running gear

hey y'all! so, of course being the big shopper that i am, i see this whole running craze that i have going on as a perfect opportunity to buy some cute gear! i did some investigating and ordered three pieces - a manzella headband, a pearl izumi half zip and a pair of asics thermopolis running pants. the headband was awesome and really kept me warm. the half zip kept me warm as well, but since i ran in warmer weather, i got hot pretty quickly. the pants feel really amazing and comfortable. so much so that i probably would use them to just run errands had i not signed up for my race. the only complaint i have, and it's not really a complaint about the pant itself, but it's that i'm so short that i feel like the pant leg is too long. i am thinking that when the temperatures drop in the dc area more, i will have to invest in another pair of tights. my next purchase is going to be a running vest - anyone have one they particularly like??

the half

hey y'all! since everyone (alice) has been clamoring for more information - i will be running my half marathon on march 17, 2012. it's part of the rock and roll marathon series, so a band should be playing every couple of miles. i still haven't looked at the race course, but i'm thinking that avoiding won't help much. the great thing is that i actually have a PLAN! the next couple of weeks, i'm going to prep for my 5k race to establish a good base for the half training. any tips for me?

hello...is thing on?

hey y'all! i'm wondering if there is anyone out there??? and if not, that's okay, i think i'm going to really try this time to blog again - third time's a charm right?
basically, i just want to be accountable to myself because i've signed up for a half marathon. i'm going to use this space to keep track of my training. first up - the run with santa 5k here in rockville, maryland!

resolution update

Hey y’all!

So far keeping up with the “blogging more often” resolution is a total FAIL, but I’m happy to report that I have not eaten any meat (with the exception of seafood) the whole month of January!

I think it helped me really think about what to order and to not just go for the usual. To continue this type of eating, I have decided that I will try to limit my meat to once a week. Also, I have decided to start weight watchers again. I feel like I was able to shed some pounds on it, but I did not like the low fat aspect of it. So, for this go around, I’m sticking to “real” food – food that is not processed or has a lot of other things that I can’t pronounce. If you are up for some vegetarian options at home, try the following recipe from the Best Light Recipe cookbook.


1 tablespoon cumin seeds (i used cumin powder)

1 med. onion minced

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded & chopped fine

9 med. garlic cloves, minced or pressed thru a garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon veg. oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

salt

3 cups beans drained & rinsed (i used pinto, black, red kidney)

2 cups water

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon of lime juice



1. toast cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over med.-low heat, stirring constantly until fragrant, 1 minute. stir in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, oil, cayenne & 1/2 teaspoon salt. cover & cook, stirring often, until veggies have softened, about 8 to 10 mins

2. stir in the beans, water, tomatoes, oregano & brown sugar, scraping any browned bits. bring to a boil over med.-high heat; reduce the heat to med-low and simmer until the chili is slightly thickened, about 25 mins

3. stir in the corn & continue to simmer until heated thru, 5 to 10 mins; off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice and season w/ salt to taste



*the chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days

veggie tales

hey y'all!
just wanted to give y'all an update on eating more veggies - so far so good. i don't miss meat yet since i've been eating some fish & other seafood. i made a vegetarian chili on sunday, and to my surprise, it actually turned out pretty tasty.
i've been doing jillian two days so far, and it's kicking my butt, but i think i'm in a groove with it. tomorrow is biggest loser yoga, so watch out for that review.
hope y'all are keeping up with your resolutions :)

resolutions

happy new year y'all!
for one of my resolutions for 2010,i plan on returning to the ole blog :)
the rest are as follows - eat more veggies (for the month of january, i'm only eating seafood - no chicken, pork or beef), get back into the groove with jillian & biggest loser yoga, and save a lot more!

two weeks notice

hey y'all!
hope everyone is having a great week.
i am feeling a lot better, and i think my hives are slowly going away. it's been very frustrating to feel so itchy all the time, but oatmeal baths & cortisone cream have been helping a lot.
y'all, hb & i have been wanting to move back up to the dc area for a while now, and we had already decided we would do it, but yesterday i finally gave my two weeks notice!!
i'm happy to start a new chapter in our lives, and i'm looking forward to seeing all of my friends. i truly felt like i was missing out by not being around them!!
now, we are prepping for packing, and there is so much to be done!! i've made lists and a move plan, and we are definitely getting a lot done on that front, but i know it will be tough to get everything done without scrambling at the last moment :)
the good thing is that before driving back up we will stop to spend some time in ocean isle, nc with hb's dad's cousin's family. i can't wait to see them, and i will post some pics as soon as i can because i will be leaving for nassau after that!! i certainly wish that i was a lot thinner for those trips, but i'm taking it a day at a time and trying to not beat myself up too much. i do need to focus more on my exercise, and that will be a goal for the next two weeks!