5 miles and a recipe

Yesterday after I picked up Noah from school we decided to go to the bay and the beach and have some fun. Noah rode his bike and I ran with the jogger stroller. But not the single jogger, the double, because the hubs had the single stroller in his car and wasn't home - so Cameron rode in the Cadillac version of the strollers. Laid back...

The big boy did SO good and we ran/rode 5 miles total! I asked him if his legs were sore this morning, because mine were! And good news, that's the furthest I've run since my race in December! Super excited! :-)

Here they are at about mile 2 on the bay side of Pacific beach.

And what bike ride is complete without an ice cream break??? And our view while they (no me, I was good!) had a couple scoops.

And then them, the next day...Just kidding, it was the day before, but I had a hard time getting them out of bed this morning for school! I'm wearing them out!

And when we got home I made them ravioli, but had already prepared my dinner and it was in the crockpot. It was a little spicy so I figured they wouldn't eat it...but it was SO good and super filling. I even had the second helping today for lunch.

I put 2 boneless lean porkchops in the crock pot with diced tomatoes and enchilada sauce and cooked on low for 5 hours. When I served it, I added olives and made myself some black beans and sprinkled a little fat free cheese on it. Total calories: 565. SO filling!

And your daily cuteness, my big boy, Noah. He didn't have to wear a uniform today, so we was excited to dress in his skater duds. BTW those are size 7! He's grown SO much!

Have a great day!

I knew it!

Lululemon FINALLY admits (and recalls) yoga pants because of them being see through!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/lululemon-yoga-pants-recall-vancouver-based-company-pulls-18770583

My love affair with Lululemon began shortly after Cameron was born (probably about 6 months later, so spring 2011), and I bought one pair of crops as a reward for losing weight. They were AMAZING! No see through booties at all, and stayed put when I ran/did boot camps. About 6 months later I bought another pair (same type, Wunder Unders) and no problems. So, after buying those, I thought I would buy running pants from Lululemon. Both, sheer, and they would not take them back! The employee explained it to me that since they were running pants, and not yoga pants, and since you don't bend over and do poses like in yoga, the material is different, therefore not meant to be bent over in. I promptly sold those things on Craigslist, because yeah, you may not bend while you run, but you stretch after!

Ever since I've been on the hunt for the perfect Lululemon pants and still haven't been able to find any that aren't see through! It was so annoying! I read reviews on their page, and many people were saying they were having the same problem. Even an employee (a different one) admitted that people had been complaining and that Lululemon changed their material!

So, the secret it out!!!

I have forgotten about you, dear blog

How is it already March??? How did that happen???

Well, since September, when I last updated my blog, the following things happened...

Noah started kindergarten in the fall!!! And he's lost 2 teeth since September...he's growing up too fast!

Noah's first day of kindergarden, Fall 2012

First tooth lost, Fall 2012. He lost it at school after numerous bribes and attempts at pulling it so it wouldn't fall out without the tooth fairy being able to take it from under his pillow. I think he got like $75 for the tooth. 

Noah and his buddies at school. Little men.

Cameron turned 2 and for his birthday in October we went to Disneyland with my side of the family...granny, pappaw, cousin Emma and Nathan and aunt Amber...then we went a few more gazillion times. No really, at least 5 since October. We also celebrated Noah's 6th birthday (WHAT? how did that happen???) at Disneyland in February and stayed at Paradise Pier, one of the Disneyland hotels. It was AWESOME and the boy's loved it. Disney does it up right!

Gangsta Noah with Cameron, and pretty cousin Emma, waiting in line for the jungle cruise

You know it's a good day when the big kids pass out!

Noah and Cameron in the lobby of Paradise Pier

Boys in bed together at Noah's birthday watching Mater's Tall Tales (their fave cartoon right now). First time Cameron had been in a big boy bed too. Noah said he was a bed hog. 

Trained for and ran the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas half marathon in early December. A week before fractured my right ankle...didn't know it was fractured until AFTER the race, and still ran it (taped it up REALLY good, but at about mile 5 I was DYING). At that point, I started power walking and running...The last 2 races I did I ran the whole thing, but there was no way I could during this one. At mile 8 I contemplated stopping in downtown Las Vegas for a cheap buffet.

I've been working to rehab my ankle (on my own) and I'm finally able to run about 3'ish miles outside/on treadmill again without pain.

Gimpy fo' so'! Testing out my tape job pre-race.

Might as well have cute (flat) shoes even if you have a busted ankle!

Me, on the left in the pink and obnoxious skirt, and my friends Jamie and Arlene. Both are cray cray...Arlene just had a baby less than a year old when this picture was taken and Jamie didn't train at all and just decided to run it with us. When in Vegas...right???

This was pre-race, in the elevator, poppin' Red Bull. This is before I wanted to die.

Actually dressed up and going out to dinner with the hubs...this was in the lobby of the Wynn. Oh, and my hair isn't in it's usual ponytail. 

Since I wasn't running, and since I'm the family chauffeur now that the boys are both in school and in countless activities including t-ball and soccer, I gained 10-15'ish pounds (depending on the day). SIGH :( I will not be posting a picture of this gained poundage.

The boys have entered the "I love you so much" and then "I hate you so much" phase. They get along SO well, and then they fight, well, like brothers. Cameron even has clocked Noah with a plastic golf club or two. Sounds like me and the hubs :-) Just kidding!!!

And lastly, I celebrated my 20-15 (read: 35th) birthday at the end of February.

I think that's all, folks. Talk at ya soon! (And one last picture, just for the cuteness quotient)

It's Sunday, and it's my long run day

And I don't want to do it... When I think about running 7 miles, I think I am going to vomit. It doesn't help that it's super hot (still) here and I'm sore from the week. Anyone want to come and push me 7 miles???

No desire to run

During the week, I usually run on the treadmill at the gym...and last weekend it was so hot here, I ran my long run on the treadmill too. Can you say "running on the treadmill burnout"? I think I have it. But I also don't have any desire to run outside...I think I have running burnout. Also, I've been incorporating yoga into my workout routine (I got a Living Social deal for unlimited yoga at a local studio with childcare and I have been trying to maximize my money spent), and would prefer to do that over running right now. Not good when you are on a tight running schedule, and my half is on 10/28. But I haven't registered for it, and I'm totally slacking...so, of course, my lazy self is saying, don't do it. UGH! I'm pretty sure, without running I will feel like the latter statement, rather than the first:

So, what are you telling me, just suck it up and do it? OOOOOKKKK. Ugh! So, this week I slacked on my running and now have to run Thursday, Friday and my long run this week, plus a cross training exercise. I hate when I do that to myself.

How do you get yourself out of a running rut? Anyone???

Week 6, continued...

So I signed up for the yoga challenge that began on Monday, 9/10.

Here is the information, if you are interested: http://www.yogajournal.com/fitnesschallenge/?utm_source=Fitness&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=Fitness

I mentioned in a previous blog that I recently found a yoga studio that offers childcare AND it's by my house! SCORE! They have TONS of classes, all at different times. It's awesome!!! Here is there webpage, if you are local, and want to check it out:

http://www.hapayoga.com/

Anyway, I haven't being doing the videos that the Yoga Journal has been emailing me, BUT I have counted my yoga classes that I've been doing at Hapa toward the challenge. Same thing, right? I mostly have been doing the "hot as a mutha" class (similar to Bikram) and it's AWESOME! I didn't think I'd like doing yoga in a really hot room, but I feel so relaxed and light after. Totally stretched out and like I sweated out all the toxins. It's been great pairing that with my running - I run, then I stretch my tight lower body out!

Today I did "cardiyo sculpt". We used weights while doing yoga poses - tons of squats, lunges, legs, and also a good amount of upper body. Lots of plank and core, too. ALL in a heated (90 degrees) room. When I got home I got online to find out when the next class is...Saturday! YAY!

Anyway - so here is how my week 6 training schedule is shaping up...

M: gentle yoga/recovery and rest day
Tu: hot yoga and 4 mile run
W: 2 mile run and hot yoga
Th: cardiyo sculpt and 4 mile run
F: 2 mile run and hot yoga
Sa: 6 mile run and cardiyo sculpt
Su: ashtanga yoga (in a heated room)/recovery and rest day

Did you write out your plans for this week? Did you follow your plan? (I wrote out a loose plan, but have been modifying it/moving workouts around according to my schedule).

Week 6

I'm now in week 6 of training for the LA Rock 'n Roll half marathon. How did this happen???

It's been so hot here...like 95 degrees with humidity. I am SO ready for fall. After my long run this weekend (which was supposed to be 6 miles, but I only did 5 miles because 1) I ran nasty hills and 2) because it was so hot I'm sure I left a trail of where I ran with my sweat, ala Hansel and Gretel style), I came home, stripped off my shirt and jumped into the pool in my sports bra and running pants. Noah thought this was super funny and told me he liked that "bathing suit" better than my others. Um, maybe because the running pants hold in my post-baby jiggly belly better. Hmmm...out of the mouths of babes.

Anyway, I'm in the middle of trying to figure out my workout plans for this week, and I'm LOVING hot yoga. They say you burn 500-1000 calories in class, but I'm not so sure. Sure, it's intense, but my heart rate doesn't get up like it does when I'm running...I should wear my heart rate monitor, but with all the sweat going on in that class, the chest strap would probably end up at my feet.

So, here is Hal Higdon training plan for this week...I followed the plan for both the Vegas and the San Diego RnR, so let's just go with what I know:

6

Stretch & strengthen

4 m run

2 m run or cross

4 m run + strength

Rest or easy run

Rest

5-K Race

Instead of doing a 5-K this weekend, I plan on doing my 6 mile run. Yesterday was my rest day, today I plan on doing 4 miles at the gym on the death-mill after I get Noah from school. I did hot yoga this morning. As for the rest of the week...not sure what's on tap. But, I'd better figure it out soon!!!