she started chatting with me. That made me feel much less awkward. I'm terrible at small talk, and don't usually say anything until people talk to me first--and I guess that comes across as snobby. But she was easy to talk to.

Then the leader came in, and she was really nice. There were only four of us in the meeting, and I liked that it was small. We talked about Thanksgiving plans, and how to get through dinner without getting completely off track. I established myself as a total lush when the leader asked us to guess how many PointsPlus were in certain items--and the first one was a 5 oz. glass of wine. I got a little eager and said, "Four!" right away, because DUH, wine is my beverage of choice I am a total lush I drink a glass of wine every night. I knew the answers to all of them, but stopped answering because I had wine on my mind nobody likes a know-it-all.

I didn't say this at the meeting, because wine! I didn't want to seem like that girl... but Thanksgiving isn't difficult for me. I don't care much for turkey, or mashed potatoes, or any of the usual turkey dinner stuff. The only thing that I absolutely LOVE is my mom's sweet potato casserole--no doubt because it has multiple sticks of butter and tons of brown sugar. So tomorrow, I'll probably have a couple ounces of white meat turkey, 1/2 cup of sweet potato casserole, and a piece of pie.

Have a great Thanksgiving, and a safe Black Friday (I'm staying in--I'm not brave enough to do that)!

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On starting to run, and running faster

Yesterday and today were very hard days for me! I felt like I was constantly fighting a binge, and it was making me crazy. I managed not to binge, but I wanted to figure out what was going on so that I could stop the urge. I thought about the past couple of days, and then it was glaringly obvious: I didn't have any grapes in the house, and I was trying not to buy more because they're SO expensive right now.

I ran out of grapes a couple of days ago, and decided to try having other fruit instead--namely, apples. I missed the grapes very much, but figured I would live without them ;)  But apparently, the grapes are the magical food I need to keep me from bingeing!

After dinner, I went to Kroger and bought three bags of the rare diamonds grapes at $2.49/lb. Jerry told me, "I don't care if they're $20 a pound, they help you stay on track--get them!" Came home, ate a bowl of them, and instantly felt a million times better. Urge to binge? Gone.

As of today, I am 73 days binge-free :)

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Today I had three miles at an easy pace on the schedule. I brought my new handheld water bottle with me, just to see how it feels in my hand while running. I was tempted to fill it with hot tea to keep me warm out there--it was a cold morning!

I ran at a pace that felt comfortable, and didn't look at my Garmin the entire time. I was impressed with the water bottle--it wasn't annoying to hold at all, and it didn't feel heavy. I think if it held any more water it would feel heavy, but at 10.5 oz., it was perfect. It was easy to open the spout with my teeth (there is a soft cushion on the spout, so you don't break your teeth), and easy to push closed. I'm very happy with the bottle, which is good, because I couldn't find any info about returns on the website (I checked before ordering).

I've been asked quite a bit recently about getting faster, and what kind of plan I'm following to accomplish that. I definitely have some thoughts on it. Everything I'm about to write is completely from my own experience, and we all know that I'm not a professional; so if you're looking for "real" advice on getting faster, I would contact a running coach. But I will share what worked for me, and what I think of it.

When I first started running, I didn't know anything at all about interval training, tempo runs, splits, fartleks, or even the number of meters on a track. Basically, I just wanted to be able to run a 5K race, which I learned was 3.1 miles. So I started by walking, and then throwing in a little running. You can read the whole story on my running page. The Couch to 5K program was too hard for me, so I did my own thing.

By doing my own thing, I was able to reach a 5K distance pretty quickly (within a couple of months). Once I was able to run 5K, I wanted to get faster. And like I said, I knew nothing about speed work, so I (again) did my own thing:

I ran faster.

I learned that to be a faster runner, I had to run faster. Is that clear as mud? Good. Basically, I ran 3.1 miles three times per week; and each time I ran it, I tried to run it a little faster than the time before.

That's it!

I didn't do intervals, I didn't run repeats on the track, I didn't do tempo runs, or any of that. I just tried to run a little faster each time, since I was running the same distance each time.

Fast forward a year, after I'd been studying up on running and reading everything I could get my hands on, I decided to try to PR at 10K by following a real running plan, and doing all the speed work on the plan. I followed it to the tee, and was sure I was going to PR that race. Then I ran the race, and missed a PR by about 11 seconds. I couldn't understand it, because I actually trained for a PR.

The race I busted my ass for, but didn't PR :(

This whole past year was spent marathon training, and speed work went right out the window. I was just trying to make it through the uber-long runs, and didn't have the energy to try and get faster. After the marathon, I put together Hal Higdon's running plan with recommended training paces, and decided to follow it to hopefully get faster.

However, I was so excited to be running shorter distances, that I decided to push the envelope, and just run fast--not paying attention to what the "recommended" paces were. And I went back to the basics of when I was a beginner, just running to try and get faster. I started running every run faster, in order to be faster. I've been running faster than my recommended paces, but it's working really well! I've seen HUGE improvements on my pace in just a month's time.

My sub-26 goal for 5K after 2 1/2 years of trying!

So, while a real running coach would tell me to do intervals at x:xx pace for y distance, and a tempo run at a another carefully calculated pace, etc., I've learned that my body does best when I do things my way. To get faster, I've simply been running faster. Pushing myself a little, and sometimes a lot, and then seeing the results.

But what about injury? I've always read that if you push too much, you'll get injured. Well, the only times I've been injured were during marathon training, when I was running slowly, over long distances. Now that I'm doing shorter distances, I think my body can handle the fact that I'm running faster.

So my (unqualified) advice for a beginner would be to pick a distance (even if it's just once a week) to try and run it a little faster than you did before.

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Since I'm on the subject of how I got into running, I typed out a generalized plan of exactly how I started running. I hated running at first, and I especially hated the C25K program because of the intervals. After running for a minute or two, I would start the walking segment and DREAD hearing the beep of my Garmin telling me to start running again. So I did my own thing, and this plan that I typed out is pretty much what I did:

You can click it to enlarge, or here is a link to the PDF for printing, if that helps. The R is for Run, and the W is for Walk. The numbers are minutes:seconds. So on Day 1, you would run for 30 seconds, then walk for 29 minutes and 30 seconds. Sounds ridiculous, but it worked for me!

I think the reason that this was helpful to me was that I could just run for x amount of time, then walk and be done. I didn't have to run, walk, run, walk, etc. Mentally, I just said, "Okay, you just have to run for two minutes--you can do ANYTHING for just two minutes. After that two minutes, you can walk the rest of the way." That is how I stuck with it.

The first few weeks progressed really slowly (on the first day, I ran about 30 seconds at a 14ish minute mile pace). But then as I was able to run farther, I was able to progress much faster. Going from one minute to two minutes is a much bigger deal than going from 24 minutes to 28 minutes, because you're literally doubling your running time when you jump from 1 to 2 minutes. I hope I'm explaining this well ;)

Anyway, this kind of plan worked for me, so maybe it will help someone else as well. Feel free to use it how you wish. One thing that I can't stress enough is that if it feels too hard, just run even slower. You might be able to walk faster than your running pace, but you can work on speed after you've built up the distance.

I posted this stuff now, because I have some plans in my head to host a virtual 5K at the end of January--my 31st birthday is on January 25th, and I thought for 31, how fun would be to host a 3.1 mile run? ;) I will post details on that later (once I figure them out) but this way, if you'd like to participate, you have time to prepare!

Whew, this was a long post!

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Handheld water bottle

I was awakened at 5:00 this morning when the kids' school called to inform us that there was a two-hour fog delay. Ugh, I appreciate the call, I just wish it didn't come until at least 6:00. Of course, I couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up and just read some blogs for a little while.

It wasn't as foggy this morning as it was yesterday, but there was frost all over everything outside. I prepared for an uber-cold run--my UA Cold Gear running tights, a tech shirt, and a fleece jacket over top; headband to cover my ears, and gloves. When I stepped outside, it actually wasn't as cold as it looked. It was 28 degrees, but it felt more like 38. So I ditched the gloves before I even left.

Today was a tempo run--5 minute warm-up and then 30 minutes at tempo pace (comfortably hard). I wanted to keep the same pace or better as my last tempo run a couple of weeks ago--my tempo pace then was 8:32/mi for 25 minutes.

As I ran, I glanced at my Garmin a few times, just to make sure I was on track, but I didn't obsess over it. I'm not going to lie, today's run was HARD. I think I hated every second of it, but when it was over, I felt amazing!! I pushed myself really hard, and I wanted to quit so many times while running, but I just kept reminding myself it would be over soon. And my pace was awesome!

Five minute warm-up at 9:22/mi, then 30 minutes at 8:19/mi. I'm continuing to get faster, and it's so much fun to SEE progress like this! The whole time I was marathon training, I was doing so much work, but wasn't seeing results. Training for speed is so rewarding, because the numbers are right there showing me that it's working.

When I finished, I was dripping sweat (the fleece was too much--I should have just worn a long sleeved shirt). The sweat soaked through the fleece and froze--leaving white frost on my jacket :)

When I was weighing out my oatmeal on my kitchen scale this morning, the batteries went dead. I absolutely hate that scale, and instead of buying new batteries, I just decided to get a new scale. This is what my old one looked like--don't ever buy it, because it was awful.

Taylor is a great brand for scales, but that particular model is awful. It would frequently shut off in the middle of measuring something, and it drove me crazy. Anyway, I went to three stores looking for a new scale (I wanted digital, and I could only find the scales with the dials on them). Finally found a whole bunch of them at Meijer, and bought one similar to one I'd had many years ago, and loved.

Taylor makes some scales with The Biggest Loser brand on them, and those ones looked good too--although you pay more, because of the brand I'm sure. This one was $25 (not labeled with Biggest Loser). It's everything that I loved about my old scale from years ago! I'll try this one out for a while and then write about whether I'd recommend it.

I also got a package in the mail today. I had ordered a handheld water bottle for running. Now that I'm done with marathons, I don't need a hydration belt. But on runs longer than 10 miles or so, it's nice to have water, so I wanted a handheld.

Lots of people seem to like the Nathan Quickdraw Plus, but a few months ago, I bought one, and had to return it because the water leaked out of the bottle even when the tip was pushed down tight. The hydration belt I have is from Amphipod, and I really like it. No complaints with it whatsoever. My only complaint with Amphipod is their customer service. I e-mailed them before, and they never responded. So I never really rave about my belt for that reason.

But I like the belt and bottle so much that I decided to check out their handhelds. And I ended up buying the Hydraform Handheld Ergo-Lite. As soon as I opened it, I absolutely loved it! It's the perfect size, the fit is adjustable, so that was perfect as well. And it even has a thumb hole!

It holds 10.5 oz, which is just right for the amount I will need for when I use it. I'm so excited to try it out, that I may just take it out on my "easy three-miler" tomorrow ;)

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I've been really into peppermint lately--it started with the Peppermint Stick flavored CLIF Bars (which I've been eating almost daily without bloating, so I don't think those were the culprit, thank goodness). I've been seeking out other peppermint things, and today I made a Peppermint Pattie protein shake--it was SO good, and definitely gave me the peppermint fix I was looking for.

I did add a little Reddi-whip on top after I took the pic ;) I posted the recipe to my recipe blog, and you can find it here: Peppermint Pattie Protein Shake. I bet the perfect addition to sprinkle on top would be those broken up Andes mints that you can find with the chocolate chips in the grocery store. I'm going to have to pick some up, just for that purpose!

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RECIPE: Peppermint Pattie Protein Shake

Chocolate and peppermint go so well together... and this protein shake is no exception! Definitely gave me the peppermint fix I was looking for. A good garnish for this would be whipped cream and chopped Andes mints. (This would probably also be good if you add 1-2 tsp. instant coffee, for a peppermint mocha latte type shake).

Peppermint Pattie Protein Shake

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or whatever milk you'd like)
1 serving chocolate protein powder (or vanilla powder + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder, which is what I use)
1 Tbsp. instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
10 ice cubes
optional--1/4 tsp. xanthan gum and 1/4 tsp guar gum, for thick and creamy texture

Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. I eat it with a spoon, because it reminds me of ice cream :)  Makes 1 serving (about 20 oz).

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RECIPE: Crock Pot Italian Chicken Penne

This creamy comfort food pasta dish is perfect for a cold day!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken Penne

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were still frozen, no need to thaw)
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
1 (15 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes
12 oz. uncooked penne (or other pasta)

Stir together the soup, cream cheese, tomatoes, and dressing mix in the crock pot. Add the chicken. Cook on low about 6 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork. Cook the pasta according to package directions, and drain. Add the pasta to the crock pot mixture and stir to combine. Makes 6 servings (approximately 1 1/4 cups each).

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Candy!

Eli is 100% back to his normal self today. I worried about him all night long, but he seems totally fine. I'm glad, obviously!

This morning was really foggy outside.

Near zero visibility in dense fog... sounded like my easy four miler was going to be a fun one ;) I decided not to go on the busier roads, so I wouldn't get smoked by a car, and just ran through the neighborhoods. It was really eerie--there weren't any cars out, and I could barely see anything through the fog. Anytime I heard a noise, my heart raced, because I was imagining dogs running at me through the fog (it made for an interesting mind game, anyway).

My legs and lungs felt awesome throughout the whole run. I didn't look at my Garmin at all, just ran how I felt comfortable. I actually thought about running farther than my training plan said, that's how good I felt! But I called it quits at four miles.

After I showered, I sat under my electric blanket for breakfast and e-mail. My cats are as obsessed with my blanket as I am, and they actually kind of fight over who gets to sit with me. But surely, that's because they love me so much, and has nothing to do with the blanket, right? ;)

Phoebe and Estelle--my legs were numb when I got up

Jerry and I made plans to take the kids to see Wreck It Ralph today, because they brought home good report cards. There was a 12:10 show at the mall, so we decided to take them to Taco Bell at the "food court" there (I put that in quotes, because the only choices are Taco Bell and some Chinese place). We got to the mall at about 11:30, plenty of time to eat and then see the movie; but we saw that the mall was closed until 12.

That was irritating. I knew I'd be starving if we waited until after the movie to eat lunch. The next show was at 2:30, so we ultimately decided to go to Applebee's for lunch, then kill some time at the mall, and then see the show.

I ordered the jalapeno-lime shrimp (a Weight Watchers item on the menu, for 8 PointsPlus). I was skeptical, but it ended up being really good! Much better than the parmesan chicken I got last time (also a WW item).

I don't like tomatoes, but I tasted one, and they ended up being my favorite part of the dish. It was perfectly spicy, and a satisfying portion. I would definitely order this again. Jerry got the lemon-parmesan shrimp, for 12 PointsPlus, and I tasted it--it was pretty good, but I liked mine much better.

After we finished lunch, we went back to the mall to browse around for a while. We went into Target because the kids needed new sheets for their beds, and while we were there, I found my FAVORITE holiday candy!

I tried one probably about five years ago, at my friend Stacie's house. I was obsessed with finding them in the store, because they were SO good. Stacie couldn't remember where she'd gotten them, so it became a mission to find them. And I never did, until two years later--at Target. Target is the ONLY place I have ever seen them. If you like peppermint candy canes, and you like chocolate, you will like these.

They are basically just a candy cane sucker with a tootsie roll in the center. They only have 60 calories, and they last a while, which is another reason why I love them.

Looking at all the candy and junk food at Target made Jerry and I say to each other simultaneously, "Don't you wish we were still fat sometimes?" BAHAHA, that is the only thing I miss about being 253 pounds. Buying lots of junk and eating it with abandon, without worrying about gaining a few pounds. They had candy cane OREOS--Jerry and I were both drooling over those, but knew that if we bought them, we'd have no control. I did buy a bag two bags of the Candy Cane Tootsie Pops, because those aren't a binge food.

By the time we were done at Target, we still had 40 minutes until the movie started. The kids said they didn't even want to go see it anymore, so we just came home. I feel like I disappointed them again--since we missed out on the race yesterday morning, and then the movies today. But maybe we'll try and go next weekend.

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Jerry and I spent some time in the evening going through tweets on Twitter about The Walking Dead. There are some really funny pictures on there! I love reading what people's thoughts are about the show, and it had me cracking up. Jerry had an idea for one that he asked me to make in Photoshop... a prediction of who would be on the phone that Rick answered at the end of the last episode...

Hahaha, if you don't watch The Walking Dead, then please ignore that ;)  

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I want to give a huge congrats to my Ragnar teammate Lealah--she finished her very first full marathon today!! And Rik, our Ragnar captain, actually went down to Oklahoma to run it alongside her, just like he did with me in Detroit three weeks ago (seriously, could we have a more awesome captain?). I'm super proud of Lealah! Their unofficial finish time is 5:27:40. Congrats Lealah!

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