Not too shabby...

Just a quick post to say that the run with my friend went pretty good. Well, minus having too much coffee earlier that day...definitely felt queezy. But hey, even with our few walk breaks and chit chat I ran about a minute and a half faster than my 3 miles on Monday. Woohoo- think I deserve a pat on the back for that one. :-)

Ok, yes the picture is a little goofy...but it was hot and I was still a little queezy. Mental note: don't drink so much coffee on run days. Oh well, proud to say I am back in the swing of things. What's planned for tomorrow? A quick 2 mile run and some speed work.

Good night :)

-N

Back in the game...

Countdown to Launch (My half marathon): 74 Days
And you know what?! I am back in the game! I ran 3 miles in about 35 minutes yesterday. Not too fast, but not too slow- But I'll take it. Today consisted of a total body workout that I improvised in my home with a yoga mat and free weights (can't wait till I have a gym membership again).

Tomorrow I am meeting with a friend to run 3 miles. When I trained for my last half marathon my boyfriend ran with me for some of my shorter runs but other than that I never ran with someone who was training for the same thing. I found this article on active.com....I definitely think running with a friend will help push myself.

8 Reasons to Run with a Friend (taken from active.com)

One of the best things about running--if not the best--is being able to go out and run with a friend.
Here are eight of the reasons why it's better than going solo:

1. You've heard it before, but it's so true: There's nothing like good conversation to make a run fly by.
2. A partner can help troubleshoot your running form. Have him or her look at your stride and point out what you're doing wrong.
3. Partner running is safer. Particularly for women and during nighttime running, you're much less likely to encounter trouble if you have company.
4. Partners are good pacesetters. If you have a hard day planned, call Speedy. He or she will keep you honest. Likewise, if you want to be sure to run easy, set a running date with Slowpoke.
5. A partner is the perfect pick-me-up when you're bored with your running. Or with life, for that matter. If nothing else, you'll have someone to blab to about your problems.
6. If you're apt to miss running days for no good reason, a running partner will help. You won't want to disappoint a friend by being a no-show.
7. If you're tired of the same old running routes, a partner is sure to know some different ones.
8. Partners make great alarm clocks. If you've always wanted to do more morning runs, find a morning person to run with. Added benefit: You'll be better acclimated to those a.m. races once you've done some a.m. training.

Here goes nothing...I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

Question: Do you run with a friend? If you do, what has helped you by running with a friend?

Motivation

Motivation is a feeling of enthusiasm, interest, or commitment that makes somebody want to do something (i.e. run), or something that causes such a feeling (i.e. run).

I need this. I mean I know I want to run, I have an interest to run. I just can't seem to get my butt out of the house early enough to run before it gets too hot. Since I only see my boyfriend on weekends and we were out of town this weekend visiting some friends I found every excuse in the book to not get up early and run...I was too tired, I need new music, blah, blah, blah..I had too many. And I even packed my running gear too. Well....this week there is no excuses. I.just.need.to.do.it!

This week I am going to go to bed early. I am going to set out my clothes and gear the night before. I am going to update my playlist. I am going to eat better, so I feel better. No excuses!

What's your motivation??

Recipe Thursdays

I now dub thee recipe Thursdays... Although once I have a more structured schedule it might change days, but for now though I will post a new, healthy (or semi- healthy) recipe post :)
This week's is vegetarian friendly:

Southwest Corn Soup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped & diced
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 medium potatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, & diced
1 tsp of coarse salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
32oz. of vegetable stock
1 can of fiesta corn (it contains red/green peppers)
1/2 can of corn
1 cup of fat free milk

1. Melt the butter in a large stockpot over moderate heat. Saute onions until soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, and jalapeno pepper and saute another 2 minutes to release aromas.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they are juicy. Add the stock, bay leaf, potatoes, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the corn and heat through for another 2-5 minutes and then remove bay leaf.

5. In a blender, puree half to 3/4 of the soup and add the milk. Stir the puree back into the soup pot. Adjust seasoning if needed. Heat slowly until soup is warmed through and serve. Optional: top with shredded cheese. (This is where I went wrong, currently I am not cooking in my kitchen so I couldn't find a blender and ate my portion not blended..once I found a blender it tasted and whole lot better.)

I served my portion (pre-blender) with a side salad of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, black beans, and tomato vinaigrette dressing. Yum.

Oh! And I finally got my overdue run in this morning. 2 miles....not bad for taking a week off running. And followed it by a quick 15 minute total body workout inside.

Laters!

Rainy morning= No run

So today was supossed to be my first day of official half marathon training. I woke up at 6:30 this morning to pouring rain. Reset the alarm for 7:30, still no go. Looked at the forecast and said it was raining ALL day, so I went back to sleep. Woke up at 9:30 (not sure why I slept so late) and it was bright and sunny (& hot). FAIL. Gottah love Florida weather. Since I am in between cities right now I didn't want to be locked into a gym membership if and when I move, so running outside is my only option. Maybe I will try to fit my run in this afternoon when it cools off... if only I can avoid the rain.

So multiple blogs that I read have reminded me that September is National Yoga Month. Back in college I used to attend yoga classes on a weekly basis to relieve stress and increase flexibility, but since then I haven't gone back (that's been over two years!). Well right now  http://www.yogamonth.org/ is offering a free week of yoga. Win!  You will find the link on the left side of their page. It’s for new students, and certain studios only...so find a studio you have never tried. Looks like this might be the month to get back into it!!

Crossing my fingers that I'll be able to dodge the rain and get my run in. Laters!

Weekend Recap

So the weekend got away with me and I didn't find time to post all weekend... tisk tisk.

Anyway, here's a recap:

Friday: Homemade dinner by yours truly. Just to give you a little background, my boyfriend has been traveling on the road for the past four months in which I only saw him a week halfway through. For now, I get to see him weekends since the company he works for is located 2 hours south of me (at least he's back in the same state!). Since he has been on the road for so long, I thought a nice homecooked meal was in order.

Tri-Colored Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce (w/ Lean Turkey) and a scoop of Ricotta Cheese.

Blueberry-Cheesecake Muffins= Yum

Saturday: Consisted of college football and all things football. FSU claimed their first win and shut out of the season 34-0. Success!

Sunday: Quality time. My boyfriend and I spent the day trying to dodge crowds at the outlet stores and a new restaurant that opened a couple months ago...who knew that the holiday weekend would bring so many crowds?!

Monday: 1 Year. A year ago, September 5th 2010 I went on my first date with now the love of my life; he's amazing in every way and I am so lucky to have him (more on us later). My boyfriend and I spent our 1 year anniversary low key relaxing by the pool since my boyfriend had to go back to work early Tuesday morning.

Finally got to indulge in Pumpkin flavored coffee. Yay!

I have recently signed up for my second half marathon, so many upcoming posts will be about my training. Stay tuned!!

Oh how I love thee...

Can you believe it's September already?

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Let me count the reasons of my 'not-so-secret' love affair...


1. The Football. As you all will soon pick up on, I am a die hard Seminole fan. I just love everything about football season. Garnet and Gold. Tailgating. The food. Our mascot Chief Osceola and Renegade. Our fight song and the Seminole chop. And, oh yeah, the actual sport.

2. The Pumpkin Spice Lattes. They’re back! Officially as of September 6th Starbucks will be serving their oh-so-amazing pumpkiny (Is that a word?) caffeine filled goodness.

3. Fall foods. Specifically pumpkin filled things...Its fall food at its best. But if you’re not quite as pumpkin crazed as I am, you could dabble in other fall foods such as apples, pears, and squash.

4. The Weather. Here in Florida, we break records with the sweltering summer heat temperatures. I am eternally grateful that the temperatures will soon be dropping and cooling off... at least a little.

5. Running Season. I know technically running and race reason is year around, but in Florida races in the summer is almost non-exsistent. Unless you are up before 6am or lucky enough to miss the afternoon showers...it's just plain too hot. Get ready to lace up those shoes ladies and gents.

6. TV. I love a good reality tv show meltdown as much as the next girl, but by the time September rolls around I’m ready for some good old fashion scripted drama and/ or comedy. Gossip Girl to Modern Family and all the shows in between.  Your wait is almost over.

 Photo Courtesy of ABC.

7. The Fashion. I should hold off on this one for the winter since it technically doesn't truly get cold till January. But even though I am a Florida native, I am a northern girl at heart. The winter boots. The boyfriend sweaters. The hoodies. The knit hats. Scarves in every color and fabric you could imagine. That perfect fall weather? How could you not love it? Did I mention I love cold weather?

8. The Activities.  Pumpkin picking. Pumpkin Carving. Football games (It deserves to be mentioned twice). Fall festivals. Outdoor concerts. Haunted houses and Hayrides.

9. The Holidays. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Christmas. Family. The decorations. Need I say more?


10. The Perfect Excuse for Snuggling.  I am definitely a big fan of snuggling. Grab your significant other, a  good movie, a cozy blanket or hoodie, light a fire (or a candle), a cup of hot chocolate or even maybe a pumpkin latte? Ok, I admit it... I'm craving that pumpkin.

So that's my love affair with fall. Hope you enjoyed my top 10...

Until next time :)