After my 8 mile run yesterday, I was pretty exhausted. I woke up this morning still pretty tired and wondering what the heck I was going to do at the gym today when I really just wanted to curl back up in bed. I got up and got dressed in my workout clothes and then went to wake the kids up and start getting them ready for school. My husband is working nights this week, so he told me he would get our oldest on the bus if I could take the middle one to school (I take the youngest with me to the gym). He went out to warm up the car for me and then came in to tell me that everything was covered in a sheet of ice. I went out to load the kids up and yup, sure enough, the driveway was an ice skating rink. At one point my husband slid down the drive from top to bottom, then proceeded to run back up... only he was slipping down the whole time. I started to freak. A little ice, I can deal with. I actually rather enjoy drifting through slippery corners. But a sheet of ice everywhere? I trust my own driving, I don't trust anyone else's- at all. It briefly went through my mind that this was a pretty good excuse for not going to the gym. But my husband went out and checked the street for me and it was, in fact, clear of ice. So off I went.
The husband was right, the roads were all de-iced. I made it to the gym in one piece. Still didn't want to work out, but I was there so SOMETHING was going to happen. When my friend Patti showed up, I asker her what she wanted to do today. I figured I would do whatever she wanted since if I did whatever I wanted I'd still be at home sleeping. She said she wanted to do legs. LEEEEEGS! I ran 8 miles yesterday, woman! I can't do legs! But in all honesty, my legs were feeling pretty good and this was my reason for joining the gym in the first place- I can run at home, but I don't have many options for weight lifting. So I agreed and we got started. The first squat machine felt almost too easy when I did my trial lift, so I bravely went and found two 25 lb weights to add. Patti put two 10 lb weights on hers (a different type of squat machine) and we would do a set, switch, do a set, switch, do a set, switch. By the end of the first set I was thinking my extra 50 lbs might not have been such a good idea. By the second set, I knew it. By the third, my legs were jelly. But instead of complaining I said "hey, wanna do arms today too??" So after legs we did some arms! We didn't do our normal routine, but tried free weights instead, so that was fun. There was only one set of 5 lb weights and one set of 7.5 lb weights and I was stuck with the 7.5 lb ones for most of the workout because we kept forgetting to switch until we were already halfway through a set. But I just kept thinking "quit complaining! No pain, no gain! If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you!" And I did it. Now my arms AND legs were jelly. I'm thinking tomorrow should be core/chest/back and I can just kill my entire body all at once.
After lifting we hit the treadmills and I decided to just walk my miles today. I kept it brisk (any faster and I would've had to jog), and Patti did run/walk intervals. She gave me some crap about not walking at an incline, so I set it at 1%. After all, my quads were already jelly and I'd like to be able to walk tomorrow. I put in 2.5 miles, keeping my heart rate in the fat burning zone almost the entire time.
All in all, it was a good workout. And it could've been NO workout and probably would've been 6 months ago. I am trying so hard to not only NOT QUIT, but to PUSH IT. Push my limits. Push what I think I can do. Push those cupcakes away. Mmmm, cupcakes. But really, they say the definition of insane is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I've been doing the same thing for 5 months now and I keep expecting things to happen- my weight to go down, my body to change- and it's not happening. I need to step it up, push myself harder than I did the day before. I WANT to feel tired but accomplished. I WANT to feel achy muscles and know that tomorrow I'll be stronger for it. I WANT to know, when I'm lean and fit and strong, that I did that. Just me. I made me awesome. I can't wait.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A New Personal Record!
Last night I was going over the numbers and I realized I was already 4 miles behind on my running. You see, I have a goal to run 1000 miles this year, and in order to do that I've chosen to run 3 miles a day. This gives me a little wiggle room (3 miles x 365 days in the year is 1095) but I don't like getting behind. It makes me feel like giving up, and that is not an option! I was well ahead at the end of January with about 100 miles under my belt, but February has just sucked in mileage. So anyway, I'm doing the math and I turn to my husband and say "I'm four miles behind! That means I'll need to do seven miles tomorrow; three for the day and four to catch up!" He laughed. LAUGHED! As if I couldn't run 7 miles. Granted, I never have before, but I did do 6.65 last week and that's pretty close.
With my husband's mocking laugh rattling around in my brain, I headed to the gym with a mission- not only was I going to get caught up, I was going to get AHEAD again! Eight freakin' miles, baby. I had two hours, the limit on childcare, but I figured I do 6.2 in 1h20, I could bust out another 2 miles in 40 minutes.
So I start running. At mile 4 I get a text message from my husband that just says "HI" and I look up and he's sitting at the table in the gym entryway, watching me. I wave him over and he asks how I'm doing, gives me some encouragement, fills up my water bottle, goes and visits our son in the child care room and then leaves. It was a nice break, but talking with him has left me out of breath and thrown off my groove. I'm starting to debate just doing a 10K (6.2) and calling it good.
At 5.38 miles my treadmill decides I've been on long enough (a 60 minute workout and 5 minute "cool down" where I didn't cool down) and shuts down. I contemplate quitting, but start it back up again. I realize I only have 2.62 miles until I reach 8 miles. That is SO doable!
I hit my 10K at 1h15 minutes exactly, my goal for myself to finish the St. Patty's Day race this year. YAY! I'm so excited that I once again contemplate quitting as celebration. NO! NO! Bad Cass! Keep going!
I am pretty tired and starting to get hungry. I had a 90 calorie granola bar before starting and I'm thinking that wasn't enough. I tell myself that if I feel really bad, I can still stop at 7 miles and be caught up. But that 7 miles comes and I just HAVE to finish it out strong. I once again consider just stopping at 7.5 miles because... well, I'm freaking bored and I have to go get my son out of childcare soon. But I stuck with it. I decide to walk the last half mile as my cool down, but at a brisk pace. Eight miles done. I did it. I know in the grand scheme of running, 8 miles isn't much. There are people out there running that daily, doing marathons and ultramarathons, but they all started somewhere and I bet they all felt pretty damn good the first time they ran eight miles.
*For the record, my husband is actually really supportive. I think his mocking laugh was really only in my head. Whatever it takes, right??
With my husband's mocking laugh rattling around in my brain, I headed to the gym with a mission- not only was I going to get caught up, I was going to get AHEAD again! Eight freakin' miles, baby. I had two hours, the limit on childcare, but I figured I do 6.2 in 1h20, I could bust out another 2 miles in 40 minutes.
So I start running. At mile 4 I get a text message from my husband that just says "HI" and I look up and he's sitting at the table in the gym entryway, watching me. I wave him over and he asks how I'm doing, gives me some encouragement, fills up my water bottle, goes and visits our son in the child care room and then leaves. It was a nice break, but talking with him has left me out of breath and thrown off my groove. I'm starting to debate just doing a 10K (6.2) and calling it good.
At 5.38 miles my treadmill decides I've been on long enough (a 60 minute workout and 5 minute "cool down" where I didn't cool down) and shuts down. I contemplate quitting, but start it back up again. I realize I only have 2.62 miles until I reach 8 miles. That is SO doable!
I hit my 10K at 1h15 minutes exactly, my goal for myself to finish the St. Patty's Day race this year. YAY! I'm so excited that I once again contemplate quitting as celebration. NO! NO! Bad Cass! Keep going!
I am pretty tired and starting to get hungry. I had a 90 calorie granola bar before starting and I'm thinking that wasn't enough. I tell myself that if I feel really bad, I can still stop at 7 miles and be caught up. But that 7 miles comes and I just HAVE to finish it out strong. I once again consider just stopping at 7.5 miles because... well, I'm freaking bored and I have to go get my son out of childcare soon. But I stuck with it. I decide to walk the last half mile as my cool down, but at a brisk pace. Eight miles done. I did it. I know in the grand scheme of running, 8 miles isn't much. There are people out there running that daily, doing marathons and ultramarathons, but they all started somewhere and I bet they all felt pretty damn good the first time they ran eight miles.
*For the record, my husband is actually really supportive. I think his mocking laugh was really only in my head. Whatever it takes, right??
To Run, or Not To Run
I'm friends with my local running shop on Facebook and they just announced that there are only 40 more spots for a 25K event happening this fall. Before I sucked it up and just went for it, registering for the St. Patrick's Day 10K next month, I never even considered running a 25K. But now I'm thinking, "25K? That's only 15.5 miles. And it's not until September! I could totally do that!" But then I slap myself and say "are you freaking crazypants?! It's OUTSIDE, which you aren't used to; it's over 15 miles, which you haven't even done HALF of; it's in September when it's still hotter than balls; and it starts at 7am and you have 3 kids and your husband will be deployed, what are you going to do with them?!" I don't know what to do!
This is why being a mom and trying to get in shape sucks. I'm very lucky- my gym has childcare. However, there's a two hour limit and there's no way I can practice running 15.5 miles in that amount of time. Plus, I really need to start running outside, off the treadmill. That means pushing a stroller and possibly keeping an eye on two other kids on bikes. And a funny thing happens when we try to get my kids to ride their bikes while we run. They're exhaaaauuuusted! They're boooooored! They wanna go hooooome! I know they can ride for more than 10 minutes because they'll be out in the street riding their bikes for hours if we let them. But as soon as I ask them to go in a straight line and go where I want to go, it's suddenly impossible.
On top of this, my husband will be deploying soon so I will have no help. I don't have family nearby, just a couple friends that I don't want to take advantage of. Watching someone's kid (singular) is a lot different than watching someone's kids (plural), especially when they have a couple of their own.
How do you find the time to run? How do you balance working out, kids, housework, a job, whatever you may have? I know there are people out there doing way more than I do. I just want to know how!
This is why being a mom and trying to get in shape sucks. I'm very lucky- my gym has childcare. However, there's a two hour limit and there's no way I can practice running 15.5 miles in that amount of time. Plus, I really need to start running outside, off the treadmill. That means pushing a stroller and possibly keeping an eye on two other kids on bikes. And a funny thing happens when we try to get my kids to ride their bikes while we run. They're exhaaaauuuusted! They're boooooored! They wanna go hooooome! I know they can ride for more than 10 minutes because they'll be out in the street riding their bikes for hours if we let them. But as soon as I ask them to go in a straight line and go where I want to go, it's suddenly impossible.
On top of this, my husband will be deploying soon so I will have no help. I don't have family nearby, just a couple friends that I don't want to take advantage of. Watching someone's kid (singular) is a lot different than watching someone's kids (plural), especially when they have a couple of their own.
How do you find the time to run? How do you balance working out, kids, housework, a job, whatever you may have? I know there are people out there doing way more than I do. I just want to know how!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Vegan Nachos
I admit, it has been a challenge finding vegan meals the entire family will like. Shoot, it's hard finding ANY meal that 5 people who all like different things will ALL like, but add in the fact it can't have any meat or dairy? It's not easy. But I have found one recipe that is always greeted by squeals of excitement: nachos.
1 bag of tortilla chips (we like the mini rounds)
1 bag of vegan veggie crumbles (we like Boca)
1 pack of taco seasoning
1/2 can black beans, drained
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
1 can of vegetarian chili
1/2 package of cheddar veggie shreds cheese (just make sure it's a kind that melts!)*
optional:
1/2 can of corn
guacamole
diced tomatoes
diced jalapenos
Brown the veggie crumbles and add the taco seasoning as directed on the pack. Place the chips and cheese on a cookie sheet and bake until the cheese is melty. Add ingredients as desired and serve hot. As a family of 5, we can easily blow through an entire bag of chips in one meal. I just serve them up on a platter and we use a pair of tongs to serve.
*I'll be honest, sometimes I just use regular shredded cheese instead of vegan cheese. Like I mentioned before, vegan cheese is seriously hit or miss and if they don't have the good stuff at the store, I'll just use the kids' shredded Mexican blend. If you don't want to use pre-packaged veggie crumbles, you can substitute crumbled extra-firm tofu or just skip it altogether.
1 bag of tortilla chips (we like the mini rounds)
1 bag of vegan veggie crumbles (we like Boca)
1 pack of taco seasoning
1/2 can black beans, drained
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
1 can of vegetarian chili
1/2 package of cheddar veggie shreds cheese (just make sure it's a kind that melts!)*
optional:
1/2 can of corn
guacamole
diced tomatoes
diced jalapenos
Brown the veggie crumbles and add the taco seasoning as directed on the pack. Place the chips and cheese on a cookie sheet and bake until the cheese is melty. Add ingredients as desired and serve hot. As a family of 5, we can easily blow through an entire bag of chips in one meal. I just serve them up on a platter and we use a pair of tongs to serve.
*I'll be honest, sometimes I just use regular shredded cheese instead of vegan cheese. Like I mentioned before, vegan cheese is seriously hit or miss and if they don't have the good stuff at the store, I'll just use the kids' shredded Mexican blend. If you don't want to use pre-packaged veggie crumbles, you can substitute crumbled extra-firm tofu or just skip it altogether.
I'm Loving My Gym + My Number One Motivational Tool
After four days off (FOUR! Damn snow storm!), I finally got back to the gym. Last week my amazing instructor Jenni (check her out here: Jenni: She's pretty much babe-alicious) promised we would do arms. But this is the great thing about Jenni- you both hate her and love her. Because we DID do arms. Oh yes. But we also did about a gazillion squats, a billion crunches, and my butt hurts so bad from keeping it clenched while laying back on the exercise ball and keeping my hips level with my shoulders that I'm pretty sure after the pain goes away I'll be able to crack a walnut between my cheeks. I managed to keep my heart rate in the fat burning zone the entire hour long class. She's amazing.
After class I knew I had to at least do my 3 miles on the treadmill, so I jumped on without delay. And here's where I get to my number one motivational tool for fitness: HAVE A FITNESS FRIEND. Seriously. For the past several months I have had a long distance fitness friend, Erin (you can read her blog here: Sh*t Just Got Real: A Fat Girl's Journey to Self Worth). We decided that we were going to run the Bolder Boulder together this May. With that in my head, I ran my ass off. Then I joined my gym with my friend Patti, so now I have two friends to keep me accountable. IT WORKS.
You see, when I am running at home, I'm thinking of Erin, who lives in Colorado and is used to the high altitude. Then I think about me trying to run 6.2 miles in said high altitude and dying. MOTIVATION. Plus, any time I want to cry or bitch or brag, I send Erin a text and she's always like "OMG you're awesome!" or "Wow, I really hate you right now!" (which is girl-speak for "I'm impressed"). She's always there for me, no matter what time it is. IT WORKS.
When I'm at the gym, I have Patti. Patti and I are at different levels, fitness-wise. She doesn't run, but I do. She knocks it out in group classes and is uber graceful from years of dance, I'm a klutz who trips over nothing and can't keep with the beat. But that's okay, because we are challenging each other. I NEVER would've taken a group class, but because she wanted to, I did. And I don't regret it at all. And because of me, she's started running on the treadmill and is going longer and longer distances every day. IT WORKS.
I was pretty gassed today, felt like I had no energy and was just exhausted, but within a half an hour I felt GREAT. I couldn't stop smiling, I was looking forward to my next workout, and I was really proud of myself. Was I tired? Oh yeah. Was I sore? Duh. But it was worth it. I'm really starting to love this whole "working out" thing. I am not seeing the scale move, I'm not feeling my clothes get looser, but I am feeling a psychological change within myself. I feel like, YES. I CAN do it! I can do anything I set my mind to. Because 6 months ago, I never would've believed I could run 6.5 miles, but now I can. I am excited for what comes next, whever that may be.
After class I knew I had to at least do my 3 miles on the treadmill, so I jumped on without delay. And here's where I get to my number one motivational tool for fitness: HAVE A FITNESS FRIEND. Seriously. For the past several months I have had a long distance fitness friend, Erin (you can read her blog here: Sh*t Just Got Real: A Fat Girl's Journey to Self Worth). We decided that we were going to run the Bolder Boulder together this May. With that in my head, I ran my ass off. Then I joined my gym with my friend Patti, so now I have two friends to keep me accountable. IT WORKS.
You see, when I am running at home, I'm thinking of Erin, who lives in Colorado and is used to the high altitude. Then I think about me trying to run 6.2 miles in said high altitude and dying. MOTIVATION. Plus, any time I want to cry or bitch or brag, I send Erin a text and she's always like "OMG you're awesome!" or "Wow, I really hate you right now!" (which is girl-speak for "I'm impressed"). She's always there for me, no matter what time it is. IT WORKS.
When I'm at the gym, I have Patti. Patti and I are at different levels, fitness-wise. She doesn't run, but I do. She knocks it out in group classes and is uber graceful from years of dance, I'm a klutz who trips over nothing and can't keep with the beat. But that's okay, because we are challenging each other. I NEVER would've taken a group class, but because she wanted to, I did. And I don't regret it at all. And because of me, she's started running on the treadmill and is going longer and longer distances every day. IT WORKS.
I was pretty gassed today, felt like I had no energy and was just exhausted, but within a half an hour I felt GREAT. I couldn't stop smiling, I was looking forward to my next workout, and I was really proud of myself. Was I tired? Oh yeah. Was I sore? Duh. But it was worth it. I'm really starting to love this whole "working out" thing. I am not seeing the scale move, I'm not feeling my clothes get looser, but I am feeling a psychological change within myself. I feel like, YES. I CAN do it! I can do anything I set my mind to. Because 6 months ago, I never would've believed I could run 6.5 miles, but now I can. I am excited for what comes next, whever that may be.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Vegan Breakfast Skillet
I eat the same thing for breakfast almost every morning. It's easy, delicious, low-calorie and, while not quite as easy as pouring some cereal into a bowl, doesn't take too long.
1 cup frozen o'brien potatoes
up to 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
2 Morning Star veggie sausage links
3-5 cherry tomatoes, sliced
a small sprinkle of dairy-free shredded cheese
Spray some Pam in a hot pan and throw in a cup of potatoes and the bell peppers. I chop up a pepper or two on the weekends and then freeze it so I'm not wasting valuable eating time on chopping up veggies during the week. I heat up the veggie sausage in the microwave to de-thaw it, but you could fry it up in a pan. Then I chop it up and throw it in with the potatoes. When everything is cooked, I pour it into a bowl and top with sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese. If I'm feeling extra hungry, I'll add an extra sausage (40 calories) or a slice of fakon (fake bacon, 40 calories). I will warn you, while the sausage is non-vegan approved, the fakon has been met with weird looks and mixed reviews. If you aren't vegan but trying to cut back on meat, you could even throw in an egg (about 100 calories). Also, I'm not a huge fan of fake cheese so I don't use a lot. I really only want a small cheese taste and a little goes a long way for me. I don't recommend pouring on a bunch of fake cheese your first time around the fake cheese block. You will probably end up hating it. Go easy.
Approximate Nutritional Info:
Calories: 172
Carbs: 20
Fat: 4
Protein: 13
Sugar: 3
1 cup frozen o'brien potatoes
up to 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
2 Morning Star veggie sausage links
3-5 cherry tomatoes, sliced
a small sprinkle of dairy-free shredded cheese
Spray some Pam in a hot pan and throw in a cup of potatoes and the bell peppers. I chop up a pepper or two on the weekends and then freeze it so I'm not wasting valuable eating time on chopping up veggies during the week. I heat up the veggie sausage in the microwave to de-thaw it, but you could fry it up in a pan. Then I chop it up and throw it in with the potatoes. When everything is cooked, I pour it into a bowl and top with sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese. If I'm feeling extra hungry, I'll add an extra sausage (40 calories) or a slice of fakon (fake bacon, 40 calories). I will warn you, while the sausage is non-vegan approved, the fakon has been met with weird looks and mixed reviews. If you aren't vegan but trying to cut back on meat, you could even throw in an egg (about 100 calories). Also, I'm not a huge fan of fake cheese so I don't use a lot. I really only want a small cheese taste and a little goes a long way for me. I don't recommend pouring on a bunch of fake cheese your first time around the fake cheese block. You will probably end up hating it. Go easy.
Approximate Nutritional Info:
Calories: 172
Carbs: 20
Fat: 4
Protein: 13
Sugar: 3
Getting Ballpoint Pen off Walls
My youngest found a ballpoint pen this morning and decided the walls in the entryway needed some enhancement.
After scrubbing with soap and water, I grabbed a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. These are my last resort on painted walls since they do take off a layer of paint. Alas, after a good scrubbing the pen was still there. So I jumped online and googled how to get pen off walls and saw a few sites that said hairspray and a toothbrush. Spraying sticky crap all over my walls went against everything I felt was right, but I was desperate. I sprayed a little on and the pen got DARKER! Panic! But then I realized the pen marks were dripping and underneath was clean! Hurray!!! So parents, take note: HAIRSPRAY for PEN MARKS!!
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| So proud of his artwork |
After scrubbing with soap and water, I grabbed a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. These are my last resort on painted walls since they do take off a layer of paint. Alas, after a good scrubbing the pen was still there. So I jumped online and googled how to get pen off walls and saw a few sites that said hairspray and a toothbrush. Spraying sticky crap all over my walls went against everything I felt was right, but I was desperate. I sprayed a little on and the pen got DARKER! Panic! But then I realized the pen marks were dripping and underneath was clean! Hurray!!! So parents, take note: HAIRSPRAY for PEN MARKS!!
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| I may need to wipe it down with a damp cloth, but that pen is GONE. |
Vegan Sausage and Peppers Rustica
I told you I was going to post vegan recipes and I promised they wouldn't suck. So here is me and my husband's (a reluctant vegan who still enjoys a steak every now and then) favorite dinner. It may even be better than Olive Garden. Maybe.
1 package Yves Zesty Italian veggie brats, cut in slices
1/2 box Barilla penne pasta
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in slices
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in slices
1/2-1 bottle of your favorite pasta sauce
1 tsp-1 tbsp minced garlic (to your liking)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 package of Daiya jalapeno garlic havarti
Optional: yellow pepper slices, diced tomato
On medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, and sausages to a large pan. Stir the sausages every few minutes to make sure they don't get too brown. When they're browned to your liking, add a few tablespoons of the pasta sauce so that the sausages continue cooking but don't burn. Add the bell peppers. Turn the heat down a bit.
While the sausage and peppers are cooking, boil your water for pasta. I like penne, but farfalle works too. I also don't like a TON of pasta, so how much you make is really up to you. Use the whole box if you want.
When the peppers are tender but still slightly crispy, turn the heat down to low and add the cooked pasta and as much pasta sauce as you like, giving it a good stir. I've found that you don't really need a lot of sauce, just enough to lightly coat everything. But if you like it really saucy, go for it! Then add chunks of the Daiya havarti and cover for a few minutes. The "cheese" gets melty, so if you want you can finish by stirring everything up and making the sauce a cheesy red sauce, or you can keep it in melty globs so you have pockets of cheesy goodness. Either way is delicious! Enjoy!
Approximate nutritional info:
(when using 1/2 box pasta, 1/2 jar sauce and assuming it it 4 servings total)
Calories: 410
Carbs: 51
Fat: 11
Protein: 30
Sugar: 8
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| Dinner and a monster school bus. Just a day in the life... |
1 package Yves Zesty Italian veggie brats, cut in slices
1/2 box Barilla penne pasta
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in slices
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in slices
1/2-1 bottle of your favorite pasta sauce
1 tsp-1 tbsp minced garlic (to your liking)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 package of Daiya jalapeno garlic havarti
Optional: yellow pepper slices, diced tomato
On medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, and sausages to a large pan. Stir the sausages every few minutes to make sure they don't get too brown. When they're browned to your liking, add a few tablespoons of the pasta sauce so that the sausages continue cooking but don't burn. Add the bell peppers. Turn the heat down a bit.
While the sausage and peppers are cooking, boil your water for pasta. I like penne, but farfalle works too. I also don't like a TON of pasta, so how much you make is really up to you. Use the whole box if you want.
When the peppers are tender but still slightly crispy, turn the heat down to low and add the cooked pasta and as much pasta sauce as you like, giving it a good stir. I've found that you don't really need a lot of sauce, just enough to lightly coat everything. But if you like it really saucy, go for it! Then add chunks of the Daiya havarti and cover for a few minutes. The "cheese" gets melty, so if you want you can finish by stirring everything up and making the sauce a cheesy red sauce, or you can keep it in melty globs so you have pockets of cheesy goodness. Either way is delicious! Enjoy!
Approximate nutritional info:
(when using 1/2 box pasta, 1/2 jar sauce and assuming it it 4 servings total)
Calories: 410
Carbs: 51
Fat: 11
Protein: 30
Sugar: 8
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Zombies, Run!
Back in October I decided I was going to try running. I can't remember when exactly I went completely insane, but I imagine it went something like this: "well, I have a treadmill. Might as well start using it. Okay, how does this thing work... ah, okay. Hmm... this is okay. Walk, walk, walk! Got my tunes and my water and I'm staring at a wall. Staring at a wall and walking in place. Walking in place. Walking in place. Wow. This is boring. I need this mile to be over. Now. I better speed it up. Whew, I'm kinda jogging now! This isn't so bad. The faster I go, the sooner it's over. Let's set the speed at 9...."
You can see where this is going. So I started running but then I realized that the miles were going by a little TOO quickly and I needed to run MORE miles in order to get any sort of benefit out of it. Enter my friend Amy, who shares my hatred- er, minor dislike- of the treadmill and my love of killing zombies. She recommended the app Zombies, Run! by Six to Start with Naomi Alderman.
Now, before I start I feel the need to share my feelings on zombies. I HATE THEM. HATE. They are literally my worst nightmare and, at risk of sounding weird, I have zombie nightmares like once a week. I hate zombie movies (I mean, I love them because the zombies usually die- again- but I sit there in a complete panic the entire time), so I really wasn't sure if this app was going to make me crap my pants on a run or what.
The story unfolds and you discover that you are a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. You wind up at Able Township (how you get there is a good story) where Sam, the adorable comms guy, tell you what your daily mission is over a headset (your earphones). You pick up supplies along the way (don't worry, no bending involved, it's all electronic) and then when your run is finished you get to disperse the supplies around town and watch it grow. You can run outside and have it track your distance or run inside and have it be a timed run. You can disable zombie chases if it's too scary. In between each transmission they play music from your iPod. But it's the voices that will keep you coming back. You get to know the characters and you look forward to hearing from them again. They have back stories, and hopes for the future, and best of all- they're FUNNY! Before you know it, your run is over and you can't wait for tomorrow to run again.
There are 23 repeatable missions that follow the storyline, as well as a bunch of supply runs (that can be done at any time during the story line) and a radio mode that plays your own music interspersed with funny commentary. There's also a 5k trainer app that has 8 weeks of training.
All in all, this app made me a runner. I HATED running, but by the end of my 23rd mission, I was hooked. I had made running into a habit without even knowing it. Every once in a while I get asked "how can you run on the treadmill? Doesn't it get boring?" THIS is how I did it. When you're being chased by zombies, you don't mess around. You run.
You can see where this is going. So I started running but then I realized that the miles were going by a little TOO quickly and I needed to run MORE miles in order to get any sort of benefit out of it. Enter my friend Amy, who shares my hatred- er, minor dislike- of the treadmill and my love of killing zombies. She recommended the app Zombies, Run! by Six to Start with Naomi Alderman.
Now, before I start I feel the need to share my feelings on zombies. I HATE THEM. HATE. They are literally my worst nightmare and, at risk of sounding weird, I have zombie nightmares like once a week. I hate zombie movies (I mean, I love them because the zombies usually die- again- but I sit there in a complete panic the entire time), so I really wasn't sure if this app was going to make me crap my pants on a run or what.
The story unfolds and you discover that you are a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. You wind up at Able Township (how you get there is a good story) where Sam, the adorable comms guy, tell you what your daily mission is over a headset (your earphones). You pick up supplies along the way (don't worry, no bending involved, it's all electronic) and then when your run is finished you get to disperse the supplies around town and watch it grow. You can run outside and have it track your distance or run inside and have it be a timed run. You can disable zombie chases if it's too scary. In between each transmission they play music from your iPod. But it's the voices that will keep you coming back. You get to know the characters and you look forward to hearing from them again. They have back stories, and hopes for the future, and best of all- they're FUNNY! Before you know it, your run is over and you can't wait for tomorrow to run again.
There are 23 repeatable missions that follow the storyline, as well as a bunch of supply runs (that can be done at any time during the story line) and a radio mode that plays your own music interspersed with funny commentary. There's also a 5k trainer app that has 8 weeks of training.
All in all, this app made me a runner. I HATED running, but by the end of my 23rd mission, I was hooked. I had made running into a habit without even knowing it. Every once in a while I get asked "how can you run on the treadmill? Doesn't it get boring?" THIS is how I did it. When you're being chased by zombies, you don't mess around. You run.
A Fresh Start
I like writing. I don't do it a lot, or as much as I probably should, but I generally enjoy putting my thoughts down to paper (or all over teh Interwebz). I have started maybe 10 blogs over the years that never really amount to anything because in all honesty, sometimes there's just nothing to write about. I then feel like I've failed as a blogger and give up. Either that, or I forget the password and can't sign in anymore. I started this blog a few months ago and never came back to it. But I have grand plans for it. Oh yes. It'll be funny and full of probably useless information, just like me. And most likely no one will read it, at least not for a little while, and that's okay. No one listens to me in real life either. But I'll be writing again and that's good.
So my grand idea for this blog. Last September I started working out. Just exercise videos in my living room, but it was something. A few weeks later I started watching what I ate, and a few weeks after that I downloaded Zombies, Run! for my iPhone and that was the beginning of the end. Or the beginning of the beginning. I'm not sure. Anyway, I realized that I kinda love running. I know! ME! The girl who almost failed out of 3rd period gym class because I refused to do more than the bare minimum and wouldn't even TRY to run. In fact, I loved it so much that I made a goal for myself- I am going to run 1000 miles in 2013.
"So your blog is about running a lot this year?"
Shhhh shut up! I'm not finished!! Because back in November I watched "Vegucated" and decided to go vegan again. I had previously watched "Food, Inc," "Super Size Me" and "Fast Food Nation" and I was totally on board with the idea of meat not being good for you. I had just re-remembered how tasty meat was. You see, for me it had always been about MY health. I didn't really care that a bunch of chickens died, that's the circle of life, yo! But something about "Vegucated" got me. I knew what they did to food animals, but being reminded of it finally flipped that switch in my head. And right now you're probably sitting there thinking "oooooh boy, she's one of THOSE people!" and that's okay. I was one of YOU people up until recently, so I understand. I'm not going to push veganism on you or say that I'm better than you because I don't eat meat (I'll totally joke about it, though. Don't take me too seriously). But I will talk about eating healthy and will most likely post recipes to vegan meals. I recommend you at least TRY them, because... well, they're GOOD! I promise I won't post crap recipes that "good for vegans" but "disgusting for normal people." You know what I mean.
"So your blog is about running a lot and eating bird food?"
Geez, hold your horses! I don't want you to think I'm some super skinny, athletic hippy. I'm not. I want to be an athlete. I want to lose weight. I don't know if I want to be a hippy, but I do like the smell of patchouli. I just want to write about my journey of being BETTER. Because after four long-ass months of eating right and running 3+ miles a day, guess what happened to my body? Abso-freaking-lutely nothing. I didn't lose weight. I didn't lose inches. I felt better. I could run longer distances. But the scale wasn't budging and my clothes fit the same. Needless to say, I am pissed. So I joined a gym last Wednesday. I'm going to take classes. I'm going to see a personal trainer. And I'm going to work harder. I need some motivation, I need support. I need to write about it and I would love if some of you read what I have to say.
"So your blog is-"
Let me cut you off right there. Because this is MY blog. I'm going to write about whatever I feel like writing about. I'm leaving up the original blog I posted months ago to prove that. It's about my miscarriage, so be warned. But at the time I just really felt like I needed an outlet. I sat down and wrote some words and that's what came out. And I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to write about my kids (I have three), my husband (just one of those), my friends (a few more than that), whatever I feel like. I will try to make it at least somewhat interesting. All I ask is that you comment here in the blog. Let me know your thoughts. Show me you're listening. Give me advice, feedback, yell at me, ask me questions. I don't care. Just keep me accountable. I look forward to hearing from all of you.
So my grand idea for this blog. Last September I started working out. Just exercise videos in my living room, but it was something. A few weeks later I started watching what I ate, and a few weeks after that I downloaded Zombies, Run! for my iPhone and that was the beginning of the end. Or the beginning of the beginning. I'm not sure. Anyway, I realized that I kinda love running. I know! ME! The girl who almost failed out of 3rd period gym class because I refused to do more than the bare minimum and wouldn't even TRY to run. In fact, I loved it so much that I made a goal for myself- I am going to run 1000 miles in 2013.
"So your blog is about running a lot this year?"
Shhhh shut up! I'm not finished!! Because back in November I watched "Vegucated" and decided to go vegan again. I had previously watched "Food, Inc," "Super Size Me" and "Fast Food Nation" and I was totally on board with the idea of meat not being good for you. I had just re-remembered how tasty meat was. You see, for me it had always been about MY health. I didn't really care that a bunch of chickens died, that's the circle of life, yo! But something about "Vegucated" got me. I knew what they did to food animals, but being reminded of it finally flipped that switch in my head. And right now you're probably sitting there thinking "oooooh boy, she's one of THOSE people!" and that's okay. I was one of YOU people up until recently, so I understand. I'm not going to push veganism on you or say that I'm better than you because I don't eat meat (I'll totally joke about it, though. Don't take me too seriously). But I will talk about eating healthy and will most likely post recipes to vegan meals. I recommend you at least TRY them, because... well, they're GOOD! I promise I won't post crap recipes that "good for vegans" but "disgusting for normal people." You know what I mean.
"So your blog is about running a lot and eating bird food?"
Geez, hold your horses! I don't want you to think I'm some super skinny, athletic hippy. I'm not. I want to be an athlete. I want to lose weight. I don't know if I want to be a hippy, but I do like the smell of patchouli. I just want to write about my journey of being BETTER. Because after four long-ass months of eating right and running 3+ miles a day, guess what happened to my body? Abso-freaking-lutely nothing. I didn't lose weight. I didn't lose inches. I felt better. I could run longer distances. But the scale wasn't budging and my clothes fit the same. Needless to say, I am pissed. So I joined a gym last Wednesday. I'm going to take classes. I'm going to see a personal trainer. And I'm going to work harder. I need some motivation, I need support. I need to write about it and I would love if some of you read what I have to say.
"So your blog is-"
Let me cut you off right there. Because this is MY blog. I'm going to write about whatever I feel like writing about. I'm leaving up the original blog I posted months ago to prove that. It's about my miscarriage, so be warned. But at the time I just really felt like I needed an outlet. I sat down and wrote some words and that's what came out. And I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to write about my kids (I have three), my husband (just one of those), my friends (a few more than that), whatever I feel like. I will try to make it at least somewhat interesting. All I ask is that you comment here in the blog. Let me know your thoughts. Show me you're listening. Give me advice, feedback, yell at me, ask me questions. I don't care. Just keep me accountable. I look forward to hearing from all of you.
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