Where's the Beach?

Recovery Run & Weights This morning I slept in until just after 5:30 - crazy right? My plan was to get in an easy 3-4 "get the lactic acid out" kind of run. It sometimes sounds counterintuitive to work the legs when they're sore, but it really can help so much to get them moving. Since it was a shorter run, that meant I didn't have to be up and out the door by 5:30, and I wasn't meeting my running buddy either - though, I'm pretty sure I saw her zip on by at one point. At first, I thought, "What am I thinking...." My legs felt tight, heavy. But once I started moving, they woke right up and it felt fantastic actually. My plan was to keep a 9 min/mile or over and avoid hills. Well, it was so dark still that I didn't feel comfortable doing in any direction that didn't involve hills. So, typical route starting with almost a 3/4 mile incline. I must say, that stretch is finally starting to feel less intimidating. Either that or I was delu...

Morning Run & Midday Lift This morning I opted to do an easier run with Jason rather than push myself with 800's with my running buddy. My foot feels a little less achy, but I didn't want to chance it any more than I already was with a run period. The plan was 3 miles. This meant we could "sleep in" until 5:15-ish. Hey, I'll take what I can get ;-) Of course, this was the one morning this week when I was sound asleep and the alarm very rudely interrupted that deep sleep. It was another hot, muggy morning. But at least it wasn't a long run...that's what I reminded myself of anyway. It was a pretty good run for the most part. We kept it basic. As flat as possible. The overall average for 4 (yes I did 1 extra mile) ended up being a 9:08 pace. Considering how the heat/humidity has been affecting my breathing and perceived exertion level, I'll take it. We actually had negative splits. The first mile was a super slow one (the wake-up mile) at 9:37...

Weight Day I won't lie and say I was just super excited about hitting the gym today. But I did it, and I felt better after. Sometimes you gotta just get moving and tell your brain to be quiet for a bit. It was sunny out, and the thought of being in a steamy gym was not exactly appealing. Gyms on the 29th floor, with all windows are a good idea in theory. Heat rises and the windows seem to just draw in the radiant heat. At least when it's that warm outside, you have a breeze. Anyway, I got my rear in gear and started with 20 minutes on the elliptical before moving on to back and shoulders. I went with 3 sets of 8 reps done as supersets unless noted. For some exercises I am trying to increase my weights so I have been doing as many reps as possible with the heavier weight then dropping down for the remainder of the reps. It seems to be helping me push past some plateaus. SS#1 Assisted wide grip chinups Cuban press SS#2 Pullovers Lateral raise SS#3 Double-arm rows ...

Gym Sunday Last night didn't go quite as expected, but probably more fun. Apparently there were some issues with the cable company and pay-per-view, so no game on the TV. For me, not a problem of course. We sat outside at our friends' and enjoyed a great evening nonetheless. It was really a pleasant evening to be outside. A nice change for our weather. So, no game, but more conversation and fun instead. I was a bad blogger, so no pictures. This morning I hit the gym for shoulders and back. I did supersets of 3x8 starting with 10 minutes on the elliptical for a warm up. SS#1 Arnold press Pullovers SS#2 Upright row Single-arm row SS#3 Lateral raise Rear flyes It was a pretty short workout. Nothing exactly exciting, but I got it done. Lazy Sunday After the gym, I headed over to Home Depot to pick up some home decor project essentials like paint, a new cover for a ceiling fan, nail filler and such. Of course the shad didn't fit so that meant a trip back la...

Strawberry Balsamic Reduction Rocks Last night I decided I wanted something sort of light for dinner after our super late lunch. I had been thinking about the Strawberry Balsamic Reduction Jason made the other day - knew I needed to get the recipe out there too - so I decided to go with that as a starting point. I thought that I could make the reduction and take some of it, puree it with extra balsamic and use that as a marinade for tofu, then roll the tofu in ground almonds for Almond Crusted Strawberry Balsamic Tofu served over a spring mix with the Strawberry Balsamic Reduction drizzled on top. Strawberry Balsamic Reduction Ingredients: 1/3 cup (approximately) low-sodium vegetable broth 1/4 red onion, minced 1 cup frozen strawberries - thaw enough to chop finely 1/3 cup (approximately) balsamic vinegar  To taste: dried thyme, dried rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper, agave nectar Directions: In saucepan, saute onions in stock until begin to soften. Add...

NuNaturals Stevia Giveaway Winners I used a random number generator to choose the winners. I did remove those who were not eligible due to location or had asked not to be entered. I have already emailed the winners but wanted to congratulate them again. Thank you all so much for your comments. #5 Sarena @ The Non-dairy Queen #17 Candice @ ChiaSeedMe #12 Meghan @ Cooking in College #10 Nichole @ Live for the Run Don't forget - you can save 15% off your order. To receive 15% off your total order, just visit their site (www.nunaturals.com), and at the checkout page enter this code:  BLG1130. When you order through their website, you also receive FREE SHIPPING to the Continental U.S. on all orders totaling $35.00 and over, after this special discount. This offer is ends November 30, 2010. Thanks to Ron at NuNaturals for allowing me to do this giveaway. Two on Tuesday Today was a cold, wet, dreary day. We were hoping to do the Tuesday group run again, but not in...