Road Apple 5K- Race Day!!

I had several goals for the first race of the year.  The first goal was to get myself back in 5K shape (aka- I could run the whole thing without stopping for a break).  This goal was accomplished. 

My second goal was to finish with a better time than last year. The time to beat was 34 minutes.  Yes, that is slow but that was our first race and we HATED running.  This goal was also accomplished. 

My third goal was to finish at or under 30 minutes.  I still don't really know what my 'official' time is, but according to my watch it should be about 30 minutes and 30 seconds.  If I was hard on myself, I would probably be disappointed that it was a little over my goal, but I actually feel good about this time.

The race is a flat paved trail and raises money to benefit the 'Rails to Trails'.  The trail, which we run on near our house, is a converted railroad.  Half of it is to be used for running and biking and the other side is for horses and buggies (because we live in Amish country)..... hence the name 'Road Apple 5K'.

The race started at 8 AM.  There were probably 60 runners.  When they started the race, I could tell right away that this one was going to be difficult for me.  My shins were burning and it was a little humid out. There were other's in the race that I knew so I focused on them as we started the race.  I tried keep up with them, however, after the first mile, I started to struggle.  I'm pretty sure that the first mile was a speed record for me.  The time keeper at the first mile marker barked out 8:40 as I crossed.  I looked down at my heart rate monitor and my heart rate was in the 180s (that's high for me).  I knew that I could not keep up this pace, but I tried. 

At the turn around point, as I was coming back to the finish line, I hit a HUGE wall.  I didn't even feel like I had the choice but to slow down.  I wanted to try to get my heart rate back to the 160-170s.  As I slowed down, people started to pass me and that was frustrating.  I tried to pick my pace back up, but my body wouldn't let me.

The only issue I have with this race, other than having to share with the buggies and dodging horse do-do, is that the home-stretch seems so long.  Obviously, this isn't the race's fault, but it seems like a never ending left turn.  You can never really see too far ahead as the trail gradually turns.  About the time you think you are close to the finish line, you really aren't.  I compare it to having to pee really bad and the toilet is so close but seems so far away.  It's always worse as you get closer to the finish line.  I just wanted to suffering to stop.

As the finish line drew closer, I did try to sprint to the finish.  That didn't work.  It's probably best that it didn't.  I'm sure my legs would have probably given out and I would have fallen on my face. 

All in all, I think this race went ok.  I definitely did better than Julie and I did last year.  Hopefully, Julie will be able to run with me in some of the upcoming 5Ks this summer.  It definitely is lonely running by myself and it does help to have someone there to push me.  It would also be nice if my shin splints would go away.  If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.  It felt great to achieve some of the goals I had for myself.  We/I will be running more races soon and hopefully achieving more of our goals.

Day #4- Thursday- 2 Days until Race

Because of the weather, my plan had to be altered today.  I woke up at 5:30 am and looked out the window to see it raining.  So I went back to bed and slept in a bit.

I had thought about going on a run after work today, but it's just too hot to run outside. So I took Teddy for a bike ride.  The best part about this, other than picturing Teddy on the front of my bike in his basket, is that I did not work my shins.  Hopefully this helps my shin splints a bit. 

I was not planning on running tomorrow (Friday) but I think I am anyways (weather permitting).  I plan on running at a slower speed and going only half the distance. 

Day #3- Wednesday -3 Days until the Race

Julie is out of town on business, so this morning I had to be a big boy and wake myself up without any help. I half-way succeeded. My alarm rang promptly at 5:30. However, I laid in bed for at least 10-15 more minutes before getting up. There was never any doubt in my head that I was going to get up, but I was hoping that a miracle would happen and I would instantly hate laying in bed. That didn’t happen, but I got up and ran anyways.



The run this morning was definitely better than yesterday, but still a little rough. Monday’s run was the best this week, but ever since I have struggled. This morning I kept thinking to myself ‘why in the world are you listening to classical music while you are running?’. For some reason, classical wasn’t doing it for me today. I stuck to it but I couldn’t find a good song to motivate me. So, maybe that is why today was a little rough?


I also have a hard time focusing on my pace when there are tons of little bunnies on the side or middle of the trail that won’t move. One spot in particular, I ran into two bunnies. I don’t know if they were boyfriend and girlfriend or just friends or friends with benefits or neighbors or whatever, but they were sticking awfully close to each other and parked themselves right on the middle of the trail (in my path). As I got closer, I figured they would move but they didn’t. It’s not so much that I am scared of the bunnies, I just don’t want to get up to them and they jump in front of me and/or I smash their pretty little bunny faces (which probably wouldn’t happen, but it made me giggle as that thought crossed my mind this morning). These two bunnies would not move. So here I am in the middle of the trail clapping my hands and flailing my arms and shouting for them to get out of my way as I am jogging closer to them. I was probably a step away from making rabbit pancakes. They moved but they didn’t scurry off. It was more of a ‘I’ll move only because you look fat and would probably inflict some pain, but I’m not happy about it’. I hope nobody was watching.


Anyways…. I hit two walls this morning. Once half way and again about ¾ finished. My main motivation this morning was to finish under 30 minutes. When I hit the second wall, I really slowed down. My legs were heavy and I was really sucking air. I only allowed myself to slow down for about 30 yards and then I kicked it back into high gear. I ended up finishing in under 30 minutes. That run was a success, but I didn’t feel as good as I would have liked.


The plan for the rest of the week is to run again on Thursday morning and then take Friday off. Originally, I was going to run on Friday too, but since my shins have been burning on my runs, it might benefit me to take a day of rest.

Day 2- Tuesday- 4 Days until the Race

This was a bad morning for running. Firstly, we forgot to set our alarms so instead of starting our run at 5:30, we ended up starting at 6:10. I could only get about ¼ of my normal run in so that I could get home and be ready for work. It’s probably a blessing in disguise because my shins were killing me this morning. I had problems with them earlier this spring, but they haven’t really bothered me much as of late. So maybe an easy day will help them heal. Plus, this morning was a bit muggy. Usually the mornings feel brisk, almost to the point where it’s chilly, but this morning it was almost as bad as running in the afternoon. It didn’t take long to break a sweat.

Mostly I jogged at a slower rate as I talked with Julie, but I was able to get a little interval training in. I broke away from her a couple of times in a sprint. I can run a full 5K, but I have a little problem with stamina when I pick up my speed. I know that I am not going to fix that problem by the race this week, but this is the main thing I have been working on since I have started training. I need to be able to maintain a faster pace without hitting those ‘walls’. Yesterday was a good day for this, but this morning I could feel myself getting really tired… and it was only a short distance that I ran.


Tomorrow morning is going to be rough for me. Julie is going to be out of town and that means that I won’t have her to push me out of bed when I don’t want to get up. It will be a true test of my willpower.

Day 1- Race Week

It’s race week for us. And by us, I mean me. Julie will be ‘ineligible’ for this race. So I’m preparing for our ‘Daytona 500’. Obviously this is just another 5K but it is the first race of the year for ‘us’. And, instead of car door handles, I have love handles. I also doubt we will make Sportscenter. But it’s very exciting to be running the first race of the year. This week I am going to take you through my ‘preparations’ up to the race. Again, it’s only a 3.1 mile race and we have been running that distance daily on our runs, so there really isn’t much prep to be done.



We love having races on our schedule because it gives us something to train for. It isn’t running just to run. I have set 2 goals for myself on this race. The first goal is to beat our time from last year, which was our first race ever. My second goal is to run it under 30 minutes. If I achieve the second goal, I will have achieved both goals.


Monday-

We woke up this morning at 5:30. Julie didn’t want to go, and thusly it convinced me that I didn’t want to go, but alas we went after realizing that it would only suck for a little bit until we were fully awake. I did some minor stretching before we went out the door, and that seemed to wake me up a bit. Because Julie has to run a little slower, I spent the first ¼ mile running with her as my warm-up. Once we hit the trail, I peeled off. I usually listen to something with some beat to it to keep me motivated (between pop and rock) but this morning I decided to go with classical. This is a whole other blog post, but it really helped me relax and focus on my run. I probably ran at a 10 minute/mile pace this morning. I can’t figure out if my heart rate monitor has a stopwatch or not, so I am not for sure how fast I was going. I usually hit a couple of walls when I am running at a faster rate, but this morning I only hit one wall with about ½ mile left. I slowed a bit but picked my pace back up once my heart rate came down. Even though it was chilly when we started, I was dripping with sweat when it was over. It felt great. Tomorrow we plan on running again first thing in the morning.

Morning Runs

Have you ever gotten home from work and dreaded going out for a run? Having to come home and cook dinner and do other ‘chores’ around the house, a lot of times we don’t feel like going for a run. As a matter of fact, most of my excuses for not running come from just being worn out from the day and just wanting to relax a little bit. I think we have found the solution. This isn’t ground breaking or earth shattering, but it’s new to us. We have been getting up to run early in the morning.



Obviously this is going to take a little more will-power than making yourself run in the afternoon/evening. I also need to go to bed earlier than usual, and that is difficult for me since I am a bit of a night owl. When that buzzer rings at 5:30 am, it makes us angry, but we make ourselves get up anyways. It’s all worth it once you get up.


Let’s look at some advantages to running in the morning….


1. Especially in the summer, it is usually a lot cooler. Last summer we would run right after work and some days it was in the 90’s. That is pure torture. The brisk morning air is refreshing, which makes running a TON easier.


2. It’s done. You don’t have to plan your evening around your run. You now have all night after work to do whatever you feel. We hate when we get home and have to do yard work, cook dinner, clean the house, and do whatever…. there isn’t time to run. By the time we are done with everything, it’s time for bed. With our running done in the morning, we can come home and work on our ‘chores’ and also have time to relax.


3. It’s easier to run in the morning. I speak only for myself here. We wear heart rate monitors when we run so that we know when we are in the ‘zone’. In the afternoons/evening it doesn’t take much for me to get my heart rate up. In the mornings I have to sprint to get it up and I have way more stamina. I’m not a doctor, but I assume that is true because I haven’t had a long stressful day and/or eaten yet. It’s probably easier for your heart to respond to your morning workout than your end of the day workout. It just feels like you can get more of a workout in the morning than when you are dragging in the evening.


4. It changes our whole outlook on the rest of the day. We feel great about getting that workout done in the morning. Knowing we did something good for our bodies also brightens the spirit. It’s almost counter-intuitive. You would think that a workout would make you tired for the rest of the day. But for us, it almost charges our batteries and gives us more energy for the rest of our day.


5. I’m not much of a morning person. I don’t like to talk to people in the morning. However, my job requires that I do so. A lot of times in the morning I really have to fake it. When I run, I obviously struggle with the first couple of minutes but by the time I am done, I am wide awake and ready to go. It almost transforms me into a morning person (which sounds horrible because I hate morning people).


6. Summer/spring mornings are beautiful. The other morning, the sky was a pinkish purple color. The birds were all chirping and rabbits were frolicking on the trail as we ran by (ok… that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point). When we sleep in, we really do miss the most beautiful part of the day.


Running in the morning does take some serious determination to get out of your warm comfy bed, but in the end it really is worth it. If you are having a hard time running in the evening, try it in the morning.

Sock Winner

In a random drawing of all eligible entrants... Congrats to Jayne.  You are the new owner of Drymax Socks!!!  Your socks will be sent to you shortly.

We Are Finally Running

We have finally been able to run more than 2 days straight. We have been using the weather as an excuse, but now that it is nice out, we don’t have any excuses.




Yesterday was our third straight day running. The first day we ran the 5K distance on the trail. It’s a little slow going this year, but it felt good to get out there. Our biggest problem is that we struggle motivating ourselves. Last year we had some races to look forward to. We had never run in any races. This year, we have the Road Apple 5K to look forward to as our first race of the year, but because we have already accomplished this race last year, it isn’t as big of a goal to work towards. So it has been a struggle to keep motivated this year.



Even though there isn’t as much motivation this year as there was last, as we keep running, it’s going to get easier for us to turn it into a habit. Last year, we knew if it was nice out after work, we were going to run. It was a given. So far we have been stuck in first gear and we think with this recent weather, we can now shift it into a higher gear.  Plus we have some other races we are looking to add to our schedule.  We believe that anyone that is a novice runner, like ourselves, having that race as a goal to work towards is key. This year our goal is to do more races and try to improve on our times as we go along. Our ultimate goal this year is to be able to run a full ½ marathon in October in Columbus.



Chad- I’m surprising myself when I go out and run. I basically took off from running after our ½ marathon (relay) in October in Disney until there were hints of spring in the air a month or so ago. It’s not like I planned it that way, but I just hate running when it is cold out and refuse to run on the treadmill. I was sure that I had lost all of that hard work I did last year in my training, but this year it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I won’t say that I am in the same shape I was back in September, but I could run a 5K today (slowly) and not have to stop. Last year at this time, I would have had a hard time running a complete 5K. Obviously, it would have been easier if I would have kept up the training, but call me a weenie… I just don’t want to run in the cold and I HATE running on treadmills. My main motivation this year is to improve on my times and trim my winter weight off. It’s easy for me to lose weight when I am running, so I hope to get back into the swing of things and get back in shape. If we don’t ever run another race, it is nice just to get outside and the feeling after working out/running is something that is so easy to forget when you would rather sit on the couch and watch TV, but it is such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. I want to try to keep that feeling in mind when I feel unmotivated to run.




Julie- I have a hard time getting the motivation to get out and run. But even in the past three days of running, each day has gotten easier. I was actually looking FORWARD to our run yesterday and was kind of sad when I thought the rain might ruin our plans. Was I in better shape last October? Sure. But am I in significantly better shape than I was last April/May? Most definitely. Excuses need to stop and we need to get out and run. If it's raining - we need to use the treadmill or view it as an opportunity to do some weight training.  And on a very lazy day, there's always the little doggie that would love nothing more than to go for a nice long walk. Motivation can be found anywhere if you're looking for it!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients


3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (We used plain)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme (We omit this)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup butter, melted
*We add some chopped garlic to the butter
*We also add some cayenne pepper to the bread crumb mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl or dish for dipping.

Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

 
This is another one of my go-to meals.  It's easy and we generally have all of the ingredients laying around.  They're good dipped in whatever your favorite dipping sauce is (ranch, ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc.)  After having these, I can't go back to the frozen option - they just taste so processed compared to this recipe.

Try them out and let us know what you think!

Sock it to me!!!!

Socks.  What a boring subject.  We have been wanting to blog about socks for a while because we have discovered some great new running socks (I know... we need to get a life).  Julie couldn't write the blog because she says that her feet don't sweat.  Which leaves me and my wet stinky feet.

Last year one of my friends recommended sweat wicking material socks.  We love sweat wicking anything (see prior post on Bondi Bands), but I never thought it was necessary to actually spend money on these types of socks.  I would use the regular 'athletic' socks that I have always used. After starting this blog and getting some new running shoes, we tried some of these 'sweat wicking' socks by Drymax. 

Julie said that she can't tell a difference because she apparently doesn't have sweat glands in her feet.  However, I'm used to pulling my socks off after a run and ringing the sweat out of them.  The days of swishing around in my shoes in my own foot sweat are over.

I love these new socks so much, we have an extra pair that we want to give away to our fans. 

If you would like a pair of free pair of Drymax socks, you have several ways to enter to win.

1. Share this post on Facebook (let us know if you do- post a comment).
2. If you aren't already a follower, become one.
3. Go to the website www.drymaxsocks.com and then leave a comment on our blog about what your favorite features about these socks are.

You may do all of these or a couple or just one in order to enter to win a free pair of socks.  I know that socks are kind of boring, but I guarantee that if you run or sweat in any way, you will love these socks.

We will do a random drawing for the eligible participants on May 16. 

Good Luck Vaughn!!

We might have a blog about running, but don't let it fool you, we are not 'runners'.  We run so we can eat.  We love to eat.  We have fun running, but we aren't going to win any races.  We would be what some would consider to be a 'casual runner'.....

On the other hand, there is Vaughn.  He is a friend/coworker/boss that is running the Boston Marathon this weekend.  I complain about running when it is a little chilly out.  However, it was raining this morning on my way to work, and Vaughn was out running because he was preparing for the marathon.  Running in the rain takes dedication, but running one of the most prestigious races in the world... that's just impressive.

Good luck Vaughn.

Spring Has Sprung

If you have a pulse and live in the Midwest, you cannot help but to be excited this time of year. The winter is finally breaking and the birds are chirping. There is a sense of optimism in the air.

10 Reasons we are excited about spring…..


1. Mowing- By the end of the summer my tune will change and I will hate mowing, but for now, the smell of fresh cut grass and being outside making my lawn look nice, sounds delightful. Feel free to drive by and make fun of my ‘Forrest Gump’ mower and how I cut my lawn. Why do I mow a complete circle around my house? Try mowing with ‘Snappy’ (our Snapper mower) and you will know why I do laps around my house.
2. Grilling- We love to cook on the grill. We cook anything out there that we can. We don’t have a ‘fancy pants’ grill but it gets the job done. Our favorite is grilling pizza (recipe coming soon). I also have a knack for making some killer steaks on the grill. Bring some meat over and I would be glad to grill it on our grill.

3. Sitting on our front porch- There really isn’t anything like enjoying a couple of drinks and watching hoards of Amish drive by. I should also mention that our giant porch is perfect for some cornhole.

4. Bonfires- When I say bonfire, I should probably say ‘tinny smoking twigs in a ring’. We have one of those ‘fire pits’ in our back yard that we like to sit around on a nice clear night. Sometimes we roast some wienies and others we just sit there and watch the fire (or sometimes a lack thereof when there is a lack of dry wood).

5. Fishing- I only speak for myself here because Julie hates to fish. I didn’t really do much fishing the last couple of years, but it is my goal this year to get out as much as I can. I especially like to catch catfish. I hate bluegills and they could all die for all I care.

6. Camping- Again, I only really speak for myself here. Julie tends to think that if our bed is within driving distance, why not sleep there? I see her point, but it really is fun to camp out for a weekend.

7. Taking Teddy on a walk/bike ride- I know Teddy loves this and that is the main reason this really makes the list. It’s not as much fun for Julie and I to take him on a walk or bike ride. We have tried all sorts of training techniques and he still wants to pull and choke himself when we go on a walk. When we take him on the bike, we have a little ‘doggy basket’ that he fits in. He usually barks the entire ride because of how excited he is. It really is annoying but he likes it. Sometimes a parent has to make sacrifices.


8. Air conditioning- I know, it’s not that hot out yet and that doesn’t really mean that we like spring, but I argue that there really isn’t anything more refreshing than being sweaty and hot and walking into a building that has it’s AC on. LOVE IT!!

9. Kayaking- We don’t do this a lot, but we do enjoy going when we have the chance. Last year we went down the Mohican river twice. It’s such a nice way to relax and cool off. I think I would like to try it on a bigger body of water this summer.


10. Running on the trail- We HATE running inside. Now that it is warm enough, we can actually run outside. We are very fortunate that the trail runs really close to our house. It really has been a great way to get outside and keep active. I don’t know that we would run as much as we do if we had to run on the road or drive to a track.


Why are you excited spring is here?

Hurray for Running!!!

Supposedly this is a running blog, but for the last 2-3 weeks, we haven't run.  Shame on us.  Let me get my excuses out of the way now....

1. The weather in Ohio has been horrible the last couple of weeks. 
2. My shins have been killing me.
3. We needed new shoes.
4. My schedule didn't allow for us to run on certain days.
5. Teddy needed more mommy/daddy time.
6. We will run so much when it's warm, we might as well enjoy not being able to run.
7. The NCAA basketball tournament was taking up most of my time.  I had to study for my brackets.
8. We were busy trying settle NFL lockout.

I could keep going, but I will save it for future posts. 

So we are pleased to announce that we went for our first run tonight.

The problem with Julie and I, is that when one of us doesn't want to run, the other follows suit.  We have made a pact that if one doesn't want to go, that the other has to remain strong and push the other to run anyways.  Tonight, it was Julie's turn to push me.  I wanted to run, but it was cold out.  And as we all know, I am a little girl when it is cold out.  She told me to bundle up and pack up my barbies... we are going for a run. 

So a-running-we-did-go.  It wasn't a very far run, nor was it a very fast run (it wasn't a warm run either), but it was a run.  The thing that we often times forget is how good it feels to run.  The gratification of sitting on our butts all night does not compare to the feeling of accomplishment one gets after burning some calories. 

We are both very pleased with our new running shoes (and of course our bondi bands).  Altogether, it was as successful as it could have been for our first run of the spring. 

If you haven't been able to get out and run yet, we hope that you too can get our soon and knock off some of the winter cobwebs.

New Shoes!!

I have been having some serious issues this year with shin splints. I used to get a little sore, but this year it’s been a sharp pain. I have researched them online and spoke to several people about them. I am not getting a consistent answer. The main issue that keeps coming up is that I probably need new shoes.

This past weekend we went to a shoe store geared towards runners that was referred to me by a friend. The name of the store is Road Runner Sports. It’s located north of I-270 near Worthington, Ohio. Inside this store you will find everything related to running from underwear and socks to shorts to sunglasses to heart rate monitors. The reason we wanted to give this one a try over going to a store like Footlocker, is because they do an analysis of your feet and your running gait.

The associate that helped us was Laura. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. We started off by standing on a mat that was hooked up to a computer. This showed where most of our pressure is being placed on our feet and where our center of gravity is. We then got on the treadmill and ran for 45 seconds while being recorded by a video recorder. I didn’t really want to see what I looked like while I run because I’m sure I look like an idiot, but it was from the back of the knee down. Laura ran our runs back to us in slow motion and paused it on each foot to show how our feet landed and how our ankles up to our calf were reacting during our run. Based on that analysis along with asking us some other questions (eg. How long do you run? What kind of surface are you running? etc), she narrowed down the type of shoe that we should be wearing. They also molded custom insoles to put in our shoes to use.

 

Both Julie and I tried on what seemed like 100 pair of running shoes in the ‘category’ that we were recommended and were allowed to run around the store. A lot of the shoes I could not tell a huge difference in, but going from a medium cushion shoe to a high cushion shoe seemed like a big difference to me.

We both purchased new running shoes and the custom insoles to go with them. I cannot tell you if my shin splints are better yet or not because we haven’t had a chance to run in them yet, but I do want to recommend that if you are interested in getting some good running shoes, to check out Road Runner Sports.  If you don't have the time to get to a store, there is also a neat online version of the "prefect fit shoe finder" to try!

 

Spinach and Feta Pasta

Ingredients


1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups spinach leaves, packed
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch red pepper flakes
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain.

2.Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown. Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes more, until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted. Reduce heat to medium, stir in pasta and feta cheese, and cook until heated through.

Julie: This turned out AWESOME!  We added some extra shrimp for protein/extra yummy-ness.  I am already looking forward to making this again!
 
Chad:  I was skeptical about this recipe because of the feta cheese and the apparent lack of sauce.  However, I must say that this recipe really impressed me.  Not only did it taste great, but it was super easy to make.  The only change that I might recommend and try when we make it again, is to add chicken.

Getting Back on Track

Since we have so many loyal followers, I'm sure you're all about to start a riot since we haven't posted lately. You're probably asking yourself "Where have they gone? I need my daily dose of Chad and Julie's amazing insight."

Well, I'll tell you where we've gone - we fell off the wagon. In the last week, we've eaten a ton of junk food. We haven't gone running once. Heck, I think the most exercise we got in the past week was taking Teddy for a walk around the block.
Now we could sit here and list a bunch or reasons for why we haven't put forth much (if any) effort in the past week, but we'll spare you all that. Instead, we'll let you know that what happens is life. All you can do is brush it off and pick up where you left off.

Our plan is to get new running shoes to help curb some shin splints (hopefully), cut down on eating out and high-calorie beverages and get our butts in gear and keep running. In the next week or two, I hope to get registered for our race so that we have a goal, motivation, and something to work towards.
So, bear with us while we work on getting back on track. Just know that we have many new recipes to share, and a couple of product reviews/giveaways in the works.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Ingredients
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips (you could also get the precooked steak strips at the grocery store to skip this step). Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Julie: We omitted the tomatoes - not by choice but because someone (me) forgot to pick them up at the store.  We served the meal over white rice.

Chad:  We would recommend leaving the peppers out until an hour or so before you are ready to eat if you like a little crunch to them.  We left the peppers in all day, as the recipe told us, and they were very mushy.  We also added ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic(to taste).  We also thickened the sauce by adding some extra cornstarch about 30 minutes before eating.  Next time I think we might add some snow pees or broccoli or some other vegetable.

All in all, it was a very easy meal to prepare and pretty tasty.  I always judge our meals on whether or not I would make it again and I would probably make this one again.  It's not in my top 10, but it does the job, especially if you have a little extra beef in the freezer that you don't know what to do with.

Bondi Band Winner Announced

 We used random.org to choose one of our enterants to be the winner.  Congratulations to Jeremy.  He is the winner of the free Bondi Band (our first giveaway)!

Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways.

How Far Was That?

When we first started running I though it would be very simple - get out the old Nikes and go for a run.  But of course, the further you get into running, the more you realize it's just not that simple.  Technology, gadgets, specialty clothing, specific shoes, etc all help to make running easier and more enjoyable (although some are not necessary).

One website that we have found very helpful is http://www.mapmyrun.com/.

Another plus to using this website is that you can also figure distance on more than just roads (like bike trials, for example).

You can choose to measure distance in miles or kilometers.  You can choose a "map" view or a satellite view.  We prefer the satellite view  so that you can identify makers for a "turnaround" point if you're running an "out and back" route.

Stop guessing how long you run or driving your car around to messure the route you run/walk/bike, and give this website a try.

From Couch to 5K

I always hated running. My old adage used to be "I don't run unless someone is chasing me... or there's free food". But last year, we decided to pick up running, anyway.


How did this happen? I can't even recall. But what I do know is that we just decided to go out for a run one day. After about 2 minutes I thought my lungs would catch on fire and my heart would explode. It was terrible. Why did people do this to themselves? And for fun, no less? So, I did what I also do when I have a question - I google it. By doing so, I came across a program called Couch to 5K. It's a 10 week program that uses interval training three days per week to take you from coach potato to running hero in 10 weeks. (Okay, maybe not a running hero, but at least someone that can run an entire 5K.)

Armed with this new training program loaded on my iPod, we signed up for our first 5K that was 11 weeks off. The first week is intervals of 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking for 30 minutes total. I recall thinking "this is my kind of running" (aka - the kind that has more walking than running).

Over the course of those 10 weeks we slowly got in better shape and able to run not only farther, but faster, as well. When our first 5K race came around in June, I was very anxious. I'd always been so confused by those people that paid money to run. Didn't they know they could run for free anywhere? I didn't feel so bad about paying the entry fee, as the money was going to support our local "rails-to-trails" program (the same trail we run on many times each week!). I didn't anticipate the adrenaline from a race that I had no possibility of winning (or even placing in). But something about the early morning crowd, the people, the energy - it just gets the adrenaline pumping. Well, long story short, we ended up meeting our goal of running the entire 5K without walking. Did we break land speed records? Of course not; but we were both proud of ourselves for having stuck with the program and completed our goal.

Races have since become a guilty (or not so guilty) pleasure and give us something to "train" for to keep us hitting the pavement as often as we can. Our goal is always to improve over our last race time and I look forward to our first race of 2011 to see if we can accomplish that goal.

Our Little Buddy

Captain Theodore McPuppy (AKA Teddy)

For those of you who don't know, we have a dog named Teddy that we love (some probably think too much, but we don't care).  He is our best buddy.  He is a 4 lb Yorkie.  I will admit that I was a little hesitant to get a dog when Julie first approached me about getting a puppy 3 years ago.  I did not want the responsibility and I generally just didn't think it was a good idea. However, it didn't take long for him and I to become best friends.  We bonded right away because I was the one that would get up in the middle of the night to take him to go potty and I spoiled him with treats. 



What a stud.

I never thought that I could become a softy for anything, let alone a dog.  But now, we are inseparable.  He comes with us to Michigan.  He goes on walks and bike rides with us.  He even protects us from the evil pig and toads outside our house (it's a plastic pig... but he must know something we don't).  At night he sleeps between us and sometimes under the covers. 

Teddy has made me realize that I love dogs more than I love people (most people).  You put a homeless dog on the side of the road and a homeless person on the side of the road, I will feel more sorry for the dog than the person.  Why?  I'm not sure.  I suppose because I feel like the dog doesn't really have a choice.

Seriously.  AW!!!!!!

 

It's wonderful to have something in my life that no matter what, loves me.  For instance, if I put Julie and Teddy in the trunk of my car for a couple of hours... who is going to be happy to see me when I open it up?  I know my little buddy will be there wagging his tail the entire time ('little buddy' is not my pet name for my wife).  My wife would first deck me, then shoot me, then send me divorce papers. So, how can you not love something that no matter what happens, they love you back with all of their heart?

Teddy and I sleeping.

Julie is going to tell me that I need to post something on here that is fitness/health/food related.  Ok, so here ya go.... Teddy weighs 4 lbs.  He does not need to go on a diet nor does he need to exercise.  We cannot eat him.  Firstly, he doesn't have much meat on him.  He is mainly fur.  Secondly, he probably tastes like Pupperoni since that is his favorite treat.  Thirdly, I haven't been able to find any recipes that contain puppy.  Lastly, that's just wrong.  What Teddy does is really makes our house feel like a home.  I do not have a degree in psychology...oh wait... yes I do.  But I am not a psychologist.  However, I do know that a happy home is a great way to promote a good mental health.  In my unprofessional opinion, a healthy lifestyle includes good mental health.  You may not need a dog to make you happy, but finding something to love and to love you back is a great way to brighten up your life.

This post is in memory of Baby, Teddy's mom.  She passed away last Friday.

Bondi Bands - Review and Giveaway!

With help from Rebecca at Bondi Bands, we are excited to bring you our first giveaway!



Bondi Bands look cool.



Bondi Bands are a fantastic product that can be used as a sweatband or a headband.  They are made from a wicking material so they not only keep your hair out of your face, but sweat too!

Julie: Ladies - I'm sure you've all worn that headband that looks cute, but after a few hours of wear, it gives you a headache that just doesn't justify the cuteness.   One thing I can promise you is that Bondi Bands are headache free and look way better than sweatbands!  Another plus, is they don't slip off your head! 

Chad: When we first started running, I was just letting the sweat drip off my forehead.  After a while I got sick of sweat in my eyes, so I purchased some sweat bands (the kind that you see NBA players wearing).  It can look silly at times, but I needed something to catch the sweeat.  As summer went on and it was hotter and hotter out, I found that I was still getting sweat in my eyes because those bands could only soak up so much.  Julie found this neat little product called Bondi Bands and thought we should give it a try.  I was skeptical at first because the band itself is very light weight and thin.  I didn't know how this could actually stop my sweat from running down my forehead.  Let me tell you, it definitely works.  I wear these not only for running, but also to basketball. 

Bondi Bands can also double as ear warmers when running in the cold.

There are a lot of different styles and colors to choose from.  Some have writing and some are plain.  And for you philanthropists, consider your purchase of Bondi Bands good for you and good for others!  Each year, Bondi Band contributes 10% of their pretax profit to charity!

Now, at this point, I'm sure you're thinking, "How can I get a Bondi Band for myself"?  There are two ways you can get some for yourself.  You can go to their website ( http://www.bondiband.com/ ) and check out the different styles and colors. Or you can win one by submitting an entry into our drawing! 

Here are many ways you can get an entry into our drawing (the winner will be picked by random.org):

- Go check out bondiband.com and leave us a comment letting us know why you want a bondi band!

- Become a follower of our blog and let us know with a comment (or leave a comment to let us know you already are a follower).

- Post this blog entry on your facebook (and let us know by leaving a comment)
- Post this blog entry on your twitter account (and let us know by leaving a comment)
- Link this blog entry on your own blog

Yes, that means you can get up to 5 chances to win!  We will be doing the drawing Tuesday, March 15th - so get your entries in before then!

Julie's Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 oz. cream cheese
1 cup frozen broccoli - thawed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Seasoning

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375.  Butterfly chicken breasts and pound thin.  Season each side with Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Seasoning.  Mix broccoli, parmesan cheese and cream cheese.  Put cheese/broccoli mixture in the middle of each chicken breast and roll up.  Use toothpicks to hold chicken together.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over chicken. 

Cover dish with tin foil.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and cook another 5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Julie: This is another good recipe that we always have all of the ingrediants for so it's a good back-up meal for when you didn't plan anything for dinner!
Chad: This is one of my favorites.  It's a little fussy so we don't make it as often as I wish we did.

Tutti Fruity

Do you ever get hungry in the middle of the morning before lunch? Do you ever go to the snack machine or find some sort of junk food to snack on during that time? Where we work, junk food is always VERY available. How do you make healthy decisions with temptations like that?

We have started taking a bowl of fruit with us to work for those very instances. I wasn’t a super fan of this at first because fruit does not contain any salt, creamy fillings, cheese, meat (the junk that we always seem to crave).  However, we have learned to appreciate fruit more. It really is a great snack in the middle of the day and we have zero guilt afterwards. We would recommend cutting up some of your favorite fruits and snacking on them as the day goes by.

Our daily fruit snacks we take to work with us.

Some interesting fruit facts...

-Blueberries won’t ripen until they are picked and have more antioxidants than most any other fruit and vegetable.

-There is more fiber in an orange than in most other fruits and vegetables

-British sailors used to be call ‘Limeys’ because they ate citrus to prevent scurvy on long sea voyages

-A single orange seed will likely yield more than one plant

-Peaches were once known as Persian apples

-“You’re a real peach” originated from the tradition of giving a peach to a friend you liked.

-Some Chinese peaches are flat like a puck.

-Strawberries are not really a fruit nor a berry but an enlarged receptacle of the flower.

-Strawberries and apples are a members of the rose family.

-Strawberries are very high in vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.

-Fruit juice takes about 15 minutes for your body to digest whereas it takes 30 minutes for raw fruit.

-The ‘healthiest’ fruit that is readily available to most of us is guava.

-Dangerous ‘oxidants’ are in our bodies. Fruits that contain antioxidants help reduce the harmfulness of these oxidants (i.e. fruits have been known to reduce the risk of cancers).

-Before the invention of canteens, explorers would use watermelons to carry their water

-Banana plants can grow an inch or more during the night.

-There are more than 7,000 different types of apples in the world.

-Kiwi fruit is named for the national bird of New Zealand, the Kiwi bird, because of its brown fuzzy skin.

-Strawberries are the only fruit that has it’s seeds on the outside.

-Pineapples are berries

-Bananas are loaded with potassium. Potassium is important in keeping blood pressure at a healthy level.

-There are more than 100 varieties of bananas. Some have red skin.

-Avocados are commonly used as vegetables. Botanically, they are fruits.

-Avocados contain about 22% fat and a medium sized avocado contains about 300 calories and 30 grams of fat.



Sources: factmonster.com, thefruitpages.com, fruitnutritionfacts.com, gourmetgiftbaskets.com, easyfunschool.com, foodreference

Running in the Cold

Spring is just around the corner and it's a good thing because we are getting some serious cabin feaver.  This week has been a great week for us because we have been able to run every night thus far.  It was very difficult to run in the cold yesterday, but it wasn't that bad. 

As it stands right now, our plan is to start out slowly.  We are only running about 50% of a 5K at a snails pace.  This is the best way for us just because when we push ourselves too hard, we get burnt out.  We are going to increase our pace and distance as time goes on.  Eventually, when it gets a little warmer, we will start a true 'conditioning' program to kick our butts into a higher gear. 

On a seperate semi-unrelated note, we will be reviewing a running product in a week or so and will be giving away a free sample of the product.  Keep an eye out for this.

Trashelor

I'm not that old but I am old enough to remember when there wasn't reality TV.  Remember the days when you would watch a TV show and before the episode started a narrator would say 'Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience'?  You could actually hear laughing in the background of the show.  Weird... I know.

Fast forward to today.  Here I am sitting in front of the TV watching trash TV that they call The Bachelor.  I would like to say that I am not paying any attention to what is happening on this show, but that would be a lie.  I am into it and I have a hard time not watching this train wreck. 

Who came up with this concept?  Let's put one man and 20 women together and see them fight it out until it is one man and one woman left.  Did they honestly think that at the end these two would be in love?  I think that you can fall in love many different ways... probably an endless number of possibilities.  However, I have my doubts about this show and the validity (I don't even feel right using the word validity in the same breath as the Bachelor). 

So why do we watch this stuff?  Is it because it is like a train wreck?  Is it because we honestly believe that we are seeing people fall in love?  Do we believe it's real?

Things to keep in mind....
1. One chochy guy and 20 HOT women... not a real world situation
2. Traveling around the world going on lavish dates.... not a real world situation
3. Making out (who knows what else they do) with multiple women and the other women stay with him.... not a real world situation (probably could be real, but not socially acceptable)
4. These 'reality shows' have editors and writers.  Reality shouldn't need writers.
5. Guys on this show talk about their feelings a lot... Not sure this is what happens until maybe after 'a good while' of dating.
6. Why aren't there fat/ugly people in this show? 

Maybe I am just getting old and showing my age by asking these questions, but let's bring back the sitcom.  A show with laughing in the background.

Easy Szechwan Shrimp

Here is an easy recipe for home made szechwan shrimp.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions (We use regular white onions) 
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed
(We also add broccoli)

Note: We also double the sauce and serve with rice.

Directions

In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened.

Julie: I've never ordered Szechwan shrimp in a restaurant, so I can't compare; but I think this recipe is pretty good.  It's quick and very simple.  Another plus is that we generally have all of the ingredients on hand, so it's good for nights that you forgot to plan something ahead of time. 

One last tip - while you can use the ground ginger in a bottle from the store, we found that freshly ground ginger gives the recipe an extra little umph. 

Chad: I wanted to add that the recipe says this meal has 140 calories per serving (makes four servings).  So once you double the sauce and add the broccoli, you're probably close to 275 caloies per serving plus rice.

Pure Michigan

For those of you who don't know, Julie is originally from Michigan. We also met in Michigan (I will save that story for another post).  Being from Ohio and graduating from Ohio State, it is a little sac religious to go into enemy territory like I did.  However, I am not afraid to admit that Michigan is a beautiful state and it has a lot going for it.  We love going back and visiting her family.  That is exactly what we did this past weekend.  I will spare you the details, but keeping form with this blog, I will admit that we did not do well in eating healthy this weekend.  We started the weekend off with McDonalds and ended it with Chipotle.  So it was not a success as far as our diet is concerned, but it was great to see the family.  The weather was nice enough today for us to take a short run when we returned home.  We will try to do better this coming week.

We didn't see Eminem driving his Dodge around.

Cutting the Fat

Now that we have some ‘fans’, we should probably elaborate on what we are trying to achieve here. We LOVE food. However, loving food doesn't generally do such great things for our waistline. So, we are trying to make healthy lifestyle choices without suffering. This could be anything from low fat sour cream to whole wheat pasta or smaller serving sizes. If diets work for you, great. Diets don’t work for us. As a matter of fact, we HATE diets. The problem with diets is that you have to stop dieting at some point. Thus, the yoyo effect. We believe in lifestyle changes that don’t make you suffer. After all, who doesn’t love to go to Taco Bell and order a crunch wrap supreme, two tacos, an order of nachos and finish it off with French vanilla ice cream from Cold Stone. However, there are always regrets afterwards. So, what we are trying to do is mix in healthy decisions (food and physical activity) so that we can indulge from time to time with minimal guilt.


What you are reading now is our journey to shake off the winter weight and to get ourselves back into better shape.

Chad: I want to lose 20lbs. I could shoot for 30lbs but that would put me back to my high school weight and I think most of you who knew me back then would say that I was a string bean. So, I am shooting for 20lbs of loss.
Julie: I'm trying to veer away from focusing on weight loss, but rather on improving my health and working on improving my race times. With that, there should be some weight loss; but I will consider that icing on the cake.

We want to share some of our favorite recipes along with some new ones we have never tried. Some may be healthier than others, and some may be more delicious than others; but either way, we'll let you know what we think.

We will also be tracking our progress as we start our running program again this year. Last year, we found that when combining running with healthier eating choices, we were consistently seeing improvements in our health.

Most of you probably hate running.

Chad: I hated running. However, I hate lifting weights and working out in the gym even more.
Julie: I also hated running... actually... some days I still hate it.

Last year we started training in April and ran our first 5K in June. Our first month of running was horrible. We couldn’t hold a steady pace for more than a couple of minutes. We found a app to put on our iPod that trained us to get from the couch to a 5K (called C25K) in 10 weeks. We highly recommend it to anyone that is just starting. It breaks you in gently. By the end of that program though you will be able to run a 5K without problems. We went from hating running to really enjoying the time spent outdoors together. It doesn’t hurt that we have a converted railroad trail to a very nice paved running/biking trail about 200 yards from our house. So not only is it flat and paved but the scenery and ease of use helps.

We didn’t finish very well in our first 5K; but we did achieve our goal of not walking at all during the race. We continued to run throughout last summer. We raced in several other 5Ks and we achieved our goal of improving our times each race. In September we ran our first 10K-- We both finished first in our age bracket!!!
Julie: But we should probably mention that we were the only ones in our bracket (there was one other guy in Chad's).
Chad:  Let’s not get lost in the details.

Our goal for that race was not only to finish but to finish in under an hour so that we could qualify for a better starting position for a half marathon in Disney in early October. We did it. We both ran the half marathon in Disney and we finished. However, we definitely were not ready for that long of a race.

Chad: We aren’t breaking any speed records and I think it is safe to say that Julie is slower than I am, but I enjoy running by her side. If I had to run alone, it would not probably be as much fun. So we run all of our races together. Even though I could pull away and smoke the pack, I don't (HAHAHA). So for those of you looking to start running, it helps if you have a partner to run with that will not only push you but will also run with you and be understanding that you are a fat lard and are out of shape.
Julie: It's also great motivation to have an accountability partner to force you to go out running on those days that you'd rather be eating Taco Bell and Cold Stone than pounding the pavement.

The point of all of this is that we feel if we blog our progress, it/you can help hold us accountable for our progress. We also hope to share some of our favorite recipes and fitness related products along the way. We occasionally throw in some random thoughts on anything from the upheaval in the Middle East, to vacations, to our puppy, Teddy. It is our hope that you at least enjoy hearing our struggles and victories and maybe get a few tips for your own journey along the way.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Julie:  I love slow cooker meals.  You throw everything in a pot, head to work and when you get home you have a piping hot meal ready and waiting for you.   So, on tonight's menu: Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (We just threw the frozen chicken in and let it cook along with the soup)
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed (We used one can of diced tomatoes)
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (We used "hot")
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water (We replaced with more chicken broth)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf (We omitted)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn (We omitted)
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (We used dried cilantro)
• 7 corn tortillas (We used store bought tortilla chips)
• vegetable oil

Directions

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

And here is our final product!

Chad:  I love anything spicy.  If I don't hurt while I am eating it, it's probably not any good.  This soup was definitely spicy.  The sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips added some creaminess and texture.  I don't tend to like soups, but this is one of my favorites.

Julie: I think the soup turned out pretty well.  The sour cream adds a nice creaminess to the soup.  However, if you don't like spicy, then you might want to go with "mild" or "medium" enchilada sauce.  The ease of preparation is worth some points in my book.  Overall, this is a pretty low calorie soup, but is perhaps a bit high in sodium.

If you try this soup, let us know how yours turned out and what you think!

Virgin Bloggers

Welcome to our magical blogdom.  We have never had a blog because we never really wanted anyone in our business.  However, after much discussion, we would like to include you in our journey.  Feel priviledged.  Feel lucky.  Or just read because you are bored... whatever makes you happy.  Our primary goal in this blog is to share our journey to living a healthier lifestyle.  It's not going to be easy.  We aren't dietitions nor are we personal trainers.  We are just a couple trying to work off the fat that accomulates after making bad decisions.  Maybe by sharing our successes and failures we can learn from each other.  Feel free to comment/reply/share any posts.  We welcome any and all feedback.



Us Prior to Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon