Introducing Distance Dreamers

The votes are in! The group is called Distance Dreamers. It was close between that and The Marathon Mission. Marathon Mission actually won by one vote but then I googled it and saw that it is the name of a charity. Since something is already using the name, I didn't think we should use it so I defaulted to the runner-up, especially since it was close in the votes.

The beginning page is also up. Click on the page at the top, the button on the right or here.

If you want a button, feel free to grab the little one to the right or the larger image on the main page. Please link it back to the main page. Doing so is completely optional for the group.

The first official post for the group will occur on Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

Then, we'll just see where it goes.

Thanks everyone. Have a great weekend!

Friday Food

First up this week, chicken breasts stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and basil. I used this recipe at Confections of a Foodie Bride as my inspiration. It was basically prepared the same way, I just didn't use the olives and added in about 1/4 cup fresh basil into the stuffing. I was told I could make this again anytime...two thumbs up!

Next up, Summer Squash Gratin following the recipe posted at Kath Eats. I'll give this an average rating. I grilled my zucchini and squash as their recipe states but not sure I got enough moisture out of them because I still felt the whole thing was a little soggy. Overall though, a good way to use up all that squash and zucchini that people have this time of year. I made this as a side dish with the chicken above and then leftovers for the next night since we were having simple salads.

Onto the salads. Last week when I was a single girl, I picked up a salad for dinner. It was just a small spinach salad with dried cranberries, madarin oranges, almonds, some cheese and hard-boiled egg (which I hate). The salad was so yummy that I needed to repeat it at home. Sometimes salads purchased just taste so much better than a one prepared at home, but this one did not disappoint. I swapped the cheddar cheese that was in the one I bought for a little goat cheese and made this raspberry vinaigrette from Recipe Girl.

Then it was Mushroom Ravioli with Parmesan Chive Sauce. That salad in the picture is totally for distraction. This did not look appetizing at all. It tasted pretty good. I've made lots of things with wonton wrappers before but this was my first time making pasta with them and boiling them. Boiling them made a big sticky mess. Most of my ravioli stayed together but a few fell apart which created this lovely brown mushroom filling spreading all of them too.

Finally, I needed a little dessert. Certainly can't throw these into the healthy category but a No-Bake Cookie or two never hurt anyone.

Three Things Thursday

1. The Marathon Newbie Club idea I proposed yesterday is a go. I just sent out an e-mail to everyone (hopefully) that wanted to be part of it. If you want to be part of it and I didn't include you (I have a couple people I'm waiting to hear from for e-mail addresses), please e-mail me at highermiles@gmail.com. If anyone else is interested, please contact me too!

2. Over at Always a Reason to Run, she put together an ultimate running playlist. I've been stalking the post to find a few new songs to add to my mp3 player. I added The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize (Push the Button) recommended by Tri-James the other day and...OMG...the best song for running! If you haven't heard it...go, listen to it now!

3. This video cracked me up. Perhaps I was just delirious from staring at too much data this week, but I can't help it. The way he looks at the camera as he's going by is just too cute!

Marathon Newbie Club?

I've had a few other bloggers come to me with some fun ideas lately (the new blogger feature, upcoming post swaps, etc.) and started thinking it would be fun to initiate some new idea myself.

One of the main reasons for starting this blog was to find others who were training for a marathon for inspiration, sympathy, and support. Another reason was to find more experienced runners who could give me lots of tips and information.

So, I'm wondering if my fellow first-time marathoners in training (or first time half-marathoners in training) would want to do a newbie marathoner club? I don't really know what all we could do, but just a way to track our experiences. Let's say (for now) anyone training for one by the end of the year?

I'm thinking if others are interested, I could do a post a week with features on what others have accomplished that week, people who may need encouragement, etc. I've seen lots of other clubs/groups floating around the blog world but don't think I've come across this one. We could do some different question/answer type things too. Like, how we picked the race, the training plan, etc.

So, if interested, let me know in either a comment or e-mail. If others are interested, I'll keep thinking. If you have any ideas, let me know. Pass this along to any others who are first time half or full marathoners by the end of the year too. Thanks!

Mountain Maryland Half Marathon (Old Race Report #4)

I have one final race that occurred pre-blog to write up a recap so that I now have all of them documented. The second half marathon I ran was the Mountain Maryland Half Marathon in Cumberland, MD on April 18, 2010.

I signed up for this one early in the year when the prices were really cheap (I think the half was $15 without a shirt). It was supposed to be my first half until I made the last minute decision to try the Chambersburg Half. I was running this one with my sister. Her husband was also running and the had lots of other friends doing either the half or the full marathon. My husband and mom were both supposed to run the 5K but they both bailed right before it due to not wanting to get up that early and not feeling well!

I woke up early and made the hour and a half drive to Cumberland. That area is very familiar to me since I have family in the area and it's also near where I grew up. I thought I was going to be late for this one. I got on the road a little late since my husband was trying to decide if he wanted to go or not. Luckily, I still made it there in time and found my sister and brother-in-law quickly after picking up my number.

All the races (marathon, half and 5K) started together. This is a very small event yet the start of everyone together made it a bit of a cluster. My sister and I were towards the back but we still had to do lots of weaving to get past a bunch of slower 5K people. It was a short trip through the town before heading up a steep hill and onto the rail trail where the rest of the course takes place. Lots of the 5K people got confused and missed their turn off point...felt bad for those people!

The course is simple, basically once you are on the rail trail you run up the mountain. Then, the half marathoners turn around inside a tunnel (oh, exciting!) and the marathoners keep going up the mountain and eventually turn around and come back down the mountain. The grade is slight and constant. I think I saw where it's a 3% grade? I might be wrong but it was so slight that I honestly didn't feeling like I was running 'up' for the first half.

My sister stuck with me the whole way. I tried to stay slow so I wouldn't bomb out in the end since the longer distances were still very new to me. Throughout talking during the run, I somehow mentioned wanting to run a 2:00 half at some point. I knew I wasn't going to do it at this one but said I thought maybe that's what I'd try for when we do the Hoover Dam Half in October. She pretty much told me not to have any expectations for that one since it'll be a completely different environment than we are used to. However, once we hit the tunnel during Mtn. MD and saw where we were time wise, she suggested picking up the pace if I was up for it because we might be able to get somewhat close to 2:00 on this one.

As soon as we hit the turn-around, I instantly felt that we were going downhill and our pace definitely picked up. I have no idea what pace we were running at any point. I was just using my watch as a general overall picture of where we were, wasn't tracking each mile or anything. I felt great on the downhill and felt strong. I think the increased pace caught up with me though. I would guess we were about a mile or a mile and a half from the end where I started to feel myself fade.

I had my mp3 player with me but hadn't really listened to it since we were running together and talking throughout the race. But, once I felt myself start to fade a little, I told her I was going to have to turn on the music. She noticed my fading and close to the end pulled about 10 paces in front of me. She never said anything to me, just did it and then I just tried to keep up. I needed this big time and it helped tremendously! We crossed the finish line at 2:02:48. It was 7 minutes faster than the first half marathon and I was thrilled with the time!

We waited around for their friends running the marathon to come in and it felt like we walked around forever. There were lots of trips to the car, back to the finish line, looking for people, etc. It was cold that day, really cold and I didn't have the proper gear post-race. But, all in all, it was a great day. The course is very pretty. It's obviously a small event and the only people along the way are those manning the water stops, but that's fine with me!

I remember my sister saying something about doing the full next year. Don't know if we will or not but as long as I want to do another one, I think I would probably do this one!

I recovered well after it so all in all a great half marathon!

Weekend Training Recap

I lived life as a single girl this weekend. Yep, my husband was off in upstate New York doing manly things like fishing on Lake Ontario and then going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now, I certainly love it when we're together, but I had a great weekend just here with the dogs!

Friday: Rest Day. After work, I went to the animal shelter where I volunteer. I spent some time making a few dogs smile by taking them for walks and in return, they certainly warmed my heart. Adopt from shelters and rescues...it's a cause I'm very passionate about.


Saturday: Woke up at 5 AM and headed out for a 7 mile run. It was great. As soon as I got home, I got the dogs leashed up and took them out for a walk. Then, I cleaned up the yard of dog poop and worked on cleaning up the garden. Next, it was time for a shower and I headed off to the grocery store. Not too shabby to have all those chores completed by 10 AM!


I spent the rest of the day cleaning and organizing absolutely everything. I'm talking cleaning the top of the refrigerator type cleaning and clearing out the spice cabinet, pantry, freezer, etc. I'm ashamed at what all I found with expired dates!!


Sunday: Woke up even earlier at 4:30 AM. Why is it still 80+ degrees at 4:30 in the morning? By 5 AM, I was out the door for my 15-mile long run. It was 100 times better than last week's 14 miles. Thanks to suggestions and blog posts by Grace and Lisa, I figured out that I defintely need to take Gatorade with me during these long runs. I think I was hesistant to bring Gatorade instead of water because I've read that some people sometimes have digestive issues with it. Well, it seems it's exactly what I need. I didn't run out of fluids and ate a pack of Shot Bloks along the way. The flavor was OK and I think I like these the best out of everything I've tried so far. The run was great. I tried to keep it slow and steady. The last mile was completely in the sun and it started feeling a little rought but I still consider this run a huge success.


I wasn't quite as productive the rest of Sunday but still managed to catch up on a few more chores!

On Being Famous

A big thank you to misszippy1 for featuring me today on her blog post! I was excited when she asked me earlier in the week about the new feature and I can't wait to see who else she features. I love finding new blogs to read as well, even though I'm a newbie myself. I was more excited for that idea than I was about getting more people over here.

Since I'm now famous and my followers have increased (I hope you'll stick around!!), I spent a little time trying to update the blog. I finally updated the 'About Me' page at the top and am working on adding a few others pages.

It's not lame that this is how I'm spending my Friday night, right? I mean, I do have to wake up early to run so staying in on the computer probably makes sense?

I'm looking forward to reading lots of new blogs!

Friday Food

There have been some pretty yummy things going on in the kitchen this week:


First up, sandwiches inspired by one we saw on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. How could you not get hungry watching that show.

Fresh Tuna Sandwiches

2 fresh tuna steaks
4 thick slices Italian bread
4 slices Muenster cheese
salt and pepper
butter
lettuce, tomato, mayo

Season tuna with salt and pepper. Grill until medium-well. Lightly butter one side of each piece of bread. Place buttered side down on grill and top with a slice of cheese. Grill until lightly browned and cheese melted. Break tuna into large chunks for sandwich and top with lettuce, tomato and mayo. Yum!




Next up: Thai Shrimp & Noodles from Taste & Tell blog. I was a little worried about the sauce on this one. I typically don't meaure precisely when making a sauce so I just estimated. I also didn't have rice vinegar or chile oil so improvised with what I had on hand. I was worried I put in too much sesame oil since that stuff is strong and the sauce smelled awful. But, once all mixed in with the noodles, it was very good.





Then, it was a Rachael Ray recipe that I've made several times in the past. Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad with Tangy Maple Dressing. I don't use chicken tenders, just chunk up boneless chicken breasts. I also can't stand the dressing but Kevin likes it so I make it for him and just use some other dressing on my salad.





Finally, I made one dessert this week. I'm a much better baker than cook, but I can't really have cakes, cookies and pies sitting around the house constantly. These are Snickerdoodle Blondies. They were so easy and so good. The ingredients are about as basic as can be which makes them a good choice when you don't have lots of ingredients on hand, plus it makes a small batch.

Have a great weekend!

Three Things Thursday

1. My legs feel a bit tired. I feel like I've been putting in lots of miles but am slacking in the strength training department.

2. I try to make smart decisions.

3. I'm very happy that I skipped the easy 4-miler this morning for 45 minutes of strength training. I feel much better, except for the fact that I can tell I've been slacking in upper body work. The push-ups I did this morning were so freaking hard!

Gear

Back when I spent most of my time running on a treadmill solely to stay in decent shape, I figured all you needed for running was a pair of shoes. I'm incredibly cheap and have a hard time justifying spending lots of money of things just for me. I'd usually have whatever pair of shoes I could find on sale for $40 or less and those would last for what seemed like forever. Lately, it still seems like I've accumulated a hell of a lot of stuff and when I look back, I've been spending quite a bit of money on this little hobby...even though a good amount of it came in the form of birthday gifts. What's even more funny is I now deem most of necessary.

I always like to see what other people use so...starting from the bottom up:

1. Shoes. I went to a 'real' running store back in February and bought my first pair. These expensive suckers don't seem to last long. I've tried a few pairs. Right now, I'm alternating between Saucony Ride 2 and Newton's (I anticipate a separate post in the future regarding shoes and my opinions so far on these and how I even ended up with them).

2. Socks. Alternate between Fox River and Balega. Fox River is a brand my parents swear by so all of these have come in the form of gifts and I have mostly from the XT collection. They were converted to the brand a few years ago. I love them too but picked up a few lighter pairs of the Balega socks to try for summer.

3. Shorts. I have 4 pairs of running shorts and they are all black and white...boring. One pair from Target, one pair of Under Armour and 2 pairs of these from Road Runner Sports (B-Day gift from hubby). I like the ones for RR Sports. They have lots of pockets and are comfy.

4. Hydration Belt. I only use this on long runs. I was shocked at the prices on these things when I first started looking. This one ended up being a birthday gift as well. I wasn't sure I'd like it since it's one, big single bottle but it's been OK. The only problem is I have to really tighten the belt so it doesn't bounce around. It has lots of pockets which is nice.

5. Tank Tops. Pretty much whatever I've gotten as a gift or the ones I've bought at Wal-Mart from the Danskin line I'm a fan of the tight, wicking ones with built in sports bra.

6. Sports Bra. Cheap ones from Target. Always do one of these plus the tank with the built in sports bra and that seems to do the trick.

7. Garmin. Forerunner 305. When I started running, I didn't even know these things were in existence. I love it so much now!

8. MP3 Player. For years, I've had a 1st generation iPod Shuffle. I love that thing and it's never quit on me. I'm oddly attached to it for some reason but I have finally stopped carrying it around with me. Got a cheapy player from K-Mart with a clip. I really like the Sansa Clip I got my husband last year and figure I'll be getting one of those soon to replace the piece of crap I bought. There are times when I just really shouldn't be so damn cheap!

9. Sunglasses. I bought a pair of Nascar sunglasses from K-Mart. I look like an absolute moron in them and I know hubby wouldn't ever want to be seen with me when I have these on but they do the trick.

10. Headband. I always need a headband to keep my hair back plus I use them to keep my over-the-ear headphones in place. I must have odd ears because I can never get any headphones to stay in place. I've found that using the over-the-ear kind and tucking behind the headband does the trick though.

Am I missing anything you consider a must-have?

Weekend Training Recap

Friday was my rest day and in the afternoon I headed over to a free running injury and running form clinic. Figured it would be a good way to try to get a little information other than just what I read. I luckily haven't had any injuries yet but do have different aches and pains here and there. Awhile back, I started having sciatic nerve pain as well as a bit of pain in my achilles. Nothing ever hurt while I ran and it has pretty much all subsided now, but anytime I have pain, it's always on my left side. I had a pretty big 'oh-duh' moment while discussing this with the people there. A quick test showed my right calf is much tighter than my left. At first, this didn't make sense to me but then it was pretty obvious that I'm over-compensating on my left side all the time. In addition, I realized that my posture is pretty bad and I always have my weight shifted to my left side. So, I have some things I can try to work on!!

On Saturday, I headed out early for a seven mile run and it felt great. No problems and I was back home by 7 AM. That's a great way to start the day.

Then, Sunday came and I had a 14 miler planned. It was pretty much awful but I'm not too concerned about it because it's been awhile since I've had a bad run. I was out the door by 6 AM but it already felt hot and humid. About 3 miles in, I didn't feel like I was in the zone yet. I kept going and at mile 6, I ate a Tri-Berry GU. It was awful. I can definitely cross that off the list. I'll definitely steer clear of the fruity flavors going forward. Around mile 7, I decided I needed to head back towards the house. I was going to need more water, was belching the GU and was in desperate need of a bathroom break. I made it back to the house at 10 miles and took just a couple minutes to get everything I needed taken care of and headed back out.

The last four miles felt better but at this point, I just wanted it to be over. I don't deal well with stopping even if just for 2-3 minutes. It just messes with my mind and I found myself taking a few walk breaks towards the end of that 4 mile section. It was hot and the sweat was just dripping off me. I completed 14 miles and came back to the house and just laid on the floor for several minutes before stretching out. I figure I need to start carrying something other than just the water. The bottle I have isn't going to be enough for these longer runs and I'll need to plan so I can pick up more along the way. Even with the walk breaks, my overall pace still ended up being 10:41 (I did stop the watch when I took the break) so I must have been going a little too fast in some of the miles anyway. Oh well...least I'm figuring these things out and there's always next week!!

Friday Food

First up this week: Rice a Munee, as suggested by my Mom. She mentioned trying this weeks a few weeks ago and liking it. It took me awhile to find the recipe she was referring to. It was good and I'd probably make it again. It's an easy, one pot kind of meal, which I always enjoy! She and I both made this as a main dish. We added lots more veggies than what the recipe calls for (broccoli, mushrooms, carrots). I also made a batch of Baked Crab Rangoon to go with this.

Another new recipe I tried this week was from Cheeky Kitchen: Grilled Chicken & Brown Rice Breakfast Burrito, but made them for dinner. These were very good as well. At first, the recipe looked like it was going to take a long time because of all the steps, but it wasn't bad at all. Although there are several components, all were very quick and easy to put together. Both these meals made tons of leftovers so we were able to make due most of the week just from the components of all these meals. I suppose I should make something without rice next week! Haha!

Three Things Thursday

1. Yesterday morning I went for a run - in the rain, with no music. It's been a long time since I had either. The rain was a nice, slow steady rain and without the music, I must say it was quite refreshing.

2. This weekend's scheduled long run is 14 miles. My mileage only increases from here. I'll be headed into uncharted territory from here on out (in terms of long run distances and overall weekly totals).

3. It's the beginning of peach season around here. Next to strawberries, peaches are my favorite. We always have good, local ones around here. I stopped at the fruit stand this week and got my first basket. I had practically no cash so could only get the $3.25 basket but it's enough to take me into the weekend when I can grab some more.

A Story: Picking My First Marathon

On October 2nd, the marathon I'll be running (and hopefully finishing) is Freedom's Run. It's a small marathon, in its second year which goes through four national parks. It starts in Harpers Ferry, WV, then onto C&O Canal, through Antietam Battlefield ending in Shepherdstown, WV. Deciding on this one took a little while but am I really excited about my first marathon choice. It's not going to be easy at all, but that's part of the excitement.

My sister, who seems to be my running enabler, is the one who first planted the seed about signing up for a marathon. In March, we started initial planning for a trip to Utah this fall. In lots of e-mails back and forth, she suggested trying to incorporate a marathon. I immediately nixed the idea. While I had already started to think about possibly trying a marathon at some point, I didn't think incorporating on into the first day of a week long vacation was a good idea. I did agree to do a half marathon on the first day of our vacation though!

We finalized our trip plans and shortly thereafter she asked if I wanted to try the Richmond marathon in November. They had some friends running it and she didn't really think she wanted to do it, but wanted to check with me. It's shortly after we get back from our trip and she didn't really want another weekend away, etc. I agreed. I didn't want another night in a hotel, plus the stress of getting ready for a marathon so soon after our trip.

But, around this time, I was searching and searching for marathons in the area that might work. I realized that if I attempted one before Thanksgiving, I will have completed everything from a 5K to a marathon in a one-year time span. This sounded like a pretty awesome goal to have.

I considered Baltimore, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Freedom's Run. Ultimately, I decided Freedom's Run sounded like the most unique one. It also had the huge pro of being close enough that I wouldn't have to book a hotel, travel, etc. I told my sister I was having a change of heart and wanted to try a marathon and showed her Freedom's Run. She thought it sounded cool but it was the same weekend as some other race she normally does so she sent me some others to consider. None of them appealed to me so I let her know that I still thought I was going to try Freedom's Run as long as she didn't care if I did it without her. She looked at it some more and agreed that it sounded really cool so she signed up as well.

I know the course is going to be hard. When I was trying to read about it, I found Dorothy at Mile Posts who ran it last year. All of her posts about it made it sound like a very difficult course. When I talked to the owner of the local running store, he seemed shocked that I was going to try it as well and suggested I run some of the course. From what I've gathered, the first half of the course is fine but the second half has lots of lots of hills. I've run a 5K at Antietam Battlefield to get an idea of the hills. I also generally know the area of the 2nd half so I feel like I'm preparing the best I can for it.

A couple of weekends ago, I went to Shepherdstown for the grand opening of Two Rivers Treads, which is a new store opened by the guys who created Freedom's Run. I got to quickly (the place was packed since it was the grand opening) meet the race director. It was nice just to get a general feeling of where everything was and eased a few of my nerves about the race. Can't wait for October to get here!!!!

Weekend Training Recap

Another week down in marathon training!

Saturday - 6 mile run. I had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. I wanted to be up and out the door by 5:30 AM. It was closer to 6:30 before I was out the door. Once I got going, it was a great run.

Sunday - 12 mile long run. It was hard getting up and out the door again. But, by 6:30 AM, I was on my way. I didn't really have a plan where I was going to go so I just started running and ventured down some new roads. I wound up on a few dead ends, but overall it was a great route. Lots of shady areas, lots of corn fields and virtually no traffic.

I tried my first GU ever on this run! I'm trying to experiment with what will work for me. I had a chocolate one. It wasn't bad, actually tasted pretty good and I didn't get sick or anything. I bought a few different things to experiment with on the long runs. For some reason the gels still sort of freak me out. I think it's because I've been trying to eat somewhat healthy and eating some sort of artificial gel concoction (that just tasted like chocolate frosting out of a can) doesn't seem like it should be healthy for you! But, I'll keep experimenting and maybe I'll get over that feeling! It's not like I have a problem treating myself to packaged/processed stuff from time to time when I get cravings. :-)

I think this run took it out of me. I haven't been sore or anything, I was just really, really tired the rest of the day and barely wanted to get off the couch. I had a picnic I needed to go to in the afternoon. I really wanted to blow off but felt I needed to go. Once I got myself going again, I was OK but I went to bed really early again last night to try to catch up on some sleep. I need to make sure I'm staying rested on the weekends and not trying to pack too much into them with all the extra running!

Friday Food

I've been a bit uninspired in the kitchen this week. I'm going to blame the heat! Part of the reason for starting this weekly post was to inspire me again. I used to cook all of the time and was constantly trying new things. Lately, it just seems like the biggest chore but I really want to make sure I cook at least 3 times a week. I've been bookmarking a few things, so hopefully I'll find some inspiration and have some new, good stuff soon!

Over the weekend, my husband's Dad and brother were here, so I made them a typical BBQ meal. BBQ Ribs (Martha's recipe is great, but I don't make my own sauce. And, I grill them with a dry rub and add prepared sauce as well), Macaroni and Cheese, Coleslaw (just a bag of shredded cabbage/carrots with jarred dressing), and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I used the standard Toll House cookie recipe but I use half butter/half shortening (the non-hydrogenated kind). I made the meal late so I didn't really eat any of it! Plus, BBQ ribs just aren't my kind of thing. But, I think they enjoyed it!

Next up, grilled chicken, asparagus and cheesy rice. There was corn on the cob in there too. This was my husband's plate and he always skips the corn. I skipped the chicken and just had the corn!

Then, it was fish tacos. I absolutely love fish tacos. If I go to a restaurant that has fish tacos, it's pretty much a guarantee that I'll order them. I recently tried this fish taco recipe that has an avocado/mango salsa with it. It's been a big hit. I usually switch up the type of fish used with whatever I can get, what's on sale or looks good. This week, I used tilapia.

Final meal was pasta - out of a box. The sauce, a jar of Trader Joe's Puttanesca. Not too exciting, but quick, easy and I didn't have to turn on the oven!

Sunrise Seven

First, thanks for your concern yesterday about my dog. We all seem to be back to normal today. Since I don't have kids, those dogs are like my kids and they pretty much mean everything to me. I hate when there is a problem and I don't know what it is.

Anyway, the other week, I was complaining about how hot it was and I that I just couldn't handle the afternoon heat. Well, I recently had the opportunity to adjust my work schedule slightly which will allow me some mornings to run!

This morning was the first and I ventured out early to get in seven miles and watched the sun rise during my run. It felt great and knowing that my run is already finished for the day feels awesome! I could get used to this...

Sick Doggie

Although the holiday weekend was great, there is one reason why the 4th of July is my least favorite holiday: FIREWORKS!

We have two dogs, neither of which like the fireworks, but to differing degrees. The beagle just finds an end table in a corner and hides under there for the night, while our lab mix goes absolutely bonkers. We start dreading the day when we spot the first fireworks stand. Each year we just hope very few of our neighbors will set them off. This year was probably the best we had. We only heard them on the actual 4th and it wasn't for that long but still enough to set Jackson off. I was afraid he was going to overheat with how much he was running around, panting, barking and acting like a maniac.

After last year's 4th, we had a vet visit due to an injured paw. From jumping onto the paver sidewalk off the deck, he managed to take off a layer from one of his paw pads and was limping around. The vet essentially said it was OK and just needed time to heal, which it did.

We thought we made it through this year's 4th without any major problems. Yesterday morning, when I woke up and fed the dogs, everyone appeared fine. But, throughout the day, Jackson started getting worse. He was moving around very slowly and we could tell he just didn't feel well. Tried giving him a treat, which he refused. Later, he refused his dinner as well. Eventually, he ate a couple of treats and we were able to get him to drink a little water. I managed to get him outside and off the deck into the yard once yesterday to take care of his business. He looks pitiful. We brought him into our room to sleep with us last night.

This morning, he refused to go downstairs to eat. I brought his food up to him, and he did eat so I think we are making progress but I haven't been able to get him down the stairs or outside yet today. If he doesn't perk up soon, looks like we'll be heading to the vet again this year.

Feel better Jackson!!

Run for Freedom 5K

After a successful Saturday of house chores and a semi-BBQ Saturday night, we woke up early Sunday morning to head to Williamsport for the Run for Freedom 5K. I didn't really know where we were going but figured the town was so small that it wouldn't be an issue. And, it wasn't. We quickly found the park for the 5K and were there plenty, plenty early.

After picking up our t-shirts (this race was great, only $10 which included a shirt), I found the bathrooms (always a must), then went for a quick jog so I could stretch out. Then, we just waited around until start time. Soon, we were off. I offered to stick with my husband, but he doesn't seem to enjoy having me around, so I ran my race and let him run his. He still hates running but seems to be kind of still be interested in trying to stick with it.

I always start slow and towards the back of the pack and spent the first mile passing people while I tried to settle into a pace. A couple minutes in I realized I forgot to start my watch. I always just wear a regular watch at the races, not my Garmin which goes with me everywhere else. So, I had no idea where I was time wise when I hit the first mile. Since I've pretty much just been concentrating on going long and slow, I tried to pick up the pace a little bit since this was a short race. I'm certainly not fast and haven't spent any time so far in my running working on speed. As long as I stick with this, that'll be the plan next year. This year is just all about endurance.

The second mile felt long. I felt like I was staying nice and steady but still kept passing people most of the way. I think I only had one guy pass me, so that felt good. I tried to pick it up at the end because it would've been great for a PR, but I didn't quite make it. Official time was 25:41. I was still happy with the time though because this is definitely faster than anything I've been running during training and also proved to me that the 5K I ran in May at 25:30 wasn't a fluke. I was so thrilled after that one and then I started to doubt myself, thinking maybe the course was really short or something. But, no, I think that's my current pace and really think if I spend some time on working on speed post-marathon I'll be able to pick up the pace! This race was small so after I got home and looked at the results, I realized I finished 2nd out of 17 in my age group. Not bad at all!!!

Hubby did great as well. His time was around 39 minutes so it was the first time under 40 for him...if he sticks with this and gets consistent with it, I know he'd be able to do even better! It was still a great way to spend a Sunday morning on a long weekend and we were both happy we got out there to do it.

The race photos appear messed up. They seem to be missing a huge gap of people including the section I would be in but the photographer took all kinds of photos of me after I was finished and watching for my husband. I was looking through them and kept wondering, why are there so many pictures of me just standing around? Haha!!

Hope everyone had a great 4th. I went for a 10-miler this morning but otherwise, it's been a lot of relaxing. Apparently I was even caught doing this at one point yesterday:

Friday Food

This week seemed long, but a 3-day weekend awaits. There's a 5K on the 4th I'll be running. It was a somewhat last minute decision. I wasn't going to do any shorter distances until after the marathon but my husband was interested in tackling another 5K, so why not? I flip-flopped a few things in my training plan to accomodate it, so we should be good to go.

Even though the week seemed long, it was busy which left little time for meal prep. I had lots to do at work and some last minute meetings that messed up my schedule. But, I got a few things made.

First up, grilled salmon, grilled corn on the cob and roasted potatoes. The first corn of the season! Yummy! Can't wait until the really good varieties are available.

Next, Walnut & Chickpea with Tzatziki (which I can't find to link to the recipe) sauce. These were pretty good but I made them way too big and they were too filling. I'm not one who has a hard time finishing her meal and I was full half-way into it. I also made Grilled Stuffed Zucchini, which was good and I'd make again. I omitted the mozzarella though and just used a different Parmesan blend.

The rest of the week, we just made do with what we could find and ate a fruit pizza I made. I didn't take a picture of it because I just threw the raspberries and blueberries on top so it wasn't all pretty knowing that I had a picture of an older one from my cookbook project. Of course, I apparently copied over the wrong picture because it's itty-bitty but it'll do for now! It's just a sugar cookie crust, whipped cream and fruit...so good!!!

Three Things Thursday

This post over at Rise of a Champion about the complete origins of Three Things Thursday was very interesting so since it's Thursday, I'll jump on the bandwagon.

1. June is over. I added up my miles and broke 100 miles in a month for the first time. I ended at 107.88 miles ran.

2. I fell in love with this Chobani yogurt yesterday. This stuff has nothing on the other yogurts I've been eating every day at lunch. So glad it was on sale and ended up in my shopping cart last week.

3. During runs, I notice I swing my ponytail in a complete circle every third step. I noticed it one day, kept noticing it and am now pre-occupied with it and often can't stop thinking about. I think it started unconsciously, but now it's conscious. I'm trying to break it because it'll eventually drive me insane if I keep it up. It's left-right-swing...left-right-swing....ahhhh....stop it!!!!!