The Bright Side

TC Valentine's Day 5K

Today, Paul and I ran in the TC Valentine's Day 5K.  Our very first 5K and we did alright.  Our time was 38:10 with a 12:18 pace.  Slow, I know. But, not bad for our first race ever and at our age.  We definitely learned a few things that I'll share with you here.  

First and foremost, try and pick out a slightly less dorky looking headband for the next cold weather race. Puhleez!!

Second of all, if you train for months on end using intervals, don't throw the intervals out the window in a race situation and just run.  BIG rookie mistake!  Totally (t-o-t-a-l-l-y) goofed me up. Paul was so great though, I kept trying to tell him to go on ahead, (save yourself) but he stuck with me the whole time.  Such a good husband. 

Also, don't arrive too early, especially when it is cold outside.  It was a balmy 25 degrees today, but my toes were numb by the time we started. Speaking of starting, here was our view in the starting line.  

And finally, the most important thing I learned today was to relax, enjoy it and just take it all in.  I couldn't believe how many people showed up at this thing!  We saw lots of funny costumes, (Cupid, ballerina/fairies, etc.) and even a bride and groom who were getting married after the race. Excellent people watching!  

All in all, today was a great experience.  Now we just have to look for a new race to set our sights on for the not too distant future.  

 

 

 

hey, ben! here's an idea for minneapolis

Hi, Ben!  I thought this would be a fun post to put together, so here goes. In the heart of Minneapolis, there is a Chain of Lakes consisting of Lake of the Isles, where Mary Tyler Moore's TV house can be found, Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet.  Here's how they are laid out:

Lake Harriet is a very popular destination with a bike path and separate pedestrian path going all around it.  There is always somebody walking, jogging, biking, rollerblading around Lake Harriet.  

But, what makes Lake Harriet really cool is the historic band shell and refectory located at the top (north end) of the lake.  See those castle-like buildings in the photo below? 

On summer weekends and evenings, there is always something happening there, concerts, boating, trolley rides and just general merriment.  

To the right of the band shell, is the refectory as seen below.  There is a little snack bar in the refectory which serves delicious ice-cream, the best popcorn, cool drinks, etc.  Plus, it has restrooms.

Lake Harriet has hosted many 5ks in the past.  For these really big events, they close off the street that also circles the lake and that is a sanctioned 3.1 miles. 

Here is a more detailed map of another 5k here.

The pedestrian path around the lake is just 2.75 miles, perhaps we could take a little jog into the charming residential area that surrounds the lake to make it 3.1 miles.

Here are some other links to past Lake Harriet 5k events:

 

The Reindeer Run

Red Cross Run for Blood

 

Hey, I just found out that there is a Valentine's Day 5k coming up on February 12th.  I should go and check it.  Eek!  My first 5k!  BRB....

 

Oh, man.  I did it!  I signed us up!  My husband and I have been running on the treadmill for months, time to take it outside!  Gosh, I hope it is warmer than today (-3 degrees F., that's -19.4 degrees for you, E. <3)

Here's a cool link for a running group that set up an outing for the 100% Irish for a Day 5k last year, just to give you some more ideas.  It would be kind of cool to set up pages like that for each city on your tour.  Might give you a good way to judge potential turnout, brainstorm even better ideas for each location, etc.

Now, I also want to tell you that the next lake up in the chain, is Lake Calhoun shown in the photo below.  It is also a very hip, cool place to run with a cool view of the Minneapolis skyline. The pedestrian path around that lake is exactly 3.1 miles.  

I only mentioned Lake Harriet first because of the how cool the band shell would be for the beforehand venue.  There are big picnic areas on Lake Calhoun which could work as a gathering place, no stage though.

 
 Here is a link to an information page about the Lake Harriet park.  

The phone number for reserving the bandshell is 612-313-7796.  Like I said, it is really busy on weekends and evenings, but I have never seen an event on a weekday morning in the bandshell, so I bet availability wouldn't be a problem during the week.

Oh, and as far as an after-run venue, as I mentioned, there is a Whole Foods nearby.  I haven't thought too much about that though, but since it is a very popular area, I'm sure there would be many food options.  

So, Ben, that's my idea.  Just a thought.  No matter where you end up having it, we'll be there. Can't wait!

Best wishes for the tour!!

 

"ben does life" tour coming here!

 

Have you ever heard of the Ben Does Life blog?  It's great!  You should check it out.  

Ben is this great guy, who has a very inspiring story and he is in turn, inspiring many others to get out there and "do life."  He made a video of his journey and a 1,000,000+ views later he is appearing on national TV, doing radio interviews, appearing in magazine articles all while he continues to inspire his thousands of fans on tumblr.  

 

 

Ben is quite a character and he and his father, Pa, and his brother, Jed, are quite entertaining as they jib and jab (and support) each other across their blogs.  

I am super excited today because Ben just announced for this summer:

Do Life: The Official Nationwide Unofficial-5K Tour 

 Thirty 5Ks, in 30 cities in 40 days!  

Here's his map:

 

And I just happen to live in one of those cities!  Yay!  And doesn't that just fit in perfectly with my goal of running a bunch of races this year?  

Yes!  

Actually, it sounds more like a happenin' kind of bloggin', kind of happy people kind of event with less emphasis on the race thing, more emphasis on the gathering thing.  Which is just fine by me!  Ben actually held a similar event in NYC last weekend and it looked really fun from the pictures and descriptions.  I can't wait for this summer!  

Now all I have to do is talk my family into going with me...

 

tuesday's workout

 

Spinning:  Spinnervals - Sweatin' Buckets

Time:  60 minutes

Calories:  310

HR: ave. 115, high 145

 

This workout felt great!  In fact, I almost did it twice.  The best $7 that I ever spent was on my new gel seat cover from Amazon.  Wise move.  

 

 

 

monday's workout

Treadmill:  3/1 intervals at 4.0 and 3.1 mph

Time:  65:00

Distance:  4.03 miles

Calories:  570 (per treadmill)

 

Ran early (5 pm) today to try something new.  I usually run late in the evening, but I've been really tired lately so I decided to run early and maybe get to bed earlier.  Exciting news, isn't it?  No, not really.

Anyway, it is done and that feels good.  Now I can just enjoy the evening.  

Signing off.

 

 

photo of the day

And now, for a little zero point inspiration...

  source

Yum and double-yum!

 

 

my goals for 2011

 

Well, it's that time of year, time to set a few goals for the upcoming year.  This year, I am concentrating on running.  So, here goes:

Running Goals:

1.  To run my first 5K
2.  To earn a decent 5K time
3.  To run the Crazylegs 8K
4.  To run a 10K

     Plan:  Sign up for the following races:  the Holiday Challenge 5Ks for Valentine's Day, the Crazylegs 8K on April 30th, a few more 5Ks to improve my times, and finally, a 10k, maybe in a really fun location.  

 

Addendum:  The Ben Does Life Tour is stopping in Minneapolis this summer!  We are definitely going to run in that 5k! 

    

 

szechuan chicken with peanuts

Last week I found a recipe for Szechuan chicken.  I am pretty much a pansy when it comes to spicy food, I tend to steer clear of it.  But, something about this recipe called to me.  I did change a few of the ingredients due to particular likes and dislikes of certain family members. The result was delicious, fresh and healthy, with just a hint of heat and oh so yummy.  

This dish will forever more be a regular around here and now I would like to share it with you. Feel free to tweak away and call it your own!

Ingredients    

• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken, cut into thin strips
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce (adjust this amount up or down according to your need for heat)
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 2 medium carrots thinly sliced, julienne style
• 1/4 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

After cutting the chicken into thin strips, combine in a bowl with just 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of the hoisin sauce.  Toss well and set aside.

Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce along with the rice vinegar, honey, chicken broth, and chili-garlic sauce in small bowl and set aside.

Heat a deep pan or wok over medium-high heat.  When a drop of water sizzles, add the canola oil and chicken.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until almost cooked through, stirring frequently.

Add the garlic and ginger, cook for 20 seconds or so until fragrant.  Toss in the snap peas, carrots and peanuts.  Cook for about 2 minutes until the vegetables are crisp tender.

Stir in the hoisin sauce mixture.  Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. When the chicken is cooked through, takes about 1 minute, remove from heat. 

Delicious served over rice.

Makes 4 servings.  

 

mini-goal update

Yes! I did it! I met the mini-goal! One day on plan. In fact, one day POP (perfectly on plan).  That means, the exercise drought has been broken!  I did spinning for 30 minutes.  It wasn't so bad.  I survived.  Way to go, me!  

On to my little bit bigger goal: 4 days on plan in a row.  I'm focused on day 2.  So far, so good!

UPDATE:  It is now day 8 and I am still going strong.  Totally back into my healthy groove.  Feeling great!

woo hoo! gearing up to get healthy again!

I am so happy to report that I just took a giant step towards getting healthy again. The last several months have been really high on the stress scale. Instead of taking better care of myself like I should have been, I let it all slide.  I have been overindulging myself and guess what!  That made it all worse. But, I have been slowly psyching myself up to get back into a healthy groove.  This morning I took a giant step and I am so excited to report it here.  

In January of '08 I began Weight Watchers online and I had a fabulous run with them.  I went from feeling older than my age, to feeling young again.  Lost a bunch of weight, exercised almost every day, looked better and felt better. Then, life threw us a major curve ball in February of '09.  Not going to go into too many details, but trust me, it was a major stressful autism event that we are still working on.  I used food to soothe myself and I stopped exercising. Completely.  

But today, I have gotten myself back on the WW online boards and signed up for my beloved Turtle Race which was a major factor in my success last year.  The Turtle Race is a thread on the WW community board.  You tally points each day for all the wonderful things you have done for yourself and your body that day and then you report in to the group. There are points for journaling, following the 8 WW healthy guidelines, etc. It is a great group of people, very supportive and I have really missed them and the race.

So, I am very happy to say, that today I set the following goals in that public forum:

• Mini goal: one day OP (on plan). 
• Little bit bigger goal: 4 days OP in a row. Seems like that 3rd day is another one of my stumbling blocks. 
• Biggest goal at this moment: completing the Turtle race for the month of August. If I can get that far, I know I will be back on track again. 

Wish me luck!