Do Life Tour 2012 - Race Recap

Race: Do Life Tour 2012
Date: Saturday, June 30 @ 10:30 a.m.
Distance: 5K (2.89 mi by my count)
Time: 35:01
Average Pace: 12:09 min/mi
Course:

I'd always wanted to run there!

Man.  Oh, man.  I've really done it now, my knee is out of commission.  It's not even wanting to walk (the little f*cker!) or be shy like the other one and not bother me during the day.  Patellar Tendonitis, it seems, will be my middle name.  I'm icing it as I type, trying to not be too hard on myself for going ahead and doing this race.  I could've walked it!  I could have stopped and warmed-up, but NO.  I was too excited to run again.  *sigh*  As of today, this is the third time I try to write this recap and I've changed my mind, I SHOULD HAVE SKIPPED THE RACE.  Yes, or walked it.  Whatever, my knee is f-ed up.

Enough whining.  I skipped this race last year because I was pregnant and it was way too hot to even bother driving there.  I also didn't want to drive there by myself, I get lost going outside my apartment.  So, I picked up my newest running buddy and her kiddos, dropped them off at their dad's job and she and I continued to get get lost for another 20 minutes.  Downtown Houston is a PITA, I couldn't live or work there.

DO LIFE!

We got there and signed in after meeting Ben, dad and brother.  They're the first running celebrities I meet, I was nervous.  I kept it together, though.  Very proud!  They asked us to share how much weight we each had lost, I wrote 40.  That's both of my kids combined, crazy.

Cloudy with a chance of tornadoes!

I didn't think it would rain, but it started getting dark quickly.  End-of-the-world dark.  I shared my fear of tornadoes and realized it was a mistake.  You don't talk about the Boogeyman at dark, ok?  It rained as soon as I hit start on my Garmin and off we went.  I told my running buddy how hard core we were and we both smiled.  We were both thinking of lightning, though the trees covered the view.

I thought it was pretty cool that Ben ran with us for a while, it is really nice to connect to people you have just met through running.  There's nothing nicer to share than a good run.  I miss running and it's been only two days.  2!

I was taking it easy!

I thought the rain had messed with the satellites (sounds like something my mom would say) because my watch showed a 9:46 pace... That was our best pace, I forgot to switch to the other display.  D'uh.  We finished in 35 minutes and met up with the rest of the people, I bought a shirt like this one:

Go here to get your own!

I've been so bummed out about my knee I haven't even tried it on.  It's a tech shirt, small, with an awesome running gal on it.  I got it in black because I plan on wearing it around as a normal shirt.  It's hot in Houston!

Random leg picture.

I dropped off my friend and then headed home to ice my knee.  Since then, I have been icing four times a day for 20 minutes each time.  I have also learned to use a towel between ice/skin.  Frostbite's real, people.  I purchased a knee band at Academy today.  I wore it while picking up the mail because I was planning on power walking there.  I had both kids and it was about to rain (false alarm).  I'm not sure how helpful it will be, but at least the little walk didn't hurt me afterwards.

No news so far, just dull ache and no activity but strength training my butt and inner thighs.  Really fun stuff.  I am ready to start walking again, it's like I'm starting all over.  I'm not complaining, just commenting.  Ok... I'm whining.

Guns.

I've been doing these two videos on my week off running to strengthen my chicken arms.  Wings.  Whatever.  I've always had thin wrists but my biceps/triceps are regular sized, it makes me look funny.  They're only 10 minutes each and the instructors give really good secrets about each workout.  I like that you can use lighter weights and switch.


And this one:

I followed it by Sparkpeople's 15-min ab workout that I did the other day.  My arms feel wobbly, I'm glad I'm about to go to sleep.

Food today:

Skull coffee cup!

The day started with almond butter/honey toast, an open-faced chicken sandwich with lettuce, avocado and fat free Greek yogurt.  Oh, and coffee.  You can't forget the coffee.

Recipe from YOU: On a Diet

I hadn't had any lentil soup in a while.  I used to cook a soup a week and have it between breakfast and lunch.  It helped me lose weight and saved me on having to look around the kitchen for something to eat.  With two kids, I need all the free time I can get.  Each cup is supposed to be under 100 calories, it was tasty.

We used up the last carrots and GBP in the soup.  Time to
go grocery shopping!

Subway with avocado (from home) and fat free Greek yogurt.  I do like Greek yogurt, why do you ask?

Oatmeal cookies and almond/honey toast.
Oh, and more coffee.

Big salad while visiting with my sister.

Tried new bread recipe, topped with honey.

After workout, MILK.

I need to buy more peanuts, I don't really like almond butter when there's peanut butter around.  It'll do.  We are slowly running out of things in the pantry and fridge.  It's time to go grocery shopping but there are SO MANY people at the store during the weekend.  I'll have to wake up crazy early.

I'm picking up my running buddy tomorrow to do the Do Life Tour 2012!  It's a free 5K and I get to RUN.  I mean, I'll jog.  But inside, I'll be running my butt off.  I don't know if my knee will act up, it could've all been in my imagination.  I hope so!

Run for Wellness 5K Series (June) Race Recap!

Race: Run for Wellness 5K Series (June)
Date: Saturday, June 24 @ 7:00 a.m.
Distance: 5K
Time: 29:27
Average Pace: 9:32 min/mi
Course:

Nice trail, but it's small when the cyclists show up.

I did this one with no music, I just hadn't prepared a good playlist and didn't feel like clicking through the 90 songs I like and somewhat like.  I'm not a music person.  There were a lot more people, close to 125?  It's getting to be a bigger and bigger race every month!  There are more sponsors helping out, I really like this race series.

I was 9 seconds slower (D'oh!) than last month, which is fine because my knee was hurting and it has been a crazy weird week in the work out department.  But damn, 9 seconds!  It's ok, it's ok.  It is ok.  I took more pictures this time around and warmed up for 0.7 mi which I think made a huge difference at the start.  I wasn't trying to get my heart rate up at all, it was a good run.  I have to remember to warm up with a slow run from now on.

...the pictures weren't as great as I thought, LOL.  Here are the few that made the cut.

59 was the best number there.

I didn't participate in the warm-up... too much jumping.  Too early.

It's hard to find the right spot at the startling line!

I always end up too far back, it seems.  I have to pass a lot of people and it's stressful because you're so close to each other.  Ew, sweat!  I'm pleased with today's results, my knee is still bothering me.  I may have to take off a few days and let it do whatever it needs to do.

I met a nice woman who invited me to participate in her group's early morning runs. They start at around 5 a.m. and do 4-5 miles. She said she wanted to do longer runs but her group was stuck at 4 mi. I know the feeling, past 5 mi and there are no running buddies. I liked her! Determined to not let her running affect her mommy duties. Her kids wake up at 6:30 a.m., those are some early risers. Mine wake up at 8:05 on the dot, every morning. Sigh. But on to the recipe.

I made these last night because it'll be a long day and I won't be back in time to feed the Big Bear. I prepared the plate by adding cooked brown rice and fresh broccoli. He'll just have to add some of the strips and heat it all up. There, wife duties done.

My mom makes Milanesa all the time and brings it over. She makes the breading with crushed saltines, fries the coated chicken in oil, and tempts me to run 10 miles the next day. God bless that woman, she can make a meal out of twigs and salt. (No, I didn't get those genes either.)

Heart Healthy Chicken Strips
Serves 4-5

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, skinless/boneless, sliced into strips

1 medium egg
1 tablespoon fat free milk

1 cup Cheerios (powdered in food processor or crushed with whatever heavy thing you can get--a can works)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Check it

Red and black, always a good combination.

In one small flat bowl, mix the egg and milk together. Whisk until frothy. Place another small flat bowl next to eggy one and add the crushed/powdered Cheerios, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and cumin. Shake until well combined.

Slice your chicken breasts however you like them, I didn't want to spend too much time trying to flip little nugget bites so I made them into strips.

Chicken--dipping.

After washing your hands, use one to dump a few pieces of chicken into the egg mixture. Using the same hand, pick up ONE piece and let some of the extra egg slime off. Just hold it over the bowl, the less liquid, the better the coverage.

Dumped chicken.

With the same hand, drop the chicken into the Cheerio bowl and shake back and forth. Don't touch the chicken yet, just keep shaking the bowl.

Coated chicken.

After the chicken has been completely coated with the dry ingredients, use your other (egg-less) hand to take the chicken out and place it on an extra plate until all pieces are coated and are ready to be cooked.

Oil or no oil?

I used Pam to spray the pan, but you can use whatever oil you like (changes nutritional value). My mom uses canola oil but I don't like having hot oil anywhere near me.

Done!

Brown both sides and cook until... cooked. I usually cover my pan with a lid because I'm afraid of under-cooking the chicken. I'm a newbie. Let the chicken pieces rest on a cooling rack until ready to eat or ready to pack up and throw in the fridge.

I have a thing about breading falling off the chicken so I waited until completely cooled before I put them in an airtight container and then in the fridge. If I'd had more time (and less children) I would've made a nice dipping sauce out of peanut butter, soy sauce, chicken stock and some pepper flakes. But I didn't have time, so the Big Bear will just have to just eat them with ketchup (the American way).

Don't trip!

I went to Zumba today, my mother was there dancing like she does e/thing, with all her heart. She has rhythm that I, sadly, did not inherit. I do my best, I have a lot of fun and I burn off some calories. Today's instructor is a great Samba dancer, she's amazing. I wish my body could move like hers!

I thought I was working out harder at the end...

I burned around 289 calories and got the kinks out of my shoulders and arms. My right knee is a little creaky, I'm not sure how or when I hurt it yesterday. Maybe it's been the extra yoga I've been trying, maybe I stretched it out too much. I did the Oceanside Restorative Yoga with Melissa McLeod | DoYogaWithMe.com and it was what I needed. I had to turn off the dryer b/c it felt super loud once I got relaxed.

It was lovely, I will do it at least a few times a week. It is way better than a Margarita :] (ok, a little better).

Free, early and full of fun, what could be better??

I have to wake up early tomorrow, it'll be a fun day. My husband's off, I have a (FREE) 5K race in the morning, and I'm visiting my friend with my sister. I hope my knee gets better.

These 5K races are great, there's food at the end, a bunch of people (a crowd) and they announced that there'd be a couple of surprises this time around. I'm a sucker for surprises. Yes, I'll be there, extra early!

Knee, get your act together. We have to power run tomorrow.


My mother is coming over later on and we might go for another walk. We walk by the lake in the complex, there are a bunch of ducks and their duckies waddling around. They wag their tails when you pass by, they're spoiled ducks. You could feed a dozen with one! LOL.

Run for Wellness 5K Series (May) Race Recap!

Man, am I awesome or what? Amiright? I beat my old time! Is this a PR? :) 

I had posted this on my weight loss blog, and I'm too lazy to try and rewrite what I meant at that moment. Please read for future proof that I'm crazy, you're welcome.


When I was 11, I was given the choice to stay in the US or go back to Mexico to wait for my mother to finish earning the money needed to pay for my sis' college.  An 11 year old, what did I know?  My biggest concern was school, how was I supposed to pass History class when all I knew was Mexico's?  LMAO.  I can't believe THAT was my biggest concern.  Cut to the first day of school, I realized I didn't speak the language.  Ooops.  


I thought I'd always get "D"s and that I would never be able to communicate or make friends.  I changed SO much.  I went from being social to being awkward and not wanting to speak b/c I had an accent.  Cut (come on, keep up!) to Texas History Class in middle school.  I got back my test and I'd gotten an 88.  That was close to an "A"!  In that moment, I knew I could do it.  I had done it already, I was just a few more tries away.  


Next semester, I tested out of my ESL classes.  By the next grade, I was in all advanced placement classes and getting the lovely "A"s I was so used to.  I went on to graduate with honors and blah blah blah.  I'm not a genius, I just worked my ASS off day after day.  I gave it all I had.  I said no to weekend parties or bar hopping on Tuesday nights.  I had to turn away from tempting friendships.


Today, the same "I did it" thought slapped me on my face.  I did it, I beat my 30:00 5K goal.  I knew I could, I had done it before.  But, life got in the way.  I'm the 11 year old again when it comes to weight/lifestyle.  I'm making a HUGE decision, I can either take a scary/time consuming/life altering challenge and keep working hard to stay healthy or I can give up and go back to my old safe/comfortable unhealthy life.  You can bet your cola I'm not taking the easy road.  (BTW, quick Spanish lesson.  "Cola" means butt, so, you can call your spouse a "cola" when s/he's being an ass.)


I realized that weight training will be a must.  Especialmente the core workouts.  I can't go any faster only relying on my legs, the whole body needs to be trained.  I want to place or give the winners a good run.  I could honestly one day place.  It will just take a lot of work.  Day after day.  Relentlessness work, but what is life without a little craziness?


I forgot to STOP my workout right after I crossed the finish line b/c the lady jumped me and took my bib's bottom.  She could've waited a little, she came out of f-ing nowhere!  I was about to punch her, she scared me.


Anyway, point is, I'm going to start weight lifting.  I know, long story short point.  Seriously, this is the "next step."  I'm hitting on an Eureka! moment right now, it's been a crazy week.

START line, it's the simplest races that are the best.

Oh, yeah, my time!  I made it in 29:18, though the race doesn't chip time.  So it was more like 29:26 for them?  I used my Garmin but like I said, the stupid lady distracted me and I didn't press STOP as soon as I crossed the line.  Whatever, new PR!

Cinco de Mayo 5K Run - Race Recap

Race: Cinco de Mayo 5K Run
Date: May 5, 2012 @ 7:30 a.m.
Distance: 5K
Time: 32:14
Average Pace: 10:23
Course Map:

It seemed endless.

Well, it was one of "learned something new today" type of races. Let me share, bullet point sty-lah!
ALWAYS put your clothes out for yourself the night before so you can sneak out (Ninja style) out of your home w/o waking up your little ones. 

•  I was wearing a pair of shorts I hadn't worn in a long time and while walking around my home, they started sliding off. I changed after I found my normal shorts in the laundry room.
• Make sure you ignore the rules about no head phones (ok, not if you're racing in the streets) because e/one else will be wearing theirs and you'll feel completely out of place without music when that's all you train with...
• Make sure you turn on your HRM before the race to make sure the transmitter is working and in the right place. I didn't and I ended up with no reading so I just turned it off.

How cool is this shirt??

Besides this greatly beneficial learning experience, the race was pretty awesome. The runners were mostly from three running clubs and they were all wearing matching shirts, so I kind of stood out in mine... My mom and I ended up taking a picture with the Mariachis! He let me hold his guitar, :]

Run for Wellness 5K Series (April) - Race Recap

Another recap from my weight loss, this is the first free race I participated in.  It was a great way to start the week.


Race: Run for Wellness 5K Series (April)
Date: April 29, 2012 @ 8:00 a.m.
Distance: 5K
Time: 32:10
Average Pace: 10:20
Course Map:

Picture from USATF

...it was an awesome turn out. There were little kids who were super fast and older ladies who kept strong during the whole 3 miles. I ended mine at 31'57", is that good? You bet your ass. Well, to me, anyway. I met two guys, one of which is going to the night trail race and we switched emails so we could stay in touch and hang out during the after party. He's a dad and like me, has dragged their loved ones to stay healthy. I like those people.
I also met another guy who used to live by my husband's old neighborhood. The race was fun, of course I'm doing it again! It's free, runs through a nice little area of the park and you get free bananas at the end, lol. I only ate half bc it sat all weird in my stomach. No eating right after finishing the race anymore.
I didn't take a picture bc my stupid phone was too heavy and it kept bringing down my pants. I... didn't want to flash anyone. There were kids, you know. My pants are loose bc I've lost another pound! Haha, finally, after two weeks of running and limiting sweets (not). I'm down to 135.4 and am finally losing that little ab fat, flab? I don't know.
I honestly felt like I could kick ass the whole day... It was a nice date with my husband, my sister watched both kid and we got to enjoy our dinner. Days like these make me so happy that I've started taking care of myself and family. I want to be able to spend as many days with them as possible without feeling unhappy and worried.
I honestly felt like I could kick ass the whole day... It was a nice date with my husband, my sister watched both kid and we got to enjoy our dinner. Days like these make me so happy that I've started taking care of myself and family. I want to be able to spend as many days with them as possible without feeling unhappy and worried.

2011 Bellaire Trolley 5K Run - Race Recap

This is from my weight loss blog, I remember I was pregnant (*gasp*) and ran with my little boy kicking inside of me.  It's a creepy thought and an even creepier feeling.  This was the first race where no one was at the end to hug me or take pictures, it was sad at the time.  

Race: Bellaire Trolley 5K Run

Date: April 9, 2011 @ 8:00 a.m.

Distance: 5K

Time: 38:39

Average Pace: 12:25

Course Map:

I gotta post this before the baby wakes up (fully) and I start the day.  Well, my mommy day.  I'm a runner in disguise.  Anyway, here's today's race results (in nike+ form):

I was alone at the race, no one took pictures :\  Oh, well, there'll be more.  It was a really pretty day.  Not hot at all, but these yoga pants will have to go once Houston gets to its normal temperature.

I didn't take any walking breaks and kept my pace at 12something.  I had to pass the old lady who'd been ahead of me the entire race so you can see the little speed increase at the end *haha*, or as much as a pregnant woman can speed up.  It was super fun.

I'll have to do it again to compare time next year.  I liked it, lots of little kids there.  Lots of kids FULL of morning energy.  I felt so old.

Anyway, my hubby and baby stayed home.  My baby decided to wake up at 3 and put on a show so I didn't get much sleep but I was up and about at 6.  I left home at 6:30 and got there right before 7.  I was the only preggers there but it was ok, I saw some cute little girls running with their moms and I hope my baby will be interested in running later.